Moderator warning: Stay on topic re points! Limit debates!

[TUGBrian]

Being a moderator here is certainly a thankless job. no action taken by any moderator is ever 100% agreed upon by the masses.

you always upset someone while making someone else happy...tis the nature of the beast.

The discussion regarding the marriott points program has generated more threads in the past few weeks than anything else I can recall, its simply overwhelming for someone to keep up with everything.

Dave has, and always will have my support. Hes and a handful of other volunteers are one of the main reasons TUG even exists in the first place.

If any of you feel that Dave is somehow "censoring" you using some underlying or devious motive...well....thats perhaps the most absurd thing ive heard in quite some time.

TUG moderators (at least the ones that spend any length of time here)...volunteer their time to help maintain the calm and peaceful nature of the forums and enforce the posting guidelines as they interpret them. You would be sadly mistaken to think that any of them are "out to get you".

Quite frankly if you feel you are being constantly "moderated"....perhaps you should take some time to adjust your behavior here on the forums and it wouldnt happen as much.

The free exchange of ideas and discussion are what these forums are all about, however there are right...and wrong ways to go about doing that.

TUG guidelines are in place to ensure people follow the "right" ways (or at least TUG's interpretation of the right ways...and we've been doing it for awahile now)...because in the past (and currently for that matter)...people tend to feel they dont have to abide by the posting guidelines and or see how far they can bend the rules before someone steps in and takes action.

We dont have the ability to come to your house and smack you upside the head if you continue to break the rules...our only recourse is to "moderate" people...this starts with simple edits of posts that violate the posting guidelines...and if that isnt enough, entire posts get deleted as its simply not worth the time to go through and continually pick out snippets of posts from the same people over and over (you know who you are).

However, even as I finish typing this...im sure a large % of people will disagree with what ive said...and another % will agree with me.

Quite frankly I could hand out gold bricks on the corner and SOMEONE would complain...its just the nature of the beast.

 

[Dave M]

For inquiring minds...

My "close ties" to a few people inside Marriott have been developed over the past ten years for only one purpose: to identify and confirm information that might be useful to those who post on this forum and to share that info here.

Yes, I'm a happy Marriott owner - based on my historical experience in using my weeks - up until now. I'm reserving judgment as to whether I will continue to be a happy Marriott owner.

Are those contacts and my knowledge of the Marriott system useful to posters on this forum? I think so. I'm not ashamed of my ownership or my contacts. But I'll stand tall against complaints that those two things might make me unfit to moderate this forum.

 

[dioxide45]

(Obviously, I have been somewhat lenient with respect to the various accusations in this thread.)

I commend you for this. This thread was something that needed to be discussed. Though, about 3/4th of the threads violate some type of TUG rule.

 

[DanCali]

Yes, I sent Dan a warning PM on June 28. However, he distorts the intent of that message. He had violated this part of the BBS Posting Rules on multiple occasions

In the spirit of setting the record straight. I don't typically complain regarding moderators. At the time you sent that message I am pretty sure I had violated the stated policy just once (in the post linked in post #74 above) and not "multiple occasions". Also, until this current thread was opened, I have not complained publicly since then regarding moderators.

 

[DeniseM]

Denise,

I am not sure why but you scare me

It's my "teacher voice." :hysterical:

 

[ace2000]

It's my "teacher voice." :hysterical:

Actually, I think Denise is the whole problem around here...

slyly trying to deflect the attention away from Dave...

 

[DeniseM]

Actually, I think Denise is the whole problem around here...

slyly trying to deflect the attention away from Dave...

Wow! I feel so powerful! I like it! :rofl:

 

[ace2000]

Wow! I feel so powerful! I like it! :rofl:

Hey, what's the meaning of this... did I say something wrong???

:hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:

 

[DeniseM]

Folks, just so you know, Ace2000 will be taking a little vacation from TUG.

 

[thunderbolt]

On many subjects, I look for Dave M's reply, because I regard him as the voice of reason. Keep up the good work Dave.
Doug

 

[urple2]

We dont have the ability to come to your house and smack you upside the head if you continue to break the rules...our only recourse is to "moderate" people...this starts with simple edits of posts that violate the posting guidelines...and if that isnt enough, entire posts get deleted as its simply not worth the time to go through and continually pick out snippets of posts from the same people over and over (you know who you are). :hysterical:

For inquiring minds...

My "close ties" to a few people inside Marriott have been developed over the past ten years for only one purpose: to identify and confirm information that might be useful to those who post on this forum and to share that info here.

I certainly appreciate all this information. TUG is a great site. I appreciate it greatly!

