feiyennet Posted June 18 Posted June 18 Hello everyone, I have been a Premium user of Nexus Mods for many years, having subscribed with multiple accounts within my family. I am writing regarding the recent news of the company's change of ownership. I must admit that lately I have been tempted multiple times to cancel my subscription due to certain conduct by moderators and decisions which, in my opinion and that of many other users, have been deemed erroneous, such as the banning of specific mods while others with Woke/DEI themes remained active. I wish to express my concern regarding what I consider to be a detrimental trend in the video game industry. The "woke" orientation has already provoked a strong negative reaction from the public, with numerous instances of boycotts of titles that made propaganda their core focus, leading to spectacular failures such as Concord and the disappointment associated with the Dragon Age saga with Veilguard, to name just a few. In light of this, I would like to inquire whether such an approach has been re-evaluated in Nexus Mods' future plans. I kindly await your response. I have no interest in seeing Nexus Mods fail; on the contrary, I consider it and have always considered it an indispensable resource for the PC gaming community. However, I harbor a growing aversion to propaganda and, with the utmost composure but also with firm determination, I no longer wish to encounter it within my user experience. Should the editorial line or content policies persist in this direction, please inform me. This will be a determining factor for me in deciding whether or not to maintain my subscription. My children are growing up and are starting to use the site themselves, and there is no way I would find it acceptable for such an ideological slant to bother them. Thank you for your attention.
acidzebra Posted June 18 Posted June 18 is the woke with us in the room right now? All current indications are that there will be no major shift in policy. https://help.nexusmods.com/article/22-forum-and-commenting-guidelines Content that can be construed as provocative, objectionable, discriminatory, or abusive toward any real-world individual or group, may be subject to moderation. This includes but is not limited to content involving politics, race, religion, gender identity, sexuality, or social class. https://help.nexusmods.com/article/28-file-submission-guidelines#File_Reporting_and_Moderation Content that may be generally construed as provocative, divisive, objectionable, discriminatory, or abusive toward any real-world individual or group, may be subject to moderation. This includes but is not limited to content involving politics, race, religion, gender identity, sexuality, or social class. We tolerate content related to real world issues and events as long as the appropriate tag ("Real World Issues") is used and the content is handled in a tasteful, respectful, and non-inflammatory manner. Users who do not wish to see such content should make use of our content blocking feature. Content related to the World War II Axis Powers (Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, Fascist Italy) and contemporary groups sharing similar ideology. Files that change the race or ethnicity of an NPC character within a game, when the intention is clearly to be divisive, to cause hostility within the community or marginalise specific group(s). Files that remove gender identity including pronouns from a game that have been intentionally put in place by a game developer, when the removal is clearly to be divisive or cause hostility within the community or marginalise specific group(s). https://www.nexusmods.com/about Diversity and Inclusion We celebrate diversity and want you to bring your whole self to work. Supporting an incredible community of tens of millions of users, we thrive on engaging as many views as possible to improve our platform. We see no reason why our culture should be any different. We undertake Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging training to be more aware of diverse views and of our own biases to make sure we don't leave anyone feeling unheard or left behind. Are you sure you are on the right site? Is empathy and consideration for others "the woke"? I'm okay with the woke if that's how it's defined. But you seem to have either severely misunderstood or not read the ToS which have been in place for a long time. I'm not sure why anyone would think removing mods matching the above rules is a bad thing, it's kind of weird to want the sort of stuff that is described in your game tbh, but I'm not here to police what people do in their game and neither is the Nexus. People are free to do what they like in their game on their computer and get their mods from whatever site they want. On their side, the Nexus is also free to not host content they deem objectionable/not in line with their policies.
