To those moderators who remain ...

[Comprehend]

Uhm... Buttons, it's all cool. But, talking about closed doors, don't you think we should do away with private messages as well? This might also be a place where members vent about moderators and other members. I say, we open up the moderators' room but at the same time we publish all PMs from the database in a separate forum. No censorship. Deal?

I would take that deal.

 

[MaddLlama]

Uhm... Buttons, it's all cool. But, talking about closed doors, don't you think we should do away with private messages as well? This might also be a place where members vent about moderators and other members. I say, we open up the moderators' room but at the same time we publish all PMs from the database in a separate forum. No censorship. Deal?

There's a bit of a difference: private messages between members don't effect the entire community or any member not involved in that discussion. Reported posts discussions certainly do effect the member reported, who isn't involved in the discussion, and can effect many other people depending on the decision that's made. And, if people are venting about a particular member while making a decision that will effect them, that's not entirely professional (of course, I realize that provisions are in place to prevent this, however, since it happens outside the view of non-mods, the members don't know that doesn't happen).

I think your suggestion, seriously or not, is not actually addressing people's concerns. I'm not certain this is really an appropriate time for levity.

 

[gnomon]

not like i care anyways, i have bigger things to do then argue on a forum, deal with the death of a loved one, secure a job, get a car, finish school, in light of all that, the whole "us vs them" argument seems... trivial.

Then what's the point of you even being a Mod.

Makes no sense.

 

[blackout]

Uhm... Buttons, it's all cool. But, talking about closed doors, don't you think we should do away with private messages as well? This might also be a place where members vent about moderators and other members. I say, we open up the moderators' room but at the same time we publish all PMs from the database in a separate forum. No censorship. Deal?

But members cannot BAN moderators unfairly.
It is not a valid comparison.

Or have I misunderstood something?
The moderators are just here to make sure everything remains respectful on the main forum board.
The MEMBERS ARE HERE TO ENRICH THEIR LIVES AND MAKE FRIENDS AND ENGAGUE IN DISCUSSIONS.

The moderators are here to SERVE the members,
not PRY INTO THEIR PRIVATE LIVES.

Should congress pass laws behind closed doors?
Do "governing bodies" have ANY RIGHTs into the private lives of the "private" sector?

I just don't get the comparison.

 

[Sunstone]

But members cannot BAN moderators unfairly.
It is not a valid comparison.

Or have I misunderstood something?
The moderators are just here to make sure everything remains respectful on the main forum board.
The MEMBERS ARE HERE TO ENRICH THEIR LIVES AND MAKE FRIENDS AND ENGAGUE IN DISCUSSIONS.

The moderators are here to SERVE the members,
not PRY INTO THEIR PRIVATE LIVES.

The moderators are volunteers and members first, moderators second.

 

[gnomon]

What the hell have I missed here? Gone for a few months and I read this. I take it Todd sold the forum? Can someone post a link to, or PM me to what is going on?

You will get many answers.

All I'll simply say is I felt the concept of community, the standards by which this forum was created, bought and sold...were disrespected.

 

[blackout]

The moderators are volunteers and members first, moderators second.

Yes, Phil, I understand that,
but really I was speaking of the "role",
or the "office" of moderator.

I was speaking of the members,
in their FUNCTION AND CAPACITY as Mods.

I did not mean to make it sound like the moderators themselves,
as people, were not members of the community first.

sorry.

 

[markablue]

That's okay, theNEWreality. And you're right, I was merely responding to Button's suggestion that we open up the moderators' "venting" places to public. I guess we all need some privacy, don't we?

 

[Sunstone]

Yes, Phil, I understand that,
but really I was speaking of the "role",
or the "office" of moderator.

I was speaking of the members,
in their FUNCTION AND CAPACITY as Mods.

I did not mean to make it sound like the moderators themselves,
as people, were not members of the community first.

sorry.

No problem. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[MaddLlama]

That's okay, theNEWreality. And you're right, I was merely responding to Button's suggestion that we open up the moderators' "venting" places to public. I guess we all need some privacy, don't we?

I think you may have missed the point of what Buttons was saying. She was saying that there should be an opportunity for members to see what is said when discussing reported posts, because members don't know if the dicussions are kept on the topic of the report, or move to complaining about the poster.

 

[markablue]

I think you may have missed the point of what Buttons was saying. She was saying that there should be an opportunity for members to see what is said when discussing reported posts, because members don't know if the dicussions are kept on the topic of the report, or move to complaining about the poster.

No Llama, I didn't miss it. Not this time, at least. You know better than me that these discussions are handled pretty professionally. I also understand the curiosity: it's similar to how students are wondering what goes on behind the door of the Teachers' Room. (forgive the metaphor, I was a teacher for many years, it's the first thing that comes to my mind).

Moderators are welcome to add any ideas to the discussion we are currently having, they may also add the one about opening the reporting process to public view and we will think about it. Personally, I am against this one.

Even if, as has been suggested elsewhere, we made it open to viewing but not posting, what's to stop the members from posting about it elsewhere? Or talk about it in PMs? We would have tons of posts not even about how moderators handled any particular issue but about how poster X was right and poster Y was not. If anything, it could only add to personal conflicts and not help to resolve them. This is just human nature, nothing wrong with it but I can't imagine what good we'd achieve from such a move.

 

[robtex]

You know something, I agree. I think that anything that is said to others should be open on this forum. Everyone here is expected to play nice.... but you know, behind closed doors, anything can be said about anyone. Is it any better to talk badly behind someone's back than it is to tell them straight up, "You're insane" or "you're creepy" or "you're an *******"?

What is ok to share with everyone, and what is ok to "vent" about when you're behind closed doors?