(thanks denise for fixing my quotes...)

 

[tombo]

Hey, what's the meaning of this... did I say something wrong???

:hysterical: :hysterical: :hysterical:

It means they can't spell. You're banned would be correct.

Denise as a teacher and a moderater I would have expected you to catch this.

 

[jlf58]

I think they should make you sell you Marriotts week and buy Disney and that would make it fair

For inquiring minds...

My "close ties" to a few people inside Marriott have been developed over the past ten years for only one purpose: to identify and confirm information that might be useful to those who post on this forum and to share that info here.

Yes, I'm a happy Marriott owner - based on my historical experience in using my weeks - up until now. I'm reserving judgment as to whether I will continue to be a happy Marriott owner.

Are those contacts and my knowledge of the Marriott system useful to posters on this forum? I think so. I'm not ashamed of my ownership or my contacts. But I'll stand tall against complaints that those two things might make me unfit to moderate this forum.

 

[taffy19]

For inquiring minds...

My "close ties" to a few people inside Marriott have been developed over the past ten years for only one purpose: to identify and confirm information that might be useful to those who post on this forum and to share that info here.

Yes, I'm a happy Marriott owner - based on my historical experience in using my weeks - up until now. I'm reserving judgment as to whether I will continue to be a happy Marriott owner.

Are those contacts and my knowledge of the Marriott system useful to posters on this forum? I think so. I'm not ashamed of my ownership or my contacts. But I'll stand tall against complaints that those two things might make me unfit to moderate this forum.

Thank you Dave and all the volunteers who moderate the forums here. Dave, your posts have been very much appreciated over the years by most of us. It's because of you that we found out about Marriott planning a brand new program several years ago so we knew that it was coming and now it is here, we can debate the pro and cons of the program.

Most people, outside of TUG, haven't even heard the news yet nor do they know what the consequences are and they may sign up blindly because they trust the Marriott. One good thing is that we can back out of the program unless they take that away too. I hope not. I still don't have the answer if our voting rights will get restored to what they were. Nobody seems to know. The resale department hadn't even heard of it when I asked the question there.

 

[DeniseM]

It means they can't spell. You're banned would be correct.

Denise as a teacher and a moderater I would have expected you to catch this.

TOMBO! Are you COMPLAINING about my moderating???? :annoyed:

 

[tombo]

TOMBO! Are you COMPLAINING about my moderating???? :annoyed:

No Mrs Denise. :ignore:

 

[Latravel]

and....

Yes, I sent Dan a warning PM on June 28. However, he distorts the intent of that message. He had violated this part of the BBS Posting Rules on multiple occasions:Thus, I warned him that such discussion, including complaints of possible censorship, is out of order. Further, I did not warn him that he might be banned. I did warn him that he could expect to be suspended if he ignored the rule. A one or two week suspension is occasionally necessary (always approved by Brian Rogers) when people repeatedly ignore the Posting Rules.

(Obviously, I have been somewhat lenient with respect to the various accusations in this thread.)

Please don't be lenient. The rules are the rules. I think if people understood this point, they may change some of their behavior because there won't be a forum for their rants.

 

[Carol C]

I don't know. I think it's a no-win for the moderator of a board such as this one.

Either leave it alone and it becomes a free for all. Or, you delete/modify posts and feelings get hurt.

I view it like anything else. Dave's the moderator, he makes the calls. If you don't like it, there are other message boards with different moderating rules .

What are the rules like on TS4Ms? Dave M, you spend most of your time on that site, don't you? Are they also restricting debate of pros and cons of Marriott's new points system?

 

[Carol C]

It's a message board. If Tombo annoys people, they'll stop responding to him. That's how message boards work.

Message boards that start deciding what is "approved" conversation usually become very boring very fast. Especially when one person's opinion is apparently the only criteria for what is, and is not, allowed.

Well-stated!

 

[BocaBum99]

What are the rules like on TS4Ms? Dave M, you spend most of your time on that site, don't you? Are they also restricting debate of pros and cons of Marriott's new points system?

No posts are deleted on TS4Ms unless it's spam. Links are removed from posts that violate linkback rules. You can pretty much say what you want. However, if you start getting distasteful, the thread will be moved to another area.

There have been some extensive discussions on the moderator forum regarding posts and posters where people wanted to ban or delete posts and almost always free speech prevails. It's interesting to watch. Again, I believe it's up to the board management to create the type of board they want.

One of the things I do like about TUG is that it has been one of the more cordial forums in which I participate. It's great to have at least one of them out there.

