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Old September 27th 07, 07:29 PM posted to rec.radio.amateur.policy
KH6HZ KH6HZ is offline
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First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Dec 2006
Posts: 300
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"Leo" wrote:

Since the new moderated group was created (whose mission was to
improve communication and raise the bar on decency over the Policy
group), everyone seems to have disappeared. The moderated group is
virtually dead, containing primarily bulletins from Amateur groups
around the world and the odd post hare and there....


I suspect the reason why the .moderated group is dead is due to the
'standards' the moderators have decided to implement.

For example, I was recently banned from the .moderated group.

My "crime"? I had 3 rejected postings in a period of 4 months.


Now, I was a staunch supporter of the .moderated group (and still believe a
moderated group is a good thing.) I carefully went back and reviewed all the
discussion on the group creation, and didn't see anywhere that such silly
standards would be used. As the previous moderator of biz.sco.sources in the
mid 90's, I would have thought such quantitative standards were outright
silly.

Over the years, I have participated in many moderated groups,
comp.dcom.telecom being one I used extensively in the mid 90's when Pat
Townsend(sp?) was the moderator. I can't count the number of rejected
postings I've had from .telecom. Dozens. Yet, I never got any silly email
from him telling me I was "banned". Instead, my messages were either
rejected or simply never showed up. No big deal. That's his job, as
moderator. To steer the discussion. If my comments didn't with within the
discussion, it was his right to reject them.

I actually laughed out loud when I got the email telling me I was suspended
from .moderated on the basis of having 3 rejected postings over a 4 month
period. I don't know who created that idea, but that's some serious
anal-retentive tendencies there.

The most disturbing part of the entire episode is none of these 'standards'
were discussed up front. How many months have to go by before one of the
rejected postings falls off the list? What happens if you have 3 rejected
postings in 6 months? 12 months? 5 years? Do you still get banned if you
have 3 rejected postings over a 10 year period?

So, the reality is they are simply arbitrary ways for the moderators to
squash those with dissenting opinion.

No biggie, really. This summer I had to build a new barn, and right now I'm
in the process of rehabbing the single-pane windows in my 300 year old
ranch. Then I have to build wooden storm windows, and crawl into the attic
and insulate. All before winter hits. I check in here maybe once every 2 to
3 weeks. Moderated even less.

73
kh6hz