Does he seem a bit lock-happy to anybody else?
- Thread starter blackshirt5
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Psionicist
Explorer
First of all, I have no idea if you will understand my ramblings, they are mostly psuedo-sentences from a tired Swede who's spend the night learning OCaml. You can try at least... 
Okay, here goes. I am currently an active member of well over a dozen forums ranging from computer forums to forums dedicated to headphones, private forums and forums dedicated only to video game music, I even moderate one of these forums and does freelance administration jobs for three of them.
I have learned one thing from reading all these message boards, it's a simple truth, you can accept it if you wish, if you don't - then don't...
The golden rule of an internet message board is, that the harder you moderate, the closer the original theme of the webpage/forum (say role-playing games) you are going to get, the more mature these discussions will be.
Rule number two is, that the definition of moderating hard increases as more people sign up on the forums, which conclude that the category of valid OT posts decreases per member joined. You can still post OT threads, but the closer these threads are to a forbidden subject (say politics), the higher the population of the forum is, the higher probability the thread will be closed.
This is very simple, actually. In a forum with ten members, everyone will sooner or later know each other. There isn’t need for many rules at all. In a forum with thousands of members, where some might even have joined not to talk about the particular subject (say dungeons and dragons) but to "chat" because of the huge amount of nice people around (known as the Off Topic-forum problem), there are doomed to arise more problems, which leads to a more strict way of moderating things.
That's why there isn’t such thing as an Off-Topic area here. That's why the moderators close a thread they don't think is appropriate, that is a thread they believe will cause trouble in the near future. That's what moderation is all about, to keep things on a certain level.
And because of the strict moderation here, THAT'S why things are still very mature here. I promise you, that things would not be this nice if every single OT post was allowed.
So, to conclude: The larger the forum is, the worse impact OT threads will be/have, or more precisely - the larger the forum is, the better it is NOT to create an OT forum or allow lots of OT threads.
Anyhow, I hope you get the point. If you don't, I hope someone will quote this post and develop my thoughts even further.
Okay, here goes. I am currently an active member of well over a dozen forums ranging from computer forums to forums dedicated to headphones, private forums and forums dedicated only to video game music, I even moderate one of these forums and does freelance administration jobs for three of them.
I have learned one thing from reading all these message boards, it's a simple truth, you can accept it if you wish, if you don't - then don't...
The golden rule of an internet message board is, that the harder you moderate, the closer the original theme of the webpage/forum (say role-playing games) you are going to get, the more mature these discussions will be.
Rule number two is, that the definition of moderating hard increases as more people sign up on the forums, which conclude that the category of valid OT posts decreases per member joined. You can still post OT threads, but the closer these threads are to a forbidden subject (say politics), the higher the population of the forum is, the higher probability the thread will be closed.
This is very simple, actually. In a forum with ten members, everyone will sooner or later know each other. There isn’t need for many rules at all. In a forum with thousands of members, where some might even have joined not to talk about the particular subject (say dungeons and dragons) but to "chat" because of the huge amount of nice people around (known as the Off Topic-forum problem), there are doomed to arise more problems, which leads to a more strict way of moderating things.
That's why there isn’t such thing as an Off-Topic area here. That's why the moderators close a thread they don't think is appropriate, that is a thread they believe will cause trouble in the near future. That's what moderation is all about, to keep things on a certain level.
And because of the strict moderation here, THAT'S why things are still very mature here. I promise you, that things would not be this nice if every single OT post was allowed.
So, to conclude: The larger the forum is, the worse impact OT threads will be/have, or more precisely - the larger the forum is, the better it is NOT to create an OT forum or allow lots of OT threads.
Anyhow, I hope you get the point. If you don't, I hope someone will quote this post and develop my thoughts even further.
jgbrowning
Hero
I have to ask you Angcuru, what exactly are you hoping to accomplish with a post such as this?:
honestly, your BTW is total BS, we all know that. When you say a moderator is obnoxious and drunk with the illusion of power you do mean to insult.
What is your point? What do you hope to accomplish? And more importantly, why do you think that post will help what you want to happen happen?
You also have to know that , many points aside, you're even factually wrong about him having no power. He does have power, remember? That's what you were upset about.
Personally, I'd think about an apology.
joe b.
honestly, your BTW is total BS, we all know that. When you say a moderator is obnoxious and drunk with the illusion of power you do mean to insult.
What is your point? What do you hope to accomplish? And more importantly, why do you think that post will help what you want to happen happen?
You also have to know that , many points aside, you're even factually wrong about him having no power. He does have power, remember? That's what you were upset about.
Personally, I'd think about an apology.
joe b.
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jdavis
First Post
Well I for one think it's great that Eric Noah watches the threads as good as he does and I really think that saying he is drunk with power because he can lock a thread on the board he started in the first place is the goofiest statement I have ever read on this site. I'm going to bail on this conversation for fear that all the twitching may be catching.
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Psionicist
Explorer
Okay, take 2 I guess.
The simple unwritten rule about moderation is, that if you don't like something a moderator has done - EMAIL HIM - don't complain on the forum! This discussion shouldn't be "public domain".
The simple unwritten rule about moderation is, that if you don't like something a moderator has done - EMAIL HIM - don't complain on the forum! This discussion shouldn't be "public domain".
Skarp Hedin
First Post
I've read the thread in question, and I agree with Eric's decision to close it.
It's got nothing to do with roleplaying, borders on politics, and the initial post is somewhat insulting to boot.
Additionally, good lord! Calling a moderator who's been here as long as has Eric "obnoxious and drunk with the illusion of power" is .. well, it's weird.
