then I think its important to say that members should have the EXPECTATION that their PMs about serious issues that effect RYL, are definitely going to be shared with other mods.
New members, even some older members didn't know or won't know that there are things like mod forums etc.. How can people be EXPECTED to know that what they are saying can be shared or read by others?!
Older members should maybe expect it more as they know more about how moderation works here but not new members, especially if they have never really used a forum before they may not realise.
As Chels just said, it should be made clearer somewhere.
With demons dancing off mirror images reflecting all that you wanted.
So far from perfect, onward we will strive.
Take it for what it's worth, this truth that you've realized.
You're not who you thought you were, it's time to see the other side of what you have become.
I always expected my PMs to be shared with other mods (before I knew how modding went) but everyones different and yeah,its a good suggestion that it should be clearer somewhere.
There are times to stay put, and what you want will come to you.
But there are times to go out into the world and find such a thing for yourself.
I aint no abacus but you can count on me.
I don't really see the problem in having an issue shared among the mod team..
I mean, I would definitely not expect leaking to other staff members (unless absolutely necessary) or members or anything like that, but it's a team because it's a team, not random mods popping up and dealing with a situation on their own and leaving the rest of the team in the dark. Communication is key.
But Chels, what if you PM'd one mod about another one? Would you expect that to be posted up in the staff boards (with your name attached, so that they knew who complained) without them even telling you that they were going to do it?
i think if i was a mod i would feel bad if that happened.
It must be hard to be trying the best you can, and finding out people think you did it wrong, and to know that all the other people doing the same job as you were seen as being 'better' at it than you.
It think it would be better if it were a converstaion that happened between Typsee and the mod in question in which it was said 'a member has raised such such issue'.
At the end of the day mods are dealing with the same kind of problems with the rest of us, and it must be hard to hear someone thinks your ****, and if its in a thread, are the other mods more likely to say 'well, you know, you could do x, x or x.. or would they more likely to say 'dont worry, youre brilliant and this is just one person being a cow'
I don't think, whilst I've been a mod, I've ever seen a thread posted whereby one member has PM'ed a mod about an issue with another mod, and the former mod has posted that PM up in the public mod forums.
However, I'd have thought it'd be a fairly obvious thing that details such as issues with the forum, or issues that need a mod's involvement, would require a discussion? It's the moderator team, and for all individual strengths, the team would work better working as just that.
I had never even thought that it would've come across any differently, tbh.
In a PM to a moderator about a wider issue, I mentioned some things about some moderators that I'm not too happy with.
I assumed that the moderator that I was talking to would have the common sense either to edit it out, or ask me, before she shared this information (what I said, and the fact that I said it) with the moderating team (which includes those individuals I commented about).
I only found out that my issues had been made public within the moderating team when someone alerted me to what one of the mods had written in their journal.
The moderator I was talking to refuses to admit that they did anything wrong. So I'm going public, as it's the only way you get any answers around here.
I would have expected that I would have at least been told that what I said would have been shared with the other mods. Just because I was a member of staff & therefor worked closely with some mods doesn't mean I know the ins and outs of what goes into a group discussion and what is kept private.
It seems that I am not the only member of this website who feels the same way. Which leads me to the conclusion that something needs to be done about it. Either make it more clear somewhere that by contacting a moderator you're consenting to the whole team to participate in a discussion about your issue. Or, when someone PMs a mod, ask that member if it's okay for the discussion to be shared.
Surely, by PMing a mod, rather than emailing the team as a whole, it gives the impression that you want to talk one-on-one (at least to start with)??
With all due respect, Chels, but is it reasonable to assume that this thread is more about that one incidence you described than about a neutral debate? Because apart from that last post, the general opinion, more or less, seems to be that the status quo is just what is expected and accepted. By which I mean:
Forum issues/general problems are shared with the team, which is simply reasonable. And is, in my experience, what most people expect - quite a few times I've been approached by members about issues they previously shared with other chat mods, and they fully expected me to be up to date.
