With Great Power comes Great Responsibility

So, it had been my hope never again to be involved in a major online dispute. The Davem episode gave me more than enough to satisfy that longing, and I've tangled as a moderator before on Classic-Castle with dealing with upset members. It seemed reasonable to me that, given I'm unlikely to ever have time for internet forums like I once did, and given my interest in those already around is fading, that I would have no real opportunity for it, since one does not have moderation/discussion issues when communicating with friends.

Then along came Facebook and the Philosophy Club's Group and forums.

I can't deny that discussion was getting way off of Philosophical topics, nor that the manner the discussions were being done were failing to conform to any normal concept of "reasoning", which is what Philosophy is supposed to be about... however...

Marking posts as irrelevant, deleting posts, and deleting whole topics is NOT a successful way of dealing with it; not if you actually want to have a lively forum. Already, since the binge-deleting started, fresh posts have dropped off, as everyone with any sense has stepped back and abandoned posting, thinking there's no point.

Half the issue here... or more than half... is that I'm the only Admin who has experience moderating an online forum, and I get the feeling that power has gone right to some people's heads. I agree with what they're trying to accomplish! God knows I have nothing but loathing and derision in my heart of hearts for those who claim to be philosophising when really, all they are doing is rambling on with emotions and ad hominem arguments. But still! If you don't want the forum to die, you have to respond with TACT.

Authority without tact is only going to antagonise people and drive them away. Far from reforming the forums, it will kill them. Which is worse: a dead forum or one that no longer has anything on topic? Frankly, I think it's a lose-lose situation.

So here I am, again stuck in the middle of an internet furor. The worst of it is that I really, really don't feel qualified to play peacemaker. I had a stupid incident in class on Wednesday where I acted like an arrogant know-it-all, and in reflection I feel like an utterly insensitive pedant, and not at all qualified to act as the conscience of an irritated group of powerful and smart admins.

God help us all!