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RIME CONFERENCE HOST GUIDE - Revised 09/15/1996
General Rime Conference Host Responsibilities
Check the contents of your conference frequently. If you must
be out of town or unable to access your conference for more than three
days, notify the Conference Administrator so that arrangements can be made
in advance to cover the conference during your absence. You may always
make your own arrangements for coverage but please make sure that the CA
(Conference Administrator) is notified of the name and routing directions
for your substitute.
Make every effort to see that users of the conference keep to
the topics that are the goal of your conference. Help to stimulate
conversation to benefit all users of the conference. Encourage others to
participate in the conference.
Try to insure that over quoting and the use of quote boxes is
kept to a minimum. This helps every sysop on the network, and will make
your conference easier to be in for the users.
Be able to answer general questions about the network and how to
make the most of it. Answer questions regarding the privacy of messages
on the network and how to route messages. Hosts should also keep a
recent copy of the RIME nodelist (RIMEYYMM.ZIP), the RIME users manual
(#RIMEMAN.ZIP) and other network documents so that they may answer
questions that arise about the availability of RIME nodes.
Inform the conference users of the general network rules and
whatever rules are specific for your conference on a regular basis. For
some conferences, this might be once a month, for others it might be
every few weeks. Use your best judgement. If you have many new users
in your conference, even in a quiet conference, you might post the rules
more often to help newer users get accommodated more quickly. In any
posting of the rules, please include the information that users wishing
to engage in discussions on the rules of the network or the conference
must carry out those discussions R/O and routed in the conference, or in
public in Relay Users.
Inform the conference users of whom they should contact in the
event of a problem in the conference. This includes making yourself
visible as the first person to contact in such an event.
Conference hosts set the tone of a conference and they provide
an example of what behavior is expected in the conference. While
conference hosts are free to participate in the conference they
moderate, a conference host should always use his/her best judgement
when doing so. If a conference host is participating in their own
conference, they must distinguish their "user" type messages from their
"official" type messages. A different signature on the message is
usually all that is needed.
Conference host behavior is always under scrutiny by the users
in the conference. As such you should always leave extremely courteous
messages to the users and never use language that could be construed as
attacking or belittling. It is never appropriate for a CH to call a
user stupid, childish, immature, disgusting etc.
What exactly makes a good conference host. To quote Jud Phillips
"When we attorneys evaluate judicial candidates, one of the things we
look for is what we refer to as judicial temperament. Judicial
temperament is one of those intangible qualities that is difficult to
describe. Basically, it's a combination of intelligence, knowledge of
the law, diplomatic skills, tact and grace. IMO, there is a good
parallel between a judgeship and being CH." Amen!
Why Do We Have Rules
(stolen from Dennis McCunney)
"Did you ever think about *why* various RIME rules exist? Every
legal system has some degree of flexibility built into it-- it has to,
to work at all. RIME's rules evolved from experience, and have two
basic purposes: to provide a framework in which a lot of very different
people can mingle and converse with a minimum of friction and conflict,
and to keep the burden on the participating Sysops who provide the
service as reasonable as possible in the process.
Part of the flexibility in RIME's rules comes from the general
nature of the rules: they are more a set of guidelines you can use as a
basin to make judgements than a detailed set of specifications for
exactly what is and is not allowed. The other part of the flexibility
comes from the Conference hosts, who can choose how to respond to rules
infractions.
Jaywalking happens to be illegal in many jurisdictions, for
instance, but how many cops on the beat do you suppose ever actually
write summonses about it? Few, if any--they have better things to do.
So it is with CH's. A user posts a message with a two line signature
that includes a BBS name and number. Am I going to moderate him on that
basis? No--the signature is legal, and the rule about BBS ads is
intended to step on much more glaring offenses, such as full screen ANSI
efforts in conferences that have nothing to do with BBSes. As a CH, I'm
expected to have the wit to recognize the distinction.
Taking a strict "letter of the law" approach, there are all
manner of things that could theoretically get a user moderated. Taking
a "spirit of the law" approach, things become a lot more reasonable.
There is also latitude involved in *how* you enforce rules when you do
deem enforcement needed. I've had good success with a low-key approach:
I send the user a *polite* and friendly note explaining that a rule was
violated, explain why the rule exists, *ask* for compliance, and, if
possible, suggest an alternate form of posting that accomplishes the
same intended end and is legal. I seldom have to ask twice, and I can
count the number of real problems I've had with recalcitrant users since
I've been a Host on the fingers of one hand and have fingers left over."
With this in mind first who's who and then the rules.
The Who's Who of RIME
RIME consists of one governing body: the Administrative Council.
Chief Administrator - Don Barba - 35 MOONDOG
First Administrator - Rex Hankins - 5 IBMNET
Conference Administrator - Garry Baker - 1279 BLAKGOLD
PR Administrator - Bob Sasso - 35 MOONDOG
Statistics Administrator - Roy Wilson - 35 MOONDOG
FTP Manager - Sue Moore - 5012 SVIS
FTSC Administrator - Rick Cowles - 5690 WRITERSBLOCK
You may leave messages in either the COMMON, NetAdmin or the
Conference Hosts conference.
