[sumo] Please update- Time for a SML moderator???

[Scott M. Kahn]

Thanks for your post, Jejima but I urge you to review the genesis of
this thread.  Nobody has said that the sumo "insiders" left because
there was no moderation.  In fact, some of the insiders left
because they were frustrated with the tone of posts from other
insiders.  The point of the poll was to discuss whether moderation
might calm down the mailing list to a point at which all would take
pleasure in rejoining.  Once the mailing list gets to a certain
comfort zone, then whether to continue moderation could be
revisited.

We could debate the psychology of who might respond to the poll on
the sumo forum site, but that detracts from the main goal in
restoring the mailing list to its old glory, at least in part.

And, whether the mailing list could become once again a method of
choice for insiders to keep in touch with each other, and to allow
lurkers to join in on the fun, is a question that only a concerted
effort on the part of all posters would answer.  It may be that
you're foregone conclusion is correct, but I believe it is worth
discussing at this time.  The past is history, we are attempting to
discuss how the mailing list could be improved from this point
forward.

Sukubidubidu

Quoting Jezz <jejima at gmail.com>:

> To:  Sumo Mailing List
> Bcc:  Kintamayama (Moti) and Jonosuke (Joe Kuroda)
-snip-
>
> Looking at those leaving comments, we can be certain that many
> prominent former members of the SML voted.  Therefore we should
> take
> the poll seriously, and not dismiss it out of hand.

-snip-
> Agreed.  But what made them leave in the first place?
>
> Here are what two of the posters who are greatly missed from this
> ML
> have to say in the thread going with the poll (see
> <http://www.sumoforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=16018>):
>
> Kintamayama:
> I spent the best years of my sumo life on the SML. I owe the list
> and
> some of its members big time. The problem is that all those
> members
> are here at present so there is no point being in two places at
> one
> time. I also had some personal problems with some members of the
> list.
> As you know,I have no problems with personal problems with
> people, but
> then I was accused of being everything, which even for a "geek"
> like
> me, was too much.
> I have mostly great memories form the SML. I would have voted
> "Change
> most of the current members", but that was not an option, so I
> voted
> like the majority so far- that I'm not going back, moderation or
> not.
> If I were still there, I'd vehemently be against any sort of
> moderation.
>
> Jonosuke:
> I still have lurker friends on SML. I also miss Katrina here but
> not
> at all of anything else there.
> All the people I respect and like have moved here and I simply
> find no
> reason to go back. I left the list after seeing Kinta and Doitsu
> san
> leaving the list permanently (the two essential individuals I
> felt the
> list could not do without).
> Frankly I have no idea why someone could not join here but I
> understand most people there read the forum anyway if not
> contribute
> already.
> In my view the biggest problem of the list is they cannot skip
> the
> noises from certain members whom I find why they even follow
> Ozumo as
> they appear to see nothing good about sumo and make it like an
> Asashoryu fan club.
> I guess any list is organic so with new members coming and old
> members
> going, it may alter its character and offer a reason to go back.
>
>
>
> I would suggest that the problem with the list has nothing to do
> with
> 'moderation' of 'lack' thereof.  Perhaps going back to the
> mailing
> list archives around the time of the last posts from Moti,
> Jonosuke,
> Josh Reyer, Doitsuyama, Nishinoshima etc would find the real
> reason
> why these great posters left.  There must have been a 'final
> straw'
> for each.
>
> I certainly can't recall any of them mentioning at the time of
> leaving
> that they could not stand posting to a list any longer (that some
> had
> been contributing to for a decade unmoderated.) that was not
> being
> moderated.

-snip-
>
> A truer reading of what?
>
> Why people have left this mailing list?  How to get those people
> back?
>  How to increase the level of sumo discussion vs ill elephant
> stuff
> (and I apologise that this is yet another email from me this week
> with
> zero new sumo stuff in it)?  Or whether people like a mailing
> list to
> be moderated?
>
> I suspect only the latter.  Therefore no matter what the reponse
> is,
> or how many polls you do until you get the 'right response' it
> will
> not solve the problem with this mailing list.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Jezz (aka Jejima)
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