This is going to be a long one, so get comfortable (or not). I'm going to make an effort to clear the air here on a number of levels and you can take my words for the straightforward comments that they are or go about believing people who kiss your ass publicly and criticize you privately. I'd like to think that what I would say privately, I would say publicly so for whatever that may be worth to you, here goes and I hope you come to appreciate the effort of one who tells you the truth. What follows will be based on my own thoughts/concerns intermingled with the thoughts/concerns of others shared with me off the board and maybe this will save you from yourself in the future. All I do know is that it's going up here and both you and I are going to live with it.
Your PM box isn't the only one that fills up.
I'm going to roll back the tape to the Monkey Mod thing (using to extract examples) and move forward to the here and now.
Monkey Mod: When you approached me privately regarding the status of my moderation, you didn't do so to terminate me right off the bat. You made a proposal that was offensive to me for it would have necessitated in my either (1) Stone walling or (2) lying to people who count on me to be truthful and straight up with them. Had I opted for your proposal, either way, it would have stirred up the same sort of controversy that your announcement did. After questioning you, I decided not to opt for your proposal and instead let everything from that point on be open and public.
As soon as the announcement went up, my PM box began to fill with inquiries. For a long time, I refused to discuss anything privately and depending on the situation, I either told people that I prefer to keep things on the board or to post their concerns on the board.
What came up most frequently in the PM messages was identifying Scratch as one who made the complaint because the timing of the complaint made it all too obvious. Watch my *'s now. *Had you been following the board or bothered to research what went on, you would have known that your timing made it obvious. The other comment that came up most frequently is that you wanted me gone because I'm too outspoken and don't participate in herd mentality. (This post a case in point).
Likewise, had you paid attention to the PM's we exchanged just prior to your announcing me as a new moderator, you would have remembered that I told you could feel free to terminate me any time. Pay attention to what people tell you. It could save you a month of agonizing BS.
In your responses you *claimed that you wanted people happy. When the poll thread and your response to it, proved otherwise. In other words, *you said one thing and did another.
Keep watching the *'s.
This gives the appearance that you:
1. Don't know what's going on, on your own board.
2. Are too lazy to read up on what's gone on.
3. Try to cover either of the above and make obvious mistakes.
4. Say one thing and do another. (Care vs don't care)
5. That you're outright lying.
People need to know that admin is on top of things, that what they say is based on reality and not covering their tracks. Let's go on to your current post and I'll respond in the context of the above observations.
Dr. Shades wrote:
I could've sworn that people said they'd depart as soon as gramps did, but oh well.
There it is. Instead of "I could've sworn", you could have reviewed the thread. People here know when you've read a thread or not on account of the responses you give. Here the implication is that inspite of your apology to gramps and claims about wanting people to be happy, you don't give a damn enough to click into the thread and review it.
What is going on with you these days?
???
See what I'm stating on this thread.
What on earth was I supposed to do? Reach through the monitor and give them 50 lashes with a wet noodle?
No. In the above you appear to think that the only action you could have taken was punitive. You could have done any number of things. How about these for starters:
1. Give them the same speech that you gave to msnobody. Make your speeches applicable to everyone so it appears that posters are given the same treatment (even though I don't agree with the speech).
2. Be a friendly admin who acts on his claim to want people to be happy. "What's been bothering you?" "Is there anything we can do about it" and essentially act like you give the damn you make claim to. Failing to address it in any way, makes you look like you say one thing and do another.
What else was I supposed to say?
"We appreciate your contribution to this board. You will be missed."
Until next time.
No. He's totally gone. He scrambled his account and got out of Dodge. And your remark there makes you look like an arrogant ass who doesn't appreciate a person who served you (and us) well.
When you fail to address the concerns of posters who are expressing their concerns right on the screen, leaves people to feel that their concerns aren't important and that admin is unwilling to hear them out or discuss or validate their concerns in some way. When they feel ignored or unattended to, they come to believe that you care more about the people who attack and cause hardship for people than you do them, they eventually lose interest (up against a brick wall) and begin to reduce their participation and then they leave.
You are losing posters on this board. They are slipping out right in front of you and when you ignore it, it reinforces all of the above in their minds. Previously, you claimed that you could no longer placate (one or more) people who complained about me as moderator.
What effort have you made to placate good and intelligent posters such as those named in these posts? The answer is no effort at all.
Say or think what you will about me. I don't kiss your ass and I never will. If you wish to go on leaving the same sort of impressions on people and essentially making yourself look like a two-faced hypocrite, that's your business.
Me, I much prefer truth.
Your board will become over run with people who attack and attempt to disparage others and you'll never see the balanced community that you claim that you hoped for.
You've got a board here. Communicate with the people on it.
I likely will not respond to you again on the thread.