Growing concerns about ALL

[lifestream]

Hi everyone.

For those of you who might be drawing conclusions from the thread title, this thread is not an attempt to attack the forum, but was borne from my concern for the forum and my desire to see it improve.

I have been a member of ALL for nearly eighteen months now, and in that time I have watched the forum change from generally hospitable to a place where bickering and a general air of tension has become prevalent.

Several recent events have raised my concerns. Firstly, there is Phaedron, a now-banned forum member who, to me, seemed to have obvious mental health problems, yet faced mockery during his brief sojourn with us. Secondly, BeyondShy's repeated attempts at provocation of other members on numerous threads yet, despite his obvious rule-breaking, he is still a member in good standing on ALL as of this post. Indeed, it is the members who choose to respond to him in kind who are being threatened with disciplinary action. Thirdly, I have observed the mods partake in bickering and arguments with other members of the forum on more than one occasion. This represents a conflict of interest to me; a moderator's job is not to perpetuate negativity but to alleviate it.

I know it's easy to dismiss what I'm saying here, that I'm merely trying to stir the pot, but I know some of you agree with me in thinking that this forum is in trouble. I urge those of you who share my concerns to speak up, to speak out, and make yourselves heard.

 

[Minus]

If you have a concern about a member PM a mod, don't start a thread attacking them.

If you have a problem with a mod, take it to another mod. Don't start a thread attacking them.

Phaedron did not have a "brief sojourn" here. He was a long time member. I would agree with you that there were way too many people who chose to make fun of the guy for being different. That mockery was not a behavior the forum could turn off like flipping a switch.