[RP TownTalk] Immoderate moderation

[nya_md at verizon.net]

Well said, Sarah.

I know I should know this - where are the posting guidelines posted?  

As Vern and others have pointed out, the purpose of the list is to discuss town and neighborhood issues. Disagreement on issues is good and healthy. 

Taking pot shots at somebody you disagree with is not. Impugning somebody's character is not. Moreover, resorting to labels and personal insults is the hallmark of a really weak argument. 

I don't think I know personally the subscribers who have been crossing the line, recently, and I certainly don't know the history. I think it's reasonable for the rest of us to ask you to take your squabbles offline. This is not a forum for anybody to score points on one another. You have each other's email addresses, have at it on your own bits of ether. 

Let me suggest a rule of thumb. Before you post, imagine that your 8-year-old child said to somebody's face exactly what you're about to say in your email. Or imagine that your teenager said something like that to you.  If you would punish him or her for saying it, that's a pretty good indication that you shouldn't be saying it.  

Really.

Nancy
Riverdale Road


From: Sarah Wayland <sarah.wayland at gmail.com>
Date: 2007/02/22 Thu AM 10:42:29 CST
To: towntalk at riverdale-park.org
Subject: Re: [RP TownTalk] Immoderate moderation

> As someone who's fairly new to the site, can I ask -
> is a person put on "moderation" because the moderator
> thinks that person is saying something wrong, or
> because another poster has reported him/her, or both?

As spouse of the moderator, I'd like to respond "unofficially", as I
know the moderator is not able to spend time responding to posts
during the day today.

The answer to your question is that a person is moderated if they
violate the posting guidelines.

A complaint from another list member generates a review of the
offending post, and if it has voilated the posting guidelines, the
person is moderated.

Sometimes no one complains - people just start signing off the list
during a particular discussion. That would also generate a review of
recent posts, as happened here.

To clarify: it's not about saying something "wrong" - we all have
different opinions, and I know the moderator (and I) think it is very
important that all voices are heard. It is about being respectful of
others, even if their opinion differs from your own.

Best regards,
Sarah Wayland
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