Coordinating the conferences is a big job, and is currently
handled by several people. You should familiarize yourself with who
does what:
Greg Birosh (MOONDOG #35)is the Scouting Coordinator
and is responsible for issuing Scouting Numbers for
proposed conferences. He is the man to see if you want
to start a new conference.
Garry Baker (BLAKGOLD #1279) is the Chief Conference
Administrator (CCA), and is the person who handles
all intra-conference problems. If you are experiencing
some problem in a conference, he is the one to get in
touch with. If it has something to do with a
conference, Garry is the man to ask.
The Official Rules for Conference Problem Solving
1. Steps in Handling Problems in RIME Conference
a. If a problem arises, the Conference Host shall approach the
user in a courteous fashion and ask the user to review the rules of the
conference and/or network and to please abide by them. This initial
message should be R/O, routed, if possible, however, the Conference Host
may elect to address the problem in a general public message in the
conference. Conference Hosts should maintain archival copies of ALL
moderation related messages (Both TO and FROM the participant) for
possible future review.
Depending on the severity of the matter and how quickly the problem
develops, it may be appropriate to notify the Conference Administrator
of RIME of the impending problem so that he/she may be abreast of the
situation and follow the contents of your conference. Keep in mind that
some BBS software may not allow the receiving of a private routed
message, and that turn-around time of messages may be as long as 3 days.
This is not considered a formal warning. (This is a head's up.)
b. If the problem continues, the next step is to issue a formal
warning to the user or users involved and to contact the SysOp of the
board from where the user's messages are originating and respectfully
ask for their cooperation and aid in handling the problem.
If you are thinking of issuing a final warning, ask for direct
intervention by the Chief Conference Administrator to help bring
the problem situation to closure if at all possible.
No final warning can be issued that is not approved, at least, minimally
by the Chief Conference Administrator.
c. If your formal warning and the intervention of the Sysop and
the CCA has not reversed the situation, the final step is to consult the
CCA for permission and guidance on the right to suspend and the length
of that suspension. Please include at least one message, if not a few,
that demonstrate why you feel there is a need for suspension of the user.
In most instances, step 1 is sufficient to handle most user problems.
d. Conference Hosts serve at the discretion of the CCA and AC and
are subject to the same rules of decorum and conduct as all other users.
e. All node Sysops are expected to adhere to the highest standards
of decorum and courtesy in their conference usage and participation. Of
course, all node Sysops are subject to AC accountability.
2. Disciplinary Action. Any suspensions must be with the approval of the<68>
CCA. Removal from the network must have the approval of the CCA and SC.<2E>
a. First offense. The user may be warned informally or formally.
Formal warnings are to be brought to the attention of the CCA. A formal
warning requires that you also notify the sysop of the board that the
user usually uses to leave messages.
b. Continued offense following a formal warning. The user is
subject to removal from the conference(s) for a minimum of ten days. If
the offense is considered serious enough, the user may be removed from
the conference for 30 days. A user who has been removed for 30 days for
a first offense is considered on probation upon his/her return to the
conference (see below).
A user who has been suspended from a conference, for any period of time,
and seeks to circumvent that moderation by returning to that conference
prematurely, either by using an alias or a different board, will be
immediately suspended for 6 months.
c. Second offense. The user should be issued a warning that he is
continuing to be in violation of the rules despite his previous
suspension and that he faces an immediate 30 day suspension for the next
rule violation. If the user continues, at the discretion of the CH, the
user is subjected to immediate removal from the conference. The CH must
then immediately notify the CCA, and the sysop involved, that the user
has been suspended for a second time.
At the discretion of the AC the user may at that time also be removed
from the network, if appropriate, for a minimum of thirty days.
After a 30-day suspension, whether for a second offense or a severe
first offense, has been served, that user is on probation for 90
additional days.
During those 90 days, any further messages which would result in a
formal warning is sufficient cause for a 6 month suspension from that
conference. A formal warning does not have to be issued prior to a 6
month suspension.
However, because of the serious nature of a 6 month suspension, a
single minor infraction should be brought to the users attention
immediately and the user should be warned that he is on probation and
facing a 6 month suspension if he does not alter his message style
immediately. However, if the user does not immediately respond in a
positive direction, no other warnings will be issued and the user will
be suspended for 6 months immediately upon another rule infraction.
d. Continuing offenses. The user is subject to removal from the
conference(s), or the network, if appropriate, permanently or until the
AC declares otherwise.
e. Appeals can be made R/O to Garry Baker (#1279) in the COMMON
Conference, (see above) or in either public or private in the
USERS conference. Suspensions from the network cannot be appealed.
Suspensions from the USERS conference cannot be appealed.
f. Sysops always have the discretion to remove their own users at
any time.
