moderation

[Roan]

...they should go put a gag ball in their mouth (ahem!). It borders on homophobia.

I would really rather not have come across you associating me with this kind of thing in a post. It's wrong on a number of levels, most of which I won't go into here.

The aspect of it that I will ask you about here is this: Are you moderating me here? About a comment I made in another thread? Or is this just your opinion? Or is it a mixture of both? When do we know when you and Patricia are being a Moderators vs. just posting your opinion like everybody else? When I was a Moderator it was indicated below my avatar and my moniker was of a different color at the bottom of the screen. Are you Global Moderators or just women posters of "influence?"

And BTW:
These threads by AngryHomosexualPope are picket reports and IMO belong here: viewforum.php?f=7

When they are posted in The Opinions and Debate section they are seen (at least by me) as bearing open invitations to opine and debate. Thus honest, brave and perhaps tactless posters like me are more likely to say exactly what's on our mind when we see his ego-fagging and child threatening behavior (which btw produce only one thing: OSA product). Having picket reports actually in a Picket Report section also spreads "interesting" threads to other areas of the board, rather than overloading or clogging up Opinions and Debate.

Personally, I'd rather see you (and all the Mods) do more obviously constructive things like this rather than taking my inventory based upon your own (perhaps) spurious notions of political correctness and politeness.

.

[Sponge]

Yep, I agree that videos for pickets/protests/Raids/Flashraids, or whatever terminology one uses for it, are best served in the picket reports section, chosing a title which has the location and the date of the event in order to make future searching easier.

As a general point, we really should be making better use of all the various forum/subforum sections anyway
This business of "I'm putting it in O&D for "better visibility"" is sometimes counter productive.

I only mod the media section and I don't tend to get much of a problem with inappropriate topics in there but if there is then you can guarantee it will be moved to the appropriate section fairly promptly. I can't help with the housekeeping of the rest of the board but if people use the "report post" button to suggest something be moved or merged or whatever then it will get the relevant mod's attention much better.

[Gumbythetruth]

Though I agree in principle with the mantra of OCMB being about free speech and a friendly place, I also would STRESS active moderation from those that wear the moniker.

OCMB may want more membership, yet @ what cost? This is not a California only oriented board to my understanding, but with the exception of the media mod (Sponge) I fear a soft hand moderation wise from our cali girls. I am in no way berating the Hawt Mods, I feel women can and do handle things in a fair and level headed manner when dealing with certian issues, On that note I hope you fine ladies openly mod threads that appear catering to things detrimental to OCMB.

If this is not done now, IMHO OCMB will loose effective credibility. Say if I as a poster step out of line, Smack me and infract me. I will not take it personally. My zeal does get in the way of thought from time to time.

edit: I would like to expand on my train of thought here while this is still fresh. Sponge, I enjoy the way you are organizing the media section. It is a vast undertaking. I do have a small concern though. Your sig links. In all honesty, when I see the WWP link there it is rather confusing. Please do not take this comment out of context. Should a mod be a spring board to another website? If so does the link to WWP or others websites reflect positively on what OCMB is all about? Leaving my personsal thoughts on WWP aside, How can a mod remain neutral in respect to posting said links? Like it or not, it is an "Ad" and not a plus IMHO for the OCMB community at large.

As an outspoken activist within the public arena, I steer interested parties to OCMB for information. NEVER would I steer anyone towards WWP. If you are honest with yourelf, you know why!

Signed, The original foot bullet man!

['Alert']

When they are posted in The Opinions and Debate section they are seen (at least by me) as bearing open invitations to opine and debate. Thus honest, brave and perhaps tactless posters like me are more likely to say exactly what's on our mind

I tend to agree here, as I find myself opining in his threads because of where they are firstly, and secondly because he apprently likes to put his name in thread titles and has some 'issues'.

My tactless posting hasnt occurred in Org Patrol/Picket Central etc.

[Benny's Friend]

Oh noes, Susan! Roan is calling us out on a thread! What are we gonna do??? He's so mean and scary and everything!

[Sponge]

Oh noes, Susan! Roan is calling us out on a thread! What are we gonna do??? He's so mean and scary and everything!

Kindly address yourself as either "Global moderator" or "Woman poster of influence", gad dammits!!!1111!!

[Sponge]

Though I agree in principle with the mantra of OCMB being about free speech and a friendly place, I also would STRESS active moderation from those that wear the moniker.

OCMB may want more membership, yet @ what cost? This is not a California only oriented board to my understanding, but with the exception of the media mod (Sponge) I fear a soft hand moderation wise from our cali girls. I am in no way berating the Hawt Mods, I feel women can and do handle things in a fair and level headed manner when dealing with certian issues, On that note I hope you fine ladies openly mod threads that appear catering to things detrimental to OCMB.