I think you may have missed the point of what Buttons was saying. She was saying that there should be an opportunity for members to see what is said when discussing reported posts, because members don't know if the dicussions are kept on the topic of the report, or move to complaining about the poster.

Understand what you two are saying and put into this idea into play:

For example: Lets call

x= person reporting a post
y= person whose post is reported
z= mod staff involved in the decision regarding the reported post.



X reports a post and while reporting that post X wants:

a) to make it public that they reported that post
b) private that they reported that post

If X wanted B than they are not restricted from reporting posts. There reasons may be fear of private conversation with the person he reported (aka wanting to avoid conflict) or may not wanted to get involved but wanted to make the post known. Those posters, who are reserved are not prohibited by the paradigm presented from reporting post if privacy is what makes them feel that they can make one.

Y, who is being reported is either

a) in violation of a rule
b) not in violation of a rule

Either way, his/her dirty laundry is now public. Now lets say the violation is a violation ....what are the chances, now that we threw this into a public forum for you guys to see and made speckle of the incident. Every time that is done I can guarantee you a good percentage of those people will instantly stop visiting here.

If we find it isn't a post violation they still wonder if some of you still feel it is wrong and likely either way you guys will make threads on your thoughts on the decision creating a forum where we talk about moderation and forum rules more than religion politics and philosophy....and where some poster innocent of a violation or guilty is at the heart of some elongated discussion.

Z= the mod staff that makes the decision is now responsible for answering a post audit on every decision made. Much of our proficiency is measured in the time it takes from receiving a complaint to completing the action. With your structure that idea is down the drain.

I am going to finish the last two points to this idea on the next post but realize your idea is making more problems and solving few. I will finish this in the next post.

 

[MaddLlama]

I didn't say I was in favor of making mod threads public, I was simply clarifying Buttons' post because I thought it was being misunderstood.

 

[robtex]

Two more ideas for you to view:

1) The staff is part of the community. It isnt' like we just monitor stuff and aren't interacting with yall. If the posters had complaints with a staff member they have the option to report their complaints. They are taken seriously. it isn't like we are beyond your touch or your judgments.

2) Many of the posters after they quit stick around as posters. Its not it is some secret society where nobody talks about modding in general terms around here. We don't discuss moderation to protect the privacy of those who are on the receiving end of a reported post

Understand their is a consequence to any action we do in any direction, and from my personal perspective I don't like the consequences that come with the airing a reported post or the person on the receiving ends dirty laundry for you guys to view and discuss.

 

[robtex]

There seems to be perhaps a handful of moderators who are no more.

To those who remain: why? .

To answer that really quickly two words : stability and growth. I realize I have a position where I can affect both in a positive manner and have chosen to act on that.

 

[Sunstone]

Understand what you two are saying and put into this idea into play:

For example: Lets call

x= person reporting a post
y= person whose post is reported
z= mod staff involved in the decision regarding the reported post.



X reports a post and while reporting that post X wants:

a) to make it public that they reported that post
b) private that they reported that post

If X wanted B than they are not restricted from reporting posts. There reasons may be fear of private conversation with the person he reported (aka wanting to avoid conflict) or may not wanted to get involved but wanted to make the post known. Those posters, who are reserved are not prohibited by the paradigm presented from reporting post if privacy is what makes them feel that they can make one.

Y, who is being reported is either

a) in violation of a rule
b) not in violation of a rule

Either way, his/her dirty laundry is now public. Now lets say the violation is a violation ....what are the chances, now that we threw this into a public forum for you guys to see and made speckle of the incident. Every time that is done I can guarantee you a good percentage of those people will instantly stop visiting here.

If we find it isn't a post violation they still wonder if some of you still feel it is wrong and likely either way you guys will make threads on your thoughts on the decision creating a forum where we talk about moderation and forum rules more than religion politics and philosophy....and where some poster innocent of a violation or guilty is at the heart of some elongated discussion.

Z= the mod staff that makes the decision is now responsible for answering a post audit on every decision made. Much of our proficiency is measured in the time it takes from receiving a complaint to completing the action. With your structure that idea is down the drain.

I am going to finish the last two points to this idea on the next post but realize your idea is making more problems and solving few. I will finish this in the next post.

For one thing, I wonder how we as a community might deal with the wounded feelings that would come about in some instances when people discover who's reporting them? For another thing, I wonder if this wouldn't lead to retaliatory reporting -- people reporting people because they were reported by them? Again, I wonder if the majority of members want others to see how many times they've been reported and for what? Does anyone have some practical ideas for dealing with those things?

 

[OneWingedDove]

I'm new here, but I wonder if it's just better to talk about religious stuff instead of complaining about management changes. After all, this is the Religious Forums, right?

 

[MaddLlama]

I'm new here, but I wonder if it's just better to talk about religious stuff instead of complaining about management changes. After all, this is the Religious Forums, right?

Well, I and others would consider this a community with people who care about each other, and the way people are treated within it, not just a random conglomeration of pixels and words, with automatons who only talk about one subject.

There are far more topics that are religious in nature than topics on the forum management. Nobody is stopping anybody from participating in either.

 

[Sunstone]

I'm new here, but I wonder if it's just better to talk about religious stuff instead of complaining about management changes. After all, this is the Religious Forums, right?

It's not just a religious forum, it's a community first and foremost. Many of the people have an emotional investment in this community and this comes out in many ways -- including a lively interest in how things are run.

 

[markablue]

I'm new here, but I wonder if it's just better to talk about religious stuff instead of complaining about management changes. After all, this is the Religious Forums, right?

You're right, and welcome to RF.

We normally don't, the thing is, we've had a crisis of sorts and we're now debating how to improve things and not to let it happen again so that nothing hinders the religious debates. And we're not so much interested in complaints here as we are in ideas on how to make the forums more user-friendly.