GoodK wrote: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.
Believe me, GoodK, if there is ANYONE who doesn't want this board to be like MAD, I am at the top of the list.
You're aware of my MAD story, right?
If not, PM me and I'll enlighten you.
Give Shades some credit. He's a smart guy. He also has a vision for the board that I agree with. It was the reason I volunteered to be a Mod for the board.
I really don't think that keeping personal attacks out of Terrestrial and Off Topic is going to detract from the overall vision of the board. I think it is an improvement which will, in the end, help motivate interesting conversations, and keep them on topic. It will also leave people no choice but to debate ISSUES rather than personalities.
Frankly, I think this is a win/win.
There isn't censorship involved, because you can still personally attack people to your heart's content in the Telestial Forum. Frankly, I don't think that the Telestial Forum should be viewed as taboo as it is right now. I think that the Telestial can also be a place for interesting conversations with fewer perimeters. That is the forum where you can vent, and where personal attacks are freely allowed. You can also be more free with language, and discuss things that may be a little more sexual in nature. Going into the Telestial is not for the "faint of heart". It's a "Rated R" forum rather than a "Rated PG or PG-13" forum.
But, I go to R rated movies all the time, so I think that the current stigma of the Telestial is really unwarranted. You just have to have a thicker skin to operate there.
I think that Antishock brought up some very good points. This is what he posted on another thread:
antishock wrote:1) Post a clear and concise Mission Statement for this board. State CLEARLY the reasons you want this board to exist.
2) Define clearly what an ad hom is to YOU, and then enforce it across the board if that's part of your moderating philosophy.
3) Don't be afraid to ban posters that run afoul of your rules, even if you like them or think they contribute. It creates confusion and mistrust when the rules are applied inconsistently.
4) Keep everything above simple.
I think that the Mods are going to be on a learning curve when it comes to consistency for a little while, but I think that it's worth a try.
GoodK, I would really hate to see you leave the board. You are one of my favorite posters. But you are wrong when it comes to your conclusion that Harmony spouted off in order to become a Moderator. It's just not true. I've known Harmony for quite a while. What she expressed were her honest feelings based on what posters had shared with her. She cares about the board, and wanted to see things improve. She did not ASK to be a Moderator. Shades ASKED HER....not the other way around.
GoodK wrote: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?
Wait...Harmony's list was simply of people who she hadn't seen post for a long time. She indicated that SEVERAL of those on her list had PM'd her pertaining to the posting climate of the board. She never said that ALL of them had.
I think that is where the confusion is happening. Harmony stated that it appeared to her, that many of these posters started disappearing when the board became more hostile. This was merely an observation that she made, and she clearly stated that this was her opinion, and nothing more than that.
She did, however, indicate that there were several of these posters who had actually spoken with her. Since they had spoken with her in private, she did not reveal who they were, which is valid.
