Pompal 09.
Well-Known Member
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- Feb 9, 2011
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Are we damaging massageplanet.net 's reputation?
This is interesting, because we have the two extreme views represented by VBB and Rev. My personal view and what I feel comfortable with leans more toward one than the other, but aside from the fact I'm part of the membership which as a whole keeps things balanced, that's besides the point.
The problem with the guidelines is that they are just that; guidelines. As you know there are different bylaws within different regions, but it's not that simple, because dynamics are different within individual spas. For some spas the more "inviting" they seem in reviews, the better, and at little or no cost to their security. Maybe, in a way, they too wish to push the limits as much as they are able.
What Rev is trying to do here is draw a straight line. As a moderator, I try to walk a path between the two extreme views represented, but it is anything but linear and it may not be perfect. When we have more than one groups interest at stake it just isn't black and white.
No MP owner wants bylaw printing out reviews and waving them in their face and possibly, as a result, closing them down for a period of time or not have their license renewed. Any MP who has a specific issue knows where we are and as flyndragon implied I think we are willing to accommodate any concerns within reason.
I don't think there is much room for ego and personal opinions when moderating, otherwise it's not truly [unbias] moderating. It is the core posters of the board that help to influence what is acceptable and to a degree moderation reflects that, but moderation also shapes what is acceptable. So we have a cycle.
In order for massageplanet.net to exist and thrive we have to look at the overall picture and hopefully in the end nobody gets hurt.
I find it interesting that a well known MPA on this board "voted" for VBB as writing some of the most interesting reviews. [update : RS's perspective]
With regard to massageplanet.net's reputation, there used to be another board which many MPAs had a certain disdain for and compared to them we were almost seen as the "good guys", but in the end massageplanet.net is an entity in itself. Sure, some MPAs just dislike massageplanet.net as a whole, but at the risk of stating the obvious they can benefit from massageplanet.net as well. For any MPA who really doesn't want to be reviewed they can put in a request for a no review policy.
It seems that we have become focused on the damage massageplanet.net may do to MPs, but initially the concern included the MPAs. As hobbyists in the past we have been part of some really dumb shit. A perfect example would be the DFK/DATY lists of a few years back, which MPAs were aware of and felt some pressure because of them. However those lists are just a magnified manifestation of what review boards are about. From the view of an MPA, as long as we share information above or below board in detail there is going to be a degree of resentment from some of them to varying degrees. It could be said that it's just one of the trade offs in being an MPA, but although I do believe review boards help the industry to a large degree it doesn't negate from these negative aspects perceived or real.
As I alluded to earlier, I don't think it has much to do with massageplanet.nets "reputation", but hobbyists as a whole. Some MPAs have a preconceived general notion of [so called] hobbyists ( we expect more, higher standard etc ) It's one thing to test the waters as to where we can get with an MPA as individuals, but when we share that info, we create a higher expectation from the majority. This is created by hobbyists as a whole, but being massageplanet.netites and with massageplanet.net being the most well known and largest board we get stuck with the label. Does this sound self important or elitist ; maybe ...
Just a comment on sharing our handles with MPAs. Reviewers gain a certain positive status within massageplanet.net, but outside of massageplanet.net that status can change to being negative, so to assume that an MPA would be impressed is pretty silly, although in some cases they may be. Being naive and open about hobbying, in the beginning, I used to share my handle on occasion, and no doubt from "socialising" outside of massageplanet.net within our circle some people know me. There are many reasons why I no longer review, but one advantage is that a lot of the crap associated with being a reviewer, like the situation Rev has mentioned, the MPA figuring out who I am etc. is no longer much of an issue.
long live the massageplanet.net
This is interesting, because we have the two extreme views represented by VBB and Rev. My personal view and what I feel comfortable with leans more toward one than the other, but aside from the fact I'm part of the membership which as a whole keeps things balanced, that's besides the point.
The problem with the guidelines is that they are just that; guidelines. As you know there are different bylaws within different regions, but it's not that simple, because dynamics are different within individual spas. For some spas the more "inviting" they seem in reviews, the better, and at little or no cost to their security. Maybe, in a way, they too wish to push the limits as much as they are able.
What Rev is trying to do here is draw a straight line. As a moderator, I try to walk a path between the two extreme views represented, but it is anything but linear and it may not be perfect. When we have more than one groups interest at stake it just isn't black and white.
No MP owner wants bylaw printing out reviews and waving them in their face and possibly, as a result, closing them down for a period of time or not have their license renewed. Any MP who has a specific issue knows where we are and as flyndragon implied I think we are willing to accommodate any concerns within reason.
I don't think there is much room for ego and personal opinions when moderating, otherwise it's not truly [unbias] moderating. It is the core posters of the board that help to influence what is acceptable and to a degree moderation reflects that, but moderation also shapes what is acceptable. So we have a cycle.
In order for massageplanet.net to exist and thrive we have to look at the overall picture and hopefully in the end nobody gets hurt.
I find it interesting that a well known MPA on this board "voted" for VBB as writing some of the most interesting reviews. [update : RS's perspective]
With regard to massageplanet.net's reputation, there used to be another board which many MPAs had a certain disdain for and compared to them we were almost seen as the "good guys", but in the end massageplanet.net is an entity in itself. Sure, some MPAs just dislike massageplanet.net as a whole, but at the risk of stating the obvious they can benefit from massageplanet.net as well. For any MPA who really doesn't want to be reviewed they can put in a request for a no review policy.
It seems that we have become focused on the damage massageplanet.net may do to MPs, but initially the concern included the MPAs. As hobbyists in the past we have been part of some really dumb shit. A perfect example would be the DFK/DATY lists of a few years back, which MPAs were aware of and felt some pressure because of them. However those lists are just a magnified manifestation of what review boards are about. From the view of an MPA, as long as we share information above or below board in detail there is going to be a degree of resentment from some of them to varying degrees. It could be said that it's just one of the trade offs in being an MPA, but although I do believe review boards help the industry to a large degree it doesn't negate from these negative aspects perceived or real.
As I alluded to earlier, I don't think it has much to do with massageplanet.nets "reputation", but hobbyists as a whole. Some MPAs have a preconceived general notion of [so called] hobbyists ( we expect more, higher standard etc ) It's one thing to test the waters as to where we can get with an MPA as individuals, but when we share that info, we create a higher expectation from the majority. This is created by hobbyists as a whole, but being massageplanet.netites and with massageplanet.net being the most well known and largest board we get stuck with the label. Does this sound self important or elitist ; maybe ...
Just a comment on sharing our handles with MPAs. Reviewers gain a certain positive status within massageplanet.net, but outside of massageplanet.net that status can change to being negative, so to assume that an MPA would be impressed is pretty silly, although in some cases they may be. Being naive and open about hobbying, in the beginning, I used to share my handle on occasion, and no doubt from "socialising" outside of massageplanet.net within our circle some people know me. There are many reasons why I no longer review, but one advantage is that a lot of the crap associated with being a reviewer, like the situation Rev has mentioned, the MPA figuring out who I am etc. is no longer much of an issue.
long live the massageplanet.net