Pay It Forward 2014

[alc3261]

The wrap is now finished and the PIF will be open for another few days.

I will draw the winner on Tuesday 27th at 7pm EST/Midnight UK.

And the winner is Comptine!!

[rtruslow]

Another beautiful, elegant wrap alc!

[AAAndrew]

Very nice! Congrats, Comptine!

[mr2txaggie]

Congratulations to the latest winners and nice gifts to the PIFers. I haven't been on PIF long enough in the past few weeks to either congratulate or offer up another PIF.

 

After Graduations are finished in my family I'll hopefully have more time.

 

 

aggie

[Chrissy]

 

AND THE WINNER IS... Chrissy!!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm just over the moon. I hardly ever win anything. I'm so excited to see it and write in it.

[WirsPlm]

I think it's obvious that some people on FPN have a really weird understanding of what mods are and what they're supposed to do so I think it's time for a What Is Moderation giveaway. The person who PMs me the best description of what a forum moderator is and what they typically do and how the mod action(s) in this thread fit into that will get a Hero 329 (hooded pen with internal squeeze filler), a Pilot Penmanship (EF nibbed demonstrator with ergonomic grip) and a Pilot squeeze converter. Free shipping worldwide, and I'll leave it open for a week, until May 21st.

 

 

Hello everyone, I’m back with the results of my moderation PIF. For educational (and entertainment) purposes I’m writing up the results as a dialogue, summarized and with all details changed.

 

WP: I wonder if anyone knows what moderation is. What is moderation, and what do moderators do anyway?

 

Contestant #1: Dark Lords. OF THE SITH.

 

WP: Ahaha, funny but not quite.

 

Contestant #2: Well I’m not sure really what mods do but I’m going to give it a shot and I learned in school that essays take a while so this response is going to long in hopes of a better grade – I mean pens. No, seriously, I think moderators are about keeping threads on topics since that’s what one just did, but other than that I have no clue.

 

WP: Well, thank you for being honest! You’re not alone, but it takes guts to admit to ignorance.

 

Contestant #3: My terrible experiences tell me that mods are persecutors of all who cross their path.

 

WP: Actually, you’re not that far off, but that’s still not quite right. I hope things get better!

 

Contestant #4: Moderators are like traffic cops. Have a multi paragraph essay on why I think so.

 

WP: Good attempt to defend your position, but unfortunately no. Of all the suggestions so far, moderators are actually farther from cops than they are from Dark Lords of the Sith.

 

Contestant #5: Moderators are falliable humans attempting to make other human beings communicate politely, poor saps.

 

WP: Essentially yes, although you’re still missing one important element.

 

Contestant #6: Mods are like traffic cops.

 

WP:

 

Contestant #7: Sacrificial victims on the alter of community togetherness and PG-13 communication.

 

WP: Essentially right if a bit dramatic, but not quite complete.

 

Contestant #8: Moderation is oversight of communications for the whole community, that should only kick in when someone is disruptive, and moderators should be able to do their job without causing further disruption with their actions.

 

WP: Finally someone has a coherent description although I think you’re being a bit hard on the poor mods expecting them to arbitrate disagreements without causing hurt feelings, that’s bound to happen at least a bit.

 

Contestant #9: Mods are community members with extra responsibilities to keep things organized and polite, including mundane details of maintain subforums and dealing with user drama.

 

 

What is Moderation?

Of all of the answers above, I think Contestant #9 comes the closest. Moderators are nothing more and nothing less than regular community volunteers given fairly broad powers and charged with keeping things peaceful and organized, both socially and in terms of forum flow.

 

Just like a private forum is not the same thing as a public street and forums are not governmental organizations, moderators are NOT cops, and thinking like that is often what causes drama when someone is moderated. Cops are responsible to and responsible for the public, and so the public has rights to be protected by and protected from cops. There are no similar laws regarding forum moderation (that I'm aware of). Moderators are more like the close friends of an acquaintance who have been granted the privilege of telling people to shut up and/or get off the property. Censorship is a charge often leveled at moderators who are doing their job, but it’s laughable because it stems from this misunderstanding, censorship (keeping the media from reporting) doesn’t typically apply to private organizations (like FPN and most other websites).

 

This is a private forum run by volunteers, it's the rough legal equivalent (with some caveats with crossover about libel laws intended for printed materials and for the legal systems I am aware of, I’m not an international lawyer) of hanging out in someone else's house or property, and they have the right to set whatever rules they please and enforce them however they please within the limits of the law. I don’t agree with everything FPN moderators do, and in fact dislike the way moderation blows up regularly around here into drama. But it’s not my forum, it’s Wim’s forum, and the appointed moderators are who have been put in charge, so as someone who wants to participate my resonsibility is to respect the rules even if I disagree with them, much like I would respect the rules at someone else’s house even if it’s not quite the way I do things at home.

Edited May 28, 2014 by WirsPlm

[Sinistral1]

Speaking just for myself, it's always an icky feeling to be called out when doing inappropriate, especially when I feel that I keep a pretty tight rein on my words and deeds. Hats off the the members who take this job on - it's way beyond any of my abilities!

[Krisbecause]

Informative and well played thought

[Sinistral1]

Krisbecause: If that's your Yorkie, I'm going to find where you live and dognap it! There is a limit to cuteness, and that pup takes it.

[Krisbecause]

Krisbecause: If that's your Yorkie, I'm going to find where you live and dognap it! There is a limit to cuteness, and that pup takes it.

Awe thx! That's Honey B. She is part Yorkie, and silly as can be!

[brunico]

Now been paid forward - sorry!

 

Pilot Plumix, M nib, UK preferred, or guess postage.

