The Official Electioneering Topic
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 20:49
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Please limit all speechifying and significant banter to this topic. Having four or five to check is dizzying. Repost any significant declarations on previous topics if you like, or post a list of links. -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 20:51
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Repost from the Candidates Thread. Hello, ladies and gents. I suppose this is where I tell you about my policies. I'm a strong proponent of transparent, limited moderation. I don't have a sweeping plan, because I know the population of these boards do not want a sweeping plan. Sweeping plans mean your favorite topics locked because they have too much noise and not enough signal, or posts deleted entirely because they contain profanity, or valuable if eclectic members being pecked into contempt and obscurity. I don't want to stifle the discourse. I don't want to shut down the flow of information. I understand there are circumstances in which censorship are appropriate, and I understand them to be strongly limited. I promise I will take swift and decisive action against excrecable violations, and leave other topics well enough alone unless they become flagrant spam-fests. I will make a fair and impartial moderator; I have an outstanding history of judging individuals more by their immediate conduct than any kind of 'permanent record' heuristics. I don't hold grudges. I don't single people out. I'm tolerant. I have a policy and it's a good one. I will make the moderation process clear, and in all cases I will work towards improving threads rather than destroying them. I have a record of action. I have been a moderator before; I know the drill; I administrate a set of forums which have managed to keep orderly despite all manner of filth and depravity for three years now, and which continue to serve as a community asset today. As an experienced community member, man of power, and referee, I offer an excellent background for a moderator, one matched by extremely few of my fellow candidates. A mixture between my administrative policy and my vigilance will ensure that both your right to expression and your virgin eyes will be protected simultaneously. And I am an amiable if sometimes abrasive figure. I offer a powerful mixture of positive qualifications, characteristics, and doctrines no other candidate can match. Vote for me and together we will keep the SW forums fun, friendly, and open. ... To my fellow candidates: If you share my view on the nature of moderation, if you believe that the job of power should be to enrich and support the discourse rather than picking at it with a fine-toothed comb and a rubric, if you believe that the first priority of the moderation should be to enable members to get along together rather than meting out punishments for butting heads, and most of all if you want to see a transparent, fair, and forgiving moderator in power, I encourage your support. I'm no joke candidate, and I'm no power-monger. My campaign speaks to a serious ideal which has been neglected on these forums of late. Divided, we will be at the mercy of the same-old same-old; united, we can bring the forums to a new flowering and greatness. -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 20:54
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Reposted from candidates thread: *Applauds Alec* This was so masterfully executed that I can only bow to your talent. My would-be dystopian dictator pales in comparison to the real thing. This is how real men get elected supreme rulers: 1. Declare an election out of the blue, when nobody else expects it. 2. Set the rules to encourage maximum amount of chaos and squabbling: Self-nomination + no prerequisites for running or voting + challenging everybody to run with an opening asking "do you dare to run?" = complete chaos 3. Leave and let everybody squabble and plot while the place deteriorates into chaos. 4. Show up several days later with a great speach that makes everybody else look like a bunch of immature kids. This is how they do it in books and movies, but this is the first time I've actually seen something like this pulled off in real life with such a perfect execution. My hat is off to you. I will stop my masquerade, because I'll never be able to compete with the true master. -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 21:04
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An intriguing attack. I will not deny that, when I started the elections, I maintained hope that I would be elected to the position. However, it is baseless. I will be happy if not elected, and will freely offer advice and guidance to any new moderator - should it be needed, as most candidates come from non-moderating backgrounds. I expect to be elected, but that is because I believe I am the best man for the job. If I did not, why would I be running? My policies speak for themselves. I am no dictator, I am no glory hound. I just want to keep the boards fun and free. On the behalf of Support & Enrich, I beg you not to turn this into a mudslinging campaign; my two-fisted fury is renowned, but I do not wish to employ it, nor do I want to be forced by circumstances to throw allegations that sully the reputations of comrades and friends. This should be a nice, clean election, not a fist-fight. And because I want it to be perfectly clear I'm not running some kind of shadowy coup here, I promise to subject myself to an impeachment system. If more than a third of the members registered to vote petition my removal, I will immediately step down. I get elected and you don't like the job I'm doing? You can fire me. That is my level of commitment to popular government, and I defy any other candidate in the running to make the same. [ Tuesday, June 21, 2005 21:06: Message edited by: George A. Custer & The SE Party ] -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 21:09
