The Tao Of Approvers

[+Renegade Knight]

Very often my posts have me at odds with this site and some of it's policies.

I would like to formally say that while this often puts me at odds with approvers who are defending their decisions or the site, I recognize the job they do and respect it.

 

Please don't confuse any of those posts with an anger at any one approver or their professionalism. I know for a fact that not all approvers agree with every policy they are required to enforce. That they back the site and enforce the rule just the same, is a credit to their loyalty and dedication to geocaching.

 

One purpose of the forums, intensional or not, is to hash out all of the issues that geocaching faces. To help guide this activity as it grows. Everyone in here has their own personal vision of what geocaching is and what it should be. Sometimes people get caught in the crossfire that maybe can't be avoided but certainly isn't intensional and definitely isn't personal.

 

Now back to the fray.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I know for a fact that not all approvers agree with every policy they are required to enforce. That they back the site and enforce the rule just the same, is a credit to their loyalty and dedication to geocaching.

Hmmm...I think I said something similar about certain soldiers in another thread

[+Corp Of Discovery]

I know for a fact that not all approvers agree with every policy they are required to enforce.  That they back the site and enforce the rule just the same, is a credit to their loyalty and dedication to geocaching.

Hmmm...I think I said something similar about certain soldiers in another thread

You didn't just call the admins (in a round-a-bout way) Nazi's, did you?

 

On topic: yes , the admins etc do a very good job of walking a very thin (at times) line.

[+Snoogans]

Lure the tiger ummmm, I mean the approver down from the mountain.

 

DOH! Wrong thread. This is the Tao thread. I thought it was the Lao thread. Duh!

 

Sn gans

[WH]

You didn't just call the admins (in a round-a-bout way) Nazi's, did you?

 

Heil Keystone

[+Team GPSaxophone]

I know for a fact that not all approvers agree with every policy they are required to enforce.  That they back the site and enforce the rule just the same, is a credit to their loyalty and dedication to geocaching.

Hmmm...I think I said something similar about certain soldiers in another thread

You didn't just call the admins (in a round-a-bout way) Nazi's, did you?

 

On topic: yes , the admins etc do a very good job of walking a very thin (at times) line.

Worse, I called the Nazis approvers...submit a virtual and they'll Gestapo your a....

 

No, I meant no such thing. My reference was that certain members of the German/Nazi army were just following orders, or happened to be stationed somewhere that bad things happened. It doesn't mean they were involved in making those decisions, or liked what they were ordered to do. they had to follow those orders or be killed themselves.

[Keystone]

Please stay on topic. Confine the discussion of the nazis to over in the Travel Bug forum thread where it is already active. I am sure that RK did not mean for this thread to take such a turn. Thanks.

[+Corp Of Discovery]

I know for a fact that not all approvers agree with every policy they are required to enforce.  That they back the site and enforce the rule just the same, is a credit to their loyalty and dedication to geocaching.

Hmmm...I think I said something similar about certain soldiers in another thread

You didn't just call the admins (in a round-a-bout way) Nazi's, did you?

 

On topic: yes , the admins etc do a very good job of walking a very thin (at times) line.

Worse, I called the Nazis approvers...submit a virtual and they'll Gestapo your a....

 

No, I meant no such thing. My reference was that certain members of the German/Nazi army were just following orders, or happened to be stationed somewhere that bad things happened. It doesn't mean they were involved in making those decisions, or liked what they were ordered to do. they had to follow those orders or be killed themselves.

Just like the admins..... not that any of them have been killed in the line of duty....yet.

 

On topic: KA posted his note as I was mine, sorry for the foray into uncharted waters. But KA's post does point out what RK was saying.

 

Edited for on topic point.

Edited May 21, 2004 by Corp Of Discovery

[+Team GPSaxophone]

Please stay on topic. Confine the discussion of the nazis to over in the Travel Bug forum thread where it is already active. I am sure that RK did not mean for this thread to take such a turn. Thanks.

How about the Mongols? Can I use them as an example?

[+fizzymagic]

Sucks that every time a substantive topic is started, the same folks step in and derail it. It wears pretty thin, especially given that those people consider themselves hilariously funny.

 

RK, I agree. I try always to couch my problems with the cache approval policies as differences with geocaching.com, not the approvers themselves. As I think we all should.

[+Team GPSaxophone]

Now back to the fray.

This comment suggested RK's post was merely a statement, and not the start of a substantive topic.

 

That said, I think Corp Of Discovery is hilariously funny.

[+Renegade Knight]

Now back to the fray.

This comment suggested RK's post was merely a statement, and not the start of a substantive topic.

 

That said, I think Corp Of Discovery is hilariously funny.

Actually the fray was the other hot topics of the day. Glad we had some finally.

[+rusty_tlc]

Please stay on topic.  Confine the discussion of the nazis to over in the Travel Bug forum thread where it is already active.  I am sure that RK did not mean for this thread to take such a turn. Thanks.

Okay who are you and what did you do with the other Keystone?

 

Edit: To add something substantial to this topic consider this: The moderators of this forum have to read all the dreck. If you or I get disgusted or bored we just move on. They have to plow through evey line of repetitive retorich (how the h-e-double hockysticks do you spell that word!!!!!). Is pontification better than wit? Even inapproiate wit? Some on this forum are so full of themselves they forget that others have valid opinions. They forget that fruitfull discussions are give and take. You may need to concede a point on occasion, yes you could be wrong gasp! Many are unwilling, once haveing taken a stand, to reconsider, even in the face of a valid argument, that they may be well you know the w word. Give the mods thier due!

Edited May 21, 2004 by rusty_tlc

[Cholo]

 

One purpose of the forums, intensional or not, is to hash out all of the issues that geocaching faces.

A perfect example of a Freudian typo. An amateur shrink would say that your statement unintentionally exhibited a feeling of tension, rather than intention.

[+crzycrzy]

Approvers are awesome.

Whether you like em or not, they are unpaid volunteers and that makes em king's and queens in my book !

Edited May 21, 2004 by crzycrzy

[+bons]

Sucks that every time a substantive topic is started, the same folks step in and derail it.

I live the irony in this particular derailment. Thanks.

 

This post has been paid for by the coalition to assert that Keystone Approver is not a Queen.

Edited May 21, 2004 by bons

[Keystone]

Some on this forum are so full of themselves they forget that others have valid opinions. They forget that fruitfull discussions are give and take. You may need to concede a point on occasion, yes you could be wrong gasp!

These valid observations apply to forum moderators and cache reviewers as well. It is by listening to feedback from the community that we learn how to do our jobs better, and we consider and implement tweaks to the guidelines that govern what we do.

 

I would also like to thank bons for his clarification. I was only a female volunteer for my first four months on the job, which I began a year ago this week.

[+mtn-man]

Sometimes people get caught in the crossfire that maybe can't be avoided but certainly isn't intensional and definitely isn't personal.

I think not taking things personally is the key. Some people take it and give it out in that fashion. Recently I used the signal-back icon ( ) to ignore a comment where someone was just trying to bait me to argue for the sake of arguing. I will not go there anymore. You will get signal's back.

 

I wish we had a "signal-talk-to-the-hand" icon too.

 

[+mtn-man]

I would also like to thank bons for his clarification.  I was only a female volunteer for my first four months on the job, which I began a year ago this week.

Yeah, you didn't really have any fashion sense back then, by the way.

 

Those shoes with that dress? Really now!

[Keystone]

[+mtn-man]

Touché.

[+Sparky-Watts]

Still think it looks like one of those bells at the meat counter that you ring for service.........come to think of it, Keystone looks like one of those Belles at the meat counter that you give a ring for service.....

[+Cache Viking]

Still think it looks like one of those bells at the meat counter that you ring for service.........come to think of it, Keystone looks like one of those Belles at the meat counter that you give a ring for service.....

Did someone ring the Bell at the Meat Counter asking for me.

 

[janx]

I would also like to thank bons for his clarification. I was only a female volunteer for my first four months on the job, which I began a year ago this week.

