Re: [DML] Disappointment with the Moderators...

[Noah <sitz@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Mon, Dec 20, 2004 at 01:34:10PM -0600, Videobob Moseley wrote:
> 
> 
> I don't know if I am the only one who thinks this way,
> but I have always felt that the role of a moderator on a forum like this is 
> to simply weed
> through the posts and remove the SPAM and porn ads.

Depends on the list. On some lists, you're right. On others, it's the
moderators' job to keep the discussion on topic. On lists in the IT
industry (and there are thousands), a good moderator (or helpful
subscriber) will point a poster to a forum more suited to a question
that's not on-topic. The moderator can also exercise the option of
weeding out flame-posts, since they generally cause more problems then
they solve.

Section 2 of the list rules (http://dmcnews.com/Admin/rules.html) seems
to lay things out fairly plainly. If folks don't like the rules, they're
(obviously) under no obligation to be here. =)

> I get messages rejected all the time and most of them would have been fine
> and harmless.

I've had a couple rejected, and thinking on it, the moderators were
right to do so. I've no complaints about how they've handled my
postings.

> It takes less effort to let it go than to reply back to me telling me it is 
> rejected.

Yes, but it (in the opinion of the moderators) was not appropriate (for
whatever reason) for the list. Right or wrong, they're the
g[h]od[des][e][s]. =)

> So it is easy to see that certain moderators have their own personal agendas
> and sway the conversation towards their point of view or to favor their 
> friends
> or favorite vendors.

This is, of course, a risk. I've on this list for several years now, and
I can't recall an instance where one of the major vendors was given
better/worse "airtime"* (that's not the best word I know, but I'm running
on nowhere-near-enough sleep ATM, so bear with me =)  ).

Now, if the complaint is that you, as a vendor, are being slighted,
you're welcome to your opinion. I've seen what you sell and, in one
case, I've purchased from you. I personally feel that you tend to
overcharge for your merchandise, but I went in knowing what I was
paying, I got what I paid for, and I have no complaints about the
quality of the merchandise.

> Heck, if you think the SonnyV threads are worth investigating you would have 
> a ball finding out how much stuff the moderators skew.
> 
> I say, NO MODERATORS!

Not your call; this isn't a democracy. It's a benevolent dictatorship
(of sorts).  If you're going to be here, the rules are known and you 
play by them.  If you don't like the rules, you're free to leave and/or 
start your own list.  There's at least one other DMC list on yahoo 
groups now; "forking" of lists happen for various reasons.

> I am a grown man and can handle a little text.

Mmmm. One could argue that this phrase is somewhat at odds with the
all-caps above. 

That said, letting through all inflamatory email can (and has, I've 
seen it on other lists) destroy lists and communities. I was subscribed 
to a list that was comprised of a fairly close-knit community of folks; 
we'd known each other for years. No rules posting, and all was well. 
A couple of folks we didn't know subscribed, and began
posting increasingly inflammatory messages. Yes, people can block
messages from certain posters. But not everyone does. If I block
messages from John Q., but not Peter P. (who's may be a good friend of mine),
and Peter P. does *not* block John Q, then I see all Peter's responses
to John. I can block his email, but then I miss all his posts. And while
I can write email filters that would likely be able to catch most of the
messages in Peter was responding to John (and still let Peter's other
messages through), most people out there can't. Over time, the
signal-to-noise ratio reaches an level of imbalance that most people on
the list do want to deal with, and unsubscribe.

Of course, it works the other way as well; Moderator(s) who continually take
positions which are at odds with those of the bulk of the members of a
particular list soon find that folks go elsewhere (this happened to
another list I'm on within the last month). It's a balancing act,
and given that this list has survived this long, I figure the moderators
are doing a decent job. 

I've no desire to see this community die, and I am of the opinion that
without moderation of some kind, the odds are in favor of that happening
on almost any online discussion forum. Is it perfect? Nope. Does it work
more often that not? Far more, I think. Do I have a better solution?
Nope. I rarely have answer to folks' questions, but I learn a lot, and I
like that. 


--noah
#2867
(for the record, not a moderator, no desire to be one, and I think I'd 
have to be reintroduced to any of the current moderators at the next meet.)

* Delorean One notwithstanding, but that's a discussion that I have zero
(and possibly less than zero) desire to get involved in. I mention it
only for the sake of completeness. Nothing to see here, move along. =)





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