Question 8: TalkBoard Exclusions

This question submitted by member Mary2e:
How do you feel about excluding moderators or limiting their numbers on Talk Board?

If someone can explain to me how moderators should be the natural adversaries of the TalkBoard or how the slight extra knowledge that moderators have is a detriment to the TalkBoard, I'd really like to read that argument.

Moderators volunteer their time, often quite a lot of it, for the benefit of FT. They are an asset, not a detriment, to the TalkBoard. Furthermore, cooperation between moderators and the Talkboard will help FT, not hurt it.

TalkBoard should have the best, most dedicated people regardless of whether they serve in other ways.

I just cannot figure out the antagonism toward moderators in this campaign. I have never seen it in any of my other interactions with members on FT, and I have over 5000 posts and 1700 PMs in 8 years.

I see no reason as why a moderator cannot serve as a TalkBoard member. The TalkBoard does not (and should not) have purvey over Moderation, I see no conflict of interest.

I dont think there should be any artificial limits on who posters can vote for like limits on moderators holding TB positions.

If the posters want all of their TB members to be mods, so be it. If they want none of their TB members to be mods, so be it.

Power to the posters and all that...

What my buddy, kokonutz, said.

I think that the role of making the rules and refining the TOS should fall to TalkBoard. If and when it does, that would effectively preclude members serving as Moderators and on TalkBoard. The police just can't write the laws.

I don't think nsx that TalkBoard members and moderators are natural adversaries, any more than I think that legislators and policemen are natural adversaries. They just fill different roles that are far more effective when servedby different groups of individuals.

It may be that I am the only person on FlyerTalk who feels this way and, if that is the case nobody will vote for me, and I can go back to dancing, traveling and playing full-time.

Totally agree with the others here. Mods serve the community and I see no reason they should be excluded. Let the best (wo)men win!^

No reason to limit moderators on the Talkboard, as their purviews are complimentary, not mutually exclusive.

If those positions were to become mutually exclusive for whatever reason, I'd resign as a moderator to finish a Talkboard term. I don't expect that will ever become an actual issue.

It has nothing to do with the best people. It should be an opportunity for MORE people to get involved.

If I were king (I've used that phrase a lot lately), moderators would not be assigned more than one forum and TB members would wholly consist of non-moderators. To get more people who WANT to be involved, INVOLVED.

While I would encourage members from all walks of life to run for TB, I don't support limiting the number of participants based on their role in the community.

I don't support punishing our volunteer moderators by limiting their ability to participate on TalkBoard should they so wish.

While I don't believe that strict criteria may necessarily be the best way to approach this, I do believe that TB should be representative of the diversity of our community, in all aspects:

- Moderator vs participant
- Geographical spread
- Newer TB members vs more experienced members

However, I think that, unless it really becomes a problem, TB members should be responsible for fostering this environment. We are a community after all. If TB members were to act against the desires of the majority of the community, they would simply not get re-elected.

Cheers,

GenevaFlyer

I think geographical spread is covered quite well on the current TB. At least 2 of 9 members (someone will correct me if I'm wrong here) are from outside the US. Does a higher percentage of posts on FT come from outside the US?

How would one define "newer" member?

In general, I believe that all members of a community need to have voices at all levels. Without such, you will lose the focus of the organization and eventually fail.

I don't see why moderators need to limited to certain functions, nor in numbers. As each forum has multiple moderators, it is important that they work together and communicate well so that they work in unity. Further, having the voices of moderators on TB can be very helpful giving the other TB members insite into the community.

I do not feel there is a need to exclude or limit moderators on the TalkBoard. Maybe I will change my mind after serving on the TalkBoard.