This is a forum starter thread.

Diane

-- Anonymous, December 22, 1999

Answers

Thanks so much for setting this up Diane

-- Steve

-- Anonymous, December 22, 1999

Thanks to you both for making this happen.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 1999

You're welcome.

;-D

Will set categories either late tonight or early am (PST).

Diane

-- Anonymous, December 26, 1999

SYSOPs Training Guidelines by Diane

GICC Sysop Training

REFERENCES: IF NEEDED...

URL Code for InterNic WhoIs: http://www.networksolutions.com/cgi-bin/whois/whois/

URL Code for SWITCH WHOIS Gateway: http://www.switch.ch/search/whois_form.html

1) GICC SYSOP INSTRUCTIONS:

 Recommend practicing in the GICC Moderators Forum first in a safe zone.

 Try creating your own practice threads and learn how to delete them. Then create posts within a thread and learn to delete only one or two posts within that thread. Look at a persons e-mail associated links, and at their ISP number associated links (i.e explore to see how its structured).

For Example: Ignore: GICC Sysop Training Test Thread http://greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0027sW

 The Admin password to the GICC Moderators Forum will be supplied by Steve Davis or his designate.

You can enter the Admin side by clicking on the hotlink at the bottom of the top level page where the hotlink says: 'The maintainer has a private page for deleting old threads, etc."

You will enter the correct password, hit return, and you MUST accept the cookie to gain access.

(NOTE: You would enter the Greenspun Admin S/W on the Main GICC Forum at the same place... different password. PLEASE NEVER CHANGE PASSWORDS OR ANYTHING ON THE FIRST ENTRY PAGE!!! You'll see).

Top level Admin s/w reads...

Administration for "Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) Moderators" a discussion group in LUSENET

2) CHECKING OUT THE ADMIN S/W:

At the Top Level of the Admin software... click Q&A hotlink... under... Daily Tasks where it reads...

 visit the administration page: threads | Q&A

This will take you to the Q&A level which reads...

Administer Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) Moderators by question (one of the options from the admin home page for this topic) [ Post a New Question | Unanswered Questions | New Answers | About ]

Go ahead and select the thread under New Questions...

 Ignore: GICC Sysop Training Test Thread from Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com) -- interest level NULL

Look at the hotlinked portions of my posts.

Asked by Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com) from 38.28.78.144 on December 28, 1999.

One (sacredspaces@yahoo.com) will lead to a list of posts made by that e-mail address, the other is the ISP number 38.28.78.144 the person came in on and all the posts associated with that specific ISP number. (One ISP provider could have many contiguous numbers).

If you click on the blue ISP number here 38.28.78.144 it will go to a pop-up window (takes a bit of time to load if long) and the s/w will show you a reverse DNS and a list of "names" coming in on that ISP.

Postings from 38.28.78.144 in the Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) Moderators forum Doing a reverse DNS now: 38.28.78.144 maps to ... ip144.san-francisco28.ca.pub-ip.psi.net (note: if you just get the number again, that means the hostname could not be found.)

Aside note: When a poster comes in on AOL it may or may not be all the same person. Often... it is. Or not. Depends. Best not to assume unless its clearly not a list of several known posters.

Go back now and instead click on the blue (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), and youll se a list of posts made by me in this forum...

Postings by sacredspaces@yahoo.com in the Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) Moderators forum (main admin page)

3) PRIOR TO DELETING POSTS (Usually Trolls):

 BTW, before I ever delete something, I usually look at the ISP number to see who it is, when you are dealing with a troll.

If you need to check further on the number, use...

SWITCH WHOIS Gateway http://www.switch.ch/search/whois_form.html

Check the ISP number 38.28.78.144 under the American IP address information, by ARIN search area, and youll see it reads...

Results from WHOIS server whois.arin.net for query: 38.28.78.144

Performance Systems International (NET-PSINETA) 510 Huntmar Park Drive Herndon, VA 22070

...etc. ...

This can give you a fuzzy idea of where the poster is possibly coming from. Or not.

