Return to Answer

Second, we hurt a longstanding member of the community and an important volunteer moderator. She deserved the benefit of a private, comprehensive process. In the absence of a clear process for handling this kind of situation, we should have taken inspiration from our existing Moderator Action Review Process. We made a decision to act quickly, which I personally approved, but in doing so skipped several critical parts of the process. In acting quickly, we also acted at a time which coincided with a Jewish holiday which she and many other members of our community observe, and we should have taken that more into account in the process.

 

I’m responsible for that, and I’m sorry. We’ll be reaching out to her directly to apologize for the lack of process, privacy, and to discuss next steps. We’ll keep those discussions completely private unless we both agree to share any of it with the community.

Second, we hurt a longstanding member of the community and an important volunteer moderator. She deserved the benefit of a private, comprehensive process. In the absence of a clear process for handling this kind of situation, we should have taken inspiration from our existing Moderator Action Review Process. We made a decision to act quickly, which I personally approved, but in doing so skipped several critical parts of the process. In acting quickly, we also acted at a time which coincided with a Jewish holiday which she and many other members of our community observe, and we should have taken that more into account in the process.

I’m responsible for that, and I’m sorry. We’ll be reaching out to her directly to apologize for the lack of process, privacy, and to discuss next steps. We’ll keep those discussions completely private unless we both agree to share any of it with the community.

Update 18th November

My diamond how now been removed and I have scheduled the deletion of all of my accounts across the network.

Whatever the interpretation for my action, this wasn't done out a sense of pettiness, attention-seeking, or of protesting against Stack Exchange.

This is my protection from the self-harm that seems to be endemic in the community right now. As much as I support Monica and despise the way in which she was deposed, there is seemingly no end to the amount of conflict that this situation and the events around it has plunged the community into.

I really care about this community, and the amount of care is roughly equal to the amount of hurt I'm feeling in seeing it the way that it is. I feel impotent in the face of the community that seems like it has no wish to heal.

There are those who say that the community should not be allowed to heal while Monica is still in the situation that she is. However hard and hurtful that situation is, it's in the hands of the lawyers, and lawyers move slowly. I don't know how long that wait will be, but I feel uncomfortable being part of a community that remains in conflict with itself while that plays out.

And so I'm leaving, and seeking closure in having my accounts deleted.

I'm sharing my parting words from the Teacher's Lounge. Ordinarily, doing so will get me fired, but these are my words, mine to share.

Parting words: Be good to each other. Find ways of working together for a common, positive, purpose. Avoid needless conflict. Think of the effect of your words on others before committing them to the keyboard. Write for the entire audience and not simply the person you're answering to.

So long, and thanks for all the fish.

However, the toxicity within the moderator space continues, there is a continuing and relentless drive toward negativity. Every day, I enter the Teacher's Lounge and I'm made depressed by the comments that are in the star board. It's just not pleasant and I am quite frankly tired of the drama.

However, the toxicity within the moderator space continues, there is a continuing and relentless drive toward negativity. Every day, I enter the Teacher's Lounge and I'm made depressed by the comments that are in the star board. It's just not pleasant and I am quite frankly tired of the drama.

There seems to be an inability or unwillingness for people to separate supporting Monica from supporting the community, and the end result is the community is being harmed.