Green Room - Week 2 - Day 5

[clauderainsrm.livejournal.com]

The deadline for both the main competition and Second Chance Idol is TONIGHT at 9pm EDT. Why am I bringing this up? Because it's something you should know.

What is something else you should know?

I read something the other night - on fb from someone else of my acquaintance, that you should definitely know. File it away in your "feeding and care of your moderators". I use the plural, because despite the fact that it doesn't make much sense, apparently there are "other groups" out there that focus on a variety of subject matters. Some of you might even "belong" to them. Obviously, these are inferior groups and not really worth your time or attention. But since you insist on being in them, there is something that I should share with you.

The post in question was about how the moderator of said group was a horrible person, who was accusing them of all kinds of awful things and probably just jealous of them, using their "god-like mod powers" to oppress people.

What happened? After being told - for the sixth time - to stop spamming the community with links to her website, the comments were deleted and she was called out on it. Granted, I probably wouldn't have handled it that way. But guess what? If you know you're not supposed to be posting links to your blog or otherwise outside groups, it's not "adding to the conversation" to be posting links to where you said something you think is particularly witty. You are spamming the community. The mod might be a power-mad asshat. But that is just a coincidence.

I'm fortunate, in that people don't tend to break the rules around here. Probably due to the fear that I inspire, and the explosive devices that I have attached under your bed.

But I'm constantly seeing things like this from people in these "other groups". Where someone goes off on "this horrible mod" who did this or that - and sometimes they *are* idiots who did something stupid. They usually end up paying for that mistake in the long run.

That would never happen to me, of course. See also: those explosives under your bed.

So, just consider this POV the next time you see a rant about a "horrible mod", that *perhaps* that's the issue and perhaps the problem is that the person complaining doesn't think that the rules should apply to them.

Comments

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

First?

[mezzogiorno.livejournal.com]

FIRST! :D

[mezzogiorno.livejournal.com]

I have a sudden urge to infuse the Green Room with various random links to beautiful and amazing things.

My entry is not going well. I had a grandiose idea at the beginning of the week which has slowly fallen through, and I'm left with no inspiration.

[kajel.livejournal.com]

Yay, a GR to lose more time in! Even though it is Memorial day, the hubby has to work, so it is just a normal day around here.

[kajel.livejournal.com]

Yay for First!

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

Yay me. ;)

[n3m3sis43.livejournal.com]

Considering the number of times I've been called a horrible person, I'd never buy the "horrible mod" thing without real evidence.

My post is written, has been betaed by a couple awesome folk and I'm in the process of tweaking it now. Hope y'all are having a good day!

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

After posting my entry I kind of regret the idea I went with. Heh, just jitters I guess.

No idea? :( Listening to music sometimes helps me.

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

:)

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

Running a little big bang community a year ago made me the target of being called a horrible mod and that I had no idea what I was doing. Quite a few people jumped on that bandwagon.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

I think there's this mistaken assumption that, just because it's online, there are no rules. But the truth is, if you choose to participate in ANY form of organized group, you shouldn't be surprised when there are conventions and expectations for how you're to behave within that group.

For example, when I was in the Penn State Monty Python Society in college, we regularly participated in anarchic, silly behavior -- within certain parameters. However, if anyone ever stepped outside the lines -- such as made an offensive personal remark (didn't happen often, but it did happen once or twice), they were taken to task for it. I don't remember all the details, but there was an instance when I was the president where I had to take somebody out in the hallway and inform them that they needed to correct their behavior or be asked to leave! So even the most anarcho-silly group can have rules of behavior that should be obeyed.

[mezzogiorno.livejournal.com]

Good idea. I've been trying to read around, like snippets of different books that have different styles where something might prompt me, but I'm not there yet.

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

Did you violate the roommate agreement?

[alycewilson.livejournal.com]

Yay for first!

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

WOOO HOOO you're FRIST!!!

[mezzogiorno.livejournal.com]

That's exactly it, or one of my favourites "It's just the Internet" when people get legitimately upset or try to tell them off for rule breaking.

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

I have no idea what that is but I hope not. ;)

[xo-kizzy-xo.livejournal.com]

Argh, my entry is giving me headaches. It's been rewritten twice as of right now, and I am so mentally overloaded it isn't funny :p

Why do I paint myself into corners?

[medleymisty.livejournal.com]

You're definitely NOT a horrible mod.

Sounds like the people who think that they should be able to troll however much they want to because of the First Amendment.

So my fiction fell completely apart, so I guess I can tell you guys what it was going to be about now. Or...maybe not! Maybe I can still salvage the idea for a prompt later in the season.

I got started on it, and I got 300 words into it, and I realized that it was all wrong. It was supposed to be absurd and silly, but it was totally sounding like a Seth style story. All serious and literary.

I realized this at about 1 a.m. this morning.

So, knowing that I didn't have time to start over and that I wasn't in the mood to write absurd silliness anyway, I wrote non-fiction from a very Seth-y state of mind. It was scary. It triggered me. I found myself sitting here breathing fast, my heart rate up, and the ulcer scarring starting to hurt a tiny bit.

I'm going to guess that was a good sign.

*jumps on the non-fiction bandwagon this week, bleeds all over it*

[x-disturbed-x.livejournal.com]

I guess people just feel like rule breaking doesn't count when your on the internet. The anonymity of it could certainly fuel that.

[medleymisty.livejournal.com]

Wooo grats for first! :)

[medleymisty.livejournal.com]

I like beautiful and amazing things!

My original grandiose idea fell apart too, so I went with soul-baring non-fiction written in the wee hours of the morning.

[mezzogiorno.livejournal.com]

Sometimes those are the very best entries! I am sorry your fiction fell apart, though :(

[medleymisty.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think the non-fiction is strong. Haven't gotten up the ovaries to look at the comments yet, but it's already gotten a fair few.

Me too! It was gonna be awesome and funny and unique and neat! Oh well, maybe I can use the idea later.

[medleymisty.livejournal.com]

Mobs of haters are a common thing on the internet.