META: A message from former moderator profitgoblue
I just wanted to take a quick moment to let you all know that I've stepped down as a moderator on this here Board. LSA is stepping in to pick up my slack and probably perform a much better service than I have of late.
I've been a moderator over 2 years now (!) but during past few months my outside life started to cut more and more into my personal time. Two little children, a wife, and my career now leave a lot less time for my extracurricular activities. A while back I stopped working nights - thank goodness BiSB and now JGB were there to pick up my slack - and I now find it increasingly more difficult to read through all of the threads created each day. I realized that was not fair to Brian and you all, especially after seeing what a great job JGB is doing and realizing that a full-time moderator needs to be available much more than I have been.
In addition, when BiSB rage-quit I realized that he was feeling all those same things I am without having thought about it. The Board is a great place but it just doesn't have the same feel as it used to. I can't place my fingers on it and I don't want to go negative, but it just doesn't feel the same. I'm hoping that by becoming a "normal" poster again and not moderating anymore will un-jade me. You all might or might not realize this, but being a moderator is pretty damn hard, and not-so-rewarding, work. I always took great pride in knowing that Brian and Seth appreciate our hard work at keeping the Board classy and respectable (e.g. not MLive-ish) but the wear-and-tear of the daily job is pretty tough. At least it was for me. I'll still be around to help provide damage control in case anything blows up and the Board goes crazy if they need me (kind of like BiSB is doing now).
All that said, its been a pretty entertaining run. A special thank you to: (a) FormerlyAnonymous and Brian for thinking enough of me to recommend and accept me, respectively, as someone who was worthy of my former role, (b) BiSB and JGB for being good friends and colleagues, and (c) most all of you for being respectful, patient, and understanding. With that, time for profitgoblue to make like a fetus and head out! You stay classy, internets.
So, it makes sense for the mods to be able to see who negged whom (which IIRC they can't do either right now), but there's a danger in letting individual posters see who negged them: some people take it personally when they get negged. Say justingoblue posts something that Magnus finds offensive, and Magnus negs justingoblue for it. If JGB can see that Magnus was responsible for that downvote, and he takes it personally, he may start auto-negging Magnus in future threads. If Magnus catches on that JGB is auto-negging him, he may reciprocate. Or maybe Magnus doesn't care (and I picked him for this example because I know he doesn't IRL), but His Dudeness gets offended on Magnus's behalf and starts auto-negging JGB. Pretty soon, Magnus's and JGB's point totals stop having anything to do with the quality of their posts, and become dependent only on lingering bitterness from previous downvotes -- which is counterproductive to the whole point of having a point system in the first place.
And honestly, why do you need to know who up- or down-voted you? I can understand being curious, but on the whole, I suspect that knowledge will not generally lead to a more efficient, useful point system.
ProphetGoBlue, but whatever.
regarding new board / old board issue: i think that a few years ago there was a whole lot more to talk about as the program had made a massive change in direction from LC to RR, new players, coaches, strategies and that sort of thing. at the same time as the team was a disgusting ball of ineptitude, there were a few bright spots beginning to flicker, giving rise to so many "look on the bright side" type discussions. previously i think there was a 33/33/33 love/hate/wait and see split to the board, which due to a smaller readership, got some pretty nuanced and thoughtful and inquisitive discussions going. now, i think everyone is 100% behind hoke and the direction of the program, which is more in line with the previous 25 years of the program pre-RR.
also, previous years we had a villain in the free press. a much hated whipping boy. while everyone here hates urbz and MarkD, they are still doing their jobs and we can't say much about their success at this point vs UM. the freep, otoh, was just a witch hunt.
Two of the people who make we want to visit this board have both stepped down as moderators. The job must suck, as others have indicated above...I suppose my uninformed thought for present and future mods is to not worry about taking action against d*ckheads. You are not the government, so you can't really "censor" anything, and you have no duty to let them be d*ckheads...Along the lines of what Don said, I think we should be able to see whom it was that downvoted (or upvoted, I suppose) a post or thread.
So long, Farewell... Thanks for your service.
I can't imagine being a mod. Good job, dude...
All except that new screen name...If it comes from what I think it comes from, I bet you are terrible at creating passwords
I'm glad he's gone. It's about time we've upgraded the mods around here, and we seem to be going in the right direction. In fact, I think we need to get a couple more new ones. There are certainly some promising candidates. It's early, I know, but I really like what I'm seeing from this CooperLily21 guy. Seems like mod material to me.
Don't you dare drag me into this!
By the way, I hear that PGB threw your name into the hat as a potential new moderator. Watch yourself or you could be next!
I think Ace Williams would make a good mod.
You'll always be my huckleberry!
I was a mod on a different site, some would know which...that said it's tough keeping up with sheer volume of posts and checking the boards constantly, keep conversation moving and in a decent direction. Keep the negativity out so the boards are tolerable....and not just some dump hole.
I have visited these boards more then in the past and you guys have done a real good job moderating. This board is fun at times with the sarcasm and over the top reactions to stuff posted and as well then just over the top and annoying at others. It's a tough job, unthankfull by many and zero reward is absolutely truth. Good job and when you recharge the batteries may take it up agian....
I know I'm late, but thank you Profit. I always enjoyed your work, and happy that you're still going to be around.
Good luck!
Just one small example of the change in the board over time.
Stupid nicknames have always been frowned upon. It's even in the FAQ for the board.
Yet people calling Dan Dakich "Dickitch" is being pos'd and me saying that we really don't need to resort to the middle school name calling is neg'd.
This is where I'd like to see the mods just go No Soup For You and just delete that shit until a new moderating system (or old system) is in place.
Agreed. The lame nicknames for opposing schools, coaches, players, etc. are annoying.
So long (as mod) Profit. Modding always kills the board experience for people and the rarity is that someone can be a mod forever and won't rage-quit. I liken it to to the Walking Dead. No matter how many Walkers you have killed, there are still 6billion more pounding at your fence.