Time to Rotate

[dawei]

This is the title of the very PM I sent to MS to let him know that staff would be rotating.

 

I do recall talking to an ex-mod, Zero, who recommended staff rotate at 8 months... I found that very insightful as the previous staff went to almost a year and that was longer than it should go.

 

At this point, there are two new mods and two more I am talking to to join.

 

MS is now back to regular member after 8 months as a volunteer who didn't ask for all the BS but endured it as well as can be expected.

 

I'd like to thank MS for his tour of duty  

[Kar3n]

Thank you, MS, for your advice, diligence and savvy, my friend.

[Marblehead]

Is my 8 months up yet?  I'm really not staff and my position is zero stress or pressure but we should give others the opportunity if they are willing to put in just a little extra time.

[Marblehead]

BTW  Great job Michael!  All things considered I think you did very well indeed.  Thanks for putting in the time.

[Apech]

Yes you did a good job Michael - thanks.  Shame it ended this way.

[dawei]

Is my 8 months up yet?  I'm really not staff and my position is zero stress or pressure but we should give others the opportunity if they are willing to put in just a little extra time.

 

You had your chance once or twice to run for the hill

 

I recall an ex-staff member saying in a thread on moderation that they thought 8 months was a good time to rotate... Looking back, the previous rotation was almost a year as they were willing to put in extra time but I don't think it was a good choice now.   So, it seems to me that it is better to rotate sometime before that... no shame in serving out any length tour.

[Marblehead]

You had your chance once or twice to run for the hill

 

I expected a response similar to this from you.  Hehehe.

 

(Back to read the rest of your post.)

[Marblehead]

Just to let you know, I am still okay with what I am doing for the board.  I have the time and I have a solid process for doing it so don't be pushing anyone to replace me.  Hopefully you will find someone who honestly would like to do it.  That would be so much better.

[joeblast]

and here I was thinking bagua when I saw the thread title

[Michael Sternbach]

This is the title of the very PM I sent to MS to let him know that staff would be rotating.

 

I do recall talking to an ex-mod, Zero, who recommended staff rotate at 8 months... I found that very insightful as the previous staff went to almost a year and that was longer than it should go.

 

At this point, there are two new mods and two more I am talking to to join.

 

MS is now back to regular member after 8 months as a volunteer who didn't ask for all the BS but endured it as well as can be expected.

 

I'd like to thank MS for his tour of duty  

 

I was told that the reason for my dismissal was my getting involved in a conflict berween two members, Apech and Jeff. The truth is far more complex.

 

I had done some energy work together with Jeff on certain occassions. Over time, I happened to watch and talk to a number of both active and former members of Jeff's group. Being trained as a counsellor, I found indications that some of them had been adversely affected by it. Moreover, I considered some of the theoretical framework dubious. I continued gathering information on the "light group."

 

I also shared it on certain occassions. For I had accepted the responsibility to help protect this forum and its members when I became a moderator.  However, the information shared wasn't something like internal staff intelligence, it was all based on my personal previous experiences and by talking to the group members. I tried to be as fair and objective as possible. Also, I supported an effort initiated by Apech to disallow group energy work being conducted in the chat room.

 

The reason why I had to step down was the same reason Wilfred was driven into resignment just a little earlier: I had dared to be critical about the "light group" which the administrator is so enthusiastic about and supportive of.

 

If such isn't possible any longer on this website originally based on a spirit of free expression of all philosophies and ways, then I lay down this office with joy.

[dawei]

I'm sorry you see it all that way... maybe it seems hard to realize that there must be a time to rotate.   And certain circumstances make certain times seem more appropriate.   Now is a good time with two new mods and two more in discussion.   Recruiting for staff takes almost the entire year.   Folks who agreed now I actually asked before you last year.    Someone who agreed in the middle of the year has not turned it don't.   So it is important me to strike a rotation when the iron is hot.    Sometime I've said before: Admin's tend to know most of what is going on, Staff maybe 70% and members maybe 50%.  

