Note from a New Moderator for New Members

[Webstral]

We seem to have a number of new members over the past three or four months. This is very encouraging, as there was a time when many of us were worried that the forum was in decline.

For the newcomers, I'd like to offer a heartfelt welcome and a few pointers about how we do business here. This forum is a gentlemen's club. With very few exceptions, we prefer drawing room language and intellectual discourse to the sort crass and crude written expression so prevalent elsewhere. We prefer informed opinion (or acknowledged uninformed opinion) to the kind of ill-considered bombast one can so readily obtain elsewhere. We avoid baiting each other. The old hands on this forum are here for an exchange of ideas, not electronic shouting matches. If you are of like mind, we welcome you. If you are not of like mind, you will find your interests better addressed elsewhere.

Law and Legbreaker got themselves banned because they practiced standard Internet behavior here (Leg's recent attempts to conform to the forum's atmosphere notwithstanding). Given Kato's saintly patience and tolerance, these posters have accomplished something remarkable, albeit not commendable. Whether I am good role model or not, I'd ask everyone to have a look at the tone and content of the posts of the other moderators, plus Paul, Chico, and many of the other long-termers here. Colorful characters are welcome; colorful metaphors should be used with great discretion. If in doubt, write your reply as a Word document, then wait a few hours or a day. When I follow my own advice, I do a lot better at exchanging ideas.

Webstral

[Raellus]

I too have accepted a temporary moderator position and I would like to echo what Webstral has written here.

I hope to leave as small a moderator footprint on the forum as I possibly can. My goal is to help the other moderators keep this forum running as smoothly as possible while maintaining the lowest of profiles while doing so. At the same time, I intend to continue to actively participate in forum discussions as a humble poster.

[StainlessSteelCynic]

I'd like to suggest that your thread here is made "sticky" so that it always remains at the top for new members (and old) to see and read)

Other than that I wish you good luck in the role, the two of you have exercised considerable restraint and even-handed judgment in the past even when personally attacked in some cases and I think you're good choices for moderators (I would think Graebarde would also be good in the role although he probably doesn't have the time for such a role).

[Cpl. Kalkwarf]

BTW grazt to the new mods.

[copeab]

I kneel before our new overlords.

[pmulcahy11b]

Originally Posted by copeab

I kneel before our new overlords.

We're not worthy!

[Targan]

Originally Posted by Webstral

Colorful characters are welcome; colorful metaphors should be used with great discretion. If in doubt, write your reply as a Word document, then wait a few hours or a day. When I follow my own advice, I do a lot better at exchanging ideas.

Hello from a new moderator here too. The above quote contains good advice. It is especially useful if you have read in a post something that offends you or riles you up. If you feel compelled to respond strongly to a post you find objectionable try to take a few deep breaths and re-read your reply before you post it.

[Mahatatain]

Congratulations (or commiserations, depending on your point of view!) to the new moderators!

Originally Posted by Targan

Hello from a new moderator here too. The above quote contains good advice. It is especially useful if you have read in a post something that offends you or riles you up. If you feel compelled to respond strongly to a post you find objectionable try to take a few deep breaths and re-read your reply before you post it.

Years ago when I first started working and using e-mail for work someone gave me a bit of advice:

"If you're snarling while you type an e-mail don't press send!"

I think that the same applies to submitting posts on any forum!

[Ironside]

Ave new moderators! Morituri te salutamus!


(I hope that's: 'Hail . . .those who are about to die salute thee!' but it's been many years since I did latin )

[Canadian Army]

"We salute you, our half inflated dark lord." -Spinal Tap, saluting a half inflated balloon of the devil.

[General Pain]

Yup as Kato is taking a break me and the other new Moderators will try to keep the groove going in this; our little part of the Internet.

I think I speak for everyone of the long term members* of the forum that keeping it civil and respectfull is the solution for a good and productive forum.

*and hopefully our new ones too.

To our new members:

Wellcome and keep it clean.

-General Pain