3. Emergency measures:
a. A CH in a conference where there has been flagrant disregard of
all rules of common sense to the point of conference disruption, may
suspend a participant in the conference immediately for a period of 10
days.
b. Upon suspension the CH must immediately notify the sysop of the
board that the message originated from and the following person:
Garry Baker - Chief Conference Administrator (->1279)
c. Immediate suspension is considered a grave event and should not
be undertaken lightly.
Applying the Rules
What to Moderate:
HIT AND RUN: (Quick posting of inappropriate or off-topic
message, such as a "for sale" message, by a person who does not
normally frequent the conference). For a Hit and Run type message
consider advising other hosts in HOST Conference.
PYRAMID SCHEMES: Since pyramid schemes are always illegal, they
should be moderated immediately. Consider advising other hosts in
the HOST conference, and notify the AC so they can issue a public
retraction in RIMENEWS.
INAPPROPRIATE TAGLINES: Moderating taglines can be difficult,
as many users have their readers randomly cycle through taglines.
If a tagline violates the rules of RIME, such as the use of
profanity or a personal attack, do not hesitate to moderate,
otherwise ignore taglines. Personalized taglines are therefore
not to moderated unless they do not stay within the rules of the
network.
INAPPROPRIATE SIGNATURES: Signatures that take up too many
lines or that are in ANSI should be moderated. Otherwise,
ignore signatures.
OVERQUOTING: While we recommend quoting of no more than 20%, use
your judgement. Sometimes it makes sense to quote more of a
message. However, it is extremely rare to need to quote a whole
message and even rarer to need to quote the signature and tagline
areas. Try to help users bring down the amount they quote by
setting an example, and by gentle reminders about the quoting rules.
OFF-TOPIC MESSAGES BY A NEW USER: New users may be confused by the
title of the conference. Offer new or confused users helpful
suggestions and inform them of the real purpose of the conference
with encouragement to continue.
SIDE CONVERSATIONS: Old hands in a conference may wander off the
topic of the conference. Help them get back on track lest the whole
conference move off topic along with them.
FORSALE AND BBS ADS: If your conference allows forsale ads,
let the conference users know this often. Otherwise, moderate any
forsale BBS ads left in your conference.
ILLEGAL ACTIVITY: Messages that promote illegal activity should
ALWAYS be moderated quickly and in public. Promotion of illegal
activity may qualify for an immediate suspension under the emergency
suspension rules. You must immediately inform the CA and the AC of
any message activity in your conference that deals with promotion of
illegal activity.
BAD LANGUAGE: Message that contain obscene, profane or vulgar
language must be moderated. Symbols that replace some of the
letters do not change a profane word into an acceptable word. If
you are moderating in public, do not quote the bad language back to
the user. If a user is quoting a respected source, such as a book or
a newspaper, and needs to maintain the integrity of the quote, some
leeway may be permitted here and symbols may be used to replace most
of the letters of a word that would normally be considered profane.
This is not supported for one user simply quoting another user in
the same conference!
PERSONAL ATTACKS: Always moderate personal attacks. Any person to
person attack is considered moderatable on this network. Do not,
however, EVER moderate ideas, only personal attacks.
What Not to Moderate:
THE TRUTH PATROL: Conference hosts are not the keeper of truth and
final judge of fact. We ask our CH's to refrain from making
judgements or offering official opinions on the ideas expressed in
messages.
TAGLINES: Do not moderate taglines or signatures unless they
specifically break a network rule. In general, ignore them. This
includes not encouraging discussions of taglines unless you are in
the Taglines conference.
ENGLISH AND GRAMMAR: We do not moderate folks on their sentence
structure, their spelling or their grammar. Do not correct folks as
if you were their personal english teacher.
OTHER FOLKS CONFERENCES: Do not moderate in other conferences
simply because you are a moderator. If you have discovered an
unmoderated conference, let our Chief Conference Administrator
know and volunteer to cover the conference temporarily. But
don't barge into other folk's territory, carrying your
six-shooter. You'd resent it, and so will they.
THE HELPFUL USER: Sometimes when a conference gets heated, a user
will take it upon himself/herself to tell others, in an obviously
friendly spirit, "hey guys...lighten up". Do not stomp down on that
user. Send them a friendly, private, routed message, thanking them
for their help and pointing out to them that you are on top of the
situation and that sometimes users get confused when too many folks
try to help get situations cooled down. If someone does this more
than once, perhaps you might suggest that they would like to be a
conference host themselves and send them to the Conference
Administrator. If someone does it chronically, then you might think
about moderation messages.
The Software and Private, Routed Messages:
To send a private, routed message you must know either the site
number or the IDCODE of the board you wish to reach. The IDCODE, which
is a group of up to 12 letters including some numbers, appears
immediately after the words POSTLINK version number in every tagline.
The site number then immediately follows the IDCODE and is preceded by
the # symbol. The # symbol is NOT part of the site number. You should
ignore it, it is just a signal that the site number follows directly.
