DiscussMormonism.com

Hello Alter,

I have read the poll thread, assessed that the OP amounted to "nothing" and didn't feel at all compelled to respond to "nothing" much less lend my screen name to it. I appreciate the positive responses of you and others on the thread and I do want to reply to your recent post.

You wrote:

Good one:)

Actually, I was one of those who had initial misgivings--and since Merc brought it up and wasn't getting much support for his concerns, I figured I'd speak up. I think the reason I was concerned about Jersey Girl being a mod is that she's not the same temperament as Liz and Bond, who seem to have managed to remain above the fray and out of the spats that happen on boards. They are to be commended because I think that is no small feat--especially on this board.

I was also concerned about GIMR being a mod because she also strikes me as more like Jersey Girl and less like Liz or Bond. Maybe a little more likely to be involved than a passive bystander in arguments.

However, my assumption is that both Jersey Girl and GIMR were willing to moderate in an objective and impersonal manner, following Shades' guidelines. And I also think it's great that they would volunteer their services in this capacity--it's a big job! I think we as board members can help them be successful by monitoring ourselves and not adding to their responsibilities.

I have to disagree that moderating this board is a big job. For the most part, it is tedious and boring. I don't recall if I've posted this publicly, but here goes. In the chat one evening, there was a conversation between Liz and Bond regarding time limitations due to real life scheduling. I offered that so long as I was limited to meager tasks, that I'd be willing to help out and relieve them. After several back and forth PM's with Shades, I discovered that all the moderation work (not to be confused with administrator's) amounted to meager tasks! My final question to Shades was something to the effect, "Can a monkey with basic computer skills do this job?" (not a direct quote). He answered in the affirmative and I "swore" myself in via PM's. I'll be glad to post that self swearing in ceremony here if you like. Heck, I might do it just for general purposes!

The moderators on this board have no power that can be misused in any form or fashion that I can see. In truth, we have no "power" at all outside of being able to move, delete, and split. Did you miss my psalm to Shades posted on the announcement thread? Here is a copy:

Thanks, Shades. I intended to reply here earlier however I became swamped with one thing then the next and so on and so forth ad nauseum. I offer up the following psalm to you...

I am but a powerless tool
A cog in a wheel
I will not think

I will not launch a full scale delete of PP and all his variants
I will not say F and S ever again on MDB*
Lest I become a moderating hypocrite

I will stuff myself into the box that thou hast created for me
And do as I am told
I will leave my brain outside of the box

I am a mere clone of Shades
I can do nothing without Shades for he leadeth me
I am nothing without Shades who thinketh for me

In the name of the pug, the pirate and the monkey brain that moveth upon the keyboard

Your humble servant,
Jersey Girl

*At the outside chance that I actually do say F and S again on MDB, I will eventually * it out as per the 300 page Moderator's Manual. I am, before all else, a Jersey Girl.

On the poll thread there was discussion about how moderators could identify their work. I had discussed this in a recent PM to Shades and he advised me to post my comments. As I stated previously, I didn't feel compelled to post on a thread about "nothing" and so I haven't.

Here is a copy of a statement I made to Shades via PM's with the identity of one poster removed:

1. I have deleted duplicate posts.
2. I have moved one thread to the Off Topic Forum that was initiated by me in the Terrestrial regarding referring to previous screen names. I stated in the OP that I would move it myself to the Old Testament forum. After moving it, I noted that I had done so.
3. I split off one thread at (snip posters name) request from the Celestial to the Telestial. Liz, relocated it in the Terrestrial. After I split it off, I made a moderator note on the split portion.

So far as my mod activity on this board is concerned, I am transparent as all hell and always will be.

So there you have it , Alter. My actions as moderator on this board are fully transparent and that is why I assess the poll thread as "nothing". Had the OP done some sort of research and had something "fishy" to discuss, I would have considered it more than "nothing". As it stands, he did not and does not. I do think my assumption that Liz moved the thread in question was an error.

I also practiced moving threads and deleting duplicate posts in full public view. Look for my posts.

Also this that you wrote:

I was also concerned about GIMR being a mod because she also strikes me as more like Jersey Girl and less like Liz or Bond. Maybe a little more likely to be involved than a passive bystander in arguments.

Alter, how many years have you been reading me? ;-) Passive isn't in my DNA nor do I kiss anyone's you-know-what. My lack of you-know-what kissing should tell you and anyone else that I would not refrain from meeting a request nor acting on something based on my like, dislike, or current or past disgreement with any person involved in the request for mod action.


One last thing regarding the "policies" I stated above. As Liz implied in one of her posts on the poll thread, I don't take action on any thread that I'm heavily involved in. Alter dear, I'm from Jersey. If you or anyone else thinks that I don't know how to implement a CYA policy on this board in order to make myself fully transparent and untouchable regarding my moderator activity, then I'm not a Jersey Girl.

