Revise forum mods

Moderators are also human and we make mistakes. It's impossible to read everything and we just do the best we can. It's also important that members not take what they post so seriously. I'm sure it gets frustrating when a post is hidden or an individual receives a forum ban but it's not the end of the world. We're not trying to put down anyone, just wanting to keep the forums civil.

Moderators are also forgiving. I have had a few people put me down and criticize me in the forums but I have tried not to let that affect how I moderate. I've even apologized when I made a mistake and though I have been criticized for that I still don't hold it against the poster.

Though I read quite a bit in the forums I have chosen not to participate as much as I used to years ago. To me it is very frustrating to go back and forth with someone who is emotional about an issue and will never agree with your reasons for hiding one of their posts.

99% of the time I only hide posts that have been alerted by others. I listen to the community and not just how I feel about a matter. Most try to follow the rules and get a post hidden occasionally. We all have out moments.

In my opinion we have a good mix of moderators. We have our differences but work well together as a team. As I said earlier, we are not perfect but we try to do what is best for the site.

Thanks for the support from many of you. We all appreciate it. I personally have appreciated the opportunity Russ has given me to help with the site.

Originally posted by Flash
Moderators are also human and we make mistakes. It's impossible to read everything and we just do the best we can. It's also important that members not take what they post so seriously. I'm sure it gets frustrating when a post is hidden or an individual receives a forum ban but it's not the end of the world. We're not trying to put down anyone, just wanting to ...[text shortened]... t. I personally have appreciated the opportunity Russ has given me to help with the site.

In my opinion, you are one of the better mods on this site. I haven't heard anything bad concerning you, at any time, even in the private forums.

One of the reasons you are considered to be one of the better Mods, is most likely due to the fact, you do not get into war of words with other subscribers in the forums. That is the way it should be!

I think if a few other mods, and I will not mention any names, followed your example things would most likely run more smoothly. You can't call out someone in the forums and not expect to get an argument, that is human nature, and a good example of why it should NEVER be done that way.

I know how tough the Mod job can be, having done it in a chat room for close to 5 years. Sometimes you have to bite your tongue. That is not to say you can't send a Private Warning to that person, and tell them how they are being out of line, instead of trying to do it in the forum, where you then get everyone involved into it.

Originally posted by Flash
Moderators are also human and we make mistakes. It's impossible to read everything and we just do the best we can. It's also important that members not take what they post so seriously. I'm sure it gets frustrating when a post is hidden or an individual receives a forum ban but it's not the end of the world. We're not trying to put down anyone, just wanting to ...[text shortened]... t. I personally have appreciated the opportunity Russ has given me to help with the site.

Conflict in the Forums is a good thing; it renders them more readable and enjoyable. A forum as "civil" as some Mods want it to be here would be totally banal. And sometimes conflict leads to Truth, the knowing of which is almost always a Good Thing.

As an example, earlier this year there was a certain username who claimed he had a 2300 USCF OTB rating. Research by Noodles and I using information the user had provided on these forums and public information available on the USCF website revealed that the user's real rating was 1300 or 1000 points lower than he claimed. I posted this information in a thread in the Forums.

A "fair minded" Mod deleted the entire thread and initially gave me a 28 day ban. The fact that what had been posted was 100% true was irrelevant; it was deemed a "personal attack" and thus objectionable. For some reason, this Mod felt that a user here should be able to falsely claim a very high OTB rating and be immune from the facts being presented.

Eventually, the Mod somewhat relented and cut my ban to a day though he warned me against posting the same material. Of course, I eventually posted the same information in the Forums in a different manner. Happily, the username was eventually banned; unsurprisingly someone who falsely claimed to be a "National Master" when he was a 1300 OTB was also an engine cheat.

I wouldn't want a Mod to "forgive" me for bringing out the truth. The site is over modded and the moderation damages the effectiveness of the Forums which are, after all, meant to encourage exchanges between the people here. Barbs and the truth do no harm to the site; hypersensitive Mods who cater to the lowest common denominator of hypersensitive alerters to curtail the free exchange of ideas here defeat the very purpose of the Forums. Of course, extreme profanity and ethnic and racial slurs deserve removal, but the wholesale deletion of threads which is unfortunately common here makes this site's Forums much less than they could be. The Mods have wide discretion here as they admit; they should use it in a way that encourages free exchange rather than stifles it.

Originally posted by Mctayto
So you accept the accusations were true

If you are talking about cheating accusations being true, that isn't part of the rules here at RHP. I don't see anywhere where it says 'cheating accusations are not welcome in the forums... UNLESS THEY ARE TRUE."

P-

Originally posted by Flash
Moderators are also human and we make mistakes. It's impossible to read everything and we just do the best we can. It's also important that members not take what they post so seriously. I'm sure it gets frustrating when a post is hidden or an individual receives a forum ban but it's not the end of the world. We're not trying to put down anyone, just wanting to ...[text shortened]... t. I personally have appreciated the opportunity Russ has given me to help with the site.

Well said.

To all who accuse some mods of bias but praise Flash for his neutrality, read these two sentences until it sinks in:
Flash:In my opinion we have a good mix of moderators. We have our differences but work well together as a team

Originally posted by trev33
at the moment we have 8 forum mods.

