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TBF: Moderation Issues

I think the problem has been placed in a nutshell.

Who's in charge here?

Darren? The mods? The forum members?

Darren appears to be AWOL 99% of the time.

Is this the forum he wants?
 
Thank you Moto. Exactly what I meant, earlier, put much more succinctly.

We may have had our run ins over in greener pastures, but you're right on this one. And at least over there you know exactly who's in charge...
 
I won't bring up my treatment on Palimpsest when I was there for a short time, but I think Palimp is not for everyone, particularly if you like using smilies. :D
 
Well, quite. I actually fully agree with you - it isn't for everyone. But that is what makes it work for those who do stick around. There is a culture over there that the majority like and stick to, which gives the site a clear direction. Almost everyone knows what they can expect and what is expected of them. The fact that everyday on TBF, mod decisions are being questioned over and over again shows that they have no real authority at all.
 
Toadal said:
Oh, no, it doesn't have to be like that at all. If the mod has a genuine interest in the stuff being discussed, and it is an interesting conversation starter, then it's just fine.

Honestly - I do this all the time on the forum I help to run, and I don't think anyone notices that it is going on.
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Toadal,
Been trying to stay out of this one, but I think your comments are right on and deserve a second. Interest, involvement and enthusiam are what make threads go. Aloofness, disinterest and negatory comments kill 'em sure as shootin'
End of two cents.
Peder
 
Palimpsest isn't tightly controlled either - we have a wider remit of discussion topics over there than here. The one thing that isn't tolerated is spamming and idiocy. Something that a lot of people complain about here, as well. But while you like the openess here, a lot of people are worried about what is going to happen to their forum. Comparing the Palimp and TBF is like comparing James Joyce to Dan Brown, they're just different beasts altogether.

But the one thing that is clear is that there's a lot of uncertainty around here, and a lot of that is down to the complete absence of Darren. I actually feel sorry for the mods for the position they have been landed with. What is Darren going to do with the site? What are his intentions? The renaming of his holding company shows he has clearly got bigger fish to fry than just books.
 
This thread has the potential of being the best thread started in the last few months...

I wonder how long it will take for it to be locked...
 
I have to question your motives, Toady. Are you trolling for new members for your forum? I don't think it's sporting to come over here and criticize how things are run. I don't see you creating new threads for discussion, just pointing out various flaws of the forum in this particular thread.

I think if you don't like the way things are run at TBF, you can go find another forum or even create your own book discussion forum. This one suits me just fine, thanks. And I don't think there's such a thing as a "perfect" forum that makes everyone happy. Makes me think of that old P.T. Barnum quote.
 
No underhand motives at all. I think all those who would cross the rubicon, as it were, already have done.

I'm offering genuine advice and support to people who are worried about things. Others obviously agree. And I am still a member of this site, as so have as much right to a view as anyone else.

You can always ignore me, you know.
 
Also, people are asking a question: "What's going wrong?" and I am just giving them the answer.

I would have thought it would be an answer most people would like to hear, because it doesn't really blame anybody. Certainly not the mods, who, as I have said, have been placed in an unenviable situation.
 
Miss Shelf said:
Do we really want TBF to be a tightly controlled forum?
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It is.

Tightly [and unnecessarily] controlled because threads are closed (and posts deleted) when they are doing no harm. They are closed because someone on a power trip thinks they may cause offence in the future. I don't see this logic, but I'm not really giving a damn* anymore.

I like the freedom here
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Go on, post about politics, religion, and, amazingly, former members of the forum to show off the freedom.

I got suspended for adding my four words to a four word story. Where in the Membership Agreement (last updated: December 2004) does that decision come from?

Membership Terms & Conditions
1. General Site Information
1.1 The Book Forum is a privately owned web site. All decisions by the owners are final. The site is based in the UK and we will abide by English Law.

1.2 The Book Forum reserves the right to update this agreement without prior notice. A copy of this agreement can be found by clicking the link at the bottom of the pages on the site.

2. Registration & Membership
2.1 You may register one account only. You are free to choose your own username, however offensive or misleading usernames will not be allowed. Duplicate accounts will be removed and a warning issued to the member concerned..

2.2 You are responsible for the security of your password. All password on this site are encrypted and we have no access to your password. If you have lost your password, please use this form to reset it.

2.3 If you wish to change your username please contact us with details of your current username and the email address that you registered with. Changing your username is not generally encouraged due to the confusion it can cause. If you have a valid reason to change your username we will do our best to assist you.

2.4 You may upload your own avatar (a small picture shown in the forums below your username). Again, please keep these suitable for general viewing. Offensive images will be removed.

2.5 Members may create themselves a signature via their user control panel. Offensive or misleading signatures will be edited. Please keep your signatures to a few lines.

