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