Hey everyone!

I’m so excited to be the new top mod of this community. I’ve been a part of this community since the beginning, and I’ve seen how much it’s grown and evolved. I’m grateful to the previous top mod for creating this space, and I’m honored to be taking over.

On Twitter, I’m @CantStopPoppin, and on Reddit, I’m u/CantStopPoppin. I’ve been active on both platforms for over 5 years, and I’ve always been a strong advocate for diversity, inclusion, and quality content.

I’m planning to make a few slight changes to the community, but I want to get your input first. I want this to be a place where everyone feels welcome, regardless of their background or beliefs. That means that hate speech, racism, anti-LGBTQ+, and trolling will not be tolerated.

I believe that our differences make us stronger together. We can learn from each other and create something truly special. I’m committed to listening to the community and working together to make this happen.

I’ll be leaving this post unlocked for 72 hours so that you can share your thoughts and suggestions. I’ll also be going through the comments to answer any questions you may have.

Here are a few specific things I’m thinking about changing:

  • I’d like to make the community more welcoming to people from all walks of life. This means being more inclusive of people from different cultures, religions, and LGBTQ communities.
  • I’d like to make the community more focused on quality content. This means promoting posts that are well-written, informative, and thought-provoking.
  • I’d like to make the community more active. This means encouraging people to participate in discussions and share their thoughts and ideas.

I’m open to other suggestions, so please let me know what you think. I’m excited to work with you to make this community even better!

A few things to note:

  • YouTube and Twitter will not be allowed in the community. Only legitimate news sources will be accepted.
  • There may be a “Pundit Tuesday” in the future, but not at this time.
  • Fox News local stations will be allowed, but their syndicated stations and talking heads will not be accepted due to their many dishonest reports and lawsuits.

I’m excited to hear your thoughts!

Thank you again for helping to create, nurture, and seed this community. I’m looking forward to working with you to make it even better!

This post will stay unlocked for 72 hours for an AMA. I will try to answer as many questions as I can, but it may take some time.

I hope to see you all in the comments!

  • Margot Robbie@lemmy.worldEnglish
    151·
    1 year ago

    Sure. I’ve said since I came here: “Lemmy should be first and foremost a place for people, not bots, not spam, and certainly not hate.”

    And as top mod, the community should not belong to you. It should belong to all the wonderful people of the community.

    Sabbah had the responsibility to run this place, but they lost the trust of the community who put their faith in them, and I think they can re-earn that trust with humility and sincerity, but I don’t think I see that sincerity right now.

    I don’t have much more to add than this.

    • CantSt0pPoppin@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      211·
      1 year ago

      Thank you so much for sch a razor-sharp response!

      I should have used a more inclusive pronoun, such as “our” or “the mod.” This is not animal farm where everyone is equal and some are more equal than others.

      I think it is important to use inclusive language when talking about mods, because it helps to create a sense of community and collaboration. When we say “our mod,” it means that we are all part of something bigger than ourselves. It means that we are all working together to create a better experience for everyone.

      I am glad that you brought this issue to my attention. I will be more mindful of my language in the future, and I will try to use more inclusive pronouns when talking about mods.

      Thank you for your feedback. It is important to me that I am respectful of everyone in the community, and I appreciate your help in making sure that I do so.

      I hope this is more clear and inclusive. Let me know if you have any other questions.

      Lastly you got me curious. Are you suggesting that I’m not being sincere in what I say or the decisions I’ve made so far? Feedback is crucial for the community to grow, so I appreciate you being honest with me.

      If you are referring to me, I agree. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you. Actions speak louder than words, so I hope that in time you’ll see that my intentions are true and sincere.

      While I may be new here and found myself in this unexpected position, I did have the choice to walk away. But I felt a greater responsibility to this community, which is quite new to me. So, if there’s any solace in my words, please consider that.

      • Margot Robbie@lemmy.worldEnglish
        113·
        1 year ago

        OK, first, because it actually really bothers me, why do you write like ChatGPT?

        Second, inclusive language is not the key issue here, the issue is that you knowingly re-added someone to the mod team who was removed for abusing their mod power without even anything addressing it like you want it to go under the radar, and he (they?) added you to !breakingnews@lemmy.world where he(they?) is still the top mod. That looks like reddit powermod behavior to me.

