I have removed my book from consideration from the SPSFC.

Not that I expected it to advance beyond the first stage anyway. The very short version: people objected to somebody advancing that they did not like (note that the person in question very much did not like them back), the mods tried to keep the peace, the peace was not kept, and eventually the mob bullied the mods into removing the offending author. That was the point where I politely informed the group to remove my book from consideration, and then I left the Discord server.

Now, honesty requires me to note here that the odds were not that great that it would have been my turn next, if only because I was pretty sure that being cut from the contest was only a matter of time anyway. Ideological brawls like these are often a two-side affair, and I suspect that the tossed individual will be more than happy to drive sales from the incident.

But I cannot abide weakness in site moderators. If you do not rule over your forums, they will rule over you. Taking four or five of the proto-mob and metaphorically casting them out into the outer darkness would have taught the rest to shut up when they’ve been told that the subject is closed. Giving way once simply encourages more bullying. The only bullies in a discussion forum should be the site moderators themselves.

Moe Lane

PS: And never write down the rules where people can see them! If they can see the rules, they know how and where to push the envelope! Don’t be a dick is the only public-facing rules you need to have!

2 thoughts on “I have removed my book from consideration from the SPSFC.”

  1. I guess that’s why a lot of the sites I visit always insist on having you guess at what the moderation rules might be and occasionally learning from trial and error. Which might have annoyed me less when the modding at certain of those sites didn’t seem two tiered and the rules themselves subject to change without notice from moment to moment. 😋

    1. Ah, but two-tier guidelines and inchoate rules were what made me such a success as a site moderator. The trick is to use your powers for good. 🙂

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