Oh boy, Shades, seems I have swatted a hornet's nest, al, the progressives are coming after me now that I have suggested you add a moderator that could add an opinion to the moderator team that isn't far left progressive.Res Ipsa wrote: ↑Sun Jan 04, 2026 8:55 pmShades, while people have discussed politics on this board for years, the board was actually politicized by Atlanticmike and ME/Cultellus/Binger/Whiskey. I think that politicizing the board even further by instituting DEI for conservatives, specifically for the most prolific rule breaker in the history of MD, would likely kill the board. Shades has based moderator nominations on the person’s behavior on the board, which automatically disqualifies ME/Cultellus/Binger/Whiskey from the position. Over the course of thousands of posts, he has displayed nothing but contempt for the minimal rule set Shades has devised in order to provide us with a forum where we can speak our minds.
Shades, at one time you stepped down as head moderator, releasing the mod team from the clone of Shades requirement. Did you ever reverse that decision? (I was away from the board for several months and could have missed it.) If you are considering changing the mod team, I suggest that you consider reversing that decision.
I also think that you should consider adding a moderator. When I stepped down, ME/C/B/W had been absent for a while and there was no need for a third. With his return, he’s easily swamped the capacity of the team to keep up with his obsessive rule violations. His unwillingness to follow the rules means you need additional moderators just to babysit him. But assess qualifications as you have done in the past rather than appoint someone based on political correctness.
Finally, on this board, ME/C/B/W is not a good guy. He is a toxic narcissist. He has the least amount of standing of anyone here to make demands on you and Xeno. He’ll be charming as hell as long as he thinks he can get what he wants out of you. Cross him, and he unleashes a torrent of abuse. in my opinion, the correct response to his demands is “see you tomorrow” and “no, we’re preserving your record for when you come back tomorrow.” No one has the right to wreak havoc on the board for months or years at a time, only to have his slate wiped clean when he returns for another round.
Let's get the facts straight. The two moderators you have now and the one that quit a few months ago, are so far left they put their pronouns on their page. Shades, you have no one to balance out that far left opinion they are whispering in your ear.
The reason Res Ipsa is back on this thread now, is because Marcus contacted him and asked to to chime in, you know it, and I know it, and they don't want you to even think about considering a moderator they can't control. Just look at all of them commenting now that I made the suggestion.
What you have now is a moderator, Canpakes, that any of these people like Marcus, res ipsa, Gadianton and many others contact through PM to ask him to take care of board members they disagree with. All you have to do is look at who Canpakes moderates the most. 95% of the time it's either me, Whiskey, MG2.0 and even Ceeboo every once in a while. You never see Canpakes use red lettering with one of his buddies. Im sure you have a way to check that.
Also, look at the past six or so months, Shades. I've brought to your attention 6 or 7 times now that Canpakes has disciplined me and Whiskey and every time you have been fair and overturned his ridiculous moderating. Canpakes is looking for a fight, and he's become accustomed now to abusing the power you gave him, that's why you have had to overturn him so much lately.
Adding another moderator that's a progressive or a liberal isn't going to solve any of the problems you have on the board. You need someone that will bring a different perspective. All you would need to do is make a rule that if Canpakes wants to ban or discipline a board member, he needs a second opinion from either you, or a moderator that is of a different opinion politically, and if he can't get a moderator to agree with him, then he can't hand down a ruling.
Shades I'm sure you read what Ceeboo wrote in the shared PM to you. I want people like Ceeboo to come back. I want people like Ajax to come back. If you add another progressive or liberal moderator, all you're going to do is keep people like them from posting again. If this is truly a free speech board, you need moderators with differing opinions. And right now you don't have that.
Res and Marcus are here on this thread now because they are afraid you'll consider adding someone that doesn't think like they do.