Here is a typical tagline:
* Collector's EDITION, Dallas, TX (214)351-9859/9871 14.4 <ASP> *
PostLink(tm) v1.04 EDITION (#79) : RelayNet(tm)
/^^^^^^^ ^^ \
/ \
/ \
This is the IDCODE This is the Site Number
EDITION 79
As you can see, the information you need in order to route
appears after the word "Postlink(tm) vX.XX in the tagline area. The
IDCODE immediately follows the Postlink version number and the SITE
number is preceded by the # symbol. Do NOT use the # symbol in your
routing information.
The symbol for routing is -> This is a hyphen immediately
followed by a greater than symbol or arrow pointing to the right. This
routing symbol must then be immediately followed by the site number or
the IDCODE. You do not need both the IDCODE and the site number.
This routing symbol must be placed in the extreme upper left
hand corner of the message, on the very first line. Do not start the
text of your message immediately after your routing symbol. Skip a line
or at least a few spaces before you start the body of your message. If
you were trying to reach me, it would look like one of these:
Either
->BLAKGOLD
or
->1279
You should send all moderation messages with a return receipt so
that you will know that the message actually arrived on the BBS and when
it arrived. To receive a "return receipt", place a backward routing
symbol <- immediately after the site number or the IDCODE. It might
look like this:
->1279<-
You may route a message to more than one site at the same time
by stacking the site number or IDCODE on the routing line, each route
separate by a space. This is called MULTICASTING. You may mix site
numbers and IDCODES and you may mix upper and lower cases for the
IDCODES. The IDCODE does not need to be in upper case. You should also
request a return receipts when multicasting, but realize you will
receive a return receipt from every system you have on your routing
line.
Here is an example of a multicasted message asking for a return
receipt:
->LOCKSOFT 547 modemzone 1121 687 3 1421 Earthzone<-
Network Sysop Messages:
A network sysop message is a specialized message. While the
message is addressed to NETWORK SYSOP at its point of origin, on import
the TO: field is changed to the individual sysop's name. You can not
identify a network sysop message versus a message where the individual
sysops name was actually entered in the TO: field as they look exactly
alike.
You should use NETWORK SYSOP messages when you are sending a
message to the sysop about some moderation and you do not know the name
of that sysop. You MUST route the message to the individual board where
you are trying to reach the sysop.
For moderation information to the sysop send the network sysop
message ROUTED to that particular board and the message will be
delivered only to that board. Use the COMMON conference for these
messages.
****If a board does NOT have a Postlink site number, messages may not
be routed to that board. In this event, contact the CCA for information
on the Sysop of the board and instructions on how to proceed.*******
When and How to Moderate:
Timing:
They say timing is everything. That is true for the conference
host as well. Do you let a situation go on, hoping it will just go away
or do you step in immediately to head it off before it is even clear it
is going to get out of hand? Depends on your conference. In a
technical conference, off-topic messages might be moderated more slowly
than they might be in the debate conference.
If you moderate every off topic message you will get a
reputation of being inflexible and a bully. If you never moderate
anything, particularly in an issues-oriented conference, your conference
might degenerate into nothing more than a slugfest. Imagine that all
users are interested in cooperating and tend to moderate themselves.
There are, of course, exceptions.
If you have had problems with a user, you must be extra careful
that you do not jump on them immediately simply because the user has
caused trouble before. Users do change.
Types of Messages:
Reminders:
A reminder is a gentle message. It reminds users that they are
wandering into breaking the rules territory. Like the head's up message
it is informational in content. Usually this is most effective for
those times when an experienced user has wandered off the topic of the
conference, when it is clear that a message destined for another
conference has inadvertently ended up in the wrong place, or a routed
message has gone unrouted. A reminder is a message that is not meant to
make a big deal about an infraction. Do not use reminder type messages
for blatant rules violations.
OOPS, Bob, your for sale ad for your 286 arrived today in
the DEBATE conference. It looks like you got lost when you sent
that message!
Joe, you're really drifting off here. Let's get back to
widgets, okay?
Head's Up Messages:
A head's up message is still informational in content. It
points out to the user that he has broken some rule, advises him of the
rule and is meant to help him get back on track. It is intended to
advise the user without making a big deal about what is going on.
A head's up message differs from a reminder in that it now takes
on the air of something official. It assumes that the user is on a path
to suspension and is an attempt to push the user off that path.
Send the user a friendly, head's up type message, pointing out
what the user is doing and invite him /her to join in a more appropriate
manner. Make sure the message is sent routed and private. Send the
message with a return, receipt requested.
Hi Joe, your discussion of widgets is quite interesting however
it is off topic for this conference which tries to focus more on
wachamacalleys. RIME does has a widget conference and you might
think about moving this particular thread over there or perhaps
join us in the discussion of wachamacalleys and their uses in
snizzling as you made some good points about that topic before
and I know I would be interested in hearing more about that.
