An exasperating response. I don't dislike the forum. I don't dislike all the mods. What I do dislike is discussing these things. It seems as though some here secretly (or not so secretly) enjoy the drama. Well, I don't. And I proposed a very simple solution to end it, which you have now refused. So tell me, jamal, do you enjoy the drama too? For what reason is Agustino not ready?

You created this drama, as I see it. You often do. As for Agustino, I've no idea why you're talking about him or why you think he'd make a good mod.

Three people have now recommended Agustino as a mod. All it took for TL to become one was to ask. This isn't that hard. You likely know that my complaints about you and your fellow mods would end if you actually promoted him.

So what's holding you back, hmm?

What I do dislike is discussing these things. It seems as though some here secretly (or not so secretly) enjoy the drama. Well, I don't. — Thorongil

Did you type this with a straight face?

I never agreed to make TL a mod, so no, I don't think I created this drama. You surely realize that Agustino is a lightning rod for the other mods. For that reason alone he would provide the aforementioned counterweight and alleviate virtually all the concerns I have with the mods.

So why not do it? What precludes him from being a mod? Whatever you say against him, I'm quite sure the same could be attributed to the current mods. So that leaves me with the notion that you just like seeing all this drama unfold and people like me endlessly complain.

Believe it or not, alleviating your concerns about the mod team is not very high on our list of priorities when it comes to selecting new mods. I really still have no idea why you're harping on about Agustino.

All I did was make someone a mod. You created the drama.

alleviating your concerns about the mod team is not very high on our list of priorities — jamalrob

Good god man, you do realize this confirms precisely what I'm concerned about?

All I did was make someone a mod. — jamalrob

This sentence implies that it's not a big deal to make someone a mod. And yet, apparently it is. You casually decided to make TL a mod on the basis of her requesting to be one, but are now obstinately refusing to do the same when I and others request that someone else be a mod. You cannot fail to understand how infuriating you are being here.

For a start, we don't have any vacancies now. And there are better potential candidates when we do imo.

Why are they better? And whoever said there needed to be a precise number of mods?

Choosing mods has never been open to debate among the membership at large. As usual, the decision was a private one, until you decided to make an issue out of it. It's certainly not true that asking to be a mod is a ticket to modhood.

Again, what is your problem?

Choosing mods has never been open to debate among the membership at large. As it always has been, the decision was a private one until you decided to make an issue out of it. It's certainly not true that asking to be a mod is a ticket to modhood. — jamalrob

So what is? The whim of the mods? Do the mods work in mysterious ways us mere mortals cannot fathom?

So it comes to this: "We value feedback and a diverse mod team, but on the other hand, fuck feedback and fuck having a diverse mod team. We're going to continue as is, and we're not going to tell you why! We have other priorities, and we're not telling you what those are either!"

Right. Well, at least your irrationality is on display for all to see.

I don't see why I owe you an explanation. We're always looking for potential mods, and the qualities we look for are those you'd expect us to look for.

Unless you tell us what your issue is, I can't see this discussion going anywhere.

You don't owe me one. It's your forum. I've made what my issue is abundantly clear.

Fine, don't talk. As you say, you don't have to. But you must know that your silence only raises my suspicions about how it went down and why. — Thorongil

Stop can kicking and tell us why we conspired to bring her aboard. I'm curious as to what havoc we can now rain down that previously we couldn't. Do you really think we sit around thinking of ways to annoy you?

How about this: you don't like her so you're mad about the decision, so you're arriving at irrational nonsense to suggest some sort of incoherent impropriety.

In summary: We think she's qualified. You don't. Good chat.

So that's what it is? There's a suspicion that TimeLine has been brought on to the staff to silence certain people or crack down on something in particular? That is really not what is happening here.

I just find it appalling that you all found it prudent to add a poster like TimeLine who has shown herself on many occasions to be an unapologetic, belligerent, strawmaning, twit. Apart from "ayes" and "yeahs", I'm struggling to figure out how on earth the mod team here thought TimeLine was any more qualified than a charleton.

How about this: she doesn't like me and is now a mod, which provides her the opportunity to unjustly censure me and others with impunity. Why "impunity" you ask? Because the mods routinely violate the very guidelines they're supposed to enforce, often egregiously so, as in the case of SLX.

Let's then say I complain about what I take to be unjust treatment and she confers with the other mods about whether she's in the right. Well, 1) the mods are predisposed to like and agree with her and 2) not a single mod thinks very highly of me. So what then? She gets away with it. There is no countervailing force among the mods, as Agustino would be, to dissent from the witch hunt. That's how Emptyheady got banned. That's how Baden could threaten Buxte with a ban on the dubious charge of sexism while turning a blind eye to the foul insults SLX spewed.

That is really not what is happening here. — jamalrob

You have done less than nothing to reassure me of this. But let me guess: "I don't owe you any reassurance." Fine, then learn to live with my complaints of your ridiculous double standards.

I've said several times that I think highly of your contributions, at least when you're not whining. I don't think you've been under-moderated and I don't particularly want to see you being singled out. TimeLine's mod powers have nothing to do with you.

I don't know what you're talking about

Anyways, on a much more serious and important subject. totally related to the great title of the OP... Where did you learn that TL got a promotion? Is there some backroom room where all the backroom deals are made, so to speak, in the back of everyone else? If so, I can I spy this node of power and influence?

We have staff-only discussions but I don't know how Thorongil found out. Admins and mods do have a little telltale icon on their avatars though.

We all have the little Hypatia(?) symbol/face next to our profile pics on the top left. Or, if you click on our profiles, under 'site role', it'll list us.

Thank you!
Ah chucks. I'm no closer to the dark hallways of power. :’(

I must say, this does come as a surprise considering that I thought I was fantastic.

But, jokes aside, @Thorongil, I hear you and appreciate your feedback and I would like to publicly acknowledge why you felt it wrong to have me on the mod team particularly relating to the comment. I retract it accordingly and apologies for any offence that you have taken to it, it was rhetorically cruel and it stemmed from an anger that I felt at the time towards the judgement and accusations being made against women who protested for feminism. If there are other concerns relating to any of my posts to you, please both past and future, flag them either with me or to others and we will proceed from there.

jamal, I hope you're not so naive as to believe that most of the mods would not love to get rid of me as they would Agustino. Their contempt for us can barely be contained these days. Whatever dam protects me from censure and being banned has been significantly eroded after the debate on guns and the debate on female modesty. I'm sure this will be met with cries of "persecution complex," but so be it. It's easy to make that charge from a position of power. If I didn't think I was being targeted, I wouldn't be making threads like this.

"Much ado about nothing" you might alternatively say, and have said by referencing mountains and molehills. This is true. It is much ado about nothing in the grand scheme of things. Under ideal circumstances I would more or less be off the grid and not engaged in such petty squabbles. But I have obtained a fair amount of value and perspective by interacting with others on both the old and now this forum, and so long as I'm here, I might as well speak my mind and tidy up as best I can this one small corner of the Internet.

Oh hello. Getting answers in this thread has been like extracting blood from a turnip, so I'm glad you've finally made an appearance to help settle the matter. I accept and sincerely appreciate your apology. I will also begin to flag inappropriate posts.

Oh hello. Getting answers in this thread has been like extracting blood from a turnip, so I'm glad you've finally made an appearance to help settle this matter. I accept and sincerely appreciate your apology. I will also begin to flag inappropriate posts. — Thorongil

Sorry, yes I am at work and only just had my lunch break. I am glad you accepted my apology because I do feel bad; I tend to make jokes in the "Shoutbox" thread that are more or less intended to provoke in some way and should recognise the differences in what some would constitute as humour. I respect you enough to acknowledge that. While my posts in many other threads probably reflect more of who I am, I will attempt to convey a bit more decorum. It is something I should learn nevertheless being a tad bit too emotional for my taste for certain subjects. If anything, my editing would probably be more or less the PhiSci stuff.

Pasta Saladorians should be suppressed. — Bitter Crank

Of all the nasty little pastas in this thread, you offend me the most.