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Original poster

To call out a Facebook group for being heavily moderated

44 replies

Everythinghasabias · 06/01/2020 11:32

I questioned (not criticised) the change in the status quo and my comment was quickly removed.

OP posts:
CuriousaboutSamphire · 06/01/2020 11:33

So a post complaining will disappear immediately then!

Leave the group?

GiveHerHellFromUs · 06/01/2020 11:34

What was your actual complaint though?
I think context and content matter here. We can't really give you an opinion without it.

NurseButtercup · 06/01/2020 11:35

I would post a sarcastic comment complaining and predicting how quickly the comment will be deleted.

Freedom of speech in Facebook groups is no longer a thing!

GinisLife · 06/01/2020 11:36

I'm a member of one of these. Thinking I might delete. And one of the moderators in particular seems right up herself with her comments. She's the expert and what she says is the law. Grrrrrr

SerendipityJane · 06/01/2020 11:39

Freedom of speech in Facebook groups is no longer a thing!

It never was.

WhenDoesTheWashingEnd · 06/01/2020 11:41

Facebook group moderators get to say what is and is not in their group.
If you don't like it leave the group. (I'm not a moderator on FB or anywhere else.)

I'm part of a group that is very strictly moderated. It's a very specialised group so they frequently delete posts to keep the topic on track.
A few new members have a complain now and again but it boils down to like it or leave it.
This group has over 10 thousand members though so keeping it monitored must be a nightmare but it works for most members.

kalinkafoxtrot45 · 06/01/2020 11:43

I’m on one that is super (and in my opinion, far too heavily) moderated. I stick around for the useful posts though. Not worth getting in a fight about it, even though I find it annoying.

MistyCloud · 06/01/2020 11:44

Something similar happened to me a while back. It was a page for a particular famous man, and I just posted a joke that I had heard that was really funny and a TINY bit rude.

It got deleted and I got a PM from one of the 3 administrators saying if I post anything else like that, I will be 'removed' from the group.

Then a post was put on the top of the page saying something similar... 'Anyone posting anything vulgar or rude will be immediately BANISHED!'

So I left the page myself/removed myself from the group, and instantly blocked the administrator in question, and the other 2 as well. So they couldn't see my page or contact me. Not that they would have anyway, but I thought 'fuck you! No-one threatens me like that.' And I took away their chance to remove me, by leaving before they could.

No-one ticks me off like I am a fucking child, and threatens me with expulsion from the group. I don't need to be here, Piss off.' I didn't SAY it, but I did think it.' I'd only been there a couple of months, and hadn't posted much anyway, so I didn't particularly care.

@Everythinghasabias If I was you, I would call them out yeah. Or just leave.

Hingeandbracket · 06/01/2020 11:45

What do you mean by “call it out” OP

GiveHerHellFromUs · 06/01/2020 11:46

@MistyCloud tell us the joke? If MNHQ remove it you'll know it was bad Grin

SunshineAngel · 06/01/2020 11:53

This is a difficult one, and I think it very much depends on the kind of group it is.

I have an ongoing dispute with a Facebook group that is related to the website of a hobby that I enjoy. You can advertise on their website if you pay to subscribe, BUT they also only allow their website subscribers to advertise on their Facebook group. Everyone else's get deleted. The group is a public group, and my argument is that you cannot have different rules for different people on a PUBLIC group, based on paid membership of an external website, as Facebook is a free service.

My comments always fall on deaf ears, and I've pretty much given up with it now, really.

Roussette · 06/01/2020 11:59

I'm on a FB group like this. Trouble is... I want/need to be on it as it keeps me updated on a particular area I have a connection to.

There are about 5 moderators. If they post anything, it stays up forever, the comments are banal and boring but they just leave it up. It might be banging on about a restaurant they love (same restaurant gets mentioned continually, they know the owners). They never turn commenting off.

I started a thread (it was a safety issue in the area and everyone was v grateful I'd posted about it, over 100 likes and lots of comments.)
Within only 5 hours of me starting the thread an Admin had turned off commenting.

I PM'd one of the Admins asking why commenting had been turned off and said I had something to add to it which was important. She said she hadn't done it, but she'd turned it back on. I made my comment and within 2 hours a Moderator had turned commenting back off again. I was really cross but they ban anyone who complains about the way the page is run.

