As will be obvious to anyone who watches my videos, this morning's short video, which was recorded yesterday morning, reveals that I was not, and still am not, my usual self.
During the course of yesterday, I had to discuss the fatigue I suffered over the weekend. As a result, I was read the riot act by Jacqueline, my close friends, and my sons, who told me I cannot keep doing this. The unambiguous message is that I need to take better care of myself, which I have not been good at.
As Jacqueline has put it, interoception is not one of my great strengths, and I have persistently treated my body as a tool to carry my brain around. I now need to respect it a bit more. The point I have been making about needing to reduce my work effort by changing moderation policies is not optional, it is absolutely necessary because the continual presence of comments awaiting moderation has been one of the pervasive stresses in my life of late as their volume has risen, from the moment that I wake in the morning to the last thing I do at night, and even then I have not always stayed on top of them.
I also had discussions with Andy Moyle, who handles the website development for me here, yesterday. As a result, we are looking to set up a system where I can invite all people who have posted more than 100 moderated comments, and others if we so choose, to become members of the site. We will be seeking to identify all people who qualify, and you will be invited to join in due course by email with a very easy sign-up.
This will have no cost and will confer no benefits other than the fact that these comments will be automtically posted when made. This will actually improve the level of commentary in most cases, because comments will be more timely and because most comments come from these people.
We would also like to recruit a number of people, with no specific limit, to act as moderators for the site. They would have a number of roles, including approving comments not automatically approved in the process I have just described, and recommending that those who are clearly trolling or abusive be blocked. Finessing that mechanism may require that I be the person who does the blocking but, contrary to all the rumours spread by the trolls, the number of people blocked here is not high. On average, it is less than one per week, and given that existing spam filters remove many more wholly inappropriate comments, the number of post rejections that will have to be made by moderators will be quite low. If that task is spread among a number of people willing to review comments whenever they come to the site, this should not be too onerous. It may also be that moderators will get the right to admit people to membership when they are obviously making appropriate comments, but that is something yet to be decided.
At this moment, I am seeking confirmation that people would be happy with this arrangement, and I am looking for volunteers to be moderators. I stress that if there were 10 of these, it would be great, because that would spread the load around, but I am looking for people who have had a long relationship with the site to do this, if at all possible.
If you do not wish to make your volunteer offer in public, please email me at richard.murphy [at] taxresearch.org.uk. Thank you, and please do understand that this change will represent quite a wrench for me because moderation has been a part of my life for a long time, but this clearly has to change.
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Buy me a coffee!
Sounds good to me.
This all sounds a good idea and I hope should reduce your burden markedly.
I was a moderator at the official Debian forums (forums.debian.net) for several years and also the CrunchBang & BunsenLabs Linux forums, so I have some experience. I would be happy to help out where I can. I work from about 7am until 3pm (ish) but I can be available at all other times when I’m awake.
Thanks
It is not uncommon for people who care for others to forget to care for themselves. When I had clients who described themselves as Christian I would, occasionally, ask them “What was the second Great Commandment?’ the reply was often ‘love our neighbour’. I would shake my head. ‘Not quite, it ends “as yourself.”
‘oh, yes, so it does.’ They were almost always people who had forgotten that and that was a major reason they were there.
To put it in accountant/ economist type language, you are a scarce resource and need to spend yourself wisely for maximum effect.
That means change and but the wheel turns. The end remains but the means has to change. You have achieved so much but to go forward, others will need to pick up the burden – and will be happy to do so.
A lot of us out here appreciate all you have done and even suggested at times, you pace yourself.
Very many thanks, Ian. Wise words, and appreciated greatly.
I am not very good at remembering that second part. That was the essence of the riot act that I was read yesterday.
10/10 for Jacqueline etc.
I was beginning to think about the blog too. Maybe it has served its purpose in that it has operated as a feedback mechanism to develop some of your ideas and maybe the ideas have matured and now the work has to be to widen those ideas into political and academic spheres (this is maybe where you need focus now)? You have mentioned local government – well (and but) here is another issue where the blog might prove useful.
The thing is, holistic thinking can seep into everything – for example the politics of care can stop wars and fascism. Maybe going forward, part of the ‘management’ of the blog is around a topic led approach? I’m currently going though my ‘end of year’ at work and I got home yesterday exhausted myself after a sleepless night the night before.
Happy to be considered among a wider group of moderators – with some guidance on best practice etc, (speaking as someone who has had a number of contributions sin binned – just being honest about myself is all).
