h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm going to post about what I've been doing here this year, and beyond.

I was in the mod group, but left before the move. AFAIK that's not confidential information, and I know that other ex-mods have posted as much onsite since the move.

I'm also a guru, but without access to the email address, as that is now restricted to volunteers who are able to provide real life ID checks.

Other than that, I've been involved in the Community volunteers, which means that I had access to the closed board at noesis where some of the planning happened.

I've also been involved in a few EG threads on noesis, very peripherally, and some of the business issues (generally to do with other stuff I'm already involved in, or the odds and sods stuff).

I wasn't part of the committee that put the bid together (c3), and I've never been one of the Senior Volunteers.

I did some work early on on the Help Pages, so have had some contact with various SVs around that.

I've had a post yikesed and referred tonight, not because it broke the HRs, but because it was about moderation, which is considered contentious, and it may have been partially inaccurate. Because I am considered to be well-informed, my posting my opinion on how moderation currently works is considered dangerous if it's inaccurate.

Naturally I'm appalled by that.

I have some other things to say, because I think this goes to the crux of one of the most fundamental change onsite since we moved. I'll say more later, but at this point it's just that I have long argued for openness to the community about process. I think that the more information the community is given the better. I find the degree to which this isn't happening hard, despite knowing that some of it is simply due to workload on the volunteers.

To have a post yikesed for being inaccurate and therefore dangerous, instead of one of the SVs posting a correction, makes me feel sad and that the workload issues aren't really the issue here. It's more about perception and power and relationship, and choices being made about all those things.

For the record, I have a huge amount of respect for the people who made the community bid possible, and who are still doing massive amounts of work for us all. I'm sure that the reality of that is still often invisible.

I'm not going to let that stop me from saying what needs to be said, but I hope that people reading this will take it as my discomfit with processes and decisions rather than my feelings about the people involved.

you helped me get my right account back

Thanks Heleloo

I've had my moderation email. Post has been hidden and the reason given is that I broke 'the spirit of the HRs'. I've asked for clarification on that. Inaccuracy of the post wasn't mentioned.

There also seems to be an issue that I am breaking the Moderators Code of Conduct. I don't see how, so I've asked for clarification on that too. My post basically just described some stuff about the moderation process that's in the public domain, and there's only one thing in it that might possibly be 'inside information', but IMO it should be available to the community. In other words, when I wrote the post, I didn't think (and still don't) believe I was breaking any confidences, nor that what I wrote would be harmful to the community.

Of course, the fact that the Moderators Code of Conduct even exists might be confidential, in which case I expect this post will be removed

I'm still confused, and look forward to the CEs response re clarification. I do think that the best solution for the community is just for the SVs to be open about how moderation works.

I'm sure there are other things I need to say about my roles here, so please don't take what I've said so far as definitive.

Off to bed now

The thread where it happened, if anyone wants the background: http://h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/F19585?thread=8284973&post=110475504#p110475410

kea, I am late for going out, and should probably post this later, but I think this transparency is really good, so I am going to do the same in my own PS.

I would journal about what I do as a volunteer, but I swore off journaling about h2g2 during NaJoPoMo. But I've only got about 12-15 hours a week to work on h2g2 processes and help pages, and things like this take up two or three hours at a time.

It really was NOT personal. It may have been a bad decision on my part, but it was NOT intended that way.

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No worries Ben, I didn't think it was personal and thanks for clarifying. It does raise some more interesting issues for the site.

Sorry to butt in, butt... to my simplistic mind, if moderation is of vital importance to the site (and it clearly is), then speculation should be unnecessary - the help Page on moderation should spell out the entire process clearly and for all to see.

If it doesn't do that, then the Help Page needs to be updated.

Hi Rudest, the help pages are being up dated, don't worry. The problem is there's an awful lot of them.

Over the years they've not really been updated always, but sometimes new help pages were created and the old ones marked as such, in small text.

It's a long job that was started back in about March I think to find, assess and catalogue them all. In fact I believe it was Kea themselves that was very instrumental in making sure we're in anyway near the position we are to know we're not there yet.

Kea, I've extended a personal thank you to yourself over email before, and I want to reiterate that here. Without the incredibly hard work you've put in with helping us plan, helping us get things down on "paper", well emails and other electronic documents, and without your dedication with the Gurus during the transfer process we'd not be where we are now. So again, Thank You!

I'm not going touch on the moderation side of things other than to say I don't know much about it. The moderators through necessity aren't an open group. The process they use is, like others, still in a little bit of flux while we settle things down. I'm pretty sure that once it's definitive then, like the process for the Gurus, Techs, Artists, SubEds and all the other groups, it'll be written up in that beast that is the help pages

If messages are being removed for 'breaking the spirit of the rules' then that makes moderation WORSE then when with the BBC. At least you had to break a specific rule.

What annoys me is that the people who used to shout loudest about moderation are now cocking it up themselves. Well - that's what it looks like from outside, it always will.

It so much harder to know what is against the rules now than it ever was before.

"the help pages are being up dated, don't worry. The problem is there's an awful lot of them."

Please don't think I'm hustling, Pastey . In fact, after the enormous effort you guys put in to ensure we were back online in the shortest time possible, it amazes me that some of us expect the system/s to be in perfect order, too.

Don't worry Rudest, I know you're not hustling

I just like to try and let everyone know as much as I possibly can.

Works for me.

Thanks everyone and again Pastey I just wish I had more time to offer currently. RL has gotten very busy in the past week or so and that's unlikely to change for the rest of the year.