Thanks.
Hi Bob, your message advertising your old 286 for sale is
considered off-topic in this conference. RIME has a very
active for-sale conferences and that would be the best place
for you to try and sell your equipment. Thanks.
Hi Tom, the discussion of abortion is off-topic in the debate
conference now. We have a conference devoted strictly to that
topic and if you are interested in continuing the discussion
about abortion, why not ask your sysop to pick up the abortion
conference where this discussion would be most welcome. It is
RIME number #411
If a user is engaged in personal attacks, this should be
moderated more quickly, before it has the potential to degenerate into a
round of name calling on everyone's part. Remember that a user who
responds to an attack with an attack should also be moderated. Saying
someone else started it is never an excuse for bad conference behavior.
Hi Joe, your message to Andrew which told Andrew that he was an
idiot is considered a personal attack on this network. We do
not allow personal attacks. We try to stick to the contents of
messages in this conference and we avoid making personal
comments about the writer of the message. Thanks for your
cooperation.
Hi Andrew, it seems you were upset about Joe's message which
called you an idiot, however, it is against the rules of this
network to respond to what is perceived as an attack with an
attack. Please do not call Joe, or anyone else, a jerk. Thanks
for your cooperation.
Obscene language must be moderated quickly as well. The
question of what is obscene seems to arise more in the issue oriented
conferences. Be clear. No four letter words either spelled out
directly or with symbols replacing letters. Nothing that you couldn't
say to your preacher/teacher or grandmother. No racial, religious or
sexual smears. Suggest alternatives to the user but do not quote the
offensive word or words.
Larry, we do not allow that kind of language on this network,
even if you star out some of the letters. Please do not use
this kind of language again. How about using the word "junk"
instead, it will keep all of us out of trouble, as the laws for
obscene language varies in the countries and states that
RIME goes to. Thanks.
All of the above are what are called head's up messages. They
are the first message you might send to a user. They are all examples
of messages that you might send if you have time and the conference
isn't degenerating around you. They are all polite and direct. They
state the offense, they state why it is an offense and they suggest a
remedy. None of them are confrontational and they all assume that the
user will respond in a positive direction.
How Many Head's Up Messages?:
If the problem in your conference is minor, respond with simple
head's up messages. Don't bring your baseball bat to swat a fly. If
the user continues, be sure that the user understood your message. If
you think that he might not have, send him another head's up message,
don't escalate to a formal warning.
Remember mail delay. Perhaps your message to the user arrived
after the user sent out his mail. Don't overreact. Your goal is to
help the user stay in the conference, not purge the conference of all
users.
Hi Bob. I see you are real interested in selling that old 286
of yours, but this is the debate conference and we don't allow
any for-sale ads in this conference. Please move your ad over
to the FOR SALE conference where it is appropriate. It is not
appropriate in this conference. If your BBS doesn't carry that
conference let me know and I will suggest some other boards in
your area. Or perhaps you could ask the sysop to pick it up for
you for awhile. Am most happy to help you out here, but we
really can't allow ads in this conference. Thanks.
Moving to Formal Warnings:
A formal warning is a more serious message. It means your
initial contact with the user has failed and the user has chosen to
ignore you. Do not issue a formal warning the same day that you issue a
head's up message. Do not issue a formal warning the next day after you
issue a head's up message. Remember that there is a turn around time to
your messages.
Because you sent your head's up message with a return receipt
you know when the message reached the board but that may not coincide
with when the user actually read the message. The user may have placed
more messages into the conference, at the same time he/she was
downloading your head's up message.
Always give the user the benefit of the doubt.
Who to Notify:
Formal warnings require that you notify the CCA (Garry Baker) and
the sysop of the board the user is accessing. You may decide to notify
the sysop when you send a user a head's up type message. That is fine.
But you MUST notify the sysop when you send a formal warning.
Consider the sysop your best friend. If a suspension is
necessary we will all need the cooperation of the sysop. Most sysops do
not want to have their board associated with users who have difficulty
following rules. Send the sysop a private, routed message, return
receipt, in the COMMON conference. All sysops should be reading the
COMMON conference for at least their own mail.
The Sysop is Gone:
Don't be dismayed if the sysop doesn't respond to you. Perhaps
the sysop just nodded his/her head in agreement and stored the
information away. Maybe the sysop is on vacation. However, if you
receive no response from the sysop, let the CCA know that you have
notified the sysop and that you have not yet received a response. This
is a head's up message to the CCA.
Maybe the sysop disagrees with your assessment of the situation.
That is the sysop's prerogative at this point as no suspension has been
formally issued yet. Maybe the sysop can provide you with information
that would help you make a decision about needing a suspension. Perhaps
you and the sysop can discuss your differences in either ADMIN or HOSTS.
That would help clarify the situation for both of you.
