Moderator Election Campaign Week

[yusur317]

It represents the will of heat and energy, which is what we need.

Also guys, we don't win anymore. We're losing to Facebook, to Google, to Netflix, to schoolwork, to China, to live streaming cricket. I will make sure we win again.

Lets make ShiaChat great again!

 

You sir, have my vote! :D

 

I would've loved to vote for cake and khadim ulzahra too. But I thought since magma had more votes already, one vote for the others won't make much difference. I think it would have been better if no one saw the results. It influenced my vote and I'm sure it can influence that of others. 

Silasun, I think you've got great points too. The only reason why I wouldn't vote for you, is because I'd want you to prioritise your studies at this stage. 

 

Starlight, some great points also :)

 

Edit: 

I just read some more, I change my vote.

Khadim ulzahra seems honest and proactive. He knows his limits (in 'power') and wasn't afraid to voice them. Genuine and true. I'm sure he'll be able to take the initiative to create a great change for shiachat. Not just a hollow slogan (sorry magma), but a legitimate change. One that doesn't require words because it's understood best in action. I vote khadim ulzahra.

 

Someone asked magma for the meaning behind his name. I'm surprised no one asked the same of the others. Khadim ulzahra is a servant of Zahra. How do you think he can serve his honourable Lady in our time? Spreading her message in the most noble way. Shiachat is a good outlet, one that needs to be refined and improved. It needs a springboard to greatness. Khadim has come with many innovations. Let him be our springboard. Let the servant of ahl albayt hold the lantern of success, to guide shiachat to its well deserved place. It's in his name, brothers and sisters. If that isn't passion, I don't know what is. 

 

*drops mic* 

http://media.giphy.com/media/veL6DyCLYL3Fu/giphy.gif

 

 

P.S.: can someone introduce GIF use in the comment/reply section...? 

Edited November 6, 2015 by NoorA.95

[Khadim uz Zahra]

People are sometimes reluctant to discuss psychological and family issues here because once you have been here for some time and people get to know you and you make friends here, you lose the curtain of absolute anonymity. if we can have a sub forum where people can post without their user names appearing along with the posts , it might encourage people to open up about their issues without the fear of being judged.

 

I second that.Offering users anonymity will be very useful in getting people to open up and ask for help.

[apofomysback]

Magma still has my vote though I wish he'd frequent the chatroom too like most other mods

[Marbles]

It seems as though after 15 years of absolute modship SC's Magna Carta moment has finally come.

[Haji 2003]

I would've loved to vote for cake and khadim ulzahra too. But I thought since magma had more votes already, one vote for the others won't make much difference. I think it would have been better if no one saw the results. It influenced my vote and I'm sure it can influence that of others. 

 

 

 

Unlike many other countries, including France, India, Italy and Spain, the UK does not ban the publication of opinion polls in the run-up to a general election. But as a new poll from ComRes shows, a significant number of MPs believe it should. The survey of 159 MPs (carried out following the decision of the Indian Election Commission to ban polls in the final 48 hours of campaigning in the five states holding elections this month) found that 30% support a ban on polls for "a defined period" before general elections. 

 

 

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/11/should-pre-election-opinion-polls-be-banned-third-mps-think-so

 

There could be some logic in hiding the poll results e.g. 48 hours before the poll closes in order to provide people with an incentive to vote. Assuming that the software allows this.

 

 

 

[Guest]

I  too, think the poll results should remain hidden until the the end of voting. It's going to be more exciting that way and we can focus more of discussions, rather then checking the poll every few minutes. :D

Edited November 6, 2015 by starlight

[Khadim uz Zahra]

Edit: 

I just read some more, I change my vote.

Khadim ulzahra seems honest and proactive. He knows his limits (in 'power') and wasn't afraid to voice them. Genuine and true. I'm sure he'll be able to take the initiative to create a great change for shiachat. Not just a hollow slogan (sorry magma), but a legitimate change. One that doesn't require words because it's understood best in action. I vote khadim ulzahra.

 

Someone asked magma for the meaning behind his name. I'm surprised no one asked the same of the others. Khadim ulzahra is a servant of Zahra. How do you think he can serve his honourable Lady in our time? Spreading her message in the most noble way. Shiachat is a good outlet, one that needs to be refined and improved. It needs a springboard to greatness. Khadim has come with many innovations. Let him be our springboard. Let the servant of ahl albayt hold the lantern of success, to guide shiachat to its well deserved place. It's in his name, brothers and sisters. If that isn't passion, I don't know what is. 

