In reply to:

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TW doesn't need moderating, it needs fresh users and/or the consistent use of former posters, which is an unlikelihood -- In the meantime where's the sense in the acquisition of moderators when there's fuck all to moderate

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Every forum needs a moderator, or several moderators (depending on how big the forum is). If all forum posters are equal, the forum moderators need to be elected democratically. A forum that has a private owner who visits and posts on the forum on a regular basis is another thing. On such a forum, the owner should be the moderator/administrator, and he/she should of course be free to nominate anyone to be his official "helping hands", but when this owner, this Almighty Creator is gone forever, the forum needs to be transformed from a dictatorship to a democracy. Note that I don't think a dictatorship-forum is a bad forum, since it is only right that the person who pays for the forum calls the shots. But when the dictator leaves, the forum needs to go through a sort of re-birth, or re-design.

So it's not a question about whether or not there should be less or more moderating. Hopefully, there won't be any need for much moderating. That's not the point. The point is that whenever the need for moderating actions comes, that moderating ought be done by someone who has the people behind him/herself. The moderators should be elected through democratic procedure, that's all I'm saying.

Because, surely, we, the people, the voters, wouldn't vote for individuals whose ideals we don't share. We don't vote for individuals who have been absent from the boards for very long periods of time. This election of new moderators would be like any "real" election. There would be a good number of nominees, and these nominees would then need to publically declare what they stand for; what morals they hold, what they would (or wouldn't) do with their newly won power; how they will act as a moderator, what kind of actions they will take against, say, pornographic pictures, insults, chatting, etc.

Then it will be totally up to us to elect any sort of moderators of our choice. And if "your" moderator lets you down, if he/she doesn't satisfy you and your needs, you will simply find yourself a new love for the next election. Now, let the games begin!




GFried: What aspect of your personallity do you think makes you post at a David Bowie message board?
Dara: For me it's pretty much an interest in David Bowie.