Posted by Zo on April 25, 2003, at 23:49:29
In reply to A Collection of Moderating Guidelines, posted by Zo on April 25, 2003, at 23:19:43
There is concern amongst some participants that a topic or a forum won't feel "safe" to them. This elusive quality of safety depends on a few factors. The size of the group, the nature of the subject matter, the personalities of the people who happen to be in there talking, and the way that forum is hosted.
A forum environment that has a hostile atmosphere will discourage participation by those who have less aggressive tendencies. The hosting is important because in overseeing the discussion, you don't want things to sink down too far but setting too high of a standard for "niceness" can also kill off a discussion before anything worthwhile gets figured out.
That means that some temperatures will rise some of the time. There will always be some rough spots whenever a group works to define itself. Without any ferment at all, the "brew" will quickly go flat.
Some of the arguments and debates we've had over the years have been pointless personal hassles, but many have led us to a fuller understanding of what we were as an entity, or what we thought we ought to be. It is important to note that policy and custom has been shaped at times by arguments and hassles that were often quite personal in nature.
poster:Zo
thread:222479
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20030404/msgs/222489.html