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Moderators? Who are they?

comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
edited March 2010 in NewBuddhist.com
I'm just wondering who the moderators are on the site now. I saw that someone closed a thread because they thought that the discussion should end. This is wrong. Since I started down this Buddhist path a lot of people have told me what I should and shouldn't do but I stayed the course because I believe that Buddhism is about doing what one feels is right for them. The whole censorship angle is taken out. I know this is just a forum but shouldn't this same ideology be implemented here? Sometimes people are going to argue and sometimes people are going to go off point and sometimes people are going to push a little further than they should. That's ok. The whole point of choosing the path for ourselves is so we can choose. The thread I was following was closed and I felt like my right to choose was taken away. I felt censored.

Comments

  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    edited February 2010
    Brian and I are the administrators. Federica, Jason, mouthfulofclay, and buddhafoot are global moderators. If you disagree with an action that's been taken, you're free to PM Brian or I any time.

    I generally frown on closing threads, but our first concern is to maintain the quality of the discussions. "Censorship" is a bit of a strawman since that's quite impossible; you'll always have an infinite number of outlets for your opinion on the Internet. If we move to end a discussion on our site it's generally because we are either responding to personal attacks or feel that the conversation's quality has only 1 direction to go in at that point.

    We don't moderate to promote a view, we moderate to promote a tone.
  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    edited February 2010
    As a side note, I'll soon be making provisions for staff members being more easily identifiable. I recognize this is a problem.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited February 2010
    But that's the problem. The quality of the discussion shouldn't be up to you. I know you have the power but you shouldn't use it in that case. Personal attacks are different story. That thread had some very minor attacks. It was very tame.

    No one even tried to talk it down. Isn't that why we discuss thing?
  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    edited February 2010
    comicallyinsane wrote: »
    But that's the problem. The quality of the discussion shouldn't be up to you.
    I think we have different ideas of how to run a forum community then. Many sites follow a wholly "hands off" policy on discussion tone, but I don't participate on those, and that isn't how this site has ever been run.

    I'm afraid I don't know which instance you're talking about here specifically though. Maybe someone got trigger-happy, I don't know. Moderate a forum long enough and you're bound to have a bad day. :) PM me a link and I'll ask the staff what's up.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited February 2010
    I never said anything about a "hands off" approach. I saying let the discussions play out. If someone is attacking someone else than deal with that person. Don't stop the discussion. I sent you the thread. It's the one about eating meat.
  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    edited February 2010
    comicallyinsane wrote: »
    I saying let the discussions play out.
    You've been here 5 years so clearly you know how we roll by now and generally haven't had an issue with it. If you take issue with this particular closing, let me bring it up with the staff and we'll go from there rather than trying to turn this into a "how we do things around here" discussion.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited February 2010
    I've changed a lot over the years. I'm just saying if discussions go off topic or personal attacks arise then let's work to get things back on track. If the topic is closed then someone else is just going to start another one. People are going to read the old topic and not see how it plays out. Threads die out eventually if they run their course. Closing them takes the conversation away and makes it start up again, causing confusion in newer members. Thanks for taking the time.
  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    edited February 2010
    The moderator decided to re-open it on their own. Thanks for the feedback.
  • comicallyinsanecomicallyinsane Veteran
    edited February 2010
    Groovy. Thanks.
  • Mr_SerenityMr_Serenity Veteran
    edited March 2010
    So are all posts needed to be approved by moderators or has that restriction only been placed on me? lol
    I just wonder because the second post I made in the Buddhism for beginners thread said "waiting to be approved by a moderator" or something of that sort.
  • LincLinc Site owner Detroit Moderator
    edited March 2010
    Your post tripped the spam filter; thanks for bringing it to my attention. I've fixed it. :)
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