feiyennet Posted June 18 Author Posted June 18 Linking to the Terms of Service isn't really helpful here. "Woke" is basically the opposite of empathy; it's using fake morality to push an agenda. Gamers have made it super clear they're sick of this kind of stuff, and they've suffered from it in many ways. It's like a mind virus from far-left extremists that tells you, "If you don't think like me, you're a fascist," or even worse "a Nazi." It's forced propaganda that has nothing to do with reality, values, empathy, and especially logic. Even in the TOS you linked, phrases like "we celebrate diversity" are toxic and controversial. It's unequivocally clear that an individual possessing logic, empathy, and, above all, respect is free to celebrate as they choose, but they will never dictate what others should celebrate. Imagine celebrating someone's skin color or a sexual fetish and then being told you lack empathy if you don't do the same. I personally celebrate my parents, my family, without trying to force others to think, believe, or say certain things. The fact that Nexus Mods has been infected with this virus isn't an opinion; it's plain truth. Anyway, I'm not here to start an argument about "woke" ideology – with the logic and numbers at hand, I don't think there's anything to even discuss about, especially not here on a modding site. For me and luckily most gamers it's just bad, and it needs to be gotten rid of. What I'm asking is very simple and straightforward: Will the new leadership take action to fix what's deeply rotten in how mods are moderated, or will they keep going down this path?
acidzebra Posted June 18 Posted June 18 It's true that if your values (and the accompanying policies) come down to things like not discriminating, not being racist (as you can read from the ToS) and celebrating the fact that we're a diverse group of humans, and someone goes "this is toxic and controversial", you do kind of wonder what values they hold exactly. And why they are on a site which is committed to being inclusive and diverse to begin with. Or why they would read "we will force others to celebrate" into that, very strange all. Either way, I must once again refer you to the various policies which plainly state how and why things are being moderated, and the new owners have currently not indicated a different direction.
LenaWolfBravil Posted June 18 Posted June 18 I think a reply from the new site owners would have been more appropriate and more to the point than an opinion from another user. Yes, we've read the ToS many times over since these discussions have started. The question is whether these ToS will remain as they are or whether some kind of change is expected. Perhaps it's a little early to ask since they only literally just bought this site, but the question is still valid (and I too would like to know the answer). Of course we can just wait and see, but an answer would be better. You only need to look through the comments to Robin's announcement to realise that a lot of people are pointing out exactly the same thing as the OP of this thread... As for the ToS, mods and comments "may be subject to moderation", and that "may be" is exactly the problem and the root of the double standard in moderation that we are seeing. Rules should be either followed or abandoned, you cannot only follow them when you feel like it, that's not what rules are for. 1 2
feiyennet Posted June 18 Author Posted June 18 2 minutes ago, acidzebra said: It's true that if your values (and the accompanying policies) come down to things like not discriminating, not being racist (as you can read from the ToS) and celebrating the fact that we're a diverse group of humans, and someone goes "this is toxic and controversial", you do kind of wonder what values they hold exactly. And why they are on a site which is committed to being inclusive and diverse to begin with. Either way, I must once again refer you to the various policies which plainly states how and why things are being moderated, and the new owners have currently not indicated a different direction. Racism is stupidity, and there's no other way to put it. Celebrating a person's skin color, or forcing you to read, see, or even bother with it in anything not related to political places, is propaganda. And telling someone they have no empathy just because they don't want to deal with these ads is evil. Again, we know the Terms of Service, we know what has happened to the site in recent months, and we even know why the previous leadership left apparently. I'm curious to know where the new leadership stands. I'll just come to my own conclusions and choices without making a fuss about.
acidzebra Posted June 18 Posted June 18 This is the general chat section of the lounge, so I assume they were looking to talk to other users, or they would have posted in a feedback forum or mailed site support. The 'many' comments are from people who mostly want the same thing yes, and they seem to have made a concerted effort to try and get what they want. Several crossed the line by being a little too explicit about who they are and what they want and left their accounts behind, very sad, though maybe for the best, I don't think the site policies were a good fit for them. I put many in quotes because on the scale of the size of the user population I don't think it's a significant amount (just like I think statements of "all gamers want X" are fairly meaningless without some sort of supporting data) As for the ToS, indeed, these are not rules like traffic regulations, where you were either speeding or not, very black and white, no matter the reason why you were speeding. These are rules like complex social rules, where intent matters, and they are enforced by fallible humans. They are interpreted to the best of people's ability. Most of them come down to "don't be a terrible human being" though, so I feel like they shouldn't be that hard to follow even with a little uncertainty? It's kind of like how a bar will have a little plaque "we reserve the right to refuse service", you don't really worry about it when you enter a bar if you intend to behave like a reasonable human being. Anyway, I guess we'll have to wait and see.
