Something that has been on my mind a while now is how anonymous our mod accounts really are.
Recent (IMO unjustified) criticism has made me realise that actually I don’t care enough to hide anymore. I’m here because I want it to be a way of finding info, meeting people closer to you than you realised and for getting tips and good practice, NOT for me to have to hide who I am and settle disputes because some of you can’t read the AUP properly .
With that in mind, I’m going to tell you that my other account is pEp. I am from Southern England and I’m starting a new leaf. I will no longer be anonymous, but I will still be a moderator. It won’t affect my decisions as a mod in the slightest, but it might make me think twice about posting other stuff!
I do not expect the other moderators to follow suit - that is their choice. I liked being anonymous for a while, because sometimes you have to make difficult decisions as a mod and it’s nice having that protection.
So, feel free to comment, but bear in mind I haven’t done this to be abused, I’ve done it to see if it will change the attitudes of some posters who believe that having anonymous usernames means there’s some conspiracy theory, and to prove I have nothing to hide.
They won’t. Mods are members of sites too and entitled to an opinion. Yet this is the only forum I frequent where the mods are alter egos of normal posters.
Anonymity was used in the past due to issues that have now (as far as I know) been resolved.As Op Dynamo / pEp has stated above it is personal choice to be anonymous but I too have no problem in people knowing who I am.
I’m Batman.
I am also 10tacphantom and I’m based way down south.
I’m a Mod / Admin and have been for many many many years. It would be next to impossible for me to hide who I am, even if I did go AnonyMod. Besides, I reckon it would be a pain in the bum to keep changing accounts, so I stuck with my original account name. Many of you know who I am, many don’t, if you ask I’d probably tell (depends who you are really…!)
However I understand why some Mods wish to remain anonymous. Its not a conspiracy, its purely to allow Mods to be able to post as and be themselves with their normal username, but provide some separation and moderate without personal feelings, bias, issues, opinions, perceptions, etc there to cloud any moderating decisions and to try to provide a little objectivity. Has it worked? In the most part, probably, however for some reason (and I honestly don’t know why) you guys really seem to have a problem with it now, despite it having been in place for years. OK, so the original intention was always that AnonyMods would only use the account to moderate and for no other reason, and they’d continue to post opinion under their own user account. That perhaps hasn’t been adequately passed on
What’s different between a normal anonymous username (that most of you have, remember) and an anonymous moderator account? My name really isn’t James Blonde, so what would the difference have been if I’d decided to take the name Operation Corporate? Is it purely because all the Mod accounts look similar? Is it because you can’t project your perceptions of users onto the moderator accounts? Is it that you don’t believe that someone can have an opinion that differs from your own and moderate fairly so you want to push that agenda?
But some of the main reasons for these accounts originally being created have gone away or are no longer as concerning. If Mods want to remain anonymous, I’ve got no real issue. If they want to come out, I’m quite happy for them to! I just don’t get why its such a big problem and what you’ll gain by knowing who they are when their usernames are already anonymous?
and I come back to the question - whats the difference between 1 anonymous username and another? All we’ve done here is make it obvious who is a moderator?
You can’t build respect or any form of relationship with someone who appears to be cold and clinical.
Some of the membership have met in person at one or more fests and relationships have been built with the personalities concerned. It is easier to relate to someone when you know them either in person or by a long-standing username and one is more likely to accept moderating decisions based on that.
I don’t normally make a habit of agreeing with armourers but SVS is again right. If a mod can’t mod under his normal username, then he shouldn’t be a mod.
And btw, I’ve noticed my karma is going down faster than a runaway lift…
It’s cause we don’t like you :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: (I’m hoping that’s enough smileys for other people to realise I’m joking!).
I don’t think it was to remove the subjective nature of posting from mods, I was under the impression it was more for personal security from those in power who dislike this site.
Personally, I don’t see what the difference is now anyway. If my mod name was “BillAndBenTheFlowerPotMen”, I would moderate the same way and have the same anonymity as Op Dynamo, and I think everyone would be fine with it?!
Anyway, if Dave reads this please could you moderate up my normal account and I’ll cease and desist using this one.
You’re just peeved that it’s always your posts getting moderated. I think your current Karma is an indication that your posts are being treated as fairly and impartially as they deserve.
You’re just peeved that it’s always your posts getting moderated. [/quote]
Not at all. What I want to see is fair and impartial moderation by normal members using their normal usernames. I stand by my statement that if individuals can’t moderate impartially and fairly using their normal nom de plume then they aren’t suitable to moderate. Every other forum I’ve ever frequented has operated in that manner and people seem to be able to differentiate between the members normal posts and moderation activities.
You’re just peeved that it’s always your posts getting moderated. [/quote]
Not at all. What I want to see is fair and impartial moderation by normal members using their normal usernames. I stand by my statement that if individuals can’t moderate impartially and fairly using their normal nom de plume then they aren’t suitable to moderate. Every other forum I’ve ever frequented has operated in that manner and people seem to be able to differentiate between the members normal posts and moderation activities.[/quote]
Since this forum has transferred over. PEP/Op Dynamo has posted twice as PEP. TWICE. and 47 times as Operation Dynamo. And one of those posts as PEP was to have his post count transferred over. So you can hardly say that he has been using his Operation Dynamo account as a shield to protect himself. So I fail to see your argument. If he had been posting equally as often as either one. Then, maybe I could see your point. But how is one anonymous username different from another? If we all used something real, like our actual names then maybe I could understand your point.
Finally, I also find your dislike for anonymity extremely dubious when your own username is not only anonymous, but is in actual fact a rather crass expression.
^ That and his contribution to both sites hasn’t been a picture of helpfulness and constructive comment has it?
I been knocking around a few years now and have found it helpful and tried to help others. It took a dive a while back when it turned into a pseudo banana eating contest but it’s hopefully turned a corner now. Having said that, this is my username and for all that matters i may have joined just as this site went live so far as people may be concerned. I won’t be using my old username and you can get to love and know me through this medium now. You have never met me before and I certainly don’t want to meet some of the people who frequent this forum. Having said that, i don’t mind talking to you via this forum.
You’ve really built up the respect required of a mod by your previous inflammatory post that at least 2 members reported; as well as the one above. And you’ve been appointed to sit in judgement of the rest of us as a leader of these forums?..
No really, i’m quite annoyed by this. Some people are regularly flouting the AUP. Since he’s talking about me, i’ll leave it up to the others to decide on the way forward.
And by deleting my last post, you’ve proved yourslef to be a complete ■■■■■■■■. I have taken another screenshot of this post and I have the last one as a word document.
You are an absolute disgrace and should be dismissed as a mod immediately.
No one. He told me via PM the other day he thought it was you, so naturally I refused to discuss identity. It could be your similar tone in moderator and regular user accounts, the thread you snipped this from has a great example!
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