New (Improved?) Christian Forums

[viscousmemories]

I've never registered at Christian Forums and probably haven't read more than five threads there (if that many) but I know a number of people here have been involved there over the years. I just discovered, by way of a thread in IIDB's Elsewhere forum, that Erwin has announced some dramatic changes to CF policy: No more "Christians Only" subforums, no more 'warnings', no more restrictions on who can label themselves a Christian (or married, etc.) and much more.

He also hints that there will be big changes to the underlying software, and given that he is responsible for creating more add-ons for vBulletin than any other single person I know of, that could bode well for us too.

Anyway I just thought it was pretty interesting.

A new CF, an old vision - Christian Forums (http://www.christianforums.com/t5657050-a-new-cf-an-old-vision.html)

[inland wave]

Interesting indeed..

[seebs]

It's been quite interesting watching the political maneuvering from a safe distance, although I still can't quite bring myself to care much.

[erimir]

Oh no!

Now when a teenager makes a post asking about how to stop masturbating, there will be no Christians only forum, so he's actually going to encounter people who'll tell him that he's not dirty pervert.

[Novowels]

Intriguing!

I've also never registered or posted on CF, although I've followed a handful of interesting threads there. (but ye gods, the signatures and the avatars!) And, of course, the CF refugees thread in ~E~ always used to make for some interesting reading when I was really, really bored some evenings.

I'm all for transparency and accountability, though! Even moreso than the heavy-handed moderation, which IMHO really flows from the crux of the problem with forums like CF and IIDB: a growing insular nature and (un)holier-than-thou cliqueishness on the parts of the staff and the people they like/approve of.

Not appointing a neurotic, self-aggrandizing charlatan onto the BOD is a good idea too, but maybe that's just the SecWeb's problem.

I don't know that I would have people voting on moderators and staff, but I think that CF might have the population for it. I wonder if there'll be pseudo-political campaigns. Whether it works or not, it certainly will be interesting to watch.

[seebs]

I am not fond of the "voting" thing, myself. UberChristians (on which the reforms are clearly modeled) has gone for a sort of half-consensus, half-dictatorship, thing wherein we just appoint some folks if we think we need folks... But we leave the question open to discussion, and if people really have a problem, we can address it and stuff.

[livius drusus]

I'm not fan of voting for mods either. Popularity is not an accurate gauge of a person's aptitude for moderation, and it seems unlikely to me that folks will vote according to "what makes a good mod" standards rather than for their own favorite candidates.

[seebs]

In particular, many people reflexively vote based on agreement or personal comfort zones -- the worst possible thing for moderators, usually.

[Novowels]

You know the community better than I, seebs. The main problem I foresee with voting is that a lot of the previous mods would be entrenched and that the largest clique will just end up owning everything. IMO, a lot of it depends on whether the population is big enough to keep one group from steamrolling the competition repeatedly.

12 months is a bit long of a term, too.

[Satan]

I believe I would make an excellent Christian Forums moderator. Perhaps I should volunteer.

[Stormlight]

:chuckle:

[Shake]

Interesting changes. Still not going there. With my new atheistic zeal, I'd probably end up getting quickly banned.

[erimir]

Well, I have on occasion ventured over there, and I have never been warned or banned.

And I may be called zealous on occasion...

[Leesifer]

or you could be just zealously occasional, erimir. :wink:

[Uthgar the Brazen]

Oooh, religious politics combined with internet popularity contests!

I hear the brakes screeching, but not the sound of slowing down... :)

[godfry n. glad]

I believe I would make an excellent Christian Forums moderator. Perhaps I should volunteer.

Ooooo....me, too!

I wonder how long it would take them to catch on, considering all the untheists have been pretty slow about it?

[Shake]

Well, I have on occasion ventured over there, and I have never been warned or banned.

And I may be called zealous on occasion...
Oh, I've "ventured" there before too, when I've been pointed there by someone else from here or II or elsewhere. But I never can stay too long, and I certainly wouldn't waste my time registering there.

[Novowels]

I certainly wouldn't waste my time registering there. I don't know that I'd say it's a waste of time, sometimes it's preferable to be away from the hivemind.

I've always found I learned more from people that disagreed with me than what agreed with me, I've even found cause to change my mind on things that I never would have even questioned if I had only stayed ensconced within my idealogical groups.

I don't agree with everything they're doing, but it seems to me that CF is becoming a little more open minded and transparent, which I'd applaud. I'd certainly prefer that direction over where II seems to be going over the last couple of years, anyways.

[JoeP]

(but ye gods, the signatures and the avatars!)I could never take an entire thread seriously there without suffering a graphics allergy.