annoyedEveryone on mailing lists and forums is entitled to their own opinions. While there is netiquette and codes of conduct within the mailing lists and forums format, most members behave themselves, and if folks don't, the moderator(s) usually come along and chastise them or deal with them more severely.
That said, one of the things that seriously peeves me off in forums and mailing lists is when folks there try to get other members or subscribers on the list to do things, act in a certain fashion. The worst case scenario for this happening is when a moderator or someone who has been given the access of an assistant moderator goes about influencing the way people react or act in a situation occurring on the list or forum.
I've actually seen this over the last week or so on one of the mailing lists and forums I frequent, and am well and truly pissed at this. When it comes down to it, I participate in mailing lists and forums in order to express my opinion about a given subject or interest, and don't expect moderators or assistant moderators to tell me what I should do or how I should think. The situation that has arisen in this case is one where the person in question has actively gone out and done some "vote recruiting". What bothers me most about this is that this is exactly the sort of abuse of power that goes on at times when people are given the power on mailing lists and forums. I guess when it comes down to it, it's not the actions and deeds that have taken place, but the abuse of moderator power itself that has gotten me so riled about this. However, what it's also done is to make me lose respect for the person in question, and that's the bitterest pill to swallow of all.
Anyway, that's all I've got to say on this. I've ranted (sort of), and gotten most of it off my chest. Or at least, the anger is down to now being annoyed.