 

*drops mic* 

http://media.giphy.com/media/veL6DyCLYL3Fu/giphy.gif

 

 

P.S.: can someone introduce GIF use in the comment/reply section...? 

 

LOL I think you're doing a better job at campaigning for me than I am! :P I think I need to hire you as my campaign manager.

[Tonks]

Yes, I'm a little less jovial than most of the other people here, I suppose. As such, I don't really post much in the off-topic forums (except the 'Describe the Poster Above You' thread). I find the chat, when actually busy, to be very distracting. There are too many people and they talk too fast. I used to frequent it a lot when I was new (this was also a time when the chat was also very active) but, I've outgrown it now. I'm Pakistani by birth but African by law. I'm a student. I also do freelance working writing tech news. I did start some topics but I don't create too many of them. Most of them are philosophical/have to do with beliefs, stuff that I'm confused about. I mostly like to comment on others' topics, though. You can find some of my topics here:

 

http://www.shiachat.com/forum/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=user_activity&search_app=forums&mid=84169&sid=c1c1e2e1baf0d8d161b9da7369df5c4b&search_app_filters%5Bforums%5D%5BsearchInKey%5D=&userMode=title

 

It should show all of them but, for some reason, any of my posts before 2015 are not shown. Another bug, I suppose (or, maybe just a restriction to ease the load on the servers).

 

Like any other person in Africa, my vote will be based on tribalism :P

 

Unless the other nominees do something magical to change my mind haha.

 

On a serious note though, so far when it comes to campaigning Br. Khadim is definitely taking the lead here and Magma comes in second thanks to his popularity prior to the whole voting process.

 

Starlight comes in third for actively trying to address all the questions with a touch of humor (you go girl). P.S she is also the only female candidate, an heir to Hameedeh the great.

 

Silasun lol. What can I say. Your posts lighten up the thread but you have to do a lot more if you want to win :D

 

Cake doesn't look like he is interested in this position. Unless he is acting as the silent observer which he normally does even on the chatroom. Cake what will you do differently to what you already are doing if you were a mod?

[Khadim uz Zahra]

 

My top priority is to simply be fair, while maintaining as laissez faire an attitude as possible. Moderate, but only when needed.

 

One more thing I'd like to add to this is that I think the 'people's representative' should act less like a mod and more like a press secretary. Most of the complaints by users these days are due to a lack of information, because a lot of the 'big' decisions are shrouded in mystery. The elected mod should act as a bridge between the moderator's team and the masses, informing them of why people were banned, why some threads were locked, why emojis are taking so long to fix. We have asked these questions, and some of them have received answers, but I think a large part of the job should be to help facilitate this process better.

 

As a mod, this person would be able to see the secret moderators' forum and get the inside scoop. They should then transmit the relevant parts of these discussions and the decision making process to the people.

 

I think that encouraging participation isn't exactly part of the mod's job description; at least, it's not exclusive to being a mod. You don't need to be a mod to do things like hold quizzes and contest, to have a poetry jam, to create interesting threads that will excite people. That's the job of every member on the forum, whether you're a mod or not, you can do this. Being a mod might make it a little easier to do it but it's not a significant factor. The mod's job should be to create a platform that is inducive, which will allow people to create threads like Thoughts, ShiaChat Memes, Describe the Poster Above You, What Game Are You Playing, Poor Jokes and so on. None of these were created by mods and, yet, they are the most successful threads around.

[Ali_Hussain]

It has to be said, Magma is in a different league when it comes to campaigning, it seems like every posts of his is tactical - (no offense to the others who are just basically being honest, not to say Magma isn't, but he does seem to have thought this out more than the others)

Edited November 6, 2015 by Ali_Hussain

[Reza]

Not just a hollow slogan (sorry magma), but a legitimate change.

 

I beg to differ. 

 

I outlined several specific policies for legitimate change, including improved thread management (strategic pinning, consolidation, and cleanup), well regulated contests/games, thread ideas, Skype get togethers, and even proposed a ShiaChat constitution that would allow a greater voice in site affairs through referendum and public voting by mods/admins.

