Hosting changes - what do they mean for this group?

[trotsky]

According to announcement from the admins, the "Forum & Group Hosts" forum will now only be accessible to hosts of the main forums (GD, LBN, etc.) and not groups, like this one. Typically, that forum was used by the hosts of a group to discuss SoP violations, but that will no longer be possible.

In the interest of openness and transparency, I would like to propose our group hosts use the group itself to discuss any SoP alerts that come up. Please chime in with your opinions.

[kdmorris]

1. I think the Forum & Group Hosts forum should have been read only to all

I think that anonymity has caused a lot of people to say things that they might not have if they knew that everyone would see it.

Maybe something like this would cause people to be nicer, if they know that everyone is going to see them call that guy a "wanker".

[trotsky]

4. Agreed.

I think that could have avoided many of the problems that brought about the current decision.

[TygrBright]

2. From my days as a mod on Old DU, I'd be hesitant about this.

While presumably the hosts would discuss any REALLY private, controversial SoP issues in DUMail, I can see adding a whole 'nother layer of personality-based meta-controversy by effectively inviting forum regulars and even drive-by visitors into the hosting process.

I saw things get seriously out of hand a couple of times in really controversial forum-based issues when I was doing modding on Old DU, and on the rare occasions when moderating-related process slopped over into the forum itself, things got very ugly very fast.

Just my tuppeny'orth.

diffidently,
Bright

[trotsky]

6. What concerns me is how when DU3 was announced there was a word used a lot:

transparency.

Even the Forum & Group Hosts forum as it was, wasn't really transparent. If that is no longer a goal of DU, then fine, let's state so, and quit pretending otherwise.

[bananas]

15. Agree. nt

[hrmjustin]

3. I have no issue with them using this room for alerts. If they choose to ban a member that should

be done by mail.


As an interfaith host I see little impact on our group. I won't miss the host forum.

Mirt is much more collegial.

[okasha]

20. It won't affect interfaith.

For Religion, though, I see no point in opening the group to more gangbang attacks on the hosts.

[hrmjustin]

21. You have a good point.

The good thing is that interfaith is calm.

[rug]

5. You're proposing meta.

I can't imagine why.

[Sherman A1]

7. Interesting

Missed that announcement. I host a state group, but can't think of a time when access to the forum and group host forum was important to me, so it's not an issue from my point of view.

[trotsky]

8. Exactly, I'd say for about 90-95% of the groups on DU it's not an issue.

Either there are so few SoP alerts as to not even need discussion, or they are so cut and dried, it's an easy call.

I think, however, there are a few groups - like this one - that could suffer.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. I completely agree with this suggestion.

There needs to be transparency here, given the rather bitter divide.

[longship]

10. I have absolutely no problem with that, in principle.

However, I would like to hear any alternative opinions, if any. Hopefully this group can come to a reasonable, and friendly consensus.

[bananas]

11. Where is this announcement?

I hadn't heard about this.
What are their reasons for doing this?

[trotsky]

12. It was posted in the Forum & Group Hosts forum, which as promised...

is no longer accessible by group hosts.

But here's the text of the post from EarlG:

The Admins have been planning and programming changes to the hosting system. These changes will go into effect very soon, probably tomorrow (assuming that everything goes according to plan). Here's what you need to know:
The Hosts Forum will now be for Forum Hosts only. We observed that Group Hosts rarely use this forum to discuss Group hosting issues, and also that it was frequently counter-productive to have Group Hosts engaging in Forum Hosting issues and vice versa. Therefore discussion of Group hosting issues will now have to take place via DU Mail, email, or whatever other system that Group Hosts may wish to set up for themselves.

There will no longer be a different set of Hosts for each forum. Since there are a couple of very busy forums which generate a lot of alerts and a number of forums which just don't have as much for Hosts to do, we decided to create a single set of 30 Hosts whose job is to deal with all alerts from all forums. To repeat: those 30 Forum Hosts will be hosting every forum, not just a single forum. So if you are a Forum Host, you are responsible for Welcome & Help, Latest Breaking News, Good Reads, Video & Multimedia, Politics 2014, General Discussion, and the DU Lounge.

The first 30 slots will be given to the longest-serving Hosts (regardless of which forum you are currently serving in) and there will be a single Wait List.

To serve as a Forum Host, you must maintain a 100% chance of serving on a Jury. If you are serving as a Forum Host and your chance of serving on a jury falls below 100%, you will lose your slot and a new Host will be called from the top of the Wait List. If you are on the Wait List and your chance of serving on a jury falls below 100%, you will be removed from the Wait List and will have to sign up again.

There will be a new, expanded SOP for the GD forum.
Due to confusion about hosting in the General Discussion forum, we have written a new SOP which goes into much greater detail about what is and is not permitted. This is intended to give Hosts a much clearer idea of what to do with threads in GD.
I think that's everything for now. We'll update you with more news when we have it. Thanks for reading.

[bananas]

13. Thanks. nt

[bananas]

14. I wonder why they didn't post that where the rest of us could read it.

As you mention above, there's a serious lack of transparency.

[Warren Stupidity]

16. That question should be in ATA.

I'd like an answer too. Seems like transparency has transformed into its opposite.

[mr blur]

18. Perhaps "they" want us to be more like Discussionist? You know,

a robust and healthy exchange of any and all views?
(if needed)

[Warren Stupidity]

19. My account there is sad and lonely.

My desire to not have to argue with rightwing idiots all the time is why I came here to begin with.

[hrmjustin]

17. they have to set the system up and it takes a bit of time.

My guess is they will send out a system wide pm because the gd statement of purpose is being changed.