Friday, August 5, 2011

Rules.

As I'm brand new to moderating the page, but NOT new to being on the page, I just wanted to quickly say that bullshit squabbles in the comments will just be taken down, any and all parties. I took down some comments today that were clearly just about some CM community members puffing their chests out at each other AND trying to minimize the experience of the other.

This is not my rule, but I admire it. Fab and Leslie tried to make this page a place where we could bitch and whine and vent, without being attacked by our own community. There are lots of places on the Internet to be a bully and an asshole. As long as I'm running CM, this is not going to be one of them.

Gordon Presto
CM Moderator

37 comments:

  1. One rule is the only one necessary.

    Act like adults, not like childish bullies and victims.

    Hang in there, Gordon!

    XOXO
    Darla

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like it's test-the-boundaries-with-the-new-moderator time. Hang in there, Gordon, and thanks for keeping things civil (and, yes, adult).

    ReplyDelete
  3. Most of us don't really have a problem making that distinction between ad hominem attacks and respectful criticism, Anon.

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  4. Posting as anonymous is not allowed. There is already a community member who uses the moniker who has been complaining about the page since day one, and is schtick is long-established.

    CM community members are asked to pick a moniker and stick to it. Multiple monikers, however, have resulted in folks being removed from the page.

    In an effort to establish a community, we attempt to follow these guidelines.

    Thanks,
    CM

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  5. Thanks, Gordon Presto, for taking on the challenge... erm... responsibility.

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  6. There was no need to delete anonymous' comments. It looks like we have another moderator who censors too freely.

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  7. @ south_east

    Reminds me of a comment on a prior eval:

    "There was no need to cross out all my wrong answers. It looks like we have another proffie who grades too freely."

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  8. @South_East

    Now that you've left behind "anonymous" and chosen a moniker, welcome to the page. Don't go back to posting as anonymous, as that would be a violation of the rules.

    For more than a year this place has hosted some extraordinary discussions about the academic world. I'm sure all of us look forward to your input.

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  9. Gordon Presto....

    He teaches someting.

    He manages a blog.

    He's a cop.

    INTERNET COP.

    Playing wherever a douchebag mouths off on the Intertubez.

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  10. SEP, grow up. Any moderator on an active blog has to monitor IP addresses. CM's been open about that the entire time, it's the only way to keep trolls from impersonating other posters, sock puppet fueled flame wars, and other nastyness.

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  11. Poor Gordo. Fab turns the keys over at a relatively quiet time, and then our new friend arrives.

    Reminds me of other past visitors like Jim, Tim (Not Jim), one of the anons, honest_prof, etc.

    While I love the comments on CM, I am glad that we didn't use them at RYS for those years.

    Hang in there everyone. Usually these people get tired out pretty quick.

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  12. Well Compound, the imposter of the last post under this nickname makes my point, you don't know who's writing what, even if the moderator monitors IP addresses.

    And I fully understand why you would not want new voices in your closed little group.

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  13. Oh, that's a new one, the claim that we don't want new voices. Every single troll who has come by has used the same ploy. honest_prof was the one who really hit it hard.

    It's simply not true. There are always new people who show up on the blog, write, read, take part, and they become a part of the community and don't bitch about how outside they feel.

    You should try it.

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  14. Don't feed the trolls. Remember, the weaker mind has to get in the last word.

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  15. No, the real "last word" around here is the secret world of emails Mr. Presto gets because I've threatened to off my class, or that I steal too liberally from John Le Carre, or some other yackety-shmackity-blah-blah-blah subject that comes up.

    I'd also like to take this space to give my welcome to Mr. Gordon Presto; it's a hard job, but it's a man's life in the College Misery.

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  16. I'm going to give every one of my students A's!

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  17. I feel most welcome, after being called a troll and other insults. I entered this discussion by commenting that the first post called for us tobe adults then signed the comment like a twelve year old with hugs and kisses. I felt this was ironic, perhaps the authors intent.

    After reading through the comment pages for last few months I find a trend. When faced with some post on the comment page that goes against the norm for the blog the other members:

    1) call the individual a troll, or similar words
    2) accuse the individual of being a misogynist or racist
    3) insist the comment is an ad hominem attack, which is a common
    mistake in arguments, but is also often wrongly applied
    4) cry for the individual to join the community view for the sake of harmony of the community
    5) demand, apparently by emails to the moderator, that the individual be banned by IP address
    6) compare the individual to some past member, who is well hated by the community
    7) encourage the poster to go elsewhere if their views do not conform with the norm

    All of this would be typical for a standard social network blog, but this is suppose to be a community of academics. We are suppose to have open minds and embrace different ideas, even if they are a little uncomfortable.

    The behavior of this blog is completely opposite to the way I believe an academic community should operate. In addition, the stories and follow up comments, even if highly exaggerated, are way beyond any problems I have encountered (although this is a singular viewpoint). I fear that this blog does *not* represent the views of mainstream academics, but rather, while pretending to represent all academics, only maintains the views of a very few. Your rules and lack of openness only reinforce my belief.

