The Great Moderatorial Experiment, PART THREE: The aftermath

[_Dr. Shades]

Dear MormonDiscussions.com participants:

During the month of December we conducted an experiment wherein we tried out new moderatorial techniques. Click here to see what, exactly, we decided to do differently.

As you've noticed with the poll, now's your chance to tell us what you think/thought about this experiment. In addition to voting, perhaps there's something specific you'd like to see either change or remain the same. For example, maybe you think the board was worse during the experiment but would like to see one or more things remain the same nevertheless. On the other hand, perhaps you think the board was better during the experiment but would like to see one or more things change regardless.

So, again, now's your chance to speak freely about what worked, what didn't work, and anything that was anywhere in between. All opinions will be considered. If you don't speak up, then I won't have any way of knowing your opinion.

This, like everything else I do, is another step toward trying to make the board into as enjoyable a place as possible for as many people as possible.

(As an aside, I guess it's appropriate that I'm starting this thread today, since it was exactly 19 years ago today that I entered the M.T.C. Click here to read what I did that day.)

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[_antishock8]

This board already had essentially FOUR levels of moderation, and a solution for personal attacks. No changes were required.

[_cksalmon]

I voted, rather self-servingly I admit, for "better."

Ideally, I think, the experiment would not have been necessary. Insofar as the atmosphere had been made less toxic (even if minimally), I consider that a positive gain.

cks

[_CaliforniaKid]

I voted better. If anything, I think the experiment didn't go quite far enough. If we could keep the terrestrial forum free of threads with "vagina" in the title, I'd be that much more pleased with the results. I'd like for believing Mormons to be able to participate here without feeling soiled.

[_Scottie]

I voted better. If anything, I think the experiment didn't go quite far enough. If we could keep the terrestrial forum free of threads with "vagina" in the title, I'd be that much more pleased with the results. I'd like for believing Mormons to be able to participate here without feeling soiled.

The problem with this suggestion is that, in my experience, Mormons are an extremely thinned skinned bunch with a persecution complex the size of Texas. In order to make it a board where Mormons would feel "clean" would require a great deal of our threads to be shut down for fear of offending someone.

A personal attack is very hard to ignore. A thread with the title of "vagina" is very easy to ignore.

[_LifeOnaPlate]

Yes, for me the board has changed a little, some for better some for worse. Overall, people still call people "dick," threads about "vaginas" are still in the terrestrial forum, bashing the temple in detail continues, etc. But of course, I am focused mainly on the negative. The real problem with the board involves many of the topics people create which no amount of moderating will solve. Things like trying to bash Dan Peterson because he got a 50% discount. And all of the fan boys who participate in that sort of nonsense certainly don't help the general atmosphere. Those threads, of course, if left alone would die, however. I do realize that.

But all of this is just my opinion, and won't matter for too long anyway.

[_Lamanite]

Yes, for me the board has changed a little, some for better some for worse. Overall, people still call people "dick," threads about "vaginas" are still in the terrestrial forum, bashing the temple in detail continues, etc. But of course, I am focused mainly on the negative. The real problem with the board involves many of the topics people create which no amount of moderating will solve. Things like trying to bash Dan Peterson because he got a 50% discount. And all of the fan boys who participate in that sort of nonsense certainly don't help the general atmosphere. Those threads, of course, if left alone would die, however. I do realize that.

But all of this is just my opinion, and won't matter for too long anyway.

You are Dan Peterson

[_GoodK]

Now that I've posted my latest article's link I don't think I'll post here as long as harmony is moderating.

Not only would she like to ruin this board by pandering to LDS posters, but she dishonestly supplied us with a list of posters and said they stopped posting here specifically because of the climate. This is manifestly false, and what happened as a result flies in the face of what MormonDiscussions stands for.

I hate to say it, but let the three that threatened to leave (but didn't) leave. I like them all, but being held hostage by them is pathetic. If they choose to come back, they will be welcomed.

Dr. Shades, as a friend, I implore you to not let any of us dictate the rules of this board to you. Especially those who would trick you into believing that the sky is falling here because of a few hurt feelings. It's your board, and most of us came here because it wasn't like MAD.

I voted worse, and I think you should have just called their bluff and saved us this experiment.

[_cksalmon]

Now that I've posted my latest article's link I don't think I'll post here as long as harmony is moderating.

Not only would she like to ruin this board by pandering to LDS posters, but she dishonestly supplied us with a list of posters and said they stopped posting here specifically because of the climate. This is manifestly false, and what happened as a result flies in the face of what MormonDiscussions stands for.

I all but stopped posting here because of the climate, Grosskreutz. I communicated my personal opinion to Shades and he essentially told me, Well, man up and do something about it, in line with his moderatorial experiment.

I can't speak for LDS posters, but I can speak for myself. It is obviously not manifestly false that I stopped posting here (prior to the experiment) specifically because of the climate. In fact, that was, actually, specifically the reason.

The question that the experiment sought to answer, I think, was exactly what MormonDiscussions should stand for. That is, as of yet, still to be decided.

I can and will quite happily live with whatever the eventual outcome. That was rather the point.

***

If I can speak to you honestly, Grosskreutz, I'd just say that your threat to cease posting if and while Harmony moderates is just lame.

Your perspective, indeed, might win out. I have no doubt that Shades will pursue the future of the board in an objective manner. That means that my own perspective may well be in the minority and, thus, may just be swept to the side in service to the majority of MDB poster opinion and in the furtherance of his vision for a board that usefully serves the many rather than a board that caters to a few. I can live with that.

It's not my board.

But, it really just strikes me as quintessentially self-serving that you would threaten to quit your participation if Harmony isn't stripped of her moderatorial powers.

That's as a poster, not as a temp mod.

cks

[_GoodK]

I all but stopped posting here because of the climate, Grosskreutz.

So one hostage speaks out -- of how many others? Understandably, harmony's list looks a lot better than the real one:

skippy the dead
beastie (kinda)
cksalmon
jersey girl (kinda)

If I can speak to you honestly, Grosskreutz, I'd just say that your threat to cease posting if and while Harmony moderates is just lame.

I posted here for a reason, I liked this board better than its alternatives. If it turns into a place I don't like, I am not going to post here. It's that simple. I will return when the estrogen levels here return to normal.

Would it be less lame if I complained to the board owner in private, or made a phony list of supporters and started a thread about it?

But, it really just strikes me as quintessentially self-serving that you would threaten to quit your participation if Harmony isn't stripped of her moderatorial powers.

That's as a poster, not as a temp mod.

harmony gained her "moderatorial" powers, deceptively, to make the board more to her liking. If that isn't the definition of self-serving, I don't know what is. But I'm glad you like moderating, and I'm very glad those red stamp images amuse you. Thank you for not creating a bogus thread and a phony list when you didn't like how the board was going. That speaks well of you.