Regarding Ragnaboards

[warning: serious post. if you want something entertaining come back tomorrow, or go to a beerhouse. If you don't know what Ragnaboards is, google it or come back tomorrow. If you hate long posts, come back tomorrow.]

Now that things have cooled down, I think it's my turn to discuss the issue concerning the axing of community moderators of Ragnaboards Online. For those of you who still don't get it, you can return your jaw to the shut position. Yes, I was a moderator of Ragnaboards, and yes I belong to the group that got axed. I need not tell the username I was using. If you still haven't figured it out by now, you never will. Go switch off your PC and eat your videocard (ask a technician to show where it is).

First, I'll admit that I have, in fact, been somewhat selective on the sections I have been patrolling for the past few months. While I respond to the moderator reports, I rarely do manual inspections because:

a) it's a waste of time and
b) I don't like Gestapo mods.

As a result, my actions per day have been much lower than when I was more active (from Dec 2005 to Feb 2007) . There are many other reasons for this but I feel no need to enumerate them now.

Next, the official reason for us getting axed was that we were inactive. By we, that includes people who haven't logged in for more than 2 months, mods who haven't logged in for more than 3 months - and me, whose last login just before I got removed was 20 minutes before. As for community temperature reports, as I remember a majority of the moderators have already stopped submitting those reports since change of management.

Next. Yes, it is true that I have been lenient with a lot of things that could've been sanctioned using the rules of RB. Last meeting we had was Christmas of 2006 and as I remember then we had a strong directive from the new management to avoid "policing" Ragnaboards because that's what's driving people away from the community. By "policing" I mean treating every bit of infraction in a bureaucratic way or in simpler terms, being ban-happy. Free expression and strict rules aren't exactly the best of friends.

Next. Ragnaboards is not the first board I've modded for through the years and I have always been lenient about moderating. I will never equate moderating a board to acting like some figure of justice. That's:

a) childish
b) STUPID

First, there is no need for justice in a messageboard. Justice is required for oppressed people. Only stupid people get oppressed online because for one, you're hidden behind a virtual name - you can just change that name and you're practically a new person. Oppression is an option because of this. Next, enforcement of the so called justice is stupid because retribution is very limited and again, changing virtual identities makes it very easy to bypass.

If you think banning people could change people's personalities and you can change the world by deleting accounts of evil-doers, you got a lot of growing up to do.

And that's the primary reason why I look like I let things "slip". To some extent, the last order of the new management was in line with my policy.

I'd like to note now that I do maintain several grave offenses that should be penalized. Advertisment, blatant violations of morality and malicious exploitation of the site's features can be restricted, if not prevented, by moderator action. These things, I act on. Also, threads that are deemed conducive of unhealthy discussions are acted upon by me.

As a moderator, my only goal is to ensure that a healthy flow of discussion is maintained. Any other "greater' objectives besides this, I consider childish and impractical. I've long since distinguished the job of a mod from the job of superman. The latter requires you to wear underwear outdoors and save people. The former requires you to , wait for it, moderate!

Next. There have been issues before regarding me protecting people. This is because I use the philosophy above as my method to exact penalties on the board. I'm not choosing people. I'm lenient with everybody. A simple check on my banlist shows the only people I really ban are those who are hellbent in violating the rules and are often existing just for the sake of violating rules.

Posters who ask me to ban people because they're being teased fall to deaf ears because my priority is not the poster but the posts. If it's on topic, it's okay. Go cry a river.

Next. There have been rumors that my axing was caused by this issue. I have come to believe it's partially true, at least from my deduction. Here's what happened from my point of view (Let me emphasize that this could be false in some parts but it's as clear as it gets).

1. A mod got into an argument about my "favoritism".
2. This mod talks to other mods about my case.
3. Another mod hears of the issue and talks to the former community manager.
4. Being totally oblivious of the matter and hearing only one side of the case, ex community manager nods to the mod and finds an excuse to ax the group in my inactivity. (proof? I've been in this state of inactivity since Feb. I got axed three days after the whole mod debate affair)

So while the original mod who had qualms about me did not exactly directly have me removed, it was through the course of events subsequent to this incident that I got kicked. I don't really feel the need to throw blames, what's happened has happened.

So now what? Following the removal of at least 6 moderators, half of which have been active at least a week before the axing, another senior mod quit. Now there's even fewer moderators moderating and the new replacements aren't even being picked. The manpower problem just became worse.

Let me just say this on a purely objective basis. This sort of management is stupid if not downright retarded. You don't sink your ship before you transfer to a new one, Captain Clueless.

As for my moderatorship, I don't really care what happens to it. I will not reapply but I won't mind getting reinstated. Shit happens, but thank God we have a flush.

So there. Now stop asking me questions.

On and yeah, if this post is violating the T&C of my modship, fuck the T&C. You guys weren't following the preagreed conditions either - and you broke the contract first.