I think it's time for another mod rotation. I wish to step down, Mal is MIA, and I believe TGC is willing to stay on as senior mod (but TGC, correct me if I'm wrong).

This would mean that we need two new mods. Any volunteers, or nominations? I'd like to nominate SCK.

The main problem will be finding people willing to do the job who show up at CN regularly (this is why I argued against Mal during the previous series of nominations) and who have not yet acted as mod. With that in mind we might consider appointing regulars for a second time, and in that case I suggest inky.

As far as newcomers go SCK would be my first choice too, but I also nominate Guy Kerr, RingLord, Ed Yetman (though he will no doubt decline), littlefish (though he will likely decline), PircAlert, HK, and Chess Fan (yes, Chess Fan, seriously).

First off, off-topic, Happy New Year 2009 to you all!

Good job by Sach Binger and TGC. TGC gets my vote for the best moderator! He is the best diplomat behind the scenes in lessening the inter-ninja tensions.

Fantastic choices by Crumhorn! My nominations are SCK, RingLord and Sam Hardwick! SCK and RL are very respectful towards others when discussing polarizing issues. And Sam's knowledge, right choice of words, interesting perspectives (and change of sex) stun me all the time. They are super-stable and super-cool! And please allow me to say that our Canadian brothers (Crumhorn, Ken and TGC) have been impressive and so is Guy Kerr.

Also note that there are several folks like LF, HK, Ed Yetman, RB, NFM, Spock, Petrosianic, inky, FBX, Proloy etc who would be great!

My choices:
1. SCK
2. RL
3. Sam Hardwick
4. Guy Kerr

Well, as for me, any person who *would NOT* let their bias and dislike against *any* particular person, (and that person's views on things), affect their Moderating at all would be fine with me.

Along those particular lines, I just want to say here that both SachBinger and The Gelatinous Cube have done a *great* job as moderators.

They have done a *great job* in "walking the editing line" in allowing myself to be able to insert a *little bit* of "religious talk" into non-religious threads *when they see* that I am ONLY using that "religious talk" as a vital part on my making a point in my discussing something in a particular post of mine in a topic thread.

But, they have also done their job well as Moderators when they have used their discretion in telling me that I was going "over the line" when they judged that I was my using my "religious talk" in a non-necessary way in a particular non-religious thread.

Indeed, I have gained a great deal of respect for BOTH SachBinger AND for The Gelatinous Cube for the wisdom that they have shown in this area concerning myself!

So, once again, in closing here, I am fine with *anyone* being a Moderator, as long as they are a person who will NOT use their role as a Moderator to exercise their particular bias and dislike of another person in their *unnecessarily* censoring and editing and deleting that particular person's posts against that particular person with whom they have their own personal bias and dislike against.


Chess Fan

Well, I appreciate the fact that Crumhorn has nominated me as a possible Moderator for this Message Board.

IF enough people are okay with me being a Moderator, then, yes, I will accept taking my turn as a Moderator here at ChessNinja.

** I DO give my solemn word here that IF I am picked to be a Moderator, that I will strive NOT to let *any* of my personal irritations with, etc. of any person here on this Message Board affect and influence in a negative way the impartial fairness of my moderating in any way at all. **

However, it is totally up to all of you, in that, it is quite fine with me either way, whether you do or you do not decide to choose me as a Moderator for this next "Moderating session" here at ChessNinja.


Chess Fan

Oh yes! Sam Hardwick of course. He and SCK and 1 and 1a as far as I am concerned.

That last would be a good choice if you wanted to kill the board. I know of at least a half dozen people, including myself, who have this particular candidate on Ignore (and that's not counting people who left the board entirely because of him; which totals about a dozen more). You can't put a Mod on Ignore, so the likely result would be more departures. I wouldn't leave, but I would certainly delete any PM's I received from him unread, which can't be a good reaction for a mod to get.

I know what you're thinking. Something you once said about one of your past nominations; that maybe a little responsibility would help him mature. But a candidate who's been reprimanded by every mod in the past 5 years (yourself included) for habitual spamming and trying to drag religion into non-religious threads, isn't a qualified candidate. A Mod can't be someone that half the board wants to ignore.


As far as the others, SCK and Sam would both be great choices, as would Krish. The others you mentioned are all good too.