:-D

Everybody happy now?

Jersey Girl

Recomending Mods drop this into the poll thread

:)

Why didn't you just reply to the exiting thread?

Mercury wrote:Recomending Mods drop this into the poll thread

:)

Why didn't you just reply to the exiting thread?

Mercury,

I thank my lucky stars that you posted such a decisive recommendation here. How would the mod's or anyone else be able to function without your bold attempt to rescue us from our own massive stupidity?

Now, beyond the fact that I clearly stated in the OP, and infact in the first sentence, why I wouldn't comment on the poll thread in the poll thread, I offer you the benefit of a reply to your above stated concerns as follows:

Given the fact that I'm unfamiliar with the term "exiting thread" and can't recall a single instance when a thread was actually imported into another thread in progress, please accept my cordial invitation to copy and paste the OP and stick it wherever you like, darlin'.

Fish in a barrel.

Jersey Girl

Jersey Girl wrote:
Given the fact that I'm unfamiliar with the term "exiting thread" and can't recall a single instance when a thread was actually imported into another thread in progress, please accept my cordial invitation to copy and paste the OP and stick it wherever you like, darlin'.

Jersey Girl

I have merged nearly identical threads at Beliefnet. It can be a handy feature.

moksha wrote:

Jersey Girl wrote:
Given the fact that I'm unfamiliar with the term "exiting thread" and can't recall a single instance when a thread was actually imported into another thread in progress, please accept my cordial invitation to copy and paste the OP and stick it wherever you like, darlin'.

Jersey Girl

I have merged nearly identical threads at Beliefnet. It can be a handy feature.

I wish we had that feature. Unfortunately, there is no way to merge threads with our current software. :(

moksha wrote:

Jersey Girl wrote:
Given the fact that I'm unfamiliar with the term "exiting thread" and can't recall a single instance when a thread was actually imported into another thread in progress, please accept my cordial invitation to copy and paste the OP and stick it wherever you like, darlin'.

Jersey Girl

I have merged nearly identical threads at Beliefnet. It can be a handy feature.

Really, mok? That has got to be one major effort to merge two threads! How in the world do you maintain the integrity of both threads when merging them?

Jersey Girl, I hope I did not offend you by admitting my initial misgivings. Yes, I've read you enough to know you are not a passive bystander and actually, I think that posters who enjoy the board and participate fully are probably the best to be involved in running it. I'll do my best to support you and GIMR in your moderating duties, as well as the other mods. While you may not think it's a tough job, I suspect it's a thankless job--and you'll probably often have someone annoyed with you at each decision you make. But I'm confident you can handle it.

Alter Idem wrote:Jersey Girl, I hope I did not offend you by admitting my initial misgivings. Yes, I've read you enough to know you are not a passive bystander and actually, I think that posters who enjoy the board and participate fully are probably the best to be involved in running it. I'll do my best to support you and GIMR in your moderating duties, as well as the other mods. While you may not think it's a tough job, I suspect it's a thankless job--and you'll probably often have someone annoyed with you at each decision you make. But I'm confident you can handle it.

No, Alter, I wasn't at all offended by your remarks, quite the contrary is so! I would much rather have someone express their misgivings or openly criticize me than hide behind anonymous votes on a board like this. Actually, it's kind of boring to go through the threads but I've found a short cuts such as simply searching on the words "delete" or "duplicate" to find the posts that need to be deleted. Compared to what I do in real life, the relative mindlessness of it is very welcome!

Just a correction from the poll thread, I've never been a moderator on FAIR. Perish the thought and put that puppy to bed right now!

And not to worry about people being annoyed at me. I think I'm quite used to that!

Thanks for your comments,
Jersey Girl

Jersey Girl wrote:

moksha wrote:

Jersey Girl wrote:
Given the fact that I'm unfamiliar with the term "exiting thread" and can't recall a single instance when a thread was actually imported into another thread in progress, please accept my cordial invitation to copy and paste the OP and stick it wherever you like, darlin'.

Jersey Girl

I have merged nearly identical threads at Beliefnet. It can be a handy feature.

Really, mok? That has got to be one major effort to merge two threads! How in the world do you maintain the integrity of both threads when merging them?

You don't really maintain the integrity. They line up by linear date. However, in a thread with multiple people posting that really isn't too big of issue.

Jersey Girl wrote:Just a correction from the poll thread, I've never been a moderator on FAIR. Perish the thought and put that puppy to bed right now!

Yes, lucky you! LOL

I think I'm the only one here who suffered the insanity of being a FAIR Mod. ;)