It's time to step-up and moderate or quit!

Two weeks ago Anders announced the trial of a moderated JG500 Forum with a Forum Code of Conduct. At the same time a new thread was started that immediately breached the new code. Over the course of a week several other members contributed more posts that breached the new code. It was a perfect opportunity for the forum moderators to quietly step-in and ask the offensive posters to self-moderate. This did not happen and the thread has snowballed into yet another JG500 soap opera.

Anders hard at work moderating the JG500 Forum

I have been a JG500 member since February 2005. Throughout these years the site has had a forum focused on abuse and ridicule resulting in most members being too intimidated to contribute other than the occasional WD #1. For my sins I have been an active participant in the ridicule whilst campaigning against the abuse.

Three years ago I suggested to the JG500 administrator that the site needed a a moderated forum and code of conduct that covered both game play and the forum. This suggestion was ignored by the administrator and most of the membership and ridiculed by others. Four months ago I created Let's Talk 500, a moderated forum designed to demonstrate the features and advantages that a moderated forum could offer JG500. At the same time, and independently, Anders canvassed the membership on their thoughts about the need for a moderated forum.

My forum thread about LT500 can be read here. Anders two threads about forum moderation can be read here and here.

A member asked me this week why I thought the JG500 site does not have more active members after more than five years of existence. I replied that it stemmed from an abusive and nasty forum culture coupled with a bad lag that never goes away.

Moderators, it's time to step-up and moderate or quit and give someone who knows how to fairly enforce a code of conduct the opportunity to do the job better. The JG500 forum culture won't heal itself!