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The role of a moderator, in my view, is to make the boards a more enjoyable place for the community, by encouraging quality discussion and discouraging low-content or abusive posts. In my time on these forums, I've seen good topics locked and I've seen bad topics fail to be locked. I believe in trying to improve the standard of discussion in topics rather than in locking a discussion which at least some people are presumably enjoying. As such, if elected moderator I will implement a policy of greater education of new members and more vigilant warning of troublemakers both new and old, hopefully making the locking of topics unnecessary. Of course, sometimes a topic needs urgent attention. I'm sure most of us here remember the recent Eraserhead debacle, where highly offensive images remained visible to the community for almost a full day before being removed. This is unacceptable, and with my help we can do better. As my post count attests, I am an active community member, and throughout my time on the boards will be ever vigilant for content which clearly crosses the boundaries of community acceptability. Furthermore, when it comes to addressing issues promptly I have one advantage that other candidates, through no fault of their own, do not. We have three American moderators and a British moderator on General already; as an Australian, I can be active on the forums at times when the other moderators aren't. My addition to the moderatorial team would allow us to more efficiently monitor the behaviour of a subsection of the community which includes a significant number of active members. I understand fully that my role as a moderator will be that of a fixer, not a builder -- to guide the community rather than to lead it. My aim is simply to fill the gaps in the current moderatorial effort. Give me a chance to do so and I guarantee that I won't disappoint you. -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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E Equals MC What!!!!
Member # 5491
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 21:43
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I am also an Australian. I am also clearly the better choice. Ladies and Gentlemen, everything you hope to get from these other candidates you can get from the Zani Party, and more. ***The following is a repost*** I hereby launch the Zani Party. By voting for the Zani party, you get what you want, guaranteed. The way this works is very simple. Anyone who votes for the Zani Party is a Winner. Anyone who doesn't is a Loser. We will change the rules as often as you wish, to whatever you wish. If there is a Loser who you dislike, we can take something he did on Monday, make it a Capital offense on Tuesday, arrest him on Wednesday, execute him on Thursday, and make it legal again on Friday morning. Want to ban someone for using the word 'drat'? We can make it happen. Want to post goatse in every topic in every forum? Sure thing. Want to do both at once? Absolutely. We excel at double standards here at the Zani Party. Why drudge through vapid speeches and empty promises looking for a mod that may give you some of what you want, when a vote for the Zani Party means that you get everything that you want, by definition. Is our position morally bankrupt? Absolutely! And what are you going to do about it? See, the lure of absolute power is too much for the masses to resist. Don't kid yourself into thinking your vote counts. It doesn't. It's everyone else's votes that count, and they will be voting for the Zani Party, because they don't want to be Losers. They don't want to be stripped of every right they have, and to be forced to rely on the goodwill of the Winners. In fact, I encourage you not to vote for us. Winning will be no fun if there is no one to oppress. The Zani Party is not just another choice. It is an inevitability. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 22:11
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In all seriousness, only a few of the candidates who have nominated themselves actually stand a chance of being made into moderators if elected. Drakefyre has said as much in some of these threads. I, as a current moderator of other boards in reasonably good standing, am one of the few who do. Therefore, obviously, the first reason to vote for me is that voting for most other candidates is effectively throwing your vote away. But what are the positive reasons to vote for me? As I pointed out elsewhere, I am frequently the first reply in topics. I see new topics about as quickly as anyone here. My posting rate, as Aran can attest, is usually in the top ten, and it has remained more or less constant for the entire time that I've been here. I have not gone more than half a week without checking the boards since I registered in February of '04. This means that I can lock topics that are grievous violations of the Code of Conduct faster than others. I check the boards at odd hours of the day and night, which gives me the same advantage as Thuryl. Speaking of Thuryl, I imagine that most of you are thinking that he would be quite a good moderator, and I will be the first to tell you that he would. I can only point out two differences between myself and him. The first is that he often participates in General discussions, which makes it a bit harder for him to take an impartial moderatorial stance. I don't mean that he would play obvious