Re: Moderation

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Roy and/or Janet Miller wrote:
> 
 ....

> Assuming that you can moderate on the newsgroups (I really don't know if
> that can be done) it really is easy, 1) All posts have to have some
> bearing on the Apple II; 2) No personal attacks will be tolerated. So
> elevated discussion and disagreement would be allowed, but name calling
> and slanders or slurs would result in the post vanishing. It wouldn't be
> easy on the moderator. I know. I had to moderate a nasty ecclesiastical
> war in my presbytery. And though I was on one side, once in the
> moderator's chair I could no longer think that way, I had to be as
> neutral as I could be. It was exhausting. I don't envy whomever would
> get the job of moderating this group.
> 
 ....

     A live, in person debate is considerably different than the situation on
USENET. Unlike a live debate, a newsgroup easily supports multiple
discussions, any one of which readers can pay attention to or ignore.

     In terms of encouraging participation, active moderation is a downer.
Each posting usually takes a while to think about and type in. Having a
message deleted is _very_ annoying. Besides, just knowing that someone might
be killing messages would leave readers feeling that they might not be
getting a complete version of views on any controversial issue.

     The moment a moderator started to eliminate postings or to 'guide'
discussions or to close off debates, users would begin to look for another
forum-- i.e. a place you can _really_ 'speak your mind'.


     So, moderation of newsgroups which deal with issues needs to be nearly
'hands off' in order for the group to survive. For example, all of this
month's debate postings, with no censoring, would have probably have gotten
through, anyway (only somewhat delayed).

     Those who expect that moderation would get rid of annoying taunts or
extended debates would be disappointed. Or, should the moderator exercise a
strong hand, they would soon be alone in a nearly dead newsgroup and out of
the mainstream.



Rubywand