New Admin / Moderator Process for KoratFarang.com

[SportRider]

Dear All,

I started this board in 2006, with excitement, because I was new to Korat - and believed there was a need for a community forum.  I also wanted to make friends and find out about my new home.  I have always been happy for this to be a small forum - member numbers are not important.  What is important is the tone - the philosophy - the feeling - the spirit of the board. 

Anyone who really knows Korat knows that it is different to anywhere else in Thailand.  There is something special about this place.  We don't have beaches.  We don't have streets filled with seedy bars.  We don't have a sub-culture of ripping off tourists.  The foreigners - the farang - who live here, do so partly because there is an honesty about this place.  I'm not saying it doesn't have it's downsides, but a Korat Farang represents a certain kind of person.  Maybe we are all odd-balls - avoiding each other in the mall, struggling to make a go of our business, living a kind of dual existence with family in Korat but working elsewhere - or whatever.  But I believe that fundamentally we are all connected in some way.  I hope that KoratFarang.com is part of that connection, and a reflection of the best parts of our collective selves.

Unfortunately, as the KF board has grown, we have fallen into the problems of any community that has more than handful of members.  There are squabbles, arguments, troublemakers, and the effects that come from that.  My instinct as moderator is to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and believe that decency and maturity will prevail.  Sadly this has proved to be not always the case.  My modus operandi for running the KF board has not been adequate, and I feel I have let down some very good friends. 

I apologise to everyone offended or affected by the troublesome posts and general negativity here on KF over the last couple of weeks or so.

I am especially sorry that some of our long-term and valued members have decided to become less involved with the KF community.

So with your kind understanding, we'll try something else.  A more pro-active style of administration.  More subjective.  More open to criticism.  But I hope, more likely to succeed in preserving the values I had in mind when I started KF.

Maybe the new KF won't be for everyone, but it will be for those who appreciate intelligent discussion, respectful argument and exchange of views, helpful and informative posts, and a sense of community without bitterness or baiting or back-biting.

The rules are so simple they barely need stating:

1. Follow the spirit of the board
2. Be nice
3. Don't take the p**s
4. Sportrider's word is final

There have been many posts over recent times that remind me of my 5-year old daughter - when she knows she is doing something naughty and is watching me as she does it - waiting to see when I will react.  Seeing where the line is, and pushing it.   This kind of post is what I call 'taking the p**s' (with apologies to non-native-English speaking members).  These posts, on the surface innocuous, are to my mind the most insidious and destructive to the board.  I will henceforth take swift action in these cases.  And to be clear, although I will often give one, nobody has the right to an initial warning before a suspension or ban. 

Let's get back to business.

Cheers and regards to all,
Sportrider


PS. 
The 'operational' guidelines remain in place:
(i) No subject is off limits for intelligent discussion;
(ii) Be polite to your neighbours;
(iii) respect other's points of view and accept that even if opposite to yours, they may be equally 'right';
(iv) please do not post anything likely to bring the board into disrepute;
(v) above all, observe the spirit of the board.

[LAWMAN]

SR,
Clear, concise and to the point.
We should ALL note, observe and comply.
Regards,
Bruce.

[chawayn]

Good on ya Sport and appreciate all the effort. Hopefully idiotoddessy's will fade away over time.

[SportRider]

I must be doing something right - I've just been threatened with legal action after I banned someone today!  Oh Mama I'm so scared.

[Jeff1]

I must be doing something right - I've just been threatened with legal action after I banned someone today!  Oh Mama I'm so scared.

 
It's almost worth it.  ....?

[tubbiguy]

I find that REALLY amusing. Why would anyone carry on like that? Most of us, I believe, would have a personal aversion to being anywhere that we are not welcome (I certainly do).......why fight to remain if your posts are so ill-advised as to prompt a ban? Does anyone believe that they have a RIGHT to offend others?

[MrChokChai]

thank you sr

much nicer this last week

mcc

[Bigbus]

I usually don't say to much about things that happen like this but I thought we were all adults on the forum. There is always a few bad apple in the basket. I find the forum very helpful and hope everything gets back the way it should be.

SR i appreciate your time and effort and everyone else should also. And who ever threatened you with legal should wake up and smell the coffee. It's not like your getting a 6 figure salary for this. 5555555555

Good job to you and the rest of the board members.

[Allergic Allan]

Well done SSR,
I'm sure if this person takes it all the way to the high court we will all have a whip round to pay any costs involved, it would be worth it.
Maybe now Seb. is taking a bit of a back seat for a while he would have some spare time to represent this person in his fight for "justice" 

[sevie]

sr, well done. appreciated by us all. Now perhaps we can look forward to a pleasant furure and the return of seb and cliffe.
well done

sevie

[Outlaw11]

Dear All,

I started this board in 2006, with excitement, because I was new to Korat - and believed there was a need for a community forum.  I also wanted to make friends and find out about my new home.  I have always been happy for this to be a small forum - member numbers are not important.  What is important is the tone - the philosophy - the feeling - the spirit of the board. 

Anyone who really knows Korat knows that it is different to anywhere else in Thailand.  There is something special about this place.  We don't have beaches.  We don't have streets filled with seedy bars.  We don't have a sub-culture of ripping off tourists.  The foreigners - the farang - who live here, do so partly because there is an honesty about this place.  I'm not saying it doesn't have it's downsides, but a Korat Farang represents a certain kind of person.  Maybe we are all odd-balls - avoiding each other in the mall, struggling to make a go of our business, living a kind of dual existence with family in Korat but working elsewhere - or whatever.  But I believe that fundamentally we are all connected in some way.  I hope that KoratFarang.com is part of that connection, and a reflection of the best parts of our collective selves.

Unfortunately, as the KF board has grown, we have fallen into the problems of any community that has more than handful of members.  There are squabbles, arguments, troublemakers, and the effects that come from that.  My instinct as moderator is to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and believe that decency and maturity will prevail.  Sadly this has proved to be not always the case.  My modus operandi for running the KF board has not been adequate, and I feel I have let down some very good friends. 

I apologise to everyone offended or affected by the troublesome posts and general negativity here on KF over the last couple of weeks or so.

I am especially sorry that some of our long-term and valued members have decided to become less involved with the KF community.

So with your kind understanding, we'll try something else.  A more pro-active style of administration.  More subjective.  More open to criticism.  But I hope, more likely to succeed in preserving the values I had in mind when I started KF.

Maybe the new KF won't be for everyone, but it will be for those who appreciate intelligent discussion, respectful argument and exchange of views, helpful and informative posts, and a sense of community without bitterness or baiting or back-biting.

The rules are so simple they barely need stating:

1. Follow the spirit of the board
2. Be nice
3. Don't take the p**s
4. Sportrider's word is final

There have been many posts over recent times that remind me of my 5-year old daughter - when she knows she is doing something naughty and is watching me as she does it - waiting to see when I will react.  Seeing where the line is, and pushing it.   This kind of post is what I call 'taking the p**s' (with apologies to non-native-English speaking members).  These posts, on the surface innocuous, are to my mind the most insidious and destructive to the board.  I will henceforth take swift action in these cases.  And to be clear, although I will often give one, nobody has the right to an initial warning before a suspension or ban. 

Let's get back to business.

Cheers and regards to all,
Sportrider


PS. 
The 'operational' guidelines remain in place:
(i) No subject is off limits for intelligent discussion;
(ii) Be polite to your neighbours;
(iii) respect other's points of view and accept that even if opposite to yours, they may be equally 'right';
(iv) please do not post anything likely to bring the board into disrepute;
(v) above all, observe the spirit of the board.




[Sounds like where I want to be Sportrider]

[Bryan(of Oz)]

G'day all,

I've been away for a while and obviously missed an "occurance",  but SR's letter seems to be to the point and no doubt warranted.

Good on you SR....keep the board intelligent (well not TOO intelligent or I could'nt post!). I'm sure all fair-minded members support you.

Cheers!

Bryan

[Saf]

Good to see you posting again Bryan! 

[rawdonlad]

Yes good to have you back Bryan, you have ben missed 

[koratwanderer]

Welcome back Bryan, we have missed your intelligent comments  Hope you're OK!