[Larry_OHF]

Amazing! I believe I finally found a theory suitable to Moderating that I wanna pass on to you all. This just now occured to me while I was taking a wonderful, hot shower. Okay...I can best explain my theory in an example...better than I can any other way, so here it goes. All characters and scenes are imagined...Please read all the way to the end, as I tie up my thoughts only then:


LarrydaLoon is a new member on Ironworks. He comes to the General Discussion forum and begins to meet everyone. Before long, he has read a few posts and has seen that many opinions and cultures exist here, and he is excited to begin posting his own thoughts...but then learns that Memnoch does not like apples. Well, LarrydaLoon loves apples and wants to explain why...but before doing so, learns from what he thinks he sees, and thinks that he understands...if you have an open disagreement with a moderator here...you get punished for it quickly. So, LarrydaLoon does not post about his love for apples.
Soon, he sees another Moderator, Larry_OHF, posting his strong belief in Christianity, and it appears that if LarrydaLoon was to voice his own interest in the Ferret God Morphi, he would be in trouble with the Moderators. And he ain't even gonna ask what OHF stands for...he heard in a PM from a newfound friend, little bugger, that asking would get him in trouble.
Finally, there is a big debate about The Lord of The Rings. Everybody is posting their dislike about the movie. LarrydaLoon would not dare post that he enjoyed it, because Sazerac just now posted that this was the worst movie in this century! Since LarrydaLoon sees that the majority of the vote is in favor against the movie, and that nobody seems to have liked the movie, even the moderators...he will not post, thus becomes tired of this site, and leaves, never to return.

What I have tried to portray here is that I have been too opinionated on issues, and I have seen no other Moderator speak so adamantly about a given topic, unless it dealt with board regulations or such. I have heard that A moderator should remain Neutral as much as possible, never taking sides in an argument...because what happens is that the some posters will get scared away from posting. If I was a new poster, and knew that most of the posters on here beleived in Christianity...but I didn't, and wanted to share my views...I would have the good feeling that after I posted...the moderators would give me fair chance to post my views, and not let anyone flame me becaue of it. If I thought that the Moderators would turn their attentions away and let everyone bash me for my views, because the Moderators only allowed the Christian side to win...I would not bother posting.

So, now I understand what Neutrality is. It means that I do not openly state my opinion and seem only to agree with the Christians, for example, on the board...but I must show every new member that I encourage them to post their non-Christian beleifs...and I will not supress them..
That is the key, I think. I will not suppress you, for your viewpoints, cause I, (a Mod.) disagreeing with you is scarier than a normal poster doing so.

Now...everyone...Have I stated this theory clearly and correctly? Have I gone off the point, or made an untrue assumption?
It is now your time to teach me, as I eagerly look forward to your opinions on this.

Is this what a Moderator's Neutrality means?

[ 02-05-2002: Message edited by: Larry_OHF ]