2.6 Members may cancel their membership at any time by emailing the admin of the site from the email address that you registered with. Your posts will remain, however your status will become "former member". You may still browse the forums. If you wish to have your membership re-activated please contact us again.

2.7 To compy with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, The Book Forum does not allow members who are younger than 13yrs to signup for site membership.

2.8 The Book Forum operates a "three-strikes" policy. Unfortunately, in an online community of our size, there will ocassionally be the need for the site administrators to take action against a member for continued non-compliance with the rules and guidelines of this site. "Three Strikes & You’re Out" simply means that you are given three "chances" before your account is disabled. Two official warnings will come from site moderators, and will state the offense and ask politely that you adhere to site guidelines. The third note will be from the site admininstrator and will result in a permanent, irreversible ban from the site.

Nothing about suspensions in there.

3. Forum Posting

3.1 We do encourage lively discussions and debate. Personal attacks against members of the site will not be tolerated. Any person attacking another member of the site will have their post edited, and a warning issued.

Lively discussions - but the minute one opens up a mod closes it?

3.2 You may promote your own site or service in your signature only. If you are recommending a service in your post and have an interest in that service, please state so in your post.

3.3 The inclusion of excerpts from an article on another site is allowed as long as credit is given to the author of the article(s). Copying an entire article(s) from another site and pasting it into your forum post is not allowed, without the express permission of the owner of the copyrighted article. If you want users to read the full article provide a link back to the article instead.

3.4 Commercial advertising in posts is not allowed. The definition of commercial advertising includes, but is not limited to, links to online auction sites, as well as direct links to your online store. Links which include store affiliate code are not allowed. Messages and posts which are blatantly posted only to advertise your product or service will be edited and may lead to a ban from the forums.

3.5 Although the owners and moderators of The Book Forum will attempt to keep all objectionable messages off the forums, it is impossible for us to review all messages. All messages express the views of the author, and neither the owners of The Book Forum or Jelsoft Enterprises Limited (developers of vBulletin forum software) will be held responsible for the content of any message. Any information contained in this web site is delivered "as-is" without any form of warranty expressed or implied. Any use of the information contained within is solely at your own risk.

3.6 All messages posted remain the copyright of the individual poster. We may use your post on other parts of our site. For example, threads in the "Book News" forum appear on the site homepage.

3.7 The Book Forum reserves the right to remove, edit, move or close any thread for any reason without prior notice.

3.8 You agree that you will not use The Book Forum to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law. You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you.

3.9 Political and religious discussions are not allowed, except in the context of how they apply to specific books.

3.10 You must not post the same message in multiple forums. We have split the forums into specific areas. If you feel that there should be a new area, please make a suggestion.

3.11 Links to pirated ebook versions of books are not allowed. The discussion of pirated ebooks is not allowed.

4. Reviewing Books

4.1 All members of The Book Forum are allowed to post reviews of books which they have read.

4.2 We do not require exclusive reviews at The Book Forum. You may post your review on other sites too.

4.3 We do not allow posting of third party reviews. This particularly applies to authors wishing to post reviews of their works. Please ask the original reviewer to register and post their review.

4.4 We reserve the right to edit reviews at our discretion.

4.5 The terms and conditions posted in Section 3 - Forum Posting, also applies to the posting of book reviews.
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I believe that these rules are governing too much and that they are being applied over common sense.

I do note, however, that every time I am in receipt of ill treatment from our moderating team that Ice is on holiday and mehastings never has a say in it. And Darren's never here. :rolleyes:

As to the activity thing and Darren's commitment to the forum, you only have to look at the home page where the breaking news articles relate to 2004 and early 2005.


The change of the name to the holding company interests me, too. I wonder what Darren's plans are. I emailed him during my suspension, and have still - a week later - received no acknowledgment.



* Can I say damn? Is that, perhaps, too strong these days?
 
Kudos to Wabbit for being the only mod willing to appear Visible in the forum's Who's Online. At least it answers that question, "Where's a mod when you need one?" when he's online.
 
Here is something I hadn't seen before. It floated to the surface while we were talking, and it may help to make Moto's point: (Wabbit, of course, shines in many of these older posts.)


here

It's no fun being afraid to post fun stuff for fear of getting banned (which is the state in which many of us are posting here nowadays.)
 
I think what got Stewart suspended was a violation of unwritten rules. He upset a thread that other people enjoyed, and while that isn't in the formal rules, it's an unwritten one. If you don't like a thread, ignore it.

I'm so tired of this rehashing of the Darren Conspiracy thing. As far as I'm concerned he can do what he likes with his forum. If TBF implodes, I'll find someplace else to go, or more likely I'll just usse the time I spend here on more productive, real life things, like actually working on that book I've been trying to write for years. :D
 
awww.concordiaenterprises.com_ce_logo.jpg

So this is who owns the Book Forum now? How odd. I wondered what Toadal and Stewart were talking about when they mentioned the change in name.
 
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