 

I also described my ideology about ShiaChat, and I'm still willing to developing it further if anyone has any questions.  Requests for clarifications on anything are welcomed. 

 

And to everyone else, my chat function hasn't worked for a long time.  I don't know if its my browser or what.  But I will make sure to fix it and become more active on it. 

Edited November 6, 2015 by magma

[Marbles]

It has to be said, Magma is in a different league when it comes to campaigning, it seems like every posts of his is tactical - (no offense to the others who are just basically being honest, not to say Magma isn't, but he does seem to have thought this out more than the others)

Don't underestimate the power of words. It's what we call "charb zabaan"

(This is a neutral comment, magma. Neither pro nor anti).

Frankly, your postings in this thread reminded me a bit of Obama in '08)

[Reza]

 

 

 

One more thing I'd like to add to this is that I think the 'people's representative' should act less like a mod and more like a press secretary. Most of the complaints by users these days are due to a lack of information, because a lot of the 'big' decisions are shrouded in mystery. The elected mod should act as a bridge between the moderator's team and the masses, informing them of why people were banned, why some threads were locked, why emojis are taking so long to fix. We have asked these questions, and some of them have received answers, but I think a large part of the job should be to help facilitate this process better.

 

As a mod, this person would be able to see the secret moderators' forum and get the inside scoop. They should then transmit the relevant parts of these discussions and the decision making process to the people.

 

I think that encouraging participation isn't exactly part of the mod's job description; at least, it's not exclusive to being a mod. You don't need to be a mod to do things like hold quizzes and contest, to have a poetry jam, to create interesting threads that will excite people. That's the job of every member on the forum, whether you're a mod or not, you can do this. Being a mod might make it a little easier to do it but it's not a significant factor. The mod's job should be to create a platform that is inducive, which will allow people to create threads like Thoughts, ShiaChat Memes, Describe the Poster Above You, What Game Are You Playing, Poor Jokes and so on. None of these were created by mods and, yet, they are the most successful threads around.

 

 

It's a simple fact that involvement by moderators in topics improves its quality signficantly just through their sheer credibility.  We shouldn't discount that.  Higher quality increases participation.  Moderators can enforce rules and maintain order better.

 

Moderators are moderators, meaning they are arbiters, managers, and communicators.  We shouldn't demean the role by referring to it as "press secretary". 

Edited November 6, 2015 by magma

[Khadim uz Zahra]

It's a simple fact that involvement by moderators in topics improves its quality signficantly just through their sheer credibility.  We shouldn't discount that.  Higher quality increases participation.  Moderators can enforce rules and maintain order better.

 

Moderators are moderators, meaning they are arbiters, managers, and communicators.  We shouldn't demean the role by referring to it as "press secretary". 

 

And, I didn't say that they aren't. I've maintained that I will not tolerate rule bending. But, the question is, what difference will there be between you as an elected mod and those who weren't? What's the point of this election, beyond the extravagant show? I believe that the elected mod, apart from performing the general duties of a mod, should focus on communication.

 

I've generally stood by the moderating team whenever they've been called out but those problems seem to continue. The whole reason people started clamoring for an elected mod was the fact that they were unhappy with some of the decisions made by the current mods. Thus, my job should be to resolve those problems, the problems which led to the election. Appease people by informing them of what is happening behind the scenes. For example, people have been crying left and right about emojis. I still haven't seen a response from the mods and dev team about what the problem is, why it's taking so long and when we can expect the problem to be resolved. That, in my mind, would be the elected mod's job. To act as a liaison.

[Reza]

It seems as though after 15 years of absolute modship SC's Magna Carta moment has finally come.

 

Yes, its a transformation.  Join me, and we can work together towards constitutional revolution, and make ShiaChat great again. 

 

Some ideas for the constitution:

1. Outlining site ideology

2.  Discussion of voting process to elect mods in the future, including procedure and term limits

3.  Discussion of referendum and the ShiaChat Majlis (Parliament), and the ability to have exciting and open debates, on many issues (serious site issues, world issues, fun issues, etc)

4.  Traditions, customs (I would like to create an honorary member of the week, who gets their own thread of praises, an interview thread, etc)

5.  Rules and regulations concerning behavior, technical issues about site use for basic and advanced members

6.  Procedures regarding suspensions, bannings, reinstatements

 

And many more.  Let's win again. 

