Peace Destee,
I think you should consider creating a Community Justice System here. In the same way that you just put this question to the family, why not formalize it and let the determinations stand? Create a Council and let that council hear the cases presented by both sides.. and let that council vote on a verdict. You remain the Judge.. but you move from the front lines to the back lines and administer through policy.
Of course, the way I see Natinr/PutneySwopes/Ankhur/AlarmClock's post to Omowalejabali/OmaleX is a bit different than the way you see it. I see it as a sideways attack. He called Omowalejabali.. in big red letters.. "EGOTISTICAL, SELF CENTERED HATER , FULL OF NEGATIVITY, AND WITH A FANATICAL AND SEEMINGLY HOMOSEXUAL FETISH".
That's pretty insulting from my point of view.. and disruptive.. and it's his MO... but I don't point that out in order to coax an "I was wrong in 2010" from you. I have an entirely different point to make:
I know you don't like to go into detail.. like you often say.. you just look at the surface and admonish everyone that appears to be involved in a spat.. but can you see how could possible empower the disrupters? And can you see how that could frustrate the innocent?
My son's 2nd grade teacher had a similar policy. He had a rule that said, "what happens on the yard, stays on the yard".. meaning.. my son couldn't tell him that the class bully punched him in the stomache at recess.. because it happened on the yard.. and he didn't have time to go into the details.
Of course.. I called a meeting.. and got that rule thrown out by reasoning with the teacher. Of course the details matter.. the real problem was, he just didn't have time.. he had a schedule to keep. And so I organized the parents to volunteer for yard duty.. and we doubled the amount of adults supervising the kids during recess.. and that solved the problem.
And what I'm suggesting here is the same sort of solution. Allow the community to become involved with the justice system here at Destee. It's your site.. your rules.. and you are the ultimate authority.. but their can be levels below you that can help. We're not talking about newbies here.. we're talking about well-respected folks that have been steady positive contributors here for years.
I've seen you post on many occaisions that you would like to be more involved in the conversations and not have to be the cops so much.. well.. this is one way to make that happen.
- Peace again..
Brother Skuder ... i've mentioned a couple of times in this thread about how it would be nice to have a way for the Family to be involved with the management of the community ... and to a large degree you all already are ... but more can be better. I'm with you on that, though i don't have lots of confidence in it. See, it would require you all to work together, and given this and recent threads, that might be easier said than done.
Add to this the roads i know we've already traveled. Before there was ever a Moderating TEAM, the Family made all the decisions collectively ... at least we tried ... but it proved itself to be ineffective among other things. That's why we went to a Moderating TEAM.
No matter though, i'm willing to see what you all come up with, for you all will have to do it.
You'll have to organize it, develop it, explain it to me and everyone how it will work, it must be fair, inclusive, transparent, maintaining our high standards, a host of things that i just don't see yall pulling off real easy. I'd like for those involved, leading the way, to actually be people that consistently abide by the rules their own selves ... make folk feel welcome here ... embodying
our mission.
If you're able to come up with something that i think is feasible ... we'll give it a try.
Until then ... our policy remains the same ...
You Want Consistency in Our Management - Here it is.
While you, Brother O, and perhaps others considered Ankhur's post a violation, i stand by what i said.
Below is the post in its entirety, and no where in it does he call anyone, anything ... not directly.
It would take some supposition on all of our parts, to make that post be about Brother O or anyone.
He never called anyone's name. He didn't even quote anyone.
I can't moderate what you, him, or others are willing to make up in your mind regarding what was said.
Again ... below is the post in question ... for all to see :
While i'm a bit pessimistic regarding you all actually working together in such a management capacity as suggested above ... it's kinda exciting to imagine such a thing ... who knows ... yall have surely surprised me before. I'd recommend that you start a new thread for the effort, at least let it have it's own fresh start.
Destee me in it every now and then ... so i can take a peek at the progress ... or if you need me.
Much Love and Peace.
Destee