The Modfag Game AKA BlueLight 101 with Professor TLB.

[TheLoveBandit]

BLUA, forum rules, any sense of class? NULL AND VOID! But what about the facts?

Don't make me post a picture of you to remind everyone that you look like something that should be living under a bridge eating goats.

Nice one. Care to elaborate on why you dropped facts and went to personal attacks? No, I suppose not. That's why you threw your words up and left. Very professional. 8) Hell, fuck professional. That's not even good enough to be 'cool' in high school. Excellent! And before anyone else points out the back-and-forth salvos of ad homs, let's ask who threw the stone first?

purplefirefly was appointed Senior Moderator because sonic, her husband, is one.

Not public knowledge, but part of what's been communicated to me is that more transparency would be a good thing for the site overall. We'll see what we can do. For the record, her husband recused himself from the vote to avoid such an accusation. But you wouldn't know that. *I* didn't know that some of the people voting didn't realize she was married to a smod until just now - fact. And the rest of us who did vote on who to promote for smod did it with a consideration to balance additional smods across social AND drug forums, lest we become too one sided in how sr. staff interacts with members. We also try to see who has a feel for what's going on in various areas of the site, and we do try to keep a 'round the clock availability in mind as well, so global location comes into it. Yeah, maybe not so much a global balance when we've two smods are in the same house, but my point is that we do think long and hard about what makes sense before making such selections. It's not a popularity contest, we actually do consider a person's background, maturity, and how much we can trust them with the additional responsibility. Which leads me to ...

In GM's case, he's not upset about being passed over in the selection process. No, of course not. Way to pick out pff as being chosen for favoritism and not being a good choice when she takes one of the 'drug smod' positions you might have had, and way to latch onto the assumption her husband had any involvement when you weren't there for the discussion held on the subject. Jump to conclusions much? Here's a note you might want to record - in fact anyone, aspiring to be something more than they are (and this applies to life, not just some volunteer position on a web site) - most people, when making a selection, consider a person's background, maturity, and how much we can trust them with the additional responsibility. Thanks for confirming out decision NOT to promote you. Good luck with that.

For Mariposa, like the vast majority, being Senior Staff has become a fucking elitist social club for her and she doesn't really contribute to Harm Reduction, if she ever did. I wouldn't be suprised if she had an orgasm every time she hit the "Ban User" button, and as often as she does, I doubt she really gives a shit about any of you.

I'll still concede GM has historically been an impressive wit, and he still crafts a good LOUNGE jab, whether in angst or jest. He's made it clear it isn't in jest, but his admirable ownership of wordcraft remains throughout (spelling not withstanding). As to Mariposa specifically in this instance, she's able to defend herself. But, if you've spent any time outside of OD and LOUNGE, you'd recognize the work she's done in SLR alone. What you, and the rest of the members don't see, is the time she's put into other forums from her Smod role. Notably in TDS, trying to help not only the mods cope with the mental and emotional mayhem constantly thrown about, but in keeping it (and the site) legally and professionally sound WHILE trying to help individual members. Do you know how many suicides she's tried to talk down? How much of her own time, money (yeah, phone bills cost money), and heart she's put into that forum alone? And it's not the only one. But you guys don't see that. For GM to state she doesn't give a shit about any of you means one of two things - either he has her on ignore and has missed the huge amount of communication she puts into the staff forum trying to help the likes of SLR and TDS (mods and members) OR....he is just trolling 'the public' for more sympathy by purposely misstating what he knows is fact.

Members don't see what happens in mod threads, but it is fact - Mariposa has poured more into the various areas of this site than the cumulative sum of GM's work in OD (I won't include the LOUNGE, because that content is immense and after a 5 second lul moment, completely useless in terms of harm reduction....that standard he keeps throwing at other staff members).

There is an opportunity for more transparency here, some way of letting members know wtf staff is doing that takes so much time and isn't seen by posting in forum discussion or doing overt edits to posts....but we also have to balance the privacy of the person effected. Do we need to know Mariposa supplied eDDe with the hotline to KFC? Well, it'd be nice to know the hard work she put in, but eDDe probably doesn't need that information broadcast But hell, we're open to any suggestions from the members on how we could approach this better. Granted, we've got nifty titles, so your opinions are wrong, but it'll give us something to snicker about in our private staff forums. But seriously, if you (anyone) sees a problem, or an opportunity - raise it. It's a big reason we have a SUPPORT forum, feedback is invaluable. If you don't want it public, you can always PM one of us, any of us. But if you see a problem or opportunity, and it appears the staff is oblivious....hell, raise it, because it just may be something that makes sense and we can pursue, but we might never know it if we're not open to the member's and what they see. But, I'm getting too serious here. Moving along.

Before I do step away from the comments about Mariposa, I'll do a quick job of reminding the public of something they know, and expand it to things they may not know. She's been one of our longest standing smods, and for those that don't recall we DID actually post in SUPPORT for making the public aware of the position, it's expectations, and responsibilities. If such a thing were closed to discussion, it would have been an ANNOUNCEMENT, or a closed thread. But no, it's an open thread, still available in SUPPORT. If you aren't aware of it, I'm sorry we stopped printing old articles and delivering them to your door weekly. But part of the role is having the ability to ban. Before then, we had mods abusing their position and banning people because they don't like them or because of a joke or because they got hammered on their DOC and got belligerent. So, the authority to ban was pulled from mods and given to admins only. Over time, recognizing time zone differences and the limited number of admins, we extended that power to smods. This is public knowledge, or at least publicly available.

The part the public doesn't know or see - what goes into the process of banning someone. If a sr staff member is banning people willy-nilly or without cause - every staff member knows it, and they WILL get called out on it. Additionally, the general course of procedure is that some fuckhead gets a few edits or PMs from the forum mods. They have their crap reported (RP'd) by members and mods alike, and the staff discuss how to handle the offender .... leaving it to the mods to take the initial action on how they handle their forum. Fuckhead continues to be a fuckhead...he gets a warning. Get enough warnings (either a lot of petty ones or a few serious ones) and you get a "vacation", a temporary ban - something the staff have worked to ensure is evenly handed out (same duration for first time temp bans and then for secondary temp bans). HOWEVER, nobody is getting banned unless the forum mods have been repeatedly pleading for someone to help alleviate their forum of the problem member after the initial gentle nudges have failed. And we discuss ad-nausueum amongst most of the staff before banning someone. Again, the public doesn't know this is going on, but any staff member (ex or current...say like GM for example) would be able to tell you that this is going on and that no sr staff member is banning members for the orgasm it gives them

TheLovebandit would hand his mother over to a serial rapist if it would make Bluelight look good in the eyes of the media.