favorites; I just mean that he, as an involved party, would be of necessity more biased than someone who posts less in General and more on the game boards, like myself. I read General, but I rarely post more than a few sentences. The second difference, and it is a difference between me and almost every candidate, is that I am a current moderator, so if you want to see what I will be like as a moderator, you can go and look at the ET, AT, and GF3 boards. Sure, Alec was a mod a long time ago, but those old threads have been deleted, and Desperance is a different environment from Spiderweb. I would also add that there is a reason that he is no longer a mod, and it's not just that the board that he moderated no longer exists. Would you really trust someone who has been Canned recently to moderate a board as active as General? The only thing I'd actually like to change is to cut down on the CoC infractions. Beating the auto-censor should be an editable offense. Flagrantly calling someone names should merit a warning. It's in a CoC; all we have to do is enforce it. Of course, I will work with Drakefyre and Stareye, with whom I have a good working relationship already, in order to make sure that only true violations get reprimanded, because an overly heavy hand is no fun either. So for balanced and fair moderation, proven by experience, with a record you can examine yourself, use your votes to the best of their power and vote Kelandon! P.S. Also I will hunt down Richard White and force him to play Galactic Core for five hours each day. Oh, and ladies... well, you know. -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
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This Side Towards Enemy
Member # 3098
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 22:12
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I can't offer a unique position, nor am I particularly good at coming up with a great sound byte to get you to vote for me. I've been a member for some years, so I know how the boards work and why they stop doing so. I know who the likely troublemakers are, but I'm unbiased. I don't really dislike them any more or less than you. Except for bloody Thuryl, obviously. About the only vaguely unique standpoint I have is that if I am elected moderator, I will declare all Wednesdays to be Arbitrary Guidelines Days. Any posts not matching up to a set of essentially random pre-arranged demands (must be in Haiku format, must contain a picture of a fish, must be a translation of the entire Aeneid, that kind of thing) can expected to be edited out of existence. If stifling any worthwhile debate becomes an official moderatorial policy, we might actually get some worthwhile discussions that last for more than two days on a semi-regular basis. Also, I believe that knowledge is power, so as a special favour to Ben, bestiality. -------------------- Voice of Reasonable Morality Posts: 961 | Registered: Thursday, June 12 2003 07:00 |
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Veteran*
Member # 5
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 22:32
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I'm MM, I'll give you candy. VOTE MM 2005 I was the moderator here at Spidweb before any of these numskulls you see now. I was forced out of position due to an emotional outburst on my part. Other than my emotional outburst, I was a fair, good, and efficient moderator. The event in which I lost my cool was years ago. I've grown and matured, and can assure my doubters that nothing of the sort will happen again. If elected, I will do my best to balance the boards. I have good judgement when a topic should be locked or not. I know when a person has gone over the line, and when they're on the edge of the line. My past experience moderating this forum was, other than one mishap, a success, and I expect the second term to be no different. Why elect me? I'm a neutral member. Most members running for this position have ties back to a related group, which could cause biased moderating. I am neither of desperance nor Polaris. I have no problems with either of them. I have no problems with anyone, for that matter. My moderating would be fair and unbiased, which some candidates can not truthfully say. It would be a good mix to the moderation team too, as our current moderators, other than Schrodinger, seem to have affiliation with one of the previously mentioned groups. As I've stated before, I'm an experienced moderator. I know what flies, and what doesn't. You don't want a moderator who panics and reacts the wrong way to a post. My experience insures that my moderation skill is high. I've dealt accordingly with spammers in the past. I was a lone moderator when Spidweb recieved it's first big spam attack. I did all in my power to control the ordeal, and Mariann agreed that I had handled the situation accordingly. I'm very easy to access. I'm signed onto AIM constantly, and check my messages frequently. If something is wrong that I'm not aware of, a member could alert me to the problem very quickly. I also have an e-mail address that I check quite often. I check on these boards quite frequently as is. One might have noticed that it was I who alerted the entire community to EraserHead's pornographic topics. That being said, a vote for MM is the best vote you can make. :) MM 2005 Okay, that sucked. But hey, I think I made my point. EDIT: A note to newer members... My low post count could be decieving of my activity on these boards. I just recently lost this account, and then regained it. My post count should be somewhere in hte 1100s, really. You'll notice, my member number is higher than anyone elses' that is running, other than the CANNED TM. [ Tuesday, June 21, 2005 22:45: Message edited by: Medicine Man ] Posts: 455 | Registered: Tuesday, May 17 2005 07:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 22:40