TimmyToilet and belgianfreak haven't moved or posted in the forums for ages...i seriously doubt they're reading any of the junk in the forums either....two people who are not regularly on the site shouldn't be mods.

!~TONY~! is about but only posts in the chess forum and not that often...i can't see him making much of ...[text shortened]... the top 8 becoming mods.

obviously Russ would be able to veto anyone he doesn't like.

I think a vote is a great idea. I'll humbly put my hat in the ring and would favor a ticket of the "Almost No Moderation" Party. My choice of 8 Mods would be:

Me
Shav
Kirksey
Scribbles
Noodles
ATY
Boris
Miss Oleum (just so we'd have somebody to out vote and mock)

There's a group of Mods the community could trust!

Originally posted by no1marauder
Conflict in the Forums is a good thing; it renders them more readable and enjoyable. A forum as "civil" as some Mods want it to be here would be totally banal. And sometimes conflict leads to Truth, the knowing of which is almost always a Good Thing.

As an example, earlier this year there was a certain username who claimed he had a 2300 USC ; they should use it in a way that encourages free exchange rather than stifles it.

Yeah, great story. In short: you trying to show off on forum means the Mod's have to waste time clearing up your mess.

The crux of the matter is that you shouldn't of posted it in ANY forum in ANY manner. You should have passed the information along to the Game Mods through the site feedback.

Originally posted by no1marauder
I think a vote is a great idea. I'll humbly put my hat in the ring and would favor a ticket of the "Almost No Moderation" Party. My choice of 8 Mods would be:

Me
Shav
Kirksey
Scribbles
Noodles
ATY
Boris
Miss Oleum (ju ...[text shortened]... o out vote and mock)

There's a group of Mods the community could trust!

This is a real solid list. It is the Obama ticket of RHP.

Originally posted by no1marauder
I think a vote is a great idea. I'll humbly put my hat in the ring and would favor a ticket of the "Almost No Moderation" Party. My choice of 8 Mods would be:

Me
Shav
Kirksey
Scribbles
Noodles
ATY
Boris
Miss Oleum (ju o out vote and mock)

There's a group of Mods the community could trust!

I would most certainly trust Miss O !

I may even consider Noodles!

Being a moderator is not as easy a job as you think. Until you have actually done the job, you really have no idea what it is like or all about.

Voting is no good, as has been said and very true, all you get then is leaders with a clique behind them. The moderators must be selected by the Site Admins, as they have to have their trust in the mods to be doing the right thing, the majority of the time.

Obviously the Admins are quite pleased with the job that the present mods are doing! Although we don't always agree, and I don't have to tell you or anyone else I have been one of the louder voices so to speak, in disagreement with issues concerning the mods.

In having said that: It is also possible to jump from the frying pan into the fire. We could have a whole lot worse. You have to admit, we pretty much get to say our piece to each other, and the mods, so long as we stay within an acceptable boundary.

This is not to say, I will not say something if I am in disagreement with an issue concerning a mod or mods. Just that you could very well be better off with the ones you know, than the ones you don't.

When I determine someone has crossed that acceptable boundary line, rather they be Mod/user, or user I will point that out to the person. (send alert, if that doesn't work, send "Send Feedback", if it is worth an answer you will get one) I think if we all do this, it helps to keep everyone in check.

Originally posted by kirksey957
This is a real solid list. It is the Obama ticket of RHP.

Comparing yourself to Obama is a moral outrage.

Originally posted by no1marauder
What qualities make "someone who can do the job" of Forum Moderator?

In my experience, the best mods are the ones that

-do not get involved in personal disputes
-try to resolve conflict as quickly as possible
-do not fight in public, no matter how much they may be provoked
-are able to look at any situation objectively, regardless of their personal feelings for the users involved
-try to encourage good behaviour by demonstrating, not explicating
-treat all users with respect
-do not provoke others either by something explicit or by subtle hints...there is always a chance users might be smart enough to pick up on it
-do not patronize others
-And of course, hold themselves to a higher standard than they do other users

Originally posted by Red Night
Comparing yourself to Obama is a moral outrage.

You probably think my post should be moderated , don't you?

Originally posted by trev33
at the moment we have 8 forum mods.

TimmyToilet and belgianfreak haven't moved or posted in the forums for ages...i seriously doubt they're reading any of the junk in the forums either....two people who are not regularly on the site shouldn't be mods.

!~TONY~! is about but only posts in the chess forum and not that often...i can't see him making much of ...[text shortened]... the top 8 becoming mods.

obviously Russ would be able to veto anyone he doesn't like.

In all fairness, you do not know how much the mods read the forums...just because they do not post in it, it does not necessarily mean they don't check it.

As for the three being unpopular, I think they are well liked by the majority. It might not always seem that way because the displeased party is always more vocal.

Originally posted by Raven69
In my experience, the best mods are the ones that

-do not get involved in personal disputes
-try to resolve conflict as quickly as possible
-do not fight in public, [b]no matter how much they may be provoked
-are able to look at any situation objectively, regardless of their personal feelings for the users involved
-try to encourage good behaviour ...[text shortened]... patronize others
-And of course, hold themselves to a higher standard than they do other users[/b]

Rec'd

Excellent list!

If this site had an A and a B option where A's could participate in the side of the site that had their own forums and no moderation and side B could play on their side with moderation as is in their own forums, where do you think most people would choose to play?