Okay, I didn't respond to this because my mother was raped. She never reported it, but she told me why I grew up without a daddy. The only person who knew this was her, and the rapist. That you admit to being a serial rapist is no surprise. That you are my daddy, now THAT would even shock Montel. I don't know how this revelation will help the site, but maybe we'll find a positive way to spin a father-son reunion on a drug board. I think Oprah hasn't done a show on that yet.....I think.

Btw, expect a lawsuit for the 18 yrs of child support you owe me.

 

[TheLoveBandit]

One size fits all ...

sonic needs to step down as Other Drugs Senior Moderator. I've probably made more posts in North and South American Social in the last 6 months as he has in Other Drugs.

I guess I have to tell you exactly what I told JC.. We all can't post as much as you. Sorry I have 2 jobs and real life stuff to take care of.

If you dont have the time to mod OD because of your 2 jobs and real stuff, that would make you more of a burden than someone who does have the time to put into running that forum.

Im not saying to postwhore the living shit out of the place, but more than 10 posts per week in your own forum isnt that bloody hard is it?

For those newer members, or those not in the know - the site was run a few years ago based on a single person in charge. He couldn't keep up with a staff of this size, so he implemented a practice of post counts - that's all that mattered, and if you didn't keep up in your forum, you're fired. Postwhore with no clue to what they were saying? No problem, here's your modbadge, get to work...just keep your post count up. 8)

That led to a rebellion, and a change in management, and an uptick in the sale of fleshlights in the wake of Hurricane Katrina (but that's another story). The point is, measuring someone by post count is moronic, and we've moved away from that. We're a site full of (ex)drug-users, there are going to be binges where people disappear for days at a time. And, there will be rehab moments of extended absence. This is, in part, why we have 'a team' of moderators for any given forum.

By having a 'team' they can work together to balance out forum management. Some people are more conservative, some are much more quick to close threads with a quip or a STFU_n00b. We acknowledge our membership is made up of varied personalities and mindsets, we try to get forum moderator teams balanced to match, so all member concerns can be accepted, discussed amongst those mods, and a common practice agreed to and carried out by that mod team.

By having a team, a few things are considered given. First, that you work with your team mates, not on your own. I'd say right now, nearly all forums have a cohesive mod team. If someone is going to be absent for a period, they tell their peers (and sr staff) so the void can be covered until the person can return. Furthermore, if a mod has a problem with someone's unexplained absences, they are encouraged to take it up with their team mate directly, and only if there is no response does the sr staff become involved to see if a replacement is required. Teamwork....it works, at least with teams...most of the time.

But that was a quick rundown on some of how we operate for the education of the members. Lemme break a few quick remaining facts on this for the sake of 'transparency'

• The general process for adding a mod is
  1. Current mods gather applications -we've asked them to store these in a temporary hidden thread so that ALL the team members know ALL the applications that are submitted.
  2. Admin's update the Random Stats ANNOUNCEMENT for reference of who is active in the forum
  3. Recognizing that post count isn't the end-all measurement, we rely on the mods who are active in the forum to discuss who would be the best choice based on availability, participation, knowledge, and potential for handling the job.
  4. Sr. Staff will frequently drop their thoughts into the discussion, as we may have knowledge or visibility of factors not visible to the forum mods (is this member a troublemaker elsewhere, a return troll that is out of 'extra chances', someone who used to mod under a different name, someone who has done exemplar member level work in another area that may not have been noticed by mods of the forum trying to fill a vacancy, etc).
  5. The forum mods agree to a top choice (or two or three), then the names are reviewed by the Sr. Staff to see if there are any reasons we ought not put someone on (basically, the previous step is done by the associated smod and mod of a forum, whereas this is done by the entire sr. staff). It should be noted, it has been extremely rare for someone to get vetoed, and it has to be justified by facts, not personal opinion. As I say, rarely there is a veto, and nearly always it's a strong majority in favor, but this step is in place so we don't have another LID type of situation.
  6. Then the mods who chose the candidate go about notifying them, making welcome threads, etc.
• It generally falls to the mods of a forum to start with one another in addressing a team problem (ie, absent moderators), then they pull in sr. staff for help - sr. staff does not typically start this process, and we're brought in when the mods can't handle it between themselves or there is an egregious problem to address (ie, gross misconduct, abuse of the position, etc).

So, the meat of it is - mods choose the mods, sr. staff offers extra information and a final review, but it falls mostly to the mods of a forum to pick their co-workers and handle problems. Likewise, we generally leave it to a mod team to work out how they address forum content and forum issues - again sr. staff drops in with experience, advice, an offer to help, but it remains primarily trusted to the mods on how to handle their forum. Only in rare cases does sr. staff step in and say 'Hey, we have a problem'.

Which brings us back to GM. He's not the first, but we're hoping with our screening process the number will be far fewer, to be approached by sr. staff about changing how things are done. Eh, I'm not looking to throw mud on GM, and I'm particularly not fond of hurling insults at people after they are gone (he said he's gone, right?). So I'll drop this for now.


But, if we want to look at forum participation harder...

Hey thanks for the love for the DC mods

Well, if he took time from his busy schedule to participate in other forums, he might have given you more love. As it stands, I'm sure he was overwhelmed with his HR work in OD and DC .... DC ..... hey, waitaminute.....






Zephyr raises a decent point - be present, don't just be a mod because you like the title. If a mod is absent or not pulling their weight - their peers let them know. If they don't respond, sr staff gets involved and makes sure they are aware. We don't run post counts to see if someone's present (quality is not reflected). Well, we do, sort of run post counts, but that's not the measuring stick, it's more of a reference. We can also see how many mod edits the person is doing in their forum (edits, thread closings, thread moves, etc) - the stuff members don't see, but we do, which reflects a presence AND the effort to improve the forum and cut down on crap (or abuse their power by manipulating posts...which we also see).

