New forum moderators: Ang and Steve

[samfp1943]

Kevin C. Smith

Would this be the place to ask if there will now be (new) moderating on the TRAINS Newswire comments? It has been in great need for quite some time.

  IMHO... An excellent suggestion.

                      Do not know if it is a system error that a number of multiple comments from one contributor can post sequentially; It would also  seem to be a level of moderation needed., to contain the level of personal  commentary exuberance, or animus that some Newswie contributor's posted comments seem to gather or contain. 

   What Is the  thing that a Systems check "checks' before a comment  is posted by 'The System': a list of prohibited words???   It certainly seems to have a high level of repeat posting contributed by a Poster, with the same content. 

[Kevin C. Smith]

I don't know what the systems checks, though I seem to recall that my first posting to the Newswire comments was delayed before it showed on line. Perhaps it simply verifies that the account posted from is not a SPAM-bot, which would explain the lack of oversight of existing posters. Without pointing fingers, I would suggest that any new moderator go back as far as possible (a year, if the Newswire comments are archived that far back) to get a feel for what has been going on. Things have progressed (regressed?) to the point that many people might be subject to sanctions that properly ought to be levied upon the instigator.

[samfp1943]

Angela Pusztai-Pasternak

Hello, friendly forum folks!

I wanted to let you know that Associate Editor Steve Sweeney and I will be your new forum moderators. We hope you enjoy your forum experience and please be kind to one another.

Thanks and have a great day!

Ang

Ang and Steve:  While looking for something else, I found a topic ( a mouldy oldie? )    stuck in the TRAINS 'wayback' machine]         It could be said to sort of illustrate the morass that you guys have been thrown into...The publishing equivalent of the "Tarbaby thrown into the Briar patch" ? 

The link is @ http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/111/t/47812.aspx?sort=ASC 

The Topic is "Do any readers act as Moderators?"    

     I am not completely certain but I think it was the time that our then Staff Moderator, Eric  " Bergie" Bergman  was looking for an escape to saner places.... Was Cooking or Knitting, or something 'crafty', or just 'drinkin'?          I think he had collected what sanity he had left and made his exit to some place where it seemed that the Inmates were not trying to capture the asylum....

an exchange to sort of illustrate my point: "...Following snipped from the linked Thread..]

Posted by Anonymous

on Sat, Oct 22 2005 11:17 AM

QUOTE: Originally posted by Murphy Siding

QUOTE: Originally posted by Lotus098

Sure thing, Murphy Siding! Now lets talk trains!

Start a thread about where you live, and what railroad operations are like there, and let this thread die.

Ladies and gents:
I am very new to this forum,but I thought I would add my two cents (in todays money that is worth about how many mills) anyway.

Even though my late father said I have two states of mind, apathy and ***ed unreasonable, I think I can add, based on what I have seen at other forums.

If you want to see what moderated, but as loosely as possible brings, go read the Autoweek forum, you will see that todays youth as a whole are lacking in couth.
On the other hand, at road racing forums, moderating has become rather fascist, and where posting was, not as lively as this one, still quite lively, it now goes days at one of the originals where the mod. is the one who has to post a topic or thesilence is deafening.

The one thing that I find--odd--is what Murphy did in the post above this one; now Murphy has been a frequent poster on this one, but in other forums, some one will make the one's, one and only post , "contributing" to the thread, and it is to complain that the thread exists.
Some times the other posters will tell the one, if the one does not like it,do not read it, but too often the complainer will get it shut down.

To me the choice is simple, do as one mod. at Daily Sport Car does, if it is off topic, start a new thread in the proper column, or the more logical choice, if a thread annoys one,simply don't read it.

OK, the owner of my soap box is quickly approaching with a pitch fork, so I gotta run.
Bob..."

My point is to make the point that AT TIMES EVERYTHING THAT SEEMS 'NEW' IS ACTUALLY 'OLD.'

So to Ang and Steve...The pot is boiling and the vegetables are almost don, jump in. 

[tacohell]

we need some tolerance of all opinions here even the radical right/left/up/down/socialist/capitalist/tea/democratic/al sharpton/glenn beck /

[chad s thomas]

.......popcorn.... popcorn... get your popcorn......

[Norm48327]

tacohell

we need some tolerance of all opinions here even the radical right/left/up/down/socialist/capitalist/tea/democratic/al sharpton/glenn beck /

NOPE! And I suggest you keep your partisan politics to yourself. This is not the place for such.

[schlimm]

Norm48327

tacohell

we need some tolerance of all opinions here even the radical right/left/up/down/socialist/capitalist/tea/democratic/al sharpton/glenn beck /

NOPE! And I suggest you keep your partisan politics to yourself. This is not the place for such.

Definitely.  This is not the place for those views, but historically some of those views seem to get a pass.  The restrictions need to be applied sensibly, IMO, but evenhandedly.

[Overmod]

If I might suggest.

Within the strictures clearly established in the TOS, to which everyone agreed when they signed up for the Forum, there is a place for free expression and exchange of ideas.  That is a somewhat different thing from ramming one's opinion, or conception, or choice of facts down another's throat (even if right ;-} and it CERTAINLY does not countenance explicitly-political digression or posting that is not immediately germane to the (railroad-related) topic of a thread on the forums.

(I do not need to go into the sort of name-calling and ad-hominem attacks that occur when tempers get hot, do I?  Those are prima facie violations of TOS... and frankly, I'm interested in the idea more than the particular characteristics of the person(s) expressing it. 

I am of the opinion -- rightly or wrongly in Kalmbach's eyes -- that discussions of some subjects are inherently and unavoidably political, and that discussion of the underlying politics can't really be separated as taboo.  But it does mean no objectionable behavior, or comments directed at a poster outside of the context of something ... whether railroad-related or not ... inherent in the thread.  I would be tempted to extend it to 'no dogmatic politics or opinions' -- but that would be precisely the kind of threaditing that I don't particularly care for, whether I'm a moderator or not.  (And adults know to hit the delete key... or in emergencies invoke the friend/foe system and get their snippets second- or third-hand through quoting...)

I agree with the evenhanded principle, and I would note -- again -- how refreshing it has been to have a 'hand' like the one that has kept things in line over the past few weeks.  I have really seen nothing but fairness in the actions taken and, presumably, the corrections 'behind the scenes' where needed.

[John WR]

Thank you for introducing yourself, Angela, and introducing Steve.   I've been away a few days but I'm back now and I'm happy to meet you.   

John

[switch7frg]

  This is just a little  humor to lighten up a bit. The cover of this months shows a loco that looks like a cartoon  straight out of a cars movie .   The small format on the webpage  at first glance made it look that way.  just a little  fun on this cloudy damp day.

 

                                                 80mm  Cannonball

[Overmod]

switch7frg

The cover of this months shows a loco that looks like a cartoon  straight out of a cars movie

Are you sure it's not...

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTD30yA0tOWUG22MrnFmyyXhfCu3KQX81AMrujhNwUZeHSL5E9Xjw

[floridad]

only the shadow knows 4 shure?

[blownout cylinder]

Oh welcome to this forum!! ...

I need to say that, due to health issues,  CHF can take one's breath away a little too well...I ended up just doing the moderating off my Google Nexus 4....very small screen and next to no eyesight...uh uh...no good....

Your input will be quite welcome here!!