[Buzz]

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... I have noticed the dearth of content lately.

[/ QUOTE ]Truthiness - It seems to run in cycles.

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People seem to me to be more concerned here about trash talking than about self-improvement. There should be room for both, but not one (or the other) exclusively.

[/ QUOTE ]My view is there are plenty of places to go to trash talk. Even many other forums on 2+2 are mostly trash talk. This is not a chat forum (although some chat is tolerated and even welcomed).

This forum (and a few others on 2+2) is primarily a strategy and tactics forum.

I see the role of moderator more or less like the role of a committee chairperson.

A good committee chairperson keeps the committee members focused on the issues to be discussed without being autocratic about it. (Of course every time you control someone you think might be a bit out of line, you're being more or less autocratic).

A difference between this forum and a committee is the trash talk. There's very little trash talk in a committee. I can't imagine ejecting someone from a committee meeting. I never saw it happen in decades of chairing some committees and sitting on others.

But here, there are occasional individuals who seem to post mainly to trash talk or write what they think are humorous quips. (And I have to admit, sometimes they're very funny).

A very few posters are just downright mean and/or nasty and become disruptive.

I used to post on r.g.p. (Someone who was somehow chosen as chair of the FAQ committee asked me to answer a question that I think is still in the FAQ for that forum).

I liked r.g.p. - but I like this forum more. This forum is all about Omaha-8. Perfect for me! I'm happy that (unlike r.g.p.) there is a mechanism to get rid of disruptive posters, hecklers, and spammers. (I don't want to be the cop, but I'm willing to serve my time to keep this forum going).

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You folks do need to encourage new players to post and participate.

[/ QUOTE ]I agree 100%.

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People get put off in part because you talk about the game at such a high level,

[/ QUOTE ]Hopefully this is a place we can do that. I have learned, and continue to learn, from excellent posters here. I greatly appreciate high level posts.

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but also because you troll people who you think ask stupid questions.

[/ QUOTE ]In my opinion, "Where can I make the most money?" - and "How much should I expect to earn playing Omaha-8?" coming from someone we don't even know would qualify as stupid questions. I get tired of those.

Some new posters are always going to ask elementary questions. And regular posters here gradually get tired of reading elementary questions. Some of us have less patience than others, but we all get tired of reading questions, for example, about which of two hands has the better low.

Maybe we can do something about cutting down on elementary questions by writing a more inclusive FAQ.

It's harder to do that than one might think. At least it's harder for me. I'm wide open for suggestions, especially as to what specific questions should be included in the sticky FAQ. (Once we decide what the questions are that should be included, then the next step will be to work on the answers). I'm happy to give everyone who contributes credit in the sticky.

I think there often is more than one answer to a question, and I think we should include different valid and helpful points of view, perhaps authored by different contributors.

The sticky thread collection is a good idea, but very tough. The problem is there are a lot of trash posts or simply wrong or misleading posts intermingled with the gems of wisdom in almost all worthwhile threads. I've made (and alas, continue to make) posting blunders myself. I try to correct errors when I become aware of them, but everybody doesn't do that, or perhaps some individuals have defense mechanisms to protect their egos such that they don't even realize they are in error or have written a very misleading post.

If you don't know the right answer, you often cannot tell who is giving the right answer and who may be wrong.

I'll try to keep the trolling under control. That's not as easy as you might think. Lots of tough calls. Lots of places to make judgment errors.

Buzz