LK's Pattaya Bash or I am a diver not a hairdresser crack head :-)

[limbo]

I read that cave diver.

..and indeed months ago reported problems in this section of the board - noting was done.



>Because of the time difference this forum is not typically active when most of the Mods are on the board.
Simple solution- appoint a mod for this part of the board. May I nominate Limbo? he is a long time poster, a course director and known to many who dive in Thailand and as level headed as they come.


>At this point without doing extensive reading back and learning the dynamics of the forum and our cultural differences it's difficult to tell if it is good natured ribbing amongst friends or if it is genuine vehemence.

Its your board mate - take the time or appoint a moderator. And no, its not cultural as most of the people posting are expatriates, not Thais (who also do not indulge in this type of behaviour anyway).


>Regardless, the name calling and insults are in violation of the Terms of Service (ToS) and it casts a poor reflection on the board in general and your area specifically and it needs to stop permeating every thread in your area.

We agree - read the threads. Most members as far as I can see are sick and tired of this. One member however insists on dragging pretty much every thread ito the same area, bashing Thailand in general, and specific dive locations and shops in particular.

>If the trash talking is a "normal" communication method for this culture

As noted its not.

It also needs to be toned down some to comply with the ToS for this board>

I beleive there is a specific section dealing with one issue posters in the TOS (can't remeber the web term) - maybe its time for you to actually impose compliance with the TOS?

> The staff will take whatever measures are necessary to keep this forum clear of TOS violations. Consider this your notification of such action.

the ball is in your court,and most members seem to support somehing being done in this section of the board. please do it.


>Those that don't get the message may find their privileges to participate revoked.

I have had my say, if you dsagree, revoke away. as noted, its been no fun posting here for quite some time.

josh

Josh,

That's an excellent post and I couldn't have said it much better!

I agree with having a local mod, it's flattering that you think of me but I leave that appointment up to the board owners Quero would also make a well balanced local Thai mod.

 

[lord khram]

I think this would be a great idea.
Personally I feel it should be an individual that does not work or have a financial interest in diving because as I have seen on here numerous times. Any time someone speaks of a bad experience, all the shops / instructors seem to work together and gang up on the individual that made the complaint.

 

[Dive-SEA]

I think this would be a great idea.
Personally I feel it should be an individual that does not work or have a financial interest in diving because as I have seen on here numerous times. Any time someone speaks of a bad experience, all the shops / instructors seem to work together and gang up on the individual that made the complaint.

listen to those crocodile tears :-(

 

[Vie]

I think this would be a great idea. Personally I feel it should be an individual that does not work or have a financial interest in diving...

Agree.

 

[Arizona]

I have to agree with LK on this one. I think if a local mod is appointed it should not be someone that has diving 'financial' interest. No offense Quero, but that would be a complete conflict of interest IMO. I have extreme respect for Limbo, but that would also be a conflict of interest.

Perhaps we can all just play well in the sandbox...

 

[lord khram]

Or judjing by the majority of votes in the poll, just leave things as they are.

 

[josh]

I don't set the policy for the board, I just help to enforce it. I have since done some moderation in this section and I have communicated with the affected users privately, which is how I feel it should be whenever possible.

Noted my friend

I snipped most of the post (just for bandwith) but agree with all that you said.

Hopefully more vigilant moderation will set a better tone, and I am sure we all appreciate your efforts on behalf of the board.

cheers
josh

 

[InDaWata]

Continue the way it is currently in any thread deemed appropriate by thoese involved : 7 votes.

in favour of creating a new thread/moving the 'discussion' to an existing thread: 10 votes.

7 < 10 = majority.

Obviously, there is a problem...

 

[Ringo]

I have to agree that a local mod or at least some serious moderation not involved in the local industry would be a great option here. The rude mud slinging and disgraceful arrogant unprofessional self promotional posts here have been putting me off posting on SB for a long time now.

 

[Quero]

Josh,
I agree with having a local mod, it's flattering that you think of me but I leave that appointment up to the board owners Quero would also make a well balanced local Thai mod.

It's nice to read that you regard me in this way, limbo, but I don't have the right kind of temperament to be an "enforcer" which is what this forum needs.

I agree with the consensus that our forum has degenerated disturbingly and could use a local mod who is awake and monitoring the forum during the time of day when the backbiting tends to take place.

As to the question of conflict of interest, some of my colleagues here have expressed strong feelings that any local mod should be from outside the industry. I don't personally see that as an issue. In my experience having served for decades on boards of directors of professional communities (in another field), one of them of a global scope on which I still serve, this restriction isn't really necessary as long as the leader discloses any conflict of interest and recuses him/herself from making fiduciary decisions that would benefit any entity with which s/he has ties.

No matter who a local mod would be, that person would inevitably possess his/her own biases based on past local experiences, personal affinity with the various online "personalities," and so on. Even an interested non-local, like jkaterenchuk would be hard-pressed to remain free of bias given his visits to the area and his participation in the forum. So if one of my colleagues here were asked and agreed to take on this role, I would certainly not object. A willingness to employ a firm but civil approach to supervision is much more important, to my mind. In other words, simply being a part of the industry would not necessarily predispose a prospective moderator to becoming abusive in the application of censures to forumers, whereas on the other hand an arrogance in personality could very well make a moderator-candidate--whether a member of the local industry or not--an inappropriate choice.