Moderator/Member Discussion Part 2

"Hmm, okay, I'm a little off since I got back from a three-hour rehearsal..

But.. what points? I'm confused :(

Taylor``"

er, penalty points, the ones that add up to get you suspended, aw you know what I'm talking about.

Ken, I understand, and thanks for understanding my intention.

I do not know what happened, and have not been in this site for a long time (break from all the drama)... but I must say things are starting to be better. yes we still do have drama going on, but I'm guessing the mods are doing an excellent job.

sometimes, some mods are unfair, but I'm starting to understand their point of view too.

which bring me out of chatroom problem an dinto deleting postings without reasoning.

"I'm either loved or hated."

Sometimes I think you're loved AND hated

heh

Angelina... I'm sorry to say this, but who could hate you.

I mean look, you've got some bad points, but when it comes to advice, you're awesome, and blunt is good too.

Right well, this isn't a love/hate angelina thread. I'll start one of those later.

back to the topic, if you please.

Yes, overall, the chatroom has gotten a lot better since we came out with the written rules and have been more consistent in enforcing them. (Kicking and banning with fewer warnings)

I hate to think that any of the chatters "fear" me. they say we are too strict and they can't "say anything"... there are a few words and attitudes you cannot display, but there are millions of others that you can... turn around and look at what you ARE allowed to do, and don't focus on what you are NOT allowed to do. When you do that, everything will be just fine.

For example: I unbanned a member the other day. They've had numorous problems in the chat room and have been banned around 10 times. I pm'ed this person and told them that I had made effort to unban them and I expected that they be on their best behavior, this person replied to me with ''if I'm not what are you going to do about it'' I replied ''If I have to I will reban you'' he again replied with ''Well, I guess you will be banning me soon''...automatically I reban this person for the comment he made. I believe it was fair of me to reban him after he said that and I'm sure others would/do agree.
^^^^^^^^^^^^

Maybe I'm not understanding this right.
You banned this person before he/she broke any rules? And people actually agreed with you? Who?

The procedure should be.
You break the rules,
you get banned.
Not the other way around.
regardless of this persons past history.

This is getting out of control again, soon we'll be on the trilogy of this discussion and still no further forward.

Ken, it's clear you are having a positive effect on the chatroom, though many people think it shouldn't be part of this site, while it is[and the clock is ticking on that one] you are on the whole doing a good job. I think the only problem is how it appears to certain members and mods when you explain your actions and reasonings for bannings and such....I hate to say it but you quite often come across as a totalitarian Mod [the post Bob made reference to being a prime example]. You'll need to address this soon I feel, Janis may be content for you to attempt to fix an adage to this site that is flawed at the expense of your reputation, but you shouldn't be.

As for the wider issues. I've said it before, if you are going to complain about something in this site, it's only fair you suggest a better way of doing things, which can then put forward by us mods directly to Janis and Dainz, and thus maybe change policy and practice, otherwise you are just adding to the negativity.

Take some responsibility for this site if you plan on using it, check your fellow members for infractions, copy posts you see that are rescist etc...don't just throw your hands up in the air and demand we do it for you....get involved..it's not the mods site only.

Lit are you really justplainme?

Well I can see that war is still going, so I won’t come between your battles. But let me just say this:

I think the Mods do a good job, except for a bad apple; you guys do a good job. The bad thing about the mods are their superiority complex that they have, and their assumption that they are perfect…Pfft please.

Just like a computer has an occasional glitch, you make mistakes, and you guys have to own up to it. Dainz and Janis may be the webmaster and administrator but they are not the solution to many problems, and they do not answer their emails…Quite as often.

So what I am trying to say is. You may have chosen to spend your time helping this site become better, but let’s not forget that with power of any kind comes responsibility.

Have a nice day…

Really Sunny...Should I?

Well I am like a cat, so we cats forget what we have done. So please refresh my memory as to what I have to own up too.

Hmm...Ideas: I think the mods should have a not always refer "Janis or Dainz" whenever they can't solve a problem. Oh and the mods should tell dainz and Janis to listen to their emails...

He is using two accounts like Chatbot.

^but I don't hide my identity
^^^^^^^^^^^^

OK, let's leave Chatbot and his secret identity out of this conversation from now on. Do you ask Superman or Batman for his secret identity? No right. pffft.
----------------------------------------

one is for fun, the other my serious writing
^^^^^^^^^^^^
Thats what mine are.

----------------------
If a member is banned, that should be between the member and the moderator/s. If the member wishes to discuss it with other members, then that is his/her choice. The moderator can only discuss it with other moderators.

