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[Ethelshai]

I want to say I am resigning from my mod position here. I've come to realize I'm certainly a better normal member than moderator.
This is not a sudden decision. I have thought about it for some time now, and it's sometimes better to know when to stop.

[Selroth]

I find this post to be rather emotional and kinda makes the forum look bad when taken out of context.  So, I'd like to bring the context (from the admin thread) to here:

I've been thinking to this for some time now. I don't think I'm the right person to be a mod here anymore :/
The topic about evolution vs science made this very clear to me. The thing is that I posted several times that people should stop and noone listens to what the mods say. I think I'm more and and more useless as part of the staff and that it would certainly be better for everyone if I resigned from my moderator position on the forum. I hate to say this, but most members of this forum have no idea of what authority is and they cannot even define the limits between a debate and a stupid discussion spamming a section for pages.

I totally agree with the idea of leaving some freedom of speech. After all, a forum is the place where people can talk about lots of different things. But things are going to far, in my opinion. No matter what one says to provide a frame to a topic, it's never respected, or if it is respected, the effect is extremely limited in time. Actually too much freedom leads to mess :/ A thread like the evolution vs religious views one should have been locked long ago. We all see it is going nowhere, but Airy keeps dictating his views without even reading what the others say, and by blatantly ignoring my warnings. And this is a total lack of respect. He considers he's right about everything and therefore that rules don't apply to him.

I'm really about to blow a fuse if I can't reprimand people when they ignore the moderators comments. So that's why I think it's better I resign.

aww ethel! why not tell them what you think in that thread? tell them that you mean it, and if they ignore you just lock the thread :3 *hugs* will you still stay here?

I already told them. They don't want to listen. So if they can't respect a warning, they'll certainly won't respect anything else.

The thing with that thread is that everyone has the option to look at it and take part, or ignore it and have no part in it.  Just because it's unlocked doesn't mean that people have to take part in it, those who do still write in the thread do so because they choose to - even if it's turned into drivel and going over the same things it's their choice to do that and everyone has the freedom to chose not to look in there.

I haven't taken part in that thread for a long time because it did get repetitive and yeah things get said that I don't agree with at all and even without any reasoning behind them noone can change some people's minds.  But that's the way of the world and that's why we give everyone here equal opportunities to either take part in a discussion, or ignore it completely.

Locking a thread takes away the freedom to participate of those who are wanting to be there, be it off-topic ramblings or going over the same statements, they have the freedom to do it.  If we start locking threads just because we don't agree with the direction of discussion, or the content of it (repetitiveness) then we're becoming dictators and that's not what the idea of the freedom of this community is about.

We don't want to lose you as a mod, you've been here forever and we love you Ethel!    I think maybe what needs to be done is something discussed a while ago but never came to fruition and actually working out what roles the mods and admins play for the site.  Content creation is great (which I know draco does a lot of!) and making sure topics are in the right sections of the forums.  Also vetting new member applications (which we all do in the admin section), keeping an eye out for anyone who does things like RP or spam...lots more things too but it's a bit late and I still have a splitting headache :/

I really think my time as a mod here is over. Sincerely. I'd just like to have my mod privileges removed and my account reverted to a normal user's one on the forum. I'll still be on the IRC, but there's nothing I can do anymore about the forum itself :/

I find that thread to be one of the most successful, actually.  At least, when viewed in terms of activity.  What I'm afraid of is when no one bothers to post anything anymore in any threads. 

I haven't payed attention to that thread and most on the forum don't anymore because they've lost interest in it.  But there are a few who still enjoy voicing their opinion (or flame) in there, and I think that's important.  I really think people keep participating in that because whether they know it or not they enjoy doing it - that's why they keep going back to it.  You don't enjoy it anymore, and that's why you're not going to do it anymore. 

The heated section is freedom of speech.  And, it is chaos. People's participation in there is of course voluntary - and I think that's the key.

Anyway, on topic to your resignation, I'm going to ask if you're sure.  I honestly think you have a lot of the perspective mixed up.  Locking topics and keeping members in line is the hardest job of the moderators - and it is also the last priority of a moderator if you ask me.  I don't like the idea of employing moderators to judge people or threads on an individual basis and take action on them one-by-one.  I think there's loads of room to work smarter, not harder, in most forums.  What I value much more than one's "moderation chores" is their opinions on community matters such as changes and ideas.  If you don't like how many of the threads are turning out and don't think it's in the best interest of the community, instead of locking them think of how to evade the problem completely. 

The heated section of the forum essentially is my solution to prevent topics from being locked.  I saw there was a need for order in much of the forum, but instead of trying to snuff out the chaos I redirected it into a different section.  We need to manage how things work, not resist it.

So, if you'd still like to have your moderator rights removed, then I have no problems as that'd show we have a contrast in moderating philosophy.  However, if you're kinda understanding of what I'm trying to get at or would like to discuss it further, then I think you're a better moderator than before and would be happy to keep you in the staff! 

[Ethelshai]

Woah. That was not meant to be emotional o.o
It was just a notice.

By the way, I want to underline the fact that if I'm resigning, it's to avoid tensions among the staff if there are strong disagreements as for the decisions to take in given situations. Since there would be obvious incompatibilities in this case, it's more reasonable for me to stop here, in the general interest.

[sillydraco]

its okay Ethel! we still love you and no hard feelings! i hope you feel better ^^

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