        Reading your response, I don’t even think YOU believe what you are writing right now, and that’s what I meant by sincerity.

        • CantSt0pPoppin@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
          27·
          1 year ago

          I don’t know exactly what transpired but I am a firm believer in second chances. At the first sign of a perceived issue, it will be handled accordingly. I stumbled my way into this position, and I need you to help me stand. I did not even realize that I was a mod on breakingnews thank you for letting me know. Mistakes will be made, and lessons will be learned but above all I expect you to hold our moderator team accountable. The community as a whole has a responsibility to ensure that moderators are called out when needed and held accountable. Your concerns display a doubt of the abilities of myself and our mod team. This is good that means we are starting from zero. I hope in time our team is able to gain your confidence in our abilities.

            • CantSt0pPoppin@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
              27·
              1 year ago

              Your points are both valid and a bit critical, considering that I did not anticipate being top mod of this community. You are 100% correct in saying that I have no clue what I am doing, because that is the truth. That is also the reason for this AMA: to get my bearings, feel the ground, and greet the community.

              At times I have been told that my tone is that of a corporate shill, and now you are saying that my tone lacks maturity. The fact of the matter is that I will speak how I see fit, and some people will not like it, and that’s okay. I was just trying to be friendly in engaging with the community, and I thought that would be the right direction since none of this was anticipated in the first place.

              This community is World News, and the mod team should be mature and journalistic. However, that does not negate having a sense of humor, being lighthearted, or sharing fun World News™ stories by a campfire while roasting marshmallows.

              At the end of the day, it’s like this: I just started out, but I am committed to making this work and making sure that this community is welcoming to everyone.

              • Margot Robbie@lemmy.worldEnglish
                32·
                1 year ago

                Comedy is about timing, there are many other places for fun here, but World News is not one of them. The news is not supposed to be “fun”, because it’s not supposed to be “entertainment”.

                Isn’t that what you disliked about Fox News?

                If you are watching the news for “fun”, then I’m sorry, but you are actually watching a circus.

                Please read this thing I wrote a while back: https://lemmy.world/post/858027, it’s pretty long, but I’d appreciate it.

                No more questions.

                • CantSt0pPoppin@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
                  33·
                  1 year ago

                  You have stated that I have a personal issue with Fox News. I do not have a personal issue with Fox News. That being said, how can anyone trust their network’s journalistic integrity. The $787.5 million settlement that Fox News paid to Dominion Voting Systems highlights that the network engaged in irresponsible and unethical and dangerous reporting.

                • CantSt0pPoppin@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
                  23·
                  1 year ago

                  To say there is something inherently wrong with consuming news media for entertainment is an opinion. There is a gambit of possible emotions that one may display when presented with news. There is nothing wrong with consuming news media for entertainment purposes, as long as the viewer is aware of the biases and limitations of the source.

                  For example, if someone is watching a comedy news show, they should be aware that the show is not going to be providing them with unbiased or objective information. However, if someone is watching a more traditional news program, they should still be critical of the information that is being presented, even if the program does not use humor.

                  Depending on the news story, humor can be a very powerful tool in reporting, but that it is important to use it responsibly. Humor can be used to make the news more accessible and engaging, but it can also be weaponized and used to distort or manipulate the truth. It is important for news organizations to use humor in a way that does not compromise their commitment to journalistic integrity, accuracy and truthfulness.

                  Humor can also be a way to connect with people and build trust. It can help to make complex issues more understandable, and it can be used to challenge people’s assumptions and beliefs. Humor can also be used to raise awareness of important issues.

                  The choice of whether or not to use humor in news reporting is a judgment call that should be made on a case-by-case basis. However, you are not wrong and there is a clear duality that needs to be acknowledged. I do believe that humor can be a valuable tool for news reporting, and that it can be used to help people understand the world around them, however bad actors and news agencies that seek to derail important conversations can wield humor like a sword and cut up the facts.

                  When I say the word humor it was more in reference to *lighthearted and positive news stories that may make the reader laugh or feel good. People don’t need to always feel like tomorrow is going to be the end of the world that not good for anyone’s mental health.