Regional Forums Moderator: Charles!

[mox 298]

He and the other mods take time out of posting for fun to organize, watch, move, close threads...etc.

So I'm supposed to be grateful, even if there is every indication they are completely unqualified for the job? If you get poor service at the DMV, should you be grateful to them for doing their job poorly because they could be spending the day at the beach? And even if you like the decision, the time to be grateful is after the fact, not before.

It's an ungrateful position which gets them a lot of hateful PM's and complaints.

As I've said several times, I personally don't like the guy. However, all of my concerns have been of a factual nature, namely the qualifications that he brings (or, as I've argued, doesn't bring) to the position. The normal qualifications for a good moderator lie in a posting history that shows good judgment and the ability to diffuse, rather than fuel, difficult situations. I've kept character judgments completely off the table. So while I imagine it might be "hurtful" to Charles for others to point out how unqualified he is to do the job, anything else would be irresponsible. And for the record I've never pm'd Charles. Ever.

Charles has done a good job in organizing, but has anyone acknowledged that? Everyone just "assumes" he won't do well in this role and won't even give him the chance to prove it before complaining about it. And it won't stop here, I'm sure he'll get more, just like all the rest.

We'll just have to agree to disagree on Charles' ability to organize. I've seen him not only move threads inappropriately, but when I complained about it, he moved another thread out of spite. It took another moderator to move both threads back. I and a number of others have complained about his organizing activities. So no, I'm not going to acknowledge his ability to organize either. If anything else, it's yet another indicator of what a poor choice this was.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Krikit, I love you!

[Welshcookie 17]

Ewok, I know you claim you don't read this site very much, so let me enlighten you. The regionals are the place that civil people can go to have a conversation without having to deal with the OT Goons.

Hey! There are far more "civil" people than goons in OT...don't be such a regional snob!

[SMOKE 1,426]

As I've said several times, I personally don't like the guy.

and thats the problem mox. you are letting your personal feelings towards charles decide your opinion about this decission. give him a chance....either 1-you will see you jumped to an irrational conclusion motivated by your person feelings....or 2-you get to gloat about being right.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I would certainly argue that Mox is not being irrational, his opinions are based on facts despite his personal feelings.

[rebeccajo 14]

I'd love to see some form of expert leadership in the K forums to keep misleading information below the noise level, but I've yet to hear a workable plan.

I would love to hear a plan for that too, and would enjoy being involved in helping.

mox and Tracy -

IMO the 'dilution' of the upper forums happened at certain point in time here. We lost some of our legacy members, for one thing. That can't be helped.

But secondly - the Regional Forums were created and people started migrating to them. Now - there would be nothing wrong with that migration if the Regional Forums had been kept to the purpose they were created for. If you wonder what that was all you have to do is go the Forum Home Page and read the description of what type of discussion those communities were supposed to be for. What happened though is a lot of immigration talk went on. That talk makes sense from the Consular standpoint. It doesn't really make sense for the rest of the process. There has also been an unwritten policy of not moving immigration talk back up the "right" forums.

Everybody knows I've long advocated dissolving the Regionals. I never wanted that done to break up friendships or the community atmosphere. My main concern has been the placement of information.

Would Admin seriously consider creating Regional Forums as sub-forums to the Consulates PLUS effectuate support for organizers/mods to move all immigration talk to the "right" place PLUS add Forum Mods (what Ewok is calling Deputies)? Keep the Regional Forums but have them be more or a 'fun' place; a place for cultural discussion; a place where like-minded individuals (for lack of a better phrase) can gather?

I'd like to add this - my concept of a Forum Mod is a person who 'specializes' in that Forum. They don't cruise up and down the Upper Communities and play God. Their 'special powers' are limited to one or two forums only. They are the knowledge police - so to speak. But they can't be bullies. They have to be willing to hear out conversations, but put the hammer down when talk that compromises the site arises.

I really think if this were done, the Upper Forums would improve.

Edited October 21, 2009 by rebeccajo

[mox 298]

As I've said several times, I personally don't like the guy.

and thats the problem mox. you are letting your personal feelings towards charles decide your opinion about this decission. give him a chance....either 1-you will see you jumped to an irrational conclusion motivated by your person feelings....or 2-you get to gloat about being right.

No. I've been VERY clear about separating personal feelings from my argument about why he's unqualified to do the job. That's what's "decided my opinion" about this decision. If you can refute any part of my argument as being based on my own personal feelings, please feel free to do so. But in the 18 pages of this thread, only the detractors have offered up actual solid evidence of his (un)qualifications. In fact, I've yet to see anybody come out and say "I really don't like Charles, but I think he'll make a good moderator." As it turns out, every one of his supporters are also his friends, mostly from OT. Why not offer up some solid evidence as to why you believe he'll make a good mod? Crossing your fingers and hoping he'll work out is hardly the way to choose a moderator.

And it's not up to me to give him a chance. That's up to Ewok.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

You may not have noticed but with a few exceptions most of the current mods are #######. With Charles Ewok is going a different route. It's a gamble. Maybe it'll work.

