Thanks (all about the Play Pen forum and the numbers thread)

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 07 Aug 2007, 16:31

Porty wrote:I think we should lay off Wangi and the rest of the Mods/Admin until Marya gets back and they can collectively publish a way forward. One in which we can be comfortable that Mods/Admin will not abuse the rules of the forum or use them to further their own prejudices.

Totally agree...enough already with the sniping. I am really not comfortable with the way that this argument has degenerated

Pal of Porty · Post by **Pal of Porty** » 07 Aug 2007, 16:37

Important issue but hear hear!

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 07 Aug 2007, 17:28

wangi wrote:I probably do most of the thread maintenance - moving, merging and deleting threads. Backups. General maintenance... Pay for the hosting & domain, ...And a whole heap more that doesn't immediately come to mind. Oh, and the site design of course...

And for that we are all grateful. However, we can't go on being eternally grateful! Presumably you all do the job because you enjoy doing it but please don't forget that the posters also contribute a whole load to the forum. If we didn't have you, you wouldn't have us and vice versa. All we're asking of the Mods/Admin team is to treat us like adults and with a bit of respect instead of like naughty, silly children who need slapped down when we stray off your perceived straight and narrow. I take time out of my day to post on 'your' forum because it's a bit of light relief. I can stay in the real world and get a row any time I like

Post by **wangi** » 07 Aug 2007, 17:30

Eh, I was simply trying to answer a post by Ali. That's all... I wasn't saying "look at me, I do loads".

I enjoy periods like this like a hole in the head.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 07 Aug 2007, 17:59

wangi wrote:Eh, I was simply trying to answer a post by Ali. That's all... I wasn't saying "look at me, I do loads".

I'm sure you didn't intend it to come over like that but we do hear it a lot from the Mods/Admin! BB has just said that the forum belongs to Admin, it is not a democracy. So, where do the posters come in then? Bob set this forum up and the posters helped to build it into an award winning site. He couldn't have done that on his own! A lot of posters on here give up their time for the site too. Rathbone in particular, but also several of us who worked very hard on the Friends Reunited project - in their own time. I personally have doled out teas at the Portobelly Telly launch - in my own time. Local business donate and advertise stickers - Gawd some of us have even worn those awful tee shirts in public! Most of us support what goes on in Portobello including this forum. To then be told that we are actually incidental to the whole thing is a bit of an insult.

wangi wrote:I enjoy periods like this like a hole in the head.

Me too

Post by **wangi** » 07 Aug 2007, 18:10

Back at POL there was always a bit of a gulf between the forum and the "rest of the site" as us on the forum would call it... I guess the separation of Talk Porty out of Portobello Online might in the admin's eyes make things much clearer (in the case of yeah, we do "own it" etc) but can still be confusing nevertheless.

I think it's a safe assumption to say that TP will steer clear of offshoots and sponsorship ideas - we don't need the money and raising money for something we don't need seems like a lot of hassle for nothing!

I think Maria, Paula and myself have probably drawn a line under the starting of TP and everything beforehand was purely Portobello Online. But yeah, there is continuity as far as you guys are concerned.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 07 Aug 2007, 21:08

wangi wrote:
I think Maria, Paula and myself have probably drawn a line under the starting of TP and everything beforehand was purely Portobello Online. But yeah, there is continuity as far as you guys are concerned.

There is certainly continuity on the apparently random deletion/editing of posts and threads. The mods on POL loved wielding the axe then deleting any protest. TP is following that path.

Lets see what the collective Mods/Admin have to say.

Post by **wangi** » 07 Aug 2007, 21:29

Help ma boab.

Perhaps try to be constructive?

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 07 Aug 2007, 22:35

wangi wrote:Perhaps try to be constructive?

Naturally!!

There is a programme of re-construction required after Mods/Admin took action that resulted in the alienation of 12 of the most regular contributors on TP. My constructive suggestions are:

Mods stick to the forum rules.
Mods stop hiding behind deletion and start openly discussing contentious issues.
Bearcub and Poppy are allowed total autonomy on how our forums are moderated. (within the rules)
Moderators have to justify or discuss removals or deletion of entire posts/threads.
The ridiculous Play Pen is removed.
Marya and Paula take a sabbatical and you take a sabbatical from "moderating".
We discuss how we can best support Poppy and BC.
We discuss the practicality of members serving a year as moderators.
We stop using moderation to prioritise the non-users of the forum in the hope that those non-users shall be either appeased or start posting.
We continue allowing the adults here on TP to have frivolous, childlike and pointless threads so that they feel like they are being treated like grownups.
I would like to see us try a period (say a month) with NO moderation to see how we do.

teddygirl · Post by **teddygirl** » 08 Aug 2007, 08:02

Having been away on holiday, last week when all this rumpus kicked off I have been trying to catch up in the last couple of days and couldn't work out what everyone meant by the playpen (I don't always log on) Now that I have sussed it I have to say I think it is ridiculous. If people don't want to read or participate in the more frivolous threads then they can simply ignore them as I sometimes do myself depending on my mood. Most of the time I enjoy the light hearted nonsense that goes on as it is light relief from the more serious worries and problems that most of us have to deal with in our "real lives" from time to time.
As for post pumping, if we really cared about that we would all be posting on every thread regardless of it's content just to notch up our points. I usually am totally unaware of my number of posts.
All that aside I do appreciate that the moderators have a hard job to do and occasionally they do need to step in but this time I think they have given themselves a huge headache over nothing.

Post by **wangi** » 08 Aug 2007, 22:22

For those waiting for a response from the Talk Porty "management team" - please continue to be patient. We're discussing things, but due to various commitments it'll probably into next week before a response will be made.

L/

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 09 Aug 2007, 09:45

I'm counting the days.........

arachnid · Post by **arachnid** » 09 Aug 2007, 20:30

teddygirl wrote:Having been away on holiday, last week when all this rumpus kicked off I have been trying to catch up in the last couple of days and couldn't work out what everyone meant by the playpen (I don't always log on) Now that I have sussed it I have to say I think it is ridiculous. If people don't want to read or participate in the more frivolous threads then they can simply ignore them as I sometimes do myself depending on my mood. Most of the time I enjoy the light hearted nonsense that goes on as it is light relief from the more serious worries and problems that most of us have to deal with in our "real lives" from time to time.
As for post pumping, if we really cared about that we would all be posting on every thread regardless of it's content just to notch up our points. I usually am totally unaware of my number of posts.
All that aside I do appreciate that the moderators have a hard job to do and occasionally they do need to step in but this time I think they have given themselves a huge headache over nothing.

My thoughts exactly Teddygirl!!

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 11 Aug 2007, 12:03

You're being very quiet, Marya.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 11 Aug 2007, 12:08

wangi wrote:For those waiting for a response from the Talk Porty "management team" - please continue to be patient. We're discussing things, but due to various commitments it'll probably into next week before a response will be made.

L/

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 12 Aug 2007, 07:24

Mmmmm coy ..........I like that!

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 14 Aug 2007, 09:47

Wangi,

Now that the power structure has been resolved are we going to get any answers to the points raise in this thread, or is that too much to ask?

Post by **wangi** » 14 Aug 2007, 09:58

As far as I'm aware I've already answered what I can. Naturally there're a lot of posts, so I may have missed something (but I'm not off to re-read them all!).

rathbone · Post by **rathbone** » 17 Aug 2007, 08:46

Just bringing this back to the top to say that I am now off on holiday....... I am not on strike.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 17 Aug 2007, 10:10

Have a nice time