I feel bad that I went personal first, without even considering the admin link. I won't do that again--I'll try to remember not to do that again. I completely understand and agree with Plei (and probably other admins) that their email is not for admin stuff.

I do know the admins check the link--it is the admin email, right?--pretty often, whether they do it individually or in shifts, isn't my business. Just that it is checked. And so I think I can feel confident using the rant box to ask, "Is this something the admins need to know about?"

Which is what I'll do should a like occasion arise.

The stompies seem so adamant that they do not want to moderate at all that sometimes I even feel that is too much.

Just to clarify, the stompies have said, as has a pretty good cross-section of the community, that we don't want moderation in the sense of approving the content of each post. We've never said that we're unwilling to do our part to try to sort out conflicts, keep things running, spork obvious nasties, or anything else like that. And people should feel free to use the email admins link.

I would've done the same thing, Beverly. I tend to forget the existence of links I've never used, and until today I'd forgotten the Email Admins link was there, but I remember who the Stompies are, so I would've just emailed them personally in complete obliviousness that I was committing a faux pas. And I don't know if that's a case of me being my usual absentminded professor detail-fuzzy self, or if it means we need to have some kind of announcement clarifying how to handle these situations.

Hayden, I'm blushing. Or something.

we need to have some kind of announcement clarifying how to handle these situations.

I think this.

Most of us are quite friendly with peeps who are also and incidentally admins, and we forget the lines, that there are and should be lines, and that everyone should respect them.

To tell you the truth, that's what I always assumed that link was for. And I'm really pretty stunned to see that people don't feel they can use it, but maybe that means that some kind of clarification is needed.

I felt I could use it. I didn't think any action could come out of it. Which still begs the question, once it's used, in a situation like the one when Z moved from suspension to ban - are people going to feel comfortable speaking up on the board to say Ban Poster X who seems to be having life issues that might make Poster X more likely to bother me, if I speak up.

Most of us are quite friendly with peeps who are also and incidentally admins, and we forget the lines, that there are and should be lines, and that everyone should respect them.

That said, you know, don't feel afraid to email as a pal, looking for pal advice.

Don't want to scare anyone off. Worried I came on too strong back there.

You scared me.

That said, you know, don't feel afraid to email as a pal, looking for pal advice.

Exactly, otherwise the e-mail get forwarded directly to the admin list anyway.

And, going for the hat trick...

Just to clarify, the stompies have said, as has a pretty good cross-section of the community, that we don't want moderation in the sense of approving the content of each post. We've never said that we're unwilling to do our part to try to sort out conflicts, keep things running, spork obvious nasties, or anything else like that. And people should feel free to use the email admins link.

What amy said.

are people going to feel comfortable speaking up on the board to say Ban Poster X who seems to be having life issues that might make Poster X more likely to bother me, if I speak up.

I think this is something each poster is going to have to decide for him or herself. It's tough. How anonymous do I feel, if somebody decides to get ugly with me personally? I'm a fatalist, so my opinion doesn't count for much. And I'm damned pigheaded, so bring it. I'll say what I please, as long as no stompy tells me I'm being inflammatory. Don't want to be less than helpful.

But I do think, if a poster feels vulnerable or threatened, using the admin link is one way to express an opinion that will be heard, and will be counted, whether or not it is visible to the board at large. I don't think the admins would have a problem saying "the concensus on the board," which includes the threads the problem child acted out in, the discussion thread, and any info recieved backchannel, including the admin link.

Am I wrong?

Cindy,

I'm not sure what people are afraid of. Getting a nasty email? Is this whole discussion taking place because someone is afraid that if they speak up, they will get a nasty email, or spammed with nasty emails?

Is it a fear of physical harm?

I'm trying to understand why folks wouldn't feel comfortable speaking up, trying to wrap my brain around it.