Background: In a recent thread, a group of posters are building a story. I posted some ‘humour’, which was not appropriate, as it interrupted the narrative flow.
I was wrong to post as I did, and I have apologised in the thread.
CKDexterHaven, acting as a Moderator, correctly pointed out my mistake, as an example of what NOT to do on the Boards. However he then asked me to make a donation to charity.
I consider CK to be a decent chap and a good Moderator.
I do donate regularly to a charity (UK Lifeboats) and think a further donation is an appropriate gesture, of my own free will.
However I don’t know if a Moderator should ask a poster to do this. Given that we are now paying customers, the Chicago Reader needs to be business-like in its handling of the SDMB. I am confident that moving threads, warning posters, suspending & banning are all proper (and desirable) functions of Moderators. There are sticky threads explaining how to behave on the SDMB. ‘Don’t be a jerk’. ‘No sock puppets’. ‘No trolling.’
But asking posters to donate money may be a (well-meaning) step in the wrong direction. What if a poster refuses?
I hope I haven’t upset anyone by this thread. I achieved catharsis through the donation and probably CK knew enough about me to make the suggestion. Alternatively, if he was just joking - well it’s best to say that when using a ‘Moderator hat’.
I just want to spark a discussion so that posters know what the rules are, and that Moderators are protected.
Well, when basically good people committed minor infringments, I used to say things like “consider yourself slapped across the head by a nerf baseball bat” and “consider yourself given a hard kick in the arse.” I think that Ann Landers has a copyright on “twenty lashes with a wet noodle.”
I decided that telling people to do some charity as penance or atonement was nicer. And might actually accomplish some good. What if a poster refuses? Hey, it’s not like I’ve got any enforcement powers. What if the poster didn’t get someone to kick them in the arse?
If people don’t like it, I’ll go back to “boot to the head.”
But you do have enforcement powers - you can suspend or ban.
As I said, I’m happy you suggested the donation and I’m glad I made it. But I didn’t want your request to be ‘official’.
We now return you to your normally scheduled program…
Well, I can assure you that I won’t assign Hail Marys or Our Fathers.
Invidious, you are incorrect – calling someone names in this forum is not a minor infringement, that’s a significant no-no. In penance, I am sending a mosquito to bite you, many times, in very annoying places.
