MissTaken
Biker Chick
- Joined
- Jun 30, 2001
- Posts
- 20,570
Hi all,
I logged off at dinner time and two hours later found a number of concerns had hit my pm box. I have responded to them privately, but intend to do so here so as to ensure anyone else with the same concern has an understanding of how and why things work the way they do.
1. Actually, publicly, I was asked why I would allow someone to come in and question the BDSM lifestyle. As I have said before, the site is about free speech. Free speech allows EACH of us to say anything we wish. Free speech also allows EACH of us to respond as we see fit. Free speech is protected on this site with few guidelines. The "Ignore" option is also a tool that helps to ensure that we all can get whta we want from the forum and leave the rest behind.
2. A thread starter does not "own" the thread. He or she may try to redirect discussion when the thread is hijacked by silliness, but has no control, nor will I edit posts that take a serious thread off topic into other SERIOUS discussion. Imagine you are at a diner having coffee with friends. Joe starts a conversation and Sally brings up a point that leads the conversation into another direction. For me, I enjoy seeing how a thread evolves and at times, challenge myself to predict how it will evolve .
3. Chit chat and hijacking of threads. There are plenty of threads that have been posted for flirting or idle chit chat. Please, be aware when you are playing on a serious thread that this is disrespectful to the thread starter and can be annoying to a poster who has to weed through jokes to get to the next part of the discussion. (I confess, I am guilty of this and will try harder! Promise!) This is a fine line, as there are times, the content of a thread gets to serious and so intense a bit of levity seems appropriate. Use it sparingly and try not to carry on complete conversations amongst other's posting on topic.
4. Starting threads for personal conversation. Some threads that are personal in nature can and should be discussions that take place in private messages. The key for me, is starting a thread with only a poster's name. Chose your mode of communication carefully. If it isn't something that a number of posters are apt to enjoy or discuss with you, it may be better off sent in a private message.
5. Quoting an entire post when responding. Doing so ensures that everyone understands who you are responding to. It is a great tool to avoid miscommunication adn hard feelings. If you are quoting a particularly long post, feel free to edit out the parts of the post that are irrelevant to your response and replace with <snip> or even <snip for brevity>. By and large, this doesn't seem to be a big problem, but is annoying to some if you quote a 500 word post to say, "I agree." Again, in doing so, you are acknowledging the poster's efforts and giving their information and knowledge creedence. So, just be aware of how that post looks for readability when done.
6. Multiple threads, same topic: An annoyance, for many. Free speech prevails, but in truth, ignoring the topic will go further than responding with the same responses as you did in the Prologue.
Now, some may feel that I am lax as a moderator. In my own perspective, the forum will remain more cohesive if the bulk of the moderation is done by the members, not me. Even now, this attempt at moderation is the result of concerns expressed by you and I hope that I have addressed them sufficiently to assist us all in enjoying our time here.
Please, as always, feel free to pm me with questions or concerns. If I feel a need to alter a thread, move it or edit it in anyway, I will either pm you with explanation or leave word of the explanation in the thread in question.
Thanks to anyone who read this far!
Take care,
MissT (Wearing indigo so she must be moderating! )
I logged off at dinner time and two hours later found a number of concerns had hit my pm box. I have responded to them privately, but intend to do so here so as to ensure anyone else with the same concern has an understanding of how and why things work the way they do.
1. Actually, publicly, I was asked why I would allow someone to come in and question the BDSM lifestyle. As I have said before, the site is about free speech. Free speech allows EACH of us to say anything we wish. Free speech also allows EACH of us to respond as we see fit. Free speech is protected on this site with few guidelines. The "Ignore" option is also a tool that helps to ensure that we all can get whta we want from the forum and leave the rest behind.
2. A thread starter does not "own" the thread. He or she may try to redirect discussion when the thread is hijacked by silliness, but has no control, nor will I edit posts that take a serious thread off topic into other SERIOUS discussion. Imagine you are at a diner having coffee with friends. Joe starts a conversation and Sally brings up a point that leads the conversation into another direction. For me, I enjoy seeing how a thread evolves and at times, challenge myself to predict how it will evolve .
3. Chit chat and hijacking of threads. There are plenty of threads that have been posted for flirting or idle chit chat. Please, be aware when you are playing on a serious thread that this is disrespectful to the thread starter and can be annoying to a poster who has to weed through jokes to get to the next part of the discussion. (I confess, I am guilty of this and will try harder! Promise!) This is a fine line, as there are times, the content of a thread gets to serious and so intense a bit of levity seems appropriate. Use it sparingly and try not to carry on complete conversations amongst other's posting on topic.
4. Starting threads for personal conversation. Some threads that are personal in nature can and should be discussions that take place in private messages. The key for me, is starting a thread with only a poster's name. Chose your mode of communication carefully. If it isn't something that a number of posters are apt to enjoy or discuss with you, it may be better off sent in a private message.
5. Quoting an entire post when responding. Doing so ensures that everyone understands who you are responding to. It is a great tool to avoid miscommunication adn hard feelings. If you are quoting a particularly long post, feel free to edit out the parts of the post that are irrelevant to your response and replace with <snip> or even <snip for brevity>. By and large, this doesn't seem to be a big problem, but is annoying to some if you quote a 500 word post to say, "I agree." Again, in doing so, you are acknowledging the poster's efforts and giving their information and knowledge creedence. So, just be aware of how that post looks for readability when done.
6. Multiple threads, same topic: An annoyance, for many. Free speech prevails, but in truth, ignoring the topic will go further than responding with the same responses as you did in the Prologue.
Now, some may feel that I am lax as a moderator. In my own perspective, the forum will remain more cohesive if the bulk of the moderation is done by the members, not me. Even now, this attempt at moderation is the result of concerns expressed by you and I hope that I have addressed them sufficiently to assist us all in enjoying our time here.
Please, as always, feel free to pm me with questions or concerns. If I feel a need to alter a thread, move it or edit it in anyway, I will either pm you with explanation or leave word of the explanation in the thread in question.
Thanks to anyone who read this far!
Take care,
MissT (Wearing indigo so she must be moderating! )
