On Mon, May 5, 2008 at 6:41 PM, Eric Schiller
wrote:


If the USCF insists on forums, they should be like DailyKos, where
nothing is deleted. If people with high status (mojo) vote to hide a
comment, it becomes non-public, but is still accessible to “Trusted
Users” (a status I generally have), and can be unhidden if enough TUs
vote for it. On the other hand, everyone can vote for postings, and
the most popular go on the recommended list. To insure good posts
don’t get buried, there is a daily Diary rescue, where a committee
selects worthy posts and puts links on the front page.



The DailyKos system works very well, and handles trolls
effectively. Only posts are hidden, no one is censored except for
violating clearly stated rules. You should look at DailyKos to see how
it is done right, and make appropriate suggestions to the USCF.



Eric,

You have made a serious and interesting suggestion here. There are
thousands of postings that have been pulled or hidden from the USCF
Issues Forum. Only three people are allowed to see them: Vaughn,
Sawmiller and Vibbert. Even the FOC members are not allowed to review
them any more, nor can the board, or at least I could not when I was
on the board.

This is obviously wrong when Vaughn and Sawmiller are outrageously
biased and Vibbert is hardly neutral.

Your suggestion is to create a group of "Trusted Users" who could vote
to restore a hidden post. Assuming that this committee of Trusted
Users is reasonably large and representative and not filled with
persons like Vaughn and Sawmiller whose agendas are well known, this
would result in most of the several thousand postings that have been
hidden to be revealed and would allow the general membership to find
out what has really been going on behind the scenes.

It would also send a clear message to all moderators and board members
that their dirty deeds will not remain hidden forever and will
eventually come out. Sunshine is the best disinfectant, as they say.

Accordingly, I am forwarding your suggestion to the board. Do not hold
your breath waiting for them to enact it however.

Sam Sloan