Goose Egg (my co-admin) and I shut down the Star Chamber (Forumosa’s Banning Panel) today. We feel that a lot of time and attention is spent by the mods arguing individual interpretations of the rules and while we take no issue with the decisions that are reached, we are uncomfortable with the process.

Hours upon hours of moderator time are being spent justifying the opinions that lead to what should be an executive decision, and a lot of ill-will between mods is being created in the process. We think this can all be avoided by shutting down the Star Chamber.

Moderators are still empowered to propose suspensions or bans on offenders within their own forums, but the implemention (or lack of it) will be entirely at admin discretion. We do not require a concensus amongst the mods of a particular forum with regards to a ban or suspension proposal, but a consensus would make our job even easier.

We highly value our moderators and the incredible amount of work that they put into keeping this site so great. We hope that this decision makes their lives easier.

Now that the buck is stopping squarely with admin, accountability will be more clearly defined as well. As always, it is the building of the community that guides our decisions. We want Forumosa.com to be a place where thoughtful, honest communication can take place, and a place where all users can feel at home.

We welcome your comments on this and any other aspect of Forumosa. We can be reached at: admin @ forumosa.com