Just received this, and thought I'd pass it along for whatever
use it may have in illuminating the discussion.

jms

Subj:Confessions of a CIS sysop
Date:97-03-03 23:00:21 EST
From:rick@hugin.imat.com (Rick Moen)
To:jmsatb5@aol.com

Here's how CIS forum-content regulation works, from the perspective of
a (former) CIS primary forum sysop ("wizop").

I used to work for a software company, and as part of my job as a
support rep created a CIS forum to support our customers -- and then
ran it single-handed for four years. This meant answering all
CIS-based customer questions from around the world, plus handling all
forum administration. Many wizops recruit assistants, giving them
access to some sysop functions.

As a forum (primary) sysop, one is handed a couple of big binders,
that mostly cover technical matters, but in passing touch on content
guidelines. These were vaguely described, but the sysop is told he's
obliged to keep "off" all profanity, solicitations of business for
other online services, and some other things. Forum members were to be
_advised_ by e-mail if a post had been removed, and could be locked out
(in ordinary circumstances) _only_ after a warning. (As a courtesy, I
also sent a copy of any removed post back via e-mail, in case the
poster wanted to edit and re-post it or send it unchanged via e-mail.)

I enforced the profanity guidelines, among others, permissively, and
always with the advisories described. I told members up front that it
was a _support_ forum, and that they could create a Berate Company
Management forum elsewhere.

To get to the point, several things: (1) "Wizops" operate forums by
contract with CIS for a percentage of user billings. (2) CIS thus
distances itself from both administration _and_ some legal liability.
(They can say "Not our fault. We weren't running it." This, in my
view, is CIS sysops' primary design function.)

(3) The standard CIS forum contract forbids disclosure of its terms to
any third party. (Yes, I'm violating it. I have reason.)

(4) Many if not most forum sysops, both wizops and their chosen
assistants, ignore the obligation of accountability to users. They do
this for convenience's sake, and because there's little to hold them
accountable. My successor did this, for example. Sysops tend to see
themselves as overworked and under-appreciated (almost always true):
Unfortunately, they tend to consider this an excuse for whatever
management techniques seem most expedient.

(5) CIS forum management routinely abdicates its responsibility to
oversee sysops. My guess is that exercising it would (most of the
time) tend to increase their legal exposure, and they intercede only if
there's a disaster brewing that might spill over from the sysop onto
them. I've known a number of cases of people appealing to CIS
management over clear cases of high-handed sysop behaviour: I don't
think CIS even _responded_ to any of those users. Again, little existed
to _hold_ them accountable.

(6) The remedy: Exactly what you're doing. Have someone watch the
watchers, and spotlight abuse when it happens. Don't accept
convenience and mishap as excuses for absurd happenings such as those
you've described. The responsible parties _will_ be motivated to
elmininate abuses if faced with fair complaints from multiple parties,
that won't go away if ignored.

Thank you for pursuing the matter. Feel free to quote this e-mail if
you wish, and you need not omit my name or mailbox, if you do. I stand
behind it.

-- Cheers, Rick Moen rick@hugin.imat.com

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Subject: Confessions of a CIS sysop
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