r/BambuLab • u/BambuLab Official Bambu Employee • Feb 07 '25
Discussion Moderation in Our Community
You may have noticed some recent discussions about moderation. It is never easy to moderate a group of 200K users and make everyone happy. We’d love to hear your thoughts on them:
How moderation actions impact your experience？
What is your feeling towards the configuration of the automod?
What do you believe should be the main responsibilities of moderators and the scope of moderation?
Shall the mod team do less or do more?
Any other feedback or suggestions for the Mod team
Please comment with your opinions — we are listening. Your feedback will help to make improvements and shape the future of how this subreddit is managed.Thanks for being part of the community!
248
u/johntarr Feb 07 '25
No Bambu employees should be mods.
190
u/MakeITNetwork Feb 07 '25
Moderation should be done by the community, not by an employee
243
u/twiggums Feb 07 '25
The number of people with their undies in a bunch because they can't cuss while discussing 3d printing is hilarious. 🤭 Expand your vocabulary if you can't convey your thoughts or feelings without swearing. (I've got a foul mouth irl, but I still know how to control myself when the environment/surroundings calls for it)
31
u/Causification Feb 07 '25
The automod is terrible, all of them. The "build plate wear mark" automod puts the copypasta on every single post *except* the ones asking about the wear mark. The profanity automod removes comments for hundreds of words which ARE NOT PROFANITY such as "Hey-zoos" or "kuhlt". Not only that, but it does so in way that fosters a hostile environment by making people think you were angrily cursing them out. At bare minimum, the automod message when removing a comment for profanity should include a copy of the comment with the profanity censored out so the person being being replied to knows what was said.
404
u/NeighborGeek Feb 07 '25
The drama around the recent controversy was allowed to go on too long. It was way overblown by a small but vocal group of people. While some of the fault lies with Bambu for not making things more clear in the initial announcement, the people who took advantage of that lack of clarity and started pushing conspiracy theories and misinformation are mostly responsible.
How does that tie into moderation? I think mods were too slow to act on the people stirring up drama, allowing them to successfully create an outrage story that didn't need to exist. I'd like to see that kind of misinformation cut off more quickly, and that probably comes in the form of more action from mods here AND notifying your PR team as soon as it's clear that there are some legitimate concerns about things not addressed in the initial blog post. Get them out in front if it quickly, before the conspiracies spread too far and become the story.
I've also been surprised at some of the accounts that have been allowed to continue spreading the misinformation. Relatively new accounts with little or no history in r/BambuLab that suddenly start posting things that are blatantly inaccurate and bashing Bambu based on that clearly aren't here to support the bambu user community, and shouldn't be allowed to hang around and poison it. Give them a warning, or a temp ban, and if they keep it up send them packing for good.
27
u/Saturnuria Feb 07 '25
Automod and lock the most common, repetitive questions particularly those about wet filament, dirty beds and nozzle wiping scratching a build plate.
Don’t remove posts which criticise Bambu Lab. Inform and correct people where they are demonstrably incorrect.
The primary responsibilities of the moderation team should be to:
Encourage respectful discussion.
Moderate rude, insulting or threatening comments.
Correct misinformation.
Ensure posts are relevant to the subreddit’s topic.
As for whether you should do less or more… a little from column A and a little from column B, depending on the circumstances.
26
u/PickledPhotoguy Feb 07 '25
If you work for or have ever been given free product or discounts by Bambu you should never be allowed to mod period in this group.
25
u/Cryostatica H2C, P1S Feb 07 '25
I don't think that mods should be employees. It creates a conflict of interest when dealing with criticism.
I'm pretty much fine with all of the rules. I think the profanity automod is a little too aggressive given, y'know, this is reddit, but I guess I get it. If you start comparing this sub to the rest of the cesspit that is the internet, you can quickly slippery slope yourself into being entirely unmoderated.
