I don’t consider any good-faith conversation about the way this community is run to be just “rambling” so please don’t worry about that. Have you read my mod posts? Not just the current stickied one, but the previous? I’ve gone out of my way to say I want this to be a group effort, that every single rule and decision is open to discussion. But other than @southsamurai@sh.itjust.works offering to be a second mod, and just 2 out of 45 posts in four months being made by someone who isn’t me, I’m doing all the heavy lifting here. Pretty much the only feedback I hear is that I’m doing something somebody doesn’t like. Like asking people not to insult you for example. Somehow I got complained at about that?!

I never said your comment wasn’t factual. Before I explicitly stated I was updating the sidebar to include the no identifying info rule, the sidebar and stickied post asked all members to read and abide by the lemmy code of conduct and the lemmy.world instance rules, and I linked them. I don’t believe any of “my” rules were in addition to lemmy’s/lemmy.worlds when I created the communities I moderate. Google “lemmy rules + doxxing” or similar to see for yourself, or trawl through my comments. I’ve provided screenshots showing this previously under one of my usernames listed in the sidebar. I apologise if my reply increased the downvotes on your comment and made you feel like you weren’t being heard.

Personally I agree that censoring names doesn’t stop the determined from doxxing. It’s almost as ineffective as fucking censoring swear words! But it does add an extra little step that might make someone who’s intending to brigade/harass stop for a second and think about what they’re doing… or decide it’s too much effort. If censoring personal info doesn’t stop you personally finding the original, then I’m not sure what legitimate reasoning there is against it. Especially when I take the time to post the context too.

BUT I still offered two ways to put this to the vote to all subscribers, outside of the vote ratio on your original comment. Why don’t you take me up on one of them? I literally don’t know how I can be any more democratic about this than offering to hold the vote myself, for you to hold the vote, or for us to consider the ratio on your comment to be a general indication. Especially as I’m the only person who contributes anyway! Honestly, tell me what more you want me to do here?

I never wanted to be a mod. I have no previous mod experience and I definitely take things to heart far too much to be a good moderator. But I reached my limit with Reddit’s bullshit and if no one actually puts themselves on the line here, if no one is willing to actually create communities, moderate them properly, and most importantly regularly post content to them, then lemmy won’t prosper.

I’m making that effort and I’m trying really fucking hard to be fair and open and transparent about it. But I cannot do it on my own. So please, please instead of suggesting I run this community without listening to input, make your post and put the rule you have issue with to the whole community. I have said repeatedly I will adjust the rules accordingly to the general consensus. In the spirit of the transparency I’m so keen on - I’ll never make it against the rules to censor personal info though. So make the post about the rule. If the majority agree to scrap it we will. But it will still require someone other than me to contribute to see the change. Be that person, please!

I’m really not the bad guy here, I just want a not-completely-shit Reddit alternative. And now I’ll stop ranting. Sorry about that. It’s been a helluva month.