And, a Cheer!!!!!!

Hip Hip Hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I do too. :)

Having looked at the Psych Central forums, it looks like there's a reasonable protection of mods privacy as well as the openess (I was initially concerned when people were saying there were pictures up etc - as that could stop someone becoming a moderator). I know that people have been talking about the 'multiple names' issue - which I think can be appropriate depending on circumstances.

I co-moderate a national charity forum (which can be interesting work at times as it's for 16+ year olds, so every comment has to be premoderated :eek: (well, it's :eek: when I get back from a weekend to find my e-mail box full of spam saying 'forum x has y unapproved messages', 'forum x has y+1 unapproved messages' etc.)). Now on that forum, I can choose to post as me or as 'Moderator'. Even though that forum doesn't have the same level of emotive discussion/difference of opinion any more (as most of the 'interesting' characters left when they started to pre-mod everyone), if I was posting as myself I'd far rather post as 'me' for a couple of reasons:

i. People have feelings associated with 'Moderator' - and may (at least with the age group the board's for) take more account of what I'm saying - not a good thing if I'm just talking about my personal experiences.

ii. It's an odd thing, but if you watch threads closely the actual effect of 'Moderator' posting on a thread can be big - in some forums you actually see people compete to get a 'Moderator' posting on their thread.

That said, I don't think that it's acceptable to deal with differences of opinion (that break t&cs) on a thread that I've posted on as 'me'...it just doesn't feel right - and I'd expect my co-moderators there to treat 'me' exactly the same as any other poster - but maybe I'm being idealistic?

xxx
Swift
PS before anyone goes looking, it's one of the few forums that I actually post on with my real first name. ;)

Hi Swift,
I posted on an Irish forum for awhile... but it was sponsored by a drug company so some mentions of B12 being useful in depression never got posted. When I made my posts more innocuous, then they got approved.

There was very little activity on the forum. Probably for that reason. I say that because when they let my posts go through, there'd be genuine interest and activity, but if it got to where it might lead to criticism of a drug... or a major opting for vitamins, then the thread was deadened.

I was on another forum where they had these automatic answers... they were so weird. The program took a part of your post and incorporated it into an answer that made it sound as if a person had written it and thought that whatever you said was a bit mistaken in not appreciating such and such a drug, etc. more. Very weird indeed. I was there when they were testing the system at one point, and it was so peculiar to see how it worked...

Don't worry, I wasn't for one moment saying that any adult site should be pre-modded - just thinking about how much hard work moderating can be, and the merits (and otherwise) of anonymous vs. relatively public moderators.

Swift

(((((((Swift)))))))

Have a happy day!

Yes Please!
 

I do want this Forum to stay and I thank DocJohn for starting it.

A couple of years ago, I was a frequent poster in the MS forum at BT and absolutely loved the place and people..well, most of them.(google brought many trolls.

I left there to help someone, who was unhappy with the covert way BT was run, to start his own forum. I was also unhappy that good people were getting banned and whole threads were disappearing (deleted).

People were bickering, which will happen from time to time, and instead of our being left to work things out, the threads were deleted with no explanation...as if we were children, being scolded.

There was no method to the Mod's madness, because not all offenders were punished. If the Mod liked you, you didn't get touched, but if they didn't, then, of course, you were toast. I was never banned, BTW, so I am just speaking from a "what's fair" prospective.

I Loved the old MGH, but not the new improved version, with the invisable Mods and the seemingly, disappearing JL.

I will, most likely not go back to BT, so, since it's really all about MEEEE :D , Please keep BT2 in place.

Thanks a bunch. :p

I liked your whole post, but totally loved "it's really all about MEEEE :D"

Cracked me up!

It's clear that folks want to keep this community running, whether or not BT ever returns.

Please visit the naming thread and put in your vote for what you'd like to call the new community. Thank you!

John

As someone who used to sell alternative phone book advertising, I'd love to see the name remain the same. :D ... And on my way to the appropriate thread. :D