Seems to be some valuable input coming our way and i don't want to lose it. What will help us is staying to the topic. I'm not looking at anything but public comments on the topic.

[This message has been edited by Randy Petersen (edited 03-08-2002).]

Now how long has the TalkBoard been in place?? And how many times have I or the other moderators been contacted by the TB or included in their discussion?? ZERO

Great to see you Burkey! You've been seen far too little around here lately!!

But I'm a little confused by your post. I remember that when I was still with TB, I had asked Punki to head a fact-finding and opinion-gathering mission from the existing moderators for their input so that TB would have some idea of what the critical issues were from their perspective. I think if you check your email files around November/December, you should find some of those email exchanges.

If I recall correctly, you were most interested that moderators not be put into the position of enforcing policies that were drafted without their input. And I think that's valid. But I don't think that is happening.. though I can only speculate about priorities since my departure from TB, it's obvious that much has been unsettled there since the shift of participating members. It would seem they are now trying to quickly get some momentum and generate some output.

If I correctly read Randy's recent announcement posted here, Cigarman has given Chexfan the ball to re-address this priority. I can't imagine that effort would fail to include participation from the existing moderators...

I don't think we can over-emphasize the difficult situation you, Craig, and Samantha have been placed in. Nor can we adequately thank you for hanging in there during the "recent unpleasantness". I personally hope you all can endure the frustration long enough for TB to enhance your efforts.. and I hope TB makes it an urgent priority to do so.

I hope your residency is going well - it's great to see a post from you!

I think it would be a problem if Mr. Petersen and FlyerTalk recruited moderators who were to enforce (or guide adherence to) one set of rules, and then later the rules were made more stringent or difficult to enforce after the moderators agreed to take on the job. But anyone can read the current TOS and decide whether s/he is willing to abide by and enforce those rules, without having had input into what those rules are.

I think that one root of the "recent unpleasantness" was that as the level of moderation decreased, people "started fires" faster than the moderators and Mr. Petersen's staff could put them out. It's like William Brattain's (?) theory of policing: if graffiti are left unpainted-over, and broken windows aren't replaced, then people become more willing to deface walls and break windows. A little anarchy breeds more anarchy. Flames beget flames. So if FT should have effective moderation over most of the boards, flame wars won't start.

Valid points LawLord, and if it were as easy as it sounds to moderate all posts to be TOS-consistent, then I would completely agree. However, my experience is that it can be much less objective than one might think. Taking input from our beta group of moderators (so to speak) as to specific guidelines, interpretations, approaches, policies, etc. seems to be common sensical to me.. at least at this point in the development of the concept.

I also think part of the 'recent unpleasantness' was that a great deal of it occured on unmoderated forums. We certainly need, at the very least, MORE moderators to prevent things reaching that level of disruption.

svpii, I strongly agree with you that if FT has more moderators, it will have fewer flame wars, and those that start will be stopped quickly. (And a good thing, too.)

No two moderators are going to react exactly the same way to every problem, but as long as each moderator maintains a consistent approach, and the moderators overall have similar approaches, it won't matter that they aren't identical. Consider baseball: it's okay for different umpires to have different ideas about where the strike zone is, as long as the different ideas are similar and each umpire is consistent about calling balls and strikes within a particular game.

I certainly don't disagree with anything you said. My only possible point of departure in your earlier post was that it would be useful to gain the insight from these first group of moderators to formulate formal policies, etc as it may relate to administering the moderation..

Burkey, I don't think your post is as fair as it could be. First, we really have only settled the who is president issue last week. Second, it is a two way street. Would it not be fair to say, "how many times have you contacted US, with ideas..." Same answer ZERO. Now, rather than starting a finger pointing contest, I would be happy to present any of your ideas to the Talkboard. Email them to me and I will post the email in the Talkboard forum. Fair offer?

svpii, I agree with you on that also - we and FT may as well learn from the current experience with moderating - what works and what doesn't.

And the current experience suggests that the best answer is to clone Craig6z.

OTOH if a number of moderators have different styles, over time the results and feedback are going to result in the moderators gravitating toward a fairly coherent style, with those that can't do so, retiring from the post.

------------------
"Yes, but at least mine will be found in a first class seat." -- Peattie and Taylor

Any new thoughts on this, by chance, in view of this current thread?

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum...ML/000067.html

Doc, this is getting annoying, please don't see this as a flame (unlike what a different member is doing at the moment) but what makes you think we don't see the other thread? It's way up on top in the list of active threads so I doubt anyone will need another link to it.

The thread in question has had enough people posting their opinions without needing to bump yet another thread about it...

Besides that, I doubt this is an issuse to put forward to the Talkboard, whether or not FT needs Moderators is afaik not something we need to discuss any more.

Just my 2 cents, imho etc...etc... and adding a smilie to let everyone know I am not angry

Scott:

Please forgive me. I saw it a bit differently - naturally!

Had this issue been addressed before, perhaps
we would not have the current "problem"?

And, perhpas wrongfully, I thought that the TB was the proper place to go with this question, particularly since we no longer have an "Only Randy" forum.

Are we going to have more moderators?

Are we going to have more published guidelines?

Just curious! Thanks!

-Mark

Apology Accepted Mark (of course )

Here are some of Randy's quotes from his recent chat on FTlive:

A million miles!!!

That got my attention for sure!

Please keep me posted!

And thanks!