Time to get a new moderator?

[Felix Dumont]

You all noticed how Nigel Hanrahan likes to hijack many threads to promote his personal agenda.

Examples :
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/show...hlight=viarail
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/show...-Election-Poll
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/show...-Another-Poll)

When I asked him to keep that for his own threads (often rather offensive) like this one : http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/show...ld-war-zealots

Can you guess what was his answer?

You received an infraction on ChessTalk / Parlons Échecs.

Cause : Insulted Other Member(s)
-------
use of "pollute" to describe another person's posts ....
-------

This infraction is worth 1 point and can restrict you from certain fonctions.
Original message :
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/showthread.php?p=83610
Quote Originally Posted by Nigel Hanrahan View Post

In recent news from a release by Edward Snowden, it's now been shown that the intelligence agency of the UK (and presumably the 5 Eyes as well of US, Canada, NZ, Auz and the UK itself) include in their bag of dirty tricks the ability to manipulate the results of online polls and fake the results.
Very interesting.

GHCQ bag of dirty tricks.

Do you really need to pollute every thread? This is getting ridiculous.
L'équipe ChessTalk / Parlons Échecs

And don't forget we are talking of someone who gives himself the right to call everyone else idiots.

Larry, I really like to post on Chesstalk about the tournaments I organize. I believe that we bring several hundreds of visitors during the Quebec Open/Canadian Open / CYCC. But if the moderator gives himself the right to insult other people, pollute their threads and then try to censor them, it doesn't work for me. I would hate to publish all my news somewhere else, but if it continues like this I will have to do it. In fact, the title of the thread is probably wrong. We don't even need a new moderator. No moderator at all would already be much better.

[Sasha Starr]

Re: Time to get a new moderator?

You all noticed how Nigel Hanrahan likes to hijack many threads to promote his personal agenda.

Examples :
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/show...hlight=viarail
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/show...-Election-Poll
http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/show...-Another-Poll)

When I asked him to keep that for his own threads (often rather offensive) like this one : http://www.chesstalk.info/forum/show...ld-war-zealots

Can you guess what was his answer?


And don't forget we are talking of someone who gives himself the right to call everyone else idiots.

Larry, I really like to post on Chesstalk about the tournaments I organize. I believe that we bring several hundreds of visitors during the Quebec Open/Canadian Open / CYCC. But if the moderator gives himself the right to insult other people, pollute their threads and then try to censor them, it doesn't work for me. I would hate to publish all my news somewhere else, but if it continues like this I will have to do it. In fact, the title of the thread is probably wrong. We don't even need a new moderator. No moderator at all would already be much better.

Larry, please intervene. it is getting impossible to use this site. Your (Vlad's?) moderator keeps insulting people, myself including.
Thank you.

[Nigel Hanrahan]

Re: Time to get a new moderator?

"We don't even need a new moderator. No moderator at all would already be much better."

Good luck with that Felix.

Maybe someone other than me can give you more examples of how disgusting ChessTalk was before we required people to identity themselves, or had much in the way of moderation. Anti-Semitic tirades, misogynistic and racist submissions "polluted" the pages here. It probably made for rich opportunities for litigation and so on ... besides being a horrible waste of time and energy.

[Roger Patterson]

Re: Time to get a new moderator?

I don't think "no moderator" is a good idea but otherwise, I will add my voice to agree that the current moderator is uneven and erratic in how he moderates others compared to himself.

[Caesar Posylek]

Re: Time to get a new moderator?

I don't think "no moderator" is a good idea but otherwise, I will add my voice to agree that the current moderator is uneven and erratic in how he moderates others compared to himself.

I think that a good moderator is a necessity for our forum!

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Time to get a new moderator?

I'm not looking to have Nigel replaced even though I don't agree with his politics. I've also been on the receiving end of warnings, public and in private mail.

If you flame, Nigel will help you become a better man.

[Peter McKillop]

Re: Time to get a new moderator?

I agree with you, Felix. A new, non-participating moderator is needed.