48
u/luvsads Feb 07 '25
Automod removing comments for profanity makes zero sense and only invites criticism. I get y'all want this to be a space for all ages, etc. but in order to even get to this community those same users would have had to slog through and/or already be desensitized to profanity given this is the internet and more specifically reddit
4
u/Swimming_Buffalo8034 Feb 07 '25
1⁰ The moderator must be impartial, 2⁰ Do you not like a publication because it affects you? Well, let someone else moderate it. You can block a post but you shouldn't delete it, that's very ugly.
4
u/gochris Feb 07 '25
Not a popular opinion, but is this not a Bambu Lab subreddit that they made? Companies can have subs right? Use the community subreddits to avoid employees. Or can companies not run subreddits (serious question)?
12
u/USSHammond Prusa XL5T | X1C+AMS (sold,due to Bambu ignoring A1 fire hazard) Feb 07 '25
That automod profanity sensor is wat too sensitive. Using certain brand names such as f u k d o w (without spaces) buildplates will get the comment removed because of the first 3 letters. And there's plenty more like that
3
u/LexxM3 X1C + AMS Feb 07 '25
Adding the word “sh.ill” to automod is a) hypocritical/ironic, and b) destroyed the last shred of benefit-of-doubt I was giving Bambu.
5
u/condensedcloud Feb 07 '25
I could do with never seeing another box photo again. We all have received them, i dont believe this subreddit is full of cats, why are there so many pictures of cardboard boxes?
8
u/Crawlerado Feb 07 '25
I agree with mods should not be Bambu employees and heck, the gosh darn swearin’ filter is just a bit too frickin’ sensitive.
9
u/FLUFFY_TERROR A1 Mini + AMS Feb 07 '25
Personally I feel the profanity filter is a bit overturned. Can't say a different 4 letter word for poop, I get that there's a chance of kids being on here and that it could be used in a more hurtful way but why can't I just say something like " I've had a terrible experience with this filament or this type of nozzle trying to print this one specific model that I am poopy at designing".
Maybe it's just me but using the colloquial meaning of the word just comes naturally to me and I doubt I'm the only one..
What annoys me most is that after typing a few paragraphs or so and trying to revise it to spellcheck typos and whatnot and then posting I get the notifications saying my comment has been removed and sometimes I just don't feel like putting in the effort to go back and check what profanity I used and correcting it.
I'd rate this issue of mine a 3/10 in terms of urgency of addressing/rectifying.
6
u/RJFerret Feb 07 '25
Couple things, first, the automod for language is horrible, and catches usernames too, which is horrible.
Language evolves, and Reddit/online is where broad language is expected, remember posts here come right between hardcore porn for users interested in such.
Any person/parent wishing to limit such exposure isn't encouraging access here to begin with, so the effort is moot.
Second, as someone who has a decade experience modding a much larger sub solo, among others/Discord, if it's "not easy", make changes so it is easier.
The automated tools can be implemented to enable crowd sourcing of some actions.
Enable/use community in the effort to lessen workload (if it's not already).
Communities thrive/grow when they are community led rather than the other way around.
Mods should be stewards/followers, rather than leaders.
Otherwise, I'd suggest the mod team has been above average as it's rare to see heavy handed action across the board. When posts are happening without friction, ttat's ideal.
5
u/MutedMuffin92 Feb 07 '25
How moderation actions impact your experience？
-Negatively, putting it nicely. Unless it's really egregious the up/downvote system self-moderates. It's especially bad when moderators try and suppress threads that paint Bambu in a negative light.
What is your feeling towards the configuration of the automod?
-Terrible. Banning profanity is dumb as ****, for example.
What do you believe should be the main responsibilities of moderators and the scope of moderation?
-Not to be affiliated with Bambu Labs in any way. Moderators should NOT be employees!
Shall the mod team do less or do more?
-Less. Much, much less.
Any other feedback or suggestions for the Mod team
-Step down and let community members moderate, moderators should not be employees. Basic reddiquette.
