Hello Chris, all contributors, readers and dissidents to
Constellation talk.
I rarely contribute and yet have pretty much read all postings since
Constellation Talk's beginning about five years ago. It seems to me
that if Chris had NOT moderated CT all these years, it probably would
not have survived in any meaningful way. I have witnessed and found
very many inspiring, touchingly heartful, thoughtful and humorous
postings that were quite relevant to the breadth of the informing
field with which we work. I have also read many irrelevant (to my way
of thinking) postings that seemed to be overly emotional, personally
charged, self-important, 'out of office' messages, self-
congratulatory, posturing, maliciously 'clever' and self-promotional.
All of this is fine in its way, BUT I am very grateful that Chris is
the puppet master who has dared to carry daily the working CT
operation for us and sieve out some of it. This is a minor miracle
given what I have been reading these five years.
Thank you Chris, and thank you to everyone who has contributed and
given me the opportunity to observe my own myriad responses to what
you have had to share. I have enjoyed, been deeply moved, bored,
irritated, and have laughed, and reacted hostilely when postings
displeased me. Yet I have been glad to dip in each day and to watch it
all.
Hey Chris, it is your gig, and I am happy you have had the stamina
over the years to share your creation and allow us to travel along
with you tantrums and all!
Seasons greetings to all,
Bubula Lardi
Byron Bay Australia
On 17/12/2008, at 9:14 AM, Chris Walsh wrote:
Hi all
This is an extremely valuable thread form. It is helping me to
recalibrate
my function as group moderator. I am still considering my response
to the
reaction to moderation.
Meanwhile here are some facts worth noting:
- There are currently 512 members of whom 509 are NOT under
moderation.
- In 5 years, 2 people have been suspended for 3 months. One
returned. The other can return if he apologises to some people he cast
racist slurs against.
- Over the years many people have left the group. There is always a
steady flow in and out. Occasionally there is a mass haemorrhaging
when I
let Max and others get away with posts that are too sarcastic and
aggressive or when there are too many posts by members that are just
plain
thought disordered. During those times I also receive lots of
complaints. So
it is clear why people are voting with their feet to leave on those
occasions
- Reviewing person's posts in quarantine (what we have been calling
moderation) provides a less punitive administrative tool where the
recipient
can receive some training if they want as to how to follow the
guidelines
while still being able to participate in the group.
- I have allowed quite vigorous criticism of my decision in this
forum over the last few days without putting any more old members on
moderation. That is consistent with my moderating style over the years
- Ironically over the last week many posts have got stuck in the
spam filter. Because I have been going to the administrative web page
regularly to check for moderated posts in quarantine I have let
those other
posts under spam quarantine through immediately. In the past a post
has been
known to get stuck there until it is automatically deleted after 10
days
hasta la vista
Chris Walsh
Melbourne, Australia
webpage: <http://www.cwalsh.com.au> www.cwalsh.com.au
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