Mod behavior?
 

This isn't a thread for criticizing mods, but I was wondering what the rules for mod behavior are. If a member gets in trouble for something are mods allowed to discuss this behavior with other members who were not involved?

For example, if I insult you, is moderator "x" allowed to talk to member "y" who has no connection to the situation, wasn't involved at all? To what point are they discussing this behaviour with them, and why? Would be my first question.

The only point I can think of might be for venting purposes but I'm sure that can be done privately on the mod forums. I'm not thinking of anything entirely specific, but it's crossed my mind lately. It's not something I ever did because it's easy enough for a mod to bitch to other mods if they feel the need to vent but I was curious as to whether that rule of behavior still applied.

I am sure it still applies, as we'd both know from past-mod perspectives everything discussed is supposed to be confidential among the boards and the moderators, as far as I'm aware that is still very much the case.

Well.. im only a new mod, but Typs said before i agreed to do it i had to promise not to discuss anything on the mod boards with anyone other than the mods, including outside of RYL friends and my partner.

Confidentiality is a huge huge thing to the mods. If you feel someone has broken this, you should probably tell Typsee.

I think we all realise the potential damage that can be wrought to the community as a whole by discussing confidential business with other members regarding someones warnings/infractions. It's just one of those things that really aren't worth the trouble - besides, there's plenty of benign gossip to be had in a community like this anyway! :P

Mods gossip about everyone. To anyone.
I know this first-hand.
Don't lie.

Mods are annoyingly secretive :p
I know this first-hand.
=]

I know from a first aid point of view we don't talk out of the team about anyone (apart from in odd cases to the mods where it applies) and the same goes the other way. We are confidential groups and we are not allowed to speak of what goes on in our forum outside of that and as far as I know, no one does and I know the mods definately see confidentiality with there forums as a big thing (as First Aid do with ours).

I can tell you mods have to be secret we rant to each other a lot. I can tell youhowever that when someone took the matter I was discussing with them to main chat I defend my postion and male sure everyone knows what is really going on. I never tell people why people are banned or any private business

I thought you left.

You lie.

is that in reference to people that are mods now?

or those that have been previously?

lol ridiculous.

I never told anybody outside of RYL about what went on in RYL!
Saying that, I also didn't tell anybody outside of RYL that I was on RYL... So yeah.

But yes, when I was a mod, it was all very hush-hush. Confidentiality is, like, super-important, and it was pulled up if anybody had been found breaking tht.

To be honest, I don't think I'm interested enough in members infractions to gossip about it.
I pretty much forget about it as soon as it's dealt with appropriately.

i dunno.. i think its happened quite a few times where peoples friends of friends at uni or whatever have been on RYL. and like, if x moderator had been talking to their friend about y member.. and then it turned out their friend new firiends of y member, stuff could get uncomfortable.

Luckily for me, no one knows im on RYL, and Gemma doesnt give a **** about whats happening and i have other things to talk about to people.

In the places where a lot of you seem to know each other in real life, it would make sense for mods not to be allowed to discuss member infractions with those outside of RYL either. I guess for everybody there is always that odd chance that someone you know is secretly a member of RYL and if you talk about members to them it will get around. I'm sure mods gossip as much as any other human being, but my hope that is that it isn't about RYL members or that if it is they keep it amongst themselves. I also know they vent to each other, or at least they used to. Now I KNOW mods have made little insulting or critical remarks about some people to people who are not part of the mod team, but it seemed more personal and had nothing to do disciplinary action. It's still unprofessional but it's not really what my question was about. My question has been answered, thanks.

tbh., I don't think they're harming anybody. And it keeps it quite light-hearted as well, which isn't a problem.

And cool, glad it's been answered Crys :)
I think yeah - personal issues with members is something different, it's kinda the whole mod/member thing - but then, as you say, it's still not ideal nor overly professional.

So if a moderator were to break this rule, what sort of consequence would they face? I think those who knows of mods breaking this rule keep it to themselves because they know the mod will have a vendetta against them and no action will be taken for anything the moderator says or does.

if someone knows of a mod breaking the rules, they should go straight to Typsee, and then i guess she would kill whoever was involved.

people shouldnt feel they have to keep things about the mods secret.

in my opinion (but again im still new) if a moderator breaks the rules, they should be punished the same as anyone else. perhaps more severely as they are very aware of the importance of confidentiality.