A questions to the moderators

UM Review RN, ASN, RN · Aug 9, 2005

It might help if you read the Terms of Service again, Tony. :) They're just trying to keep the peace, is all.

https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31788

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Aug 9, 2005

While I am not aware of the thread in question, I will try to give some answers.

Sometimes people use bad language and those closures are obvious.

Sometimes the thread wanders far from its subject.

Sometimes there are privacy issues. A poster reveals too much compromising information. There have been posters that have had to deal with losing their job or with threats regarding legal action in regards to something posted here. And while it is not the mods' job to keep us "safe", they would prefer that such issues not occur involving this BB.

There is subtle difference between discussing an issue, attacking a position, stating an opinion and attacking a poster. Some posters have difficulty grasping the fine line between discussion of an issue and attacking a fellow BB member. One is permtted and the other is not.

Sometimes the OP asks to have a thread deleted because the issue that initiated it is no longer pertinent.

In the case of CRNAs, many of those posters cross over to another BB w/ an anesthesia section. Said BB has much more relaxed standards of posting and TOS than we do. And things can get heated. In addition, the posters of that BB (catering to medical students) come over here and post rather inappropriate things, not in keeping with our TOS. And such infighting may get a thread closed. Or erased.

This BB is business to Brian. If large amounts of things that are offensive to standard sensibilities of the public (not nursing) occur, they may be pulled because this is a business and Brian keeps the standards in place. There are advertisers to be concerned with.

Many times, your fellow posters will try to hold the line. For example, I have warned posters twice recently that they were "crossing the line" with revealing inappropriate personal information. Neither one took the hint. The mods, however closed the threads.

And some get closed because they get too heated or deal with a number of posters that push a line not in keeping with the spirit of this BB. For example, the Tom Cruise/scientology threads. Religious/racism threads frequently hit the skids because of perceived intolerance of one group towards another. See the "Passion of the Christ" or the annual "It's Christmas, why can't we have a nativity scene/menorah/kwaanza display/EID display plastered across every public building - my religious rights are being violated" threads for examples.

And ocasionally it is the subject matter. The infamous "should nurses assist patients in certain sexual related activities" thread.

Hope that this helps.

Home Health Columnist / Guide · Aug 9, 2005

thanks caroladybelle for clearly explaining our how we moderate here.

allnurses is the result of the vision of brian short: founder and administrator. the terms of service guides the moderator and administration team in how we moderate here. brian's original guidelines along with input from the moderators and bb members led to the development of the current tos. major revisions are announced and tos link is available bottom of every page for ease of use.

in conversations and moderation discussions with brian, these italicized points from the tos keep getting repeated:

this website hosts the most personable nursing discussion board on the internet. you'll find yourself discussing current daily topics on a more personal level and discover that everyone treats each other with respect on this bulletin board (bb). as many of you know, in addition to the discussions we have for our own benefit, we also present a showcase to the lurkers and fence-sitters (and we do have one lurker per three to four registered users).

contrary to popular belief, this is not a public board. you are all guests here. we have the right to edit posts that violate our forum guidelines or remove members at any time. nothing should ever be posted here that you would not say in front of a crowd of strangers. don't post anything distasteful or anything you feel might offend someone else. pg-13 type language in all forums, including off -topic.

it is important to remember that this bulletin board reaches out to nurses and other readers all over the world. our call is to be supportive, not divisive

you are amongst the most intelligent, friendly, experienced, passionate and vocal nursing posters anywhere on the internet. you are part of a bb whose opinions are widely read by men and women considering nursing, nursing assistants, students and nurses: rn's and lpn/lvn's from across the us and through out the world especially australia, canada, uk, and others. this website is one of the most highly respected within the nursing community and is listed as a resource in nursing publications and at other nursing related websites. we didn't get to that status without the professional and courteous contributions of our membership. we welcome you to a place you will soon call home.

SmilingBluEyes · Aug 9, 2005

VERY good response, Carole. You said it well.

