Who selects sysops for boards like this?

Does this board have more than one sysop?

If I want to be a sysop for this board, how do I go about applying?

Who tells the sysop what his "powers" are?

Can one sysop decide to allow foul language but not racist posts, while another sysop deletes foul language, but allows racist posts?

-- (perplexed@but.happy), April 29, 2000

Answers

To the best of my knowledge...

>> Who selects sysops for boards like this?

On this server (greenspun) the sysop is more-or-less the person who applies to create the forum, or their designates.

>> Does this board have more than one sysop?

Not that I am aware of. Someone with the handle Old Timebomb Forum Regular (OTFR, for short) is the one and only sysop.

>> If I want to be a sysop for this board, how do I go about applying?

I doubt there's an opening. But you'd have to ask OTFR for the keys to the car.

>> Who tells the sysop what his "powers" are?

Phil Greenspun owns and runs this server. He is truly the court-of-last-resort, not OTFR. Phil has never shown any inclination to interfere in any of the forums, as far as I know. The policies outlined in the About the Forum area (see the links at the top of the page) were enunciated by OTFR when the forum began.

>> Can one sysop decide to allow foul language but not racist posts, while another sysop deletes foul language, but allows racist posts?

Since there is only one sysop here, such a thing could not happen as you describe. But nothing prevents OTFR from being inconsistant in applying his(her?) policies, except OTFR's good judgement.

Perplexed, you seem to think there is some set of "laws" regulating this forum. There aren't. It is run according to the judgement of Phil Greenspun and the sysops who start forums on Phil's server.

You could start your own forum. It isn't very difficult, it seems. Go to the LUSENET link at the top of the page and study up.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), April 29, 2000.

Brian,

Thanks for the very informative post.

Not Perplexed Anymore.

-- (perplexed@but.happy), April 29, 2000.

Perplexed/retard/whatever handle u use today:

Please see my response to your other post.

YOU KNOW WHY YOU GOT IN TROUBLE, GIVE IT A REST.

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), April 29, 2000.

YOU KNOW WHY YOU GOT IN TROUBLE, GIVE IT A REST.

Knowing why and being smart enough to shut up are two entirely differnt thigs to a 17 year old I'm afraid

-- He Has (no_brain@no_pain.com), April 29, 2000.

>> Knowing why and being smart enough to shut up are two entirely differnt thigs to a 17 year old I'm afraid <<

Smart is not at issue here. Retard is clearly bright and also thinks well. But, if Retard is 17 years old, then he (or she) is obviously operating without a full complement of information needed to understand OTFR's judgement.

Few 17 year olds have the emotional experience to imagine the vulnerability of a parent when their child is in mortal danger. In Retard's experience, his judgement is balanced. Later life will probably recalibrate his scales in ways he can't dream of today. We should be prepared to cut Retard some slack. We all were in that position once, ourselves. I still have that to go through in regard to old age and dying.

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), April 29, 2000.

Brian,

I agree, things looks "so much different" as I age. Take the time to remember how we were as we "grew up" and be somewhat amazed in the way we thought then, as compared to now. Who would of thunk, he, he.

-- Michael (michaelteever@buffalo.com), April 29, 2000.

Hmmmm. Looks as if our friend Retard/Perplexed has gone and started up his own new forum (Uncensored Spinoff) where he can be king of the hill. A pretty small hill from the looks of it.

Judging from the few threads and replies there so far it's just a few self-identified "renegades" milling around aimlessly, posting five words at a time. It remains to be seen whether they have anything interesting to say or not. Bets anyone?

My bet is that nothing OTFR has done to date has chafted anyone enough to drive them to a new forum. It will probably die of ination. But who knows?

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), April 30, 2000.

Looks that way, eh Brian? Tooo funny.

The new 'person' was exposed, by you? Who is Wanda?

If not by you, humble apologizes just wondered how whoever knew who s really was.

---behaving self.

sometimes...lol

-- consumer (shh@aol.com), April 30, 2000.