With the goal of improving the administration of this site, and enhancing the value of the many discussion forums, we have added a little color to the online names of a few very trusted individuals. Three gentlemen have agreed to serve as Forum Moderators to help with the organization of the information shared here, and to help us get back to where we want to be in terms of overall site personality and charm (yes, we are a charming bunch).
Two things that have always been very important to me personally are welcoming new members and assuring that no new post goes unanswered.
Just a few nights ago, the tradition of a Welcome thread was resurrected. We really don't need Moderators for this because we have so friendly a group and so many frequently participating members. But the Mods are going to keep a watchful eye to ensure that we don't miss anyone. Every person who takes the time to sign up to our site deserves to be welcomed and made to feel a part of the Pub. All of us need to do a better job of making sure all people who sign on have been welcomed. The new members do not need to reply if they don't wish to, but they do need to be assured that they found the right place.
Secondly, It really troubles me to scroll down through the topic lists and see threads that have been initiated but have zero replies. If someone posts a message, be it a request for help, a simple hello, or just because he or she was moved by the friendliness of the place and wanted to say something, that person deserves an acknowledgement of how much we appreciate it. Even if we don't have an answer or cannot link them to another thread of discussion on the same subject, we should at least let them know that they are not unnoticed. Doing so also keeps the topic closer to the top of the list and increases the likelihood that someone will see it and be able to help.
These two simple yet significant things are fundamental to the long success of this forum. Bill and I by ourselves have not been able to keep up with these for quite a while, and as the membership grows we scarcely have time to wish we could. In those areas, we ask for everyone's help.
Another benefit of the Moderators will be their ability to edit individual posts to help the author correct problems with links, images, and other BBCode usage. About the only editing we ever do on here without the prior permission of the author is to correct obviously misplaced or missing format tags and to fix nonworking links. We never announce when a correction is made, nor do we offer more help than someone really wants. There is no reason for that to change. The Mods will also have the ability to delete offensive posts, but when they get to the first one, it will be the first one ever. So there is no need to think of the Mods as grammar school teachers with wrist-slapping rulers. A good part of the charm of the Pub is that it is just that: laid back, friendly and easy to be in.
Probably the biggest help the Mods will provide is in organization. We never demand that someone puts a topic in right place at the right time, and we don't really worry too much about "off topic" posts. (I still have nightmares about being "off topic" and getting caught!) But if a thread has information on a particular subject that would likely be useful to others in the future, it is best for everyone to keep that information where it can be expected to be found. The Moderators will be able to move an entire thread, or select and split off groups of messages, in order to put it in the best spot for future reference. We have done that all along, and we like to leave things alone until the activity slows down. Then we will move it to the best section of the Library. Sometimes we will leave what is known as a Shadow Topic in the original location, which is just a link to take the user to the new location. The only impact the Mods will have in that area is to make us better at it.
The Moderators, who were selected for their patience and gracious communication skills, will also be watching for discussions that are about to become heated or take on a tone that distracts from the friendliness here. In those situations, we can expect to see some gentle guidance back to a more peaceful state.
As an illustration of just how unobtrusive these guys are going to be, one of the three Moderators has been serving in that role since the first days of the new C-Brat forum, and the last year of the old CBTech site on MSN. Michael (MichaelOnTheClaraMae) has considerable organization skills, and a whole bunch of patience. The two newest Moderators are Dusty (Sawdust) on the west coast, and Tom (Otter-BellHavenMarina) on the east coast. My thanks go out to these three gentleman for being so able and willing to keep our little Pub a place to call home.
Bill and I will still do the administrative chores, like creating and linking photo albums, updating profiles for members, making Event signup lists, and helping however we can behind the scenes. Bill will maintain exclusive responsibility for the forum software, server issues, and other technical aspects of making this all work. I will continue doing whatever it is that I do.
The only distinctive difference for the Moderators is the color of their names in the list when they are online. Remember: The green guys are good guys!
Mike
Two things that have always been very important to me personally are welcoming new members and assuring that no new post goes unanswered.
Just a few nights ago, the tradition of a Welcome thread was resurrected. We really don't need Moderators for this because we have so friendly a group and so many frequently participating members. But the Mods are going to keep a watchful eye to ensure that we don't miss anyone. Every person who takes the time to sign up to our site deserves to be welcomed and made to feel a part of the Pub. All of us need to do a better job of making sure all people who sign on have been welcomed. The new members do not need to reply if they don't wish to, but they do need to be assured that they found the right place.
Secondly, It really troubles me to scroll down through the topic lists and see threads that have been initiated but have zero replies. If someone posts a message, be it a request for help, a simple hello, or just because he or she was moved by the friendliness of the place and wanted to say something, that person deserves an acknowledgement of how much we appreciate it. Even if we don't have an answer or cannot link them to another thread of discussion on the same subject, we should at least let them know that they are not unnoticed. Doing so also keeps the topic closer to the top of the list and increases the likelihood that someone will see it and be able to help.
These two simple yet significant things are fundamental to the long success of this forum. Bill and I by ourselves have not been able to keep up with these for quite a while, and as the membership grows we scarcely have time to wish we could. In those areas, we ask for everyone's help.
Another benefit of the Moderators will be their ability to edit individual posts to help the author correct problems with links, images, and other BBCode usage. About the only editing we ever do on here without the prior permission of the author is to correct obviously misplaced or missing format tags and to fix nonworking links. We never announce when a correction is made, nor do we offer more help than someone really wants. There is no reason for that to change. The Mods will also have the ability to delete offensive posts, but when they get to the first one, it will be the first one ever. So there is no need to think of the Mods as grammar school teachers with wrist-slapping rulers. A good part of the charm of the Pub is that it is just that: laid back, friendly and easy to be in.
Probably the biggest help the Mods will provide is in organization. We never demand that someone puts a topic in right place at the right time, and we don't really worry too much about "off topic" posts. (I still have nightmares about being "off topic" and getting caught!) But if a thread has information on a particular subject that would likely be useful to others in the future, it is best for everyone to keep that information where it can be expected to be found. The Moderators will be able to move an entire thread, or select and split off groups of messages, in order to put it in the best spot for future reference. We have done that all along, and we like to leave things alone until the activity slows down. Then we will move it to the best section of the Library. Sometimes we will leave what is known as a Shadow Topic in the original location, which is just a link to take the user to the new location. The only impact the Mods will have in that area is to make us better at it.
The Moderators, who were selected for their patience and gracious communication skills, will also be watching for discussions that are about to become heated or take on a tone that distracts from the friendliness here. In those situations, we can expect to see some gentle guidance back to a more peaceful state.
As an illustration of just how unobtrusive these guys are going to be, one of the three Moderators has been serving in that role since the first days of the new C-Brat forum, and the last year of the old CBTech site on MSN. Michael (MichaelOnTheClaraMae) has considerable organization skills, and a whole bunch of patience. The two newest Moderators are Dusty (Sawdust) on the west coast, and Tom (Otter-BellHavenMarina) on the east coast. My thanks go out to these three gentleman for being so able and willing to keep our little Pub a place to call home.
Bill and I will still do the administrative chores, like creating and linking photo albums, updating profiles for members, making Event signup lists, and helping however we can behind the scenes. Bill will maintain exclusive responsibility for the forum software, server issues, and other technical aspects of making this all work. I will continue doing whatever it is that I do.
The only distinctive difference for the Moderators is the color of their names in the list when they are online. Remember: The green guys are good guys!
Mike
