Matt,
I have some very serious concerns about the apparent new rules being enforced here at IHUB.
In perusing through some of my favorite posters and boards I noticed that something apparently had everyone hopping mad. After a careful review of everything posted on the subject I wish to comment as follows.
Concerning at least one individual being terminated for the following;
1. Continued abuse of the CoB feature.
It is one of the risks opened when you allow thread or board moderators. However, the moderator's moderator MUST be above reproach or he/she becomes guilty of the same offense.
2. Continued personal attacks on me despite my very clear warnings against it.
As I was unable to view these PA's I cannot comment on them, however they would have to be highly inflammatory to elicit a termination.
3. The almost exclusively destructive nature of your participation since reinstatement from your previous suspension.
This is merely a rewording of #2
4. Overall conduct very unbefitting a Chairperson on the site, including personal attacks on me and others.
Again rewording #2
5. Continuing the "Bash Bob" theme on the Q&A thread despite very clear warnings to everyone in general and you specifically.
Again rewording #2
6. Continued harassment of me personally.
Again rewording #2
While I will not contradict the right of the moderator's moderator to enforce the rules, this appears to a casual observer to be nothing more than a personality conflict. As such it shouldn't have been grounds for termination. If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
The resulting backlash has led the moderator's moderator to establish a separate thread for "bashing" him and established "rules" for posting to that thread. In doing so he hints at incorporating the "rules" for that thread to the whole of IHUB. And that is where he ceases to be objective and begins undermining not only his credibility but that of IHUB as well.
1. By establishing a "bashers board" he can easily single out detractors for exclusion. His initial rules statement underlines his intent to exclude the opposition.
2. The Rules as stated are technically unenforceable excepting the absence of the need for proof or the possibility of an appeal. The MM is a dictator and once he has lopped of your head there is no need for an appeal.
3. The supporters of the MM seem to attack his detractors with off topic issues, no relevant responses to the post at hand just personal attacks launched at the poster. (Let's see if this happens to me!)
4. While I agree that controversy is a driving factor in the health of a bulletin board, Controversy for the sake of traffic is not conducive to the long-term health of a bulletin board. Eventually, those posters that post based on sound logic and reasoned critical thought will grow weary of being trashed repeatedly and retire from using the service.
I expected the need for you to hire a MM from the beginning and told you such. My suggestion was for a committee of CoB's to act as a stop for the MM becoming too dictatorial. It is too late for that now, as with a sitting MM selection of an unbiased committee would be impossible.
As a partial solution I suggest that the power of the MM be limited to policing ONLY CoB's not individual user's, and although I know that your reason for hiring the MM in the first place was because you need to focus your energies elsewhere in the event of a potential termination you should review the facts at hand and agree with the MM before terminating a CoB.
In closing, Several have commented on the demise of SI due to many of the factors I describe above. Is it not ironic that the former MM for SI not only seemed unable to halt the decline at SI, but also now appears to be fostering the very same environment here? Including the talk of an "invitation only" site! I submit to you that SI failed because it was clear that an elitist "inside circle" could post as they pleased while Joe Public was cut off for pointing out the inequities. And to think they actually expected people to pay for the privilege!
I'll post more later.
David Weed
aka the Bird of Prey
www.warp-drive.com
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