If this is not done now, IMHO OCMB will loose effective credibility. Say if I as a poster step out of line, Smack me and infract me. I will not take it personally. My zeal does get in the way of thought from time to time.

It won't always be perfect for everyone all of the time. As an ordinary poster I'd be of the thinking that threads started purely for personal drama, trollery and needless divisiveness, or outright kookery should be nipped in the bud because no matter how many sane posts you have after it, it doesn't mitigate the first post, and if the first one full of shit then it should go IMO. Often the OP doesn't even return for another salvo and they are happy that they got their insult and baseless accusations on a forum to be viewed by all and to crawl up the google rank.
The number of replies and views in such crap threads get is inversely proportional to the quality and relevance of the content. During all that time, the more useful and interesting on-topic posts are being ignored.
As I think you are saying, firm but fair is what you like that's where I tilt towards too. Also I think an approach based on "what would Andreas do?" is a good philosophy and I think that is what the global mods very much have in mind.

I'll go one step further an suggest that Glibby and BF change their avatars to Mrs.Peel and Purdy out of the Avengers.

edit: I would like to expand on my train of thought here while this is still fresh. Sponge, I enjoy the way you are organizing the media section. It is a vast undertaking. I do have a small concern though. Your sig links. In all honesty, when I see the WWP link there it is rather confusing. Please do not take this comment out of context. Should a mod be a spring board to another website? If so does the link to WWP or others websites reflect positively on what OCMB is all about? Leaving my personsal thoughts on WWP aside, How can a mod remain neutral in respect to posting said links? Like it or not, it is an "Ad" and not a plus IMHO for the OCMB community at large.

As an outspoken activist within the public arena, I steer interested parties to OCMB for information. NEVER would I steer anyone towards WWP. If you are honest with yourelf, you know why!

Signed, The original foot bullet man!

Sorry I can't help you with your confusion about links to websites critical of scientology.

I was actually thinking of doing something slightly more creative with my sig a while ago but I don't seem to find the time to do what I had in mind. I wonder why.

[Gumbythetruth]

Though I agree in principle with the mantra of OCMB being about free speech and a friendly place, I also would STRESS active moderation from those that wear the moniker.

OCMB may want more membership, yet @ what cost? This is not a California only oriented board to my understanding, but with the exception of the media mod (Sponge) I fear a soft hand moderation wise from our cali girls. I am in no way berating the Hawt Mods, I feel women can and do handle things in a fair and level headed manner when dealing with certian issues, On that note I hope you fine ladies openly mod threads that appear catering to things detrimental to OCMB.

If this is not done now, IMHO OCMB will loose effective credibility. Say if I as a poster step out of line, Smack me and infract me. I will not take it personally. My zeal does get in the way of thought from time to time.

It won't always be perfect for everyone all of the time. As an ordinary poster I'd be of the thinking that threads started purely for personal drama, trollery and needless divisiveness, or outright kookery should be nipped in the bud because no matter how many sane posts you have after it, it doesn't mitigate the first post, and if the first one full of shit then it should go IMO. Often the OP doesn't even return for another salvo and they are happy that they got their insult and baseless accusations on a forum to be viewed by all and to crawl up the google rank.
The number of replies and views in such crap threads get is inversely proportional to the quality and relevance of the content. During all that time, the more useful and interesting on-topic posts are being ignored.
As I think you are saying, firm but fair is what you like that's where I tilt towards too. Also I think an approach based on "what would Andreas do?" is a good philosophy and I think that is what the global mods very much have in mind.

I'll go one step further an suggest that Glibby and BF change their avatars to Mrs.Peel and Purdy out of the Avengers.

edit: I would like to expand on my train of thought here while this is still fresh. Sponge, I enjoy the way you are organizing the media section. It is a vast undertaking. I do have a small concern though. Your sig links. In all honesty, when I see the WWP link there it is rather confusing. Please do not take this comment out of context. Should a mod be a spring board to another website? If so does the link to WWP or others websites reflect positively on what OCMB is all about? Leaving my personsal thoughts on WWP aside, How can a mod remain neutral in respect to posting said links? Like it or not, it is an "Ad" and not a plus IMHO for the OCMB community at large.

As an outspoken activist within the public arena, I steer interested parties to OCMB for information. NEVER would I steer anyone towards WWP. If you are honest with yourelf, you know why!

Signed, The original foot bullet man!

Sorry I can't help you with your confusion about links to websites critical of scientology.

I was actually thinking of doing something slightly more creative with my sig a while ago but I don't seem to find the time to do what I had in mind. I wonder why.

