Here's a transcript of the second board chat. Thanks again to all who participated!


Meghan:: hello all! give me a minute to get settled. i just walked in the door.
Duddy9:: Hi, Meghan and msgt
BartSimpson4:: hey meg and msgt
new msgt:: Josh and i literally just walked in the door
Within the Void:: Hello
Within the Void:: ???
Meghan:: ok, i'm here for real now
Duddy9:: ...the sound of silence....
new msgt:: Hi Void
Within the Void:: hey Mike
BartSimpson4:: no new jean news from the con
BartSimpson4:: =
BartSimpson4:: =(
Within the Void::
Meghan:: does anyone know if anyone else was planning on coming for sure?
Within the Void:: not that I'm aware
new msgt:: nick said he'd be here from last night
new msgt:: dini posted in the chat thread that she was going to be attending i thought
BartSimpson4:: i forgot it was a chat
Duddy9:: Caveman was here earlier
BartSimpson4:: i just came on vecause i saw a bunch in the room
BartSimpson4:: lol
Duddy9:: He said he might drop by again.
Meghan:: well, i say we get things started. agreed?
Duddy9:: sure
Within the Void:: yup
Meghan:: cool, so first "item of business"
Meghan:: the board rules. does everyone know where to find them?
Duddy9:: no
Meghan:: http://hem.passagen.se/hggblom2/rules/index.html
Meghan:: is the URL
Duddy9:: thanks
new msgt:: How much are those rules even needed? Who made them? Who all specifically contributed to those rules?
Meghan:: there is a link at the top of the forums that says "please read our rules"
new msgt:: our meaning whose?
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#Caveman:: backonline
Meghan:: hey cave man
BartSimpson4:: hey cm
#Caveman:: helloto all
Duddy9:: welcome back
Meghan:: mike, i consider you the board historian. am i correct in saying nadav made then rules?
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new msgt:: I thought it was nadav and john c but i really don't know
#Caveman:: void, no you didn't all is well :-)
new msgt:: it was made after the issue with sweet vanilla child
Within the Void::
#slickboy444 joined
Meghan:: well, i think having a few standards stated like no adult material is a good thing. it gives newbies a sense of the place
new msgt:: i think that is true
#slickboy444:: Hey, nice to be back.
Meghan:: hi slick
new msgt:: though the board went on years before those rules
new msgt:: and things like that seemed to be understood but it's good to have as reference
BartSimpson4:: what happened with sweet vanilla child?
BartSimpson4:: lol
Meghan:: some of his posts were deleted. i can't remember what they are about
#slickboy444:: Is this still a discussion about censorship on the forum?
Meghan:: we are currently talking about the board rules
new msgt:: several were deleted back then
new msgt:: on the xuniverse and shades of grey forum
Within the Void:: http://p080.ezboard.com/fjeangreyphoenixfansfrm9.showMessage?topicID=2188.topic
Within the Void:: towards the bottom of the chat
#slickboy444:: Yeah, i noticed that.
Meghan:: so the biggest thing that i was glad to see stressed in the first chat was respect for your fellow posters
#slickboy444:: Yeah, because on a forum as big as the jean board, you're going to have differing opinions.
#slickboy444:: And a LOT of them.
Within the Void:: yes
new msgt:: i think respect should be big of course
Meghan:: if people just take a breath and walk away from the computer when angry instead of immediately hitting reply, we'd most likely have fewer incidents
new msgt:: and go both ways. the newer people, old timers, admins, and admins/mod should show respect to the others
JoshuaChayne:: Yeah I agree there should be some respect and sensitivity for differentials in personality and culture.
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new msgt:: I also think most of the times even when things get heated the board self corrects itself.. meaning people come in to diffuse
#slickboy444:: Yeah, but we mustn't forget that we're only human.
Within the Void:: hi
new msgt:: and thse aren't always mods either. anyone can help diffuse
Meghan:: hi nick
new msgt:: it happens all the time
#slickboy444:: There are always going to be mistakes.
#DelvianOracle:: hey :-)
#Caveman:: hey nick
#slickboy444:: Grettings nick.
