What do you expect/want from the staff of the forum?

[McQ]

At this point, I'll say thanks to everyone for the feedback as well as the support. It's a great forum, but that's just the varied and interesting membership being able to intelligently express themselves, often with excellent humor.

I do have to also give some support to scissorlegs too. People need to remember that atheism is not a political party, nor does it belong just to those on the left. Thinking as much is way too simplistic, since every person is different and their isn't one size to fit all atheists.

And to be frank, over the years I've seen some really asinine presumptive attacks by liberals against conservatives on this forum - things that would have had members crying and calling for bans if they had been aimed in the other direction. So no one is squeaky clean on this issue.

We just need to keep it civil for everyone.

[Amicale]

HAF is a great forum, and it's both the mods and the members that make it great -- but overall, the atmosphere of this place, the way the mods here work so hard to keep everything in order, the way the mods interact on a friendly basis with the members, and the way the mods are very approachable are all reasons I really appreciate the moderation style here. I know a lot of very hard work has gone into this place. Besides banning spammers and upholding the peace, vast amounts of time are spent moving stuff around to keep threads in order, to deal with derails, etc... and that all contributes to the forum being very easy to read and participate on.

Also, I genuinely appreciate how much the mods care about maintaining an atmosphere of respect here. The couple of times I've been called out, I appreciated it, because I'm as capable of going off the handle as anyone else. As others have said, we're all over the map (geographically, politically, life experiences etc), and the diversity within our membership is great. Issues will always come up from time to time where we'll disagree, but I genuinely appreciate the fact that I've never seen any knock-down, drag-out fights among the regular members here. If we disagree and a fight breaks out, I really LIKE it that we can be told to knock it off, and then continue on as usual. HAF just strikes me as the kind of place where all of us would be happy hanging out together for coffee or a drink, if we could do so in person.

I think my favourite thing about you folks (mods) is how approachable and welcoming you all are. The example you set just seems to naturally sift down to the membership, and the friendly community tone of this place really seems to attract people who are looking for just that, friendship and community.

I'm very happy to consider this my home on the web.

[Tom62]

Many thanks from me as well, for the feedback and support. HAF is a fun place to be and that is the way we would like to keep it. As a "techie" I'm not so much of a "people's" person, which basically means that I'm more into deleting spammers than into moderating threads. Luckily we have some great staff members here on board, who are far better in "extrapolating" human interactions than I am  .

Scissorlegs has my full support as well. Atheism is not a political party and it belongs to everybody.

[Crow]

My only criticism would be the same as what Scissorlegs has suggested. There have been times when mods have just put there foot down before people have had the opportunity to argue or support it because it was controversial or caused conflict between a lay member or mod. Though I don't remember reading anything that got scissorlegs warned with mod font.

[Asmodean]

No complaints from The Grayness. Many a spammer, troll and hit and runner are now in The Gray Cauldron being boiled in His honor. 

Also, the mod coverage seems ok with at least one mod being online most of the time the forum is active.

[Tank]

My only criticism would be the same as what Scissorlegs has suggested. There have been times when mods have just put there foot down before people have had the opportunity to argue or support it because it was controversial or caused conflict between a lay member or mod. Though I don't remember reading anything that got scissorlegs warned with mod font.

It's a fine line and I do tend to stomp very close to the edge. Mainly because I've seen what goes on at other places if arseholes get the upper hand. They don't just do direct damage by insulting people they can bring down the whole tone of the place and then, for want of a better term, 'the gentler souls', leave and don't come back and then it becomes a fight between the arseholes and the remaining thicker skinned members which can end up in a downward spiral leading to the demise of the forum.

[Crow]

My only criticism would be the same as what Scissorlegs has suggested. There have been times when mods have just put there foot down before people have had the opportunity to argue or support it because it was controversial or caused conflict between a lay member or mod. Though I don't remember reading anything that got scissorlegs warned with mod font.

It's a fine line and I do tend to stomp very close to the edge. Mainly because I've seen what goes on at other places if arseholes get the upper hand. They don't just do direct damage by insulting people they can bring down the whole tone of the place and then, for want of a better term, 'the gentler souls', leave and don't come back and then it becomes a fight between the arseholes and the remaining thicker skinned members which can end up in a downward spiral leading to the demise of the forum.

Very true. To be honest I would be the worst mod in the world and do not think or would want to try and do better as I know I couldn't. It is only a very small comment on a largely very good job, which you do not get paid for and must take up vast amounts of time.

[OldGit]

Well, I've no complaints.  I know forums which are much more rumbustious, but I never enjoyed them the same.  I know one which is so closely-controlled it's positively stifling; that place I'm fond of, but not for that aspect of it.

The mods here do an excellent job and are very approachable.  Especially nowadays.  More power to their elbows.

[Tank]

My only criticism would be the same as what Scissorlegs has suggested. There have been times when mods have just put there foot down before people have had the opportunity to argue or support it because it was controversial or caused conflict between a lay member or mod. Though I don't remember reading anything that got scissorlegs warned with mod font.

It's a fine line and I do tend to stomp very close to the edge. Mainly because I've seen what goes on at other places if arseholes get the upper hand. They don't just do direct damage by insulting people they can bring down the whole tone of the place and then, for want of a better term, 'the gentler souls', leave and don't come back and then it becomes a fight between the arseholes and the remaining thicker skinned members which can end up in a downward spiral leading to the demise of the forum.

Very true. To be honest I would be the worst mod in the world and do not think or would want to try and do better as I know I couldn't. It is only a very small comment on a largely very good job, which you do not get paid for and must take up vast amounts of time.

Fortunately this place is running quite smoothly. The only real time spent is killing off the spammer accounts and that probably take 2x10 minute session a day at most. And skim reading the posts to make sure a flame war hasn't broken out and I'd read all the posts anyway so fortunately this place isn't much of an overhead on my time at all. The other mods ban spammers as well so all I have to do is delete their accounts so they don't slow the server down.  

[DeterminedJuliet]

I'm glad you're relatively tolerant of derails. 

[Tank]

I'm glad you're relatively tolerant of derails. 

There wouldn't be a forum if we weren't 

[Stevil]

I'm glad you're relatively tolerant of derails. 

Conversations are organic and naturally change direction, sticking rigidly to topic kills conversation

[Asmodean]

I'm glad you're relatively tolerant of derails. 

Conversations are organic and naturally change direction, sticking rigidly to topic kills conversation

Not to mention contradicts The Book of Asmoism. 

[OldGit]

Derail proceeding quite nicely here. 

Can you give me the ISBN number of your gospel, Asmo?

[DeterminedJuliet]

I'm glad you're relatively tolerant of derails. 

Conversations are organic and naturally change direction, sticking rigidly to topic kills conversation

I agree, though I've been on some forums that seem to do this.