The results of our annual Board review were published some time ago but because I was at that time serving a ban, I didn't have the chance to comment. I'd like to take the opportunity to do so now.
I have always had the utmost respect for Brixton and all of his various serving Deputies since he took office as Moderator of our Board. However, I believe that he has let the members down in respect to the process that he instigated a couple of months ago with regards to Forum moderation. I firmly believe now that the whole thing was a sham from start to finish. I smelled a rat early on and highlighted my concerns (a number of others did also) and I was reassured that nothing would be done to change the Forum unless the members gave their express wishes for such changes. We were also given assurances that the principles with which this Board was hitherto run (free speech, due process etc) would not be tinkered with in any form unless another accommodation, such as an off-topic Sub Forum, was established to counteract any tightening up of the rules on the main Board. It was with a great deal of horror that I found out that neither of these conditions were adhered to by the Moderator upon compiling his report and installing his new, draconian measures.
I've lost count in my head the amount of posters who voiced concerns about changing the rules and over-sanitising the Board, on the various threads set up by the Moderation team ostensibly to gauge the opinion of Board members but in reality to provide themselves with a smoke-screen in order to ram through legislation which would give them power beyond which is right and proper on a fans-forum situation such as we have here. Notwithstanding the grievous assault on the democratic principles that we all espouse in this Cyber-Community of ours but the fact that the Moderator (no doubt aided and abetted by his then Deputy NUTS) did all this whilst trying to appear like he was giving us all a choice in the matter, makes the whole thing stink of hypocrisy. Reading all the new rules that had been "agreed" upon, I wondered if our Board would ever be the same again and if perhaps this was the death knell of what had become a vibrant and positively enthralling on-line network of like minded people who thrive on the excitement of passionate discussion and captivating debate.
Gentlemen (and Beth.....and Flyer), I'm afraid we've been sold down the river by those whom we trusted so much. To those of you who mourned at the passing of Baroness Thatcher three weeks ago, fear not. For her legacy lives on right here under your nose and I fear it will not be long before this Community goes the way of so many others that were trampled on by the power lusting Sultans in their quest for total domination.