[Tonks]

It's a simple fact that involvement by moderators in topics improves its quality signficantly just through their sheer credibility.  We shouldn't discount that.  Higher quality increases participation.  Moderators can enforce rules and maintain order better.

 

Moderators are moderators, meaning they are arbiters, managers, and communicators.  We shouldn't demean the role by referring to it as "press secretary".

 

I agree with Khadim, there should be someone who acts as a 'people's representative'.

 

A person who can bridge the communication gap between the general users and those with "color power" lol.

 

So for example if someone gets a warning, that most people believe he/she shouldn't have, there should be a public case where the person warned can get a fair trial (maybe get to hire an sc lawyer fisabillilah lol). Juries should be appointed, a prosecutor (blue mod) and the Judge can be the red mod. (I like to live in a dream world.)

 

EDIT: Magma, I must say your campaign is the most entertaining. You sound like a true politician. 

[Reza]

I agree with Khadhim, there should be someone who acts as a 'people's representative'.

 

A person who can bridge the communication gap between the general users and those with "color power" lol.

 

So for example if someone gets a warning, that most people believe he/she shouldn't have, there should be a public case where the person warned can get a fair trial (maybe get to hire an sc lawyer fisabillilah lol). Juries should be appointed, a prosecutor (blue mod) and the Judge can be the red mod. (I like to live in a dream world.)

 

I agree with Khadim as well, but I don't like how he says "the 'people's representative' should act less like a mod and more like a press secretary".  I just don't like those choice of words.  A mod should act less like a mod?

 

The moderators usually explain why members are banned in their Banned Members Thread.  When they close down a thread, they usually give a reason, or its usually self-evident.  We should have greater trust in moderators that they reveal only what is publically necessary, and have the integrity to keep private what is sensitive or important.  That's the trust we give moderators. 

 

Moderators are supposed to be filters and gatekeepers, not wannabe Edward Snowdens.  I don't want to create a rift where the "people's representative" is a leak or gossip machine.  I advocate transparency through moderator team concensus and constitutional provision. 

 

And Tonks, good idea, we can incorporate a judiciary into our constitution.  Join me, and we can help draft it together.

Edited November 6, 2015 by magma

[Khadim uz Zahra]

@Admins, Repenter, Abbas, I think that in order to increase participation, we should make this thread a banner at the top of the site, like the ads so that everyone knows this is happening, and not just those who followed the whole thing from before. Something flashy (because how else do you attract people) like "Choose Your Mod" or something.

 

Only 33 votes is too less.

Edited November 6, 2015 by Khadim uz Zahra

[Reza]

^I agree, if it's possible. 

[repenter-gone4awhile]

You guys should answer WF to every question. Guaranteed win!

Amateures....

[Tonks]

Many of us use Facebook on a regular basis and the SC page on FB is barely active.

 

What would you do to revive it?

 

There used to Quiz/Contests and I see silasun and magma have said they would introduce such contests again.

 

Can you both give an example of what kind of contests you are looking to bring and what the prize would be :D (please not the normal poetry/photography/cooking stuff .. we want new ideas!).

[repenter-gone4awhile]

@Admins, Repenter, Abbas, I think that in order to increase participation, we should make this thread a banner at the top of the site, like the ads so that everyone knows this is happening, and not just those who followed the whole thing from before. Something flashy (because how else do you attract people) like "Choose Your Mod" or something.

 

Only 33 votes is too less.

In order to do that, the owner needs wake up from his polar bear hibernation in canada...

[Reza]

I just recognized that giving 'likes' is limited,this is a major concern imho...I like to like posts unlimited.Who of you future mods is able to fix that?

 

same here - i hate the restriction

 

I think that's a feature of the IP board system that can't be changed.  But nonetheless, likes will continue to grow, even on a rock, and your voice will be heard!

[Marbles]

Yes, its a transformation.  Join me, and we can work together towards constitutional r

evolution, and make ShiaChat great again. 

