slightly guitarded
Member
Just a suggestion:
Wouldn't it be great if the moderators were given a set of guidelines as to what is and is not acceptable for THEMSELVES? There is alot of unneccesary negative shit going on in your forums. Mods that jump into threads and belittle the original poster , mods that ban folks at the drop of a hat , mods that hand out infractions because they disagree with an opinion, etc.
You have rules for us, how about posting the rules for them? (Isn't it sad that it has become an us/them situation?)
I actually found this at another forum (The WELL) and thought it might provide the basis for a positive action here.
Handling Problems
If someone violates your rules or guidelines, there are several options at your disposal. It's important to give a sense of due process by starting with the lightest sanction you feel comfortable with, and if necessary, to escalate methodically. Here are some approaches, as used on The WELL in our software environment, in increasing order of severity. Note that this process is not required in a "moderated" environment where hosts must affirmatively approve all material before it is posted.
1. Post a short, two-paragraph response after the comment in question indicating that you would prefer folks to avoid that type of posting, then using the second short paragraph to lead the topic gently back in the right direction with some substantive comment on the subject matter.
2. Notify the person privately via e-mail, instant message, telephone, etc, and explain how the response is not within the conference guidelines. Request that further responses of that nature not be entered.
3. Use hostly software powers to temporarily "hide" the response in question, then send e-mail informing the poster that it has been hidden and why it was hidden. Hidden responses on The WELL can be unhidden by the host or by the poster, and may be read by others, but only if other explicitly look to see them. You may have equivalent options in other software environments.
4. Permanently remove the response in question. This is a more serious matter. If the poster has not kept a copy, you may be destroying his or her only copy of the words in question. Mailing the words back, with your reason why they were removed, may be a firm but respectful solution to this dilemma. Even if the poster understands your action, you may be the subject of an ensuing debate on censorship and freedom of expression. You are not the government, and you do not have the same burden of not censoring, but it is valuable to confront yourself if you are deleting comments simply because they disagree with you.
On the other hand, clearly hurtful material, such as stolen passwords or credit card numbers, for example, must be deleted, without any concern about causing an uproar. (The WELL's member agreement clearly states that such blatantly illegal uses are not appropriate. Your site might designate other material which is forbidden. It's good to decide or find out up front.)
5. If a user is a chronic problem and you cannot reach an understanding in e-mail, you may exercise the power to ban the user from posting in your area, or even from visiting altogether. Banning, or being locked out, is a last resort, and it should be very clear to the user that he or she is behaving unacceptably and has been formally informed of the terms of continued participation before a banning. Since the guest may feel censored and stifled, the host should be certain that the banning is not undertaken simply to silence dissent with popular views. However, not every argument belongs in every venue, and you may ask that certain subject matter or behavior is taken to a more appropriate area.
Whatever steps you are able to take on your site, remember to give clear warnings, to allow for honest mistakes, and to escalate appropriately.
Now that you are pondering all the horrible things you can do to the troublesome individual who would disrupt your gathering place, it's worth mentioning that such instances are rare.
Remember that the people in your discussions are your guests, and a variety of personalities and opinions enriches the scene you are creating. Treat them with courtesy, make them feel welcome and by and large they will respond in kind towards you and one another.
Wouldn't it be great if the moderators were given a set of guidelines as to what is and is not acceptable for THEMSELVES? There is alot of unneccesary negative shit going on in your forums. Mods that jump into threads and belittle the original poster , mods that ban folks at the drop of a hat , mods that hand out infractions because they disagree with an opinion, etc.
You have rules for us, how about posting the rules for them? (Isn't it sad that it has become an us/them situation?)
I actually found this at another forum (The WELL) and thought it might provide the basis for a positive action here.
Handling Problems
If someone violates your rules or guidelines, there are several options at your disposal. It's important to give a sense of due process by starting with the lightest sanction you feel comfortable with, and if necessary, to escalate methodically. Here are some approaches, as used on The WELL in our software environment, in increasing order of severity. Note that this process is not required in a "moderated" environment where hosts must affirmatively approve all material before it is posted.
1. Post a short, two-paragraph response after the comment in question indicating that you would prefer folks to avoid that type of posting, then using the second short paragraph to lead the topic gently back in the right direction with some substantive comment on the subject matter.
2. Notify the person privately via e-mail, instant message, telephone, etc, and explain how the response is not within the conference guidelines. Request that further responses of that nature not be entered.
3. Use hostly software powers to temporarily "hide" the response in question, then send e-mail informing the poster that it has been hidden and why it was hidden. Hidden responses on The WELL can be unhidden by the host or by the poster, and may be read by others, but only if other explicitly look to see them. You may have equivalent options in other software environments.
4. Permanently remove the response in question. This is a more serious matter. If the poster has not kept a copy, you may be destroying his or her only copy of the words in question. Mailing the words back, with your reason why they were removed, may be a firm but respectful solution to this dilemma. Even if the poster understands your action, you may be the subject of an ensuing debate on censorship and freedom of expression. You are not the government, and you do not have the same burden of not censoring, but it is valuable to confront yourself if you are deleting comments simply because they disagree with you.
On the other hand, clearly hurtful material, such as stolen passwords or credit card numbers, for example, must be deleted, without any concern about causing an uproar. (The WELL's member agreement clearly states that such blatantly illegal uses are not appropriate. Your site might designate other material which is forbidden. It's good to decide or find out up front.)
5. If a user is a chronic problem and you cannot reach an understanding in e-mail, you may exercise the power to ban the user from posting in your area, or even from visiting altogether. Banning, or being locked out, is a last resort, and it should be very clear to the user that he or she is behaving unacceptably and has been formally informed of the terms of continued participation before a banning. Since the guest may feel censored and stifled, the host should be certain that the banning is not undertaken simply to silence dissent with popular views. However, not every argument belongs in every venue, and you may ask that certain subject matter or behavior is taken to a more appropriate area.
Whatever steps you are able to take on your site, remember to give clear warnings, to allow for honest mistakes, and to escalate appropriately.
Now that you are pondering all the horrible things you can do to the troublesome individual who would disrupt your gathering place, it's worth mentioning that such instances are rare.
Remember that the people in your discussions are your guests, and a variety of personalities and opinions enriches the scene you are creating. Treat them with courtesy, make them feel welcome and by and large they will respond in kind towards you and one another.
