Text 8527, 83 rader
Skriven 2010-06-10 14:39:57 av Michiel van der Vlist (2:280/5555)
     Kommentar till en text av Björn Felten (2:203/2)
Ärende: Important message from the moderator
============================================
Hello Björn,

On Thursday June 10 2010 11:47, you wrote to All:

 BF>    Fact #1: Ross and I have a gentlemen's agreement, that he moderates
 BF> the zone 1 users and I the rest. Nota bene: "users". No matter where a
 BF> user posts his or her messages, it's the user's origin that is
 BF> important here not the location of the fidonet system in question.

How do you enforce that? How do you KNOW where the user resides? Without
relying on someone's word for it? What if you get conflicting information about
the location of the user? Note that when moderator action is required, there
already is a situation of conflict. Relying on people's word in a situation of
conflict is not such a good idea.

I also think this conflicts with policy. Policy says that the sysop is
responsible. When a user can not be controlled, it is the responsibilty of the
sysop to correct it and if he/she fails, it is the sysop that loses his/her
link. How is a zone X moderator that is not recognised in zone Y, going to cut
a zone Y system? I will tell you right away, that I will deny a request from
Ross to execute a feed cut for this echo. I will - with reluctance - honour a
feed cut request from you for this echo.

If you want to split the moderator hat according to geography, the sensible
thing to do is to have the location of the nodelisted system be the ruling
factor, as that is what can be objectively established.

 BF>    Fact #2: I have never banned anyone from any echo I moderate. Not
 BF> even Roy Witt from FN_SYSOP. Never ever. And even if I had, the ban
 BF> would be time limited.

When I was the moderator of the R28 points ech and when there was stiil
something to moderate, I unfortenately had a few occasions where I had no other
choice but to order a ban.

Those bans were always limited in time. A week for a first offence. Of course
after the three warnings that Echopol requires. If the user was excessively
annoying I would double the period for repeat offences. But there was also a
statue of limitation. When the user behaved during an extended period of time
the counters would be reset.

I have never permanently banned a user. The longest ban ever was one year and
that was not a user or point, it was a sysop. An extremely obnoxious person
that got himself banned from almost every active echo but his own...

 BF>    Fact #3. Lee Lofaso has not been banned from this echo. Wayne
 BF> Chirnside has. Unfortunately it seems like the operator of the system
 BF> where they both were users (if I understand matters correctly) decided
 BF> to simply cut this echo entirely rather than setting Wayne's
 BF> privileges to read-only, which meant that Lee lost his connection as
 BF> well. Collateral damage if you like.

Unfortunate for Lee, but it is the sysop's choice to not carry an echo. We have
to accept that.

Having said that...

having observed Wayne and Ross for many years in various echos, I can not help
noticing that Ross is extremely biased towards Wayne. Ross does not pass an
opportunity to pick on wayne, it has all the signs of a crusade.

Granted Wayne is an oddball. He has weird ideas and has a tainted past. He CAN
be a PITA. He also had an unfair share of bad luck in his life. Ross strongly
disapproves of Wayne's lyfe stile and maintains that it is mostly his own fault
that his life has not been a success.

I say that it is not for the moderator to judge someone's life style. It is not
for the moderator to judge a user on the fact that he spent time in jail. I say
it is not for the moderator to judge if it was the user's own fault. Also I say
that when a user claims to be disabled and enjoys social benefits, it is not
for the moderator to judge if these claims are correct and if receiving the
benefits are justified.

The only thing for the moderator to judge is if the user observes the echo
rules.

Amen


Cheers, Michiel

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