Buzadero
252 posts
Jan 11, 2010
8:20 AM
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Greetings.
As my shoot-from-the hip business invariably dictates, I'm just returning to the Forum following an emergency call out job that liked to kick my ass. If Adam is still considering my involvement, I suppose that I should dilineate my position and he can make the final determination.
I have to disagree with Phogi in regard my personal philosophy on the level of involvement as a moderator. I'll explain.
This is Gussow's site. He founded it and he is the ultimate benevolent dictator. His whims and fancies are what we all are subject to. The closest analogy that my little pea-brain can apply to it is this:
This is Adam Gussow's house. The primary point of this website is harmonica. Specifically, "blues" harmonica. I liken this site's forum to some kind of perpetual front porch setting -- kind of a cyber midnite ramble that goes on indefinitely. People drop in and out, brought together on the porch by a common interest in the instument and the music. Between the music and musical chat, there are offhanded opinions about life and such.
If the Moderator(s) were to begin to get heavy handed and start ruling with tight discussion parameters, I would quickly lose interest. If I want only technical harp talk, I have places to get my fill of that.
The fact that the banter here at MBH runs off in tangents that move away from 'modern blues harp'....only to circle back, is a huge factor in why my interest is still piqued daily. The fact that Adam is fine with this amiable front porch atmosphere is either a credit to his vision.....or, he is just busy and he knows that it does what it does. If you want all harp all the time, and your peepee slapped if the dialogue moves away from that at all, you can stick to the Harp-L. It is a fine site and compliments this one wonderfully.
The usual format of online forums and lists is specific to one topic. If I want to discuss dual-sport motorcycles, spearfishing, service dogs, or GPS with like-minded folks, I go to that site and I stick to topic. I fully expect to remain within the confines of that topic and the Moderator to herd me back when I go "off topic". But, the blues evolved over time on the front porches and drinking joints that were filled with a high order of bullshitting and social ambiance. That, to me is how I view this forum.
My feeling is that any role I might serve as a "moderator" in my opinion, should be viewed as just a guy from the neighborhood, who loves the porch as much as anyone....who is capable of busting heads when things go to shit.
This is where Phogi and I differ. I think the front porch should be an amalgam of beginners and wise old old men, sinners and saints, and just plain folks shooting the breeze and getting their jam on. If two guys want to throw down on each other, I'm fine with letting it go off to the quiet snickers and entertainment of the rest of the picnic goers. I'm not about to step in if two people want to beat each other up. I've enjoyed a lot of hearty spectating over the years watching people bloody each other's noses over stupid crap. It can be fun to watch and bet on. But, what I won't stand is bullying, ridicule that moves past well-intentioned ribbing, bigotry, or ignorance. Call me old fashioned, but I am a big fan of the so-called "fairer sex" and I expect the women to be treated not "like anybody else", but with the same respect as your daughter, sister or your mother. The beginners should be welcomed up onto the porch, offered a beer and allowed to soak it up. Everyone started somewhere. Criticism of another person's playing should be constructive for the most part. I don't really like the comparison of one person's playing against another.....unless someone requests it. I think the harmonica is an extension of one's voice and everyone's is different. But, I'm not about to limit someone from those comparison's if they are making them. I think the peanut gallery should be self-policing......until the party gets out of control. Then, there should always be those one, two or three 'enforcers' that come in and toss the fools over the fence. Like a bouncer in a bar.
I'm not a professional harp player. I don't have any musical training. I don't want lessons. I love the harmonica and love to play it for myself and for the enjoyment of my friends, family and whoever else thinks that I might be worth listening to. Thus far, I really enjoy this bunch. I have the fortune to meet in person more than a dozen of the folks that post here. As with any cross-section of mankind, it is a varied and eclectic bunch.
So, in the words of the 20th century philosopher Rodney King..............
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
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Andrew
830 posts
Jan 11, 2010
8:24 AM
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I've moderated a university Classics forum for more than a year now, and I've never once acted on anything! I'm not sure I'd know how, lol!
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Kinda hot in these rhinos!
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Buzadero
253 posts
Jan 11, 2010
10:25 AM
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Very well.
Consider me in the College of Cardinals.
Calling all Moderators.
Please send an email to Adam with your email address so that he can have them assembled in one place. I'd like to have the ability to communicate directly and offlist with GermanHarp and ElkRiver should the need arise.
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~Buzadero
Underwater Janitor, Patriot
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Hobostubs Ashlock
299 posts
Jan 11, 2010
10:35 AM
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i kinda like your style Buzadero interesting read
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MrVerylongusername
803 posts
Jan 11, 2010
10:46 AM
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I completely agree with Buzadero, this site is has a unique charm and it works in part because of the limitations of the format (threads appear and drop of quickly - it's far more conversational) and the relatively low level of moderation. Some of the best discussions work when people have opposing, but passionate views. If a mod were to step in as soon as something got a bit heated it would be stifling. On the most part we are all mature enough to apologise when necessary and ignore people who get personal. I think the mods really should mostly stick to keeping the spammers out.
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addict
36 posts
Jan 11, 2010
10:49 AM
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I like Buzadero's profile... I wish everyone had one.
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toddlgreene
421 posts
Jan 11, 2010
11:08 AM
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touche' addict...I needed a reminder. Done!
Buz, make me proud, and don't forget to look me up when you come down for your NOLA fix.