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re: Time to get a new moderator?

I agree! This moderator has shown himself to be unstable.
When I made a light-hearted post objecting to him calling all chess players IDIOTS, the following ensued >>>>>

Originally Posted by Vlad Dobrich
So using the 'bribe' word is not allowed
But calling people IDIOTS is OK?

"What do you mean by the words "allowed", "bribe", "but","calling", "idiots", "is", "not", "OK", "people", "So", "the", "using", and "word" ? Please explain your usage for each word carefully, along with the meaning as you understand it. "

Was that the response of a sane man?

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Time to get a new moderator?

Was that the response of a sane man?

Would a sane man moderate this forum?

BTW, my last warning was for calling the moderator an idiot. Chess players defend their positions tenaciously.

[Vlad Dobrich]

Re: Time to get a new moderator?

Would a sane man moderate this forum?

BTW, my last warning was for calling the moderator an idiot. Chess players defend their positions tenaciously.

So you called each other an IDIOT. Could you both be wrong?

[Gary Ruben]

Re: Time to get a new moderator?

So you called each other an IDIOT. Could you both be wrong?

If you look at that thread you'll find I didn't make even 1 post there. Clearly, it wasn't directed at me so I can be generous. :D

[Steve Douglas]

Re: Time to get a new moderator?

I agree. Having "no moderator" is not a good idea. The general rule-of-thumb for moderated Usenet (or even BBS systems before that) was to have 3 moderators (at least) and that a given moderator was not to intervene in a thread or discussion where they were actively participating, unless the offense was flagrantly violating the rule of the board/forum. On some systems with a single moderator they would use a different ID for moderation, just to at least figuratively "change hats".

It's very difficult to be a detached poster, but they make the best moderators.

Nigel has very strong political views and they do creep into most posts he makes.

Felix's complaint of "pollution" was not deserving of a warning of any kind.

Steve

[Nigel Hanrahan]

the moderator replies

I agree. Having "no moderator" is not a good idea. The general rule-of-thumb for moderated Usenet (or even BBS systems before that) was to have 3 moderators (at least) and that a given moderator was not to intervene in a thread or discussion where they were actively participating, unless the offense was flagrantly violating the rule of the board/forum. On some systems with a single moderator they would use a different ID for moderation, just to at least figuratively "change hats".

See below. I've changed my signature depending if I have the moderator "hat" on.


1. The moderator get paid nothing for his/her voluntary activity here. Other than the sheer pleasure of banging his head against the wall, or practicing herding cats (that call themselves chess players), there's not much to be said for it. A tiny benefit here is that I can post stuff, contribute to the debate, and still moderate our little duck pond. I don't think I'm that bad, but, you get what you pay for. I really doubt Larry could attract another glutton for punishment even if the moderator was paid twice as much.

That was a joke by the way; twice nothing is still nothing. If some other people want to moderate as well, maybe a team of moderators, that would be great. Get Larry's OK and you can start tomorrow. The pay will probably be the same. Welcome to the monkey house.

2. Looking at things from another angle, if Larry was to spend money on this forum, it would be better to make improvements to the board (add posting of the games as the CFC forum has done, lengthen the registration process, get rid of spam accounts so the blog feature could be used, create sub-forums, etc.) rather than only spend it on a moderator.

3. I've actually just started a new practice, which is to put "Moderator hat on" as a signature when I have my moderator hat on. Dunno if it helps as I've only begun to do it, but it has occurred to me that perhaps some people think that when I'm expressing my personal opinion about this or that topic that I'm acting as moderator (inappropriately). Edited to add: Yikes! This new signature applies to every post I've ever made (with a signature). That won't do. A new moderator account will be needed.

4. That was "light-hearted" Vlad? Next time try a smiley or something. I completely missed your attempt at humour.

5. Please don't feel that just because I've replied that you can't add more here. Fulsome praise would be best. :grins:

Edited to add: Seriously, although it may be uncomfortable for me, a discussion like this is good and can benefit ChessTalk in the long run.