capybara Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Wanting very much to say a great big thank you to the Mods. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 And from me too. You do a wonderful job with great skill, patience and good humour. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balletfanp Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 I have nothing but admiration for this Forum - for someone like me who “lost track” of ballet for many years and was keen to catch up again, it has been an enjoyable and rewarding experience to catch up again with the help of this Forum and all the hugely knowledgable people herein. And a huge thank you to the moderators for giving up their time to keep it - in general - a safe and civilised place. Which makes it all the more disappointing to hear that a small minority are giving way to uncivilised behaviour. Not on at all. 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMC Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Unable to add anything more to the comments above but making a quick post to echo 1) general disgust at any abuse given to the moderators and 2) grateful thanks to them all for the time they put in moderating this site, and providing us with all sorts of interesting press links and items we may not have been aware of. I used to work with a very articulate colleague but occasionally words would fail her and she would just exclaim 'for goodness sake' at something which beggared belief which is exactly how I felt when I read Sim's post on the abuse she and her colleagues have received. Similarly it always makes me feel very hot and bothered when I go to AGMs and meetings run totally by volunteers and they get sniped at for the most ridiculous things. So a huge thank you to all the moderators for everything you do. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SPD444 Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 5 hours ago, Sim said: It is with deep disappointment and anger, therefore, to report that we received some very nasty messages and reports over the weekend, impugning us and our ability to run the forum to the standards certain people think aren’t being met. We are always very happy to receive constructive suggestions about how to improve things because, like every other human being, we don’t always get things right, despite our best efforts. However, I can tell you all now, that anyone who writes to us and swears at us, or is excessively nasty, will be immediately suspended or banned from this site. We put up with a lot of things running the forum, but we are NOT prepared to put up with that. If you are angry or unhappy about something, fair enough, but please just put your points to us in a civilised manner and we will respond in kind. Nobody likes a good difference of opinion more than me, I will stand and defend my point of view with anybody but when this becomes a personal attack then its time to call it a day. Thank you Sim and your fellow mods for doing a really rotten job really well. You have, as far as I can see, kept away all the "trolls" whose purpose in life seems to be in ruining other peoples pleasures from the safety of a keyboard. I hope those who did swear and the other things Sim mentions did get a permanent ban. we don't need that. Stuart Dixon 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Just to add my thanks to the Mods too and so sorry to hear of any abuse you may have received. I've seen some of the comments that people can "freely" make on YouTube and on Facebook posts so am grateful for some degree of moderation on this Forum as it has a very good balance about it in my view. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loveclassics Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 Sim, I'm so sorry to hear about the abuse you and the other moderators have received. I know it's pretty commonplace on other parts of the web but I have always thought that Ballet.co was an oasis of civilised debate in a desert of prejudice and ignorance. I'm glad to read so many other messages of support - please don't give up the excellent work that you and colleagues do so that the rest of us can enjoy discussing our interest in ballet. And congratulations to you and your husband on your anniversary. I look forward to seeing you both when I escape from Sussex and get back to the metropolis. Linda 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted February 19, 2018 Share Posted February 19, 2018 2 hours ago, LinMM said: Just to add my thanks to the Mods too and so sorry to hear of any abuse you may have received. I've seen some of the comments that people can "freely" make on YouTube and on Facebook posts so am grateful for some degree of moderation on this Forum as it has a very good balance about it in my view. Yes - in fact I often wonder why online newspapers etc with large paid staff can't moderate their 'comments' sections (and so they often descend into ridiculously abusive, foul-mouthed ranting) when this Forum is so expertly moderated by volunteers. I sometimes cite it to other people as evidence of how a public forum CAN be well run and a force for good. 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAB Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 (edited) 11 hours ago, bridiem said: Yes - in fact I often wonder why online newspapers etc with large paid staff can't moderate their 'comments' sections (and so they often descend into ridiculously abusive, foul-mouthed ranting) when this Forum is so expertly moderated by volunteers. I sometimes cite it to other people as evidence of how a public forum CAN be well run and a force for good. Newspapers do moderate comment sections. I once posted a comment on the Guardian website and it was removed despite the fact it didn't contravene any of their rules. Edited February 20, 2018 by MAB typo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bridiem Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 58 minutes ago, MAB said: Newspapers do moderate comment sections. I once posted a comment on the Guardian website and it was removed despite the fact it didn't contravene any of their rules. Well they clearly do so in a very poor/arbitrary fashion in that case! I've read the most appalling comments that couldn't possibly be considered acceptable by anyone in their right mind. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capybara Posted February 20, 2018 Share Posted February 20, 2018 Posts on the ROH news sites are said to be moderated but there was one occasion when I thought that something unacceptable had slipped through. It was quickly removed after I got in touch. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Posted March 2, 2018 Share Posted March 2, 2018 On 19/02/2018 at 13:50, Sim said: It is with deep disappointment and anger, therefore, to report that we received some very nasty messages and reports over the weekend, impugning us and our ability to run the forum to the standards certain people think aren’t being met. We are always very happy to receive constructive suggestions about how to improve things because, like every other human being, we don’t always get things right, despite our best efforts. Sorry for being late to this. It's appalling when people abuse those who provide a free and friendly service that nobody is forced to use. Until you run a forum you have no idea just how troubled some people can be. I remember way back in my time one of my writers got a serious death threat - it followed much other abuse. And my email still has some redirects that just delete, sight unseen, emails from some abusive addresses. And there was all the crap of checking who was registering for accounts and teasing out the problem folks looking for another way in and many just looking to dump spam all over. It's a big thing looking after a forum and I salute all who do it. And if you really don't like the way it's done then go off and sort out your own forum and run it the way you want to see it done. Don't abuse those who are doing their best, their way and in their time, for a happy and diverse band of ballet lovers. 28 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fonty Posted March 15, 2018 Share Posted March 15, 2018 I read this on the BBC website yesterday, and I think it is brilliant example of how on line communication can result in misunderstanding, and escalate into something completely different as a result.:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-43387879 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon Posted March 17, 2018 Share Posted March 17, 2018 @Fonty thank you for that excellent example of how things can sound on social media. After just reading on another thread that some of our members are considering leaving because of the response to their posts and the general atmosphere lately, your post was well timed. Discussion is good, especially over ballet, but some posts do sound stern or bossy sometimes - probably unintentionally, so perhaps we could all be more aware of what we write and on the flip side of how we react to posts...? 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 Just my own belated thank you to all the Moderators for all they do for us. I know I wouldn't have the patience to sift through everything, and i'm sure i'm not the only one. But being nasty; to Mods or anyone else is just plain wrong. If people don't like adhering to this Forum's rules they are free to leave; allowing the rest of us to enjoy this place. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odyssey Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 On 15/03/2018 at 07:15, Fonty said: I read this on the BBC website yesterday, and I think it is brilliant example of how on line communication can result in misunderstanding, and escalate into something completely different as a result.:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-43387879 Fonty, this is a superb example of the two polar opposite effects of social media - you can reach out and communicate to so many people but the message you wish to share can also be totally misunderstood. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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