Banned in the USA.. 🇺🇲

[Koan]

(Most of us are old enough to remember that song lol )

Not yet, but a warning shot has been fired across the bow..



<entertainment >

In a galaxy far, far away, on a planet famed for enthusiastic embrace of Tiresome [tedious / tendentious / totalitarian] Policing Tactics..

I posted 2 responses this morning, evidently for the first time in about 11 years.

One to an ex-reefer newbie having KH anxiety, and a second to fellow who had been desperately fighting GDA for several months.

Neither had received any concrete direction from the moderators, and both were visibly distressed. Burr had stepped in to mention that GSA guy was incorrectly using APT, which unfortunately seemed to baffle the guy even more.

Offered a further recommendation to evaluate his PAR and turn down his lights. And thinking some background would help, recommended separately to both to have a look at a couple of (different) user-friendly, illustrated and appropriately helpful articles addressing their exact questions. Over on 2Hr Aquarist.



</entertainment >

Said moderator edits were to carefully remove all references to Dennis or his information
Fortunately the reefer guy at least saw my recommendation before the machete came down.


Eppur si move


Okay then. Happy Sunday!

 

[Yugang]

Wait @Koan , are you here in any way suggesting that forum moderators could be wrong sometimes? I mean, just like all of us?

 

[Koan]

I've heard it something to the effect of "can not be wrong, only be wronged".

But I seriously, who doesn't like Dennis Wong? That's like not liking cupcakes. Or sunshine

 

[Yugang]

It's not easy being a forum moderator, and most of us agree that they deserve credit for investing a lot of their time as volunteers. Members of fora can be challenging and colorfull personalities, and "sociology" captures in one word a lot of what's going on.

In my humble opinion moderators on some fora could try a bit more of what's sometimes called coaching or mentoring. Don't delete posts, but ask the poster to reconsider and edit it. Don't treat adults as schoolboys. Don't engage in controversial debates (like climate change conspiracy, a purely fictional example, lean dosing or 0 KH), while acting as an administrator/moderator at the same time. Many will agree that one can't be the arbiter/judge and debater at the same time. After a cool down, settle disputes and acknowledge mistakes and correct for wrong calls, official warnings or bans. When fora do not only preach to be a broad church, but actually act as one they will get contributors back and stop the decline.

I see some encouraging progress on another forum. One member held a predator in his tank, as well as small life fish that faced the obvious destiny. One may argue both ways if that is acceptable, but it is against forum rules and for at least some of us in the hobby an unacceptable practice. This was a dilemma for the forum administration, but it was resolved in a respectful manner (thread deleted, but member still around and active) and no harm to the forum community spirit was done. There are also good examples, and learning from mistakes, so kudos to them.