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Mr. Watts's allegations are baseless. I was never removed as a moderator for misconduct, nor was there any reason to construe my stepping down as forced, mandated, or even prodded. But then, I would not expect someone who entered this community almost half a year after Miscellaneous was shut down to know the details of my resignation, to say nothing of the moderating record he also feels fit to libel. I am also intrigued by the fact that our beloved Kelandon seems to believe that his stated refusal to read General topics unless he is specifically mentioned, and his complete lack of involvement on this board, would be a positive in running it. I am running this campaign on my own merits; I do not want to be made to sling mud. Let's keep it positive, yes? I'd rather not spend every post of this topic rebutting lies. It gets tiring. -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 5450
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 22:41
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Most of you know that I am new. The newest member to run for election, in fact. Therefore, I know more about the newbies than most. I remember when I was new, and all the older members seemed like big mean bullies who like taking your lunch. But now, as my postcount rises, I look at them and think, I will be one of them soon. Remember: A vote for me is a vote for the little guys! Some reasons why you should trust me: 1) Like Thuryl and Ash, I am Australian, so I will be able to check the boards when many of you are asleep. That means that I will have plenty of time to read current topics, check for CoC violations, and deal with them appropriately. If a topic is against the CoC: locked. If a member violates the CoC: edited/warned. Simple. 2) I will not flaunt my position. I will not brag, belittle or tease other members because of my Mod status. In fact, I will carry on with my SpidWebbing like I am not a Mod, and only take action when needed. I will not lock topics for no reason, and I will provide the reasons why I lock topics/edit posts. 3) I am more like a newbie than any other seriously running member. I can relate to you, and will provide (to the best of my ability) easy to understand answers to all your questions — from how to do bold/italic/quotes, to how to use a video camera. I will help in any way I can. A VOTE FOR SPRING IS A VOTE FOR THE LITTLE GUY! [ Tuesday, June 21, 2005 22:42: Message edited by: Printemps ] -------------------- I'll put a Spring in your step. Polaris Posts: 2396 | Registered: Saturday, January 29 2005 08:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 22:52
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I'd like to make something abundantly clear. As an experienced former moderator, as well as a significant figure in the writing of the Code of Conduct, I understand it is not the moderator's job to enforce the CoC. It is the province of the administrators; only egregious violations merit egregious action. I'm not going to be pecking through a rulebook, because I know the community standards of decency. I know there are behaviors which the Code of Conduct frown upon which are often harmless; I know there are behaviors it says nothing about which can damage harmony on the boards. It will be my pleasure to preserve goodwill and community spirit on the Spiderweb boards. Support & Enrich, as the name suggests, stands for lifting the community as a whole up rather than beating its offenders down. Even if not elected, I would prefer that moderators realize the difference between themselves and administrators: they serve as eyes and ears and, in emergencies, quick response forces. My promise is to communicate with authorities and violators and ensure the best environment for all concerned. Just because someone has broken the CoC does not mean their well-being is also meaningless; at some point, almost all of us have in some way or another. Further, it is completely subjective. Other candidates try and hide an iron fist with the velvet glove of a strict adherence to 'the rules', in the character of 'I didn't make the rules, I'm only enforcing them'. The CoC is a loose document and it is necessary for a moderator to have a firm grasp on its spirit in addition to its letter. I have that grasp, but I'm not going to presume my take is always correct. I will consult with administrators and the community, because I understand that the role of the moderator is an outstretched hand, not a clenched fist. In all cases but the clearly offensive (cf Shotts, recently Eraserhead), 'decisive action' is a code word for autocracy. Even if you choose not to vote for me, please recognize it as such and choose a wise candidate who will defer from it whenever possible. [ Tuesday, June 21, 2005 23:05: Message edited by: George A. Custer & The SE Party ] -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 23:05
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Alec, I really have to do this, but you are forsing me. :( I've never seen such blatant lies told with such a straight face. :mad: I was hoping this "election" would be just a fun game, but this is one manipulation you aren't getting away with. Here is the list of highlights of Alec's short career as a moderator. I'll let you be the judge of whether that's the kind of career he should proudly talk about in every post. The following e-mail was sent to spidweb@spidweb.com on 01/21/2002: quote:The following reply was recieved from Jeff on 01/24/2002: quote:PS And if Alec still tries to deny it, ask Shrodinger, Saunders, Stareye, or any other neutral moderator who was around at the time. [ Tuesday, June 21, 2005 23:11: Message edited by: EVOL Zeviz ] -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 23:25
