Current Events Forum Closure Discussion

[GregGilman]

While I see lots of people trying to blame the participants of the CE forum for it's closure, I think this misses the point. The real reason the forum was closed was because of limitations with the DCP moderator program.

I've managed large, volunteer-driving online communities for the better part of 10 years for both AOL and Apple. The key to success are well-considered community guidelines and a strong moderator training program. Sadly, I've not seen this happen here on DCP, especially in the training department.

Let's remember the problem with the CE forum wasn't the posts. It was the moderators constant struggle with managing those posts -- something that should've been easy (what clear guidelines and good training are all about). Until the DCP moderator community recognizes their own problems and takes major steps to improve themselves, especially with guidelines and training, the growth of this web site will be stunted.

Too bad.

See you coming here a lot less often,

- Greg

[GGarrett]

Well, now the liberals and the conservatives will all have to go out and blame a corps low score on the Bush administration and the bad financial state of corps on Nancy Pelosi out in the Div. 1 forum.

[Mordomer]

I guess you're assuming that I felt that all the whiners were on one side? Nope. And as far as protecting your cows - well it's one thing to argue and backup your point it's quite another to go off and whine to the mods. So my totally uninformed , as always, opinion is that a few very vocal whiners could have made this place too much of a headache to be worth it.

I'm not enjoying how much I have had to agree with you lately ^0^ I have never hit the report button while I have been here, and to the best of my knowledge, it hasnt been hit at me.

[octavia9299]

abgiles totally nailed it.

DCP CE was somewhere I wanted to go because ...you rode a bus. I rode a bus. You rehearsed in the heat. I rehearsed in the heat. You knew what it was like to perform, win, lose, love, hate, etc. and so on.

From that common ground it was easier to try to crack the code of where people were coming from in their opinions. I'm going to miss that, a lot.

I think an attempt to make another board somewhere else won't be the same because it won't be a nexus for drum corps people. no new blood entering.

I just took DCPCE off my bookmarks bar. sad. Going to have to get over the twitch of wanting to click on it.

[Toby]

For once out of a scant few times in my time here, I find myself in 1,000% agreement with Syd.

My heartfelt thanks and appreciation goes out to all those "whiners" out there who finally blew it for the rest of us.

You're welcome. :)

[Toby]

While I see lots of people trying to blame the participants of the CE forum for it's closure, I think this misses the point. The real reason the forum was closed was because of limitations with the DCP moderator program.

I've managed large, volunteer-driving online communities for the better part of 10 years for both AOL and Apple. The key to success are well-considered community guidelines and a strong moderator training program. Sadly, I've not seen this happen here on DCP, especially in the training department.

Let's remember the problem with the CE forum wasn't the posts. It was the moderators constant struggle with managing those posts -- something that should've been easy (what clear guidelines and good training are all about). Until the DCP moderator community recognizes their own problems and takes major steps to improve themselves, especially with guidelines and training, the growth of this web site will be stunted.

Too bad.

See you coming here a lot less often,

- Greg

It's not like there was a lack of volunteers to help moderate from both sides (which I had hoped would happen). It didn't help that officially, having only 2 people to moderate 4 boards in the off topic section does not help, especially in a highly volatile board such as Current Events.

Self-moderation: not the best idea. Moderation from both sides: possibly great idea.

[Tank]

While I see lots of people trying to blame the participants of the CE forum for it's closure, I think this misses the point. The real reason the forum was closed was because of limitations with the DCP moderator program.

Given the policy of the CE forum, I think it would be a fair guess to say the demise of the CE forum has NOTHING to do with the limitations of the mod program.

[kusankusho]

I tend to agree with you. I have been toying with both sides of this all morning before weighing in with my opinion.

On the one hand, I do see it as weak that DCP has chosen to close the forum, albeit the owners' choice to do so.

But, the bigger part of me does feel a bit of freedom at this closure. CE was the biggest reason I came here umpteen times a day. Although I enjoyed the part of it that challenged my thinking and caused me to really look at my viewpoints. But, in the end, I think I will enjoy using all of that time in a more worthwhile manner. I can talk to my CE buds in other places and stay in contact with them in other ways.

I'm ok with the closure.

Here's a first - Tex I mostly agree with you. I haven't been in CE much lately.

Here's where I differ:

This sort of discussion is part of drum corps. When you are on the bus hour after hour you don't talk about drum corps all the time. Politics wasn't on the discussion card very often, but the other big player, religion and spirituality often was. Therefore this was a part of the drum corps culture and has a place on DCP.

I think if maybe a jerk or two killed it for the rest of us it would be a sad day. Either way, I'm less likely to be on DCP from here on in.

[Chester]

[quote name='IRMO' post='1850471' date='May 21 2007, 06:32 AM']I was thinking the same thing. Why not ask a few of the regulars to moderate instead of burdening the other moderators who are more interested in the other topics discussed on this board?

Or, charge a membership fee to those who want access. Nothing better to offset the burden than a little cash. B) That would also keep those who just come in twice a year to stir up trouble out for the most part.

Until recently (since we went to self moderation) we've not been much trouble, have we? :angel:[/quote]
I was actualy thinking we could vote in more moderators... the forum had a decent balance of left and right amongst the members... i think we could have gotten ourselves a balanced and fair moderating team..

as for the closure in general.. that is so sucky.

[Chester]

if this is truly the death knell of the current events forum, and there is no opportunity for reprieve, i will be disappointed on several fronts. the closure message suggests that we go find a forum that specializes in politics. here's the thing: i like drum corps people. drum corps was an important part of my life, and in many ways those experiences of my youth shaped the man that i am today. that can be said for just about all of the people who post on the CE forum. to be honest, i don't want to go to some random political website or news website to disucss politics.

i enjoy having those conversations with people who were in drum corps. one of the other aspects i enjoy about this forum is that, although we all share a drum corps connection, we come from a wide range of locations and idealogies. finally, i enjoy discussing current events with a group of folks who have become a community. honestly, i don't want to go to some website and discuss the day's events with BushBasher888 or KerryKiller999. i would prefer to have that conversation wtih dan, barb, dave, kelli, matt, lance, daniel, jerry and too many others to name.

also, it has always been an added bonus that we could toss allusions to drum corps mixed in with our current events discussion! it just added a unique flavor to the topics of the day.

sadly, if the ce forum does not come back, i will probably not be on DCP much. although i enjoy discussing world events with drum corps people, drum corps is not a part of my current life. there are only so many war stories to tell in the alumni forum. i don't march senior. although the div I conversations can have some nuggets, i care very little to argue about amps, horn tunings, etc. i enjoyed this place because it offered me somewhere to discuss things that matter to me and keep some connection to my drum corps roots. if DCP does indeed keep this forum closed, it will be my loss. the thing is, it will also be DCP's loss because, despite whatever problems it might have had, it was a forum with real spirit.

for the most part, i would say this sums things up dosent it?