 

I am enthusiastic about and supportive of most of the groups which have come through here.  But I don't expect everyone to know the extent of that.   I was accused of supporting Mopai too much too when many wanted them booted off.   I was supportive of Lomax's group when issues arose with that.    I'm supportive of the healers, psychics and magic and astral folks on the board and have worked with several to see and understand their practice.   I think some like yourself have focused so much on one group, and then wanting to be critical, that you've missed a bigger picture on some level when on staff.

 

I think you have some angst feelings and your wife, for some reason, lashed out when I have never talked to her.  So you may be telling her more than meets the eye, as is happening here.

 

But I appreciated your time on staff.    

[Marblehead]

Hi Michael, you did what you felt you needed to do.  Stand by it and accept the ramifications.   IMO no justification is needed.  It really is difficult to be a regular member and speak one's mind when they are also a moderator.  (Little wonder I have never accepted a position of moderator.)

[Apech]

Can I point out that I had a nice chat with Jeff the other day and exchanged PMs today.  I have explained in detail to him that I have no conflict with him as a person at all and I have been perfectly frank about any reservations I have about working with him.  As far as I am concerned we have a good respectful relationship and I can't see how this has any bearing on Michael continuing as a moderator.

 

My objections to using the chatroom for 'light work' was simply that it excluded anyone who did not want to join in and given they have two other sites which they use I don't see the reason for using this one.  I'm surprised its even controversial as an issue.

Edited August 23, 2016 by Apech

[RiverSnake]

8 Months seems like a good rule of thumb. 

Edited August 23, 2016 by OldChi

[Apech]

I'm sorry you see it all that way... maybe it seems hard to realize that there must be a time to rotate.   And certain circumstances make certain times seem more appropriate.   Now is a good time with two new mods and two more in discussion.   Recruiting for staff takes almost the entire year.   Folks who agreed now I actually asked before you last year.    Someone who agreed in the middle of the year has not turned it don't.   So it is important me to strike a rotation when the iron is hot.    Sometime I've said before: Admin's tend to know most of what is going on, Staff maybe 70% and members maybe 50%.  

 

I am enthusiastic about and supportive of most of the groups which have come through here.  But I don't expect everyone to know the extent of that.   I was accused of supporting Mopai too much too when many wanted them booted off.   I was supportive of Lomax's group when issues arose with that.    I'm supportive of the healers, psychics and magic and astral folks on the board and have worked with several to see and understand their practice.   I think some like yourself have focused so much on one group, and then wanting to be critical, that you've missed a bigger picture on some level when on staff.

 

I think you have some angst feelings and your wife, for some reason, lashed out when I have never talked to her.  So you may be telling her more than meets the eye, as is happening here.

 

But I appreciated your time on staff.    

 

So just to be clear the sole reason for Michael having to stop moderating was the 8 month time limit.  Is that correct?

[dawei]

There is rarely a sole reason... but timing is [almost] everything...  Moving on is actually a good thing

[Marblehead]

 Moving on is actually a good thing

But it gets harder the older one gets.

[Jeff]

I was told that the reason for my dismissal was my getting involved in a conflict berween two members, Apech and Jeff. The truth is far more complex.

 

I had done some energy work together with Jeff on certain occassions. Over time, I happened to watch and talk to a number of both active and former members of Jeff's group. Being trained as a counsellor, I found indications that some of them had been adversely affected by it. Moreover, I considered some of the theoretical framework dubious. I continued gathering information on the "light group."

 

I also shared it on certain occassions. For I had accepted the responsibility to help protect this forum and its members when I became a moderator.  However, the information shared wasn't something like internal staff intelligence, it was all based on my personal previous experiences and by talking to the group members. I tried to be as fair and objective as possible. Also, I supported an effort initiated by Apech to disallow group energy work being conducted in the chat room.

 

The reason why I had to step down was the same reason Wilfred was driven into resignment just a little earlier: I had dared to be critical about the "light group" which the administrator is so enthusiastic about and supportive of.