 

[Carol C]

Its amazes me that the moderator is a Marriott owner and has a close friend in a high place at Marriott. Given that bias, I would say Dave does as good a job as anyone in that position would have. If it is not possible to have a moderator that is a non owner and not affiliated with Marriott then Dave is the best man for the job.

Good idea to have a neutral moderator, one that's not well-placed with Marriott or for that matter a multiple-weeks Marriott owner. That sure would help eliminate moderator biases when there's no personal interest or gain at stake. Just a thought...in case there are volunteers waiting in the wings to moderate a TUG forum.

 

[BocaBum99]

Please read the following posts by Boca on a thread which main topic is to stay on topic and to limit debates. Is Boca limiting or creating debates?




ondeadline posed a post to dave, Boca had to answer for dave and give ondeadline his position rather than waiting for dave



Then I posted to Dave, and again Boca had to rebutt and explain what dave said to me as though no one but Boca understood what Dave said. Boca let me explain my post to you. It was a truthful post laced with sarcasm. I understood what he said and unlike Oprah's audiences I really don't need to have things translated by you so I can understand.:



Then I responded to Clemson Fan to which Boca had to answer and explain Dave' thread locking to me followed by ANOTHER time Boca said the same thing about how he feel about converting to points and playing the game on a thread designed to stop off topic debates.



Then another post by Boca suggesting that Brian support Dave:



Then another confrontational post to ondeadlne which could easily be construed as argumentative. He challenges him to find someone better, and if ondeadline responds Boca will fire back. Hmmm, limit debates by creatng them?:



Then a kind of demeaning response to Fletch basically treating him like a child and lecturing him on how message boards are run. Then in a backhanded way boca tells him to go to another forum if he doesn't like it here followed by more advice to brian to support Dave. Nice friendly post:




Boca please give us all a break. For goodness sake on a thread designed to limit debates, you have debated everyone who doesn't agree with you. You posted 6 or 7 threads berating me and telling me that I must not understand timesharing, I should sell since I don't know what I bought, that change happens and I should learn to accept it, etc, etc, etc. on a thread Friday between the time I left work Friday and when I arrived home.

I bit my tongue long enough but just the posts on this thread where everyone is supposed to limit debates show everyone clearly where many unending debates start and continue., Boca (as he has done on MOST threads) stirs the pot, has to get the last word in, talks down to people he disagrees with like they are children, uneducated, or learning disabled, states the same points over and over again (Brian support Dave, join points to play the system like me, etc, etc), Where are the Boca complaints? Tombo would not post near as many times if Tombo ddn't have to defend himself from posts by Boca.

This is my third post on this whole thread where my name has been brought up many times. Boca has posted 8 times so far. Gosh perhaps even those who agree with Boca's posts will finally have to see the truth.

LOL. You are selling past the close. I already conceded that I was part of the problem. Based on the length of your post, I'd say that you are, too.

 

[BocaBum99]

Tombo,

Now thats a great post
remember, he deals with general managers ( the factious kind that MVCI doesn't have) so he must know more than us LOL

Bottom line is I think only attacks and langauge should be deleted/modifed but Dave is the man here so either way I am fine with it.

I just find it amusing that you didn't know that the general manager for the MVCI division was Stephen Weisz.

Ask him next time you see him if he thinks he can do most of the jobs in the organization. He will laugh and say, "why do you ask that? Nobody can do all the jobs." Also, ask him if he views himself as the General Manager of the Vacation Ownership business.

You should take a look at this Harvard Business School Curriculum: Harvard Business School General Management Program. Do you think the Harvard Business School has a program for General Managers and the only jobs they qualify for has the words "general" and "manager" in the title? They have a program for General Managers because a General Manager is the leader of a business.

For what it's worth, I think you know a lot about Marriott and I believe you are a really great sales guy. That says a lot about you because timeshare salesmen are about the best salesmen in the world. I just don't think you know a lot about how Big Companies actually work.

 

[taffy19]

I really appreciate the Marriott forum here and we only own one. It has to be even more valuable if you own more than one. I wished people would find the TUG forum before they go on timeshare presentations or in time to rescind the contract still. If enough people do, timeshare developers will have to find a better way to market their product as it is too expensive now. The point system is still going to be very expensive for the consumer (timeshare buyer).

 

[DanCali]

Please don't be lenient. The rules are the rules. I think if people understood this point, they may change some of their behavior because there won't be a forum for their rants.

Yes... Let's boil the people who are against points in a hot steaming kettle of Beezle-Nut oil!! Then we can pretend like points never happened...