A thread to discuss naming threads, board policy, new thread suggestions, and anything else that has to do with board administration and maintenance. Guaranteed to include lively debate and polls. Natter discouraged, but not deleted.
Current Stompy Feet: ita, Jon B, DXMachina, P.M. Marcontell, Liese S., amych
Agreed re: the variable stompiness of stompers (i.e., there isn't any unless it's stated as such).
And furthermore, for the most part stompy feet are generally administrative, and won't necessarily get involved in mediating typical disagreements. [This is, of course, my opinion. Feet please feel free to discuss. Naturally, if something starts heading out of control, we'll do what we need to do to head it off.]
We're all mature here, and I think we can settle our misunderstandings and arguments among ourselves, in the context of the discussion. The best way may often be to say, "Hey, it's getting hotter in here than I meant for it too. Truce?" It's graceful, it's adult (whether or not we, in fact, are adults) and it maintains a positive environment, which is what we all want. Right?
While not technically an adult, I certainly agree with Liese. I'm sure I've made comments that have come off as more Cordelia-esque than intended, and when that happens I definitely want to know so I can avoid it in the future. In a situation where a remark seems to be taken too literally, it's perhaps the tone of the post that offends more than the content. And the tone may be unintentional. So we should be polite. And damn, I had a point somewhere. Where'd it go?
Could we have an admin-only ID that would be used to make it clear when someone was acting as a stompy? Not (necessarily, though it wouldn't hurt) for starting threads or whatever, I'm thinking specifically of etiquette warnings.
Who was that masked, er, person?
My problem with the admin account is that there isn't a faceless omnipotent admin. There are official statements presented by one of a very faceful group of mortals. I don't think that should disappear.
Couple of options. If we use 'admin', we could sign the post to indicate just who is wearing the armor. Or I suppose we could set up some avatars, sort of like the e-mail names, i.e. Big Stompy Foot (DX) or Big Stompy Foot (ita).
I don't think a face needs to disappear. But there *is* a difference, maybe only in my head, between a post with the admin login at the top saying, you're offending us and please cut it out and a post with just some random user's name at the top saying that. I understand the actual wording of the warning would make it clear it's official, but ISTM that it's double-extra clear if it's from the admin account and reads something like, "This is Whoever, speaking for the stompies. You're offending us, please cut it out."
Not a huge deal, just a random thought. If it doesn't make sense, perhaps we could post a list of Stompies somewhere? It just seems more sunshiny and friendly that way, and it would make it clearer to new people who has those powers.
Edit: Or, what DX suggested.
I think stompy announcements should be announced in specific HTML, like the H1 tag or something. Is there something from the stylesheet that's sufficiently outstanding-looking?
People almost never post in colour, unless they're being frivolous, though one poster does it for quoting people, which I find distracting.
An official announcement is always bold and in red, something like that?
