My 2 cents on moderated forums

[Montauk6]

First off, I HATE DU because it's so ADDICTIVE!!!! x( ;-)

Seriously though, I've been obsessively posting for about a couple of months now, and I must say that it's really a great setup here.

I've often heard vehement objections to moderated BB's, namely invocations of fascism, breaches of free speech, etc.

I totally disagree. Moderation (at least here) brings about something you won't see a Yahoo! Message Boards or Usenet; SERIOUS, INTELLECTUALLY BASED DEBATE.

If you haven't already, check out the news stories at Yahoo!. No no, pick ANYONE; it can be a story about... oh... let's say the death of renowned English actor Sir John Mills. The message board, supposedly a feature whereby readers can post (allegedly) comments on the story they've just read. Instead, you get puerile nonsense ranging from "If he was a NIG--- they would have named a street after him" or something about wanting to have sex with his corpse (and this one got about 3 recommendations!). The only thing surprising about these is that I haven't seen the obligatory "death to commie libs" post.

And you all have probably experienced the annoyance of following discussion in Usenet (aka AdHominemNet or The Troll Factory).

As one who has always striven to not be a jerk or an asshole, I've never felt restricted in moderated forums. Here, I feel free to discuss whatever comes to mind. I truly think that it's a sign of immaturity to think that any adherence to any guidelines is tantamount to slavery, and this is no exception.

What do you folks feel about moderated discussion groups?

[trotsky]

1. I'm spoiled.

DU is the only forum site I've ever posted significantly on. But I've stopped in on other sites like Yahoo and I must concur: the work of our moderators and admins keeps DU one of the most calm and reasoned discussion boards on the Internet.

[unblock]

2. as a former and (hopefully) future moderator, thank you!

:hi:

yes, it is a great setup here. first and foremost, du has a great group of people. there are a LOT of moderators happy to volunteer their time and effort, so not only can the admins pick a good mix, but also, the moderators can cover the terrain without having to make quick, capricious, unilateral decisions.

that said, it IS a lot of work (which is why i'm taking a break), and i assure you that the moderators appreciate your kind words.

[Montauk6]

3. But is it HAWRD work?