JoshuaChayne:: we were talking about respecting differentials in personality and culture to an extent
new msgt:: i think there will likely always be a little drama or potential for drama but it;s more in how we handle it
new msgt:: it's in the management of these situations
#DelvianOracle:: good topic
new msgt:: and it is also about control
#slickboy444:: Something everybody needs to exercise to some extent.
#DelvianOracle:: yeah, I think the idea has to be about free exchange with limits on personal attack
Meghan:: but how do we spot a personal attack?
#DelvianOracle:: because I don't want some topics limited just because they're controversial, you know?
new msgt:: i think people should feel free to voice opinion, criticism, and dissent
Within the Void:: How long should an out of hand topic go on before a mod needs to step in...ie how long should the self correcting go on
#DelvianOracle:: well, I think that depends on how it looks to be going
#slickboy444:: Yeah, isn't that what the internet is for? Voicing your opinion even if it is vulgar?
#DelvianOracle:: I think Meg and a few others who've been here awhile would agree that differences are easy to see
#Caveman:: great discussion. alright, my wife is wanting my attention. have to run. again, great talk, will catch the recap. later :-)
#Caveman left
#slickboy444:: Freedom of speech with responsibility.
#DelvianOracle:: some situations calm down really quickly, some don't
Within the Void:: not at the expense of someone else
#slickboy444:: That and there's the matter of context.
new msgt:: even if they don't calm down quickly eventually the thread dies out
#DelvianOracle:: so, if it looks like things are improving, maybe let it be
new msgt:: you see a whole evolution of the topic even when heated
new msgt:: you get to see whre it goes and what it leads to
#slickboy444:: Yeah, especially long ones.
Meghan:: should a mod only step in when asked or can they make a judgement call?
JoshuaChayne:: things like death threats, sexual harrassment, religious persection, an individual being ganged up on and made fun of-- these sorts of things moderators should try to stop when they occur
#slickboy444:: But there's a difference between someone saying "That issue was @#%$ sweet!" and "@#%$ you dude!"
#slickboy444:: Like I said, context.
new msgt:: mods can voice their opinions like any others because they are also a member
new msgt:: but its a little different when they start to play out stereotypical roles IMO
Within the Void:: I think a judgement call is appropriate if the post is out right attacking the poster, but then the post should be saved for review if need be
Meghan:: as a mod, i feel limited in what i can say
new msgt:: because they are no different than us they just have a litlte power on one little section of the interweb
#DelvianOracle:: really Meghan? expand please
new msgt:: be yourself
JoshuaChayne:: probably most of the time they should be concerned when asked unless they see something that is clearly out of line then it could probably be a judgement call.
new msgt:: i think people shoulkd be true to self rather than playing a role
Meghan:: ever since i became a mod, i've cut back on my posting because i feel like if i ever have to "discipline" someone who has a different opinon than me on something (even unrelated to the problem), i'll seem biased
#slickboy444:: We're ALL bias. No way around it.
#DelvianOracle:: oooh, good call
#slickboy444:: Objectivity in a fan forum is impossible, at least in my experience.
new msgt:: but a mod doesn't have to come into every situation as a mod
#slickboy444:: And admin shouldn't feel restricted because they're admin.
#DelvianOracle:: well, define "impossible"
new msgt:: you don't always have to wear that hat
Duddy9 left
#slickboy444:: You're always going to have some sort of bias in the back of your mind..
#slickboy444:: It's just a matter of how well you hide it.
new msgt:: i think mods and admins should feel comfortable expressing their opinions
#DelvianOracle:: I'm really not a fan of this "people will always play to their basest tendencies" idea
new msgt:: on topics as a member,. it's when their opinions because the rules there leads problems
new msgt:: or when they become too biased
JoshuaChayne:: I've been to other forums where the admins don't post thier opinions and others where they do.
new msgt:: based on their own preference/morality
#DelvianOracle:: well, I think it must depend highly on the individual
new msgt:: *became not because
#DelvianOracle:: I'll tell you how I feel about Nadav vs. Meghan
#DelvianOracle:: I felt recently that a decision of Nadav's held real, salient elements of partiality
#DelvianOracle:: and thus far, I haven't experienced something similar with Meghan
#slickboy444:: Well there hasn't been a situation like that since.
