What Do You Expect Out of a Moderator/administrator?

[Neal]

Not to start flaming or arguing but I am curious at what you feel is expected out of a moderator and or administrator of a forum? As we suggest it is to sit back and observe. To try and identify a person using mutiple usernames and take action. It is to try and keep peace on the board. Personaly I do not feel that it is an admistrator or board owners responsibility to research and keep track of posts made by hundreds of posters and try and find discrepencies in their stories and take action. It is an anonymous board and if someone wants to exagerate, well that is their choice even if discrepencies within stories is pointed out.

In viewing Baht Stop, Gay Thailand, Gay Button and others I don't see that any other board operates differently than this.
Do you agree, don't agree, what are your expectations of a free board?

I prefer a Board where the Moderator doesnt comment on almost every post and edit other peoples posts simply by using a different color so everyone is supposed to know its the Moderator.

[a447]

I do not feel that it is an admistrator or board owners responsibility to research and keep track of posts made by hundreds of posters and try and find discrepencies in their stories and take action.

I agree. It isn't their responsibility at all.

To suggest that it is the board's job to take on that responsibility, when it clearly is not, is an attempt at obfuscation.

It is an anonymous board and if someone wants to exagerate, well that is their choice even if discrepencies within stories is pointed out.

Yes, it is their choice to exagerate. But then, we don't really know if they are exaggerating, because we weren't there at the time. We can only go on the probability factor. A bit like in a court of law. - beyond reasonable doubt.

But telling blatant lies is, IMHO, quite different to exaggerating. Blatant lies do not rely on the probability factor - they rely on the posters's own words, so there can be no doubt as to the veracity of the post.
Lying is not acceptable at any time and as such should be publicly and roundly condemned in the open forum by both the board owner and the administrator/moderator. Subsequent breaches should lead to banning of the poster.

IMHO, sitting back and ignoring or excusing a post which has been proven to be a lie (on the grounds that "it's an anonymous board") demonstrates a lack of respect towards the board members (who are entitled to truthful posts) on behalf of the administrators. It also and impinges on the general integrity of the board and it's owner.

At the end of the day, of course, members will see such posters for what they are and will take future posts with a large grain of salt and a good dose of skepticism. The poster who lies will lose credibility.

And that in itself is one form of condemnation.

BTW this is an important topic and should be in the main forum.

[Neal]

How bout telling us where "in your opinion" this discussion belongs and give us some examples of what you have proven to be "blatant lies".

How bout telling us where "in your opinion" this discussion belongs and give us some examples of what you have proven to be "blatant lies".

I agree I am looking forward to getting some concrete examples where a447 can prove that a poster knew he was lying when he made the post surely the definition of "blatant".

[Khor tose]

Thinking of another board owner the first most basic thing would be to follow the rules you post. The second would be consistency. The third would be a great--leaning over backwards--acceptance of other ideas, even if they are the opposite of yours. T%he fourth and final would be to allow for human nature and permit comments that may seem harsh or inflamatory to you. I admit four is tricky and that is really where you would have to learn to be consistent so everyone understands what is permitted and what is not. Five, and most important, play no favorites-------that really is also consistency.

So five is not the most important. When you come down to the bottom line it is just two: have rules and apply them in a consistent manner.

[a447]

Neal wrote:
How bout telling us where "in your opinion" this discussion belongs

Sure.

I'll just cut and paste from my own post.

I wrote directly above Neal's reply
(it) should be in the main forum.

I mean, if a thread on Ginger ale or matzoh and floater ball recipes (!!) can make it to the main forum, then why not this topic??

Neal wrote:
give us some examples of what you have proven to be "blatant lies"

O.k. Allow me to repeat myself.

On January 15 2008 Latin wrote:

I thought it was a bloody good effort, and as someone who is post 40......

Yet on January 9 2013 Latin wrote:

.and I havent even hit 40 yet.

Is that blatant enough for you?

Khor Tose wrote:
When you come down to the bottom line it is just two: have rules and apply them in a consistent manner.

Exactly. That's it in a nutshell.

And it helps if the administrator/moderator has read the rules in the first place! And I really would like to see the word 'integrity" in the rules somewhere. That would be nice.

Posts have been edited and deleted seemingly at random with little or no explanation. (Moderators, READ YOU OWN RULES!!). If people have taken the time to post, you at least owe them a reason for the deletion.
What is seen as flaming in one post is allowed in another.
Comments are seen as being off topic in some threads but allowed in another. And Neal, you are one of the main offenders!!

acceptance of other ideas, even if they are the opposite of yours.

Who could forget the farce when one poster commented negatively on Whitney Houston after she had died and his post was deleted! WTF? :sign5:

It all kind of went downhill from there.

[timmberty]

whitney houston .. that was me .... i wasnt happy that all went shit shapped but i've manage to live with it !!
i struggle to understand why you get so wound up a447 .. a thai centric board run from thailand where rules and regulation mean virtually nothing, and even less if you can afford to pay for any inconvenience caused.
we all know latin lies so most tend to ignor him rather than puting on our mrs marple hat.
do you always follow every rule in the book ? no crossing roads except at crossings etc ? your know the really nit picking rules that are almost pointless ?
this topic is about how the mods work so its in the mods forum department, for a guy who lusts after rules and regs i cant belive you think those rules should be suspendid just because of what you think!
if i wanted to know where to find a can of drink in pattaya i wouldnt come looking in this forum, anymore than if i want to view posts on the mods, would i go look in the thai part of the forum.
there are as you know other boards where they take this sort of thing far more serious, they are also very keen on new members, so much so they welcome with open arms any cast off's from other boards, even people who they have no time for. so i guess if you dislike the way this one is run you could always go and join them no ?

[a447]

whitney houston .. that was me .... i wasnt happy that all went shit shapped but i've manage to live with it !!

To be honest, I thought it was an hilarious misuse of the moderation process. Apparently you trod on the toes of someone who was a whitney Houston fan. :sign5:

its in the mods forum department

Look again.

i guess if you dislike the way this one is run you could always go and join them no ?

I have.

But I still like the vast majority of posts here that i find very informative, and 99% of the posters come across as decent guys who just want to have a good time.

[timmberty]

yes i looked again ... global forum .. well never mind again its not that important ..
as you say 99% of people over here are decent people, so why not concentrate on them rather than the other 1%
whom you clearly dislike?
i'd go as far as to say its closer to 99 and a half % now, being as the clear out got rid of the most troublesome elements.