Firstly, he does not have the illusion of power, he has power. The power to close threads, for example. Secondly, I don't think he's obnoxious, though you're entitled to your opinion. I can't figure out how you can say "No offense, but you're obnoxious" and expect there to be no offense, either.
Maybe Eric doesn't pay for the server anymore (or maybe he does pay some, I've no idea, nor do I think that it matters) but Morrus does pay for the server. As the owner of the site, Morrus can appoint whomever he would wish to be his moderators and administrators, and you have few choices but to "put up with" it. Therefore, if you've no reason to put up with Eric, you have but two options: Convince Morrus to fire him (which I think doomed to failure) or else leave the boards.
N.B.: I am not asking you to leave the boards, you guys have started some interesting threads and made posts worth reading on many an occasion. However, it's the equivalent of hanging out in someone else's house. If the owner of the house tells you you've got to stop doing something, then stop you must, lest he have you removed.
Also, Angcuru, really -- you know by now that there's a rule here against personal attacks. Why do you keep making them?
It's got nothing to do with roleplaying, borders on politics, and the initial post is somewhat insulting to boot.
Additionally, good lord! Calling a moderator who's been here as long as has Eric "obnoxious and drunk with the illusion of power" is .. well, it's weird.
Firstly, he does not have the illusion of power, he has power. The power to close threads, for example. Secondly, I don't think he's obnoxious, though you're entitled to your opinion. I can't figure out how you can say "No offense, but you're obnoxious" and expect there to be no offense, either.
Maybe Eric doesn't pay for the server anymore (or maybe he does pay some, I've no idea, nor do I think that it matters) but Morrus does pay for the server. As the owner of the site, Morrus can appoint whomever he would wish to be his moderators and administrators, and you have few choices but to "put up with" it. Therefore, if you've no reason to put up with Eric, you have but two options: Convince Morrus to fire him (which I think doomed to failure) or else leave the boards.
N.B.: I am not asking you to leave the boards, you guys have started some interesting threads and made posts worth reading on many an occasion. However, it's the equivalent of hanging out in someone else's house. If the owner of the house tells you you've got to stop doing something, then stop you must, lest he have you removed.
Also, Angcuru, really -- you know by now that there's a rule here against personal attacks. Why do you keep making them?
Henry
Autoexreginated
I would also recommend the FAQ as well, although Eric's Announcement post covers the most important portions. Everyone's opinion is valued, but it doesn't mean it is given any more or less consideration over all others.
I've been through every incarnation of Eric's Forums, and also Morrus' Forums; Eric's style of moderation and quality of judgement are what keep me coming back here day after day.
And this part might scare you:
All of the other Moderators use Eric's style as a yardstick and a guideline to good moderation of the boards. We were just discussing this about a week ago in the moderator forums.
I've been through every incarnation of Eric's Forums, and also Morrus' Forums; Eric's style of moderation and quality of judgement are what keep me coming back here day after day.
And this part might scare you:
All of the other Moderators use Eric's style as a yardstick and a guideline to good moderation of the boards. We were just discussing this about a week ago in the moderator forums.
Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
Good lord. I really can't believe what I'm reading in this thread.
Blackshirt, Angcuru, you guys amaze me. Henry is absolutely correct; Eric is (and always has been) my role model when it comes to moderation. Heck, I'm faster to close threads than he is. I'm not sure where you're getting this "drunk with power" nonsense, but to be frank it's just silly.
Just so everyone's clear: this isn't a democracy, and we will never have "moderation by committee," and we will never vote on whether a thread is to be closed. That's not going to happen. Ever since this site first opened, moderators have exercised their judgment as to when to close a thread, and what they decide goes. Don't care for their decision? Then you email them privately, but you don't call them out.
Moderators here are picked for good judgment, a slowness to anger, and an instinct for being diplomatic. That latter quality has come through fairly clearly in Eric's responses to your accusations.
Blackshirt, Angcuru, you guys amaze me. Henry is absolutely correct; Eric is (and always has been) my role model when it comes to moderation. Heck, I'm faster to close threads than he is. I'm not sure where you're getting this "drunk with power" nonsense, but to be frank it's just silly.
Just so everyone's clear: this isn't a democracy, and we will never have "moderation by committee," and we will never vote on whether a thread is to be closed. That's not going to happen. Ever since this site first opened, moderators have exercised their judgment as to when to close a thread, and what they decide goes. Don't care for their decision? Then you email them privately, but you don't call them out.
Moderators here are picked for good judgment, a slowness to anger, and an instinct for being diplomatic. That latter quality has come through fairly clearly in Eric's responses to your accusations.
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kreynolds
First Post
Henry said:
In all fairness, that simply is _not_ the case. Everyone has a personality of their own, and while yourself and the rest of the mods do indeed tend to follow a general guideline, you're not all the same. On occassion, not even remotely. Some mods are far more aggressive than others, even to the point where they make a judgement call poor enough that they apologize through email and backtrack to the thread, deleting their own comments to "be fair", but in all actually, its about covering the tracks of a bad decision or poorly handled situation. I've seen it first hand on multiple occassions and it ain't pretty. There's nothing worse than a guy that can be as bad as me with access to a lock, delete, or ban function. Nobody's perfect, not even moderators, and we all know that. That's pretty much the message I'm trying to convey here, that nobody's perfect, and that's no big deal. It's expected, but by the same token, I just can't support a statement like yours in its current form. For the most part, you mods set a great example here, and I can tell you with confidence that I certainly appreciate it.
With both good and bad said, however, understand that I think this is by far the best forum I have ever participated on. It's fun, it's informative, it's a great place for me to use my spiffy little signature images, and it easily sucks up about 50% of my time at the office.
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