#DelvianOracle:: Meg, I think you've always given off the feeling of some objectivity, so I hope hearing that makes being yourself a little easier
#slickboy444:: That was between me and Nate.
new msgt:: I think in the past some admins have tried to be overly controling at times
#slickboy444:: Yeah, and I don't want this to be one of them.
Meghan:: to predict the future a little bit i think john and i won't be too controlling because we don't have the time to be!
#DelvianOracle:: and I think that's a good plan
#slickboy444:: Yeah, but there's always a chance that some new member will test those limits.
#DelvianOracle:: I think if people need a mod, they should be using the pm function
Meghan:: YES!
new msgt:: and i think you two are very rational people
#DelvianOracle:: and, here's more
new msgt:: who can be objective. that is so important
Meghan:: Private messages would be a BIG HELP
Within the Void:: I agree
#DelvianOracle:: I think that if people have their "argument" or whatever in community space, then they shouldn't be surprised when people get involved
new msgt:: private message the mod or each other?
#slickboy444:: Both could work.
Within the Void:: both
#DelvianOracle:: we have the ability to pm people, and we should use it if we want things kept between two people
Meghan:: to a mod if you want intervention
#slickboy444:: But what if people start sending death threats to each other?
#DelvianOracle:: then get a mod involved
Meghan:: then talk to a mod
Within the Void:: pm the mod
#DelvianOracle:: why would people send death threats?
new msgt:: that seems extreme slickboy
#DelvianOracle:: LOL
new msgt:: we usually don't have problems like that
Within the Void::
new msgt:: problems here aren't usually big or too important
#slickboy444:: Yeah, but it's always a possibiity when dealing with forums this big.
#DelvianOracle:: exactly
new msgt:: it's little stuff because stuff that happens on a board is little
#DelvianOracle:: and I think a lot of times that extra time to get clarification should really help
new msgt:: in comparison to real world events
#DelvianOracle:: well, and this is funny
#DelvianOracle:: it seems like on the OT section where we talk politics and religion and all that, things go pretty well
#DelvianOracle:: but it's the silly Jean stuff that causes these huge brawls
#DelvianOracle:: LOL
Meghan:: ironic, eh?
JoshuaChayne:: really the recent event between nate, slick, and nadav was extremely tame in comparison to past flame topics.
#slickboy444:: lol Yeah, who'd have thought?
JoshuaChayne:: that is true!
#DelvianOracle:: yeah, this was a tame fight
#slickboy444:: Yeah, it was more of a disagreement in terms of context.
new msgt:: personally I thuoght Nate was done wrong
#DelvianOracle:: you should see some past stuff... but it's been deleted I think
#slickboy444:: I took what nate was saying as a personal insult.
Within the Void:: some of it exist
#slickboy444:: He said I was too dumb to understand Morrison. That's how I felt.
new msgt:: josh and nick oracle have insulted the claremont fans/morrison haters
Meghan:: let's not dwell on individual incidents
new msgt:: in more harsh manners before lol
#DelvianOracle:: hahaha, yes I have
Within the Void:: I was looking for past chat times and came across some
new msgt:: I have too probably
new msgt:: but yet we got no silly punishment
new msgt:: but nate was a new guy
new msgt:: maybe that mattered i dunno
#slickboy444:: And so was I.
#DelvianOracle:: yeah, that's a good point
Meghan:: what other things do people want to talk about?
#DelvianOracle:: fair treatment to all, but understanding that we know regulars better and so will probably give them more slack
#slickboy444:: Unless it's extreme.
#DelvianOracle:: obviously
new msgt:: i also think people get upset too easily sometimes
new msgt:: and i think that might be due to age and experience
new msgt:: everyone learns through life, grows, etc
new msgt:: but aren't always on the "same page
new msgt:: " just yet
#DelvianOracle:: Meghan, did we miss anything on the agenda?
