Well, as has been pointed out, this may be a little ‘Groundhog Day’ but with the notable exception of the various Nabakov discussions, this is the most interesting and lively thread we’ve had on TBF for some time. Some good points have been made, some of which I think deserve repeating, and I’ll do just that as I point out where I stand in all this.
I don’t have a problem with previous bans, as from what I remember the people involved, whilst entertaining at times, had been given plenty of prior warnings and knew exactly what they were doing when they overstepped the mark. I think Novella sums it up well here:
novella said:
The few people who've been banned from TBF would habitually use really crass language and personally insult others, over and over. So, if you insist on doing that, sure, it's easy to get banned. Other forums might tolerate a bit more of that, but I don't really know
Some of these people are missed by a fair number of long standing posters. Fine, but you have to except that if you want these people back you have pretty much lost the right to criticize the mods for inconsistency.
The issue on inconsistency itself is a hard one to comment on as in some case it seems to be mixed up in personal animosity between members and mods, or at least perceived animosity.
Personally I’d like the mods, who I think we all except do a difficult job, to concentrate more on the positive than the negative. I agree with what’s being said here:
seanwrightfan said:
… you have to have one person in charge, who can direct the forum and keep it running along the lines on which it was originally set up.
and here:
toadal said:
If things slow down a bit, it should be theose in charge that come up with some interesting titbits to get things moving again. It's part of the challenge of running a website. Sitting back and letting people struggle isn't the way forward at all.
when things stall, then those running the forum have a responsibility to pitch in with stuff to keep the momentum up
I think Stewart sums it up well:
Stewart said:
Moderation should be:
• Correcting thread titles to better aid the forum's search engine;
• Moving threads to the correct areas;
• Splitting threads that go off topic into two or more on topic threads;
• Helping less experienced members with the forum's software;
• Encouraging discussion, especially when it ebbs, so that the forum always appears lively.
It’s the locking of threads and don’t talk about so-and-so that really gets on my tits and not just me it seems:
novella said:
The censorship, as is, is more along the lines of peer review comments like "better not talk about that, it's against the rules" and closed threads. The idea of 'self-policing' is a bit out of control in the TBF culture, IMO. It sort of feels like fourth grade, where the guy sitting next to you is going to tattle if you pass a note or read a comic. Personally, I've cut down on visiting this site and participating because I want to read my comic and pass my notes without getting trouble with the big mean teacher.
MotoKid said:
I think what TBF has evolved into, in my humble opinion, is a very stale, very un-creative, very predictable environment that has a way of alienating its own members over time, and eventually losing them to boredom and frustration.
StillILearn said:
… some kids just got a little bit carried away and a few more got mean-spirited, and then things got out of hand and some folks got banned and now the rest of us are being looked at with a sceptical, jaundiced, or baleful eye.
I’d personally like to see the ban on politics loosened, and people trusted for longer before the wheel clampers come in. It seems strange that this ban exists and yet I talk to Sergo about politics in his Introduction thread all the time, and have done for almost a year without a word from the mods. Perhaps that’s because it’s tucked away in a corner, or because we mostly agree on things so arguments don’t flare up. But for whatever reason, politics isn’t quite as banned as some people seem to think.
Anyway, as I said the closing of threads has been getting on my wick of late, and as we have to accept 'the rules we signed up for' I’m going to retire to Sergo’s thread again, the one place I seem to be able to speak my mind…
Oh, but before I go, one last thing; I don’t think I can let this slip without a right to reply:
toadal said:
Comparing the Palimp and TBF is like comparing James Joyce to Dan Brown, they're just different beasts altogether.
I’ve had a look round Palimpset and it’s a good board; well run, focused, and with a reasonable level of discussion. However, that doesn’t make it immune from the problems that all book boards suffer from. I don’t see the range of books discussed there being any wider than TBF, just a slightly different set, of arguably more literary works. But ninety plus percent of them could be bought off the shelf in any high street book store. Where’s the diversity? The obscure gems? The exploration of Non-English language work? Discussion of East European literature, the lesser known Japanese writers, the experimental German playwrights?
Sorry, but Paplimset is no more adventurous in its book choices than any other book forum, with the intelligent thoughtful comments peppered with an occasional undercurrent of ‘aren’t we so much smarter than people who like so-and-so’ smug self satisfaction, an example of which toadal has kindly provided for us on this forum.
Personally I’d try exploring the world beyond Waterstones before I started comparing myself to Joyce.
Regards,
K-S
)
