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I've been moderating again this morning. Or at least, I've been trying to. In the end I just gave up. It isn't worth it, and I find I don't even know how to do it.

The discussion? this one. As one relatively sane participant put it:

Every year we get another story or two like this and they still have their hands over their ears going "LA LA LA - I CAN'T HEAR YOU."

How right he was. We find posters claiming:

• Warmer temperatures will be better (and are needed to save our economy)
• It's been happening for 50,000 years, it's nothing to do with us and it doesn't matter anyway
• It's happening on other planets as well so it can't be our fault
• Polar bears drowning is nothing to do with us
• Global warming is not a threat to nature
• Who needs polar bears anyway?
• Send them to Antarctica
• 'natural selection will simply start choosing bears better at swimming...'
• Come to sunny Manitoba
• La la la! I can't hear you!

With people like this, what hope is there for rational discussion? They're all completely, raving, off their trolleys, certifiable crazies! Am I suppose to think any of this is insightful? Interesting? Informative? It isn't trolling or flamebait - they really believe these things. It certainly isn't funny.

When a bunch of people get sufficiently divorced from reality, moderation simply becomes meaningless. I just give up. The whole United States seems to be one big lunatic asylum. And the lunatics have taken over.

Yet again I'm metamoderating, and I came across this post. What's wrong with it? Nothing at all. It's both interesting and informative. So what's the problem? Well, it had been moderated insightful. Insightful it is not; it contains, as far as I can see, no insight, just good solid interesting information. So I had to metamod it unfair.

Moderators, if you see something that's informative, for heaven's sake moderate it informative. And if you aren't certain what a moderation option means, for heaven's sake don't use it!

Perhaps, as well as Fair and Unfair we could have Harsh and Generous...

Here's what's raised my ire:

More info in Japanese press release

See here for the Japanese press release.

Highlights: 8MB flash memory (4MB for data), 512kB RAM, runs at 24MHz or 48MHz, touchscreen uses Decuma handwriting recognition (Decuma is a Swedish company with Sony VC money; Decuma is also used in Sony Clies & cellphones). FM/Midi sound, vibrator; PIM, mail client supports POP/SMTP.

Can communicate with SD form-factor PHS card, Wi-Fi card, Bluetooth etc. Tri-color LED, sound and vibration alerts for incoming data.

I figure it's a much more useful device in Japan where connectivity is ubiquitous, than the US. But it will have a tough time competing with the likes of the J-SH53 and its successors.

OK, so what's wrong about that? It's very informative. Well yes, it is, and if it had been modded '+1 Informative' I'd have happily OKed it in metamod. So what's wrong? Some charlie had moderatied it '+1 Insightful'. Well, I mean, I ask you... Can you see anything insightful in that? It's a pure information piece.

Hello?

Wake up!

Insightful is not the same as Informative. It's different, and different in a way which is useful. If you don't know what these words mean, please find out what they mean, before you moderate.

Here endeth the rant for today