Moderating The Forums: a suggestion

[Cyrus]

Why re-invent the wheel ?

In a blackjack website, where I shared mod duties with other leathernecks, the webmaster was of a pretty enlightened and tolerant attitude -- which, incidentally, proved extremely helpful business-wise : a critical mass of posters was allowed to form itself and provide financial support for the website's maintenance. The webmaster, as I recall, was a Vietnam veteran, who allowed though extremely disparaging comments about the war or veterans, even though he was personally very annoyed by some of the mindlessness.

The 2+2 website is already popular but one can always learn by studying how other people handled things.

Being a successful webmaster is not that different from running a successful company. A skilled CEO must have, among other things, the ability and willingless to consult and to invite opposing, sometimes extreme, viewpoints -- and then, of course, to formulate clear and firm decisions.

Through this process, the following set of Guidelines for Postbusters was established and proved to be very effective for the blackjack website. May I suggest that our esteemed poker webmasters take a look?



Guidelines for Moderating the Forums:

1. Posts advocating illegal activity should be deleted.

2. Chain letters and other get-rich-quick schemes should be deleted.

3. Posts containing pornography or links directly to pornography should be deleted.

4. Posts containing advertisements should be deleted if the posts are made by strangers to the [2+2] community. Do not remove product reviews by known members of the [2+2] community.

5. In the case of multiple identical (or almost identical) posts, all but one should be deleted.

6. Posts whose only purpose is to draw attention to another site may be deleted.

7. Posts attacking a person, or multiple persons, should be deleted. Posts linking to such attacks should be deleted. More leeway should be given to posts about public figures. Less leeway should be given to posts about members of the [2+2] community. Criticisms of products and ideas should not be deleted. Examples: It is okay to say that a book stinks, but not okay to say that the author stinks. It's okay to think that another poster is an idiot, but not okay to say so.

8. Posts identifying a card counter or other advantage player in action in a casino should be deleted.

9. Delete any post that specifically identifies an exploitable dealer or pit critter who could lose his or her job by such an outing.

10. Inflammatory posts should be deleted.

11. Do not delete a post just because the author is mistaken in his knowledge of gambling or casinos.

12. Do not delete a post just because you disagree with it.

13. Do not delete a post from a thread in which you have participated.

14. Do not delete a post at the request of a friend. Instead, relay the request to another post buster who will be able to make a decision without being influenced by the pressure of friendship.

15. Give more leeway to posts from known members of the [2+2] community.

16. Give more leeway to posts containing an email address for the poster.

17. Give less leeway to posts positively identified as coming from people with a history of busts for cause.

18. Give less leeway to anonymous posts and posts with anonymized IP addresses.

19. Posts containing no material having anything to do with gambling or casinos or the page topic do not have to (but may) be deleted.

20. Posts directed to a single person do not have to (but may) be deleted.

21. Posts that were orphaned after someone deleted another post do not have to (but may) be deleted if they are not able to stand alone.

22. Posts in all capital letters do not have to (but may) be deleted. If you delete a post due to its being in all caps, please email (if possible) the poster explaining why the post was deleted.

23. Posts purported to be made by a known member of the [2+2] community but actually written by someone else should be deleted.

24. When in doubt, don't delete the post.