Ken is right about this, those are basic business rules. Now as far as people skills.. hmmm. Not all of us should be interacting with the masses. lol

Ken, Janis stating "all decisions are final" has nothing to do with only moderators knowing the details of prenalities etc...if he had said;

"All decisions are final and private" then you would be correct, as it is...I have no idea how you made the connection between these two ideas.

Quite a worry actually that you have interpreted the rules so poorly...I don't want to be busting your chops but you can't say things like this as if the site rules back up your ideas....it's unprofessional.

But avast...ideas we need...I still think the chat should be taken down...at least for a week or so...let us mods knock our thick skulls together and really pan out how to moderate things and then open it back up with a clear defined understanding of how to do things...and let Janis himself lay it all down.

Probably because you said something else about him in the same post. And also because in a different forum, you assumed he deleted/locked a thread of yours and he hadn't.

Musicality, I take my hat off to you, that was exactly the kind of post we need from members in times like these. I am now 100% more inclined to listen to you than someone who comes in here, complains and then leaves.

Your number six idea is the best one I feel, combined with a little of mine. So hows this. We take down the chat for a week and during that time we post open threads asking for well thought out opinoions on what should be acceptable in the chat rooms. It should be stated [i hope] that everything is up for change, so theorectically, swearing be allowed, no mods in there, anything, if consensus wills it and there are good reasons. From this marathon of ideas and debate a list of simple rules are drawn up and the chat room reopened with the added point that everyone who wants to use it has to click a box saying they have read the new rules, understand they had the opportunity to have their say in them and now if they want to use the chat room they must abide by them. Then in they go.

Everyone knows the score, we mods will have discussed our own ideas and shared as to how we conduct ourselves..and anyone can opine on that as well.

So yeah, it won't be easy, most people won't get involved and won't even read the rules when they sigh up..but it would hopefully reset the situation.

As it is this thread is going nowhere I feel because there is no goal to it.

So what say you?

Let’s see…Hmm!

I guess you are right Bob, people care much more about chatting and its hazards then plagiarizers and hackers. I would like to say that although plagiarizers are in fact a big threat to any writer. I would say that the chat room is highly more of a threat than a silly little plagiarizer. Doubt and negate whatever I just said, but it is the truth.

Like Ken said, a 30 something year old man was just playing with underage girls, that is far more dangerous, than a pathetic attention seeking plagiarizer.

I have said countless times, that the chat room is dangerous, in fact I often go there to monitor and observe and in some ways prevent the dangers from happening.

But I have a few suggestions in mind:

1)That the members form some kind of council of peers so as to speak directly to the moderators and help keep the other members in check.
2)I suggest that the mods monitor the chat room seeing as there is more depravity and vulgarity when they are not there.
3)I also suggest we cut the whole private messaging, because it adds to the danger and vulgarity.

"1)That the members form some kind of council of peers so as to speak directly to the moderators and help keep the other members in check."

Not sure about this one. The first problem is selection of said 'council'. The next is limits on power and functionality.

You can certainly form your own council in the forums, but I highly doubt that Janis or Dainz would approve of giving a council of members any special powers. If said council existed, I'd listen to what they had to say, but I wouldn't want them yielding any sort of extraordinary power.

"2)I suggest that the mods monitor the chat room seeing as there is more depravity and vulgarity when they are not there."

This is a good idea. Ken does this sometimes, and perhaps I'll start sometime too.

"3)I also suggest we cut the whole private messaging, because it adds to the danger and vulgarity."

Ken would agree with you, it came up last night. As for me, I think that on one hand, private messages limit the amount of clutter in the main chat, and allows for more private matters to be discussed with friends.

However, I understand the significant dangers associated with the PM function. I think there should be a warning screen that you have to 'ok' out of before you can enter chat which points out the danger of accepting PMs without knowing the other person, and the ease with which you can close out of the PM and report the offender to a moderator.

Ismail, it's good you want to get more involved with making this place a nice environment, and feel free to encourage your peers to take more responsibility in here, checking poeple who break the rules...fostering a community spirit that will be strong enough to handle trouble.

I wouldn't want it to be an official club though, as that's what the mods are for, and it would only lead to us having to deal with the conflicts you guys would get into but would be unable to deal with without mod powers.

I still think the chat room should be taken down for a week, let everyone have a good think about it...and consider this...if there are people who are trouble causers..they will be forced to face the effects of their actions for a few days..and then when it opens back up with new rules and a stronger identity and group dynamic, they will be most unwelcome and dealt with swiftly without any of the indecision you see now.

No one has come up with a better idea so far.