Members become mods based on what they do as a member, and how they are noticed by the mods of a forum. The current mods then own 99% of the decision in who gets the job. The mods then work amongst themselves on forum policy and if someone needs to be replaced, most times this occurs because the mod steps forth on their own, recognizing the forum doesn't hold their attention or the real world needs them to do other things - and you've got an easier transition from one mod leaving to another one coming in. But sometimes, someone just goes MIA and after several attempts to reach them, they get replaced, in full cooperation with the remaining mods as they are already knee deep in covering the slack and in dire need of a new mod.

Postcounts aren't the only measure, there is a lot more involved if sr staff have to evaluate removing someone. We bend over backwards to ensure fairness and consistency. 98% of mod changeover is done because the mod chooses to leave. Of the ones we actually have to remove, we do everything we can to ensure the situation can't be remedied before hand. If it can't we at least try to give the person the chance to step down rather than be embarrassed over being fired....though in some instances, the person fails at that by quitting THEN flaming out and leaving their story half told on the forums so as to get sympathy.

I had a conversation with him today and got his side of the story. Now I know...

You left of this part

I had a conversation with him today and got his side of the story. Now I know... his side of the story.

If someone chooses to share their side, and people want to go public and outcry why it was done, we can do this. We, as a staff of grownups, prefer not to, but hey....let's not be accused of being information hoarders or smokey-back-room decision making cronies. Let's put BOTH sides out on the table? I mean, we do want to be fair, don't we? The public deserves answers, or so they claim. Just keep in mind, if you totally fuck up and flame out, do you want your dirty secrets aired? Think about it. If we're saying why GM is fired, do we need to list out the long record of things Tally did to be banned....and banned? Or recons? Honestly, if we share the shit people do rather than give them a chance to leave with a bit of dignity....yeah, it'll 'justify' our actions to the public, but is that what YOU want if YOU fall under the spotlight?

It makes for good LOUNGE drama, but as you can see here - it sucks away time from staff on things they could be working on other things for. But without transparency, you don't know where they fuck our time is going....and you don't know what the fuck people have done to get in so much trouble for...so ask yourself the question - is it something the public really needs to know, and the staff need to spend their time on sharing?

 

[TheLoveBandit]

Making the right mixture ...

It's not hard to list good things Moderators do.

plurMONSTER, atri, That Guy, and atri keep extremely open minds in allowing some of the shit they do in the Lounge, even if they don't agree with the sentiment or find it humorous.

Every single focus forum Mod has the most thankless job on the website and they deserve respect for that. They truly make a difference in the world. In case you didn't know, these are: MazDan, serotoninstorm, purplefirefly, Indelibleface, frizzantik, thujone, MyDoorsAreOpen, VictorZ06, B9, Xorkoth, bluedolphin, swilow, SomeKindaLove, BingeBoy Mr Blonde, sixpartseven, and djsim

sushii, drug_wench, stellablue, chicpoena, and panic in paradise, the folks of The Dark Side, have the toughest job on the site. Their patience and empathy is ridiculous, and not many people I know could do what they do.

Like The Lounge crew, Sex, Love & Relationships requires a certain kind of person that can think outside of the box and accept discussions about things they may find distasteful or downright disturbing. Kudos to kytnism, pullstring, wizekrak, and drugfukkdrockstar for being open-minded

The teams in Legal, BDD, ADD, and Healthy Living all work hard at providing important and useful information to our members. tobala, Banquo, MahanAtma, Johnny1, mariacallas, Dtergent,Psilo707, Obyron, sixpartseven, fastandbulbous, nuke, and vecktor


These are the people that make Bluelight what it is, and it's a damn shame that their fate hangs in the hands of a few elitist Staff that is more concerned with demanding respect than keeping Bluelight the forum we've come to love. To ClubbinGuido and anyone else that rags on Moderators, remember that shit rolls downhill, and the tip-top of Shit Mountain starts above the Moderators.

Clarification - it's not hard to list good things moderators do...in the forums you frequent and the mods you like. Nice cut'n'paste on who the mods are without reading wtf you're doing - just a blanket statement at mods that either a) work in the FF-DD sections or b ) work in the places you visit and keep a very open mind, something which is necessary for someone who doesn't quite fit the common mindset. Still, the effort you put into this is underwhelming.

The LOUNGE mods? Who ran the place before they took office? Guys like L2R and Finder, they set the pace a long time back and kept it open minded enough to lay the foundation you enjoy today. But I don't suppose that garners any thanks...nah. And the L-Mods today are indeed very open minded, as GM could tell you from personal experience in the staff forums. There are many posts that get reported from the LOUNGE, and while sr staff might weigh in with opinions on how to handle certain things, one thing any staff member will attest to is that LOUNGE posts and threads are consistently left to the decision of the LOUNGE mods. And there are times when other mods or sr staff might wish something were closed or modified, but unless it breaks our BLUA or endangers the site we do not interfere - we trust the mods to act in the best interest of the forum. Non-staff don't see the discussions in there, but I'll let any mod (current or ex) speak up and deny how this is handled.

Oh, and the SLR forum? Who do you think helped set the pace there? Yeah, that mod nazi bitch Mariposa. She put in a LOT of time getting that forum up and running and has played a major role in establishing the ground rules for that place. The current mods, again are all top notch and work very hard at remaining open minded. They have the authority to open it up a bit wider, or clamp down on the forum content, but the still get advice and guidance from sr staff - people like Mariposa who will go against her own desires and fight for something to remain open if it has merit and a decent chance of helping someone. I don't want to single out individuals, but GM has been there to see some of the staff discussions on hot and hard topics with the likes of Goddess, fausty, and others - personas that create a very hard thread to moderate. Guess who put aside her own views on the subjects and fought against cries from members and staff to shut those types of things down. Looking out for the best of the site.....funny how that gets forgotten.