PSR
Thank you for this. You will see that I am on the same wavelength as you in a blog post now being drafted.
Thanks for your offer. You, too, look after yourself.
Richard
Very glad to hear this and if I can be of any help please let me know.
Thanks
Good idea Richard, above all you do need to look after yourself and reducing your workload helps.
I probably don’t qualify in either postcount or ability, but I have participated in a couple of forums where citizen moderators worked well.
ATB John
Thanks John
I am not sure that I have sufficient insight into the human condition to make a moderator let alone a good one
Nonsense!
Doubt is a qualification
‘As Jacqueline has put it, interoception is not one of my great strengths, and I have persistently treated my body as a tool to carry my brain around.’
Insightful! The Cartesian split, our culture treats us from a young age to see ourselves and each other as brains on sticks. It catches me out too.
(I don’t qualify on length of association or ability, but agree with the wisdom)
I’m so pleased to hear that you are looking at ways to reduce your workload and get more downtime.
Volunteer moderators are a good idea.
I would like to suggest having a look at another blog, HYPERLIPID, and see how he structures his page as it might be helpful to both you and your readers.
On the right hand side is a column listing all posts by date, latest first.
Below that is a column listing all posts, alphabetically, by topic.
Below that you could have another column listing your Glossary topics, alphabetically.
Readers could easily find everything you’ve written on a particular topic, in date order. You could group these posts by topic if there are very many on one topic.
The point of this is to avoid having to repeat yourself over and over again.
Anyway, just a thought.
Hyperlipid’s blog is here:
https://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com
Thank you for your comment. All the information that you refer to is also available on this site. In the right hand column there are two boxes called categories and archive and everything that is listed in site you refer to can be found within them or that is the glossary tab which is found by the top menu system.
I’m glad you have Jacqueline and co looking after you. Fatigue is generally a sign that you need to listen to. Years of ignoring it does not mean it’s a good way to continue.
As an avid follower of your blog and an occasional contributor, I’m relieved to see that you’ve recognised the need to offload some of the workload. It’s good that you have a family and friends who have helped you to reach that recognition. I’m a good bit older than you, not that my greater age implies greater wisdom but my longer experience has taught me that aging is not a steady linear process. Rather it proceeds in an irregular series of steps, unfortunately almost always downwards, in stamina, resilience, speed of thought and movement, and memory. As each of these steps occurs it is always hard to accept the need to adjust one’s habits and lifestyle and one sometimes needs the caring support of others in doing so.
Thanks
I may have to accept I am 68 in two weeks
Well ok, but remember Sir Michael Caine (1born 4 March 1933) is going to be 93 in 4 days.
Also, Alan Greenspan (born 6 March 1926) just hit 100 and is still firing on all cylinders to the best of my knowledge.
Sir Michael and the Greenspan Person have survived and worked this long because they took VERY good care of themselfs.
Age has nothing to do with anything, it is all about taking VERY good care of your mental and PHYSICAL health.
I am sure Jacqueline would tell you a different variation of the same thing.
Sometimes it helps just to have a bloody good laugh at the absurdity of it all.
That sounds like a very good plan. I would be happy to volunteer as a moderator if appropriate, equally I would not be offended if you have enough people.
Many thanks
Well done. A great step forward ensuring that you will utilise your skills to the best advantage, hopefully for a lot longer. Old age does creep up on one, and it is important to clock the signs and not ignore them. Invariably there are work rounds and help is always to hand! (NRN)
Please excuse me as “Yank” is spilling out of my mouth and I cannot contain it.
“As a result, I was read the riot act by Jacqueline”
I am surprised your “dressing down” has taken this long to occur. Would love to have been the fly on the wall during that conversation!
The invitation or member system sounds good.
However, you DO NOT have to actively post on this bog everyday. You are not a “Breaking” news service and no expects you to be.
Do you know what a weekend is??? I took for granted you did as you are much younger than the the Countess of Grantham. I have no doubt that Jacqueline knows what a weekend is and exactly how it should be utilized for maximum mental and physical health benefits.
Take the weekend off! There is no reason to disturb your weekend unless something very radical happens like KCIII, Dump or Putin biting the dust.
If you are compelled to post everyday , then post only your wonderful original images of wildlife, enchanting cafes and cathedrals on the weekends as these post should require no moderation .
Thanks for your comment. I appreciate your concern. But, I write because I am and that is who I am and what I do. Jacqueline is well aware of that. She does live a lifestyle very much more like that of a retired person, although she does input here. We spend almost all the time at weekends together, except when she is wild swimming, which is not my thing, and when I’m doing anything related to Railways, which are not her thing.
And yes, I do take time off for the weekends, but I still enjoy writing. I will carry on writing as much as I probably have. What I cannot do is moderate all the comments as a consequence. That is the difference that I am signalling
‘Signalling’.
Once in love with the railways, always in love with the railways! Does Jacqueline know what she is missing?
She tolerates my enthusiasm.
Did you discuss yours with Thomas on 28th February?
Sounds a great step forward to ensure that you can continue the great work today you do
I always read your writing that I receive in emails, not always commenting, but I value your words and opinions, especially in connection with economics.
Thank you, but first and foremost, I agree with your family, we, your readers certainly don’t want you to burn out, so lighten the load, you cannot do it all alone. I don’t know why but your site seems to think I’ve submitted a duplicate comment, when I have done no such thing!!!
I have experience of moderating in the past. I was a moderator on Co-Cure (https://www.co-cure.org) for a while, but had to give up as didn’t have the time due to attempting to do a Degree. Had to give that up as just didn’t have the time. Since then I’ve moderated on one other List – Science for ME (https://www.s4me.info/). Both were concerned with ME/CFS.
Nowadays I usually have plenty of time – one of the only “gifts” of being bedbound. So I would be very happy to help with moderating if you thought me suitable. My sleep pattern is very disrupted, so am often at my computer very early in the morning (as now!) as well as during most of the day. I do take a snooze in the day if my sleep has been very bad the night before.
I would also like to echo the others who have said how much they value your wonderful Blog. I’ve at least started to begin to learn how money works (or doesn’t properly mostly in UK due to the government elite who think they know it all). So thank you again from me for educating me and everyone else in how money works.
Best wishes from Liverpool, Maggie… Still awake in the middle of the night (02.20) while watching Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers on YouTube. Oh, for any TP and the HB fans out there, there’s a group called Heartbreak that we went to see in The Music Room at the Philharmonic. They’re very good, their lead singer even dresses and looks like TP, and their music sounds just as good. We’re going to see them in Chester in May and taking our younger daughter with us. ‘ Really looking forward to that!
Must check the trains from Liverpool to Chester to see if we can use them – hotel we’re staying in has a car park, but I prefer train when possible as I tend to stiffen up badly when travelling in a car.
Sorry, wandering off-topic yet again!
Thanks, Maggie. I’m grateful to everyone who has offered help. As soon as I have more details on what Andy has put together, I will be in touch. And enjoy Chester and the Heartbreak.
Agreed! I was 68 a few days ago – self care is really important!
You beat me by a few weeks
What Covid19 taught me
One of my ears is more floppy than the other
Some people can be remarkably selfless
While some can be remarkably selfmore
Seasons happen both incredibly slowly
And incredibly quickly
Depending on how you are feeling
That feet can hug
And who your real friends are
That we live in a deep lake of love and caring
And a dark forest of anger and distrust
Many of us are a few fearful inches from despair
That touch is our most important sense
That breathing is life
And death
Our world is face scrunchingly exquisite
With beauty in every corner and crevice,
Every murmur and murmuration
Every laugh and chuckle
Everywhere, just everywhere
That we are extraordinarily adaptable organisms
Mostly
The cords and spirals of our humanity
Are strong
And we know, we really know
What is right
And what is wrong
What is true
And what is bunkum
If we let ourselves
And Mother Nature will keep reminding us
That we are not gods
And one of my ears is floppier than the other
_________
Of course, I am happy to help if you need another person – I have been ‘doing social media’ since the late 1990s (with Guardian Unlimited, as was)
Jon
Thank you.
We will be readty to ask in a few days.
We the system first.
I have to manage my own ADHD driven urge to read every post plus comments on this blog. Neurodiverse burnout can be debilitating and usually needs more than a weekend off to recover. Maybe worth exploring? So here’s my suggestion. Keep up the blog but only moderate threads on priority topics where discussion can inform what you are working on. If you want to write on a range of related topics, let volunteers moderate the comments. I could take a turn if that would help. I don’t comment often but am a committed lurker who values your work and the perspectives of others here. Please look after yourself and let your caring family and followers help you navigate this turning point.
Thanks