Finally! I have a showcase.

Hi Nurse Lisa,

So >>This tribe used to be for moderators of tribes, to give them a forum in which to discuss current issues in tribe moderation<<

really, how long ago was that ? a quick glance at the recent topics shows that most threads were about tribe policy or removing bad moderators rather than moderation itself. my attempts to raise moderation issues have in the main been thwarted by the posting of inane babble and few have bothered to post anything of substance or relevence.

Probably the saddest aspect is the consequence of raising the issue of bad moderation, the failure of mods to remove babble, to respond to off topic comments so as to keep the thread together and worst of all the failure to take appropriate action against members who become offensive when faced with an opposing view.

Over the last few years I've noted many tribes developing an elite clique who have been successful in shifting the respective tribe towards a right wing agenda. The net effect has been to reduce the tribe to nothingmore than a platform for their own narrow take on the world; anyone who dares to hold an opposing view is set upon like a rabbit in a dog kennel.

If the individual is foolish enough to continue to post the responses becoming increasinly tainted with venom and obscenities until the poster refrains and ultimately leaves the tribe. The right wing clique declare victory, for 'another troll has bit the dust'... and debate is quashed. The tribe continues but with the voices of dissent now slienced the threads become little more than sycophantic message boards.

a considerable amount of blame for this lies with the moderator who invariably is, or as a consequence of a moderator change, becomes one of the clique.

so your comment Nurse that
>> This tribe has become a forum in which trolls can post inane babbling, then question the meaning behind it all<<
probable rings true... it has and the saddest thing about that is this is not an open tribe, one not only needs moderator approval but most be a moderator of at least one other tribe in order to qualify.

When I joined this tribe I did so because I felt it would be a good place to discuss general issues with respect to moderation; i.e.

1) dealing with babble (news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/techn...204842.stm)

2) maintaining decorum, .. in this respect determining what is an acceptable opposition to a persons specific view rather than a tottally unacceptable attack on the individual... examples would be refering to a posters membership of specialist or 'whacky' tribes and using this as a reason to discredit the person... it's completely off topic, very offensive and promotes the idea that somone who say belongs to a religious or spiritual tribe should have no voice in a science tribe... it just polarizes, creates a them and us culture and completely stifles debate.

3)increasing membership and inclusion... some tribes appear to be little more than the moderators blog

4) whilst not an original reason for joining the increasing use of the label "TROLL" which has become a catchall designed purely to stiffle debate. In this respect I draw parallels with McCarthy's use of the word communist, Salems witch trials or as in more recent times the label 'terrorist'. All these terms have one thing in common,, they are all designed to inforce conformity by labelling an individual, a group or a set of ideologies as a threat. It would thus seem that the term troll is used purely as tool in an attempt to raise hostility, to discredit the individual.. to hold a witch hunt.

If in raising these issues I am as you imply a troll then I'm a troll with a capital 'T' because I'm a troll who doesn't just defend his own point of view, since I don't see freedom or choice as impossing a specific set of values or belief system on another. Perhaps best conveyed by the statement "I may not agree with your point of view, but I will fight to defend your right to hold it."...

this being the definition and the achilles heal of the liberal, it shouldn't be necessary to point out that the liberal in this respect only defends the right to hold a view and that such defence does not similarly encompasses the right to practice it....

perhaps it would be appropriate to recommend to tribe.net that adoption of this liberal view is not only in the spirit of the founding fathers of America but is the only way to prevent tribe from deteriorating further.

What however I find most disturbing is that the changes in tribe mirror the real world, a right wing agenda, a them and us culture has sprung up where anyone who is different is a threat and anyone who cohorts with them is one of them!

so wake up, stop posting babble and lame attacks like some smart ass kid at the back of the classroom blowing raspberries and use this tribe to discuss real issues relating to moderation. ... less us few remaining liberals walk and leave tribe to descend into a place for only the santised views of a narrow minded minority...

regards

gm23