Lemme take a moment to also point to TDS for a moment, may I? Who do you think got that place created? The likes of me and IJ. We didn't do it alone, but I can tell you as one of the two men who presented the concept and acted as initial mods to create such a resource on this site, I take great offense to the inference that we don't do shit. I'm not going to knock the current mods, because GM is right that they have one of the hardest jobs on the site. It helps to be a little crazy if you live in the nuthouse. But do you think that the people who helped launch forums might actually give a shit about how they operate? Might defer to the current mods on current practices but offer their advice in relation to their years of experience or vision on what else can be tried? Not something you'll see much of in the public eye, nor even a mod who isn't in that forum (they can't see each other's mod threads). But as someone who poured himself into that place for over a year, and who has watch Mariposa wrack herself in trying to help out over there, I can tell you that you don't know a fucking thing if you praise those forums and don't recognize who helped make it what it is today, who helped make it be anything at all. But as GM points out, "what have you done for me lately?" 8)

Btw, I like how you caught pff in the list of quality drug mods....then proceed to blast her as not being a good drug mod in a later post. But I suppose it's hard to be consistent when you've flown off your rocker.

Lemme jump to the good part on this one - shit rolling down hill. Let's see, the site can't exist without the members, I think we can all agree on that one. It's said time and again that if people don't like a forum's content, they can 'be the change' and start laying down some of the missing quality. Mods can't make the members post better, all they can do is trim out the really bad stuff that doesn't belong. Yeah, they could moderate it to death (remember, it's their decision for the most part on how forum's operate, not sr staff), but they've got to start with what the members present for discussion. The mods are actually there at the epic pay of a volunteer - but they serve two masters. One being the site's best interest (ie, don't get us in legal trouble) and the members (don't moderate us into a stagnant and dying web site). But they depend on the members.

Up the ladder? Sr. Mods are asked to function as mediators, advisors, a helping hand if the forum is short handed - but they still are asked to defer to the mods in most operations and decisions. I believe it was that cunt felix who pointed out that the smods are also still mods of their own actual forums in addition to taking on this expanded role of responsibility - the one you wanted but weren't qualified for, the one you accuse of being a useless position. So let's see, smods have to still be mod over a forum or two AND pick up all this extra work AND be held to a higher standard as they are expected to set a good example and represent the site. And their thanks is ... fucknuts like you who know what they do, then bitch when they do it or whine that they aren't doing enough. For the pubic at large, here's a reminder of their role, and it requires a LOT more than a regular mod is asked to do and nearly NONE of it appears publicly, and most certainly doesn't get .01% of the thanks that a mod gets for their work (which is too damn little to begin with). So, again we have a position that requires two (actually three) masters. Smods need to represent the site, still be a mod for their forum, AND work to support the mods in the forums they associate with.

Let's get to the tip-top of shit mountain, because there can be a mountain of shit at times to deal with, you've got those do nothing admins. And I can very much see how this appears to be the case - especially to the public when admin don't participate in that many public forum conversations by the time they get this position. What the fuck do they do all day besides fuck with people's accounts and crash the server just to send refugees to brokelight (btw, that's been cleaned up as well). Again, I wish GM were still here so he could tell you for himself, but he quit (or was he fired? I forget what the spin is at this point) and left (last seen this a few hours ago), but if he were still here he could tell you that from inside the staff forum the admin are working out all the little bugs that drive us nuts - like posts that don't work, like having a GALLERY or JOURNAL function at all on the site, like figuring out why people's accounts don't work, like dealing with rebounding trolls, like mediating mod spats or stepping in when a situation between a mod and a member is getting out of hand. Hell, on Sundays we work as candystripers at the local hospital and sell lemonade to raise money for cancer research. Yes, we're not as visible (again, there is truth to the fact that we ought to be more participatory in the ebb and flow of forum discussions and maintain that link to the members), but we also put an assload of time into visiting forum mod threads - seeing where we can help, seeing where mods might be about to fuck something up in how they handle their forum (based on our experience, our visibility to what is happening elsewhere on the site, to our intent on where the site overall needs to be heading and if these forum changes help or hurt that effort). So, of all the positions, I'd say an admin does the most amount of thankless work (fuck you very much) with the least visibility of what they actually do.

But if you take a second and check ANNOUNCEMENTS, or spend any amount of time in SUPPORT, any member would see some of the things we work on and where we are putting some of our time. I double dog dare you - go to SUPPORT and search for threads started by me over the past year or two. See how many of them are trying to either get feedback on some ideas or trying to raise awareness of changes or projects the site is undertaking to improve the place. Now, I'm not trying to toot my own horn (I could give a shit about recognition honestly), and I may be the exception to the rule (hell, all I could get from GM was a shitty line about having tunnel vision for the site). But it's there. Look for the replies in SUPPORT by any of the admin, current or in the past year or so. Tell me a) how present are they in the public eye; and b ) how much are they putting into hearing people's questions, requests, and suggestions? Go ahead and check. I'll wait. I've got time.

The way I see it, the mods serve the site and the members, the smods serve the site and the mods (and the members as mods of their forum), and the admin serve the site and the smods and the members. That puts the members up kinda high, dontchya think? Now, in serving someone, you ought to be listening to them - I think we try and do a decent job, but it can always be improved. Part of that, however, is having members (and staff) speak the fuck up and NOT be afraid to raise a different point of view. If anyone is afraid to speak up, you can always PM someone (lord knows my PM box is lonely), or you could use the 'Contact Us' email page, or you could even use the ANON forum. There are a lot of ways to be heard, but the one that will ensure you are never listened to is if you keep your mouth shut or simply nod along to whatever someone else says.

To state that staff doesn't listen, or dismisses someone's statements is ignorant on your part. To state that people are afraid to speak up, that may be true, but I haven't seen what more we can do to give them a voice with as much freedom from persecution as we can offer. But again, if you see a solution we don't, then tell us. Please.

To state that some staff don't do shit, well....okay, appearances are one thing, especially in the public eye. For a mod to say that reeks of ignorance, willful stupidity, and a generally myopic view outside their own forum or concerns. If there's a way to raise public understanding, increase transparency, again....if you see a solution we don't, then tell us. Please.

 

[TheLoveBandit]

I'd never join a club that would have me as a member ...

I am beginning to think that we are far better off not being mods than getting to be one as you have to watch your p's and q's , cant join in and fuck around here and losing it mean all the other mods gang up as one and oust you.


Be the change. Be individual. Be yourself.