 

I bought a black Pilot Plumix, the squidlike sort, marked BB on the section, to get the BB nib. It's yours, new, with a lightly used italic M nib (as standard on the Pluminix) in its place. International fit, not Pilot proprietary. Supplied with two cartridges of some colour or other, and with a new green Monteverde converter I had lying around. Haven't tested it, but it seems to fit snugly enough.

 

Line width is nominally 0.58mm, but it's actually just a shade narrower than the Lamy 1.1, and with a shade better line variation, because the nib is cut the same way as Lamy but is thinner.

 

Use as is for a quirky-looking frankenpen, or put the nib into your Prera, Kakuno, Metropolitan/MR, Penmanship, 78g etc.

 

UK preferred, or a small donation for international postage - international postage isn't easy to predict until you're actually at the counter, so I'm being cautious here.

 

First PM saying you'll take it gets it.

Edited May 28, 2014 by brunico

[kidde]

Mods are volunteers who attempt to ensure flow and maintain boundaries. There is no way to moderate without offending on occasion, especially in a medium that eliminates cues in expression and tone. Other than myself, no one is perfect. Humor and sarcasm are quickly lost in digital translation, and while the spaces between typed lines are blank we all insert our own suspected meanings.

So in the interest of others and OUR forum, do as I do. Realize you are the smartest and funniest person around and those less intellectually gifted may find offense even where none is meant. Then re-read your comments and apologize, edit or become silent. After all, y'all are only human.

 

Paul

 

BTW I have thanked many of our mods for the job they do, I lack the patience for it. To those I haven't, please take this as a gesture of understanding and gratitude.

[alc3261]

Now been paid forward - sorry!

 

Pilot Plumix, M nib, UK preferred, or guess postage.

 

I bought a black Pilot Plumix, the squidlike sort, marked BB on the section, to get the BB nib. It's yours, new, with a lightly used italic M nib (as standard on the Pluminix) in its place. International fit, not Pilot proprietary. Supplied with two cartridges of some colour or other, and with a new green Monteverde converter I had lying around. Haven't tested it, but it seems to fit snugly enough.

 

Line width is nominally 0.58mm, but it's actually just a shade narrower than the Lamy 1.1, and with a shade better line variation, because the nib is cut the same way as Lamy but is thinner.

 

Use as is for a quirky-looking frankenpen, or put the nib into your Prera, Kakuno, Metropolitan/MR, Penmanship, 78g etc.

 

UK preferred, or a small donation for international postage - international postage isn't easy to predict until you're actually at the counter, so I'm being cautious here.

 

First PM saying you'll take it gets it.

Currently about £3.80 Worldwide for a pen packed up.

[TheModernGent]

Mods are volunteers who attempt to ensure flow and maintain boundaries. There is no way to moderate without offending on occasion, especially in a medium that eliminates cues in expression and tone. Other than myself, no one is perfect. Humor and sarcasm are quickly lost in digital translation, and while the spaces between typed lines are blank we all insert our own suspected meanings.

So in the interest of others and OUR forum, do as I do. Realize you are the smartest and funniest person around and those less intellectually gifted may find offense even where none is meant. Then re-read your comments and apologize, edit or become silent. After all, y'all are only human.

 

Paul

 

BTW I have thanked many of our mods for the job they do, I lack the patience for it. To those I haven't, please take this as a gesture of understanding and gratitude.

Well said. Moderating thousands over the internet is no easy task. The best thing we can do for them is to moderate ourselves the best we can, especially, as kidde says, tone and sarcasm are unreadable via text.

[dragondazd]

[mhguda]

Two tinkerPiFs arrived yesterday - one from KBeezie: the red Ero with the broken piston, and one from kidde, containing four pens: three Lanbitous in my favorite black, plus a Reynolds ink pen. I'd been wanting to see one since I'd heard about them but never seen one. Now I have. This one is orange. It has an interesting nib, that I've seen before on some inexpensive school pens; the front part of the tines is crimped vertically, and this serves the same purpose as tipping or folding over. It writes very nicely - smooth and reliable.

Kidde had said the Lanbitous had problems, but I have still to find them! So, I am testing them to see if the problems materialize. If not, they will be passed on to friends as is - if I do get the problem and am able to fix it, the same. But up till now, no leaking, no ink seeping out, everything working fine.

Thanks kidde and KBeezie! The red Ero works as described, I am filling it by taking out the nib assembly.

[Cyber6]

 

I bought a black Pilot Plumix, the squidlike sort, marked BB on the section, to get the BB nib.

 

 

Sorry Brunico... but where did you find a Pilot Plumix with a BB nib?

[brunico]

Currently about £3.80 Worldwide for a pen packed up.

 

Thank you!

 

Sorry Brunico... but where did you find a Pilot Plumix with a BB nib?

 

I bought this one. Canada isn't listed as a shipping destination, but you could ask. They sent the squidlike Plumix, not the one shown, which is basically a Penmanship with yellow fins on the cap.

 

I spent a while searching for mine - not available in the UK, AFAIK - but they're out there, and I hope you find one!

[Chrissy]

Currently about £3.80 Worldwide for a pen packed up.

It's worth picking up the Our Prices leaflet from your local Post Office.

 

The £3.80 rate is for a package weight less than 100grams, and includes Countries in World Zone 1.

Countries in World Zone 2 cost £4, and those in Europe cost £3.20

 

The prices then go up according to weight.

Edited May 30, 2014 by Chrissy

[Cyber6]

I bought this one. Canada isn't listed as a shipping destination, but you could ask. They sent the squidlike Plumix, not the one shown, which is basically a Penmanship with yellow fins on the cap.

 

I spent a while searching for mine - not available in the UK, AFAIK - but they're out there, and I hope you find one!

 

Thanks so much. My mistake was to google for Plumix BB!!!...

 

 

C.