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 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)