[LoriLawless 0]

As I've said several times, I personally don't like the guy.

and thats the problem mox. you are letting your personal feelings towards charles decide your opinion about this decission. give him a chance....either 1-you will see you jumped to an irrational conclusion motivated by your person feelings....or 2-you get to gloat about being right.

No. I've been VERY clear about separating personal feelings from my argument about why he's unqualified to do the job. That's what's "decided my opinion" about this decision. If you can refute any part of my argument as being based on my own personal feelings, please feel free to do so. But in the 18 pages of this thread, only the detractors have offered up actual solid evidence of his (un)qualifications. In fact, I've yet to see anybody come out and say "I really don't like Charles, but I think he'll make a good moderator." As it turns out, every one of his supporters are also his friends, mostly from OT. Why not offer up some solid evidence as to why you believe he'll make a good mod? Crossing your fingers and hoping he'll work out is hardly the way to choose a moderator.

And it's not up to me to give him a chance. That's up to Ewok.

I will agree that you are seperating your personal feelings, but then again so am I so please return the favor before you say the bolded.

And Ewok already did give him a chance

[SMOKE 1,426]

As I've said several times, I personally don't like the guy.

and thats the problem mox. you are letting your personal feelings towards charles decide your opinion about this decission. give him a chance....either 1-you will see you jumped to an irrational conclusion motivated by your person feelings....or 2-you get to gloat about being right.

And it's not up to me to give him a chance. That's up to Ewok.

and thats really all that needs to be said & oh yah and DONE.

[LaL 418]

Actually, I think the worst was when he added a VJer to the list of known terrorists.

This is the worst I could find.. and it's from 2006.

The reason the illegals have chosen May 1 is because it is Mexico's "Dia de Trabajador" or Labor Day. If they were in Mexico they would have the day off. That's why they picked that day.

followed quickly by the anniversary of the news arriving about the titanic sinking, with the 15,000 jars of mayo that was to be delivered to mexico. hence the celebration of sinko de mayo

I'm not sure if that was supposed to be funny in that infantile style of humor or what your intentions were with that post, but I am definitely not amused by jokes about other countries' holidays.

apparently humor is wasted on you

I guess so...as much as I tried I didn't "get" it. Do you have any better jokes??

try taking 2 midol and call me in the morning

Edited October 21, 2009 by LaL

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Actually, I think the worst was when he added a VJer to the list of known terrorists.

?

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

I'd love to see some form of expert leadership in the K forums to keep misleading information below the noise level, but I've yet to hear a workable plan.

I would love to hear a plan for that too, and would enjoy being involved in helping.

mox and Tracy -

IMO the 'dilution' of the upper forums happened at certain point in time here. We lost some of our legacy members, for one thing. That can't be helped.

But secondly - the Regional Forums were created and people started migrating to them. Now - there would be nothing wrong with that migration if the Regional Forums had been kept to the purpose they were created for. If you wonder what that was all you have to do is go the Forum Home Page and read the description of what type of discussion those communities were supposed to be for. What happened though is a lot of immigration talk went on. That talk makes sense from the Consular standpoint. It doesn't really make sense for the rest of the process. There has also been an unwritten policy of not moving immigration talk back up the "right" forums.

Everybody knows I've long advocated dissolving the Regionals. I never wanted that done to break up friendships or the community atmosphere. My main concern has been the placement of information.

Would Admin seriously consider creating Regional Forums as sub-forums to the Consulates PLUS effectuate support for organizers/mods to move all immigration talk to the "right" place PLUS add Forum Mods (what Ewok is calling Deputies)? Keep the Regional Forums but have them be more or a 'fun' place; a place for cultural discussion; a place where like-minded individuals (for lack of a better phrase) can gather?

I'd like to add this - my concept of a Forum Mod is a person who 'specializes' in that Forum. They don't cruise up and down the Upper Communities and play God. Their 'special powers' are limited to one or two forums only. They are the knowledge police - so to speak. But they can't be bullies. They have to be willing to hear out conversations, but put the hammer down when talk that compromises the site arises.

I really think if this were done, the Upper Forums would improve.

RJ, why not just make a policy that all non consulate immigration discussions in the regional area get routed to the Upper Forum? If that happened wouldn't the noise level as mox put it get drowned out once ppl returned to the top?

Edited October 21, 2009 by Sousuke

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

As I've said several times, I personally don't like the guy.

and thats the problem mox. you are letting your personal feelings towards charles decide your opinion about this decission. give him a chance....either 1-you will see you jumped to an irrational conclusion motivated by your person feelings....or 2-you get to gloat about being right.

And it's not up to me to give him a chance. That's up to Ewok.

and thats really all that needs to be said & oh yah and DONE.

Its a public forum, Mr Smoke.

People have a right to discuss decisions that affect the management of the site they participate in. In point of fact, this entire subforum suggests that such comments are welcome.

[LaL 418]

Actually, I think the worst was when he added a VJer to the list of known terrorists.

?

you remember.