So basically what you are saying is there will be zero moderation. To base a response on "What would Andreas do?" well in all honesty means to me nothing will happen.

I also do not have any confusion with a link to WWP and its lame assed brand of critique. Ever wonder why the public does not pay attention? Look no further than WWP in your sig. Playing both sides of the fence fails in my summation. Next thing we know a link to Martys blog will occupy a prominent place in your sig!

[I'mglib]

I don't know about you guys, but I think it's been a great weekend. Nobody died, eh? I tried to run Roan over with my car (no joke), and then we chatted and we're cool, as far as I can tell. I tidied up the board with some judicious locking and moving of threads. Life is good. I love OCMB. Carry on.


Edit: Also, WWP has banned a lot of people and many will end up here. Flames will start. Fires will be put out. People will shake their fists. Threads will be locked/moved. More people will join to see what all the comotion is. Hopefully while they are here they will contribute to some of the meatier threads. Yay! Humour, kindness, good sense, etc can patch up a lot of things. Most things actually.

[Sponge]

Gumby, the "what would Andreas do" means, what he would do if he had the time to be here as often as the mods were and to be able to follow everything, because when he does act he tends to act pretty fairly. Why do you think he wanted some mods? I think you just have to wait and see how it all works out.


On the the other issue:
Posted by admin.....
viewtopic.php?f=108&t=14027

Other known places to discuss Scientology and meet others:

• Usenet: alt.religion.scientology (link to Google Groups)
• Enturbulation.org
• Ex-Sci Kids Forum
• Ex Scientologist Message Board
• Lermanet.com
• Narconon Victims
• Why Are They Dead Scientology?
• ScienTROLLogy

General cult forums:

• Cult Education Forum
• FACTNet
• FreedomofMind

Let me know if anyone is missing![/size]

My sig link corrects the out of date enturbulation.org site which admin happily linked to right there on this very forum (and which I also used to have in my sig before it changed to WWP). It is one of 3 links in my sig to sites which are critical of scientology. I'd add more but there is a limit on how much you can put in your sig.
If you have any further issues with that then please go to admin and take it up with him.

I can't help you with your other opinions and rhetoric. Have a nice day.

[Benny's Friend]

Seriously, for what it's worth, my moderation style is a more like a pirate.

Guidelines.

Which can be broken.




Carry on.

[I'mglib]

Last thought for the night. I just read a thread from 2005 where Merlin (the moderator back then) was lamenting about the state of Clambake, because of all the craziness. He was at his wits end, thinking it was all over for OCMB. The end. And yet, here we are, 5 years later, still going. The hiatus in new memberships put a dent in the traffic here, but not too bad, really, and now it's picking up again. That's because OCMB has something to offer. There's a lot of information, but dangit it's fun here too.

Someone said something about adapting. That's what I want to do. See what works, and then do that some more until it doesn't work anymore. Starting with hoping people will simply behave, and going from there. I don't think bans are a good idea unless it's totally a last resort (aside from obvious spammers and evil-doers). Most people here are pretty reasonable I think. There are some pot-stirers, but what are you going to do? As my sister would say when I worried about something...."Who died?" It gets bad, we lock the thread or warn someone. Move it to the dustbin, whatever. Like I said before, it's amazing what a little humor and kindness can do. Read Swift's post on the AGP thread that I am still laughing about for an example. Some of you dudes may scoff, but I have a house full of teenagers here all the time. I never yell at them....I appeal to their sense of reason and guilt them into being mutually respectful and they do it. Will that work here? Who knows. Will anyone die? I doubt it.

Sponge the god and BF the goddess are capable people, and I know we can help each other adapt. I'm actually really looking forward to seeing this place grow.

So, what do you guys say? Are you ready to clean this place up? Woo hoo!

[Sea Horse]

So, what do you guys say? Are you ready to clean this place up? Woo hoo!

Clean this place up? WTF!?!?!?!

This is exactly the attitude taken by WWP which caused its demise.

Andreas was a hands-off guy even when he had the time to moderate more actively. I don't recall him locking threads "because the topic had already been hashed out and everyone had had their say".

He believed/believes in free speech to the degree of letting people say it, with the occasional "reminder" from him IN THE THREAD to moderate one's own speech. It's seemed to work well for years that way.

You start locking more threads and I'll be out of here so fast your protest sign will spin fast enough to lift off into the stratosphere with its 120# dragging below!

[I'mglib]

Seahorse, the "clean this place up" comment was a joke. Remember the Tom Cruise video where he says that at the end and everone cheers?

Ah well.

Anyway, as I said in the other thread, people should definitely have their say. Locking should be used sparingly. It's a balance. Stick around and see if the balance works.