Meghan:: i wanted to bring something up
#DelvianOracle:: shoot :-)
Meghan:: john and i would like a new moderator. we have a few names in mind, but i'd like to hear other suggestions
#DelvianOracle:: oh, you mean suggest mod candidates?
Meghan:: yup
#slickboy444:: That I wouldn't know. I'm still kind of new here.
new msgt:: i'm not gonna offer anyone specifically but i would go for someoen that's been around for a while
#DelvianOracle:: well, I think time is an important thing to factor in
new msgt:: there are tons of people who have been around since the beginning
#slickboy444:: But are they still active?
new msgt:: or maybe that what i said shuldn't even matter
#DelvianOracle:: who can be here often/is here often
new msgt:: there are so many great newer people
JoshuaChayne:: it should probably be someone who seems objective and calm a lot
#DelvianOracle:: Meghan, have you guys thought of Star?
new msgt:: and someone who is not power hungry
Meghan:: he's on the "short list"
#DelvianOracle:: he's here a ton, and seems very nice
Within the Void:: I was thinking him too
JoshuaChayne:: I was thinking about Star of Dbari
#DelvianOracle:: ;-)
#DelvianOracle:: hmmm, who else
new msgt:: I also want to get your opinion on questioning the authority on the board. is that going to be a problem?
new msgt:: can we (meaning everyone/anyone) question your/john C choices
new msgt:: and not be asked to leave lol
#DelvianOracle:: I'd imagine the answer is "depends on how it's done"
new msgt:: thats what i want to know
Meghan:: is it's done with respect, i don't think so.
#DelvianOracle:: ;-)
JoshuaChayne:: Within the Void would also be a really good choice for a new moderator
Within the Void:: I know he hasn't been around long but Caveman seems pretty objectionable
new msgt:: well i don't think anyone should just be asked to leave
Meghan:: agreed, since he did so much to pull this togheter
Meghan:: void i mean
#DelvianOracle:: Caveman? have you guys thought of him?
JoshuaChayne:: yeah Caveman could be a good choice too
Meghan:: cool
#DelvianOracle:: some of the rest of us just seem to have too strong an opinion
#slickboy444:: Yeah, I've exchanged mail with Caveman and I think he'd make a good mod.
#slickboy444:: Yeah, no kidding. lol
Meghan:: void, how do you feel about it?
#DelvianOracle:: and while I don't think that's bad, I can see how people could confuse that
Within the Void:: I would need to think about it
Within the Void:: Even just running the chat last night I didn't feel like I could say too much
#DelvianOracle:: wow, really?
#DelvianOracle:: I think that needs to be addressed
#DelvianOracle:: because we don't want modding to be a death sentence for group activity and feeling fully invested
#DelvianOracle:: especially when we have kinda chosen mods according to their posting
Within the Void:: yeah, thats why I didn't have any suggestions of my own
#slickboy444:: Well you'll figure it out.
Within the Void:: I think Birr asked me at one point and I danced around it
new msgt:: do we really need a whole lot of moderating ?
#DelvianOracle:: what can we be doing to make that process easier?
#slickboy444:: I gtg. nice chatting with you guys! Take it easy!
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new msgt:: i mean at first it seemed like this forum was very different than say xfan boards
Meghan:: i just want eyes out there checking up on things cause i can't always be here,
new msgt:: but then it became just like them. topics get deleted, moved, locked, very rule oriented
#DelvianOracle:: which i think we can all be doing
Meghan:: and i'd appreciate
new msgt:: i don't know why topics have to be locked
Within the Void:: if the board became a place where intervention was asked for I would not mind, but it is hard when people think you may be choosing sides
#DelvianOracle:: it is
#DelvianOracle:: that's the problem with any leadership position
#DelvianOracle:: ;-)
new msgt:: i still think the majority of the time the board is self correcting
new msgt:: people step in to mod who aren't official moderators
Meghan:: i think temporarily locked topics are ok so people have time to cool down.