 

If such isn't possible any longer on this website originally based on a spirit of free expression of all philosophies and ways, then I lay down this office with joy.

 

 

As far as I know there is no conflict between Apech and myself.  We rarely, but periodically pm.  Over the years we have had some good discussions and collaborated on some threads together (like christian mysticism and the gospel of Thomas).

[liminal_luke]

I was told that the reason for my dismissal was my getting involved in a conflict berween two members, Apech and Jeff. The truth is far more complex.

 

I had done some energy work together with Jeff on certain occassions. Over time, I happened to watch and talk to a number of both active and former members of Jeff's group. Being trained as a counsellor, I found indications that some of them had been adversely affected by it. Moreover, I considered some of the theoretical framework dubious. I continued gathering information on the "light group."

 

I also shared it on certain occassions. For I had accepted the responsibility to help protect this forum and its members when I became a moderator.  However, the information shared wasn't something like internal staff intelligence, it was all based on my personal previous experiences and by talking to the group members. I tried to be as fair and objective as possible. Also, I supported an effort initiated by Apech to disallow group energy work being conducted in the chat room.

 

The reason why I had to step down was the same reason Wilfred was driven into resignment just a little earlier: I had dared to be critical about the "light group" which the administrator is so enthusiastic about and supportive of.

 

If such isn't possible any longer on this website originally based on a spirit of free expression of all philosophies and ways, then I lay down this office with joy.

 

Hi Michael,

 

I´m just about as out-of-the-loop as it gets, having gone into chat exactly once.  It´s a rare occasion when people are up to sexual shananigans -- with each other or strictly on the astral planes -- and I don´t know about it.  Not sure how I could of missed this one.  (If indeed, this has anything to do with anything, which, I´m realizing as I edit, it may not.)

 

What I can say with some confidence, even without having met you in person, is that you want the best for this board and are rightly concerned for the wellbeing of us Bums generally.  I know that your actions as a moderator reflected those values of care and stewardship... that you did what you thought was right.

 

If there´s a hard and fast rule about moderation rotation, well, so be it.  But if any part of this rotation decision has to do with a conflict among moderators and staff, now that´s something else.  Seems to me like an odd way to say Thank You.

 

In any case, none of this takes away from the good work you´ve done for so long.  Moderation, as everyone knows, is tough.  If you´re not making unpopular decisions, you´re probably not doing it right.  Thanks for bringing your unique persepective and expertise to the job.  This place is all the better for it.

 

Liminal 

Edited August 23, 2016 by liminal_luke

[Jeff]

I was told that the reason for my dismissal was my getting involved in a conflict berween two members, Apech and Jeff. The truth is far more complex.

 

I had done some energy work together with Jeff on certain occassions. Over time, I happened to watch and talk to a number of both active and former members of Jeff's group. Being trained as a counsellor, I found indications that some of them had been adversely affected by it. Moreover, I considered some of the theoretical framework dubious. I continued gathering information on the "light group."

 

I also shared it on certain occassions. For I had accepted the responsibility to help protect this forum and its members when I became a moderator.  However, the information shared wasn't something like internal staff intelligence, it was all based on my personal previous experiences and by talking to the group members. I tried to be as fair and objective as possible. Also, I supported an effort initiated by Apech to disallow group energy work being conducted in the chat room.

 

The reason why I had to step down was the same reason Wilfred was driven into resignment just a little earlier: I had dared to be critical about the "light group" which the administrator is so enthusiastic about and supportive of.

 

If such isn't possible any longer on this website originally based on a spirit of free expression of all philosophies and ways, then I lay down this office with joy.

 

 

Honestly, I don't get it...

 

A few years ago, a bunch of us used to do some energy experiments in chat. That was when chat was rarely used and all of the feedback seemed to be pretty positive.  Those group experiments more or less died out as people moved on. I personally have really not been much in the chat room at all over the last year.  Just showed up recently a while back at the request of a forum member to try to "feel some energy".  That one time seems to have somehow created the recent controversy.

