Posted by Mark H. on March 27, 2002, at 17:16:57
In reply to Re: role of stand-in, posted by Dr. Bob on March 26, 2002, at 17:52:34
Dr. Bob and Fellow Babblers,
First, the week went smoothly because of the regulars who helped keep threads civil and supportive. I won’t single out specific participants for recognition, but you know who you are. I felt that we worked well together as an unspoken team, and I thank you for making my part of the task a whole lot easier.
I checked the boards several times a day, starting at about 8 a.m. and finishing up about 10 p.m., but there wasn’t time enough to read all of the postings. Generally, I focused on new postings and looked for involvement in threads by experienced old-timers.
Several people raised questions and concerns, both on the boards and by writing to me directly. This worked well, both in terms of being able to reassure people individually and for knowing what information I needed to post publicly. Writing directly also gave participants a way to point out problems without having to get involved in on-line conflicts.
Probably the most important piece of information to share publicly was that filling in for Dr. Bob did not give me access to anyone’s email address or other private information. The admin functions (specifically post removal and user-name blocking) are handled through an administrative menu that enables these actions while protecting privacy. If I had better understood the significance of this earlier in the week, there might have been fewer concerns about who I am, what I do, what my role was, and so forth.
Being on “the other side” for a week clarified for me what is civil and what is not better than any list of rules. Simply put, this is not the place to debate, argue, engage in verbal battle, personalize disagreements, or disabuse people of their beliefs. By the same token, correcting inappropriate on-line behavior is the role of the moderator, not participants. The most civil response to an inappropriate post is to ignore it altogether and report it privately to the moderator.
I was surprised to be asked to fill in but glad to have the experience. It immediately changed my entire perception of participation. I felt a lot of responsibility to be vigilant and decisive, but also to be as lenient as possible, to allow threads to develop without interference except when absolutely necessary.
For all of these reasons, I think it would benefit the board if more of the regulars could be given the chance to take on the admin duties from time to time. It not only increased my sense of responsibility, but also renewed my appreciation for how much time and energy Dr. Bob devotes to keeping these boards running smoothly.
With kind regards,
Mark H.
poster:Mark H.
thread:3574
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020308/msgs/3612.html