Cyprus-Forum.com

[magikthrill]

erol i hate to be hasty but i feel like youre violating your privileges. dont get me wrong because a) i never liked the idiot and b) i can understand how he can be exceptionally annoying to you since he is indirectly offending you guys but i still dont believe you have the right to "de facto" ban a member. im sure though the admin wont have a problem but just letting you know what i think.

[magikthrill]

thank you for moving it over here. figured you would have done so

[erolz]

Firstly let me say that the mods and admin are currently reviewing the rules for the forums. It is my hope, but I can not guarantee that this will happen as it is siubject to agreement by mods and the admin, that once we have thrashed out the rules, they will then be presented to the users for input as well - and not just imposed. But as I say this is yet to be properly discussed and agreed.

One of the rules that will be under review in this process is the one concerning the prohibiting of public discussions of moderator decisions. So at the moment this discussion is being placed here and 'allowed' under the 'provisional' ruling implied in this thread

http://www.cyprus-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3063

where the admin has said that such discussions can be carried out here (and under my suggested 'guidelines' for such discussions)

erol i hate to be hasty but i feel like youre violating your privileges. dont get me wrong because a) i never liked the idiot and b) i can understand how he can be exceptionally annoying to you since he is indirectly offending you guys but i still dont believe you have the right to "de facto" ban a member. im sure though the admin wont have a problem but just letting you know what i think.

this post was split out from and relates to this thread (specificaly the lastish post under the name KYPROS-EINAI-ELLHNIKH but containg my edited text)

http://www.cyprus-forum.com/viewtopic.php?p=50875#50875

And so to your post.

Firstly the basis for my decsion was that we had firm proof that this poster was a poster previously banned who simply returned again under a new user name and making a mockery of the forums rules. This proof was in the firm of a direct admission from this user via PM to a mod, that they were in fact the same person of a user just previously banned for persistent unacceptable behaviour.

I did not make the decision I did based on my personal annoyance or dislike or that he was a GC 'fanatic' and not a TC one. I took it purely on the basis that he was a known banned user, making a mockery of the rules and exploiting the fact that the admin was unavailable for a period of time.

I could have taken the decision to only remove those posts relating to this user that were themselves 'in breach of the rules' until such time as the admin became available to ban him directly. However I did not know for how long the admin would be away (they have now returned btw and the user has been banned) and I did not see why the offender should get the 'privelidge' of being able to continue to post when they were already known to be a banned user. Add to this the fact that many (though not all) of the posts they made in this period were themselves in clear breach of the rules, this only reinforced my decision to act as I did.

That was the basis for why I made the decision I did. I accept you may not agree that it was the right decission in the circumsatnce but hopefully your are now more 'informed' as to what were the factors that led to making the decision ?

[erolz]

thank you for moving it over here. figured you would have done so

at the risk of contributing to off topic and one line posts then if you thought I would moved it to here why did you not just post it here in the first place?? There is a lot of 'work' (time) involved in moderation as it is and every time a post is split or moved there is a risk that an error will be made and something lost - and no doubt there will then be screams from posters about 'censorship' and 'incompetance' and the like. Please please do not fight us but at least try working with us.

[Othellos]

One of the rules that will be under review in this process is the one concerning the prohibiting of public discussions of moderator decisions.

If the intention here is to have a public message board where members are free to express their views and oppinions on different issues, then to me this does not sound like the most democratic rule to implement.

O.

[erolz]

One of the rules that will be under review in this process is the one concerning the prohibiting of public discussions of moderator decisions.

If the intention here is to have a public message board where members are free to express their views and oppinions on different issues, then to me this does not sound like the most democratic rule to implement.

O.

Hi otho

This thread is about the sepcific decsion I made and that magik wished to discuss. If you want to comment on the rule refered to can you do so here where there is alread a discussion that relates to this issue (and others) or start a new one if you think this is too different to the point you wish to make. Thanks


http://www.cyprus-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3063

[magikthrill]

erol,

i do not disagree that this member has been banned before in the past or that he in any way belonged in the forum.

i had posted in one of his threads requesting that we all ignore him. until the admin took the decision of banning him - seeing as he is the only one who had the right to do so - then all you, me and everyone else should have done was to ignore him and pretend as if he didnt exist.

i am not critisizing your moderation decisions in general right now but only tihs specific action you took, which to me seems like power abusing for whatever reason.

[erolz]

which to me seems like power abusing for whatever reason.

Firstly I am not required to answer for my actions as a moderator to anyone other than the admin of this forum. That I chose to enter into this discussion is merely a 'courtesy' to you and the user of this forum in general.

Secondly according to the current rules such public discussions of moderator decisions are against the rules. It is me that has questioned this rule and is defending the principle that users should be allowed to voice their concerns and opinions re moderator decisions publicaly. It would be easy for me to have not done this and instead argue that no such public discussion should be allowed, but I do not do this.

Your opinion is that I abused my power. My opinion is that I did what was necessary and required of me as a moderator in very difficult circumstances and at a considerable 'waste' of my own personal time. In my view not only did I have the 'right' to make the decsion I made I beleive I had a duty to do so.

You are entitled to your opinion. As far I am concerned you are entitled to express it publicaly and I have personaly been doing what I can to defend this principal. However I think you are totaly wrong with your opinon that I abused my power.

[magikthrill]

if you are not allowed to discuss such matters than maybe you sohuld not have created a new post and then make your self seem fair when you should know what you did was an abuse of your power. your job is to moderate not ban users.

[erolz]

if you are not allowed to discuss such matters than maybe you sohuld not have created a new post and then make your self seem fair

I clearly explain the 'terms' under which this dicussion was being 'allowed' and provided you the link ot the relavent thread

http://www.cyprus-forum.com/viewtopic.php?t=3063

when you should know what you did was an abuse of your power.

It is one thing to state your opinon. It is another to tell me what I should or do know

your job is to moderate not ban users.

My job as a moderator is to unphold and enforce the rules of the forum, to the best of my ability and my judgment. A banned user by defintion has no right to make any posts AT ALL, within the rules of this forum.

Would you like me personaly to step down as a moderator? If so, then say so, but you would be well advised to consider the old addage ' be careful what you wish for - you may just get it' in my opinion.