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Zeviz, you had a grudge against me three and a half years ago and you have a grudge against me now. I'm frankly astounded; I've never been able to hate someone for that long and I'm curious as to how you do it. I'm going to break your allegations down by post, because you've given a lot of information few people have any context on: quote:The following reply was recieved from Jeff on 01/24/2002: quote:[/b] The majority of your accusations are based on our failure to act in a completely bland, neutral fashion. The few which are valid concern specific acts of possible misconduct based almost exclusively on an insensitivity issue. Now, none of this is relevant to my point: I VOLUNTARILY STEPPED DOWN, AND I DID SO QUITE SOME TIME AFTER THESE ALLEGATIONS WERE RAISED. I may have had black marks on my record (you have a relatively strong grudge against me, so you do your even best to make me look like Gilles de Rais; I admit I was no saint, but honestly - some of those accusations were pretty damn asinine...), but I wasn't coerced or forced to surrender my powers as a moderator. I did so of my own free will. Further, on the balance I had a good record as a moderator. I helped run the boards during a turbulent period, and I was in a position of authority in the most hectic board climate in SW history. Yes, my record was not the best, but it was good by way of comparison, good when you look at more than just the goddamn flaws, and good when you don't inflate me making a flippant crack on a vanity topic into an Inquisition. I understand you have a grudge against me, and frankly it's been so long I have no damn idea why you would, but don't let it distort the facts here. I have a spotty record, but I have made real promises which you can hold me to. Which is more than I can say for any of my competitors. Now please, for the love of God, stop picking on me. [/quote] [ Tuesday, June 21, 2005 23:27: Message edited by: George A. Custer & The SE Party ] -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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This Side Towards Enemy
Member # 3098
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 23:28
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I fail to see that the since largely resolved disagreements that TM and Alec had several years ago, let alone the role of Scorpius, who hasn't been an active member for some time, have any major relevance. Misc was a completely different forum. We did things differently there, in that virtually every post was either irritating or truculent. Whilst I wouldn't advise you to vote for Alec because of the FILTHY CRIMES he is prone to committing with PROCESSED MEATS, he doesn't tend to behave in that way any more and I can't see that he'll start just because he'd have a moderatorial position, because he still wouldn't get away with it. General is not Misc, it's not RWG and it's not Desperance. And it's not 2002. Alec has grown up a little bit, threat to our way of life though he undoubtedly is. You're quite capable of doing things other than producing scaremongering sanctimonious drivel. Feel like starting? I'd also note that MM's comment about not being a member of Desperance or Polaris is somewhat irrelevant. Both of them have for some time been largely independent of these boards and the nearest we come to arguments these days is Djur making an attempt to wind them up. It's a non-issue on a massive scale. I'm all in favour of negative campaigning, but would it kill you to produce some relevant stuff instead? -------------------- Voice of Reasonable Morality Posts: 961 | Registered: Thursday, June 12 2003 07:00 |
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Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
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written Tuesday, June 21 2005 23:58
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I posted these e-mails just to cut off any attempt on Alec's part to say that "I don't remember any of this stuff." As for relevant accusations, here they are: 1. As a moderator, Alec abused his powers by locking topics without good reason and unlocking topics locked by other moderators just to spite them. 2. quote:I think that comment speaks for itself. When a moderator (who is basically a representative of Spiderweb Software) makes fun of suicidal people on a thread dealing with the subject that doesn't show his good judgemet or sensitivity, especially when he says that there was nothing wrong with that behavior. 3. "Masquerade" was when TM decided to suspend Code of Conduct and allowed everybody to freely flame and even post some goatse links. Alec turned one of the threads in Misc into a repeat of that experience. 4. Even outside the flaming thread Alec engaged in constant flame wars. Alec and TM's "moderation" was one of the main reasons Misc degenerated into the mess everybody remembers. When the mods are freely flaming everybody and fighting each other, what can you expect from regular members? -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
Member # 3151
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written Wednesday, June 22 2005 00:06
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Zeviz, I no longer expect, solicit, nor welcome from you any vote for me in this or any future election, nor do I choose to dignify your ungentlemanly remarks with any further response. [ Wednesday, June 22, 2005 00:08: Message edited by: George A. Custer & The SE Party ] -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
