We Need Your Help
Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 10:12 pm
The Moderators need your help!! No, we don’t need more people to serve as Moderators, we need less work to do. I know it sounds strange, but we’re asking you to help put us out of work. Seriously folks, we are seeing a gradual but distinct change in the atmosphere we have enjoyed since TexasCHLforum was started in December of 2004. As one Moderator put it, “we are losing our sense of being a family.� Regrettably, I think that is true.
Undoubtedly, as the board grows, it’s harder to maintain a family or community atmosphere with ever increasing numbers of members. Harder perhaps, but not impossible. And when you consider what the members created, I believe it’s worth making the effort to keep TexasCHLforum a unique spot on the Internet. The members that have been with us since the beginning or shortly thereafter know exactly what I mean. This is not a slap at other boards; they all have their niche and I frequent a few of the excellent, well known gun-related boards.
Until just a few months ago, the workload on the Moderators was low. We had very few problems and when something came up, we had the luxury of discussing the matter privately in the Moderator forum. We would decide as a group if any action was required and if so, what should be done. Obviously, we didn’t take this approach with blatant rule violations, such as profanity or personal attacks. These however, were rare because people seemed to appreciate the family atmosphere and simply didn’t say things that would cause a problem here, but wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow on other boards. When problems did come up, the members themselves usually took care of the matter, politely and respectfully as one would treat a family member or good friend.
It was also common to see much more light-hearted interaction among members. Poking good natured fun at other members would remind one of a bunch of brothers and sisters having a good time with one another, all within both the letter and spirit of the rules. Currently, I suspect many members would be reluctant to do so for fear their comments made in jest would be misinterpreted. The Prayer Request sub-forum was born out of heart-felt concern for members that were in need, whether that need was a health matter, employment, or a spiritual need. On at least two occasions, collections were taken for members in need, with virtually all of the donations coming from people who never knew the person they were helping. While all of this still goes on, it’s now the exception rather than the rule.
This is not to say that the threads and posts are not just as useful as in prior months. TexasCHLforum has always been blessed with members that have a wide spectrum of experience and expertise in all aspects of CHL matters, guns, shooting, legal issues, legislative activities, and all of the other issues and topics discussed on the forum. This has not diminished; indeed this aspect of TexasCHLforum has increased as we add new members with experience and expertise of their own. Even the “green-horn� brings a lot to the forum in the form of a new perspective and questions that often force us old timers to revisit things we’ve taken for granted for years, perhaps even decades. No, the value and usefulness of TexasCHLforum as a resource has not declined; rather, it continues to expand as more people share their experience and knowledge with others. It is the atmosphere within which this information is delivered that is changing.
So what am I asking of the members? I want to return to the days of $0.75 hamburgers, $0.50 gasolene and the feeling we are at a large family reunion. The first two are out of our reach, but we can certainly get back to the family atmosphere. We get there by going out of our way to be not just courteous to everyone, but downright nice to people. This is never more important than when we disagree on an issue. We shouldn’t let discussions turn into arguments that degenerate into personal attacks. We also have to remember that on some issues, we are just going to have to agree to disagree. An opinion based upon inaccurate information is subject to change, but one based upon personal values isn’t going to change, no matter how much banter is exchanged.
To those few members who seem to enjoy pushing the envelope and attempt to see how close they can get to the line without violating the rules, please stop. At one time, virtually all rule violations were inadvertent. In recent months, the number and percentage of blatant rule violations are on the rise, as are those attributable to repeat offenders. Not only does this cause Moderator workload to skyrocket, it’s harmful to maintaining a community atmosphere. I can’t tell you how many PM’s the Moderators receive from members complaining about a relatively small group of members “attitudes.� Collectively, all of the issues take their toll.
So PLEASE help turn the Moderators into a group of Maytag repairmen!! We need the rest and the entire forum will benefit.
Thanks,
Chas.
Undoubtedly, as the board grows, it’s harder to maintain a family or community atmosphere with ever increasing numbers of members. Harder perhaps, but not impossible. And when you consider what the members created, I believe it’s worth making the effort to keep TexasCHLforum a unique spot on the Internet. The members that have been with us since the beginning or shortly thereafter know exactly what I mean. This is not a slap at other boards; they all have their niche and I frequent a few of the excellent, well known gun-related boards.
Until just a few months ago, the workload on the Moderators was low. We had very few problems and when something came up, we had the luxury of discussing the matter privately in the Moderator forum. We would decide as a group if any action was required and if so, what should be done. Obviously, we didn’t take this approach with blatant rule violations, such as profanity or personal attacks. These however, were rare because people seemed to appreciate the family atmosphere and simply didn’t say things that would cause a problem here, but wouldn’t even raise an eyebrow on other boards. When problems did come up, the members themselves usually took care of the matter, politely and respectfully as one would treat a family member or good friend.
It was also common to see much more light-hearted interaction among members. Poking good natured fun at other members would remind one of a bunch of brothers and sisters having a good time with one another, all within both the letter and spirit of the rules. Currently, I suspect many members would be reluctant to do so for fear their comments made in jest would be misinterpreted. The Prayer Request sub-forum was born out of heart-felt concern for members that were in need, whether that need was a health matter, employment, or a spiritual need. On at least two occasions, collections were taken for members in need, with virtually all of the donations coming from people who never knew the person they were helping. While all of this still goes on, it’s now the exception rather than the rule.
This is not to say that the threads and posts are not just as useful as in prior months. TexasCHLforum has always been blessed with members that have a wide spectrum of experience and expertise in all aspects of CHL matters, guns, shooting, legal issues, legislative activities, and all of the other issues and topics discussed on the forum. This has not diminished; indeed this aspect of TexasCHLforum has increased as we add new members with experience and expertise of their own. Even the “green-horn� brings a lot to the forum in the form of a new perspective and questions that often force us old timers to revisit things we’ve taken for granted for years, perhaps even decades. No, the value and usefulness of TexasCHLforum as a resource has not declined; rather, it continues to expand as more people share their experience and knowledge with others. It is the atmosphere within which this information is delivered that is changing.
So what am I asking of the members? I want to return to the days of $0.75 hamburgers, $0.50 gasolene and the feeling we are at a large family reunion. The first two are out of our reach, but we can certainly get back to the family atmosphere. We get there by going out of our way to be not just courteous to everyone, but downright nice to people. This is never more important than when we disagree on an issue. We shouldn’t let discussions turn into arguments that degenerate into personal attacks. We also have to remember that on some issues, we are just going to have to agree to disagree. An opinion based upon inaccurate information is subject to change, but one based upon personal values isn’t going to change, no matter how much banter is exchanged.
To those few members who seem to enjoy pushing the envelope and attempt to see how close they can get to the line without violating the rules, please stop. At one time, virtually all rule violations were inadvertent. In recent months, the number and percentage of blatant rule violations are on the rise, as are those attributable to repeat offenders. Not only does this cause Moderator workload to skyrocket, it’s harmful to maintaining a community atmosphere. I can’t tell you how many PM’s the Moderators receive from members complaining about a relatively small group of members “attitudes.� Collectively, all of the issues take their toll.
So PLEASE help turn the Moderators into a group of Maytag repairmen!! We need the rest and the entire forum will benefit.
Thanks,
Chas.