Don - don't reinstate it!
I thought the comments were unedifying, confusing and wholly inappropriate for a newbie thread in the First Steps forum. I believe said newbie was of the fairer sex and, as we all know, there's precious few women on these boards.
I know you aren’t one Tim and I’m sure you don’t mean to come across as one either, but for newbies who don’t really know you, I imagine some have sized you up as a real prig based on those comments.
The member in question may be ‘the fairer sex’ (what’s wrong with just saying ‘female’?), but not necessarily. Any more than I really am a bramble. Regardless of their gender (or species), they get treated the same as everyone else. Just like real life…?
While from these and some previous remarks, some may have formed an opinion of you that you feel you occupy “No. 1 The Moral High Ground”, I know you’re not that much of a self-opinionated fool and you’ve done yourself a big disservice for those that don’t know you as well in perhaps coming across as one, however inadvertently. As I think about it, it is quite possible if you and Don are correct in your self-authenticated assessment of humanity in general, that some may even have been traumatised by forming that opinion of you. We should offer a counselling service. Actually, the site may be legally liable for providing such a service where traumatisation, however briefly caused in that split instant between insane and insensitive postings and mods sending out their post snatch squad, has occurred. I’ll check it out and get back to admin. Gently of course using a soothing tone and pleasingly warm smile.
The real problem is, as an Advisor, your comments may carry more weight than they would without that label for newbies, and again, newbies might imagine your view represents far more of the membership than it actually does, which in reality, it is just your own opinion – which may well on occasion, or even more frequently, be quite at odds with the rest of the site’s sensible membership. With the privilege of Advisor-hood comes responsibilities too. I’m surprised you and the admin haven’t considered this more carefully or that you and all the other proto-mods haven’t at least got together to produce a basic code of conduct when expressing your views. Even more of an issue is the obvious lack of any training or moderation of the moderators themselves, but that’s not your fault.
I say 'was' because her experience this weekend will probably lead her to conclude that there's little of interest or value for her here on T2W.
Oh really? Based on that one thread? They didn’t check out any other forum or threads? Are you sure? Did you PM the member and have that conversation or is this just you projecting your own preconceptions and ‘issues’ (come on, we all know what they are) onto the situation so you can get what points you want to get across which seem to have strangely, diverged from the initiating problem which was originally under discussion?
Tell you what, rather than just pontificating from on high and letting us all know where we’re all going wrong and claiming to know through an as yet undefined process how you can gauge and judge the thoughts of all sentient beings, how about one of you gallant Knights in Shining Armour actually asking the member in question? I think you may just find that being a newbie to this site does not necessarily mean they were born yesterday. You might also find that they resent, quite as much as I do if not more so, your belief that they are going to be traumatised by such pranks and hijinks and assume them to be quite incapable of recognising it for what it was, and you and Don, for what you are. I’m not making any specific value judgement on you or Don, I’m leaving that up to the individual members to decide for themselves. That’s called free will and apparently most of us are born with it. Some however, feel they have a better idea what is good for folks than do the folks themselves. They become politicians, or moderators.
This would all be extremely funny if it didn’t suck the energy and life-force out of the site. There are damned few real traders on this site as far as I can tell, and those that are tend to leave precisely because of this nanny mindset taking ever greater hold to the absolute detriment of experienced and informed discussion and the off-topic banter that holds it all together and which builds a real sense of community and characters. Being moderated like naughty children by those that have less experience and knowledge than we do, this ‘ethic’ seems to have all but taken over the day to day running of the place leaving no room for those that can, to help those they want to, in their own way without ill-formed and over-zealous intrusions by those that should be sticking to their core role and not letting their over-inflated egos fed with their increasing feelings of omnipotence and power get in the way of what the site is, or should be all about.
We on this site seem to go through periods of relative calm, punctuated by frenzied moments of inappropriate intrusion by those with the power but not necessarily the skill to wield that power effectively. I’d suggest, mods err on the side of caution and assume they probably don’t know what’s best for everyone and simply stick to the guidelines. It’s usually quite obvious to most when something in ‘in’ or something is ‘out’. Which is why these instances of pointless swaggering and bullying by the mods are given such distinct focus and attention. If in doubt, any doubt, leave it alone!
Tim, that response was as much for Don as you. Hope you both take it in the sprit intended….
. 
