I am curious, because lately it seems that forums are nothing but bitch fests, or about a clique that won’t accept newcomers. It is more about a special club, where you need to know the secret handshake to get accepted, but no one will tell you what it is.

Personally, I think it is a combination of good people, who believe in the rules, and who are willing to submit to fair and reasonable application of the board guidelines. However, it requires people to moderate it, on those lines. Seems that today, neither the majority who post, nor those who moderate give a rat’s ass for decorum, for fairness, or for respect.

Dean & I have one here, haven’t upgraded it yet, but you know, it is something that we want to be proud of, to hold up and say, nice. Not to cringe, not to fear posting there, because some one will bite, or attack. I think that many are under the illusion that when you delete a post, it is censorship, Many are of the opinion that they can say whatever they want, whenever, and in whatever manner.

Fact is, a board, forum, is owned or operated by the owners. They set the rules, and it is up to those who join, to follow them. If personal attacks are okay, if vile language, racism, and hate are okay, then hey, that is fine. If not, and you do those things, then it isn’t censorship to point it out, it isn’t censorship to delete the account even, it is enforcing the community rules.

And yet some moderators, will make up the rules as they go. That is like the secret handshake. If you don’t know the rules, how can you live up to them? How too, can someone enforce rules that don’t exist? That creates a climate of fear, and that just seems wrong. If the goal is to make money, it would seem that the way is to get people working together, to be inclusive, not exclusive.

but hey, just my opinion.

Posted on February 26th, 2008 by No Bull
Filed under: General