We could use a chat room on this forum, what do ya say????

[scotrace]

Blackjack, wow. I really don't mean to insult, but you are surely mistaken. You don't see much of the bad behavior because we remove it right away. The Bartenders try to remove swear words (warnings given), personal attacks (warnings given), copyrighted material (warnings given), advertising plugs (ditto), nudity (ditto), political content (ditto), etc. The Fedora Lounge is here and growing because people feel safe here. Parents feel safe allowing their kids to hang out here. Other forums may provide no moderation, but they should. And the shelf life of most forums like this is much, much shorter than our seven-plus years.
In short, we have a lot of precedence for what we do, and we know what we're doing.

 

[Shangas]

More proof, like I said, that a lot of the work done by moderators goes unnoticed. The forum runs smoothly because of things that happen that we don't see, much like the comparison I made with an ocean-liner, earlier in the thread.

 

[Blackjack]

Scott- I'm fully aware of the work and dedication it takes to moderate a forum (been there) and you all do an excellent job at keeping the boards healthy, but not when a decision is made based solely on the moderators opinions. (Freaud-Chatroom= too much moderation required for no benefit to the Lounge. ) Who decided it to be no benefit to the lounge? I didn't see a poll asking if the forum if they would like one or not, I see parenting. We say no so it's no. Again a forum is only as strong as the people who talk here, it needs moderators to handle things that get out of control but it does not need overlords putting words into our mouths. Put up a poll, if the majority of members do not want something then it is being handled democratically and everyone stays happy.

 

[C-dot]

Smaller government gentlemen, it's not about you.

...then it is being handled democratically...

Why is it that people so commonly want to compare a private establishment to a government?

Don't fall prey to this misinterpretation. The FL, like any club or restaurant you would walk into, is owned by one person. He makes the rules, and assigns his staff to oversee the place. People who don't like the set-up don't have to patronize it.

You can lobby to change the laws of your country, like many people have done. But would you do that in a restaurant to, say, have a dish added to the menu? Of course not, because it would be the owner's decision. It's his place, his staff, and he has the final word. Democracy does not enter into it, nor does any other system of government.

 

[Flipped Lid]

I've participated in a lot of different internet boards on a variety of topics in the last fifteen or so years. I also moderate a forum that went online the same year as the FL. We have about 1500 members. We've been successful for the very same reasons that scotrace mentioned above. We moderate the board very closely and when someone breaks a rule, they receive a friendly warning, at least the first time. I think we've only had to boot three for four people in seven years. None of that happens by accident. It happens because we have four people diligently reading the board almost every single day and very little gets past us for more than a couple of hours. That's what it takes to run a successful forum.

This is a wonderful place to learn and socialize. It's not just an internet board- it's a virtual community with a benevolent, but effective police force that very capably maintains the peace. I think the FL is just fine as it is and I see no point in fixing something that isn't broken.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Here's what I've seen on several forums. "Lets take a poll"...'majority rules'...'freedom of speech'....then finally..'Well..it is a public forum' ya know. Suggestions and requests seem to become an insistence that all the above must apply. Polls can become a theme to most every discrepancy..or even personal disagreements.
The most sucessful forums that I have witnessed are the one's who have found that reguardless of 'all the above' some 'rules' have come about in order to keep a theme...or avoid a jumble of argument that leads to a mess that eventually must be cleaned up to restore the integrity of what the author of that forum had in mind. Self governing..or moderation is a great ideal...but it can lead to ongoing disruptions that most likely need to be nipped in the bud sooner than later. No one likes the idea of prohibiting..or banning and what may seem like a somewhat overlording presence. However..getting the majority in agreement often lends itself to endless discussion and posts to get beyond the reluctance to make a needed firm decision. Otherwise..the need to come to a consensus can overwhelm a forum in time and heartache as much or more than the origional problem caused in the first place.
I look at acceptance into someone's forum similar to being invited into someone's house. If I try and treat the family with respect and play by the owner's rules I may be able to come and go as I please and develope a sense of belonging. However..a sense of mutual ownership can be an entirely different matter.

 

[Blackjack]

Don't get me wrong, this is a wonderful forum and as I said I enjoy all the subjects and people on it. I also think the mods do a fantastic job keeping things on track, I was just a little put off by the rather curt "brush it away" attitude that was posted over an idea that some of us found interesting. This had nothing to do with rules or a problem with them, it's just I've seen too many boards where the people in charge of watching the flock forget that they are "part" of a community not "the" community. Enough said, I'll keep my trap shut

 

[Justin B]

I run a board myself, and will be the first to tell you that if you have an idea bring it up. Lobby the pros and cons to me, but in the end...I'm the guy paying for it so I get final say.

 

[Tomasso]

Enough said, I'll keep my trap shut

PRESS

 

[Tatum]

I, for one, would love a chat on here. But I do understand the concerns of everyone who is against it.

Just my two cents.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Don't fall prey to this misinterpretation. The FL, like any club or restaurant you would walk into, is owned by one person. He makes the rules, and assigns his staff to oversee the place.

True. He owns this venue. However, he does not create or provide the venue's content: we do. And it's the content -- skillfully moderated-- which gives this venue its accumulated and growing value.

Venue and content need each other, and both require good direction.

 

[rue]

We're the chefs in the restaurant... is that what you're saying?

 

[Tomasso]

Studios/actors, owners/athletes, etc.......aka the talent....

 

[DJH]

A chatroom would be the perfect place to discuss "The General Decline in Chatrooms Today" in real-time.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

We're the chefs in the restaurant... is that what you're saying?

A few --too few-- chefs, a lot of diners, and thousands more peering through the restaurant's windows.

 

[rue]

A few --too few-- chefs, a lot of diners, and thousands more peering through the restaurant's windows.

You forgot about the floor show....

 

[Marc Chevalier]

You forgot about the floor show....

And that brawling guy, drunk on bourbon.

 

[rue]

And that brawling guy, drunk on bourbon.

Oh you mean Tomasso? He's an okay guy

 

[Marc Chevalier]

Oh you mean Tomasso? He's an okay guy

No, that other guy with the bourbon. What's his name again?

 

[rue]

Ohh..... James??