Travel Forum & Career Advice Forum

[William33 110]

I think it would be good to have teams dedicated to the maintenance of specific forums.

PI regional anyone? I don't even post there and I know what a complete sh*thole it's become because of the factions who sit back and break the TOS left and right, but because they're doing it in Tagalog they can do it with impunity. I've mentioned several times (and so have others) that all that's needed is a dedicated moderator who speaks Tagalog. It's a problem that's driven good people from this site, and yet there is an easy solution. Why does this continue to fester?

Hey lookit me all posting criticism and stuff without mentioning organizers! Go me!

Just curious mox, do you speak/read tagalog?

If not, how can you be sure this actually occurs?

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Certainly there's a LOT of non-English speaking going on in that forum, don't you want to know if the TOS is being violated?

there are moderators who care... and there are moderators for whom the Moderator badge is nothing more than a power trip.

[William33 110]

Well first, I'm not the first person to bring this up. And although I do not speak Tagalog, I've made friends here who have spouses/fiancee's that speak Tagalog, and they no longer feel welcome in the PI forum because of the nastiness that goes on in Tagalog. It's possible they are lying to me, but I think it unlikely.

But I guess what I'd like to know is how the moderating team knows or doesn't know that it goes on? I'm not being snarky, I just think that the issue has been brought up enough that it should have at least generated some curiosity. Certainly there's a LOT of non-English speaking going on in that forum, don't you want to know if the TOS is being violated?

A valid response and I believe what you have stated, having heard it before.

We do care when the TOS is violated, irrespective of the chosen language. None of the Mods speak Tagalog, therefore we must rely on "reports". If a thread is reported, we ask a trusted source to translate.

With that said, we really don't see too many reports....hmmmmm....Captain? A Tagalog speaking mod may be of use here, as mox suggested.

To A.J. : Love you too brother!!

[Ling Ling 22]

Oh - and while I'm on a tear, I don't think we need to make this place more complicated by adding more places to have to hunt for facts. I'm an Administrative Assistant by profession. We don't make our bread and butter by making it harder to find what we need to make our bosses happy. The KISS concept applies.

Let's all make VJ as big a beuruacracy as USCIS.

Seems rather stupid, doesn't it?

Interesting that you see the idea of placing important information into a Wiki as bureaucracy. I guess it's a matter of perspective. As an Admin Asst,

I'm sure that (if you're anything like my assistants) once you've learned a task or where to find something, you like to keep it that way....and there's nothing wrong with that, IF it works for your organization....but that kind of strategy doesn't apply well everywhere.

My career experiences began in Groupware Architecture. That's a fancy name for software that enables geographically disparate people and teams to communicate and share information. It involved gathering requirements from the users, instead of making assumptions about what they need. It involved working with them to refine their requirements, so that my team of developers could create a seamless integration of their business needs with our technology. In other words, my goal was always to create a system where, if you already knew the business end, the technology wouldn't get in your way. Sounds simple, but this was years before the Internet.

Back to the topic of information repositories, a Wiki makes it very simple to find not only the information you're looking for, but the comfort of knowing that it's the latest posted version, instead of stumbling upon outdated information that's been "pinned" or posted somewhere in a thread as a static posting.

As for moderator teams assigned to forums, what do you have to say on the subject Capt?

[Captain Ewok 1,930]

Moderators for different forums!

Hey, now that's a novel idea!

Not gonna happen.

It should happen.

I know it should. But it's been talked about before and it never does.

I don't think the Captain like to give up any real control around here.

Sorry about that, but it's my honest opinion.

I am actually all for having moderators for smaller areas. The frustration in local mods is if a poster simply avoids a particular moderator by fleeing to a different forum which is why we have mainly global mods. That said, Sheriff Uling does have a few extra moderator powers in the Regional forums (can not ban or warn people but can remove / close / open threads there).

If local moderators however make more sense I am totally up to the idea.

[rebeccajo 14]

Where did I say I didn't like the idea of the Wiki, Ling Ling?

I do like the concept of the Embassy Info as originally formulated (and still available) on VJ.

Speaking of the Wiki - all that information you have listed in your signature - how much of that work is genuinely YOURS? Isn't it James' work and LotOPatiences's work, just translated over by you?

Reinvent the wheel much?