The Formal Warning:
A formal warning leaves no doubt that you mean business. Make
sure any formal warning you issue advises the user as to which rule was
broken, and that failure to comply with the formal warning will result
in a suspension. Once you issue a formal warning, you may not go back
and issue any more head's up messages. The next message after a formal
warning is a suspension - Period. Make sure that the user knows that
this is the last step before a suspension.
A formal warning requires that you notify the CCA and the AC as
well as the sysop. A formal warning is the last dialogue you have with
a user, on that infraction, before a suspension is issued. Do not issue
several formal warnings to the same user for the same offense. It makes
you look weak and ineffective.
Formal warnings are sent routed, r/o with a return receipt
requested whenever possible. Once you are at this stage, you should
make sure that you have copies of the messages that have presented a
problem in the conference. You may have to present those messages
in public in the USERS conference if the user issues a formal
protest to the final warning message or a subsequent suspension.
Bob, this is a formal warning. You have posted a number of
messages over the last 2 week trying to sell your 286 in this
conference. I have asked you to move your ad to the FOR SALE
conference. You have not done so in spite of my reminders. This
is against the rules of this network. The rule clearly states
"No for-sale advertisements are permitted in any conference
except the For Sale conference." You must immediately stop
posting your ad in this conference or face a 10 day suspension.
Your sysop, and the CCA have been notified. If you feel that
this is not a valid warning, you may discuss that in the USERS
conference only. Thank you.
Andrew, this is a formal warning. You have now continued your
harassment of Joe in spite of my asking you to cease. You
cannot attack folks on this network as it is against the rules
of this network. The rule clearly states " Do not abuse RIME
users in any conference(s) by sending foul or insulting
messages. No abuse of other users is allowed on the basis of
character, physical characteristics, religion, gender, sexual
orientation, intelligence quotient, or ethnicity. Messages that
are harassing or bullying are not allowed." You must
immediately stop referring to Joe as a first class jerk, or any
other derogatory term or you will face a 10 day suspension from
this conference. Please be advised that your sysop and the CCA
has been advised of this warning notice to you. If you feel
that this is not a valid warning, you may discuss that in the
USERS conference only. Thank you.
User Response to a Warning:
Hopefully the formal warning will do the trick, and the user
will calm down, or at least cease their messaging that has created the
problem. If that happens, that should close the chapter on the incident
and no more need be done.
In the time that it takes for the message to reach the user and
the user to decide his response, you should be in a dialogue with the CCA.
He will review the messaging and grant you permission to suspend if that
is deemed appropriate. If the infraction is more minor a 10 day suspension
will be approved. If the infraction is more major a 30 day suspension
will be approved.
A 30 days suspension is considered a grave event on this network
and results in a period of probation for the user when he returns to the
conference. Do not tell any user that they will be suspended for 30
days unless you have approval on a suspension of that duration.
Do not needle users who have been formally warned but are trying
to stay within the guidelines of the network. When the user responds to
a formal warning in a positive direction, consider it an accomplishment
of your ability to dialogue and drop the issue. If your formal warning
is meet by resistance, and the user goes ballistic on you, you must
immediately suspend. Do not delay on this at all. You have been given
final approval on a suspension and you should issue it, quickly and
decisively. Notify the sysop that the user has been suspended by a
routed, r/o, return receipt message in COMMON. Also immediately notify
the CCA of your actions and copy the message to him.
Suspensions:
A suspension is seen as a failure not as a success. It means
that the communication has broken down and that the user either cannot
or will not abide by the rules of the network. In your suspension
message you must inform the user of his appeal rights and how to
exercise them.
Bob, I am suspending you from the conference for 10 days. You
continued to post your ad for your 286 in this conference, even
following my formal warning to you. I have notified your sysop
to remove your access from this conference until March 27, 1996.
If you return to this conference, and post any ads, you will be
suspended, without another formal warning, for a period of 30
days. If you feel that this has not been handled correctly, we
may continue to talk about it in the USERS conference by public
mail, or you may appeal this decision, with the
CCA, as a public issue in that conference.
Andrew, I am suspending you from this conference for 30 days.
Your suspension has been approved for 30 days because you
responded to my formal warning about personal attacks by
escalating your public attacks, attacking not only John, but now
me, in those 22 public messages you left. I have notified your
sysop to remove your access to this conference until April 17,
1996. Upon your return to this conference you will be on
probation for 90 days. If you break any network rule during
those 90 days you will be suspended from this conference,
without a formal warning, for 6 months. Please review the
guidelines for probation in the RIME Users Manual. If you feel
that this has not been handled correctly, we may continue to
talk about it in the USERS conference or you may appeal this
decision, with the CCA, as a public issue in that conference.
Please be advised that the CCA has already given formal approval
for this 30 day suspension.
All sysops should be aware that a suspension means that the user
has lost all access to that conference. When a user is suspended we
expect, and demand, total cooperation from the sysop of the board that
the user was accessing. We do not wish to have suspended users
gathering up messages and responding to them, returning to the
conference after the suspension is served, and dropping down many
replies to what could then be stale topics.
