ScottC.

That of course is one way to tackle the problem. Secretly time-out anyone posting on OMNI that ruffles your collective feathers there. And in fairness to you personally I am partially talking about matters that pre-date your time there as a Mod, so theoretically you ALSO do not know the full story behind that time out, that directly lost one of, if not Flyertalks's most valuable poster.

Using your logic the recent thread I highlight below should, if this policy were even handed in implementation, have surely resulted in TWO (2) time-outs not one?

Can you and/or your colleagues please post here and confirm that on that thread one poster therein was breaching the TOS more than another? (From where I sit, neither was, by OMNI standards, but I have no vote in the matter of course so I am asking you.)

For one poster involved there to be called on OMNI a "fascist," "homophobe," "hater," and "social communist" etc, etc, with no time-out consequences AFAIK for the single FT'er doing so clearly implies (to me anyway) the Moderators ENDORSE and approve of such comments? And full disclosure - I have no beef personally with that poster who posted such remarks. He and I have never once crossed swords IIRC, and hardly ever posted on the same threads - I am just playing the 'Devil's Advocate' here a little. seeing he is part of the thread below that we are discussing here.

All those comments were from one poster on the thread who is still merrily posting away on OMNI. Again using your argument to support your recent actions did THAT poster not heavily cross the line many times in the past as well? Knowing your answer must be "yes" - how many OMNI time-outs has THAT poster received? (If that is not breaching the Super-Secrecy code.) If these comments I list were made to just one FT'er there well may be 100s of similar made to others on OMNI in the past?

Aren't those terms in clear breach of the TOS? Are they not beaching Randy's rules you say just now you are secretly and impartially upholding - by timing out the RECIPIENT of them and thus losing him to FT by doing so? Does Randy agree anyone terming another FT'er a "fascist" or "hater" is within the TOS? Clearly the Moderators DO from my reading of things if no action was taken?

Acting in secret works of course. Wonderfully. For decades in Eastern Europe, and in China and Zimbabwe today it serves as one surefire way of silencing all dissent, no matter how valid. And anyone that dares criticise those actions is also jumped upon by the same folks. Read the above. Works like a charm in Zimbabwe.

The rest of the world is generally open and transparent and accountable about what they do and why, and surprise surprise, by doing it that way, others can learn from it possibly and be guided to more moderate posts.

Both systems WORK. The latter I prefer for some reason.



[This message has been edited by ozstamps (edited Jan 15, 2004).]