Originally Posted by jsbach

I have to say that the French forum has changed over the last few years - and changed for the worse in my opinion. Acerbic comments from mods are surely not a good way to encourage members to remain and newbies to join.
I started an extensive thread some years back which exemplified the best of the forum. Advice was good and plentiful but so was supportive comment (and occasional digression). If it's true that mods now only want factual exchanges, the humanity of this community is lessened.

Originally Posted by InVinoVeritas

I think you have a misconception as to what the function of a moderator is.

First and foremost a mod is also a member, probably was for some years before he/she became a mod, continues to be so while moderating and will likely remain so after giving up that duty.

A mod is not responsible for promoting BE, members do that by posting interesting information (as was the case in the thread you mentioned) which then gets referenced by Google and the like, which may ultimately bring new members into the community.

What a mod is responsible for is applying the site rules on the forums he/she moderates - most of this work goes unnoticed by members but some mods spend much of their time simply removing stuff which break the rules (mainly spam by new members). When they are noticed is if they moderate older members who overstep the mark. No one likes such a situation but it happens sometimes.

For my part I don't, and can't, moderate the French forum but I can as a simple member be ascerbic, if I so choose. If a member has a spat with another and wants to take away his ball and bat, then that's fine. It's actually better than having a long running feud between certain members, something which has happened in the past.

Personally, I like the French forum. Members have a profound knowledge, are very open and don't take themselves too seriously, which is great for a forum. Maybe like good wine, there have been some memorable vintages but I'm sure there are even better to come!

Originally Posted by InVinoVeritas

I think you have a misconception as to what the function of a moderator is.

First and foremost a mod is also a member, probably was for some years before he/she became a mod, continues to be so while moderating and will likely remain so after giving up that duty.

A mod is not responsible for promoting BE, members do that by posting interesting information (as was the case in the thread you mentioned) which then gets referenced by Google and the like, which may ultimately bring new members into the community.

What a mod is responsible for is applying the site rules on the forums he/she moderates - most of this work goes unnoticed by members but some mods spend much of their time simply removing stuff which break the rules (mainly spam by new members). When they are noticed is if they moderate older members who overstep the mark. No one likes such a situation but it happens sometimes.

For my part I don't, and can't, moderate the French forum but I can as a simple member be ascerbic, if I so choose. If a member has a spat with another and wants to take away his ball and bat, then that's fine. It's actually better than having a long running feud between certain members, something which has happened in the past.

Personally, I like the French forum. Members have a profound knowledge, are very open and don't take themselves too seriously, which is great for a forum. Maybe like good wine, there have been some memorable vintages but I'm sure there are even better to come!

Originally Posted by babyposer

Well well well. What will happen next if the moderator himself breaks the rules?

Originally Posted by Tweedpipe

JSB, I have to say that I can't really agree with your first statement - unless of course you were referring to many of my foolish posts, in which case I should probably plead, "Guilty as charged."
I've been a member here since 2007, and not surprisingly in that timescale have seen good and not so good posts. In particular from one member who joined in the 1st quarter of this year. That person appeared reasonably knowledgeable, but had a bad, frequent habit of making sweeping claims (without justification) which imho is particularly annoying, and can be very misleading to those coming here looking for substantiated facts. Fortunately that particular individual (after having feathers ruffled a little), appears to have departed not too well-tempered - certainly unlike your own clavier, I have no doubt....
Regarding comments from Moderators, I'd have to say that it must be a somewhat difficult, unrewarding task, and one which I wouldn't like to take on myself. Perhaps they too have the occasional bad day, but heh - don't we all?

Originally Posted by InVinoVeritas

Flagellation of course! There have to be some perks to the job

Originally Posted by InVinoVeritas

Flagellation of course! There have to be some perks to the job

Originally Posted by babyposer

What's their username? Give us a clue

Originally Posted by babyposer

What's their username? Give us a clue

Originally Posted by EuroTrash

Sorry to be a party pooper but I think that if you're flagged as a mod, you have to be aware that you're in a sense an ambassador.
In the past I was a mod on a different forum. I felt it cramped my style no end and I stopped enjoying that forum (plus for some reason one particular member was out to get me, via pms and on the forum, and generally made things difficult for me).
I wouldn't be a mod again (not that I would be asked!).