feiyennet Posted June 18 Author Posted June 18 6 minutes ago, LenaWolfBravil said: I think a reply from the new site owners would have been more appropriate and more to the point than an opinion from another user. Yes, we've read the ToS many times over since these discussions have started. The question is whether these ToS will remain as they are or whether some kind of change is expected. Perhaps it's a little early to ask since they only literally just bought this site, but the question is still valid (and I too would like to know the answer). Of course we can just wait and see, but an answer would be better. You only need to look through the comments to Robin's announcement to realise that a lot of people are pointing out exactly the same thing as the OP of this thread... As for the ToS, mods and comments "may be subject to moderation", and that "may be" is exactly the problem and the root of the double standard in moderation that we are seeing. Rules should be either followed or abandoned, you cannot only follow them when you feel like it, that's not what rules are for. Pretty much this yes. I admit I haven't read the comments yet; I've just made a thread about.
JediMasterTallyn Posted June 21 Posted June 21 Seeing as I do not hit this site every single day, I missed somethings. That said after reading this I went and found the announcement. Several take aways: 1. Robin was tired mostly of the BS concerning "censorship" and users in the US thinking their ways and laws apply to everyone. Hear is clue my fellow Americans most countries in the world do NOT in fact have freedom of speech. And EVEN in the US it ONLY applies to federally funded businesses. There fore private businesses can make their own rules. Just ask the Boy Scouts of America. This site is a private foreign business. From me a citizen in the US I apologize for my fellow countrymen and women and other and their aggressive need to virtue signal to the entire world. 2. The new owners, covered most of the questions here in their pinned comment on Robin's announcement. My thoughts after reading it, nothing is going to change unless there becomes a need for some policy to be looked at so far that need does not exist. 3. People do not understand the difference between the Far-left and people that are inclusive. The Far-left much like the Far-right has done everything it can to make people who celebrate diversity be painted with the same brush. Much like there are people that will read "I am a Christian" and automatically think that means I am all kinds of a deplorable hate monger. My favorite christian meme: Jesus said "Love one another" not 'Love one another unless...." Take from that what you will; but I was honored to be marching beside my long gone friend (RIP, widow maker heartattack) who had just come out in that may during one early Gay Prides marches in the southeastern US during the late 1990's. Thank Goodness that, on that day the worst thing that happened to us was heat exhaustion. My parents told me about marching in the sixties and getting rocks thrown at them. P.S. I have not liked the walking cheeto since the late 1980's, when he was a card carrying, glad handing, member of the DNC. Suddenly this man who has given buckets of money to 3 Clinton POTUS campaigns is a conservative Republican?
Sonja Posted June 21 Posted June 21 (edited) On 6/17/2025 at 10:00 PM, feiyennet said: Hello everyone, I have been a Premium user of Nexus Mods for many years, having subscribed with multiple accounts within my family. I am writing regarding the recent news of the company's change of ownership. I must admit that lately I have been tempted multiple times to cancel my subscription due to certain conduct by moderators and decisions which, in my opinion and that of many other users, have been deemed erroneous, such as the banning of specific mods while others with Woke/DEI themes remained active. I wish to express my concern regarding what I consider to be a detrimental trend in the video game industry. The "woke" orientation has already provoked a strong negative reaction from the public, with numerous instances of boycotts of titles that made propaganda their core focus, leading to spectacular failures such as Concord and the disappointment associated with the Dragon Age saga with Veilguard, to name just a few. In light of this, I would like to inquire whether such an approach has been re-evaluated in Nexus Mods' future plans. I kindly await your response. I have no interest in seeing Nexus Mods fail; on the contrary, I consider it and have always considered it an indispensable resource for the PC gaming community. However, I harbor a growing aversion to propaganda and, with the utmost composure but also with firm determination, I no longer wish to encounter it within my user experience. Should the editorial line or content policies persist in this direction, please inform me. This will be a determining factor for me in deciding whether or not to maintain my subscription. My children are growing up and are starting to use the site themselves, and there is no way I would find it acceptable for such an ideological slant to bother them. Thank you for your attention. Translation: Nexus is indispensable to supporting my hobbies. However, I don't like the site's politics, so I'm going to make a lot of bogus "arguments" in an effort to change Nexus to my particular preferences. Edited June 21 by Sonja
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