 

After that event, Dawei notified me that the mod team had decided that there should be no further group energy activity in the chatroom as there had been some concern that the chatroom was supposed to be only for chat.  I was totally fine with it, and even volunteered to personally ban myself from the chatroom if there was specific concern related to the energy impact that I might have with my presence. Dawei told me that there was no need and that I should just not do any group energy work in the chatroom.  And that was the end of the issue from my perspective.

 

Since that time, I have been in the chatroom twice.  Once to talk privately with MS.  And the second time where I did talk with Apech.  In both cases, I thought it was simply a pleasant and open discussion.

Edited August 23, 2016 by Jeff

[cold]

Michael,

 

Thanks for your hard work!

 

That you (and the other moderators) last so long is remarkable.

 

It bears repeating:

 

Thanks for your service!

[Marblehead]

Since that time, I have been in the chatroom twice.  Once to talk privately with MS.  And the second time where I did talk with Apech.  In both cases, I thought it was simply a pleasant and open discussion.

I have been in chat once during the past three months and when I left all was chaos.

[dawei]

Honestly, I don't get it...

 

A few years ago, a bunch of us used to do some energy experiments in chat. That was when chat was rarely used and all of the feedback seemed to be pretty positive.  Those group experiments more or less died out as people moved on. I personally have really not been much in the chat room at all over the last year.  Just showed up recently a while back at the request of a forum member to try to "feel some energy".  That one time seems to have somehow created the recent controversy.

 

After that event, Dawei notified me that the mod team had decided that there should be no further group energy activity in the chatroom as there had been some concern that the chatroom was supposed to be only for chat.  I was totally fine with it, and even volunteered to personally ban myself from the chatroom if there was specific concern related to the energy impact that I might have with my presence. Dawei told me that there was no need and that I should just not do any group energy work in the chatroom.  And that was the end of the issue from my perspective.

 

I think the controversy is fueled by conspiracy... the rumor went that, Chat had been taken over and next is the forum...

 

I heard this from 2-3 people, and each time I replied that is absurd... never going to happen.  But the idea seems to continue to today...

[cheya]

I have been in chat once during the past three months and when I left all was chaos.

 

Well, that must have been the time I was there. And the time Jeff was there too.

And a few other people as well...

One of the newbies asking to feel chi...

 

First time I'd ever been in chat.

I remember you were there...

You were worried you'd interrupted something.

If you did, I couldn't tell...

And I definitely missed the chaos...

but maybe I left before you....

 

Different strokes!   

[Daeluin]

Yeah, I'm not sure why there should have been any issue. Concern was raised, there was discussion, and a decision was made to avoid energy work on people in the chat. So the people who were concerned presumably had their needs met.

 

When I joined the chat once, and agreed to do an energy exchange, it was with both Michael and Jeff at the same time. Honestly I felt a little safer with Jeff than with Michael. But perhaps that the point. We all resonate differently with different people, and sometimes we don't know what we're getting into. But this can extend to the entire forum. We even have a specific subforum where people request others to share energy with them, for healing. We have many members here who are very spiritually awakened, and I believe there are some whom will visit uninvited those who they engage in discussions with out of curiosity. I'm not sure if anything can be done about this - same as can happen walking down the street, a stranger becomes aware and there is an exchange. In every moment we are exchanging energy with others whether we like it or not, because we are all connected. Just the way energy works - same as with incomplete energies like ghosts. I'm glad that awareness of this is growing. And with awareness of this, I think it is important for people to also be aware that the best way to "counter" this is to cultivate your own health, centered-ness, and groundedness. No need to worry about the sharing, just cultivate your own whole self.

 

When dawei invited both Michael and myself to become moderators, the main thing he requested from us was to not get personally involved or attached to this role. I believe this was designed to protect us and minimize our exposure to stressful energy, and also because he wanted things to flow naturally without contrivance through too much controlling. Assuming this request was taken to heart, I don't see why staff should have any trouble moving on.

 

Personally I needed to move on after a month! And yet maybe I'm still here... hopefully not very attached. I try to let the dao tell me what to do.