Not sure how this got an apple core

I have gotten apple cores in the past. I understood why. And yes, I've read every thread about getting apple cores, understand that any moderator can give one for any reason. I truly can't understand how this post possibly offended someone. It would be great if someone could shed some light on this.

https://permies.com/t/152022/Super-excited-coronavirus-vaccines#1190934

like apples, any staff can give a core for any reason.

cores are anonymous.

r ranson wrote:like apples, any staff can give a core for any reason.

cores are anonymous.

I understand. I wasn't asking for the person that gave me the core to explain, just if anyone could shed any light on how that could have offended anyone.

Actually, it doesn't really matter. I think it's just a good indicator that I should spend more time on projects.

Oh, THAT thread. There were something like 40 cores awarded in that thread. It ended up being a case where most of the people that were dancing around the bonfire caught some sparks (cores). Not for anything that they wrote, but just cause they were playing with the fire.

Ah, cider press.
Yeh, it's called cider press because the types of topics people talk about there tend to press buttons and cause tensions.  

I generally avoid the cider press as I'm something of an apple whore.  

While I don't consider myself a 'core whore' .... ;-)...., I too was bequeathed several of the chomped Cortlands for my musings, most likely for the reasons mentioned and which remain a mystery to me. Oh well! (shrugs)... As noted, certain topics are hot because of controversy and disagreement will come with that territory.  Thanks for and to the mods and the work that you do!......

Edit....has Paul ever consider subdividing 'Cider Press' into "Hard Cider", "Clarified Cider", or "Unfiltered Cider".   (....just kidding)

Trace Oswald wrote:I have gotten apple cores in the past. I understood why. And yes, I've read every thread about getting apple cores, understand that any moderator can give one for any reason. I truly can't understand how this post possibly offended someone. It would be great if someone could shed some light on this.

https://permies.com/t/152022/Super-excited-coronavirus-vaccines#1190934

I noticed that thread had an overnight core battle!
Apparently someone who was offended by mention of vaccines all together...at least that seemed like the common thread for those who were on the receiving end?
I did not see anything 'core worthy' myself although that's likely because staff was busy removing posts and I pretty much agreed with the cored replies

stay well everyone, relax and be happy and kind to each other, no matter your view

THAT thread!

I was given 20 apple cores in that thread, in the space of an hour. Someone didn’t like what I was writing apparently.

As already mentioned, cores can be given for any reason, but I will volunteer the reasoning behind why I may give a core, and I doubly want to note that I speak for myself and none of the other moderators. I will not give a core to scold a member of Permies because I disagree with someone else's narrative, beliefs or opinions. I will give a core if I feel a post is blatant breach of the terms to post on Permies, which is to be nice.

James Freyr wrote:As already mentioned, cores can be given for any reason, but I will volunteer the reasoning behind why I may give a core, and I doubly want to note that I speak for myself and none of the other moderators. I will not give a core to scold a member of Permies because I disagree with someone else's narrative, beliefs or opinions. I will give a core if I feel a post is blatant breach of the terms to post on Permies, which is to be nice.

As I understand it, that is the purpose.  I could be completely wrong and most people don't look at it that way.  In my mind, to give someone a core simply because you disagree with something they said seems unfair.

giving an apple for agreeing seems fair?  But a core for disagreeing seems unfair? I don't get it.

As is said before, a staff member can give an apple or core for ANY reason.  There are some topics that tend to attract cores and topics that attract apples.  That thread is a good example.

It seems to me the system is working as designed.

r ranson wrote:giving an apple for agreeing seems fair?  But a core for disagreeing seems unfair? I don't get it.

As is said before, a staff member can give an apple or core for ANY reason.  There are some topics that tend to attract cores and topics that attract apples.  That thread is a good example.

It seems to me the system is working as designed.

My understanding was that apples were given for posts that people found helpful, informative, or that contributed to the forum, not for posts they agreed with.  There is every possibility that I'm wrong, and regardless, as you said, staff can do anything they like.

Apples can be given for any reason.  Each individual staff member has their own criteria.  

Same with cores.

They are two sides of the same system.  

We don't police the reason why cores or apples are given.  We carefully select the people and leave it to their judgement.  

I have seen many cases where a post isn't clearly "not nice", but it is walking the edge and intends to stir things up.  Or the post is trying to say something not nice in a way that just barely might be within standards.  Or a moderator reading it knows that it will cause the thread to devolve into a shit show.  Cores are likely to fly at those posts.  

As R mentions though, coring a post that you don't like is also totally acceptable.  Coring a post for being one syllable away from a haiku might happen.  Using the phrase "it is what it is", might get a core from me.  Alternately, saying "it ain't what it ain't" might get an apple from me.

If they're blatant violations of the rules, they usually get removed anyway.  They might even pick up some cores in the process of being deleted.

So you can see some of the differences, I'll talk about my apple and core criteria.

I give thumbs up or down based on agreement.  I give PIE for extreme agreement.  These are my personal feelings.

Apples, I keep for "furthering the goals of this site".  Is the post of high quality and improve our googlelove?  Does the post help "infect more brains with permaculture"?  Does the post display a will to "make the world a better place instead of being angry at bad guys"?  Is the person doing something amazing and needs a bit of a boost to show we love what they are doing?

Or maybe if a new member came here and read the post, it would discourage people from sticking around because it's just another boring COVID discussion?   Maybe Google has a big hate for vaccine talk right now and simply having that conversation decreases our site's googlelove, thus makes it less possible to infect more brains with permaculture.  Maybe the post displays being angry at bad guys?  

Other people have different criteria for giving apples and cores.

With over 40 active staff and another few dozen intermittently active staff, that's a lot of different reasons.  We trust the staff with incredible superpowers, including a daily allowance of apples and cores.  


On the balance, it's pretty obvious what kind of topics earn apples and what kind of topics are core magnets.  

I rarely give them. But I gave one a few posts up for prattling on endlessly and taking up moderator time pushing again and again, apparently in the hope of being told something different next time round.

You post in the cider press, you're likely to lose apples. Quit whining and go do something worthwhile. If I see the moderators burning out I'm likely to get hungry and go munch all of someone's apples.  

I'm going to lock this topic now before I see any more staff burn out.