I think I've realised why I have always felt uncomfortable in the Uk community

http://hipforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=223909

This latest issue has made me realise that my way of modding a community is very different to what I would imagine all you guys are used to in here, I've always followed the hip forums way of moderating, which seems to me to be that of, the mods call the shoots and follow the guidelines and anyone that steps over them are dealt with accordingly.

I now realise that most of the members of the UK community want a self functioning community, one where the members come together and make decisions about the threads.
for me neither appoach is wrong, its just right for where the place is at. (if you post in the gay forums for any lengh of time you will see the difference with how I mod over there)

I think that now I realise this I am more than happy to work with you all with this, where as before I was actually working against you all, not that I think anyone here recognised this, myself included.

If you want to have a community that is more or less self functioning and it is my belief that Peace-Phoenix's style of running this, makes the UK community the closet forum to be so in the hip forums, then you have to welcome the openess of the debate that has happened in the above link, uncomfortable it may be, but it will be in the end the only way we can iron out our differences.

so in the spirit of this place being self functioning and taken the events that have just happened do you want me to stay on and mod, now I have reached the conclusions I have I feel much more comfortable here, hoever you can all make the decision
S

 

I think you're right there Sam. This place is definately moderated a lot differently. When Hipforums says it's Free Speech forums... the UK forum certainly upholds it and Peace is an excellent mod. He only steps in when things are becoming out of order. When we are stepping over that line then he'll let us know before we get banned.

That's why the UK forum is so close and has a community atmosphere..because we don't have to suck up and brown nose the mods in here, unlike the rest of the Hipforums. We can be who we want, tell Peace to get bent or whatever. He knows that it's usually in jest and if it isn't then people will be dealt with accordingly.

 

Well said Sam, I think you summed it up very perceptively and eloquently.

I think it shows a healthy community when we can be largely self-governing and rarely need intervention. In fact the few times moderation has turned heavy-handed have tended to be the most harmful and disruptive periods in this forum's history.

It's always been a little different here, and in no small way thanks to Peace's laid-back moderating style. The community spirit has always attracted me to this place and kept me coming back, and it's what marks this place out as different from other forums!

Please stay

 

aye, we likes what you have to say

 

No problem to me Samhain, been good to see your posts of late. I think you bring a wonderful diversity and I'd be comfortable with your future modding decisions.

 

he's just too accustomed to the day care for hyperactive delinquents on the rest of the site. but still, i think he does great.

 

Yes, I definitely want you to stay on as mod. As I've said many times before, the main task of moderation, for me, is not banning or deleting, it's leading by example and fostering a community that is open, generally free and as democratic as humanly possible within the constraints of the technology. Moderation, as I see it, is an exercise in positive encouragement, rather than an exertion of negative power. That's not to say I will never ban a spammer or a flamer where the individual's actions are bringing down the community, just that I rarely ever will, and will try all other options first where possible. I appreciate different mods will have different ways of going about things. In some ways it's a product of the forums themselves. While I'd be flattered if it were true that it was my moderation style that allowed for the community spirit here, in many ways it's the community spirit that allows for my moderation style. In the American forums, and the Gay forums in particular, where you will find a lot of abusive posters and violently homophobic people, I can see how a more rigid interpretation of the guidelines is necessary. Here, thankfully, it rarely ever is. And members of the community are like a family. Obviously if one member is offended by something another has said, we'll offer support to the person who has been offended - and I PM'd Tara to make sure she was ok. However, if my brother upsets me, I wouldn't kick him out of the house. I'd let him know that he's upset me, and try to smooth things over with words not actions. I appreciate you being here Samhain, you have a lot to contribute to the forums, you're posts always give me a good laugh and you help make it a fun place to keep coming back to. I definitely want you to stay on here, and you have my support, as do all members of the community.

 

nicely said.

 

I think this is a really interesting question, and I think the answer is a bit of both. While it's true this community doesn't need much moderating because there aren't many abusive posters or trolls, it is also partly because the forum users are just trusted to get on with things and resolve issues amongst themselves. When arguments happen, they normally do just fizzle out naturally - but where people feel they are getting silenced and aren't getting a fair innings to air their concerns, those grievances will spill over into other threads, add to an atmosphere of negativity and injustice, so that heavy-handed moderation invites more problems than it solves and adds to a cycle of grievance that never has a chance to dissipate. Certainly an effect I've observed in other places.

Over-zealous moderation tends to be a disruptive, negative influence, because when wrongly used, it's the imposition of top-down power and necessarily a form of editorial control, things which are not conducive to a mature and free thinking community.

 

we love you Peace, you're the bestest daddy ever

 

Who's the daddy, who's the daddy?

Yeah, Lithium, I agree, it is both. And it's a cycle for the most part....

 

you need to grow a daddy beard now

 

It sounds we are talking about a style that's demoncratic. For me you all explain an experience of using the internet much more than I understand. You all understand about the forums and how they operate. This is my first timeyeah I know, for participating in any forum groups. That doesn't mean that I silently watched, I've been very negative of the isolation that using the a computer and internet can bring and always said there's a real world outside, anyway. I don't think I would last in the wider cyberworld of the forum if what you explain is different to this. I like it here. (I hope these don't friggin' come up hypertext.gifficon15turbo.desiel.twin.cam.15ltr.)



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They do say you learn something new every day. I just wish I learnt who They were.

Maybe not yet, F***in' hell man damn F*** S**T Symbols C****ING T**T S**T Mutha ummmm

 

Well we're a community both online and offline. If you stick around, I'm sure you'll find that out. We often end up having a Hipforums camp at the summer festivals. We used to meet up lots at peace marches, back when the war was at its peak. Also every now and again someone organises a little (sometimes big) gathering and loads of us descend on a certain part of the country for party time. It's not an isolating experience being here. I'm sure you'll enjoy it, I hope you will.

 

yeaaaaaaah I can't wait to actually meet you guys this time, rather than trying to hide from Johnny whilst I'm breaking into Beautiful Days

 

See if you can get a Glasto ticket if you can. If not, I'm pretty sure there'll be a Beautiful Days camp as usual. I can't make it this year, but maybe Jonny and Lithium can organise something....

 

I don't wanna go to Glasto, but hmmmmm maybe I do now. No, BGG and Beautiful days and maybe Deviock.

 

Jonny usually organises a camp for BGG....

 

I like the idea of a Beautiful day's camp but I 've been turned off Glastonbury for a decade or so. I fancied it around 1992 - 3 but didn't do anything about it, it was pretty big then but I just feel now I probably hate it in just the same way I hate walking around London, but thanks and again for the help!

 

Just thought this thread of Samhain's deserved a bump to remind us what a great community we are when we're trusted to be one