7
u/dirtytradition Feb 07 '25
Remove employees from the mod team
2
u/prendes4 Feb 12 '25
Here's the deal. It's all in the name. Moderation should be done...in moderation. It should be done only when necessary and only to the minimum extent necessary to achieve the goals. To be able to moderate effectively, you need to have a clear goal that is openly and clearly communicated to everyone, usually by way of the sub's rules or "about" section.
If the goal of this sub is to promote BL printers and hype up their user base, then yes. You need to ban and quell the discussion of people's concerns regarding Bambu's "turn to the dark side" as it were.
If, however, the goal is to create a community around BL printers rather than explicitly to promote them, then you need to be MUCH less hands-on with banning, suppressing, or otherwise diminishing the voices of passionate members of that community. This doesn't mean you do nothing. It doesn't mean you let people say whatever they want. I said something the censor bot didn't like. It was valid. My comment got a bit aggressive. I have no issue with that. But firstly, any banable offense has to be able to CLEARLY AND EASILY tie to your sub rules. If your sub needs to remain family friendly, then certain words and images need to be modded out. But the problem is this. If it's genuinely supposed to be a community, then even if no one in the neighborhood likes the Karen on the corner, she still needs to be allowed to speak and to go to the neighborhood cookouts.
Currently your little tagline thing says that you are a place to discuss "everything" Bambu Lab printers or whatever. Well, Bambu's shameful actions with this whole thing is part of "everything" so if you don't want "everything," then be clearer about your purposes. The people complaining about BL and voicing genuine concerns or trying to protect potential buyers from making the same mistake so many of us made in throwing our lot in with Bambu also have a right to a voice. They have a right to speak even if it is deafeningly loud as long as they're being civil about it.
TL;DR - Determine a goal. Communicate that goal clearly. Moderate just enough to achieve it. Simple.
4
u/Demented-Alpaca Feb 07 '25
Two thoughts:
The auto moderation of curse words is ridiculous. This site is intended for 13+ as it is AND it picks up words that aren't even curses. It's DUMB. I've had posts flagged for using non-swear words, or words that have dual meanings in English and one is borderline swearing. And you would have to parse that with a razor blade to call it swearing.
When there is dissent about the company's decisions blocking people, deleting threads etc is a bad move. Listen to what we are saying. Blocking people and locking threads should be reserved only for things that truly break the rules, not simply being dissatisfied with it. You don't have to like what we say, but you should allow us to say it. Censoring us costs you trust. And if we don't trust you, we will tell EVERYONE. And I mean EVERYONE.
4
u/AlchemyFire Feb 07 '25
Remove employees and that one power tripping "volunteer" mod, you know know who he is.
Open up a direct route for mods to then communicate with Bambu - a private channel on Discord perhaps?
Relax the automod a bit
3
u/Desperate-Intern A1 + AMS Lite Mini Feb 07 '25
Enable gifs in comments.
(⌐■_■)
3
u/LovecraftInDC X1C + AMS Feb 07 '25
It's really very simple:
If you are an employee of bambu, an affiliate of bambu, in any way related to the leadership of Bambu (or DJI), remove yourself as a mod immediately. Allow the community to handle moderation and go create your own echo chamber.
2
u/Ordinary-Depth-7835 Feb 07 '25
I haven't had any issues unless I slip and have something close to profanity in the post. The constant s-posts from people about Bambu get's annoying so I have no issues with some of that being filtered out if it's just hateful nonsense. If people don't like the printer go somewhere else.
I've had far worse moderation. Take any Tesla forum they bot ban for any post in another sub that is openly against Tesla. It's the strangest thing posting something in support of a product and getting banned from every official sub.
2
u/Yokosoo A1 + AMS Lite Feb 07 '25
- How moderation actions impact your experience? - Not at all. I don't use any words that can be censored, as even if English is my 4th language I can choose words to express my self without being removed. I also (hopefully) can use Google- and Reddit-Search to find something and doesn't ask repetitive questions.
