I am a moderator on a motoring forum.

Moderation is not about being a dictator.

Good moderators know when to leave well alone - most of the time.

But sometimes, things get out of hand and someone needs to carefully guide people in an appropiate directions. Sometimes asking people to agree to disagree and leave things as they are.

Sometimes people will not agree and the nature of a forum means that people can continue to state the same positions and no progress is ever made and it does the forum, the subject or the people involved any good.

I will decide what directions are appropriate for me.

We have a clearly defined enemy, with malevolent intent and you are playing into his hands. If you are successful, the class is dead.

Why give the enemy a war when you can just pull the plug on him and watch him go down the drain? A war is bad for everybody, the latter is hardly noticed, to use your own words.
Having a moderator will stop things before they escalate out of proportions. Is this with moderators a U.S.A vs. Europe social thing?

BTW: I think Simon was pointing out what a moderator does, not telling you what you had to do.

Social? Probably. Cultural might be a better word. I have a very strong distrust of censorhsip.

"I think Simon was pointing out what a moderator does, not telling you what you had to do." That's how I took it. I will decide what is appropriate for me.

Pete: Maybe you do not understand what a moderator does.
A forum moderator is like someone who chairs a meeting (or thread in this case) making sure that discussions are effective, constructive, and stay on topic.

Effective and constructive are subjective values.

mod·er·a·tor (mŏd'ə-rā'tər) Pronunciation Key
n.
One that moderates, as:
One that arbitrates or mediates.
One who presides over a meeting, forum, or debate.

ar·bi·trate /ˈɑrbɪˌtreɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ahr-bi-treyt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation verb, -trat·ed, -trat·ing.
–verb (used with object) 1. to decide as arbitrator or arbiter; determine.
2. to submit to arbitration; settle by arbitration: to arbitrate a dispute.
–verb (used without object) 3. to act as arbitrator or arbiter; decide between opposing or contending parties or sides.
4. to submit a matter to arbitration.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Origin: 1580–90; < L arbitr&#257;tus decided, judged (ptp. of arbitr&#257;r&#299;), equiv. to arbit(e)r arbiter + -&#257;tus -ate1]


ar·bi·trar·y /&#712;&#593;rb&#618;&#716;tr&#603;ri/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[ahr-bi-trer-ee] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation adjective, noun, plural -trar·ies.
–adjective 1. subject to individual will or judgment without restriction; contingent solely upon one's discretion: an arbitrary decision.
2. decided by a judge or arbiter rather than by a law or statute.
3. having unlimited power; uncontrolled or unrestricted by law; despotic; tyrannical: an arbitrary government .
4. capricious; unreasonable; unsupported: an arbitrary demand for payment .
5. Mathematics. undetermined; not assigned a specific value: an arbitrary constant

I understand the term very well.

that maybe the dictionary definition, but it's a lot more subtle than that.

That's what I'm afraid of. With the subtlety comes lack of accountability.

There will always be accountability.

OMG!! You can't be that naive. Of course, you don't live in the land of "tea pot dome" and "Watergate", ad nauseum.

No I do not. I live in the real world.



The forum software audits all moderator actions. The motoring forum I help to moderate has approx 3000 posts a day; so maybe upwards of 20K per week; 10K users;

Moderators probably take some sort of action once or twice a week; the actions we usully take are removing spam adverts.

Moderation does not mean a big brother state, it helps the forum move along. Good mods say very very little, they do not have to, the board runs it's self most of the time.

Moderation is not about censorship; it's about helping things move along. I do not believe in censorship. I do believe in moderation.

Well, I don't believe in censorship, and I don't believe in moderation. I do believe in execution. And if somebody is a consistent problem on the forum, I delete him, after giving him fair warning. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I think that statement speaks for itself. But, why continue along this line?

Set up a moderated forum as a test. It doesn't have to be official, just limit it to those you consider "legitimate".

I hope Rick will offer us a forum limited by Class membership here.

After a time, ask the general membership which serves the class best.

I will probably remain on this open forum.

She will take you out back and you will be SHOT! haha

You have your opinion, I have mine.

A class members forum on catsailor.com would be ideal solution.

Thankyou, you're too kind.

JUst say the word and I can set it up this week.
Rick

I think a thing can be said about protecting somebody from himself.

HELL ! Did I just say that ! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Anyway, moderation can also have very positive effects for example by preventing a person to make a bigger fool of himself. Have him cool off a bit and preventing any of his opponents from kicking the man further after he has gone down.

"Execution" is such a permanent solution. An elephant gun to squirrels kind of thing, right Tony ?


I personally don't mind Macca hanging about and contributing if he acts constructively and within normal bounds of common sense and civility.

BLAST ! Did I just say that TOO ! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />


I must be losing my mind ! <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Wouter

Sadly here we go again, no resolution.

I cant wait to start sailing again!

Everyone wants something done, but no one does anything.

This Forum is IMPLODING !
Hang on for another 2 months and you will get through it - and be back on the water !
I am not a F16 sailor, but have been involved in the Class since I, and my family were included in Wouter's David & Goliath series in the very early days. I have stated before that I believe that this forum is the heart of the F16 Class. If you all go off and talk on some obscure forum on the F16 website, I believe that the Class will suffer - no matter what you say about certain people being over the top etc. This has all happened before and the Class is steadily growing - because it has a solid base and is attractive to lighter crews and singlehanded sailors.
Don't blow it !

I'll put myself forward as Moderator, because being a Spitfire sailor, I naturally don't have any bias relating to heavy 16ft cats <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
I do sip wine on a Sunday night <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />