A campfire chat with the moderators :)

[Gracy]

Posted by Tam (here)
For the next questions, I'll be putting them all in one fat question, since they were all of Gracy May's that were sort of sprinkled around this thread. For the record, Gracy, I love asking probing, personal questions (I can be rude like that, I just like getting to the point), so I appreciate that you dove headfirst into the deep end.



Anyway, here goes:

Nice start Tam, you read me well there. Often times i feel people may be a bit taken aback by just that, the way i like to just dive headfirst into the deep end as you put it. Its never intended as anything more than just getting straight to the point, whatever the point may be, my mama always taught me to be direct, give a firm handshake, and look people in the eye.

How do you mods, both new and seasoned, see this forum differently than when you were a regular member, and, how do you weigh your responsibility of when to use force to keep the peace, and when to use deescalation skills to keep the peace?

New mods how much have you thought about this when you were a member putting your self in a mods shoes, vs. how it looks now sporting that badge and a gun? Does the landscape look different now?

Does it change the way you perceive yourself in relation to the other now just regular members?
What ways do y'all interact with the forum in a more technical way? I know like sometimes youll fix a video link, move a post or a thread, what other kinds of tecchie type stuff that we might never even think about?

Hopefully, Gracy, that answers all of your questions, but if you want me to elaborate on anything, let me know and I'd be glad to.

Ha! That was one hell of an answer Tam, that's what i'm talkin about, and i'll have you know i like your spirit girl! Can't think of anything i could possibly ask you to elaborate on as i now truly have a good idea of what youre about through that most detailed answer.

Now a few of my favorites. First on the tech end of mod duties.

I have a newfound respect for how much work this place takes to run. I always figured it was no cakewalk, but wow, let me tell you, it's a lot like laundry: it's a never-ending cycle of work! Rarely is there never a growing pile of clothes to take care of. That being said, I f*cking hate doing the laundry,

Rofl, i'll think of dirty laundry evry time i think of y'all in the mod room now. Seriously though, that is a pretty good description and, thanks for the peek behind the curtain there.Doesnt sound like much fun...

To me, I'm still just another member, I certainly don't see myself as above anyone else, I just have more power, which, yes, as you pointed out, does inherently sort of elevate you a bit. But what I'd like to stress is that I don't see myself as an overlord or ruler or anything like that; I kind of have an issue with authority, I've always been a bleeding heart lady-of-the-people, so at the end of the day, I see myself more like a volunteer firefighter, if that makes sense.

At the end of the day, I'm just a member like any other, and I try to keep that state of mind when making any kind of executive decision regarding Avalon. A level-head, fairness to all, and a lack of bias are the flavors of every day. I can't stand nepotism, or favoritism, or political bs.

I guess that's just a part of how I see the world; of of my core principles is, essentially, that everyone poops.

I don't care if you're the Queen of England, Elon Musk, or the janitor, I put everyone on the same level, and it's up to them to prove to me whether or not they get to go up or down any number of notches. People are people, and I don't give a single iota of a damn about status, wealth, or seniority. It doesn't mean I don't respect you, I believe in treating others how you want to be treated. It's just that, I don't get the whole blind-idolatry thing, whether it's with a celebrity or some kind of authority figure.

I take sh*t from no one, and I have no respect for assh*les, cowards, or the willfully ignorant.

Rich or poor, sexy or ugly, educated or illiterate, aristocrat or peasant, I don't care. It's about the person, not the frills. Hell, you don't even have to be human. A Reptilian or Nordic alien could zap into my living room right now, and after waking up from my heart-attack, I'd treat them the same as anybody else, which means I'd give them a piece of my mind for infringing on my privacy

That is EXACTLY the type of attitude and outlook on life that i look for from people with power and authority. Sure this is at the end of the day just another ole internet forum anongst countless others, but the idea is the same for me whether it be a forum moderator, a cop on the beat, or the damn President.


Thank you sweety for such a detailed answer. If you represent even a small percent of this latest generation of young people coming into their full bloom adult hood these days, i feel pretty good about things as my generation is now beginning to see their sunset on the horizon.

[Cara]

Okay, time for me to answer another question

Posted by samildamach (here)
Describe a perfect day you have not yet had?

Thank you samildamach, this one has sent me off into bliss

It would start with the birds singing, then the sound of leaves rustling, and slowly I would wake to find I’ve been asleep in a forest clearing. I would be resting on a bed of moss, soft and green and gentle.

As I open my eyes, I would find the birds hopping about the edges of the clearing, chattering away. The sunlight would dance down through the leaves, finally settling on the grass of the clearing.

I would wander into the forest to find a gurgling stream. Following this along, I would occasionally cross over, stepping on the stones to the other side.

At some point, I would hear a rushing sound and start to feel a chill in the air. All of a sudden, I would step out through the trees to find a waterfall, water and spray misting all around me.

The light would share its rainbow hues with me and I would breathe in the sparkling light.

I’d sit by the side of the waterfall and sing along to its song... humming now and then, dreaming of the lives in the trees.

[James]

I’m going to tackle most, if not all, of these questions one by one. Thank you all for contributing to this conversation!

I would love to know your favorite books to read and why would you recommend them ?

“Handbook to Higher Consciousness” by Ken Keyes Jr.

When I was in college studying psychology, one of my least favorite but most influential professors stopped me after class one day to hand me this book, saying, “Read this while you’re on winter break, but bring it back. This is my bible.” It was one of those significant moments that not only changed my paradigm, but changed 100% who I’d end up meeting in the field and what I’d end up researching.

It’s a dated sort of book, but it’s highly accessible, and a wonderful crack in the cosmic egg before any actual eggs get cracked.

[James]

Describe a perfect day you have not yet had?

One of my friends owns a cigar shop, and when someone asks him what his favorite cigar is, he always answers with, “The one I’m smoking now.”

The perfect day I’ve never had is the one I’m living today.

[James]

Oh, questions, right: What is yall's favorite meal and what is yall's favorite movie? You can only choose 1. Cruel I know, I'm sorry, but it's the rules.

My favorite meal has been and always will be a peanut butter and jam sandwich. Sprouted grain bread, homemade peanut butter and jam... Yum!

As for movies, 12 Angry Men directed by Sidney Lumet.

[James]

How do you mods, both new and seasoned, see this forum differently than when you were a regular member, and, how do you weigh your responsibility of when to use force to keep the peace, and when to use deescalation skills to keep the peace?

Each of us could have a wonderful one on one conversation, face to face, with no moderation needed.

In groups, the interpersonal psychology changes, with the varying effects becoming more noticeable as the size of the group increases.

My responsibility as a moderator is to help guide our discussions so they feel like a healthy, balanced one on one conversation among friends at a fun, but busy, party. Least invasive to most invasive, in handling problems, as the chiropractors say!

[James]

Which topics on the forum would you love to see more participation and interest in because you, yourself, share those interests, or because you think those topics are important but overlooked?

Lamarckism and social heuristics!

Are there topics that you feel have been flogged to death...?

Yes! Sometimes we spend a bit too much time on hoaxes we pretty much all agree are hoaxes - see social heuristics above!

[Rosemarie]

Posted by James (here)

Which topics on the forum would you love to see more participation and interest in because you, yourself, share those interests, or because you think those topics are important but overlooked?

Lamarckism and social heuristics!

Are there topics that you feel have been flogged to death...?

Yes! Sometimes we spend a bit too much time on hoaxes we pretty much all agree are hoaxes - see social heuristics above!

Hurrying to the dictionary to see what those words mean. I am so ignorant , so thank you James for expanding my vocabulary and knowledge. Love to learn something new each day.

[James]

who of the mods. would be playing the guitar round the fire right now?, and why don't you pass it on already? And which mod. would you pass it on to next?

I’d like to think we play the guitar like this:

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=EjA7BCKZ1Ag

[Cara]

Time for me to answer another question I think.

Posted by Strat (here)
...
Oh, questions, right: What is yall's favorite meal and what is yall's favorite movie? You can only choose 1. Cruel I know, I'm sorry, but it's the rules.

My favourite meal: well, I really love miso soup. It’s light, rich, flavourful, salty, umami, hints of the sea, nourishing, and good for you!

~~~

My favourite movie is much harder to pick! Let me see.

First, here’s a story of a crazy childhood dream. I had this when I was about 9; we didn’t have TV until then. This was a nightmare where the television snow (the kind that used to be on TVs when they weren’t in tune), escaped the TV and then proceeded to chase me. I was hounded by it all over the place and eventually ran to the edge of a cliff, no escape. And then I woke up.

So, with that in mind, you might see why I don’t really find TV and movies to be something I like much.

That being said, I think I like “A Room with a View” best. It has wonderful scenery, beautiful music, great acting, fantastic period costumes and a story about struggling against convention.

[Bill Ryan]

Folks, I'd love you to get to know the new mods a little. We were wondering how best to do this, and then remembered we had this thread.

No questions are off limits. (And we really do have some interesting, high quality people on the team)