 

Some ideas for the constitution:

1. Outlining site ideology

2.  Discussion of voting process to elect mods in the future, including procedure and term limits

3.  Discussion of referendum and the ShiaChat Majlis (Parliament), and the ability to have exciting and open debates, on many issues (serious site issues, world issues, fun issues, etc)

4.  Traditions, customs (I would like to create an honorary member of the week, who gets their own thread of praises, an interview thread, etc)

5.  Rules and regulations concerning behavior, technical issues about site use for basic and advanced members

6.  Procedures regarding suspensions, bannings, reinstatements

 

And many more.  Let's win again.

I spelled Magma Carta wrongly in the previous post. Apologies for that.

I like revolutionary change by instinct but I have grown sort of latent mistrust for great change. This probably doesn't make me so much a conservative than pessimistic. But this time round those who say AYE, say AYE.

[Reza]

I spelled Magma Carta wrongly in the previous post. Apologies for that.

I like revolutionary change by instinct but I have grown sort of latent mistrust for great change. This probably doesn't make me so much a conservative than pessimistic. But this time round those who say AYE, say AYE.

 

AYE!

 

By the way dear friend, I want to address you directly, and give a shout out to all our long-standing members who have stuck around for so long. 

 

I want to give you the respect you deserve.  If I get this constitution and parliament worked out, I would love to give senior non-mod/non-admin members such as yourself an opportunity to make an impact.  I will propose that you be given some voting opportunities alongside mods and admins.  The details have to be worked out.  Think of it as a thanks.  You are the change!  Let's make ShiaChat great again. 

Many of us use Facebook on a regular basis and the SC page on FB is barely active.

 

What would you do to revive it?

 

There used to Quiz/Contests and I see silasun and magma have said they would introduce such contests again.

 

Can you both give an example of what kind of contests you are looking to bring and what the prize would be :D (please not the normal poetry/photography/cooking stuff .. we want new ideas!).

 

FB is its own beast.  We can't control much, except make this site great again. 

 

The good stuff.  Trivia games, debate tournaments, treasure hunts, word games, math games.  I have many ideas.

[insearchoflight]

Salaam

Most of us land onto Shia chat via Google.

99% of the time the threads are cyclic and often redundant not leading to anything conclusive.

Most of new users reinvent the wheel by asking same questions on annual repetitive pattern and similar set of newbie members answer from their limited knowledge or debate endlessly.

Despite gems of knowledge shared and explained by knowledgeable members stays hidden or fragmented among redundant posts and unpleasant personal attacks, defeating the efforts of past and increasing the efforts for new seekers. (No pinning isn't the solution)

What would moderators like to do differently to make it more than just a chat forum?

[Guest]

Starlight comes in third for actively trying to address all the questions with a touch of humor (you go girl). P.S she is also the only female candidate, an heir to Hameedeh the great.

thank you Tonks, I had been thinking of making a detailed post, so your post couldn't have come at a better time.

The reason I am not filling page after page with my campaign promises is because I am a firm believer of 'Actions speak louder than words' and also because I do not look upon this as a political campaign, hence I don't want to go around making huge promises and making people think that if they choose me they are going to witness a revolution on SC. As repenter pointed out and people who have been here long enough and are familiar with the running of things know that the authority of a considerable number of changes lies with the owner. So, no matter now much well versed I am with the technical and development stuff making me a mod doesn't automatically mean that these things will get fixed.

Like so many other people here I think of SC as much more than just a bulletin board. I think of it as a big extended family and I felt truly honoured when people here contacted me on PM to ask advise on marriage issues, discuss career choices, talk about their health concerns, ask me to review their online marriage profile ;) (that one was was pretty special, thank you so much for your trust brother) . So with people who have put their trust in me, I would feel so wrong to make any promises that I can't be absolutely sure of fulfilling.

So again I would say what I have said earlier too, I will try my best to be a true 'members' representative' and work with the Mod team to bridge the gap that exists between the members and the Moderating team. Shiachat would be nothing without its members and I don't believe any major decisions/chnages should take place on SC without involving the members.

So if you choose me you will have a Mod who is pretty well versed with all areas of SC, since I have not restricted my participation/contribution to some key areas only. I have made contribution in almost all areas of SC, from Islamic law to off topic, to social and family issues to technical feedback and of course the chatroom.

Also you will have someone who is stable and consistent in her presence on shiachat, unlike some other candidates, and hence available to solve the problems of members , I would personally think this is the most important thing to look when choosing a Mod.

You will have a mod who has the ability to listen calmly and patiently without losing her cool , someone who doesn't buckle under pressure and needs a week long time out when faced with harsh comments . Most importantly you will have someone who is sympathetic, likes to give room for human errors and believes in giving second chances.

That's all for now, I thinnnk :D questions are always welcome, I want to hear you speak first before issuing my judgement.

[Sumerian]

Why does my vote only count as one?

I'm looking at you Repenter.

Edited November 6, 2015 by The Batman

[Bakir]

I honestly think Cake deserves more votes than the ones he's got :(

[apofomysback]

I honestly think Cake deserves more votes than the ones he's got :(

He needs to be a bit more proactive for that to happen

[repenter-gone4awhile]

Why does my vote only count as one?

I'm looking at you Repenter.

 

Consider yourself lucky that you are allowed to vote at all. 

[guest050817]

Unrelated guys, but can we have another catagory, namely 'rijalists' and 'translators'? It would really help to signal those guys out. The rijalists obviously need to be proven rijalists, not scholars but still head and shoulders above the rest of us to introduce us , and the translators so we know maybe who to pester in PM's for translations.

 

So say you have the name :

 

X

Rijalist Representative

 

etc?

[Reza]

 

The reason I am not filling page after page with my campaign promises is because I am a firm believer of 'Actions speak louder than words'  and also because I do not look upon this as a political campaign, hence I don't want to go around making huge promises and making people think that if they choose me they are going to witness a revolution on SC.

 

This couldn't be referring to me, is it?  Haha, insert emoticon here. 

 

I have respect for you, and I think you're pretty good.  Your skills speak for themselves.  But...

 

Where's the passion?  Where's the imagination?  Where's the outside the box thinking?  The only message you are giving is "I'm nice to everyone, so vote for me".  But isn't that already a given?  None of us would be receving votes, let alone in this poll in the first place, if people didn't like us, and want to nominate us.  We don't need to prove this.  We are all trusted members who have helped people publically and privately. 

 

So the discussion has to be elevated beyond these nicieties.  The language of revolution is not irresponsible but mandatory.  It generates excitement, thought, imagination, and many other dormant features of our human psyche that need to be unleashed.  Discussing little tweaks here and there does little.  This is not the time to hold back and narrow the discussion to technocratic realism.  Let's talk big, think big, and with time we'll see what happens.

 

I'm not making promises as much as I'm making proposals.  I'm putting things out there.  Generating buzz.  Generating interest.  Generating thought.  That's the job of a moderator, to discuss what can be, what could be, and push the limits of our imagination.  How much can actually get done?  It's variable, and depends on many factors.  But the lasting positive effect of its mental exercise makes the rhetoric and efforts worth it nonetheless. 

 

You proposed having members more involved in this site, but only I have introduced any creative or stuctural way to do it.  As the mod badge is blue, so is the bright beautiful sky with which I want to hollistically view this site from the birds eye top view. 

Edited November 6, 2015 by magma

[guest050817]

I just want to add, i am liking magma's views on trying to figure out the philosophy of these boards, i do want to add a few things to the future moderators and admin staff:

 

1. SC , while it should never substitute proper books and contacting scholars, contains information we can not find anywhere else. I'll explain.

 

Some users here, like Islamic Salvation translate works previously never translated, as shia hadith and work translations are abhorrently not translated to the level of sunni works. We can literally only obtain it on this website, from talented translators.

 

Additionally, informative articles, from Nader Zaveri, Abu Tufayl, Islamic salvation, Cake, and others which can be considered peer reviewed by each of them (as they like and comment) can't really be found else where,.

 

Maybe we should really try to develop and maybe do something to get more unique but useful posts like this , while also expanding on SC as a 'social media alternative'.

 

We definitely need more people registering, and i think:

 

1. Keep the boards well moderated and safe (as they are)

2. Change up the site to make it more appealing to masses?(i like it as it is, but maybe Magma has ideas)

3. Launch a very strong advertising campaign.

4. $$ profit.

 

 

 

 

On a side note, this is starting to sound like a US presidential campaign LOL.

 

Can we have a live skype debate, with brother Abu Hadi as the host?

Edited November 6, 2015 by Tawheed313

[Ruq]

There was only 1 way i could settle it, yes, a good old fashioned Cannellini bean lottery. This was the result: