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maboot38 ![]() Quarryman ![]() ![]() Joined: August/11/2010 Location: Boston, MA Status: Offline Points: 428 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posted: December/05/2011 at 7:33am |
In my experience as a moderator of another Masonic forum, I find that part of the burden of being a moderator is that it is now the SITE'S motives that drive your posts, not your own. This means that there are times when you need to bite your tonge simply because you are a moderator, especially in cases where you normally would not.
It's a very difficult thing to do, especially for those of us who are more stubborn and opinionated (and those aren't necessarily negative attributes). I think moderators need to recognize when things are heading up the conflict escalator and kindly step off it so that they may properly moderate the discussion without worrying about their personal stake or opinion being pushed over as fact.
I doubt very much anyone is going to say "Good point Dan, I'm going to try to do that.", but I merely ask that you remember this advice next time any one of the moderators on this site start to get in a more heated discussion. As hard as it can be, it is part of the responsibility of a moderator to keep themselves out of situations in which they themselves need to be moderated.
As for everyone else here, I suppose what is really lacking from what I can tell is the inability to recognize other people's opinions, both those of fact and feeling, as potentially valid. There's a real rash of "No, the only right way is my way". Those who can't see it are probably the ones doing it. We all need to remember ourselves here, maintain civility and add a touch of humility. Nobody here wants to be preached to.
And finally, if we can all just remember to be nice....and truly remember it....then this will be a nice place to meet fraternally.
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jaya ![]() Moderator ![]() ![]() Joined: November/16/2010 Location: Western NC Status: Offline Points: 2628 |
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I agree about the same thing being discussed on TSS, and other forums, with civility. Admins and mods are not above the rules. That is currently being discussed in the mod forum. Admins and mods should be an example of the rule and not an exception. I just bumped it to draw attention to everyone. It had been just pasted in the mod forum and I thought everyone should read it again.
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Jay Austin
Black Mountain 663 - Junior Warden AASR Valley of Asheville - KSA The Masonic Society http://westernncmason.blogspot.com |
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auratorium ![]() Senior Member ![]() Joined: November/15/2010 Status: Offline Points: 148 |
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Considering that it was a moderator that was the main violator of #2 in the Shrine thread, perhaps the mod team needs to understand these guidelines first. After all, how does one enforce something they can't follow themselves? Bro. Jay, you've seen how the very same topic was debated at TSS with absolute civility. |
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jaya ![]() Moderator ![]() ![]() Joined: November/16/2010 Location: Western NC Status: Offline Points: 2628 |
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Bump.....
I am just bumping this to bring it to everyone's attention again. We all need to do a better job in paying attention to number 2 above.
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Jay Austin
Black Mountain 663 - Junior Warden AASR Valley of Asheville - KSA The Masonic Society http://westernncmason.blogspot.com |
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stonecutter ![]() Administrator ![]() ![]() Master Joined: November/01/2003 Location: Illinois Status: Offline Points: 1881 |
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Greetings!
The following is a set of guidelines for using the Forums. Because we have such a large community, it will benefit everyone if we can adhere to a small set of rules. Rule 1. Stay On-Topic! Each forum topic or discussion has a central point. When posting a reply, it is important that we stay focused on the topic at hand and avoid the temptation to distract from that by going off on a different tangent. We have a staff which monitors the posts and they have been instructed to move or hide any comments which might steer a discussion away from its intended subject matter. This is not censorship, but an effort to keep things focused. So if any of your posts are moderated, please don't take it personal. It is sometimes necessary in order to keep the discussions on track. Our staff will try to use their best discretion when moving off-topic comments out of a discussion. Rule 2. No Public Bickering Between Users! Because we have users from all parts of the world, there are naturally going to be times when we do not all agree with certain styles of writing, or points of view. Keep in mind that there is a tendency to magnify and often times misinterpret comments posted by someone. When you don't agree, or become irritated with a post, do not post a retort to the thread as it will end up being moderated by a staff member. When this happens, the user will be sent a PM or Private Message with an explanation of why their post was moved, and asked to avoid such things in the future. If any of users take issue with something posted by another, please use the PM feature to send your thoughts to them privately. Do Not post such things to an ongoing discussion. This policy will be strictly enforced! Remember that as Freemasons we must subdue our passions and learn how to agree to disagree with each other. 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We often discuss topics in regards to what is wrong or right with Freemasonry today, how things might be improved, etc. Keep your posts focused more towards the positive than the negative. We must also keep in mind that our personal experiences with Masonry differs because of the fact that our users hail from any different jurisdictions and locations. If a user comments on problems in his area, it is not necessarily a condemnation of the entire Craft but a commentary on his personal and local experiences. Everyone must also keep in mind that while we do discuss matters pertaining to Masonry, we do NOT post items (either in the public or tiled forums) which may infringe upon our obligations in regards to our modes of recognition, words, tokens, or that which might violate your OB's. We talk "Masonry" in many of its aspects, but only as far our obligations allow us to do so with non-members. 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We can't solve our problems by using the same kind of thinking that created them.
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