I quoted http://www.lonelygirl15.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=11713 above since that thread was locked, and I would like to reply to it and invite others to discuss as they wish on this thread.We have amended the Forum Etiquette, Rules, and Policies (with The Creators' approval) to add the section about moderators. From this point on, public discussion of moderator actions or moderator policies will not be allowed on the forum, and such posts will be removed.
Why are we updating these rules? Because being a moderator is not an easy job, and moderators are all volunteers. Sometimes the moderator has to be a bad guy, and a user may not like their actions. However, all too often public posts result in users piling on without understanding the issues which may not be appropriate to share with the entire forum. This not only diminishes respect for the moderator but reduces their power on the forum.
Moderators are fans, and often a moderator posts as a fan. But moderator actions such as splitting or merging a topic, deleting or editing posts, warning users, etc. are taken with the best interests of the forum in mind. Some users may not always agree with these actions, but that doesn't mean the actions where inappropriate.
We are also adding a new title: Moderator Manager. Trainer101 will serve as the Moderator Manager at this time. The Moderator Manager is a moderator with no additional powers on the forum; however, he will act as the first level of escalation for concerns about moderator actions. If you have a concern about a moderator, contact the Moderator Manager. He will review the action, compare it against the guidelines, consult with the forum administrator, and respond to the user. If the issue requires another escalation, it will go to the forum administrator, and if the administrator requires another ruling, he will take the issue to The Creators.
Note that this is not a unique rule. In fact, most other major forums have a policy against posting publicly about moderator actions. On LG15, the moderators are encouraged to post a message explaining why a thread is moved or locked, and even this is rare on other forums. Large forums with a significant number of users require that moderators' actions be appropriate and quick, without fear or public dissent.
If you have any questions or concerns about this, please feel free to contact me.
This rule, as stated, goes further than what I have seen on other successful and large forums. It seems to be a reaction to dissent, and though intended (I think) to make the job of the moderators easier and more efficient while defining a hierachy for resolution of issues (that part is good), it goes a bit too far in eliminating healthy communication when there are misunderstandings and different viewpoints. That part is counter to fostering the desired respect between the moderators and the moderated, I think.
The primary example I have in mind is the LOST TV show forum "The Fuselage" which is strictly moderated, has an entire hierarchy of moderators, and is much larger and more active than this forum. It also compares well to this site because it has a "Linear board" (similar to the comments page here) and a "Threaded board" (like the forums here).
Sometimes the Fuselage moderators do step on toes there acting a bit too quickly in enforcing the site rules, forgetting to leave a reason why something was removed, but usually they do a good job, and there is a dedicated place to ask questions. If you follow the link to the Threaded board, and page down, the last section under "Speak to the Pilot" is "Questions for the Admins and Mods." This section deals with technical as well as moderation issues.
Here is an example (from May 2006) on The Fuselage where something I posted was removed by a moderator, I asked about it in the "Questions for the Admins and Mods" section, and it was explained and resolved amicably: http://www.thefuselage.com/Threaded/sho ... hp?t=47027
The point here is that this set-up provides a respectful means of resolution where there are questions. I am not encouraging endless back and forth debates about moderation choices within threads - detracting from their original topic. That is not fair to other users. It is easy enough to post a question in the "Questions" section with a link back to the thread or post that was moderated.
The Fuselage also has an elaborate points system for repeat rules offenders (which would probably be overkill for this forum), but I point it out just because it provides a concrete list of things that merit moderation. Having clearly stated rules and guidelines is a big help, as moderators can point to it, and users can see what is okay and what is out of bounds.
If a single post is removed or edited (e.g. adding spoiler font), the moderators on The Fuselage usually leave a short note with a reason (and their userid) - this helps if you want to PM them with a question. If a thread is moved to trash (usually because it is redundant, but there are various reasons), it is not as obvious to the user why it was removed. If a moderator gives you "points" (usually this only happens for serious violations or if you ignore previous warnings) there is a reason visible on your profile that you and moderators can access for future reference. Too many points results in suspension or banning.
I'm not against moderation, done right, but having a place to raise questions and get answers (that others can refer to, users and moderators alike), would be a good addition.
As far as bashing moderators? No, that should not be allowed, but the policy towards conduct should be the same for any user, whether one with moderator status or not.
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