I see it's weekend again, I missed the package delivery man bringing my new 4 drive-bay NAS, and now I have to go into town to pick it up.

In the mean time I see that Mark is being a nuisance again on the forums. Mark my boy, you know by now I don't mind free speech and all, within reason, but the YT links are not necessary. Not in this thread.

As for the threats, I don't like to be getting up against that either.

I've given enough warnings.
I've given enough pleas.
I'm done with it.

Have a nice vacation.

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You have to bear in mind that no individual Mod bans anybody. A ban vote is started and all the mods vote on it, and the majority vote is carried one way or the other.

Yes and no.

If a poster with a chronic history of posting challenges starts breaking rules, moderators have the OPTION of imposing a 6 hour cooling off period on that individual, instead of asking for a full 2 week (or longer) ban.

To do so the moderator hits the ban button, informs other members of the moderating team that this is a "cooling off" period and then asks the other moderators to abstain from voting for 6 hours. If all the moderators comply with this request, the problematic poster automatically returns to the boards in 6 hours.

The current moderating team is comprised of very respectful people. For example, if somebody asks me not to vote so that a poster gets only a cooling off period, then I am going to respect my fellow-moderator's right to make that call. What I might have done under the same circumstances is immaterial, as far as I'm concerned.

If a poster is gone for six hours and then is suddenly back, readers should not assume that a ban vote failed.

A ban vote COULD have failed... OR some very kind moderator could have chosen to just give a poster a cooling-off period, in the hopes that said poster will quickly return to the boards in a better mental state.

It is not the intent of any moderator to punish people who are problematic posters secondary to having cognitive, social, mental health and/or medical conditions. That being said though, we are also entrusted with keeping the posting boards "a pleasant place for most". We do our best to strike a balance, and I think that we work well as a team.

Just speaking hypothetically, of course...

Dear CRL,

Did Fred just make a change in the rules that specifically applies to people who misbehave on schedule?

readers should not assume that a ban vote failed.

But isn't that exactly what the forum software assumes? Being pedantic, but we are talking computers. I get that the "failure" may be because zero ballots are cast, either by request or everyone is asleep.

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To answers some points

1 - Yes

2 - Yes

3- Yes

4 - No

5 - Yes, Fred can agree a longer ban.

The current 6 hours has proved fine so far since I have been a mod.

Why has nobody had the honesty, the courage, and the guts to do this before???

Because this is a voluntary position and it takes time and effort to organise properly. Time is something not everyone has in abundance.

I should have gone on holiday for a fortnight, but the ban vote failed.

This was an instance where the moderator concerned asked for a six hour cooling off period only. The other moderators respected those wishes So whilst you would have thought the vote failed it was supposed to.

We have to work with the way the system was set up. It may not be perfect but I do not suspect it would be quick or easy to change.

We do our best to strike a balance, and I think that we work well as a team

I would agree with this wholeheartedly. Some out there may think the mods act on their own, the current team go to great lengths to try and be fair, we don't just hide post and ban people without discussion, and we can and do ask Fred's advice.

Hypothetically...

We have to work with the way the system was set up.

I actually meant the forum software. I doubt that anyone has the time to rewrite it. Which is what it needs.

As you see we do our best to make it work for us.

I believe that was enforced from 1933 - 1945. There is no need for such censorship in the modern world.

Next you'll be asking that riff-raff not be allowed to vote!

This was an instance where the moderator concerned asked for a six hour cooling off period only

The moderator was wrong. Which is why I did what I did. They should have been over-ruled.

Well, you know yourself. I'm sure if you asked Fred he could arrange a longer time out for you to have drama over. Then again he might refuse because he doesn't want to give you ammunition in your current state. :-)

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Now that would make an excellent epitaph :-)

This was an instance where the moderator concerned asked for a six hour cooling off period only

The moderator was wrong. Which is why I did what I did. They should have been over-ruled.

If we thought they were wrong, we would have done so.

We have to work with the way the system was set up.

No you don't!!! For Lords sake are you men or mice?

Quite a few of us are neither.

but I do not suspect it would be quick or easy to change.

But that is no reason not to try is it?

It really isn't a priority for the project and certainly not a good use of their time.