Theres a trend of "reverse bandwagon" jumping, where moderators especially are becoming afraid to come out in public and state their opinion for fear of reprimand from above! WTF is that about? Mods are chosen because they are who they are. Often outspoken, their desire to do what they think is the right thing to do and to put THEIR influence on the board. Not to become bloody drones which are no different to anyone else. Thats utterly BORING!



This kind of thing always happens when someone gets ousted, especially unexpectedly. And it was unexpected to the masses who dont have the gift of behind-the-scenes information like you lot do.

...

I presume a moderator loses their position if their mod skills start to suck, not because they have a grievance about something unrelated with the Admin?

...

If a mod doesnt actually show people by their presence by posting, you gotta remember WE CANT SEE YOU. If you are never around, whats the point of you being there? Thats why the minimum number of posts to keep your spot thing might have been a good idea. Its for our benefit really.



Besides, most of you mods are cool and interacting with you is fun. So hang out more god dammit!!!

There is some truth to these words as well. It's easy for a member to mouth off, or to get fucked out of their gourd on drugs for however long. They only have to think of themselves. And in case this fact got lost on any of you - every single staff member was a Bluelighter at some point, and most will be again later. In their hearts, they remain BLers even when serving in a staff position. But they do more than that, more than a BLer that must only think of themselves - they ask to take on the additional, non-paying, thankless job of being a moderator.

For some, it's the power trip. Sad to say that, even sadder to watch it, but usually such people are exposed quickly and removed. (Not the case with GM).

For most, it's the chance to do more for the site and community. Hell, GM was one, why not ask him why he did it? They like what they have experienced here, and their willing to give even more of their time for the benefit of others - give of themselves to make the place better than it was when they got here.

But that opportunity does come at a cost. You represent the site, not just your own individual self, and a lot of times that raises personal conflict. You can't say some of the responses you would if you were just a member, because people look to the title and give it some authority and respect. Being a mod isn't just custodial job, you have to go out there and be an example of how to act, of how to improve things, how to correct misinformation. You're expected to keep the place functional and out of danger, and sometimes that means doing things for the site that you wouldn't do for yourself.

Now, if it gets to the point where you are a talking BL-corporate parrot, then yes, there's a problem. We don't ask staff to be the black-suit-blue-tie clone of anyone; they were indeed selected for who they are. Recall, the forum mods chose them based on their contributions to the forum and sr. staff is also looking to keep a diverse and balanced approach to moderating in any given forum. So don't sell your soul - keep it real, brothers and sisters, hallelujah!

If you start to do things that set a bad example, or hurt the site (damn that tunnel vision of mine again), then yes - we'll have to say something. But we generally try to accommodate different approaches to things and work with individuals - that uniqueness is part of what got them the job. But as zephyr points out - you lose some of your personal freedom when you decide to represent the site. There's a balance in there, and one not clearly drawn in black and white. If there's a problem, yeah, we'll talk to you and try understand why you are taking this route; see if we can't get you back into a better state for being seen as 'BL Authority'. It again comes back to the person - some get too uncomfortable with the restriction to their personal expression and prefer returning to member status. Some choose to get on board, but still maintain the individuality and the unique take that got them the position. And some just lose their mind somehow (not saying GM lost his mind, but I am thinking of other past staff).

Point is, like banning a member, we bend over backwards to try and address a problem as fairly as possible. Long before someone is forced to decide 'conform or quit' there is a LOT of effort put into understanding the situation and not jumping to a hasty crisis. In GM's case, various staff had been in communication with him for over 4 months trying to resolve this. To the public, it may have been sudden, and if you listen to GM it was probably unfair. But the reality that isn't public knowledge is that we'd tried endlessly to find a common ground before reaching this point. Different Sr. Staff, different situations (dealing with RP'd posts by GM, or other questionable activity) - but all of it the same, his view on what should be done (especially in public and by someone representing the site) differed from the rest of us. It certainly wasn't a surprise to him, and we did everything we could to remain fair about the entire situation. But at some point you also have to ask - are we supposed to be spending THIS much time changing someone's behaviour? When do you finally give up and issue the ultimatum so you can spend time on someone who might actually listen?

how many of you have gone out of your way to PM gm, and tell him how much his presence here was appreciated?

Well, a lot of us tried before it got to this. We went out of our way to try and keep him on staff, to encourage his presenting of a different view but with a reminder of the example he's presenting in public Who, you might ask, made such efforts?

L2R, felix, hoptis, phrozen
...
TheLoveBandit, Finder, Mariposa, Infinite Jest, and Rogue Robot aren't getting off that easy.

I think GM covered them pretty well. There were others, but since they work on the 'drug' side of the site rather than the 'social' side, they were spared the parting shots.

But this was his grand hurrah, a last chance to flip off those who tried to work with him. He chooses to throw out unfounded accusations, misrepresentations of character and the effort given by others, and provide his 'fans' with one more reason to sympathize with him and stir the troll pot here on the site.

So yeah, paint the picture of everyone ganging up on your for not watching your p's and q's. But maybe, when everyone around you is pointing something out....just maybe, there is something you're missing. Sometimes, when the world is against you.... sometimes, it might mean you're wrong. The key is 'keeping that open mind' and hearing them

There's no way in hell I'd continue to be a part of this community while the current Administrators and Senior Moderators are running this site.

You're still here - last activity date shows it. Perhaps a more accurate statement would be

There's no way in hell I'd continue to be a part of this community staff while the current Administrators and Senior Moderators are running this site.

I'd agree. I think you've proven why.

 

[TheLoveBandit]

We interupt this broadcast with an important message ...

I feel like the organ grinding monkey of Bluelight. Finder and Ali are my drunken owners, and sometimes they beat me with a cord.

It's because you work for peanuts, and keep pissing on the floor. But you're cute, so we put the hat on you and make a little money on the side.

uh-oh, local drama goes global

Oh hai, welcome to Bluelight, you must be new %)

Um, no. Actually New is the guy just back to the NMI forum. That_Guy is a reporter from The Sun looking for french fries shaped like Abe Lincoln.

totallytonydanza on aim for all gm lovvins.



troll him for the lulz. and love him for the wins.



he loves it

Of this, I have no doubt. And I'm pretty sure his AIM was already out in the public arena. If it wasn't in a LOUNGE thread, then I knew I saw it on the bathroom walls of the Minneapolis airport.

