Getting things right on RootsChat

[JAP]

I don't know whether the OP, JulianB, would agree, but - to my mind - this thread seems to have gone somewhat awry.

And many posters are addressing points which are not remotely at issue.

Could we all agree
a) that RootsChat is absolutely wonderful (please, please, Trystan & Sarah don't let this current discussion upset you at all - it's just a little family tiff among a generally loving family!)
b) that Moderators (and Copyright Editors) are needed
c) that (overall) they do a fine job
d) that we thank them for all the time they voluntarily spend on this
e) that we recognize that, being human, they may make mistakes and won't always get things right
f) that we readily forgive them if they make mistakes or don't get thing right.

So let's not debate, or discuss, further any of those points.

None of the above is, I believe, what has produced this current thread (and other similar threads).

As I've said earlier, I think the question is one of inconsistency.

Please moderators, get together and see where things have gone off course.

And off course they certainly seem to have gone.

There surely is a problem (possibly easily resolved?) when so many RootsChatters who are generally acknowledged as great supporters of RC, as friendly, and as extremely reasonable express concern at recent actions of their Moderators which they cannot begin to understand, and cannot relate to non-action on other threads.

Over to you mods,

JAP

[Tephra]

And many posters are addressing points which are not remotely at issue.


JAP

It would appear they are or they wouldn't be raised.


Barbara

[RonnieG]

I agree with Tephra.

It must surely be possible to allow an otherwise healthy Thread to continue, by removing only the offensive post(s).

RonnieG

[Arranroots]

I suppose it depends what sort of "consumer" you are - if I can use a shopping analogy.

If you receive what seems to you to be poor service in a shop - do you shout from the rooftops and refuse ever to go there again - or do you return to the shop and ask the customer service team to consider your complaint?

The Moderators could be seen as a Virtual Customer Service Team - we mop up the spills, keep things in order and remedy mistakes.

We don;t have the ability to meet and discuss in real life, so we act as cohesively as we can, given the limitations of e-working.

There cannot be a Fixed Set of Rules (please, please read Pams very valuable posts above) BUT this is an advantage - it means that we consider each case individually and do not generalise.

We also respond as quickly as we can.

Please remember - just becuase you feel slighted, does not mean that the Mods will agree with you all the time - occasionally they might stick to their original decision.  That does not necessarily make them wrong!

Have a peaceful and constuctive afternoon

kind regards, Arranroots 

[JAP]

And many posters are addressing points which are not remotely at issue.
JAP

It would appear they are or they wouldn't be raised.
Barbara

It ain't necessarily so!  (As we all sing along  )

Just because a point is mentioned, does not mean that it is at issue.  That was precisely what I was trying to say i.e. that people are debating points which are most definitely not at issue - points on which there is no disagreement.  And which were certainly not what started this thread.

Let's try to concentrate on the real point - which I see as being that very recent decisions/actions by moderators have upset very reasonable people who have never been upset at all before.

And how that problem can be resolved.

Which, I think, is a matter for the moderators to discuss and resolve among themselves.

JAP

[dennford]

Two threads have dominated rootschat for the past couple of days. First the very public thank you to Paul, and secondly this one.

Now let’s get down to the very basics of this discussion/argument (I purposely used both words because it doesn’t matter one iota what we call it) and keep everything simple (I like things simple – it suits me)

No one on here wants rootschat to degenerate into an aggressive forum (let’s pretend it hasn’t done so yet).

I am sure that we as adults all agree that we don’t always agree. That is proven by the previously posted comments on this thread.

Mod’s have a job to do and without finite rules it is sometimes difficult to know what is the right way of doing things.

With the above in mind we should also take into consideration that no matter how impartial a mod’ tries to be, it is rarely practical to expect this to be so.

Contributors do (in my opinion) have a right to an explanation when a post is (tampered with)

No one (ABSOLUTELY NO ONE) wants wants rootschat to suffer when we can do something about it.


NOW! The question is, what can be done to improve the situation – NOT who is right and who is wrong, or who has done or said whatsoever.

The priority now is to see where we are going – not where we have been.



                                                 Denn

[behindthefrogs]

May I just defend the moderators by saying that in the very few cases where I have been offended by something on rootschat but not bothered to complain, the moderators have removed the offending item either independently or as a result of someone else complaining.

These removals seem to have upset other people but in most cases including the one which occurred recently were entirely justified.

David

[Tephra]

And many posters are addressing points which are not remotely at issue.
JAP

It would appear they are or they wouldn't be raised.
Barbara

It ain't necessarily so!  (As we all sing along  )


JAP

To the people who posted, they obviously are an issue or they wouldn't have felt a need to post.

Whilst I agree with you, consistency is necessary, communication is vital.  Without communication people are left in the dark regarding the locking/deletion/quarantine of a thread.


Barbara

[JAP]

The priority now is to see where we are going – not where we have been.

Very well said Denn - though I've turned down your volume 

And that's why I've been saying that it's up to the mods to get together and work through what is obviously a very real current problem.

JAP