Let me start by saying that the idea of Blogs inside a forum is still somewhat experimental. What we've had so far has been working pretty well, and the complaints have been fairly minimal. But that doesn't mean that we can't improve what we're doing, and I welcome input. I would prefer to have this discussion in another location, but since the issue was brought up here, I don't mind answering it.
Let me start with the Blog Forum Rules which are posted at the top of this forum with the title: "Blog Forum Rules - PLEASE READ FIRST":
bobk wrote:Blog Forum Rules
This forum is for Blogs related to the sport of Hang Gliding (please start non-hang gliding blogs in the Free Speech Zone).
Each Blog is a topic started by an individual and moderated by that same individual.
The first post in each Blog topic must state the purpose and rules of that Blog. Please abide by these rules.
If the Blog rules for a topic don't invite other people to post, then please don't post if you're not the person who started the Blog.
Any posts that a Blog creator wishes to have removed will be moved to the "Removed Posts" topic inside this Blog forum.
Bloggers, please contact me by Personal Message (PM) if you want any posts removed from your Blog topics.
Blogs may be moved to the Free Speech Zone if they are judged to be unrelated to hang gliding or if they are judged to be taking advantage of these blogging rules to make statements about other people without giving them a chance to reply.
Thanks for everyone's cooperation!!
Those rules make it pretty clear. The problem is that many people have not been following those rules, and I have not enforced them.
For example, the 3rd rule states that the first post of any Blog topic must state the purpose and rules of that Blog. That's been violated by a number of blogs (including this one), and I haven't made a fuss about it. The same is true of the 4th rule and this topic. Free's opening post did not invite others to post in his Blog, yet here we are. We're all in violation of that rule, and I was the first. In fact, I noted in my first post that Free's Blog was in violation of the first rule (hang gliding topics only), but I said I didn't mind allowing him one "non-hang gliding" topic (one per person). So the Blog continued with at least 3 rule violations and no complaints about any of them.
Since the Blog Forum is somewhat of an experiment, I've been letting things evolve to see what would work and what would not. I've also been giving it more thought as actual situations arise (as has happened with Rick's blog and now this one). That prompted me to make this recent post which deviates a bit from the previous rules by potentially restricting the removal of posts to those which break the Blogger's stated rules (and not just any post the Blogger wanted to have removed):
bobk wrote:Under the current Blog Forum rules, a Blog originator might put this in his first post:
BLOG RULES:
1. I reserve the right to remove any post that I feel is dishonest.
Then, if he or she finds a post that they think is dishonest, they can use the "Report" button to flag the post. The Report button gives them a chance to explain what the report is about, and they might say:
"Please remove this post because I feel it is dishonest and violates rule number 1 in my first post."
If I (eventually "we") feel that the rule was indeed broken, I'll move the post to the "Removed Posts" topic where it will remain until there is a review by the Board (if requested).
That's the current plan, and any thoughtful comments are welcome.
According to the original - and still current - rules, my comment that posts must violate a Blogger's stated rules is incorrect. So right now, a Blogger can request removal of any post and it will be honored. However, after some hindsight, I think the proposed difference (which requires Bloggers to state rules and also requires some third party judgement about whether rules are broken) might be a better approach, and I think it's is a good topic for discussion.
Now that change to the rules (if adopted) does introduce a matter of judgement into the process. Let's say that a Blogger stated a rule that "profanity" is not allowed, and someone posted using the word "dang". Under the original rules, if the blogger wanted that post removed, it would be removed. Under the rules I've suggested, someone has to make a judgement call as to whether that's a violation of the Blogger's rules or not. I am generally inclined to allow the Blogger to make that decision (which is what the original - and still current - rules provide), but then that could be abused to allow the Blogger to remove posts that he/she just didn't like without review. That's why I think a review process might be warranted. If we have a review process, then the rules posted by each Blogger would need to be clear enough that they could be reasonably interpreted by a moderator and/or review board. The less clear the rules, the more judgement is required by the moderator/board. That's what Brian is basically pointing out here:
brianscharp wrote:So Free makes the rules and you determine if they're broken.
One of the advantages of the revised approach is increased flexibility. If some people still want absolute control of their Blog (as provided by the current rules), then they can define very explicit rules in their Blog. The clearest of those explicit rules is:
"No other posts allowed".
I can enforce that one very easily. But it doesn't allow much participation. The next clearest rule is:
"I (the blogger) have the final say on what is allowed and what is not."
That's pretty much what we have now according to the original rules. In that case, I will simply remove any post requested by the Blogger - no questions asked. Of course, there may not be many people wanting to post to a topic where the Blogger can unilaterally remove any post without any justification. But if that's what a Blogger wants, then they're free to do it. But my proposed change would require that rule to be clearly stated so people know what they're getting into when they participate in such a Blog discussion.
I hope that explains the policies as they have evolved. As I mentioned above, I welcome constructive input as to how we can run a Blog forum that's fair to everyone.