Misc. side comments to things in other topics

There is a LOT of totally off-topic chit-chat happening in many topics. I suggest it instead be done in this topic, or in an old or new "Short Term Topics and Messages" forum topic. Just supply a link to the source message, if needed. Kind of like a footnote system.

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In too many topics, things are currently rather badly out of control. A lot of drivel happening. Let's get the (hopefully entertaining) drivel posted in more suitable places.

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We need membership cooperation, or it's going to come down to having to start deleting off-topic messages (God forbid).Adminnemooseus------------------
Comments on moderation procedures? - Go to
Change in Moderation?
or
too fast closure of threads

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There is a LOT of totally off-topic chit-chat happening in many topics. I suggest it instead be done in this topic, or in an old or new "Short Term Topics and Messages" forum topic. Just supply a link to the source message, if needed. Kind of like a footnote system.

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In too many topics, things are currently rather badly out of control. A lot of drivel happening. Let's get the (hopefully entertaining) drivel posted in more suitable places.

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We need membership cooperation, or it's going to come down to having to start deleting off-topic messages (God forbid).

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Adminnemooseus

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Freshening the BUMP!Thinking about getting cranky, and giving out a bunch of "off-topic" violation suspensions.People, let's bring up the quality level.Adminnemooseus------------------
Comments on moderation procedures? - Go to
Change in Moderation?
or
too fast closure of threads

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I think Syamsu and I are in "Free For All" so as not to get suspended or censored. Maybe others too; I don't know.

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I believe Peter Borger was also "sentenced" to the "Free For All" forum, but wouldn't cooperate, and thus got suspended. These matters are in the hands of Admin, and I don't wish to get into them, at least right now.

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The fact that some of our threads are long says something about interest and import, doesn't it? If we didn't draw input from a fairly good crowd I would say your concern would be valid, except that we do draw, and I should think that would be productive to the forum.

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There is no certain correlation between quantity of messages and quality of messages and the overall discussion. There may indeed be topics in which the quality extends deep into many pages. I, however, suspect that many topics are only good for, say, 50 messages, before going bad for whatever reason.

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Could it be that with us over here, it's harder for you to manage our viewpoints via biased moderation tactics a we sense has been the case on some occasions?

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I'm thinking that a "one on one" "Great Debate" on the topic of forum moderation methodology might be interesting. Of course, we'd have to have a preliminary debate, to decide the structure etc. of the main debate. Maybe, to really make it interesting, we could have Brad as the moderator .

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Percy says to go here because I'm disobeying forum rules and now you're saying there's too much being "dumped" here.

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I was intending the loose usage of the term "dumped". As in being a synonym for "placed". There are many "Free For All" topics that are fully suitable to be in one of the more specific forums.

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Maybe if we were more fairly moderated as to our minority viewpoints we'd find less need to be in this oasis of freedom.

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Again, maybe a "Great Debate" is called for, on the theme of moderation.

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Then too, often topics are such that related subtopics are beneficial to enhance the main topic. Personally, I enjoy the liberty to use a wider perspective on topics than is allowed on moderated threads, where you get the feeling of restriction by someone constantly looking over your shoulder and admonishing you.

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The question will be, to find the balance point between too much focus, and too much diversity. Going off on a tangent has a real tendency to lead to going even further off.One thing I really hate to see, is to have a really good, but off-topic, discussion happen - and have it buried deep somewhere where it doesn't belong. I have closed down at least 1 "Free For All" topic for this reason, with the suggestion that a new topic was needed.Enough for now,
Adminnemooseus

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Buzsaw's restriction to Free For All is for somewhat different reasons. Well-mannered, intelligent and sincere, Buzsaw doesn't really belong here. If Buzsaw will meet me halfway by agreeing to make a greater effort to follow those administrative requests that he strongly feels are wrong and/or discriminatory, then I think it would be fine to lift the restriction. Buzz?

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Upstring I broached the idea of a one-on-one discussion (not really a debate) with Buz, about what he finds objectionable about the moderation procedures here. I still think it might make a good topic. I guess I could do the discussion as Adminnemooseus, but I think I'd prefer to do it as minnemooseus.I think such a thing could be enlightining, about why things are done around here. Some moderation methodology improvements might also come out of it.My "special" moderator suggestion would be holmes.Cheers,
AMps by edit: By the way, how does the "Activity Meter" work? I seems to me, that it would be nice if it indicated the number of new messages in the most recent 24 hours (or perhaps 48 hours). It seems that it will loose it's value, if it just tallies the total messages since the meter was installed.[This message has been edited by Adminnemooseus, 08-25-2003]

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Buzsaw's restriction to Free For All is for somewhat different reasons. Well-mannered, intelligent and sincere, Buzsaw doesn't really belong here. If Buzsaw will meet me halfway by agreeing to make a greater effort to follow those administrative requests that he strongly feels are wrong and/or discriminatory, then I think it would be fine to lift the restriction. Buzz?

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I neglected to say this, in my previous message - I fully agree with the above. Buzsaw may even be that ever elusive creation side moderator that we have so much trouble finding. Also, that would be a "If you think doing a good and fair job of moderating this forum is so easy, why don't you try helping out".Adminnemooseusps: My inbound e-mail service has been down for a number of days now, presumably because of the virus problem. I've sent Admin a couple of e-mails, and can only assume that they got out. Anyhow, my apologies to anyone who may be trying to contact me by e-mail.------------------
Comments on moderation procedures? - Go to
Change in Moderation?
or
too fast closure of threads[This message has been edited by Adminnemooseus, 08-26-2003]

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To all you administrators: I might offer to be a creationist moderator. First I'd have to know how much time it'd take. I'll be doing a lot of study next year. What think you?

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This is in no way a judgement of your qualifications to be a moderator. We really have little to judge. I think we need to have you around and taking part in the forum longer, before even considering the possibility. But I certainly appreciate the offer. Especially depending on how many forums involved, I think a moderator position could involve as little or as much time as your willing to put into it.

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To minnemooseus: I'm curious; what does WWWD stand for?

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It is something that would be increasingly cryptic, the further you are away from the state of Minnesota, in the United States. Progressive liberal Senator Paul Wellstone of Minnesota was killed in a plain crash in October of 2002. To many, myself included, he was an all too rare bright spot in the U.S. government. "WWWD?" is "What Would Wellstone Do?".There are two topics concerning Paul Wellstone: "Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone dies in plane crash" and "Was senator Paul Wellstone murdered?"Adminnemooseus / minnemooseus

As this topic was intended to be a place for random off-topic comments on messages in other topics, I find it distressing that occasionally a topic string is springing into existence.I encourage all to only carry on a discussion of a certain theme for a maximum of 3 messages. After that, the subsequent discussion should have nothing to do with what has been said in the various previous messages.Adminnemooseus

Thread moved here from the Free For All (No new topics or messages) forum.