Piel said:
So the Cliffsnotes version of this is:
1. Those who are not Kwan fans do not like for her fans to gush about her because it makes the nonfans sick and/or annoyed because the nonfans don't believe she is worthy of being gushed over by her fans?
2. The Sashafans don't want anything negative to ever be said about Sasha especially by a Kwan fan?
3. Someone who comes to the board for the sole purpose of taking pot shots at Kwan should not be banned even if the majority agree that the person is a troll?
4. Kwan fans should be banned if they dare defend her in a tone that the nonkwan fans don't like?
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I can only speak for myself, but that is NOT my issue. My issue is that in my opinion, I do not believe that from a moderation standpoint, the forum rules are being applied evenly to all posters. I think there have been many, many examples of this over the course of this season. Moderator decisions in my opinion should have nothing to do with who is a fan or non fan of whoever. In the examples I used we have two situations.
1) I expressed an opinion that in the context it was used, I thought "Sashasplat" was unecessary. That was a response to post #4 from a new poster. I don't think what I said was in violation of board rules. If it WAS in violation of board rules, I was never told which rule I violated. I was publically reprimanded and accused of running a new person off of the board by a moderator.
2) In Morganlee's post number four, she expressed an opnion that Kwan never adapted to COP and was a 6.0 skater. A post or two later, she was called a troll. Then she was admonished by an admin that when you are new to a board especially, you need to be tactful so as not to raise the ire of more senior members. (I'm paraphrasing, but of course this can be reviewed in the "Michelle Kwan Withdraws" thread).
So, are "senior posters" (and how is that defined) required to never challenge a new poster? (and how is "new poster" defined) Or if a new poster is a Kwan fan, they are not to be challenged with a differing opinion, but someone who is NOT a Kwan fan can be openly challenged by "senior posters" (whatever that is)?
So in summary, I believe that board rules are not being applied equally to all posters, and I also believe posts are "selectively moderated" (poster is chastised or insulted) when board rules have NOT been violated. And I think the admonishments v. support are being based on skater preference more than actual posting behavior in many circumstances.
This style of administration is IMO appropriate, and to be expected on a skater specific fan board. IMO there is a pro-Kwan bias in the way this board (I assume it's still meant to be a general skating board) in the way moderation is being handled. I do not think Goldenskate will remain a healthy, general FS fan board if moderation / administration continues with the level of bias that I think I'm seeing.
Of course the direction any board takes is up to the board owner and team of admins / moderators at their choice. I'm just commenting on the direction I think this board is heading. If that's the way board ownership wants it to go, then that's fine.
I hope this clarifies my concern.
DG