Ratskep discussion split from "What use is..." thread

[Seth]

I'm coming in late to this discussion so I apologise if it's been discussed previously, but any idea what separates a "senior" mod from a regular one, or is it just meaningless hierarchy?

Suction power. And perhaps lack of teeth.

[Bella Fortuna]

I'm sensing a theme here, Seth...

[Seth]

I'm sensing a theme here, Seth...

What, that the Mods at Ratskep are cocksuckers? How did you guess?

I should hasten to note that not ALL the mods at Ratskep are cocksuckers. There are exceptions, and they know who they are.

[pErvinalia]

Holding a position does not equate to competence in that position.

Whatever. That's irrelevant to Warren's claim that she's breaking some rule he invented in his head.

[pErvinalia]

Starr is the senior moderator. If anyone should be able to mod on their own, it should be her. I suppose to you that's just further evidence of a fascistic conspiracy.

Certainly the difference between your take and mine seems to reflect a real philosophical difference.

To me, starr is the senior moderator, not the site dictator. That means that if anyone should be setting a good example by strictly following the rules, it should be her.

But I guess the difference in expectations comes right back to my having libertarian beliefs in ethics and personal responsibility, whereas your position seems to reflect a progressive belief in privilege.

All this is assuming that you're correct about the site still having that rule, of course.

Warren, honestly, I don't even know why you bother. You've got no idea what you are talking about. Probably best if you just crawl back under whatever rock it is you've been hiding under for the last 6 months or so.

[pErvinalia]

I'm coming in late to this discussion so I apologise if it's been discussed previously, but any idea what separates a "senior" mod from a regular one, or is it just meaningless hierarchy?

Able to do more things but not quite as many things as the admin. And boss the other mods around.
LIFE did not/does not want to delegate admin powers to any one. He wishes to keep them for himself alone.

And all of this is his right as the owner of a PRIVATE website. This isn't a government, it isn't a country, it's an individual's website. Hence why Warren bleating on about libertarianism vs progressivism is thoroughly retarded.

[pErvinalia]

I'm not having a go at the girl or trying to stir up shit (much), but why is starr the top mod on Ratskep? She seems to have risen from nowhere within the wider RDF community to a position of almost Timonenesque power. How did that happen?

I don't get it, and I think that her personality and personal compass have had a massive effect on the Ratskep vibe (I remember starr being fairly reactionary and conservative here as lbon). Can you imagine how different it may have been if Topsy, sciwoman or someone even slightly more relaxed had been in the driving seat?

There was a poll. The staff voted on who they felt would make the best second in command. Starr did not get the vote but she is who LIFE wanted. I have no idea why he bothered with the poll.

Who did get the vote?

In retrospect, I also think it's a bit of a shame that the RDF community, especially the more vocal and respected big-hitters, didn't take just a little bit longer on Rationalia to catch their breath and decide together the best way to build their new forum rather than gratefully put the nearest cock in their mouths (sorry about that ). They had a fantastic opportunity and the luxury of time afforded by this forum (and advice born of experience) to build something really special and avoid the mistakes we were perhaps pressured in to at the birth of TAF and (to a much lesser extent) Ratz. Instead, everyone jumped gratefully in to LIFE's vehicle (I'm honestly amazed by your revelation, Gallstones) without a second thought.

The thing is, the opportunity for change is always there. Those 'big-hitters' (who are still there) can initiate a movement for change at any point. While it is a private site, it's not an authoritarian dictatorship. LIFE is always open to good ideas, and not opposed to change.

[pErvinalia]

In retrospect, I also think it's a bit of a shame that the RDF community, especially the more vocal and respected big-hitters, didn't take just a little bit longer on Rationalia to catch their breath and decide together the best way to build their new forum rather than gratefully put the nearest cock in their mouths (sorry about that ). They had a fantastic opportunity and the luxury of time afforded by this forum (and advice born of experience) to build something really special and avoid the mistakes we were perhaps pressured in to at the birth of TAF and (to a much lesser extent) Ratz. Instead, everyone jumped gratefully in to LIFE's vehicle (I'm honestly amazed by your revelation, Gallstones) without a second thought.

Now some of you may think I'm exaggerating and full of it, and that all is sweetness and light on Ratskep and always will be, but I remember the gloating, the schadenfreude, the overbearing and pompous moral arbiters on RDF who cheered the Ratz community's first banishment from Dawkins to TAF, how a lot of RDF members laughed at us and cheered Timonen and Dawkins for their decisive and correct action in getting rid of us and our filth. And I remember how some of those people clung gratefully to Rationalia when Timonen and Dawkins made them walk the same plank eighteen months later . Well, Rationalia is our third try at getting forum life to a point where things don't implode horribly (I'm counting HoC) - I would say the Ratskep community has at least one schism in the pipeline.

Marry in haste, repent at leisure.

Yep... and how with every blip of discontent there many people drift here for awhile and enjoy the hospitality, and then vanish again without a glance back.

No offense, but for people who like serious debate, this isn't the place. I'm not sure what other alternatives there are. I hope some of those people find them.

[pErvinalia]

I'm sensing a theme here, Seth...

What, that the Mods at Ratskep are cocksuckers? How did you guess?

I should hasten to note that not ALL the mods at Ratskep are cocksuckers. There are exceptions, and they know who they are.

The ones who are members here perhaps?

[Bella Fortuna]

No offense, but for people who like serious debate, this isn't the place. I'm not sure what other alternatives there are. I hope some of those people find them.

None taken - and I didn't mean to suggest it was. Different sites, different philosophies and reasons for being.

[Warren Dew]

Probably best if you just crawl back under whatever rock it is you've been hiding under for the last 6 months or so.

I've been right here, my friend. Feel free to crawl out from under this rock and back to cloud cuckoo land if you don't like it here.

LIFE is always open to good ideas, and not opposed to change.

I actually agree with this. Indeed, he took my advice to get some new moderators. Unfortunately, he didn't take my advice to fire the existing moderation team first, so it didn't make a difference.

His problem is mostly that he's charmingly naive. For example, he didn't actually know what "progressive" meant a leftist political position in the U.S. I doubt he'll ever be able to remove the wool the mods have pulled over his eyes.

[pErvinalia]

Who says I don't like it here? And I'm not the one pulling facts from my arse to support whatever ideological agenda one is trying to push.

[Seth]

Who says I don't like it here? And I'm not the one pulling facts from my arse to support whatever ideological agenda one is trying to push.

Well, that's true enough, all you've done is carp about how we're treating the inhabitants of Ratskep, and you haven't produce a substantive or articulate response to anything else so far. But I've seen large, smelly volumes of ex recto assertion from you in the past, so don't get too uppity.

[rachelbean]

Because it keeps the Proles happy to think they actually had some influence. Sucking cock, however, is how such things are decided over there, either factually or metaphorically.

Things are clearly run differently over here or I would have risen to power a while ago

[Gallstones]

Holding a position does not equate to competence in that position.

Whatever. That's irrelevant to Warren's claim that she's breaking some rule he invented in his head.

It is a conflict of interest to both participate in a discussion and moderate it too.
No staff member, regardless of what position s/he holds is above that ethic.