Do these forums need moderators?

[jorjo]

Originally Posted by Bebe

This is a good point. There are no specific rules for this forum, but people get banned for breaking them - without warning as far as I am aware.

I wasn't warned before I was banned, that's for sure ...

[Melvin]

I think if the boards become moderated too heavily it will stifle the community, perhaps it can be more reactive, to deal with problem posters. As opposed to assuming every new person has nothing to contribute, and stopping them talk.

Also re newbies like me, surely the aim is to grow the community as much as possible, to grow the show and so on. It can't be good for KATG if the forums are only for people who have been around from the start.

It can seem quite cliquey anyways and you might end up putting off new people ever posting and contributing at all if you go too far with moderating.

[DaHonay]

Originally Posted by Melvin

I think if the boards become moderated to heavily it will stifle the community, perhaps it can be more reactive, to deal with problem posters. As opposed to assuming every new person has nothing to contribute, and stopping them talk.

Also re newbies like me, surely the aim is to grow the community as much as possible, to grow the show and so on. It can't be good for KATG if the forums are only for people who have been around from the start.

It can seem quite cliquey anyways and you might end up putting off new people ever posting and contributing at all if you go too far with moderating.

From what I have noticed Melvin, you seem to contribute appropriately when you do post. There have been quite a few (especially lately) of new members starting new threads that for one reason or another cause trouble. Currently, there is NO moderator to complain to to correct the situation.

Hey old schoolers... remember the OLD SCHOOL chat? Keith would come into the chat rooom and assign powers to people that he trusted so that things stayed contained or civil or whatever. True... some with powers were assholes that targeted certain people (i.e. Mali) but most know how to shut down those that were disrupting the environment. I say we need something like that...

Mods that you can report "violations" or "abuses" or "spamming" to. Mods that can send warnings to people violating the terms of use. There could be some sort of system that would lead to someone getting banned. Sort of like employers do for violations of company policy. Establish some guidelines for use and have someone monitor that use. It's not a perfect solution but it would help.

It makes me sad that in EVERY new thread now someone makes even a single benign off topic comment and everyone jumps on them. Conversations shouldn't be strictly limited to the topic at hand and should allow a little stream of consciousness thinking... that is different than thread hijacking.

[paul_r]

Originally Posted by picard102

This isn't NASA, if you haven't noticed, and it's retarded to compare the two.

ermm my point exactly, it's the same database server (mySQL), you obviously know too little about which you speak.

/sigh

[Annie]

I believe a little more obvious of a structure would be good.

I'm not too clear on the perspective of the people who say it will "ruin" the "greatness" of the forums.

I don't get the people who say that more moderation will take away what the forums was started on. They have it in their heads that the forums is an "anything goes" place. Since there's been bans and deletions, it's obviously not. It's just a "more goes than most places" place.

Despite either side's views, at the end of the day, we're in someone else's house. Yes, the people are what make the house lively, happy, dismal, or boring, but we are still doing all that in someone else's space.

Most people in this thread (and other similar threads) have been respectful of that, a few haven't though.

[picard102]

Originally Posted by paul_r

ermm my point exactly, it's the same database server (mySQL), you obviously know too little about which you speak.

/sigh

With entirely different resources to support it. How many forum based sites have you managed?

[andsoitgoes]

I've seen enough forums go to hell in a handbasket thanks to moderation. I think if it's done, it needs to be done by impartial people that take no stock in what's being said, and that are able to justify their actions without being defensive or being obstinate to the reasons behind the post.

But to be honest, other than the random deleted threads, I'm amazed at how everyone in these forums is reasonable, mature (for the most part) and is here just to have fun.

And what if a moderator deleted Mikey's sick, disgusting posts??? That would ruin it for EVERYONE.

[paul_r]

Originally Posted by picard102

With entirely different resources to support it. How many forum based sites have you managed?

i really don't care, even if it was justified the way it was done was not.

[DJQuad]

Originally Posted by god

If the forums do become moderated, it would still be best to have an anything goes unmoderated forum.

And it wasn't until very recently that I understood what the NA threads were all about, and I'm quite flabbergasted that they were deleted. So sad.

That was ridiculous. Nothing says "fuck you" better than deleting popular threads. I can see stupid threads getting deleted, but delete the ones that are active? That's just dumb as hell and it pisses off the members that created this place.

Not real wise.

[DWarrior]

I think the only effective way to moderate the forums that are as dynamic as KATG is to come up with a democratic system where people's votes are weighed systematically (so a couple of trolls don't let it get out of control, the system of determining voter weight can also be democratic).

I suppose a simplified case of this would be electing mods periodically. That way the people moderating the forum would reflect the interests of the visitors of the forums.