A forum without Moderators?

[Al the optimist]

I wonder if I might comment on the Moderators?
There are times when we on the forum have communication problems and a little intolerance and testiness follows. Over the years this seems to be a bit like the Camino - it comes in waves! For a while all is peaceful harmonious and then at another crowded with ping-pong conversations. I am as guilty as the next for pressing enter too soon without considering how well I may or may not have phrased my comment. Especially so when I make my poor attempts at humour! BTW as an aside may I comment that I nearly said press return, but that would have dated me wouldn't it?
Back to my thoughts. We need the Moderators at such times. I am not sure that we would still have this community asset without them. It was getting to big a task for Ivar a few years back. They work ceaselessly for us doing a task that I for one feel I would be inadequate at. Please bear in mind they are fellow pilgrims seeking to help other pilgrims. They are also on their pilgrimages! Like us they are also travelling their Camino through life, generously giving of their time seeking and trying to help others who are of a similar mindset. On our Caminos we have good days and bad days, just like we do in every other aspect of our lives. Sometimes we find ourselves challenged to understand the intentions of others, sometimes those of ourselves even. It is a great challenge for the moderators to always get things right. Each of them may have a slightly different approach to others on any particular day.
I for one think they do a great job in calming situations down and they normally do so without offending anyone. They use PMs in doing so to not embarrass people in public. PMs are an underused facility on this forum. Maybe when members disagree at length on a topic publicly they could perhaps consider using this method instead?
A lengthy post, I hope I have set the right note. Then again I could never sing!
Buen Camino y Buen Forum compañeros.

 

[Peter Fransiscus]

Al , as you stated we can not without the Moderators . They are doing a great job of keeping everybody in line .

Wish everybody well and please think before you do , Peter

 

[Waka]

I'll second whats been said above, well done Moderators.

 

[JohnMcM]

What have I missed out on? When did we start to get expensive gifts from the Moderators for praising them?................. Just kidding

I agree with the sentiment expressed, and I still have a Return button Al.

Buen (moderatored) Camino

 

[tjb1013]

From my 20+years experience as a moderator of another forum:

• Ham-fisted moderation = doing anything with my posts
• Too light moderation = not doing something about other people's posts

I don't know if it's universal (though I suspect that it is), but where I'm from the notion that one's own free speech is absolute is near universal. I have found that no matter how reasonable a moderation action is, the folks whose posts are moderated are livid. Seems to be a natural and almost unavoidable reaction (and in fairness, even though we are using nom de plumes and are largely unknown to each other in the actual world, being moderated "feels" like being told to "shut up" at a dinner party when it happens to us). Even people whose replies to moderated posts are deleted (because they no longer make any sense without the context of the original post) can get intensely angry.

My own sympathies to free speech combine with the experience of the wrath I routinely receive for moderating a post make me somewhat slow to take action, but over the years it's become clear that the sustained forum quality is only because of the moderation. On similar sites, the best posters disappear forever because of the few people who make it uncomfortable for everyone else. Better for the long run to suffer the wrath generated by moderation in the short run, painful as that may be to our own sensibilities.

Thanks to the moderators here. The occasional bruised feeling/ego is a small price to pay to insure against what becomes inevitable, in my opinion, in unmoderated forums.

Because that inevitable outcome is only notional and the moderation is experienced in real-time, the prospect of a wrecked forum gets too little consideration.

 

[oursonpolaire]

Some of us are old enough to remember what happened with the unmoderated Navarre forum, and appreciate moderators' work.

 

[Stephen Nicholls]

A lengthy post, I hope I have set the right note. Then again I could never sing!

I think your message his been quite a tonic, so far ......

 

[Al the optimist]

la..ugh

 

[t2andreo]

As one who has been on the receiving end of the moderator's ire from time-to-time over five or more years, I sincerely appreciate their efforts. Even when I might disagree with their application of "forum justice" I nonetheless appreciate having some sense of "law and order."

Not having moderators is like having a mouth without a brain connected to it, a fast car without brakes, or a spreading fire with no means of extinguishing it at hand... point made...

I think the status quo is just fine. If you have a problem with any moderator's behavior or actions, simply write a PM to Ivar. He is REALLY GOOD at playing King Solomon...

 

[ivar]

Hola todos!

I just posted this:
https://www.caminodesantiago.me/com...ideas-feedback-on-how-the-forum-is-run.50530/

Thanks for your feedback!
Ivar

 

[William Marques]

Some of us are old enough to remember what happened with the unmoderated Navarre forum, and appreciate moderators' work.

You and I must be among the few that still remember it, at the time it was the foremost Camino forum and I was very thankful for it and the advice I got when I started.

 

[grayland]

Thread closed now.

Further discussion on the administration or moderation of the forum is closed in accordance with the forum rules.

The moderators appreciate the widespread support of most members...but experience has shown that discussion leads to discord.

Thanks for your understanding.