A suspension is a time for the user to cool down and to reflect
on his wish to continue to access the conference or not. We cannot
imagine that every user wants to be on this network in our conferences.
Some users would prefer ruleless networks and that is fine. However, if
a user desires to continue in this network, in our conferences, that
user must agree to abide by our rules. A suspension allows the user the
time to contemplate his/her options. It also allows the conference time
to recover from whatever effects the rule-breaking user caused in the
conference.
The only way to accomplish those two objectives is for the user
to lose both reading and writing access to the conference. No suspended
user may leave mail in a conference they have been suspended from.
If a sysop does not cooperate with a suspension, the conference
host has no further responsibility for the continued presence of the
suspended user. The conference host should immediately notify the
Chief Conference Administrator that a sysop has not removed the user
from the conference as per the suspension. The administration will
take the matter from there.
Probation:
When a user is on probation, special rules apply. If a user
returns from a 30 day suspension and continues along the same
destructive pathway, you do not have to issue a formal warning. You may
immediately issue a 6 month suspension from that conference.
Andrew, you are currently on probation following a 30 days
suspension, and in spite of that you have left 3 messages today
calling Joe a stupid idiot and an uninformed geek. As such you
are hereby suspended from this conference for 6 months. I have
notified your sysop to remove your access to this conference
until September 28, 1996. Upon your return to this conference
you will be on probation again for 90 days. If you break any
network rule during those 90 days you will be suspended from
this conference, and possibly this network, permanently and no
formal warning will be issued. This is a very serious matter
and I wish it had turned out differently. However, we cannot
tolerate personal attacks in this conference. If you feel that
this has not been handled correctly, we may continue to talk
about it in the USERS conference or you may appeal this decision
with the CCA, as an issue in that conference.
Because this is so serious, try to ignore very minor rule
infractions. Think of sending a friendly head's up message about
something that is very minor. Remind the user he is on probation and
that you are trying to work with him. However, do not send message
after message to the user. One minor infraction is all you should
tolerate. After that, think 6 month suspension.
The Raging Bull:
Some users like to argue. They don't mind being moderated,
warned or suspended. In fact they rather like it. If you have followed
the guidelines presented above, the user returns and is in fact, worse
than before, you next step is to let the CCA know, for a possible network
suspension. A network suspension is not appealable. It is done by the
CCA only. Never threaten any user with a network wide suspension.
The Emergency Suspension:
If there has been flagrant disregard of all rules of common
sense to the point of conference disruption, you may suspend a
participant for a period of 10 days. This is considered a grave event
and should not be undertaken lightly. Don't claim an emergency
suspension for a user who is simply arguing with you or being a general
pain in the neck. Reserve this for the user who is so off the wall that
there is no time for discussion, head's up messages, warnings and the
usual delays.
If you issue an emergency suspension you must also notify the
CCA and the sysop immediately.
Due Process:
We do not guarantee due process, however, we do offer to discuss
all decisions that CH's have made. While the CCA must approve all
suspensions, usually that is done with just a cursory investigation. If
a user appeals the suspension, the CCA will attempt a more thorough
investigation. If the CCA discovers during that investigation, that the
suspension was uncalled for, or handled improperly, the CCA will reverse
the suspension and "wipe it off the books."
If in the middle of a moderation cycle you realize that you have
made an error, correct it. Consider apologizing to the user for your
error. Never be afraid to admit an error. This is not a sign of
weakness, it is a sign of humanness!
How to Be a Great Conference Host
The most important attributes of a good conference host are to
be open, warm, friendly and interested. You don't have to be an expert
to moderate a conference, you just need a passing knowledge of the
conference topic, some goals in place for how you would like it to run
and a willingness to get it to that place.
Set a good example: In moderating a conference, you are the
example that all others will follow. You cannot moderate someone on
something you yourself are doing. If you try to moderate someone for
something you have done, the users will not respect you.
Be Fair: If you don't like a particular user that is fine. Just
don't let it show. If your opinion on an issue is different than
another user, don't moderate that user for his/her opinion. We don't
moderate on ideas, we moderate on rule violations. Be extra sure in
your own mind that a user has broken a rule if you don't like that user.
Admit faults: If you don't' know something, say so. No one
knows everything. If you have made an error, admit it in a friendly
manner. If you want a user to back down graciously, you must be able to
back down graciously as well.
Be helpful: You are the person everyone looks to for help
whether it on the network rules, how to effectively use the software, or
what is allowed in the conference. Make your presence known and make it
known that you are there, not as a police person, but as a guide and a
leader. Don't pick out favorite users and ignore everyone else.
Act quickly and decisively: If your conference begins to take a
turn for the worse, don't let it continue. Perhaps this is the time for
public moderation. Or simple restating of the rules. Or trying to get
a new discussion going. There are many techniques available but once
you start, follow through. If you need to moderate in public, do it but
don't waffle.
