[Land-speed] Landracing.com forum

[Ed Weldon]

Tom--
You're right on a lot of counts.  Jon's forum was a real service to us as a
place to expand topics of interest..  Maybe we should be there to help a bit
more than just sending a few bucks from time to time.  I don't really think
the best answer here is starting a separate new forum.
I just had a long talk with Sandy, my wife, about internet forums she
participates in (mostly computer art and crafts) and what she thought of our
situation.  We both agree on the need for and the effort involved in effective
moderation of these forums.  Effective moderation has to strike a balance
between too soft and too hard.  I submit that this is not easy for a
businessman doing it himself.
Sure we all should be able to act like grownups.  But sometimes, especially
after a few beers, we get out of line.  Sandy observed that problems on her
forums came up more frequently on weekends at just the time that active
moderators were somewhere else and maybe the people posting were, shall we
say, just a bit loose.  She also mentioned that a certain amount of
selectivity for forum membership was not a bad thing.
Personally I'd like to see Jon restart the forum with some new rules and some
dedicated helpers as moderators.  That way he can drop out of the day to day
management of the forum and act mainly in a behind the scenes lead role.  I
think being a forum moderator requires a time commitment and a willingness to
spend some of one's own political capital.  And I think there are some of us
that would be willing.
Jon-- You got your ears on?  I think a call for help would be a good thing.
Ed Weldon
  ----- Original Message -----
  From: Tom Bryant
  To: John Romero ; LandSpeed List ; Ed Weldon
  Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2008 6:57 PM
  Subject: Re: [Land-speed] Landracing.com forum


        Just a question or two...First, why put so much responsibility on Jon
for the sanity of the forum? Isn't it up to the participants to be sensible? I
think that Jon put this web site in place as a service to the LSR Community
because we had limits (no pictures/attachments, message length limits, etc.)
in place on the network. It is a lot of work to keep a site going, even
without the unnecessary gibberish it attracts. Can't we all act like grownups
and appreciate what he makes available? Sure there is some unnecessary
rudeness. Usually it is worth wading through some of that to ferret out the
good. I really like what Jon makes available!

        Just my take on this subject. I don't wear my feelings on my sleeve.
If I don't like what I see, I hit the delete button.

        Tom, Redding CA - #216 D/FCC

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