I wouldn't be a seti Mod if you paid me $10 million a year. But I would pay the project $1000 a year for the privilege of being Fred. But it won't happen, so mass resignations won't be needed.

It certainly won't happen, not considering your current state of mind. However, seeing as you are so keen to flash your money about and have the code fixed, why don't you offer to pay someone to recode the forum rather than use it to try and bribe people into doing things your way?

I would agree with this wholeheartedly. Some out there may think the mods act on their own, the current team go to great lengths to try and be fair, we don't just hide post and ban people without discussion, and we can and do ask Fred's advice.

Thank you for that, and I hope Mark S is listening.

Hypothetically of course ...

I hope you are listening too. Perhaps you should look to the beam in your own eye for a change.

I see that I opened quite a can of worms here.

To the next person who says to me "It is not fair!!! I wish to reply: "Who the heck ever told you that life was fair???!!!"

Nobody has to participate in any voluntary project. Nobody has to post on any project related board. Be a decent human being and chances are good you will never be moderated for anything... except maybe an accidental double post. (Why double posts bother people so much will forever remain a mystery to me...)

I was not planning to hold a discussion here. I was simply clarifying an erroneous assumption that got posted.

Doesn't everybody have better things to do on the weekend???!!!

Grumpily yours...

CRL

I can't Angela, been told to be a good boy. Not easy but I want to continue breathing :-) About to retire for the night, so good night one & all.

Well, they installed me again, fool I was, they tricked me into showing up!

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It is not the intent of any moderator to punish people who are problematic posters secondary to having cognitive, social, mental health and/or medical conditions. That being said though, we are also entrusted with keeping the posting boards "a pleasant place for most". We do our best to strike a balance, and I think that we work well as a team.

One last thought before I "turn to the drink" myself this evening...

I would hope that those who might be lucky enough not to have cognitive, social, mental health and/or medical conditions that might impact their posting style would simply be GRATEFUL for the lovely hand that life has dealt them, instead of pouting and whining like tattling preschoolers who are resentful every time that life does not follow the predictable plan of "stimulus - response - consequence".

(Pookers, break out the tiki-mugs. CRL needs a mai tai!!!)

Good morning all, agree Angela, it's lovely to wake up every morning & be able to smell the roses.

I actually meant the forum software. I doubt that anyone has the time to rewrite it. Which is what it needs.

The first thing is to draw up a list of proposed changes for discussion and agreement, that is maybe something you could take on? The next stage is to find out how many man-hours it could take to implement, and therefore the approximate cost. Perhaps ES99 could look into that aspect?

If it turns out that it will take hundreds of man-hours costing many thousands of dollars, then the money could probably be better spent elsewhere. If it is a reasonable sum then yes, I would be prepared to donate something towards it, perhaps as ES99 is flush at the moment she could add something to the pot.

I am grateful to both CRL and Bernie for filling in the gaps in our knowledge, I think it has been a useful exercise, and a few hands have been shown. I hope that she enjoyed the Mai Tai, she deserved it :-)

Maybe it'd be best to actually have "Fred" him/herself participate in this thread if possible. Even if the Mods agree with the proposition, Fred can strike it down without further discussion if he/she chooses to do so. I am interested in reading the proposed ideas myself.

The first thing is to draw up a list of proposed changes for discussion and agreement, that is maybe something you could take on? The next stage is to find out how many man-hours it could take to implement, and therefore the approximate cost. Perhaps ES99 could look into that aspect?

Nope. I have enough on my plate without people volunteering me for anything else.

If it turns out that it will take hundreds of man-hours costing many thousands of dollars, then the money could probably be better spent elsewhere. If it is a reasonable sum then yes, I would be prepared to donate something towards it, perhaps as ES99 is flush at the moment she could add something to the pot.

Who said I was flush? This is your idea Chris, please don't drag me into it. It will probably cost thousands of dollars and lots of man hours, I suggest you look into it before making suggestions for what other people can and cannot do.

If the censorship road is travelled, say goodbye to forums & projects. this is 2016 not 1933.

If you two (or either one) want to have a snide remark contest please find another location to do so.

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Note to self, don't mention you have enough to take your husband out to dinner or people will think you are 'flush' and start hitting you up for money.

*shakes head in wonderment*

Spammer banished.