 

[TheLoveBandit]

Oh, and one more thing ...

Chapter 8: Conclusion:



These are the people that are running this site. Most of them may have been good contributors when they first joined years and years ago, but now they seem to think they're entitled to do dick all while the Moderators work in the trenches. Senior Moderator is nothing more than a title used to give the in-crowd that's been here a long time superiority rights. These people don't know a damn thing about what's best for this forum. They don't really give a shit about its goals. They're so wrapped up in their perceived power that they're blind to how they're affecting the forum. I doubt I'm the only person that has noticed a more-restrictive, less enjoyable atmosphere here with the addition of Senior Moderators and their the increasingly intrusive role they play. I've talked to other Moderators that remember when they were free to shape their forum into what they wanted without interference from the likes of alasdairm. Now you can't go a week without having one of them PM you about something you posted in the Lounge or elsewhere. Hey Asshat, let the Lounge Moderators decide what's ok in their forum and what's not. They have good judgment, that's why they were chosen to be Mods.

Well, thanks for at least acknowledging we did something before getting these positions. I mean, mine came out of a crackerjack box, but I assume the others earned it. You want to accuse the sr. staff of doing "dick all" while the mods work "in the trenches" and then continue to accuse them of interfering in forum activities or moderator decisions. Let's see....earned the position with past experience, but knows nothing about what's good for the forum. Somewhere in this one, you're losing me with your logic.

I can see where part of that comes from, as OD remained possibly one of the last bastions of isolated forum operations until recently. But the reminder that went through staff discussions (yeah, you were there for them GM), and what was rolled out in SUPPORT as part of public awareness and feedback, was the effort to move from a lot of mini-sites on the same hardware to a single site with each forum being part of the bigger whole. All that knowledge hoarded into the dark corners of the site ought to be reachable by anyone, anywhere. A good idea in one place ought not be restricted to the forum it was dreamed up - but a mod on their island wouldn't know what's happening across the site in another forum because they can't see in....but hey, sr. staff can.... but their too busy offering this advice and other suggestions interfering to know what's good for your forum. 8)

Btw, the only mod I'm aware of that was requiring, or even getting, PMs every other week about what they post was you. You may not have believed you were the only one, but I'm still waiting for anyone else to prove differently. And you kind of forced that by not picking up hints in the RPs of your posts .... or any edits the LOUNGE mods made of them ... or any comments made publicly in the threads where you were pulling this shit. So yeah, I'm sure you were feeling like most of sr staff was on your nuts....maybe there was a reason for it?

There also used to be a sense of open communication between Senior Staff and Moderators that has vanished. They discuss things where normal Mods can't see, and then they hand down their decisions like they're writing them on stone fucking tablets. I myself took the time to pose several concerns to them about site management. They responded by asking for my resignation. Here it is, I hope you all fucking choke on it.

Waitaminute....open communication between mods and sr staff? But you just said we were in your mod threads too much? And at least half a dozen sr. staff are PMing you...not you contacting them?

Any discussion about how a forum operates would be held in the mod thread of that forum. The mods ARE 'in the trenches' and generally DO 'know what is best for the forum' - so there is no reason to hold such discussions outside of the effected mods range. And, how many decisions are handed down on stone fucking tablets? Because, if the mods don't buy into something then they aren't going to do it - plain and simple. If mods aren't part of the discussion on how something can be implemented or addressed, then there's a good chance the idea is either off base, un-doable, or simply insane. I wish GM were here to give examples of this, but there aren't any. Wait...wait, I can see where there may, at times, be a statement from sr staff on something, and it might be a commandment in the ears of the mods ... if it is a fact. If it's an opinion, the mods ought to have enough balls to either call bullshit (if appropriate) or disregard the comment in following what they see as best for the forum and site, preferably with bringing it to the sr staff members attention so they know better next time. But if it's a fact, I don't see a lot of room for discussion. If someone is NOT going to be admitted as a mod candidate, then there are sound reasons for that which can be shared with the mods making the selection. If enforcement of a proposed policy needs to be put in place (ie, torrent site linking, paraphenalia linking) ... then yeah, it's a fact of our site - but such a thing is hammered out in the staff forum WITH THE MODS, rather than decreed from Mt. Sinai.

Any change in site policy or practice is raised in the staff forum. Mods are encouraged and even begged to give their input on such things since they are closer to the members and the day-to-day activities. Sr. staff can have big ambitions for direction or policy, but unless it shakes out through a staff review, it isn't going to work. I'll give GM credit for generally being a different (and appreciated) voice in such things, and that helps to ensure a more balanced and fair decision being reached. But the mods have to participate for this to be effective, otherwise it is a command from on high.

I'll also point out that as a general practice, the flow of such information and decisions is for the concerns to be raised, member to mod to smod to admin (obviously jumping that path often); then the admin work up a general direction and the details and how-to are worked down thru the smods and mods in a staff discussion. This ensures everyone is in agreement with the direction and that we all go in the same direction together, we want to make sure it makes sense. Then we usually leave it to the mods to actually implement in their forums, and offer a public ANNOUNCEMENT and-or discussion in SUPPORT (which sometimes is the launching point for the whole process).

This will all trickle down to you as members eventually. You'll start receiving warnings for things you used to joke and have a laugh about, just like you get warnings now for things that used to be norm for the Lounge. The people you enjoyed conversing with will be driven away or banned, and you'll find this place to more and more of a chore to like. If you go visit the focus forums you still might catch a glimpse of real dedication and staff that deserve your respect, not demand it.

wow. One person's journey to persecution is not the path everyone must follow. Still, there's a part to this that's itching at me. It might be the part about people deserving respect, and the irony of your actions both before 'stepping down' and after.....but I don't think that's quite the big thing getting to me. Let me see if I can expose this a bit more. Hang on.

 

[TheLoveBandit]

Cute, but cut the bullshit - whats the real problem?

... Unfortunately for you I think everyone here knows that I don't need bitterness to propel me to say exactly what's on my mind, and even more unfortunate is the fact that a lot of people reading this thread know I'm right about all of you and what you're doing to this site, they're just too scared to admit it publicly.

