At 10:38 AM -0400 5/27/01, Tom Rawson wrote:
>
>I think the list goes far better when there are clear policies for what is
>OK and what is not, and the moderator enforces them (gently but firmly).
>My experience is that this is fairly easy because once you put it in place
>and people learn that it will be enforced, they mostly stick to it.  When
>there are not enforced policies many lists devolve from time to time into
>flame wars.  They may end up looking successful but in fact many people
>outside the circle of those who can tolerate the flames will stay away or
>leave.

Yes! That has been my experience too. On lists where policy isn't
firm in the beginning, they are very soon nothing but flames. A few
hold center stage with their bad manners and everyone else lurks in
the background, afraid to say anything, or they leave and join
another list.

>I don't buy the "slippery slope" argument that any moderation implies
>judging and taking reponsibility for everything.  I let a lot of things
>go, but if the policies are violated I step in (this would not work if the
>policies were not clear beforehand).  On the adoption-related list I run
>people express the oddest opinions and say things that I think are flat
>out wrong. I don't make an issue out of it (except occasionally with the
>list manager hat clearly off) and feel no responsibility for it.  But when
>they start calling each other names, I step in.

I tell them all in the beginning that when I am speaking as List
Admin, I will put ADMIN: in the title of the message and I will sign
it Mary Siegel, <Listname> Admin, but otherwise I am speaking as just
one of the group. It has worked quite well.

>I do realize that the net has a traditon, based in Usenet, of total self-
>moderation.  My feeling is if people like that environment there are
>plenty of places for it, but that it doesn't lead to good information flow
>or build community (or if it does, that happens in spite of the
>unmoderated nature of the venue) -- and those would generally be two of my
>goals for most discussion lists I can imagine.

I have suggested to people who insist on flaming that they should go
join a newgroup since they seem to tolerate that and I don't. We do
have a terrific sense of "family" on my lists, and I like that. The
"admining" I do is very much like being a parent of some very good
"kids" (some of whom are older than I am). They don't need correction
most of the time, but when they do, they need someone with authority
to step in and say "Hey, not here!"

Mary