Err, was this phrased right?

 

Did Keystone mean to say "was THE only female" or "was ONLY a female"

 

If the latter, than wow, what a tough job. They make the volunteers change gender. Ouch.

[Keystone]

Allow me to explain. My original forum avatar was this:

 

 

When I first became a Groundspeak volunteer, I attempted to adopt a female persona in an effort to disguise my true identity. I was quite bad at it. (But, I did fool some of the people some of the time, and in particular it was truly memorable to have Jomarac5 flirting with me in one forum topic until I broke the news to him that I was, in fact, male - much to his chagrin.)

 

In any event, for a number of reasons, after about four months I decided not to keep my true identity a big dark secret any longer, although I still try my best to separate my player account from my moderator account when posting in the forums. And that ties in with the topic of this thread: one of the reasons why some cache reviewers and forum moderators choose to remain anonymous is because of the heat we often take here in the forums, and not wanting any ill feelings relating to cache reviews or forum debates to affect their relationships with fellow geocachers on a local level. At this point, less than half of the volunteer reviewers have chosen to remain anonymous. Several, like me, have boldly "stepped out of the closet." It is much easier now, at least for me. I have nothing to hide and everyone seems to respect the difference between my volunteer work and my activities as a regular geocacher.

[+Johnnie Stalkers]

is much easier now, at least for me. I have nothing to hide and everyone seems to respect the difference between my volunteer work and my activities as a regular geocacher.

OMG! Your Stunod!!!!!!!!

[Keystone]

No, I said that I have nothing to hide and that people seem to respect me. So how could I be stunod?

[+Riddlers]

That would explain why sometimes the approvers have no finds or hides and others like my favorite northwest approver has millions. Some have separate accounts. Duh, sometimes I even suprise myself.

[+Johnnie Stalkers]

No, I said that I have nothing to hide and that people seem to respect me. So how could I be stunod?

Ringbone?

 

What a minute! Are you me?

 

I give up.

[+sept1c_tank]

RK stated in the original post:

...I recognize the job they do and respect it.

 

And so do I.

 

The moderators are volunteers doing a job outlined by other people. Also, they're human, and subject to the same emotions as the rest of us. Imagine the embarrassment Keystone must have incurred when I posted a picture of him with lingerie in the woods.

 

Think of poor 9Key when I posted a photo of him french kissing a travel bug.

 

And there was one well known administrator who's first find photo was less than enchanting.

 

These people are all doing a fine job for geocaching in spite of their human limitations.

 

And lets not forget hydee. The queen frog has a tremendous and thankless job, too!

 

I would not want be assigned the job these people do. Even though I disagree with mtn-man all the time, I applaud these people.

[+cache_us_if_you_can]

Still think it looks like one of those bells at the meat counter that you ring for service.........come to think of it, Keystone looks like one of those Belles at the meat counter that you give a ring for service.....

[+The Leprechauns]

No, I said that I have nothing to hide and that people seem to respect me.  So how could I be stunod? 

Ringbone?

 

What a minute! Are you me?

 

I give up.

Why does my post say Keystone?

[+cache_us_if_you_can]

No, I said that I have nothing to hide and that people seem to respect me.  So how could I be stunod? 

Ringbone?

 

What a minute! Are you me?

 

I give up.

Why does my post say Keystone?

No, why does my post say Keystone?

 

Keystone

[+mtn-man]

Even though I disagree with mtn-man all the time, I applaud these people.   

Disagree with me all the time?

It must be a bummer being wrong all the time then!

 

(Just kidding.)

 

Watch out, I got a puppymonster protecting me!

[+joefrog]

Recently I used the signal-back icon ( ) to ignore a comment where someone was just trying to bait me to argue for the sake of arguing. I will not go there anymore. You will get signal's back.

Is THAT what that's supposed to be? I thought it just had its eyes closed!

[+Stunod]

No, I said that I have nothing to hide and that people seem to respect me. So how could I be stunod?

