Posted by Zo on April 25, 2003, at 23:27:23
In reply to A Collection of Moderating Guidelines, posted by Zo on April 25, 2003, at 23:19:43
", , ,butthose lookin g for some subtlety in human communication won't stick around."
While system managers or hosts usually have the ability to remove or "censor" a given comment, I discourage it as a practice. And I especially dislike the approach where there are paid censors who prescreen everything to make sure it conforms to their standards.
Better for people to speak freely and frankly to each other because when each individual knows that he or she may speak freely and that they in fact take full responsibility for what they say, then it improves the content of the system.
I encourage all online systems to be places where controversial subjects may be discussed in a civilized way. Of course, how you defines "civilized" determines what you will allow. I frown on ad hominems, personal harassment, and threats but otherwise give wide berth to the variety of tastes and styles found wherever individuals gather.
However, a problem can arise if you have a registration system that allows the person to make public comments before you validate their entry. If someone is a nuisance to the other participants and you can't get them to stop and decide you must bar their entry, it can become a kind of game for the other person to continually come back in under new names and make the same comments. Then you either let them control the conversation or you have to assign someone to spend considerable time following them around erasing their remarks.
So, again, a decision has to be made between easy entry and ability to control the conversation when necessary. You could just let anyone say anything at all and declare that anything goes, but those looking for some subtlety in human communication won't stick around.
poster:Zo
thread:222479
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20030404/msgs/222483.html