Organizers and Mods who abuse the system

[Fandango 1,439]

The mods and organizers are still just regular posters like you and me. Once they do something which violates TOS...such as a personal attack, they should immediately be stripped of their official position here. They cannot be trusted to do their duties without bias, if they have proven a bias exists, or they are not capable of handling the responsibilities by remaining level headed enough to be trusted to maintain the site in any official capacity.

Thoughts?

[^_^ 5,021]

The mods and organizers are still just regular posters like you and me. Once they do something which violates TOS...such as a personal attack, they should immediately be stripped of their official position here. They cannot be trusted to do their duties without bias, if they have proven a bias exists, or they are not capable of handling the responsibilities by remaining level headed enough to be trusted to maintain the site in any official capacity.

Thoughts?

Agreed, but I wouldn't hold my breath on this if I were you. Organizers are not infrequently the subject of moderator action and I'm not aware of any organizers that have had their privileges revoked.

[TracyTN 237]

We organizers are really peons in the grand scheme of things - but I do understand that we have a slightly higher profile than Joe Q Average poster.

We all have our bad days. On those days, I try to refrain from hitting the 'reply' button - but hey, we're human, and I'm sure I've not always been perfect on that front. If we personally attack another poster, or violate another TOS, appropriate action should be taken. The fact we're organizers at that point shouldn't mean anything.

I wouldn't have any problem being 'de-organized' (or should I say 'cluttered' ) if I had a pattern of behavior where I basically thumbed my nose at the rules, and my fellow posters. But if I had a bad day and then was stripped of it, I may feel a little hard done by. But I'd put my big girl panties on and deal with it.

[LaL 418]

Agreed, but I wouldn't hold my breath on this if I were you. Organizers are not infrequently the subject of moderator action and I'm not aware of any organizers that have had their privileges revoked.

two. not that it really matters in the grand scheme.

[Pooky 3,807]

I've been here longer than most and I've seen moderators (including moderation itself) and organisers come and go. Anyone who believes these people are anything other than regular posters at heart needs a reality check. They are capable of messing up, just like anyone, and it's clear to any observer that they all have their own quirks, PoVs and personal likes/dislikes.

Good luck trying to hold them to a consistently higher standard when they're not acting in their official capacity. It is unreasonable to think that this is even a possibility. And when they do depart from the ToS, then normal sanction should apply, just like anyone else.

However, when they do so in their official capacity, the sanction needs to be stronger and should involve loss of administrative capacity.

[SuperDuper! 230]

I've been here longer than most and I've seen moderators (including moderation itself) and organisers come and go. Anyone who believes these people are anything other than regular posters at heart needs a reality check. They are capable of messing up, just like anyone, and it's clear to any observer that they all have their own quirks, PoVs and personal likes/dislikes.

Good luck trying to hold them to a consistently higher standard when they're not acting in their official capacity. It is unreasonable to think that this is even a possibility. And when they do depart from the ToS, then normal sanction should apply, just like anyone else.

However, when they do so in their official capacity, the sanction needs to be stronger and should involve loss of administrative capacity.

Well, why not hold to and display a higher standard? When someone is helping to organize and manage the website, why should they post often with a BIG, rude or nagging attitude.

After all, they are ambassadors of the website and should model courteous behavior, whenever they are posting. Otherwise, they are making the website look bad, and that stinks. It's one more thing that creates forum burnout and drives people away.

Edited December 5, 2010 by Boing!

[Captain Oates 911]

I think the mods are brill on VJ

I am a git when I want to be but I still I get a fair deal...

I think the mods must be the ones who keep things on the tracks on VJ but I hardly notice their interventions as they are so gentle at steering it

It's the way it should be

I have used other internet sites (I would never mention them ) where the mods were the bad guys and hunted in packs using obscenities - so VJ is an island of comparitive serenity and long may it remain so.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

My name is Steven. I'm an Organizer....and an abuser.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It would be nice if the moderators did hold themselves to a uniformly higher standard - and to be honest, I think most of them do avoid getting into the personal issues.

That said, I have had an experience with one of the moderators (as have several others) who has, quite unabashedly, initiated personal attacks against myself and other posters. The comments in question were removed by other mods as TOS violations, yet other than that the whole thing was handled behind closed doors and no words of contrition were provided by the person in question. IMO that slightly undermines the rest of the moderation team. A bit like the Catholic Church shuffling around those problem priests

Edited December 7, 2010 by Ron Burgundy

[Captain Oates 911]

It would be nice if the moderators did hold themselves to a uniformly higher standard - and to be honest, I think most of them do avoid getting into the personal issues.

That said, I have had an experience with one of the moderators (as have several others) who has, quite unabashedly, initiated personal attacks against myself and other posters. The comments in question were removed by other mods as TOS violations, yet other than that the whole thing was handled behind closed doors and no words of contrition were provided by the person in question. IMO that slightly undermines the rest of the moderation team. A bit like the Catholic Church shuffling around those problem priests

Yes one slip doesn't make em all bad and apologising is never done easily by any authority.

I still reckon VJ is by far the best though

I was once hounded by a bunch of 'lady' mods on 'another website' which shall remain nameless - who followed me around the forums, took turns calling me a pr**k and tw*t and kept suggesting that I had mental problems.

I had a word with my imaginary friend who suggested slipping my strait jacket, reaching over to the keyboard and moving to VJ - glad I did.

We can be pretty outrageous here (on the appropriate forums of course), but I don't see the out and out obscene insults and hounding and bullying that we do elsewhere on the web..

I would send VJ a christmas card if I knew where they lived

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

It wasn't one-slip, it was several. And the justification for the behaviour was creative to say the least.

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

It wasn't one-slip, it was several. And the justification for the behaviour was creative to say the least.

It was rather interesting, wasn't it?

I'm an organiser, and I wouldn't mind being held to account for malicious organisational moves, but in my regular slob of a poster persona I would be a little miffed if I were held to a higher standard. When we volunteer to become organisers, we do not agree to be "ambassadors" -- we agree to help keep things tidy and refer things to mods as and when appropriate.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Organisers aren't supposed to moderate behaviour and aside from malicious movement of threads, there's not a lot of damage that can be done.

Moderators should set an example, imo.

[scandal 951]

But I'd put my big girl panties on and deal with it.

I'd like to watch (drool).

She said panties. Heh. Heh.

Moderation sucks. Anyone who would agree to be a moderator is a sell-out stoolie, imho.

[Captain Ewok 1,895]

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