[+PandyBat]

Sucks that every time a substantive topic is started, the same folks step in and derail it. It wears pretty thin, especially given that those people consider themselves hilariously funny.

I agree, fizzymagic. Every thread might as well be an extension of the Abject Silliness thread after the 3rd or 4th post. I get sick of wading through the silliness to get to the meat of a topic.

 

I haven't had any dealings with my approver yet except for our postings in an email group. Even in the email group he seems nice and always ready to help.

From what I've seen of the other approvers here, they seem to be a nice bunch of people and are fair in their dealings. I was a moderator of a website with forums for several years, so I know what a thankless and frustrating job it is. I applaud them for the work they do for all of us!

[+mtn-man]

Recently I used the signal-back icon (    ) to ignore a comment where someone was just trying to bait me to argue for the sake of arguing.  I will not go there anymore.  You will get signal's back.

Is THAT what that's supposed to be? I thought it just had its eyes closed!

Yep. Hold your mouse over the icon and wait for the "alt" tag to display. It says "back.gif".

[+Mastifflover]

Recently I used the signal-back icon (    ) to ignore a comment where someone was just trying to bait me to argue for the sake of arguing.  I will not go there anymore.  You will get signal's back.

Is THAT what that's supposed to be? I thought it just had its eyes closed!

Yep. Hold your mouse over the icon and wait for the "alt" tag to display. It says "back.gif".

I thought that was a bell too!! Good thing that I didn't use it to try to get someones attention. Thanks to the approvers for doing a thankless job.

[+cache_us_if_you_can]

Sucks that every time a substantive topic is started, the same folks step in and derail it. It wears pretty thin, especially given that those people consider themselves hilariously funny.

 

RK, I agree. I try always to couch my problems with the cache approval policies as differences with geocaching.com, not the approvers themselves. As I think we all should.

Can I be a Hilariously Funny Derailer when I grow up?

[+Johnnie Stalkers]

See there is just a different purpose here for me. Your post for example PandyBat. THIS is what I see:

 

I agree, fizzymagic. Every thread might as well be an extension of the Abject Silliness thread after the 3rd or 4th post. I get sick of wading through the silliness to get to the meat of a topic.

 

Blah bla blah blah blah.  blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

 

[+harleycache]

  They have to plow through evey line of repetitive retorich (how the h-e-double hockysticks do you spell that word!!!!!). Is pontification better than wit?

Rhetoric. Yet, you can spell pontification?

[+cache_us_if_you_can]

  They have to plow through evey line of repetitive retorich (how the h-e-double hockysticks do you spell that word!!!!!). Is pontification better than wit?

Rhetoric. Yet, you can spell pontification?

I just hope he ment to spell pontification and not something else

[+PandyBat]

Every thread might as well be an extension of the Abject Silliness thread after the 3rd or 4th post.

This thread is a prime example. Funny thing about the whole thread is, I don't find any of the unnecessary responses funny.

[+Sparky-Watts]

Funny, I don't find any of your responses necessary.

[uperdooper]

sheesh! lighten up people. it's just some people having some fun.

 

on topic: i would hope the mods would rather see a few funny responses than flaming or sarcastic comments.

[+mtn-man]

sheesh! lighten up people. it's just some people having some fun.

 

on topic: i would hope the mods would rather see a few funny responses than flaming or sarcastic comments.

Yep.

[+Sparky-Watts]

sheesh! lighten up people. it's just some people having some fun.

 

on topic: i would hope the mods would rather see a few funny responses than flaming or sarcastic comments.

Yeah, you would. Hmmmph!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[+Sparky-Watts]

sheesh!  lighten up people.  it's just some people having some fun. 

 

on topic: i would hope the mods would rather see a few funny responses than flaming or sarcastic comments.

Yep.

That's a pretty elaborate answer, there!

[+mtn-man]

sheesh!  lighten up people.  it's just some people having some fun. 

 

on topic: i would hope the mods would rather see a few funny responses than flaming or sarcastic comments.

Yep.

That's a pretty elaborate answer, there!

Ummm, yep.