new msgt:: just to calm things down or diffuse the situation
new msgt:: i don't mean for heated discussions
new msgt:: like the X3 discussions. there were several locked topics
new msgt:: and these were new members mostly making them. way to make them feel welcome...
new msgt:: yeah they were redundant maybe, but people were excited. is it not ok to get excited?
new msgt:: i love the feel of the excitment
new msgt:: and then the admin comes in and ruins it
new msgt:: with locking and throwing down rules
JoshuaChayne:: I liked it when there were so much excitement for the movies that there were many topics related to them.
new msgt:: over silly stuff
Within the Void:: I thought there was a valid reason for that though. The topics were repetitive
new msgt:: so?
new msgt:: thats way too structured
new msgt:: for my tastes anyhow
new msgt:: it should be ok for the fans to be excited
Within the Void:: For me it was just a matter of replying, its hard to sift through all that
new msgt:: you can just simply choose
new msgt:: which one to post too
Within the Void:: or reply multiple times so someone doesn't get a bagel
new msgt:: choice = good thing
#DelvianOracle:: Mike, are you not on AIM?
Within the Void:: The bagel, I think, is worse for a newbie
new msgt:: I'm not on
#DelvianOracle:: also, Meghan and Void, I'd be glad to chat with either of you privately on this issue of how you feel about moderating
#DelvianOracle:: that seems like something to really look into, in my opinion
Meghan:: that would be good. not today but sometime soon
#DelvianOracle:: absolutely
#DelvianOracle:: this is enough board stuff for one day ;-)
Within the Void:: I'd like to sometime as well, novaphoenix02 original I know
#DelvianOracle:: I'm marvelboy18
#DelvianOracle:: also, I'd like to say that I think these chats are an excellent idea
Meghan:: hats off to void
new msgt:: i think it is good to let the people have a voice hehe
#DelvianOracle:: here, here
Within the Void:: *blushes*
new msgt:: doesn't matter always the outcome, but as long as there is a voice
Within the Void:: I'm really glad that people showed up,
Meghan:: man, i thought this was gonna be a 2 hour marathon!
new msgt::
#DelvianOracle:: Mike, you should sign onto AIM
new msgt:: I might later tonite
#DelvianOracle:: and Void, I've got your name on my list :-)
new msgt:: we're gonna go hook up our new printer
Meghan:: i'll post a transcript when we are done
Meghan:: nick and void, should i remove your AIM names?
#DelvianOracle:: nah
#DelvianOracle:: people can have it if they want
#DelvianOracle:: but thanks for asking
Within the Void:: it shows that people do care about whats going on and want want t
#DelvianOracle:: well, I think some of us have been on this board a long while... we wouldn't have stayed if this wasn't important
#DelvianOracle:: I think people make fun of boards like this a lot... but we're a real community
new msgt:: josh and i have been contributing since we were 18
Within the Void:: ry my java screen froze
new msgt:: that;s a long time
#DelvianOracle:: sure is
new msgt:: meghan since she was 19
#DelvianOracle:: you're old now ;-)
Within the Void:: no you don't have to remove it
new msgt:: it's weird to think about
Meghan:: i've gotten two degrees since i came here!
#DelvianOracle:: awesome, isn't it?
new msgt:: i think as long as people strive to get along, respect others and contribute postive things
new msgt:: then the board will always continue to improve
Within the Void::
Within the Void:: I can't log onto AIM for some reason but I will add you later Nick
#DelvianOracle:: it's cool
#DelvianOracle:: I should be around most of the weekend
Within the Void:: ok
Meghan:: is it time for refreshments in the atrium?
Meghan::
Meghan:: *is hungry*
new msgt:: we didn't even have refreshments last night. we were jipped!
Within the Void:: *looks away and whistles*
Meghan:: awww
Meghan:: well i thank you all for coming and providing us with you ideas and input
#DelvianOracle:: :-)
new msgt:: bye guys. i'm headed out. talk to ya'll later.
new msgt left
Within the Void:: hurrah! off to find my own refreshments
#DelvianOracle:: later everyone
Meghan:: bye!
#DelvianOracle left