Be clear when you are acting as the Conference host: If you are
participating in your own conference, find a way to separate your
participatory messages from your official messages. Perhaps a signature
line that designates an official message from an unofficial message, or
start an official message with an announcement that this is an official
message from the CH.
Watch your own taglines: When you are sending official messages
to a user, make sure that your own tagline does not offend that user in
any way. As CH you are held to a higher standard and what might be an
innocent tagline, could be seen by the user as if you were waving a red
flag in front of a bull. Conference hosts should take special care to
insure that their taglines are not personal and not abusive; either
directly or when taken in the context of the message.
Periodically post the rules of your conference: One way to let
users know you are there, is to periodically post the rules of your
conference. You don't need to post all the rules of the network, over
and over. Gentle reminders of more important rules coupled with telling
users where they can obtain a complete set of rules and goals of the
network usually suffice. An example of a one message set of rules might
be:
Periodic Posting of RIME BBS Issues Conference Information
(Last Updated: 1 March 1996)
-----------------------------------------------------------
- Welcome to the BBS Issues Conference, a RIME conference echoed
worldwide. Our RIME channel number is #242. Here's our "charter",
the conference description as you'll find it in RIMECONF.ZIP, the
official RIME conference list:
DESCRIPTION: Discussion of issues and opinions relevant to
the operation of Bulletin Board Systems (BBS), designed
specifically to allow BBS callers and sysops to discuss issues
of common interest. Any thread relating to the operation of a
BBS or to how callers interact with a BBS is open in this
conference. The conference is NOT limited to RIME-related
issues.
- The first "rule" is to have fun talking about BBS Issues...
this should be the easiest rule to follow.
- This conference follows all rules specified in the RIME Bylaws and
RIME Conference Rules, both of which should be available at the
RIME node where you're reading this. Ask your sysop for more
information, and for copies of those files.
- There is one "rule of reason" which is insisted upon here. Put
simply, it is "DEBATE IDEAS, DON'T ATTACK PEOPLE". You're
welcome to call an idea stupid, as long as you take care not to
call the person advocating the idea stupid. The former may get
you an argument from other conference members, while the latter
will certainly earn you a "moderation" message.
- If all is going well, you'll see no public "moderation" messages from
me. RIME has a wonderful routed mail facility, which I prefer
to use to send "moderation" messages. Public "moderation" will
only be used when a topic has gone out of control, when group
moderation is needed, or in even more unusual cases.
- Please DON'T compound someone else's mistake by replying to it,
publicly re-quoting it, publicly asking what I'm doing about it,
or taking moderation into your own hands. It's likely that I'll
have already handled the problem privately.
- If you wish to discuss a moderation message, you have two
options under RIME rules. You can write me back in this
conference -- but it must be ROUTED to site CLIPHEAVEN2 (#896)
-- or you can write a public or routed message in the RIME
Users conference to me and/or to COUNCIL. Please consult the
RIME conference rules for more information on the latter option.
- This message will be posted as needed... at least once a
month.
Have fun, and thanks for joining us!
When You Need to Resign:
When you are burned out, or you have other commitments, please
let us know, don't just stop appearing in the conference. Give us some
warning if you can. Notify the Conference Administrator that you will
no longer be able to host your conference. If you have noticed some
users who you think might make good replacements, let the Conference
Administrator know their names.
Consider talking with the users of your conference about your
departure and perhaps explain to them why you are leaving. Nothing stops
rumors as quickly as the truth!
How To Revive a Dead Conference:
Sometimes, no matter how interesting the topic, a conference
goes through a slow period. The truth of the matter is that messages
beget messages. If your conference begins to slow down and it looks
like it will die on the vine, that is the time that your ingenuity will
be put most to the test.
Start an interesting discussion and encourage discussion: Either
pick out a few users who you think you can engage and talk with them.
Or introduce a new topic. Don't complain about lack of participation,
simply increase your own activity. In a technical conference, search
out some new information on your product and "announce" it. Discuss
some obscure features or bugs. Enlist a friendly soul to get into a
discussion with you and keep it going.
Advertise your conference: COMMON is a good place to watch the
messages and if you see something that pertains to your conference
respond to that user and invite him into your conference. Invite sysops
to pick up your conference. Mention topics that are currently being
discussed in your conference.
Broaden your topic: Be careful here. Do not intrude on topics
that are usually discussed in other conferences. However if you are in
a widget conference, you can discuss not only the manufacture of widgets
but perhaps the use of widgets, the evolution of widgets through the
years, why widgets are so expensive, and then, how thingamabobs work
with widgets (after noticing there is no thingamabob conference).
The Last Word:
How well your conference runs will depend on many factors, some
of which you can control and some of which you have no control over.
While your conference is in part a reflection of your abilities as a
conference host, it is also a reflection of the community of users who
access this network. Don't feel responsible for everything.
The most important thing to achieve from moderating a conference
is pleasure, for yourself and for the participants of the conference. So
most of all - enjoy!
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