It's a very very cliquey place that gets on my tits. Trouble is, it helps me to get information and I can't really leave, much as I want to.

darkriver19886 · 06/01/2020 12:00

I run a group on Facebook. Most groups start pretty comfortable and relaxed but then members join, and things happen.

I find a lot of the mental health groups I am in are quite strict because they have to be. If you don't like it, the group won't change.

SerendipityJane · 06/01/2020 12:06

Facebook own Facebook. Their gaff, their rules.

For what it's worth you won't find anywhere that isn't moderated these days. (Well you could. But no one is going to). Even MN has limits.

Equanimitas · 06/01/2020 12:10

If you join a FB group, you accept the owners/moderators' rules, including any changes to those rules. If you don't like it, start your own.

TheWickerWoman · 06/01/2020 12:11

There’s a group on Facebook I’ve been in for a while, I get so annoyed with the people in there but I’m so weirdly fascinated by it, It’s like a weird cult.

It’s got around 50k members and is supposed to be about the past but it’s more like a chat group. Anyone that dares criticise anything in there is automatically a ‘bully’ and if you say anything derogatory about the royal family you are instantly banned. Their opinions on the same sex ice-skating programme was just Hmm

A lot of the posts in there are just inane one-word answers saying yes or no to something but if you catch them when there’s some drama in there it’s quite amusing.

Hingeandbracket · 06/01/2020 12:13

Anyone that dares criticise anything in there is automatically a ‘bully’
That’s just like here though. People who honestly disagree are bullies and trolls.

Mlou32 · 06/01/2020 12:16

@Roussette I know that admins sometimes turn commenting off because if they keep it on, then with the way facebook algorithms work, that post will keep getting brought up over other new posts and it means that other posts won't get seen. So they switch commenting off to stop this. Glad to hear she was nice and switched it back on for you, however for the aforementioned reason, this again is why she probably switched it back off.

Travis1 · 06/01/2020 12:16

Not Pinch of Nom is it? Made their name ripping off slimming world and weight watchers recipes and now they've got their books out people can't post recipes from the books because 'copyright innit?' Even though they ripped off SW and WW copyright for years. Hypocritical bastards Grin

DollyPomPoms · 06/01/2020 12:18

Our local village Facebook group is like this. The comments must adhere to the administrators views/political preference etc or they get deleted.

Original poster
Everythinghasabias · 06/01/2020 12:25

I understand the need for moderation - however I just asked why was something happening - and a reply as to why would have been sufficient however the fact it has been removed makes me think they are hiding something or there is an agenda.

I don’t want to say which group it is however it relies on the generosity of it’s members.

OP posts:
Roussette · 06/01/2020 12:26

Mlou32 I don't understand.

If the Mods post anything it stays up forever. Commenting is never turned off. So this restaurant they like and know the owners... they might start a thread saying
'Great meal at Ricardo's, the staff are fantastic' and link pics of their food.
The cliquey lot then respond, saying stuff like 'best restaurant in the area' (it isn't, it's crap haha) and for days and days it will stay at the top of the forum with inane comments about the food. Last time there were about 100 nothing comments.

So I come along with something actually very relevant to the area and a huge safety issue that people really need to know about... commenting gets stopped after 5 hours and it sinks down the page!

Surely a safety issue is far more important than a picture of a plate of pasta or a picture of their dog?! I got lots of PMs asking me more about what I'd posted so people obviously wanted to know... but I couldn't be arsed to ask again to let commenting take place for longer than 7 hours!

There is a rival page which is much better run and not so cliquey and I think I might migrate there for good!

thefairyfellersmasterstroke · 06/01/2020 12:27

It was a page for a particular famous man, and I just posted a joke that I had heard that was really funny and a TINY bit rude.

@MistyCloud, it wasn't Martin Shaw, was it? I know he has some VERY uptight fans/admins who won't tolerate anything other than 100% worship of their god.

stilldoesntknowwhatshappening · 06/01/2020 12:27

Was it a breastfeeding group.

I'm in one where the power HmmHas gone to some people's heads.

Roussette · 06/01/2020 12:28

Sorry Mlou32 I'm sounding a tad over invested there... Smile

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