 Prior to deleting anything, and especially if the poster is a particularly VISCIOUS troll coming out of the woodwork, I make a copy of their post (by slapping into a word processor troll file) and run a quick reverse DNS and slap that in with their filed post... just "in case" we need to complain to an ISP. I dont by any means do this for most trolls... maybe 2% of the posts I ever delete. If its a bad one, then I keep a copy).

 If you have to file an abuse complaint with an ISP provider, they will want examples of disruptor trolling. In other words, if you ever have to go to the level of contacting an ISP for an abuse complaint, we have to provide details. (Happens very rarely).

4) ACTUALLY DELETING INDIVIDUAL POSTS

There are several ways to delete a post. One is to hotlink on the blue e-mail address mentioned above, or on the ISP number.

Under the e-mail option for...

Postings by sacredspaces@yahoo.com in the Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) Moderators forum (main admin page)

 Response to Ignore: GICC Sysop Training Test Thread (1999-12-28)  Response to Ignore: GICC Sysop Training Test Thread (1999-12-28)  Response to Ignore: GICC Sysop Training Test Thread (1999-12-28)  Response to Ignore: GICC Sysop Training Test Thread (1999-12-28)  Ignore: GICC Sysop Training Test Thread (1999-12-28)  Response to Test Story: Gas stations closed? (1999-12-27)  Response to Greetings GICC Moderators (1999-12-26)  Greetings GICC Moderators (1999-12-22)

Youll note the grey check box next to each post. You can check in then hit the grey button at the bottom of the list that reads... delete marked messages ... this is an area where you can do what is termed global deletes for a spamming poster.

Another way is to hotlink to the actual thread on which the poster posted.

Click on...

 Response to Ignore: GICC Sysop Training Test Thread (1999-12-28)

Look at...

Delete post.

Answered by Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com) from 38.28.78.144 on December 28, 1999.

If you wanted to delete that response to someones initiated thread, you could check the greay bos at the side of the post bulk delete and then also clikc the grey Delete Marked Messages at the bottom of the page. As I recall, at the trhead level, you may, or may not. be asked to confirm the delete.

Practice Suggestion: Create your own test threads and practice deleting protions of them, or event the entire thread.

5) ACTUALLY DELETING ENTIRE THREADS

Look again at the top of the above sample thead.

Thread title: Ignore: GICC Sysop Training Test Thread [Update Thread Title] (grey button) asked in the Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) Moderators Q&A Forum  DELETE ENTIRE THREAD (blue hotlink)

Click here, confirm the delete and wipe out the entire thread and dependent posts.

(Note: Only do this when you intend to. There is no recovery from deleting threads or posts. If in doubt, cut and pate a copy of the thread into a word processor).

6) RE-CATEGORIZING THREADS

Look again at the top of the above sample thead.

Thread title: Ignore: GICC Sysop Training Test Thread [Update Thread Title] (grey button) asked in the Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) Moderators Q&A Forum  DELETE ENTIRE THREAD (blue hotlink)  Interest Level:  Expiration Days:  [Administrative/Sysop] [Set Category] (Category toggle and grey button)

To change the Category, just toggle to the correct one and click the [Set Category]. This is also the location where you can add a new category to the Froum, but I suggest you let Steve or one of the lead GICC Sysops do that.

7) EDITING THREADS, TITLES OR POSTS

Once again, look at the top of the above sample thead.

Thread title: Ignore: GICC Sysop Training Test Thread [Update Thread Title] (grey button) asked in the Grassroots Information Coordination Center (GICC) Moderators Q&A Forum  DELETE ENTIRE THREAD (blue hotlink)  Interest Level:  Expiration Days:  [Administrative/Sysop] [Set Category] (Category toggle and grey button)

To edit the thread title, change the wording in Thread title: then click the grey [Update Thread Title] button.

To edit a post, look lower in the thread and notice there is a blue EDIT hotlink. Click on it.

This is where you can edit HTML snafoos or take out unauthorised personal information posted accidentially or intentionally.

Suggestion: To avoid cries of censorship if I have to snip something, I usually replace it with a note in brackets...

[snip--personal information--per poster request--Sysop]

Test. And youll get the hang of it.

-- Anonymous, December 30, 1999