All year long I see the same, wonderful, patient (mostly) moderators and "long-timers" on all the different forums. I hope you know how much the newbies and the folks like me, who have been her for a couple of years appreciate your advice, input, opinions and encouragement. Thanks SO much!!
I agree. I hesitate to mention by name all of the people who have influenced me and impressed me during this year but there have been many and I owe a debt of gratitude to them all. Some of the "usual suspects" have become true friends and even some of those with whom I don't see eye-to-eye have offered a consistent counter-balance to my incurable optimism and as such have set me to thinking on a regular basis (even if they *are* wrong
).
I don't know how many other people feel as I do but as a user of this site (which is what all moderators are, first and foremost) I'm honoured to be part of such a large community that by and large gets along very well with one another. It seems clear to me that that which binds us characterizes this community much more than that which divides us, which may be unique among a group of +/- 200,000 people.
Speaking strictly as a moderator,it has been a good year. We've gained increased clarity on how to deal with sociopathic users (a difficult issue and something that is also unavoidable in a population of 200,000) and have had good success with dealing with it. We've got a good team that works well together even though most of us have never met in person. The forums seem to be running on a even keel and I feel we can be proud of the small part we play in that. Being a moderator is like being a referee. 1/2 of the people will cheer your calls and 1/2 of the people will "boo" you, but nobody seems prepared to play the game without you. In some ways it's an impossible job, but to see the result is incredibly satisfying: a forum that remains the most popular in the world among divers, and a home to a community that functions well as a whole. I hope that people believe that moderators had
nothing to do with that, because if they do then we have done our jobs perfectly.
We've also had some hard times this year. We lost Quero to a diving accident and that was a harsh blow to all of us who knew, her, moderator or not. I personally believe it was one of the defining events of this year. The moderation team was shaken to the roots by it. Shortly after that, Netdoc's son died in a horrible accident and the team was faced with a second crisis that had to be managed while the "show went on". I would like to believe that we got through that without too many ripples running through the community, even though there were a few who felt that we should be "forgiven" for how we handled ourselves as opposed to "commended". Whether they are right or not is not for me to judge.
For Netdoc and for Quero's real-life friends, of course, this wasn't the main concern and I feel deeply sympathetic to their loss. Cyber space intersects more and more with real-life and this year the blurring of those lines hit very close to home for many of us.
For my part, I would like also like to thank everyone who contributed this year. Without you this community wouldn't function. For those who *almost* clicked on "reply", I would like to encourage you to take that step next year. Your opinion is as valid as anyone else's. I know it can be challenging to take that first step but your participation will make the community richer. I guarantee it.
R..
