Photography Forum

Dudess · 12-01-2009 10:40am

Dragan wrote: »

I think people need to honestly look at how THEY act in the forum, some of the people shouting loudest for reform are the same people who cause the most trouble and will do nothing to fit better into the community.

When i was modding Photography there were vague threats ( oh how i laughed when i read that ) and obvious insults to be dealt with.

As a poster i don't see those people's attitudes having changed at all.

Why is always blame the watchman and never the watched?

No matter what way you want to slice it Photography is a diverse subject, with lots of opinions and people will grant different levels of importance to different issues, so maybe the same amount of respect in every thread and to all users wouldn't hurt.

Couldn't agree more. Maybe these constantly aggrieved posters should examine their own behaviour.

Because right now, two posters at least are getting away with publically making fun of a Mod, which is fairly pathethic, school yard bull****.

:mad:
It's bullying. And saying "get over it, it's only the internet" contradicts what Boards.ie is - a bunch of communities with much more than simply interaction between various random, anonymous contributors.

smelltheglove · 12-01-2009 10:53am

I dont see a huge problem, ok some things may be taken a bit too seriously but then not everyone hs the same sense of humor and can 'get' what the meaning of a comment is, be it sarcastic, funny etc so although one person may see the moderation being over the top another may see it as completely just.

I have not come across any moderation in the photography forum that I have not agreed with really, I had one specific incident where insults were thrown and I was very pleased to see the quick action of mods. So I guess I am pretty happy with it.

delly · 12-01-2009 10:58am

I'm somebody who has always been interested in photography, but only in the last four or five months have I been a regular visitor to the photography forum what with the purchase of a new camera.

From the start I have seen the serious way in which the forum is run, with not as much scope for hijinx etc., but as a noob to the forum I just took this as the way it was and that was that.

In a nutshell, i'll only really comment if its something constructive and meaningful, which rules out the typical funny one post remarks you see in any other of the forums. I can't say I've seen any bad moderation, but a certain tone is set and if your not quick enough to get inline with it, then you'll end up on the receipt of a slapped wrist.

DaireQuinlan · 12-01-2009 11:03am

I would have to say that I have no problem whatsoever with the way the forum is being moderated at the moment. There's a huge amount of donkey work that goes into being an active mod, and the occasional high profile case. I think day to day the forum is ticking over well and that those little blips on the otherwise smooth operation of the forum are handled in a reasonable fashion.

Bearing in mind that the forum isn't just a 'photography' forum, but also a forum for a community of photographers, I think a certain flexibility is essential in the way (for example) OT threads are handled, frequently threads wander off into tangential byways, just as the result of people chatting and not neccessarily addressing the specific question or topic at hand. Crucially, I've never seen anyone get bans or infractions for these threads so long as they don't start to descend into name calling or personal abuse. I've been thread warned myself once or twice quite justifiably for stepping over the line, I didn't have a problem with that.

I've never really gotten involved with the more community oriented side of things on the forum, but from what I've seen Calina is quite involved in organising and promoting activities, and in making sure the appropriate forum facilities are there to support them.

Beruthiel · 12-01-2009 11:09am

kensutz wrote:

Over the past couple of years I've been a regular in the photography forum, I have to say that the past 6 months or less have made us walk on glass

Do you not think that has something to do with the increase of muppets in that Forum?

I am also aware of two posters in particular, who are in there taking the piss out of one of the Mods on a regular basis by deliberately misspelling their name.
This is not done in jest, but for annoyance only and I would consider it bullying.
Personally, I believe they should be banned for it.

No Mod should have to put up with crap like that while doing a job, which they do for free, to help this site run smoothly.

seamus · 12-01-2009 11:29am

Before I say anything else, I'm going to echo Sully's comment - there's no way that somebody can go back through feedback, photography and the reported posts forum. Please supply examples that can be looked at.

AnimalRights wrote: »

Why can't the Mods remember that they were one of us b4 they became Mods? the minute they became Mods they go all wierd and Headteacherish.

There's no secret reason why you seem to end up on Feedback a lot and clashng with mods a lot. It's because that statement you've just said is 100% in your head. Once someone becomes a mod, you automatically treat them as the head teacher and feel the urge to fight back and cause problems.
You see it all the time in the real world - people start jobs or see people get promoted into management and immediately start acting like schoolchildren, and acting as if management are the teachers, constantly out to "punish" them. It's always baffled me.

