A long, LONG time ago, Dan and Ant decided that it was too much for the two of them to run the site and they appointed a number of moderators to help with the day-to-day running of the site and keep an eye on the many posts created every day. Since then, the only changes to the moderator team have been when people have stopped visiting the site as they've moved on. Now, the only active moderator is Dave H, and while he's doing an excellent job, the site has grown phenomenally since he was appointed and it's all a bit too much for such a small team.
To help to develop the site further, for the benefit of all, we decided that we need a
council of members who have a wide-range of opinions on how things are handled and don't necessarily all subscribe to the opinion that Dan, Ant and Dave have been doing a perfect job. So, we approached a number of members, and we're pleased to announce that
most agreed to join us to help keep the site on track for the benefit of everyone here. The admin team will consult with the council before making any significant decisions and likewise the council will provide feedback to the administrators if they disagree with the way that something is handled. What we're establishing is a diplomatic voice for the members, and the council are authorised to over-rule any decision or policy established by the admin team, new and old, where a majority vote is cast.
The council also has a second role, and that is of moderator. All councillors are authorised to edit, move, lock or delete posts and threads as necessary, in the same way that the admin team and moderators always have. It's rare that we do as we prefer a hands-off approach, but while that policy has served us well in the past, it is far from perfect. We hope that with the wider opinion of the council that we'll be able to get a better idea of how the site needs to be developed, and how to handle any issues that arise. In some cases this will mean more action than we currently take, whereas in others it will mean less.
The council members are by no means fixed, in that any can step down at any time, and others can be appointed also. There is no fixed number of council seats; we may add many more, yet we may reduce numbers again as people move on.
So, who are the team now?
- Dan - Site founder and Administrator[/*:m]
- Antnee - Administrator[/*:m]
- Dave H - Senior Moderator[/*:m]
- Gargoyle - Councillor and Moderator[/*:m]
- Jon.F - Councillor and Moderator[/*:m]
- Lardy - Councillor and Moderator[/*:m]
- Squidger - Councillor and Moderator[/*:m]
- The Gamekeeper - Councillor and Moderator[/*:m]
- FBG - Councillor and Moderator[/*:m]
- Mel B - Councillor and Moderator[/*:m]
Like your local government, you should be able to approach a councillor and ask that they represent any issue that you have in front of the greater council, if you so choose. You can still report a post that you think is inappropriate by clicking the
in the corner of every post, or you can go directly to a councillor. Even if your problem is with a councillor, or an administrator. That's why we have a team and aren't trying to handle everything ourselves.
I hope you'll join us in welcoming the new team, and in giving them your every support. For many, this is a completely new experience and they'll take a steady start, rather than hitting the ground running. We're just glad to have them all on board :thumbup
:welcome all