GM was never one to need bitterness in order to carve someone up verbally, it was in his genetics. You can't coach height for basketball, you can't coach direct approach with GM. But the last bit....people thinking there is a problem but too afraid to voice it? That's got me thinking....

Be very, very careful with that kind of attitude. It is exactly that type of attitude that people are complaining about. It indicates that we (smods and admins) are above the fray and have done, and will do, nothing that warrants any criticism whatsoever from you pee-on's.
...
The minute that anyone proclaims their perfection is the day I lose all respect for that person. What riled everyone up is that accusations were made, and as is the case in politics today, not one of the aforementioned group bothered to refute or, heaven forbid, admit a mistake. They happen, we all know that. A little humility can go a real long way.
...
Please be careful because at the end of the day everyone here needs everyone else. We need modding and you need someone to mod. This is a symbiotic relationship.

Yes, if even someone relatively ignorant of the site history but still observant of the current situation can finger the fact that people are getting slammed by staff, then yes - there might be a problem there, ya think? I'll wholeheartedly agree that anyone proclaiming perfection is a balls out liar. But more importantly, if anyone tries to do what is best for the site, but the only voice they'll hear is their own (or the ones in their head), or the nodding YES-men of fellow staff afraid to raise their voice or opinion...then Houston, we have a problem.

As many have pointed out, this site needs members to exist and staff to keep it alive. Both parties have to be willing to express themselves, and just as importantly listen to the other side. Not just 'hear' and nod, but actually fucking listen - because nobody knows everything, and even some dumbass n00b off the street might have that tidbit of information you need to complete your puzzle. And until someone proves they do not deserve your respect, it costs you nothing to give it - to hear them out. And if they didn't have any revelations for you, at least it went some distance in improving the general aura and the lines of communication for all. You listened, they shared, maybe you shared some back. In some places, they'd call that progress, or at least a place you don't mind being.

Fuck the modfags for a minute. They have stuffed up the thread with boring waffle.

How about the non modfags who put their even more thankless time in giving advice and knowledge in serious forums.

Where is their thanks ? Thanks fellow non modfags. You get no real reward back really from the staff. Its more about cleaning up the rubbish and LOVELIFE too. Well, kinda the same thing hee hee.

Bring it home, sister, bring it home. There is a LOT of appreciation that goes undone around here. Yeah, we get reminded semi-frequently in a half joking, half where_is_my_fucking_check, tone about how thankless the mod positions are (and today, the smods and admins are recognized as even more thankless...YAY!!!). But the fact is, the site is what the members bring to the table. Without the members...you know what it is. So, I'll offer this public thank you for all that the members do do (heh...he said doodoo). But I'll share a secret - there's a thread in the staff forum that gets bumped periodically based on this SUPPORT thread where we remind the mods that one of the things we'd ask them to do (oh, we admin ask so damn much of these volunteers) is:

D. Policy
- Member friendly campaign - less hostile, more informative when closing threads, etc. Yeah, we covered it within the staff forum awhile back, and many of the mods you took it to heart. But with the changeover of staff we've had in the past months it would serve us well to both remind everyone of this concept and to ensure everyone works for the best interest of the site. Keep in mind, even when you participate in discussions as a member, you wear the staff badge and are viewed as representing the STAFF, help us keep member respect and that ever helpful image we've got

And this is accompanied in the staff forum by running discussions on "Post about your efforts to improve your forum here" (started by that shiftless nosy busybody, alasdair, btw - too bad he doesn't do shit around here) as an effort to get good ideas used by all forums. That discussion also includes many mods commenting on the benefits of PMing members that perform well, or providing public praise so as to reward and encourage similar behavior in others.

 

[TheLoveBandit]

Learning from history, or repeating it?

I am willing to bet this is probably the longest thing I've ever written on this site...and I've written a lot. I'd be amazed if anyone actually reads the whole thing, I'm not sure I could - certainly not in one sitting.

But what could bring me to this point? How could I possibly have anything left unsaid at this late entry? What was the magic fuel that outpaced the meth effect and made cocaine look like sleeping powder for it's motivational effect? I suspect GM is sitting back smugly basking in the biggest troll in the history of this site - I'd give that about 5% credit. If I know GM like I think I do, the level of intelligence behind his comments also pumps his ego to think he's shared vital information for the life of the site that will finally bring about change that is so desperately needed within (sr) staff. I'd give that about 3% credit as it's greatly overvaluing his contribution, but more importantly he's didn't invent this wheel. I'd probably give about 10% to the need to address a lot of misinformation written here specifically. Granted, he's a featured part of this diatribe, but that's primarily because he's been a fountain of misinformation, on facts he knows better about but preferred to play martyr for his fan base. He is not an agent of change, he's merely offered speaking points which we can clarify for the public.

That's the bigger motivation, to set the record straight on things a lot of people probably don't know (even though most of it is available to them if they weren't so fucking lazy...which is wrong of me to say, because they may not even know where to look). But the strongest driving factor is that this site is ALWAYS in need of improvement - but it is consistently falling short, usually by a lack of effort by the members. :gasp: members? Yeah, members.

As longest serving admin (and possibly one of the longest serving staff members in general), I've seen a lot of shit go down. I've survived some unbelievable turmoil on this site, and put in a LOT of time at every level of membership (except banned....I don't think I've tried that one yet). The point is, I feel compelled to act as I see best for this site. A big part of that is asking 'what is missing, how do we get it?' or 'what is really wrong?' The thing is, members typically see a lot of things that are wrong, that people inside the machine can't see - and sometimes those people inside the machine ARE the problem.



A history lesson, for those of you who don't remember it. The major players in the story would be xtcxtc (site benefactor who paid to get us where we are, but has since passed on), skydancer (one of the site founders, long term admin), and a missing C-22 (then sole Sr. Admin). The plot, let's just say this thread wouldn't even be a shoelace on that centipede (gawd, that was an awful metaphor, apologies). Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Skydancer -- A Democratic Bluelight. Still in the public domain, and an example of this site being at it's worst. The effects of it are still echoing amongst staff that were here (even as members) at that time. A time when site management really did need to be overthrown and radically overhauled. Read it if you will. At 21 pages, you can consider my novella here as a primer.



