Note to this group on the hosting changes coming to the site today.

[hrmjustin]

Group hosts will no longer have access to the host forum and will have to interact via pms when alerts or disruptors show up. The fact is this is how we have done this in the past for this group. While this group has had a moment or two it is really a very quiet job to host this group and we hope that continues.


We value this safe haven for its civility. While things get crazy and downright insulting in the religion room, we will continue to be a place to discuss instead of attacking. We may not be the room with the most trafiic as some like to quip but we do have a safe place here to discuss things. And it will stay that way.

[cbayer]

1. Another alternative for the hosts to consider is having discussions right here in the group.

I know that is probably a bit meta-ish, but it might work out in a small group such as this.

[hrmjustin]

2. Yes it could be but we so rarely get called on to act.

But it would be transparent.

[okasha]

10. I don't think it would produce

the kinds of problems here that it would in Religion. Still, the only advantage I see is that we could all wave our hankies at departing trolls in unison.

[hrmjustin]

11. LMFAO!

[kentauros]

3. Thanks for posting this.

Because I had no idea! You'd think the owners would send out a mass PM letting all their hosts know such things...

Yeah, I guess we'll just have to do PMs here as usual. I probably should suggest it on the ATA, but I would think the best thing for us would be a sub-forum just for hosts to discuss easily between them. I can't imagine the headache it's going to be for GD hosts now...

[hrmjustin]

4. They only posted it in the host forum. They expected it to be ready today but it might be taking

longer to install.

[hrmjustin]

5. This was the post in the forum.

The Admins have been planning and programming changes to the hosting system. These changes will go into effect very soon, probably tomorrow (assuming that everything goes according to plan). Here's what you need to know:
The Hosts Forum will now be for Forum Hosts only. We observed that Group Hosts rarely use this forum to discuss Group hosting issues, and also that it was frequently counter-productive to have Group Hosts engaging in Forum Hosting issues and vice versa. Therefore discussion of Group hosting issues will now have to take place via DU Mail, email, or whatever other system that Group Hosts may wish to set up for themselves.

There will no longer be a different set of Hosts for each forum. Since there are a couple of very busy forums which generate a lot of alerts and a number of forums which just don't have as much for Hosts to do, we decided to create a single set of 30 Hosts whose job is to deal with all alerts from all forums. To repeat: those 30 Forum Hosts will be hosting every forum, not just a single forum. So if you are a Forum Host, you are responsible for Welcome & Help, Latest Breaking News, Good Reads, Video & Multimedia, Politics 2014, General Discussion, and the DU Lounge.

The first 30 slots will be given to the longest-serving Hosts (regardless of which forum you are currently serving in) and there will be a single Wait List.

To serve as a Forum Host, you must maintain a 100% chance of serving on a Jury. If you are serving as a Forum Host and your chance of serving on a jury falls below 100%, you will lose your slot and a new Host will be called from the top of the Wait List. If you are on the Wait List and your chance of serving on a jury falls below 100%, you will be removed from the Wait List and will have to sign up again.

There will be a new, expanded SOP for the GD forum.
Due to confusion about hosting in the General Discussion forum, we have written a new SOP which goes into much greater detail about what is and is not permitted. This is intended to give Hosts a much clearer idea of what to do with threads in GD.
I think that's everything for now. We'll update you with more news when we have it. Thanks for reading.

[rug]

6. Hey, I just noticed. Do you need a star? That's the only reason you're not at 100%.

[hrmjustin]

7. I am going to get one next month likely.

[rug]

8. Let me know if you want one today. You earned it.

BTW, can we still donate stars? I thought I read that we can't on DU3. Is that still the case?

[hrmjustin]

9. No Rug thats ok. I plan to do it next month or before the election.

I was not going to sign up for forum hosting anyway because it was a chore and locking and dealing with angry posters was not fun.

No I don't think you can donate stars.

[kentauros]

12. Thank you for posting that.

I think I need to write my suggestion to the ATA. A sub-forum attached to each group's superpowers' page would be a better means of host-discussion within a group.

[hrmjustin]

13. Sounds like a good idea.

[kentauros]

14. Well, I did that,

and Skinner basically said email and PM is good enough for us.

[hrmjustin]

15. Well we have had no real issues. some of the usual suspects in the other room have posted

here in recent months but they did behave so I think we have no real problems.

We have not had requests to unban and I don't expect one. I doubt we will have many issues the rest of this year.

I hope to get more people to post ops and participate.

[kentauros]

16. I agree about getting more people to post OPs.

Not sure how we do that, other than to maybe emphasize the sources of information used for other posts. However, even just asking questions, or stating beliefs can be enough to start a conversation

[hrmjustin]

17. I think some are afraid to come in. Plus I worry that some just don't want to respond to me or

have me on ignore.

[kentauros]

18. That's true.

Although, for the ones that have you on ignore, I would guess they may not follow the rules here, either.

Well, I'll see if I can come up with anything to post, too. I don't read as much as everyone else, but may have some topics around here that would be worthy of discussion.

[hrmjustin]

19. I like to see some more Eastern religion stuff posted.

[kentauros]

20. I almost hate to admit it,

but my knowledge any any religion stems from how bits and pieces are used in the New Age spirituality I ascribe to. I know plenty of people in that realm who focus on their one religion, while others branch out to attempt to bring some Eastern religious icons into their interest.

I guess what I have learned the most is how similar beliefs are across the world at their most basic. And one day, I'll finish reading the Tao

[hrmjustin]

21. My understanding of other religions is limited as well.

I get most of the stuffi post on from Huffington post and religion news.