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written Wednesday, June 22 2005 00:11
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quote:In other words, you admit that all my accusations are correct. Thank you very much for not dragging this out with unsuccessful denials and making it any more painful that it had to be. I appreciate that you at least are able to surrender graciously, instead of throwing a tantrum like weaker people would. [ Wednesday, June 22, 2005 00:11: Message edited by: EVOL Zeviz ] -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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For Carnage, Apply Within
Member # 95
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written Wednesday, June 22 2005 00:18
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This kind of negative campaigning is proof that some of the candidates care more about status than fostering a strong community. I don't have many qualifications, apart from being an oldbie, but if you want a mod you can trust to be impartial, I'm a good choice. I check General as frequently as anyone, but I post less than most of the other candidates. I don't get involved in most of the debates, which means that if I'm elected I can deal with any conflict fairly. What's more, my low post count is pretty good proof that I don't give a damn about status. Instead of posting first and thinking second, I always take time to consider what I'm about to do, and then do it. I think that's the way a moderator should act, instead of attacking people I disagree with. Posts: 567 | Registered: Friday, October 5 2001 07:00 |
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? Man, ? Amazing
Member # 5755
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written Wednesday, June 22 2005 00:18
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Hmmm The way I see it, and I have been around a while, is that a good moderator can turn a bad thread around and make it good without locking. An excellent moderator can see a bad thread coming from 3 days away and hope that it doesn't happen. It's a shame that some folks find this so darn important and reality threatening that they save stuff to use later as a weapon or protection. I mean really, who does give a rat's behind what happened in a forum 3 years ago. Y'all gonna tell me to shut up for butting in here, but your little grudge has turned a really fun and engaging topic into a steaming pile of ... Thanks. *this message is funded by jumping salmon everywhere* Posts: 4114 | Registered: Monday, April 25 2005 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Wednesday, June 22 2005 00:38
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I don't want to dwell too much on the merits or failings of other candidates; despite their present bickering, most would probably make fine moderators. However, I feel it necessary to justify why I would make a better moderator than they. I have at least as strong a record of forum administration as any other candidate, having administrated three different forums over a period of several years. The most valuable insight that this broad range of experience has given me is the understanding that different forum communities have different needs. For example, I was an administrator of the Blades of Exile Arena forums and am still an administrator of the Desperance forums. Despite the Arena forums being hosted by Desperance and attracting a number of members from the Desperance community, the tone of discussion was generally kept friendly to younger or more sensitive users. The Arena was always intended to be a polite and family-friendly community, and my intervention played a significant part in keeping it that way. By contrast, the Desperance forums themselves required a much more open approach, in which censorship would be inappropriate and maintaining a high signal-to-noise ratio was a more pressing concern. It seems to me that the nature of the Spiderweb forum community requires a mix of both forms of intervention; there is a Code of Conduct which should be respected, and the quality of discussion also needs to be kept high. In my view, Kelandon's moderatorial record on these forums shows him to be unreasonably strict, even going so far as to edit people's posts to censor out the word "damn". These forums have a long history of not editing posts except under extreme circumstances (such as posting of offensive images or deliberate evasion of word filters), and I feel that ought to be respected. Offensive language is easy for administrators to censor out using word filters; if the administrators choose not to censor a word, my position is that they have implicitly deemed its use acceptable, at least under some circumstances. Naturally, any language which is abusive toward another member is an infraction of both the CoC and basic decency and ought to be treated as such, but not all strong language is abusive. Alec, I fear, has the opposite problem; he may be too lax. When a poster evades the word filters to post language clearly deemed unacceptable by the administration, I am not sure I could trust Alec to keep him in line. Nor do I fully trust him not to use his powers frivolously. The position of a moderator entails the investment of a community member with two qualities: power, and authority. Power is inherent in the status of a moderator; he has the ability to move, edit and delete posts, and these abilities must be used with wisdom and discretion. A moderator's authority is the result of the trust the administration has placed in him; he has been declared a person who ought to be respected by the community. If he betrays that trust, he betrays both the administration and the community. And so I ask you this, members of the Spiderweb community. Who can be trusted to hold power? Who is sufficiently respectable to hold authority? I contend that I have consistently shown myself through my actions on these forums to be trustworthy and respectable. If you agree, I would be honoured to have your vote. [ Wednesday, June 22, 2005 00:47: Message edited by: Thuryl ] -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