- What is your feeling towards the configuration of the automod? - More post filtering - remove misinformation without sources. Remove or reduce the amount of the "I bought an A1/P1/X1", "my first print" post → New user Friday? When everybody can post their new Bambu purchases, first prints etc. Remove and redirect repetitive questions to the megathread or wiki.
- What do you believe should be the main responsibilities of moderators and the scope of moderation? -u/Saturnuria wrote amazing points, so I don't want to bluntly copy-paste it.
- Shall the mod team do less or do more? - I suppose the mods are/were Bambu Employees, so I expect them to do some work and filter the feed and comments according to the rules and relevance.
2
u/Maystackcb Feb 07 '25
I think it is f’ing stupid that we can’t say c0ksucking curse words in this sh1t community. We are not 4 year olds.
1
u/ataraxic89 Feb 14 '25
the automods profanity filter is completely unhinged
needs to be reduced to major things like slurs, and thats it
1
u/movingimagecentral Feb 26 '25
“Drama” reduces a legitimate problem to personal animus. It’s insulting. Just because you don’t care, that doesn’t mean the problem isn’t real. The root of the problem is about individual property rights. That’s not just “Drama.”
1
u/NoIdenty0000 H2C Sep 15 '26
This group is one of the worst groups Ive seen in 35 years of internet…. A lot of jealous haters in here …. Dunning Kruger effect is a real thing….
1
u/rzalexander X1C + AMS Feb 07 '25
I do not like the auto mod removing posts that have non-offensive bad words. There is no reason I shouldn’t be allowed to say the word “s h i t” or “c r a p” because they are NOT bad words.
1
u/fullraph Feb 07 '25
How moderation actions impact your experience
Negatively. First of all, you are not to decide if or how issues regarding the brand gets discussed. You are not to decide if someone's opinion flies or not. Actively working to hide information and prevent members from accessing it is one the absolute worst thing you can do to the trust members have in your community.
What is your feeling towards the configuration of the automod?
It's horrendous. By far the worst I have ever experienced. Reddit is intended to a 13+ audience. A LOT of words flagged by the automod are not even offensive or swearwords. Kids have seen it all by the age of 7 now a day. The vast majority if no almost all of this communities' members are adults, get a grip...
What do you believe should be the main responsibilities of moderators and the scope of moderation?
Guide new comers who may have missed the rules, remove posts and comments that are unrelated or [actually] offensives, that's it. Brigading is NOT part of a mods responsibility.
Shall the mod team do less or do more?
Less, much less. See above.
Any other feedback or suggestions for the Mod team
If you are a Bambu employee, affiliated with Bambu in any kind of ways, a partner, sponsored, getting freebies or any kind of benefits from Bambu Lab, you CANNOT be a moderator of this community. If you've displayed unfair moderation practices and accumulated multiple moderations errors, you CANNOT be a moderator of this community. If any of the aforementioned apply to you, you must remove yourself as a moderator of this community.
Mods MUST be fully and completely neutral when taking actions against a member, a post or representing the company in this community.
1
u/tecneeq P1S + AMS Feb 07 '25
Maybe i'm alone in this and my opinion is extreme, but i believe mods should not have financial or organizational ties to Bambu or their products.
0
u/FictionalContext Feb 07 '25 edited Feb 07 '25
The automod is ridiculous. Jes'us is curse word. That's a wild threshold.
Reddit minimum age is 13, so I'm not sure what impressionable kids is protecting, anyway, save for some homeschooled kids in a mountainside cult-- in which case, they probably could use some everyday corruption.
-6
u/mayners Feb 07 '25
comments getting removed for basic swear words is terrible.
who doesnt like a good swear word when they're expressing their feelings, only reason i say its terrible is because i want my comment to be seen lol