Lets pretend there are no Mods unless someone really steps out of line and then maybe warn him in a PM like some Mods do here already

There's a time to warn via PM and there's a time for a public warning. The public warning lets everyone know that action has been taken and serves two purposes:
1. It stops people constantly reporting posts
2. It's stops people from dragging stuff off-topic or flaming the post in question.

Across most forums, public warnings are fairly common. I'll go back to the school comparision again - just because a mod warns in a thread, doesn't mean you have to feel like you're being watched and disciplined. You know exactly what is and isn't appropriate on the forum. So stick to what is.

kensutz wrote: »

It has been noted that the moderation of the Photography Forum has gotten out of hand by some users. It is evident that there is a lot of unrest and decisions being taken with consultation taken with any of the other moderators.

As has been pointed out, moderators generally act autonomously unless there's a big decision to be made. Infractions and bans aren't discussed with other moderators unless the decision is fuzzy. To discuss every action with your co-mods would be unwieldy and would negate one of the points of having multiple mods - to ensure that at least one person is available to watch the forum.

Covey wrote: »

NB (expressing thanks on this post may have consequences )

It won't. Ever. We're all adults here and the moderators are capable of taking criticism and not holding an illogical grudge.
However, in lieu of thanking your post, it would be nice if people who agree with you could post their views as well. Thanking a post is not a way of saying "me too", so if someone wants to give their "me too" and voice their concerns about the forum, I would prefer if they added a post here.
The volume of "Thanks" on a post is not a reflection of support for that viewpoint. Many people thank posts simply for being well-written or civil, even if they don't agree with it.

Covey wrote: »

Sure, but as it's shunted away from the area concerned there's limited knowledge it even exists (aside from Mods), thus ensuring a very unlevel playing pitch imo.

Feedback is a public forum, so it's not somewhere where threads are moved to "hide" it from the forum regulars. It's moved here to in fact reduce the "us -v- them" attitude that having such a thread on a forum would create. In here, all users are users, so you're not going to suffer consequences on the Photo forum for airing your views here.
I would suggest that you PM people whom you know to have similar issues and ask them to voice their concerns in this thread.

I'm still looking at this, but I've little evidence at the moment. Judging by the threads which have been started this year, there's no doubt that Photography has gotten tighter in terms of content. But that's not necessarily a bad thing. People don't like change, and particularly those people who like to fight against authority or otherwise "have a bit of craic", like the kids down the back of the bus, have problems dealing with change which will directly affect their ability to have that craic.

You can't please everyone all of the time. But even so, looking at these threads it may be a case where both sides need to meet somewhere in the middle.

From an initial glance, and without any proper evidence, it looks like;
1. The people currently expressing problems need to realise that they're not going to get back the forum that they had a year ago. There's a time and a place for having a conversation full of joking and laughing and nothing else, and it's called facebook.
2. Calina may need to ease up on the reins a little, if only for the sake of her own stress levels.

But I'm saying this without exposure to what's been going on in the Photo forum, and after only skimming over the other thread, which was pretty much just a handful of unhappy posters taking an opportunity to hassle the mod for no good reason. I'm not letting that prejudice this post.

Dodgykeeper · 12-01-2009 11:35am

Beruthiel wrote: »

Do you not think that has something to do with the increase of mupputs in that Forum?

I am also aware of two posters in particular, who are in there taking the piss out of one of the Mods on a regular basis by deliberately misspelling their name.
This is not done in jest, but for annoyance only and I would consider it bullying.
Personally, I believe they should be banned for it.

No Mod should have to put up with crap like that while doing a job, which they do for free, to help this site run smoothly.

One poster has constantly mispelled at moderators name for whatever reason, I was taking the piss out of him more than anyone else by jumping on the bandwagon and doing it aswell, I was contacted by another mod and have since not mispelled the name, this was dealt with and I see no need to bring it up again. This has gone the way I tought it would with the people with the problem being accused of bullying and the mods rallying around each other.

As I said in the other thread I dont think Calina should step down as mod, I think she does a lot of good work on the forum, the exhibition she is organising in conjunction with CabanSail is a very good iniative and am looking forward to it, I do however think that the way she mods the forum needs to be adjusted slightly.

I and others have altered our behavior on the forum due to mod intervention and see no reason why a mod cannot change their behavior due to User suggestion.

Calina · 12-01-2009 11:42am

Dodgykeeper wrote: »

One poster has constantly mispelled at moderators name for whatever reason, I was taking the piss out of him more than anyone else by jumping on the bandwagon and doing it aswell

Do you really live in a universe where mispelling my name amounts to taking the piss out of another user who is not me?

Someone is going to have to explain the logic of that to me because DodgyKeeper, I can't see it. Could you not have mispelled his name instead?

Dodgykeeper · 12-01-2009 11:54am

Calina wrote: »

Do you really live in a universe where mispelling my name amounts to taking the piss out of another user who is not me?

Someone is going to have to explain the logic of that to me because DodgyKeeper, I can't see it. Could you not have mispelled his name instead?

I never claimed it was a clever thing to do, I said I did it, I gave my reasons for doing it, I apoligised for doing it and I didnt do it again after Mod intervention, I actaullay tought he mispelled it because you Mod the traffic and Commuting section aswell!

I have done a quick search and in only 4 threads was your name mis-spelled both times I did it it was in response to the other user doing it, I cant see why this should be brought up again!

(I may be wrong about the amount of times but thats what the search brought back)

Its actually Dodgykeeper!

Paulw · 12-01-2009 11:54am

I've been a user on boards a good while now, and I find the photography section great for tips, tricks, help, learning and even a social side. I've met a good number of the posters in there on a number of boards outings.

I think the whole section has changed a lot over since elven and fajitas! stepped down (ok, Fajitas! posted he was stepping down and then still had mod powers for a month or two after).

The section seems to have two types of mods - one strict and one less strict. It is a shame to see. It's obviously down to personalities and how people work.

There are times when people deserve infractions, I think we'll all acknowledge that. But, there are also times, when a quick PM to a user can end a potential issue, and allow the user to edit and reword what they wanted to say.

The recent thread seems to almost be the straw that broke the camels back. I didn't get to see a lot of the posts, due to them being edited/deleted.

I don't presume to know what mods have to deal with. I know there is a bit of work involved, things that we never see. But, I also think that the place seems to have lost a good bit of it's fun nature in the last months, with the change of mods.

The photography section, in my opinion, should be about learning, sharing and also having some fun. Some threads go off topic, but not in a bad or destructive way. Some, need to be brought back on topic.

Anyway, I guess I've said enough. In general, I think the people/posters in photography are great and fun, with a lot to share. But, people shouldn't feel like they are walking on eggshells, like some currently feel.

AnimalRights · 12-01-2009 12:02pm

Dodgykeeper wrote: »

I actully thought he mispelled it because you Mod the traffic and Commuting section as well!

See. there is the crux, Carlina obviously was a light hearted joke because she mods both forums but alas no light hearted banter whatsoever and I agree with DK who also says about the the thread has gone with the way he thought it would, the Mods all rallying around each other.
And as for Beruthiel you're just out of touch, "muppets" :rolleyes:
I know if I called you a muppet I would be banned, yet you can get away with it.
1 law for them, 1 law for us.

This thread was to herald some real discussion not the bias status quo that we have.

Xavi6 · 12-01-2009 12:10pm

AnimalRights wrote: »

See. there is the crux, Carlina obviously was a light hearted joke because she mods both forums but alas no light hearted banter whatsoever and I agree with DK who also says about the the thread has gone with the way he thought it would, the Mods all rallying around each other.
And as for Beruthiel you're just out of touch, "muppets" :rolleyes:
I know if I called you a muppet I would be banned, yet you can get away with it.
1 law for them, 1 law for us.

This thread was to herald some real discussion not the bias status quo that we have.

I don't know you from Adam, or much about the overall issue, but if someone was taking the piss out of my user name on purpose then I would not find it one bit funny.

It's akin to the 5 year old who thinks it's hilarious to call the guy in his class 'Paula'.

Grow up.

AnimalRights · 12-01-2009 12:11pm

Xavi6 wrote: »

I don't know you from Adam, or much about the overall issue, but if someone was taking the piss out of my user name on purpose then I would not find it one bit funny.

It's akin to the 5 year old who thinks it's hilarious to call the guy in his class 'Paula'.

Grow up.

Says the person who uses another persons name. :rolleyes:

Dodgykeeper · 12-01-2009 12:12pm

Dragan wrote: »

Hardly surprising, but with all due respect you went to Feedback or the Helpdesk at least twice when i was a Mod and your complaints got no where each time.

I think people need to honestly look at how THEY act in the forum, some of the people shouting loudest for reform are the same people who cause the most trouble and will do nothing to fit better into the community.

When i was modding Photography there were vague threats ( oh how i laughed when i read that ) and obvious insults to be dealt with.

As a poster i don't see those people's attitudes having changed at all.

Why is always blame the watchman and never the watched?

No matter what way you want to slice it Photography is a diverse subject, with lots of opinions and people will grant different levels of importance to different issues, so maybe the same amount of respect in every thread and to all users wouldn't hurt.

Because right now, two posters at least are getting away with publically making fun of a Mod, which is fairly pathethic, school yard bull****.

I went to the helpdesk as I didnt fully understand how the procedure worked, I am glad I did as it gave me a greater understanding of what goes on around here, I have recieved 3 infractions since I started posting a year ago, One was retracted as a Mod realised he made a mistake and retracted it, the first one was for back seat modding and the second one was for the incident on saturday/sunday (which i actually think I deserved and have not complained about) , so I dont think I have been a problem poster!

Why is it always the watched and never the watchman?

Dragan · 12-01-2009 12:13pm

There seems to be a general feeling of "hold my hand" going on here, that people should receive a PM warning before an infraction?

Sorry, on any forum i Moderate i split the users into two groups, those who seem to know the rules and have been around long enough and those who don't.

I find it hard to believe that some of the people who caused issue while i was Modding on Photography were not aware of the rules.

In fact, i seem to remember a post by myself mentioning manners and bringing them back which lead to good discussion and seemed to have the VAST majority of users agreeing with me.

Right now i am seeing the same old tired rubbish from the same old tired sources, "it was all a joke" , "it was all in good fun" etc.

It's really not very difficult to be polite, not drag threads wildly off topic and generally behave. Anyone who thinks more hand holding is the answer is well off the bat.

CraggyIslander · 12-01-2009 12:15pm

As a regular user of the forum even if more lurking than posting lately, I have to say that I do not really see a problem with the way the forum is being moderated.... some threads just derail quickly and I think the mods handled them accordingly.

Sure there could be a little more lighthearted banter, but I've noticed there are a couple of users who post abbrasively, which leads to people taking it personal and thus forcing the mods to step in.

Perhaps an off topic banter thread might be useful?

Oh and can we bring back Oriel.... :pac:

AnimalRights · 12-01-2009 12:15pm

Well Dragan you seem to be from the strict Mod camp that was alluded to earlier...note 10 of the 18 people lurking on Feedback are from the Photography forum, but sure theres nothing wrong with the Photography forum is there?
That huge thread was just one of those things?
You've had respectable posters from Photography saying whats wrong and yet the Mods who rally round each other just make out that its only the troublemakers and everything is hunky dory.

nilhg · 12-01-2009 12:16pm

Like PaulW I've been about boards for quite a while, mostly as a lurker in photography for a long time but recently I've tried to be more involved,

TBH I have no real problem with the moderation on the forum, sure I've noticed a change in emphasis in the way several topics were dealt with but you have to allow a (new) mod to do things as they see fit. I have also seen some surprising posts by people whom I would have thought had more sense, but I suppose we all have our off days.

Xavi6 · 12-01-2009 12:18pm

AnimalRights wrote: »

Says the person who uses another persons name. :rolleyes:

Errrrrgh.....good comeback?

tbh · 12-01-2009 12:18pm

Dodgykeeper wrote: »

I have done a quick search and in only 4 threads was your name mis-spelled both times I did it it was in response to the other user doing it, I cant see why this should be brought up again!

I may be able to help you with that. Doing something like deliberately mis-spelling someones name to cause someone aggravation (to anyone) could be seen, by some, as the actions of an immature sh1thead, basically. Therefore, if someone has made that judgement about you, based on your own actions, surely you can see how any comment you make in future would be valued by them in the context of you being an immature sh1thead. It'd be like if I replied to every post in AH with the text "yore ma" and then in feedback, started making points about how the moderation of AH needed changing. You'd be reading my comments thinking "who gives a fcuk what this asshole thinks", wouldn't you?

human nature.

Dodgykeeper · 12-01-2009 12:25pm

tbh wrote: »

I may be able to help you with that. Doing something like deliberately mis-spelling someones name to cause someone aggravation (to anyone) could be seen, by some, as the actions of an immature sh1thead, basically. Therefore, if someone has made that judgement about you, based on your own actions, surely you can see how any comment you make in future would be valued by them in the context of you being an immature sh1thead. It'd be like if I replied to every post in AH with the text "yore ma" and then in feedback, started making points about how the moderation of AH needed changing. You'd be reading my comments thinking "who gives a fcuk what this asshole thinks", wouldn't you?

human nature.

Help me with what!

Didnt know it was causing aggravation until I got a PM and I stopped.

The rest of your post doesnt really make sense tbh!

I was under the impression that this thread was for users to air their grieviences, not for a posse of mods to come on and defend the Photography Mods, some of us have a problem, some dont lets discuss it like adults and not turn this into another bitchfest, so far users of the Photography forum have been called Muppets and referred to as Sh1theads by moderators of other forums, I fail to see how this is helping the situation!

gandalf · 12-01-2009 12:29pm

Thing is Dodgykeeper on this forum they are not mods. The only mods on here are the admins and smods.

I'll be replying to this thread with my point of view tonight or tomorrow morning as I am busy at the moment.

tbh · 12-01-2009 12:29pm

Dodgykeeper wrote: »

Help me with what!

Didnt know it was causing aggravation until I got a PM and I stopped.

The rest of your post doesnt really make sense tbh!

I was under the impression that this thread was for users to air their grieviences, not for a posse of mods to come on and defend the Photography Mods, some of us have a problem, some dont lets discuss it like adults and not turn this into another bitchfest, so far users of the Photography forum have been called Muppets and referred to as Sh1theads by moderators of other forums, I fail to see how this is helping the situation!

you couldn't understand why your previous behaviour was being brought up, I was explaining why. Your past behaviour kind of makes your complaints invalid, because, as far as I see it, it's you that's the problem. Your behaviour is causing the "harsh" moderation. Most people wouldn't have to be told not to do that.

I never called you a sh1thead, by the way.

some dont lets discuss it like adults and not turn this into another bitchfest,

you obviously didn't respect the wishes of the majority on the photography forum and behave like an adult, but now something matters to you, and we're all expected to act like adults? what goes around, comes around. There's too many posters on this site who think it's hilarious to piss all over any thread or topic they like, but expect to be treated with courtesy and respect when they deem it's time.

Dudess · 12-01-2009 12:31pm

Dodgykeeper wrote: »

I was under the impression that this thread was for users to air their grieviences, not for a posse of mods to come on and defend the Photography Mods

It's more a defence of Calina and the petty bullying he has to put up with. It's not nice when you're in that position, it really isn't. Moderators aren't some "club", plenty of them disagree with each other and dislike one another... however they also empathise with other moderators seeing as they understand the kind of stuff they're dealing with, whereas regular users don't. Simple as.

so far users of the Photography forum have been called Muppets

For the petty bullying of Calina.

and referred to as Sh1theads by moderators of other forums

One person used that term as part of an analogy. Don't exaggerate.

CabanSail · 12-01-2009 12:34pm

I can assure you that the Mods are not "rallying around" at all.

I am still learning about what to do in certain situations. The three of us who are active on the forum all have different personalities & styles. We do consult quite a lot on various issues. The thing about managing things by PM (which I personally do a fair bit) is that it is Private. It is to quietly draw someone's attention to an issue & ussually resuts in a reply to say they did not realise & thanks. Nobody else needs to know about those things.

I would like to say that Calina is very fair & impartial on the forum. I get along with her well as a fellow user & Mod. I also know that if I were to step out of line in a post she would have no hesitation in giving me an infraction too. I respect her for that. I also know she takes her duties as a Mod very seriously & has the best interest of the forum in mind with whatever she does.

If there are things I do that could be improved I would be pleased of some feedback.

I am off now to drive back from Mayo. I am sure this will have moved along somewhat by the time I log in tonight.

Paulw · 12-01-2009 12:34pm

Dragan wrote: »

There seems to be a general feeling of "hold my hand" going on here, that people should receive a PM warning before an infraction?

I don't think this is the case, at all. Of course there are times when an infraction/ban is directly warranted, however, I believe there are times when a simple PM will stop an issue and resolve any tension quicker than an infraction/ban would.

There will always be personality conflicts, granted. There will always be topics/discussions which border on a problem. But, I believe, the vast majority of users and posts in the photography section are well within the spirit of boards.

Would it be possible for mods/smods to look at the number of infractions/bans issued in photography? Take a period of the last 6 months, the previous 6 months, the previous year? While I know that people come and go, I would generally assume that the number of infractions/bans would be relatively constant, unless there was a specific reason otherwise?

Dodgykeeper · 12-01-2009 12:36pm

gandalf wrote: »

Thing is Dodgykeeper on this forum they are not mods. The only mods on here are the admins and smods.

I'll be replying to this thread with my point of view tonight or tomorrow morning as I am busy at the moment.

They are moderators of other forums, which is what I said, i know they are not moderators of this forum.

Beruthiel · 12-01-2009 12:36pm

Dodgykeeper wrote: »

One poster has constantly mispelled at moderators name for whatever reason, I was taking the piss out of him more than anyone else by jumping on the bandwagon and doing it aswell

Sorry. But I'm not buying that.

This has gone the way I tought it would with the people with the problem being accused of bullying

That's what it was.

the mods rallying around each other.

This is non existent, some users don't get that Mods do not rally around, I have seen more than my fair share of Mods disagreeing.
Mods are users too and they have as much right to give their opinion as anyone else.
If they happen to agree in this thread, than that means something.

AnimalRights wrote:

Mods who rally round each other just make out that its only the troublemakers and everything is hunky dory

See above.

As far as I can see from this thread, most of the regulars of the photography forum who have posted here are happy enough with the moderation.
You are never going to please all of the people all of the time.
But if the vast majority are happy, that's all you can wish for.

Dodgykeeper · 12-01-2009 12:38pm

tbh wrote: »

you couldn't understand why your previous behaviour was being brought up, I was explaining why. Your past behaviour kind of makes your complaints invalid, because, as far as I see it, it's you that's the problem. Your behaviour is causing the "harsh" moderation. Most people wouldn't have to be told not to do that.

I never called you a sh1thead, by the way.

you obviously didn't respect the wishes of the majority on the photography forum and behave like an adult, but now something matters to you, and we're all expected to act like adults? what goes around, comes around. There's too many posters on this site who think it's hilarious to piss all over any thread or topic they like, but expect to be treated with courtesy and respect when they deem it's time.

I never said you called me Sh1thead, can you explain the bith I have bolded above!

Fajitas! · 12-01-2009 12:39pm

Covey wrote: »

A purely factual Forum is quite honestly a boring pain in the a*se.

Lets get back to where we were about a year ago, unless that is, moderators can document a vast increase in the number of complaints in the meantime.

T.

NB (expressing thanks on this post may have consequences )

To what I've highlighted in bold: Exactly. The biggest part of the photography forum is not the quality of information, nor the quality of the photographs, but believe it or not, the community. It's an incredibly import aspect, and being able to have a joke and a laugh is important for building that aspect of community. Now, I'm not saying every thread have a joke or a laugh, and it never was that way, but the forum needs to lighten up.

As regards the complaints - I seriously don't think it's ever been as bad as the last few months.

Deleted User wrote: »

I'm a bit late to the party on this I see...well,there's no lying, the place has become a lot stricter over the past few months.Most of the issues that have been dealt with by the mods were necessary while some were not.The arse of the year thing was a bit ott tbh as were several of the infractions in the wedding thread.However like meleka.... said, the mods have had plenty of problems,there has been a lot of unnecessary biatching going on which the mods have had to put a stop to.The problem is that this is being done in the wrong way(imo).

It has become a lot stricter - I mean, as I've posted in the last thread, the arse of the year was a joke I aimed at my own custom user title - I think most people got that, and one or two even posted it in the awards thread that followed up. I'd also have to agree with you on some of the warnings on the wedding thread, but tbh, that's been completely overshadowed by the other thread here. Following on to...

Like has been said before,the reason many users talk about the glory days of Elven and Fajitas was because there was a certain understanding there.You could treat either like a user yet when it came to modding you still respected their decision.They were able to get along with the community(even with the dreaded title of mod) and this stood to them when they had to do the dirty work.

I *don't* want this to come across as blowing my own trumpet, but tbh, that's exactly what a moderator should be - A normal user. If something comes up, then deal with it, and get back to being a normal user. If you can avoid breaking up the flow of a thread by sending a polite PM, then go for it.

Thaedydal wrote: »

Moderation should not be secret and by pm.
It should be open, transparent and trackible.
That is why we have the infraction and banning system we do.
Mods are ment to use that rather then get into interpersonal skuffles with posters in private.

I'd have to disagree and say 'it depends on the case at hand'. You can't just apply one rule to it all - You've got to apply common sense and judge each case on it's own merits. It's still quite easy to keep the whole thing trackible if needs be - I'd always report the post, and add a note to say "user Pm'd" and the outcome. Warnings and infractions are undoubtably handy, but they can seem a bit aggressive if they are used instead of private messages. The mighty 'polite PM' is great tool for any mod.

Gods the sooner the spring flowers start coming out and the weather gets better
and you lot can get outside and start taking photos of snowdrops instead of potshots at people on line the better.

Tell me about it!

DaireQuinlan wrote: »

Bearing in mind that the forum isn't just a 'photography' forum, but also a forum for a community of photographers, I think a certain flexibility is essential in the way (for example) OT threads are handled, frequently threads wander off into tangential byways, just as the result of people chatting and not neccessarily addressing the specific question or topic at hand. Crucially, I've never seen anyone get bans or infractions for these threads so long as they don't start to descend into name calling or personal abuse. I've been thread warned myself once or twice quite justifiably for stepping over the line, I didn't have a problem with that.

One of the most important points raised in this thread for those looking in from outside.

seamus wrote: »

People don't like change, and particularly those people who like to fight against authority or otherwise "have a bit of craic", like the kids down the back of the bus, have problems dealing with change which will directly affect their ability to have that craic.

With respect, it's not just the kids down the back of the bus that like to have good time on the forum.

From an initial glance, and without any proper evidence, it looks like;
1. The people currently expressing problems need to realise that they're not going to get back the forum that they had a year ago. There's a time and a place for having a conversation full of joking and laughing and nothing else, and it's called facebook.
2. Calina may need to ease up on the reins a little, if only for the sake of her own stress levels.

But what if there's joking and laughing coupled by lots of helpful posting? That's what the forum should be to me. I also think Calina needs to ease up on the reins.

Paulw wrote: »

I've been a user on boards a good while now, and I find the photography section great for tips, tricks, help, learning and even a social side. I've met a good number of the posters in there on a number of boards outings.

I think the whole section has changed a lot over since elven and fajitas! stepped down (ok, Fajitas! posted he was stepping down and then still had mod powers for a month or two after).

The section seems to have two types of mods - one strict and one less strict. It is a shame to see. It's obviously down to personalities and how people work.

There are times when people deserve infractions, I think we'll all acknowledge that. But, there are also times, when a quick PM to a user can end a potential issue, and allow the user to edit and reword what they wanted to say.

The recent thread seems to almost be the straw that broke the camels back. I didn't get to see a lot of the posts, due to them being edited/deleted.

I don't presume to know what mods have to deal with. I know there is a bit of work involved, things that we never see. But, I also think that the place seems to have lost a good bit of it's fun nature in the last months, with the change of mods.

The photography section, in my opinion, should be about learning, sharing and also having some fun. Some threads go off topic, but not in a bad or destructive way. Some, need to be brought back on topic.

Anyway, I guess I've said enough. In general, I think the people/posters in photography are great and fun, with a lot to share. But, people shouldn't feel like they are walking on eggshells, like some currently feel.

I couldn't have said it better myself Paul.

CraggyIslander wrote: »

Oh and can we bring back Oriel.... :pac:

+1

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