Hi Jeff;
Regarding your suggestion to set the boundaries, Susan, Mica and I have been working on some significant changes, and we hope to have something posted within a few days. However, although we've put a lot of time and discussion into the changes we'll be posting, I doubt these changes will address the specific setting of boundaries that you are requesting. We'll have to give that some more thought when we can. At the moment, I need to get back to work and really don't have the time to address this as fully as I would like. But I'll bring it up with Mica, and we'll see what we can come up with. Please make suggestions or raise questions that you think we should consider.
Regarding that one thread in particular, several members were made uncomfortable by the thread. Despite the film's importance as a teaching tool for exposing bigotry, certain quotes taken out of that context will not be perceived by all readers in the same way. I removed the most objectionable word in the thread (which was in a post made by someone that does not live in the US and thus does not have the same context that people like me who live in the southern US have), and concluding that the thread was continuing to make people uncomfortable, decided to close it.
My next door neighbor flies the stars and bars in his front yard. Personally, I find that extremely objectionable. I suppose I could just not look in that direction; but the bigger issue is what it says about the street I live on, the community I live in; what it says to friends who might come to visit.
When we are part of a community, I think it important to consider the community as a whole, consider the feelings of all of the members of that community, consider the things that have shaped their lives. Our community here on the Alembic forum is global in nature, and members are very diverse. We therefore have a greater responsibility to view what we post here within the context of this diverse membership. It's not always easy to do, and it's not always clear how things will be interpreted.
You are absolutely right that my moderating reflects my subjective view of what might be best for the club as a whole; and I would go even further and suggest that this subjective view changes over time, and even day to day. My mood changes over time, my patience, my level of engagement, my health, my available time for the board, etc. Your point is a reasonable point to make. I don't always, or even frequently, know what the best action to take is going to be. This moderatin' stuff does tend to hurt my head.
