Spirit Plants - Discussion of sacred plants and other entheogens

ok people--we have a lot of forums and need mods for most of em...this is our community, and we're going to try and keep it as level a playing field as possible...irish andy and i started this gig, and i imagine he and nitroburn will do the techie stuff to keep it up and secure it...i myself have been adding forums as i read people's requests in various posts...but making people mods is getting to where democracy had better be invoked...thus this poll to start the process...

or on the other hand - public nomination and then secret ballot.

i live in a community where general meetings failed cause voting was done with a show of hands. No one was honest.

Secret ballot is a democratic gem. i like it! But public nomination allows us to hear reasoning (if there is some of that)

judih

I like judih's idea.

i dunno if both are needed, but if there is a hubbub then sure we'll do it...mods here seem to be more honorary roles with a little bit of duty...i dont guess them being much more would really go over too well in a grass roots minded commune like this one...let's see how this poll plays out...

should we just ask/have the old mods take over their forums like jrl and i did? sorry, in the spirit of grass roots i didn't think this over enough...must be the sickness *cough**cough*

would that be simpler?

Personally I think so yea. Just assign who was there before, or who is volunteering now provided noone has a problem with them (we'll deal with that when we come to it).

Andy

well, yeah.
If the mods are here and if they agree to continue, absolutely!

'keep it simple' is the best adage

Please, I wouldn't  be happy to lose my forum. To much democracy has sunk many a grand venture

so who was mod of what?

No need to fix something that ain`t broke. Established mods should keep their positions, who by now they have the proven qualities to make good judgments.  That`s why my inquiring about Jiku, I hoped he hadn`t gone.

     To me this concept also includes an individual like Cassie,'Gardner' by description ,who really is here, in my book, to keep her forum revelant., ie;refer incorrect postings to the revalent areas they belong...Say, a cultivation question out of cacti Identity, and to the proper cult. forum.

      OH,and also for lack of a better description, to be, and to a cirtain extent ,if needed,to keep things polite and civil. If Other(s) have more 'technical' knowledge,that is great and desired,but is not the whole picture.

     Knowledge of subject matter is neccessary, but evenhandness with the posters is just as much, and mabe more, important. The mods wev`e had seem to have demonstrated these qualities pretty well,and others will show up I`m sure, when needed.

There was a third mod in the cacti arena,trying to remember his name..Australian...Cassie would know.

I'm all fine if people want a vote...although I was Mod of the cave before and I think the mods need to be regular members, regular in chat also so that if anything happens again we are all in close contact.  Voting could have repurcussions if those picked aren't available.  I mknow myself, cenacle, JRL, Cassie, Nitro, Oghran are always in chat together...its an ideal format.  Although I am not going to bitch if a vote is wanted, I will be happy either way I can just see some possible pitfalls.


Booosh

Piggers, you're to easy. The Cave is yours, if you ask me.

Here are my thoughts on the topic of mods and the forums at this point:
The moderating team at spf was recently updated to put more active members in the roles.  Most of the old mods will get here eventually and should be able to take up the job again.  My suggestion is that where we find a new moderator he or she takes the position on the understanding that if the old mod wants his or her job back, he or she can have it back.  This would work fine.


These moderators are still around:JRL, Cenacle, Bush (who have already re-opened their forums)
Dissident- The World (last seen in chat 11 days ago)
Indra - The Cybershack
TCG - The Gallery(only vaguely present right now)
VisionaryB3ar - The Medicine Lodge
Ringworm and Chanely - The Garden (altho wyrm did say he wasnt interested in spf anymore, in his last post there, he and chan mite be interested in this new arrangement). If you read this Ringworm...
For now, would Stonehenge like to moderate the Greenworld?? It sounds like its his thing .. that IS the cultivation forum now , replacing 'The  Garden' ????
Avery L. Breath aka Andytheother - The Trade Winds
Thinbuddah and TTST - The Salvia Plane
Jikuchagi- The Desert
Raver and Winder -The Shaman's Hut
Troutmask - Mushrooms

These moderators are absentees:
Spacecrafter- the Long House
Eddy- The Site
Arjuna - The Mountain
(the list above contains all the old forums except plant identification, which didnt have a moderator as far as i can recall)

On the basis of this can i suggest all the old forums are re-instated and any of the mods who are reg'd here already returned to their previous status. Let's take it from there ... changes can be made as we go along.
On the subject of changes :
I was moderator of cactus ID but i am no expert. While doin my job, however, i stayed in touch with MS Smith and i would just love for him to be the moderator, altho he declined last time. If you read this Michael...
Until then i would like to see Winder or jacko or anyone with a better knowledge of taxonomy than me moderate cactus ID or even put 'Cactus' cult and ID together in one forum for now, under jiku's care.
I would like to have Spacecrafters job, moderating the longhouse. My resume for this job would rely on my knowledge of the people who inhabit spf and my good will towards them (most of my posts were there also). Of course, if/when Spacecrafter returns I will give him his position back but he is one who has been long absent and the longhouse needs an active mod.

We should be in no rush so that we make sure we hear all voices. Lets make whatever other forums ppl ask for and see how they go.  
Cenny, Andy, Nitro: (as keyholders)
If you want to take some action which might be considered controversial, just make a post about your intentions and give ppl a chance to have input... mostly this will be just checking that no-one has a problem with it or something to add. If you make unilateral (or even tri-lateral) decsions be mindful that community can speak to this. Nothing is set in concrete.

Thank you so much for all your efforts to keep us together as a community.

That makes a lot of sense, Cassie. It would be nice to see the old moderators return. It's too bad wyrm has left. He knew bunches about plants and things. I'm not too familiar with Chanley, is he back? Like I said, I'm willing to moderate the grow forum which I guess is green world now. If some previous mod wanted it or someone else with good background I would have no problem with them doing it instead. Any one who wants the honor can step right up. I've been there and done that and it makes no difference to me. I'll be there in whatever capacity.

What about administration? It looks like Andy, cenacle and one or two others are doing the job. It would be good to have that establised. We also need to make policies about what can be posted and what is spamming, how to raise money and so on but that's another subject(s) so maybe that should wait for another thread.

It's good to see things coming together.

Stoney

cassie: I wouldn't worry about spacey. His poition was mostly ceremonial, anyway.

I miss the brotha' and wonder about him, but we must move on, eh?

lw

Btw, anyone hear from jfurry as of late?

lw

Btw2: I think making the use of chat a consideration for moderation duties is a bunch of crap. Chat is one thing and the forums another, imo.  

lw

I talked to Arjuna the other night. Invited me over for a milkshake. He's been busy with school and all.  Said he hadn't been smoking much of anything lately.  I chastized his sorry as.  But I'm sure he'd be on board.  I'll tell him to check in, I don't think he knows about his site.

tstt

Ps:  "Btw2:" Unless it was the moderator of the chat forum maybe.

I am rather easy going about all this.

I can continue or step back or be reassigned, whatever.

I am happy it is moving forward.

QuoteI think making the use of chat a consideration for moderation duties is a bunch of crap. Chat is one thing and the forums another, imo.

Indeed.  I've met many good forum folks who don't chat, and vice versa. Chat seems to be here to stay, and manages itself it seems, it's forum folks that need to make forum choices.

I don't think we should cut all ties to those who would participate but don't yet know of this here refugee camp.  Eddy included.