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toddlgreene
422 posts
Jan 11, 2010
11:13 AM
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Yes indeed. I owe my dear mum a visit, anyway.
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GermanHarpist
933 posts
Jan 11, 2010
12:11 PM
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Buzadero, you may have missed the fact that I've asked Nacoran to help us in the moderating effort.
Nacoran, I hope you don't mind that I've sent the email stating our contact information to Adam.
MrV: "I think the mods really should mostly stick to keeping the spammers out." ... and keep threads of the 'ink' or 'respect' kind going? I thought that these threads should be locked, as they are obvious trolling efforts and are not worth occupying the communities time.
Threads that get heated but there is still some kind of discussion I will leave be as long as it stays more or less civil (I reserve myself the right to decide how long that is).
Besides that, I will restrict myself to eating Spam.
Fortunately all of these things are pretty rare and I'm looking forward not having to intervene...
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germanharpist on YT. =;-) - Resonance is KEY!
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Pimpinella
15 posts
Jan 11, 2010
12:23 PM
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Hi
So just a few notes on moderation. I'm moderator on two other harmonica forums, so i guess i can share some experience.
1. Rules are good, but unflexible. A more general common ground what kind of communication you want on a forum and what behavior you don't want is more difficult to handle because you have to interpete it always new, but you are extremly flexibe. Best is usually a combination of both.
2. Acting as a moderation team makes it easier for each individual moderator. Discuss things with your co-moderators. If opinions differ, find a solution internally, but always act with one voice towards the other forum members.
3. So you need to something right NOW with no time to discuss with your moderator mates. Do what you think it must be done immediately. Discuss with the moderation team afterwards and
4. if you were wrong, don't fear to revert your decision and apologize openly in the forum. The ability to apologize is always a strength, never a weakness. However: mistrusting yourself, avoiding to act because of fear doing something wrong, failing to revert and apologize IF you did something wrong will make you a weak moderator.
5. Trust your feelings. It's a bad idea to act against your feelings. If it turns out that the forum's owner or the moderation team has a generally different idea of how moderation should be handled, resign. There's no chance you can do a good job then.
My 2 Cent...
Frank
Last Edited by on Jan 11, 2010 12:59 PM
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GermanHarpist
934 posts
Jan 11, 2010
12:24 PM
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Addict, what about opening a new thread and asking everybody to take advantage of the possibilities of this forum and please write a little something into their profiles?
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germanharpist on YT. =;-) - Resonance is KEY!
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MrVerylongusername
807 posts
Jan 11, 2010
12:26 PM
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As far as I was aware, Chopper posted some nasty comments and then dropped out of circulation by his own choice - not the profile of a troll. Trolls constantly pop up making hostile and provocative posts to stir up argument. Chopper was a lot of things, but he wasn't a troll. With Chopper out of the picture, those threads would have quickly died off - the fact that they didn't go immediately was because they turned into discussions about other things - dog training and a more civil discussion of tattooing than the OP (chopper) had intended.
BTW is that header graphic at the top of the forum pages corrupt? Everytime the page loads now, I only get 2/3 of the picture and I've deleted my cached pages and forced reloads with no change
Last Edited by on Jan 11, 2010 12:31 PM
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GermanHarpist
935 posts
Jan 11, 2010
12:30 PM
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" Chopper posted some nasty comments and then dropped out of circulation " - Well, we'll see if it stays that way. Sandy88 also just drops by from time to time to cause unrest - he's definitely what I would call a troll.
EDIT: But I see what you mean, as long as the community deals with it itself, thats cool.
And nope, I see the whole picture.
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germanharpist on YT. =;-) - Resonance is KEY!
Last Edited by on Jan 11, 2010 12:34 PM
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MrVerylongusername
808 posts
Jan 11, 2010
12:32 PM
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Sandy88 definitely fits the profile - and I sadly suspect it is a sockpuppet too
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Hobostubs Ashlock
303 posts
Jan 11, 2010
12:40 PM
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whats a troll? and a sockpuppet?I wish i had got to read what chopper said its got me curious,and ive heard Sandy88 mentioned a few times the last couple of days whats the story on her?
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MrVerylongusername
809 posts
Jan 11, 2010
12:49 PM
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A sockpuppet is a second online identity used by someone to post things they don't want their main identity to be associated with or held responsible for.
A troll is a trouble maker - the kind of person who starts or fans the flames of an argument just because they like to want to watch the disruption it creates. They have no interest in the debate itself, just the chaos it creates.
Sandy88 (one of the example names when you register on MBH) is a member who to my knowledge has never posted anything vaguely related to harmonica, but has made several deliberately provocative statements
None of Sandy88's posts has actually been that hostile or abusive, but they have all been dropped in, with expert timing, when the tension was already beginning to bubble over.
Last Edited by on Jan 11, 2010 12:50 PM
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Hobostubs Ashlock
304 posts
Jan 11, 2010
12:59 PM
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None of Sandy88's posts has actually been that hostile or abusive, but they have all been dropped in, with expert timing, when the tension was already beginning to bubble over.
as MrVerylongusername said thats interesting from a phycological point not that im that smart to be using such words lol to be so bored or to find forums to drop in at the points that you mentioned they should get a better hobby like harmonica but then ive gotten to where im spending to much time reading posts and not practicing enough this has become almost addicting
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