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  18. So, we all suck!

    Thanks for stopping by!

    XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX
    Darla

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  19. The behavior of this blog is completely opposite to the way I believe an academic community should operate.

    New Friend
    ----------

    Get used to
    disappointment.

    ReplyDelete
  20. @south east

    Okay, I'll bite. I read what you have to say.

    So, we're not doing something right here. 2 million hits in about a year. About 1700 posts and thousands of comments.

    If we're doing something wrong, and it's something you don't like, I'm trying to figure out what it is you want from us. People come here to check it out. Some stay, some leave.

    What would you have us do?

    Will

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  21. Some people don't like the page. They aren't made to read it, I don't think.

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  22. @darla: see point #7

    @tingle: see point #4

    @will: I believe we can agree than quality is better than quantity, 1.9 million google crawlbots
    can not be wrong.

    What do I want? If you can not maintain academic values, stop calling yourself an academic site. Would you allow a Dept of Censorship on your campus?

    @myra: It is not a matter of liking. If you claim to represent the academic community, you must embrace our core values. It is not a matter of enjoying the stories.

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  23. What do I want? If you can not maintain academic values, stop calling yourself an academic site.

    I'd think that the Miami 4 should call a meeting of the inner circle to review South East Prof's suggestions. Perhaps we could turn the page's focus away from the academic world and toward reality TV or maybe glass collecting.

    There's no reason we can't do a lousy job in that world as well.

    PP

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  24. Someone pointed this out earlier this year I think - the primary characteristic of the troll is their desire to make the whole conversation about themselves.

    I'm sure we have more interesting things to talk about.

    ReplyDelete
  25. I missed another point

    8) hypocrisy, proclaiming the CM rule of not minimizing others opinions, yet doing exactly that

    @merely: you combined #1 and 8

    We seem to be at an impasse, and I have nothing more to contribute to this community.

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  26. @Merely: speaking of which -- Hey! Myra's back! hurrah! (and she also makes a good point, which s_e_p seems to have taken to heart).

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  27. Re: my use of the word "troll", I said don't feed "the" trolls, not don't feed "this" troll. I was not singling any one person out. Often times it is not what is said, but how it is said that causes friction.

    I think this site welcomes disagreement and discussion. However, in today's culture, and especially in politics, people miss or ignore the purpose of debate. If there is a disagreement, a debate or discussion should be held so that a solution can be reached. Once one side starts name-calling or being condescending it means that they are not interested in a solution, only in winning an argument.

    Unfortunately, nothing is accomplished and the problem remains.

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  28. One moderator to rule them all!!! I love it! :)

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  29. I have to admit that SEP's little visit is one more thing that has put a sour taste in my mouth concerning these comment threads.

    So much of what goes on here is positive and interesting, but there's always someone who comes along whose only goal seems to be to piss on someone else's enterprise.

    I know it's just a blip; this has happened before.

    Courage, mes amis.

    Fab

    PS: Sorry, Dr. Presto...hang in there.

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  30. I hate that anyone was bugged by SEP's little condescending spin around the joint.

    If Angry Archie or Ben or Stella or Yaro has misgivings about what this page does, I'd listen to them. They've earned some bona fides around here, as have dozens of others posters, correspondents, and commenters.

    But when someone outside of the page takes our temperature for 24 hours and suggests that we've got it all wrong, I have to admit all I can think of to retort is:

    Who gives a shit?

    I've been on this page since RYS ended. It's as much of a part of my academic experience as anything else, and its value to me is high.

    That doesn't mean it's for everyone. So be it.

    The arrogance of strolling by our virtual water cooler only to tell us we've got it all wrong astounds me.

    Nobody should lose a moment's thought over it.

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  31. @ Southeast

    And you are hijacking the forum. Care to break any other rules?

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  32. I don't want this to be taken the wrong way, and believe me when I say that I am only trying to be funny and make a suggestion.

    Instead of "moderator", shouldn't we call it "yard-duty" instead?

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  33. I may be committing a huge breach, but has anyone else noticed that when the moderator change took place, Terry P. disappeared from active duty?

    Does that mean what I think it means, Dr. Presto?

    I hope so. I believe we'll be in good hands...like we were with Leslie K and the glorious Fab.

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  34. Terry P is the guy who wrote this beauty.

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  35. @Darla: I've been harboring the same suspicion, but who knows? Maybe Terry just went on vacation. I suspect that, as in Oz, there may be some advantages to the man (or woman) behind the curtain remaining as mysterious as possible (not least that it gives the bridge substructure symbionts a less clearly-defined target to snipe at).

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  36. Dang. Why do the deleted posts always happen when I haven't checked CM for awhile?

    I'd like to take this opportunity to puff out my chest and wish Darla XOXOXO and slap EMH five for "yard duty."

    ReplyDelete

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