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written Wednesday, June 22 2005 01:10
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If I must err, I would prefer to err on the side of lassitude than the side of tyranny. I am willing to aggressively address violations of the CoC, but I am not going to unnecessarily antagonize anyone, and again - I have made it my solemn promise that I will relinquish power if the community feels my job in using it has been unacceptable. As a moderator, I understand that part of my role is that of the policeman. But that is only a single part. I am alarmed by several of the major candidates' single-minded focus on the role of policeman. There are variations on the role: Thuryl promises to be a fair and balanced policeman; Kelandon promises to be a stern and discerning policeman; etc. But my commitment to the position of moderator extends beyond that of the baton-and-handcuffs mentality of the 'if there are CoC violations, that's when I break out my handgun' set. The position of moderator requires a more careful, less draconian approach than any of my opponents can offer. Just because the role of moderator is more fixer than builder doesn't mean that the job is that of an obsessive-compulsive repairman. My platform offers transparency, tolerance, and experience. I'm not asking for you to vote me into power so I may police you; I'm asking for you to vote for me so that we may share that power and use it to improve our community. -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Wednesday, June 22 2005 01:44
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Alec wants you to think of him as a man of the people; I find him duplicitous. For all his talk of sharing power, he knows full well that whoever is appointed moderator will have the final say on what happens to your posts and topics. There are times when I would have liked to see more community consultation before a topic was locked, and times when I would have liked to see members responsible for a topic's decline held accountable for their actions rather than remain under the radar due to the currently prevailing attitude of "lock the topic and forget about it", but the ability to enforce the rules lies solely with the forum's moderators and administrators. Any attempt to pretend otherwise is dishonest. We need a moderator who can be trusted with power, not one who wields it while denying he has it. [ Wednesday, June 22, 2005 01:47: Message edited by: Thuryl ] -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Bob's Big Date
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written Wednesday, June 22 2005 02:34
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I believe it reflects an abuse on the part of the moderator to justify a failure to consult with the community before attacking - in particular, but this is just one example - topics which seem to have outlived their usefulness - with the statement, 'Well, the final say rests with me'. The executive ability rests in the hands of the moderator, but that doesn't mean the power dynamic can't still be from the bottom up. This is another example of where transparency is beneficial. As moderator I will provide more access than any of my fellow candidates. While my esteemed Victorian comrade can talk all he likes about my being a confidence artist for trying to establish myself as a man of the people, I do not hesitate to point out I promise venues of oversight and removal, and he does no such thing. I have hard promises to back up my rhetoric on transparency. On trustworthiness, Thuryl has a record and I have a record. I respect his and I take it he respects mine. We both swear not to misuse the office, but only I promise you any way to enforce that oath. The better choice, so far as trustworthiness is concerned, is self-evident. (Bear in mind that I would gladly see Thuryl a moderator - I believe he could handle the position fine, and would make a good addition to the moderation staff - but I do not think he'd be a better one than me, or I would have no business running against him.) -------------------- The biggest, the baddest, and the fattest. Posts: 2367 | Registered: Friday, June 27 2003 07:00 |
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Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
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written Wednesday, June 22 2005 02:51
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quote:We have here a politician who complete misrepresents his past performance. I've seen real political campaigns destroyed by much smaller things. Here is the sequence of events: 1. Alec talks in every post about his great moderator experience. 2. I show that his moderator experience included: a) Abuse of power. b) Lack of good judgement. c) Using his position to bully members. 3. Nobody, not even Alec himself denies that all alegeations are true. Instead, Alec says that I have a grudge against him and therefore all of my accusations are irrelevant. If this happened in a real world, Alec's campagn would be dead. However, in our Spiderweb utopia, the great spinmaster continues his campaign as if nothing happened and the person who corrected his record is accused of "bringing up old grudges". -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |