Politics needs another moderator

nesf

gandalf wrote: »

Yep any news on this. Seems to very light on the ground with moderators tonight again.

MUSSOLINI wrote: »

Any update on this lads?

It's being discussed and names have been bandied about and discussed between us. Things are happening it's just the process is rather slow due to needing the agreement of so many different people all on different schedules etc.

Scofflaw

Amhran Nua wrote: »

They get their pot holes fixed and fences mended? Irish politics is the warped result of the single transferable vote system, nobody votes for parties and policies, they vote for the guy that takes care of same because of that system. To say that its a fair representation of Irish society is a real eyebrow riser from a mod of the politics forum.

It would be the same under a first past the post system, as far as I can see - I can't really see how it's a result of STV. A party list system would make a difference, however, since it would bridge the apparent mental blind spot that allows people to vote for a TD who is a member of a party they affect to despise, despite the fact that they will inevitably vote the party line once elected.

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Yes, I'd support the call for a new mod. Clarification: not because Scofflaw is doing a bad job by the way, on the contrary, but I guarantee the political forums are going to get really busy over the next year.

And even I have a life...as nesf says, it's a somewhat time-consuming process, and the cause of the problem (RL interruptions to mod time) ineluctably delays the solution.

cordially,
Scofflaw

gandalf

Scofflaw wrote: »

And even I have a life...as nesf says, it's a somewhat time-consuming process, and the cause of the problem (RL interruptions to mod time) ineluctably delays the solution.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Look having been in the same position I agree with you but from my perspective and that of a lot of the other regulars on Politics you seem to be the only one that is in any way active at the moment. nesf has publicly stated their situation at the moment and fair play to them for being so honest and I wish them the best. I know the real life pressures on one of the other mods who I know has very little free time as well.

I would offer to mod on a temporary basis but I do not think my moderation style would suit the politics forum of today. I may cause more problems than I fix plus I know I will get frustrated quite quickly as well.

I cannot understand why the admins cannot draft in some experienced mods from other forums on a temporary basis to fill in the gaps while the decision is being made on the new permanent mods. The mods do not need to be interested in Politics they just need to be able to react to valid reported posts.

Again I would like to reiterate that a minimum of two active mods are needed. If you can get more I would do it because like Amhran Nua has indicated Politics is going to get very busy over the next few months with the by-election, hairshirt budget and probable general election coming up.

Amhran Nua

Scofflaw wrote: »

A party list system would make a difference, however, since it would bridge the apparent mental blind spot that allows people to vote for a TD who is a member of a party they affect to despise, despite the fact that they will inevitably vote the party line once elected.

Yes, so you admit a change in the electoral system would produce different results, therefore the political results are not a direct reflection on Irish society. TDs spend a great deal of time building up personal relationships with their voters, doing small favours for big families and so on, which is the inevitable result of STV, itself installed here only to keep the peace between post civil war parties. 99% of the countries with proportional representation use the party list for this reason.

The rogues gallery we have as TDs at the minute are a result of the STV's inbuilt bald neglect of the national level (which is the only perspective from which anyone outside their constituency sees those TDs), and has very little to do with the true nature of Irish society.

Scofflaw wrote: »

And even I have a life

Well what you can devote of it to politics is appreciated, we've had our skirmishes in the past but you do generally take a fair minded and even handed approach to modding.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

dr.bollocko

Interim mods unfamiliar with the terrain may, with the best intentions, create more problems than they resolve. The climate of each forum differs and it does take time and interest to try and acclimatise to the expectations of the posters. New mod selection on big forums like politics is quite a headache.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Wibbs

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Interim mods unfamiliar with the terrain may, with the best intentions, create more problems than they resolve. The climate of each forum differs and it does take time and interest to try and acclimatise to the expectations of the posters. New mod selection on big forums like politics is quite a headache.

I agree, but there are mods out there who are neutral, very adaptable and don't get people's backs up pretty much regardless of the forum. Examples I can think of would be folks like bonkey, Tom Dunne and The Recliner* and there are others. Temp mods like that could take up the slack?




*gets hunted down by same for naming them*

Scofflaw

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Yes, so you admit a change in the electoral system would produce different results, therefore the political results are not a direct reflection on Irish society. TDs spend a great deal of time building up personal relationships with their voters, doing small favours for big families and so on, which is the inevitable result of STV, itself installed here only to keep the peace between post civil war parties. 99% of the countries with proportional representation use the party list for this reason.

The rogues gallery we have as TDs at the minute are a result of the STV's inbuilt bald neglect of the national level (which is the only perspective from which anyone outside their constituency sees those TDs), and has very little to do with the true nature of Irish society.

TDs are elected on a personal basis - and first past the post wouldn't make a difference to that is because it would still provide a personal basis for election. However, the UK has first past the post, but generally elects people on a party basis, which suggests that the election of TDs on the very personal basis we have here is a particular feature of Irish society. In turn, the fact that we don't have a party list system - which would mechanically prevent the operation of the personal element - or even any strong movement for one, suggests that the current setup is one that suits the Irish voter. For both those reasons I'd consider the current system a good reflection of the Irish electorate and the true nature of Irish society, which is personal, parochial, corporatist and clientilist. Irish people, by and large, don't ask about the inherent worth of a policy - instead, they ask who'll benefit from it, who'll be running it, how they and their area can get some of the benefit of it or be exempt from the disadvantages of it.

By the way, I have to object to the use of the word "admit" there - as if I hadn't simply made the point myself about the party list system.

Amhran Nua wrote: »

Well what you can devote of it to politics is appreciated, we've had our skirmishes in the past but you do generally take a fair minded and even handed approach to modding.

Thanks - I appreciate that, but I can't help but notice we're more than a little off-topic now with a side skirmish!

cordially,
Scofflaw

Scofflaw

Wibbs wrote: »

I agree, but there are mods out there who are neutral, very adaptable and don't get people's backs up pretty much regardless of the forum. Examples I can think of would be folks like bonkey, Tom Dunne and The Recliner* and there are others. Temp mods like that could take up the slack?

Unfortunately, bonkey has, from this perspective, already left the building, and on the basis that he can only provide intermittent attention to Politics.

cordially,
Scofflaw

gandalf

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Interim mods unfamiliar with the terrain may, with the best intentions, create more problems than they resolve. The climate of each forum differs and it does take time and interest to try and acclimatise to the expectations of the posters. New mod selection on big forums like politics is quite a headache.

Actually I disagree. All you need is a moderator who is experienced enough to deal with reported posts. With most of the valid ones are obvious and can be dealt with immediately no matter what the terrain is like.

dr.bollocko

gandalf wrote: »

Actually I disagree. All you need is a moderator who is experienced enough to deal with reported posts. With most of the valid ones are obvious and can be dealt with immediately no matter what the terrain is like.

Ah you mean somebody with common sense. A rarer commodity than one would think!

gandalf

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Ah you mean somebody with common sense. A rarer commodity than one would think!

Yeswith common sense of course. A mod or two drafted in on a temporary basis from one of the other high volume forums would be ideal in the short term.

Lockstep

Echoing the general sentiments, the influx of posters/threads which was almost certainly arise from the upcoming budget, protests and by-elections.

There's already some fairly heated threads on student protests and the US election.

Interim mods would be a great idea, there's a fair few excellent mods who could fill the breach.

gandalf

Ok if you need someone on a temporary basis to nail the obvious trolls count me in. Some of the idiotic threads that are springing up in Politics at the moment are doing my head in.

Scofflaw

gandalf wrote: »

Ok if you need someone on a temporary basis to nail the obvious trolls count me in. Some of the idiotic threads that are springing up in Politics at the moment are doing my head in.

I'm inclining to the view that if you'd like to administer a short sharp shower of terror, that would be a good and useful thing. I'm a little soft-hearted sometimes.

I think we're at the point now when we can put a list forward for approval, but I'd like to keep your offer out on the table if I may?

cordially,
Scofflaw

gandalf

Yes of course let me know if I am needed.

Yes given I have some time on my hands at the moment if I can stop some of the more troll like or simple minded threads in their tracks it might get the message out again that if you start a thread in politics it has to be fleshed out properly and well thought out. Not some of the After Hours standard one liners we have seen recently.

Scofflaw

gandalf wrote: »

Yes of course let me know if I am needed.

Yes given I have some time on my hands at the moment if I can stop some of the more troll like or simple minded threads in their tracks it might get the message out again that if you start a thread in politics it has to be fleshed out properly and well thought out. Not some of the After Hours standard one liners we have seen recently.

Grand. In addition, a good weeding-out over the next couple of weeks of the more persistently muppetish posters will hopefully put us in a better position to deal with the fresh influx.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Dudess

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Like, our view is correct, and everyone who takes a different and more sensible view, is a 'muppet' and a 'troll'.

Yes, that is the approach you take.

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

Lockstep

Ditto, would be happy to help out, even if only on a temporary basis.

gandalf

Any update on this at all. Its seems to be taking a time scale of Geological proportions to make any decisions.

Wolfe Tone

gandalf wrote: »

Any update on this at all. Its seems to be taking a time scale of Geological proportions to make any decisions.

It does seem a bit excessive all right.

Scofflaw

We're now waiting on Admin approval of the various names proposed.

cordially,
Scofflaw

nesf

gandalf wrote: »

Any update on this at all. Its seems to be taking a time scale of Geological proportions to make any decisions.

The process of choosing, approving and then appointing a mod is a long one I'm afraid.

Sparks

nesf wrote: »

The process of choosing, approving and then appointing a mod is a long one I'm afraid.

Appoint in haste, repent at length in Dispute Resolution....

Scofflaw

Sparks wrote: »

Appoint in haste, repent at length in Dispute Resolution....

In Politics, you pretty much always get to repent at leisure in DR anyway.

cordially,
Scofflaw

FlutterinBantam

Scofflaw wrote: »

We're now waiting on Admin approval of the various names proposed.

cordially,
Scofflaw

Could this mean an general amnesty in honour of the new Mod?

Hopefully:P

Flutterinbantam

sceptre

FlutterinBantam wrote: »

Could this mean an general amnesty in honour of the new Mod?

Hopefully:P

Flutterinbantam

Not in this universe, unfortunately.:)

gandalf

bump