# moderator suggestion



## cfleck (Mar 29, 2003)

i have noticed over the past week or two that this has gotten more noticable so i thought i'd give it a shout out.

there have been quite a few "conversations" in threads between moderators and users where the moderator is defending their actions and the user is inquiring heavily about it.  now i understand that these things must take place but there are times when they are dominating a page.  take the al gore thread in the rumors section.  regardless of anyones opinion on the topic there is quite a bit of conversation on "what the moderator should do."

my suggestion is simply to send personal messages after the initial explanation.   it just becomes rather frustrating to be reading along and then have to skip a page because there is a side conversation going on.  

thanks.


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## nickn (Mar 29, 2003)

Since this is in the cafe..I'm going to comment, I understand I'm not a moderator, however I am the one who triggered this particular post.

When I went to make that post inquiring about the off topic'ness, I considered not posting it because it was only making it more off topic. 

However, since off topic posts aren't regularated, what's the difference? You already know there is a chance when you load that thread that it won't be anything to do with apple news and rumors. 

It starts off with gore being on the board than goes off topic to gore being VP, and gore should have been elected president, than off topic to why we don't regulate off topic posts....I hate to say it but it all seems to fit to me. 

I think it's one thing if it goes into a long conversation, however if it does....I for one think that having public responses will educate more users, I didn't know that off topic wasn't against therules..now i do, and so do others i'm sure..

just my 3 cents.


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## cfleck (Mar 29, 2003)

i c your point, but here is my (fuzzy) argument.  when you or i get off topic, thats one thing, and in theory could be moderated.  when a moderator decided he/she is going to carry on a running conversation with someone everyone and their mom is forced to see it because there is no chance that conversation will ever get modded and it will only end when they want it too.  

basically, i see it as a chance to make the forums  a bit cleaner is only for a little foresight from our moderators.  if on-topic isnt an issue, fine.  but since they are technically moderators they shouldn't have to contribute to it.

its always been my view that if you are posting to converse you should post as a user, not a moderator.  posting as a mod tends to give more credibility to a statement than is sometimes deserved.


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## bobw (Mar 29, 2003)

No one should think that when a mod posts a reply, he/she  has more credibility. We are here to read through posts to make sure they conform to Board Rules.  If a moderator or user has a problem with each other, it should be handled through PM's or email, not in a thread. (my opinion).

All mods have an macosx.com email address. Just user their username@macosx.com.

Of course mods can post and reply to posts as any user would, this doesn't mean that any of us knows more than the anyone else on the board just because we're mods.


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## nickn (Mar 29, 2003)

I think one of the issues here is..

What defines a problem?

I don't believe there was any problems in the thread he is speaking of. Simple discussion on forum rules, and what not...Now if there was  a outright disagreement that I full heartedly agree that it should be taken to PMs or email, but if it's simply a question on rules and a explanation on them, than I think it should stay public..

Just my 3 or 4 cents...


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## cfleck (Mar 29, 2003)

just to clarify, i'm not all up in arms about this.  its just a simple suggestion.  i think i see room for improvement and so i'm spouting.  

i dont really have anything more to say than this...

moderator replies about issues not pertaining to the thread have no place in the thread.  in the interest of keeping the thread interesting and readable they should minimize interaction for purposes other than the topic at hand.  thants all.


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## edX (Mar 29, 2003)

> _Originally posted by cf25 _
> *my suggestion is simply to send personal messages after the initial explanation.   it just becomes rather frustrating to be reading along and then have to skip a page because there is a side conversation going on.
> *



once a 'conversation' has been started in public, it should remain in public. the issue should be resolved in some way that all who happen to read it get an understanding of it. as a member, it would be proper to start such conversations in public if you believe it effects other members as well as yourself. otherwise pm's and email would be a better choice for privately working something out.

a better alternative to interrupting the thread to publicly discuss something with a moderator is to do as you have done and start a seperate thread about the issue. however, these belong in Site Discussion, not the cafe, which is why i have moved this. 

but as the particular interruption you are referring to points out, we aren't going to get all bent out of shape over interrupted threads. personally i like messes and organized chaos. too much neatness is contradictory to the laws of nature.


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## chevy (Mar 29, 2003)

Nature is not only mess... it has several states, between crystal, gas and several more or less homogenous mix. Without speaking about the dynamic of nature: reducing states, emerging states... even chaos have its own rules.

But this is off topic


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## cfleck (Mar 29, 2003)

chevy -> amazing


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## chevy (Mar 29, 2003)

really ?


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## Jason (Mar 29, 2003)

didnt see this before, is this about me and the gore thread? dont worry, i got my hand slapped for it


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## Jason (Mar 29, 2003)

nevermind! i see whats going on now 

ive stayed out of that thread since my um attempt at moderation lol


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## edX (Mar 29, 2003)




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## Jason (Mar 29, 2003)

shush you


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