Community Moderators

aardvark7 wrote:

I'm not quite sure how you measure the success, so I would have to dispute the 'clearly...right direction'.

My major concern with your decision to recruit from the ranks of users (although understandable) is that they are bound to have their own bias yet none of the authority required for an accepted position.

By that I don't mean that you haven't granted them the authority, but rather that they have no more learning, knowledge or wisdom than anyone else. Also they partake of the same discussions.

If one looks at sport referees, for example, they do not have any part in the game, they have been required to learn the rules usually to a degree far in excess of the players and would never have made statements of support in any related sphere. Even then, although they carry the appropriate authority and respect, many will dispute their decisions. I cannot imagine the chaos and bad feeling that would be generated if the role of referee was handed to one of the players.

For my own part, I would take a dim view of such a moderator telling me that I had overstepped an accepted boundary

I would feel it would be akin to another guest at a party announcing loudly that I do not hold my knife correctly (yes I know this is an extreme example, but I hope you get the general idea). It is not something I have been used to since I was a very young teenager and I don't intend to put up with it now!

Certainly, I have no dispute with DPReview running your forums however you see fit, but it needs to be DPReview enforcing the rules.

By all means recruit moderators, but should they be from the existing ranks of visitors, then they should no longer be able to contribute in any form or forum.