[Ling Ling 22]

I don't think there's a single moderator here who doesn't care. I just think there needs to be some stronger leadership.

Well said Mox, and I'll add to that...there needs to be a rotation of leadership...or else it becomes dictatorship.

I understand that Capt. Ewok is the owner of this site (and I'm fine with the owner doing whatever he wants, including kicking me off this site),

but I'd highly suggest a rotation of moderator duties.

There are some people here that believe SOME of the moderators may have been around long enough to

have made alliances with some of the older contributors, and such alliances could unconsciously cloud their judgement.

Plus, everyone needs a vacation once in a while.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

I'm still laughing about Groupware Architecture

[Ling Ling 22]

Where did I say I didn't like the idea of the Wiki, Ling Ling?

I do like the concept of the Embassy Info as originally formulated (and still available) on VJ.

Speaking of the Wiki - all that information you have listed in your signature - how much of that work is genuinely YOURS? Isn't it James' work and LotOPatiences's work, just translated over by you?

Reinvent the wheel much?

There are "links" to certain aspects of the process that were created by James. Obviously it may appear to you that some of the process is similar to James and Loto's work.

Here's a hint....all 3 of the guides deal with the same process....there's going to be similarity.

Attack people much?

[rebeccajo 14]

I don't think there's a single moderator here who doesn't care. I just think there needs to be some stronger leadership.

Well said Mox, and I'll add to that...there needs to be a rotation of leadership...or else it becomes dictatorship.

I understand that Capt. Ewok is the owner of this site (and I'm fine with the owner doing whatever he wants, including kicking me off this site),

but I'd highly suggest a rotation of moderator duties.

There are some people here that believe SOME of the moderators may have been around long enough to

have made alliances with some of the older contributors, and such alliances could unconsciously cloud their judgement.

Plus, everyone needs a vacation once in a while.

Wow.

That's paranoid.

[Ling Ling 22]

I'm still laughing about Groupware Architecture

See that can on my shoulder....knock it off, I dare you

[rebeccajo 14]

Where did I say I didn't like the idea of the Wiki, Ling Ling?

I do like the concept of the Embassy Info as originally formulated (and still available) on VJ.

Speaking of the Wiki - all that information you have listed in your signature - how much of that work is genuinely YOURS? Isn't it James' work and LotOPatiences's work, just translated over by you?

Reinvent the wheel much?

There are "links" to certain aspects of the process that were created by James. Obviously it may appear to you that some of the process is similar to James and Loto's work.

Here's a hint....all 3 of the guides deal with the same process....there's going to be similarity.

Attack people much?

Only when they call themselves "Dr. Immigration".

[rebeccajo 14]

I think having a moderator for each and every forum is a bit overkill. For example, the RU forum is VERY low traffic, and it would be a waste of time to dedicate a single person. But it seems like the moderator team should have a pretty good idea of where the trouble spots are. I see it as sort of a law enforcement problem. You're not going to have the same manpower dedicated to patrolling low density areas with low crime as you are to high density areas with higher crime.

And to address the concerns of a poster fleeing a local mod to go somewhere else...well the TOS is the TOS. Shouldn't matter where they flee to. If VJ has taught me anything it's that when you fight the law, the law wins.

Now now, Mox.

If you are going to have parity, then have it.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

If VJ has taught me anything it's that when you fight the law, the law wins.

[Ling Ling 22]

I don't think there's a single moderator here who doesn't care. I just think there needs to be some stronger leadership.

Well said Mox, and I'll add to that...there needs to be a rotation of leadership...or else it becomes dictatorship.

I understand that Capt. Ewok is the owner of this site (and I'm fine with the owner doing whatever he wants, including kicking me off this site),

but I'd highly suggest a rotation of moderator duties.

There are some people here that believe SOME of the moderators may have been around long enough to

have made alliances with some of the older contributors, and such alliances could unconsciously cloud their judgement.

Plus, everyone needs a vacation once in a while.

Wow.

That's paranoid.

I'm just curious Rebeccajo....how many threads do you kill per month? How many threads do you enter without contributing anything except your disagreement? How many threads do you enter into, and have your buddies come to back you up?

How many threads do you enter where YOU violate the TOS, but YOU don't suffer?

How many people have you accused of attacking you because you don't agree with them?

How many well intentioned threads per month are closed because you came in and created a mess?

I'm just curous...do you keep count?