I never cease to wonder what drives some people…
This is not a time to voice long held grievances, for whatever reason. It is a time to bury them, forget them and start afresh.
Anyone in a decision making position involving people will always be open to criticism. No matter how fair and judicious they may be, the harsh reality of life is that you cannot please 100% of the people 100% of the time. Add to that the very subjective nature of many of the posts where Moderator’s are required to intervene. It is not an easy job. You have to make decision based on what you see, yet there may be an extensive history that you are not privy to. Not to mention human fallibility – you don’t always get it right.
All that aside, forum users need to bear in mind the basic facts of life – if everyone adhered to the site rules then the Moderators would have nothing to do. So if you genuinely wish the new recruits well, you will make a genuine effort to keep within the rules. And it would not hurt to provide others who need it a gentle reminder thereof.
Moderators volunteer their time and their energy simply because they believe in the worthwhile outcomes this site is able to produce. They are not paid. And there is a real cost to them in terms of effort, assessment, decision making and responses – all of which chews up their personal time and enjoyment of the forum. They are there to allow it to function. Not to pick on people as some irresponsible users would have others believe.
Blue
PS. A comment was passed earlier about “Believe it or not APS isn't the central hub for 90% of reptile keepers.” Where does that come from? No-one is comparing APS with similar sites. We are focussed on our site and on improving the services it provides for its users. If you are not a regular user, then butt out. This is all in-house. We, the regular users, have a vested interest in changes taking place and what we can do to facilitate improvements. If you are unable to contribute positively to that, then it is preferable that you say nothing.