If we had a repeat offender, you, Spock and Ken would all be good choices, though I doubt any of you would accept. (Forewarned is forearmed, and all that). I'd serve if elected, but would really rather not, just because Mods can't use the Ignore feature and still do their job. Inky is fine too, though she's been a pretty infrequent poster lately, so make sure she wants it. Malthrope warned everyone that he didn't want the job and wouldn't be around much, they gave it to him anyway, and he disappeared for good a few weeks later. Let's not do that again.

Happy New Year, folks!

First of, thanks to the current crew of mods: SB, TGC (and Mal, who has been MIA, which is not a bad thing for a mod to do, IMO ) Great job by them!

I do think it is good to have more mods: 4 instead of 3, just in case one or two are MIA or unavailable. I also think it is good to have a mod emeritus, and if TGC doesn't want to do it, maybe we can bring back well-named (formerly known as octal).

As for the new nominations, I'd like to nominate the following:

-Sam Hardwick, IV
-Krish
-niceforkinmove
-Guy Kerr

As for Chess Fan, in the spirit of fairness and good will, I think he does deserve a moderator turn if he wants to do it. I do have some reservations about his ability to use moderator powers with sufficient caution- especially when it comes to certain religious topics. However, if he is able to contain himself and not moderate the religious(,etc) topics/offtopics -or at least appear like he is not involved in moderating them- I do think he could contribute as a moderator. A lot of it depends on how the moderator work is organized. When I was a mod, the decisions (or most of them, anyway) were made collectively, and I would stay away from moderating situations involving people I was, uh, not on good terms with (and so did some other mods). If such a method of doing things is in place, CF could be a useful contributor. If, on the other hand, moderators go about it more randomly, in a whoever-sees-it-first-gets-to-moderate-it fashion, the moderator regime is only as good as its weakest link. So, if CF is willing to go out of his way in making sure he won't get his personal feelings get in the way of the mod job, do things like the ones I mentioned above and assume more of a behind-the-scenes role, and work towards a framework in which his limitations are not a factor, I wouldn't be adverse to nominating him.

However, I do think it would be more favorable for the forum dynamics if CF became the mod in the next rotation and not this time around. That is why I haven't nominated CF in the list above. I think it would be easier for both CF and his critics if he got to be the mod not this time, but next time. Speaking of some CF critics, perhaps people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. People who have 14 000 messages with half of them being spam, (well you get where I am going)... Speaking of critics, some critics have been the weakest links (in a mod regime) I mentioned above, so if CF goes about it with any kind of common sense and genuine willingness not to get personal and not to repeat their mistakes, he could be a better mod than some of the critics. Hell, that can be accomplished by doing absolutely nothing, as no moderation is better than bad moderation.

Yes, Krish would be good too, though he rarely posts here any more. I have a feeling he is a frequent lurker, however, which is all that is needed for the job.

Forgot about FBX. He would be good as well.

As for CF, I do not think it would kill CN to name him mod. It might, to the contrary, do the entire community some good. To whit, wouldn't you agree that CN was never less fractious than when RB was mod? Not a coincidence, in my opinion. Won't know with CF until we try, of course, but in general I think you place too much emphasis on the role of the moderators here. So long as the mods have the good sense to steer clear of public disputes their jobs are usually relatively easy, though occasionally time consuming.

Spinning positively, CF: 1. Is here every day; 2. Has good relations with most of the membership (though there are several notable exceptions, natch); 3. May feel compelled by his increased responsibility to stop ignoring the long posts directed towards him in various threads; and 4. May not have the time to give us multiple daily reminders about the Rapture and/or your non-post post count . There! Four splendid reasons to name CF mod!

I didn't suggest CF in order to discuss his relative merits and demerits, however. Honest Petro, I just think it's time. He's overdue to put in some work. CN has neither crashed nor burned due to his daily presence for the past five years; neither will it flame out now. And who knows? Perhaps it will emerge healthier than ever.

Yes, niceforkinmove would be a good mod too. NFM tends to post regularly for a month or two then seems to leave CN altogether for a month or two, however. (It is possible that he lurks, but he is never shy to voice his opinions, so it seems unlikely to me.) It would be better to choose someone who posts more regularly, in my opinion.