It's a tendancy in any online community that people with an editorial role will appear to be acting in concert. Generally the editors will be selected as people who fit, and so will come with many of the same views and attitudes and that will result in people more from the edges of the community seeing things as if they are being ganged up on.

This always seems most pronounced when there is major disagreement, and it is a tribute to the community that we have managed to go through Two or three major 'Discussions' without the site fragmenting.

If you are an editor you have to accept that some of your decisions will be taken badly, and accept that as long as you are acting consistently and fairly you will have to step back and take a deep breath when someone is calling you all sorts.

I don't think that the non-editorial tag will help, because even when you specifically say its not editorial, people will assume it is, or at least assume it is made in discussion with other editors. Whenever I have ended up in a vaguely editorial role I've always made it clear that if people want to think that im acting as part of a conspiracy, the only reply they will get from me  is laughter. Taking it personally only causes you stress that really dosent help you after all.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.

by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Fri Feb 20th, 2009 at 09:13:44 AM EST
[ Parent ]
ceebs:
If you are an editor you have to accept that some of your decisions will be taken badly, and accept that as long as you are acting consistently and fairly you will have to step back and take a deep breath when someone is calling you all sorts.
The problem is when consistency and fairness are called into question.

Most economists teach a theoretical framework that has been shown to be fundamentally useless. -- James K. Galbraith
by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Fri Feb 20th, 2009 at 09:24:14 AM EST
[ Parent ]
Well of course you have to go back and check that you were actually fair and consistent. (we all mess that up every now and then in the heat of argument) Then explain once that you think you were being fair and consistent, (perhaps with explaination) and any response above that should be limited. remember they're not reacting against you, they're reacting against the position, so dont take it personally.

Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out.
by ceebs (ceebs (at) eurotrib (dot) com) on Fri Feb 20th, 2009 at 09:47:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]

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