SmilingBluEyes · Aug 9, 2005

Please remember, moderators are volunteers and humans (subject to err). We try to be consistent and fair----but sometimes even WE disagree how a given subject/problem should be handled. That is why often, you will notice threads are closed for moderator discussion, and then re-opened later on after a period of time and discussion. If you see a given situation handled slightly differently or what you perceive to be inconsistently, it may be that the moderators discussed it, and realized it needed to be handled differently----or updated. It also may be the difference in the opinion among given moderators; we are a varied group of people, just like the membership at this site.

Also, please understand, there is a lot of "gray" area out there ------and many people just barely "toe the line" with veiled insults or flames. They just barely stay within TOS, but push it as far as they can. I have seen it time and again. What one person sees as innocuous or harmless, the other sees it as a flame.

And, as always, you *do* have recourse. If you feel we are wrong, you are invited to contact us and tell us so. We are open to listening and reasonable discussion----you are given an opportunity to dispute warnings anytime you receive one. Brian and his administrators are very fair-minded people, I have learned in the 3 years I have been here. I have not always agreed with them----but I have to say, they often bend over backward to help others and try to resolve things agreeably. It's not an easy job, believe me. I have learned this in my short time as moderator--- it is far from easy.

I would ask anyone, please bring your concerns and disputes the the attention of administration or Brian ---- or that of the moderators. The staff is more than happy to help resolve these things as fairly and equitably as possible.

Thank you for bringing this up, Tony. It gave us a chance to explain how moderation works here and hopefully, you and some others were helped by this thread.

SmilingBluEyes · Aug 9, 2005

And debate does not have to be a "flamefest" to be stimulating and "interesting" as you put it! I find some of the best ones emotional, yet people having figured out how to get their point across strongly w/o resorting to insulting, demeaning or flaming the others involved.

Tony35NYC · Aug 9, 2005

Thanks for the replys. I think Allnurses is an awesome site! :)

Bamadawg · Aug 10, 2005

I agree with what you said. I myself have had a message censored when it almost revealed too much about the management of my program (nothing bad but just no need for others to know maybe).

I can't help but notice that your tagline does not contribute much to the

'can't we all just get along" attitude you rightly feel should prevail. Outsource Bush and Cheney. I know that nurses are so liberal t that it is easy to be like the fish who says "what water?". Some of us aren't liberal/democrats and still manage to refrain from attaching politics to every post.

Frank

caroladybelle, BSN, RN · Aug 10, 2005

I can't help but notice that your tagline does not contribute much to the
'can't we all just get along" attitude you rightly feel should prevail. Outsource Bush and Cheney. I know that nurses are so liberal t that it is easy to be like the fish who says "what water?". Some of us aren't liberal/democrats and still manage to refrain from attaching politics to every post.

Well, you did not specify to whom you were referring to, but you quoted my tagline, so I will presume to answer.

I never said that there was "can't we all just get along attitude". I do not expect that as we are all different and that would be difficult, if not impossible. I merely expect us all to be tolerant of each other and engage in polite discourse. Politeness does not equal getting along. Just as I can respect someone's opinion yet not agree with it.

There are, quite frankly, a number of people that I pride myself on NOT agreeing with, but I would still treat them with some degree of politeness.

I am from the South, and if even Hitler were to come to the door, I would not let him in but would still offer him directions, a glass of sweet tea and to set long enough to let the heat ease up.

And if you mistake me for being liberal or a Democrat, you are highly misinformed and have not read many of my posts. I pride myself on being an Independant and capable of ignoring all partys' rhetorics equally and consider political parties to be a tool of satan.

One does not have to agree but merely be polite in one's disagreement. And politics are definitely fair game for disagreement.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Aug 10, 2005

If somoene's tagline is offensive, a person can be put on ignore so that the tagline doesn't have to be seen.

Offensive is in the eye of the beholder.

Bamadawg · Aug 10, 2005

If somoene's tagline is offensive, a person can be put on ignore so that the tagline doesn't have to be seen.
Offensive is in the eye of the beholder.

I am not offended. I am just amused. I stand corrected. I assumed someone was a liberal democrat. I should of realized that in nursing it is just as likely a socialist/green party Naderite.

Politics are fair game right?

Frank