It's not just FHG that's in decline, is it? My impression is that all the boards are substantially quieter than they used to be.
Like you, CD, I read the usage policy document. That was some time ago and, to be honest, I found it so embarrassingly silly that I decided to rely henceforth on common sense and manners and reasoned judgement - at least, to the best of my ability.
I'm sure my memory is at least partially faulty, but I vaguely recall references to not discussing deleted posts or even board policy. I'm sure it wasn't that absurd, but it was something like that - all very much part of the "Monty Python meets Franz Kafka" that seems to crop up when organisations try to replace ability and competence with rules.
Some rules are, of course, useful and even necessary, but I think one needs to think carefully about the role of "rules."
Human beings are really pretty hopeless at making, much less administering, rules. This is a source of continuing relief (and presumably income) to, for instance, the legal and accounting professions.
Far from being weaknesses, loopholes become essential to allow capable people to circumvent inadequate, badly expressed or unreasonable rules. Without the flexibility introduced by loopholes, I suspect that most rule-based systems are at best inefficient and prone to generating problems, and at worst liable to crash completely.
Rules should be guides to help competent people to run things.
Douglas Bader put it pretty clearly (the exact quote varies slightly according to source, but the sentiment remains the same):
“Rules are for the obedience of fools and the guidance of wise men.”
(Full disclosure - I'm a bit of a by-the-book type by nature, and I was introduced to that saying by an exasperated simulator instructor when I showed a reluctance to depart from SOP - he was quite right, too.)
Rules are only as useful and effective as those tasked with their administration, and given the executive authority to interpret them and their intention, and even to ignore them when they prove inappropriate.
The moderators here show enthusiasm. Their failure in their duty to the boards seems to be the result of being obliged to stick slavishly to a set of rules, and were they given their heads, I suspect they'd do a pretty good job.
As it is, board members seem to increasingly roll their eyes at the latest "slap," exhortation to mark their problem as "solved" or whatever bit of rote-activity has got up their noses this time, and wander off elsewhere in search of meaningful and interesting discussion.
Frankly, anything other than personal attacks should be considered very carefully before it is deleted or sanctioned - and the odd argument might actually lead to increased understanding of matters under discussion. Deciding when an argument becomes an "interpersonal dispute" involves competence. Not rules. Sorry.
Do you think that social networks have also contributed to the decline of the eBay boards?
Not only do a lot of folk seem to expend their energy on FaceBook, Twitter and the like, but some also seem to have developed expectations and patterns of use probably more appropriate to those venues than this one.
Apart from horrors like posts opening with, "So," and like the use of "should of," "bored of" and the like, there seems to be an expectation of immediate response. This seems to result in opening posters becoming bored when nothing happens for an hour or so, and drifting off.
Perhaps the social networks also encourage the use of telegraphese instead of English, and in keeping ideas as simple and unchallenging as possible. I really don't know, and would be interested to hear what people who participate in social networking sites have to say.
I think CD's got it right, though. It's really up to us to keep on finding items of interest and posting on our favourite boards, and perhaps engaging with the moderators when we disagree with them rather than sneering or simply dismissing what they say or do. (I suppose that includes challenging any sanctions which seem irrational, irrespective of the "rules" - trouble is that most people are probably as lazy as I, and simply couldn't be bothered, choosing instead to simply sigh and move on.)
There's surely still hope - and it'll take effort and give-and-take from both contributors and moderators to revive things.
Oh, and less slavish reliance on The Rules.
7ryMJjyBMgowKMZdQ~~_7.JPG "cee-dee"){kind=avatar}
