ozstamps

Interesting to read the replies above from moderators (and ex moderators) - and those who are not.

It all comes down to the individual is my view. A good question to ask, and for voters to think on, as a surprisingly large slab of candidates are (or have recently been) moderators.

Some folks like gleff handle both roles with decorum and wise judgment, and some have IMHO handled both roles quite appallingly. No names or gender, to protect the guilty. So no answer can be all embracing.

My proposal elsewhere that a formal contact be made between Moderators and TalkBoard will of course be made harder if a majority of moderators are on TB - and have a vote on the matter:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showp...7&postcount=69

If the calls from members for Moderator actions to be in future made transparent via a 'read only' forum, and Talk Board were to vote on that proposal as to whether to forward the idea to Randy .... well nuf sed if 66% of the TB are Moderators.

Be a little like asking Congressmen to vote on a Bill to initiate large pay cuts or loss of benefits for themselves.

VPescado

I've taken a long time to reply to this one, as I have very mixed feelings.

If one views the moderators as part of the executive branch of FT government, and the TalkBoard as the legislative branch, then it seems to be a conflict of interest - and more importantly it weakens the balance of power.

However, this is an oversimplification of how FT is agtually governed. Also, as I am one that would like to have talkboard involved in fine-tuning the process of moderation, I agree with the others above that it will be invaluable to have members with moderation experience involved in the discourse. They will be able to explain the realities of moderation - what the problems are, what needs to be fixed, and what might be the unintended consequences of a proposal.

In the end, I would have to say that having some representation of the moderators on the board is a good thing.

Markie

I have to say that I agree with the post of most of the other Mods standing. No reason for conflict as the two roles cover different areas and have different responsibilities.

I am sure that the electorate will make sensible judgments, unless we have any hanging chads of course!

bhatnasx

I see the role of a moderator & the role of a TalkBoard member as two seperate roles altogether. And I believe that the folks that have dual roles need to recognize their dual roles. I do not think there is a conflict of interest to be both a moderator & a TalkBoard member. One's role is to help enforce the TOS & to guide new members & to guide the forums. The other's role is to make recommendations based on user feedback on how to improve FlyerTalk.

I don't believe that my role as a moderator would be a negative influence on me as a TalkBoard member.

socrates

I see no conflict of interest in having a moderator also serving as a member of the TalkBoard....it should be more about the individual than anything else.....there are some moderators who I feel are extremely qualified and able to handle both position

Radioman

Hi
Like a lot of others I dont see a problem at all with doing both jobs. I have applied for the Intercontinental/PriorityClub forum moderators position. Dont know if I have got it yet but I still think its easy enough to do both jobs.

regards
RadioMan

kokonutz

I believe that serving a moderator gives one a certain perspective on FT that the TB is well-served by having.

I also believe it would be a very, very bad idea if that one perspective were the only (or even a majority) one represented on the TB.

Shareholder

I don't feel that moderators should sit on the FT Board. If they wish to run, they should resign from their moderator position. I also believe that moderators should not campaign publicly or behind the scenes for any candidate for the Board. Moderators are entrusted with a role on FT that should put them beyond the political realm: they are our "public servants" and public servants should not be political.

FewMiles

Not all of "us" moderators feel that way. Some of us do, but won't impose our views on others.

Oh wait, I'm not a moderator.

By the same vein, would you say that currently serving TB members should not be participating in the campaign either? We don't want accusations of people throwing their weight around, right?

FewMiles..

ozstamps

After watching the disgraceful and and deliberate actions of a moderator today in being directly political re this election campaign, and IMHO flouting the direct wishes of Randy and the Forum moderators that he was insulting, by doing precisely what they had just asked not be done .... I'd have to agree with shareholder.

Any other member would have received an immediate week's suspension IMHO.

CameraGuy

But, it's OK for sitting TB members to campaign for you? Pot, Kettle, Black.