Having experienced that, there are a few key things I keep at my core when it comes to BL. First, is the members - always. Anyone accepting a role on staff, accepts the responsibility to LISTEN to the members and ACT professionally so the site will be here for the members (current and future) and be better than it was before. Before...back then? Better than when you found the place.

Listen. Listen, Think, Do, Review. Always looking to improve, always looking to learn and make things better - either myself, those around me, the site, anything. The best way to do that is listen, because if you had all the answers, you'd be done by now.

But it isn't about you, TLB. It's about the site and it's members! Yeah, the members. Let's pull one more point out of that history lesson - and you only have to go as far as the title. Democracy.

Democracy is rule by the masses. Now, true democracy doesn't really work, because someone has to play the hard part and make the hard decisions. Someone has to be held accountable in carrying out the group desire, and still keep an eye out for danger so John Q Public doesn't burn his house down or shoot his foot off. Someone has to make the rules and enforce them, and it isn't always going to be popular to be that person. Who has the balls to do it? For free, on their own time, often at their own expense? For free, knowing the thanks you'll get is bitching by those who feel persecuted? Who has the integrity to do it with the people in mind, and not their own agenda? To do it without ego and with an awareness of what the members actually want and need?

And, if we're going to listen to the members, they've gotta fucking speak. Staff has to listen, but dammit, the public has to send a message in order for one to be heard. Dialogue involves more than one person speaking. Progress requires both parties actively listening and engaging the other party. You got the time required to do this? Who is willing to invest their time as a staff member to actually hear people out, formulate a plan to implement and get it in place? Versus how many people are unwilling to step outside their own needs and wants, who prefer to remain a member who bitches without doing? A member that can state whatever they want and leave at a whim?

Here it is, the payoff for all this I've written. I'll offer you a deal, and I bet I can get the rest of the staff to go along with it (if they don't agree, I'll simply provide them the stone fucking tablet, and offer them the choice of tits or gtfo). Here's the deal:

As staff, we'll promise to work towards more transparency, and accountability to the members. This will require us to continue giving our volunteer time and effort, and to listen to the members (and for sr staff to listen to the mods) - all without fear of persecution or ridicule. We'll do our best to implement changes that benefit the site and it's members to the best of our ability. And if, as an individual, we find we can't give what's needed we'll step down of our own volition and allow someone with the time and interest to pick up our spot. We'll promise to act in a way that would make you proud to be associated with the site (read that as 'act professional') while retaining that sense of humility, of humanity.

But here's the rub. As members, you have to help us develop these plans and ideas. You have to come to SUPPORT with your suggestions, with your comments on how to improve transparency, improve operations, improve the experience for the members. YOU have to care at least half as much as you expect us to. No more sitting on your ass and bitching about the status quo without doing something about it - either forum content where you can raise the level of quality; or in calling us to accountability with a real instance to which we can learn and respond.

SUPPORT is there for a reason, and it isn't just telling people we aren't going to delete all their posts or change their screen name. SUPPORT also means you are helping us improve this place and make it better than when you got here. Don't just point at staff and say we aren't doing anything when you don't even look at what we ARE doing, when you don't participate in our efforts to engage you and get your opinions on how things are going. Hell, you don't have to wait for us to ask. Look at how many staff members jump in and respond to any post in SUPPORT - and the ones with merit, see what effect they've had in changing policy or practice.

Staff is here to serve, but members need to take some ownership as well, and not assume the staff have all the answers (I think we've proven consistently that we don't) nor chide us for not having things done how you'd like....you need to help us find those answers, you need to help us know how you'd like things done.

Donations are needed, but for every person who donates there are 10 who either claim no money is available or simply remain silent in the shadows. You can still contribute - you're already doing it with your posts in the forums. Give us something more than the lulz, give us something to make the place better than when you got here. Give us your ideas, give us your feedback on our plans, give us your support as we try to roll them out. Speak up or shut up. Your choice. But get off our nuts for busting our ass when you can't get past your petty LOUNGE drama bitchfest. This site is FOR the MEMBERS....act like it's yours and take some ownership in what it is.

 

[TheLoveBandit]

tl;dr

I'll grant that, if you'll concede you shouldn't bitch if you can't give a shit about fixing it. Fair enough?

 

[zephyr]

^Jesus Christ you are sexy.

 

[Finder]

Holy crap.

 

[zephyr]

just get rid of snoopy hes killing the horny

 

[Finder]

I feel like the organ grinding monkey of Bluelight. Finder and Ali are my drunken owners, and sometimes they beat me with a cord.

It's because you work for peanuts, and keep pissing on the floor. But you're cute, so we put the hat on you and make a little money on the side.

I laffed.

 

[Max Power]

I'll grant that, if you'll concede you shouldn't bitch if you can't give a shit about fixing it. Fair enough?

:D

I don't really care about all this e-drama, I think it's all very funny.

I'm just glad Generic "Drama Queen" Mind is outta here.

 

[Khadijah]

Hey thanks for the love for the DC mods

Well, if he took time from his busy schedule to participate in other forums, he might have given you more love. As it stands, I'm sure he was overwhelmed with his HR work in OD and DC .... DC ..... hey, waitaminute.....

Pff and TLB, I thoght that pff had wrote that post. wat happened was that, When i read it, I thought that GM had wrote a negative post about all those people, and that pff changed it in teh quote to be positive and say good things about the people, like showing him that he was wrong or watever. you know how people quote and say 'fixed' lol. so i thought it was something like that. I had been looking for gm's post where he said that good stuff, but all i seen was a list of negative shit, so wat i figured was that pff quoted him and replaced all his negatives, with positives and then left out DC. now that i realized it was actually his post its pretty funny that he left mine his n enods forum out lol. it aint a big deal tho i was just messin around.

 

[Damien]

Thank you for that TLB. You've definitely given me some things to think about.

 

[~*geNeRaTiOn E*~]

well said, TLB

 

[LiLc]

wow i think i'm in love with TLB

 

[Pander Bear]

WOOOOOOOOO! Party up reed's ASSSSSS! %)

 

[zephyr]

wow i think i'm in love with TLB

Get away from my crush dag nabblt!!!!