Complaints about mods are taken to the Head mod, and no one else. That's how it should be dealt with, and I haven't yet seen it be done any other way - mind you, I don't know what goes on in forum mod land. That's not my job.
If people PM a moderator rather than send an email, it doesn't have to mean they want to talk to that specific person. Quite often it simply means they saw that person online.
Of course threads like this are valid... I just get the feeling from the replies that nothing needs to change, tbh.
Face your life
Its pain, its pleasure
Leave no path untaken
I made this thread to see if regular members expected their issues to be discussed without forewarning, if they even knew that stuff got discussed with all the mods etc & to get general feedback from moderators about how they deal with issues such as this (do they go and post in mod-land automatically, or do they wait for permission from the person who contacted them first), and to see what the stance on stuff like this was.
I can pull up quotes from people that show this, but I really can't be bothered. But there are just as many people who wouldn't expect personal stuff to be shared (such as my issue) as there are those who would.
I'm not going to post about the whos and whats publicly, but I assure you I spoke to the correct people about the correct issues at the correct time.
I think there can be a big disconnect between what the mods think members know and what the members actually know.
Maybe we could include more information on the teams and how they work somewhere? Not just for the mods but for the supporters, ezine, FAAs and CT. Each team could have an information page explaining who is on the team***, what that team is responsible for, what they do, how they work, how you can contact them etc.
*** I don't mean the user names if team members, I mean like what kind of people they are. For example "Members of the FA team have received formal medical training, and have provided evidence of that training before being selected to the team." or "Chat mods are selected from people who frequently use chat and have been identified as people who follow the rules, are friendly, open and supportive, and have shown good conflict resolution skills".
Does that make sense?
Well it breaks my heart to see you this way,
The beauty in life, where's it gone?
And somebody told me you were doing okay,
Somehow I guess they were wrong.
The Moderators
The Chat Mods
The First Aid Team
The Supporters
The Community Team
The E-Zine Team
Well it breaks my heart to see you this way,
The beauty in life, where's it gone?
And somebody told me you were doing okay,
Somehow I guess they were wrong.
When I was a mod I routinely shared things in the mods forum to get advice and opinions. Although everything was treated with respect and confidentiality was always upheld.
Whenever I PM a mod, I understand that that mod could discuss the matter with other mods, unless I specifically say I would rather it remain private.
Edited to add- Although, if I had a complaint about a particular mod, I would PM typsee with it but then expect it to remain confidential, ie the complaint itself could be discussed but not with my name attached.
Maybe we could have a post report type thing but that is anonymous? So people could report things or make complaints without worrying their name would be exposed.
Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes but when you look back, everything is different…
you once called your brain a hard drive, well say hello to the virus.
Chels, I just want to say this - be very wary of speaking of things that you don't really know. You're making assumptions, and assumptions aren't always accurate.
It says name and e-mail, but my guess is you could put something like "Concerned Member" instead of your actual name.
Well it breaks my heart to see you this way,
The beauty in life, where's it gone?
And somebody told me you were doing okay,
Somehow I guess they were wrong.
I don't know why anyone would take "I am never pm'ing another mod again" away from this. From what I've seen said, your complaints are kept confidential within the moderating team. I don't think you have much to worry about unless you are complaining about another mod. Now, in that case, problems could come up and apparently did in at least this case. I don't know the whole situation with that. What seems to really stand out is that the mod in question posted about it on a journal and someone else told you about it. Maybe staff shouldn't post about RYL issues on journals that other RYL members can read, unless it is public knowledge already. I haven't seen lots of people complaining about confidentiality being violated but I have seen people who don't seem entirely clear on the process. Seems that it should be posted somewhere officially, just so no one can claim ignorance, that all complaints and concerns may be shared with other moderators, and complaints about moderators should be taken to head moderators only.
Chels would be 
Chels then.
