Jump to content
SASS Wire Forum

SASS Wire Forum - Change coming April 2, 2018


Misty Moonshine

Recommended Posts

Hi Fellow SASS Members, 

 

The SASS Wire Forum is the official forum of The Single Action Shooting Society® (SASS®) and the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting™. The SASS Wire is a series of forums established to provide a sense of community and an opportunity for communication and the exchange of ideas for all SASS members and members of the public worldwide who are interested in SASS and the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting.

 

The SASS Wire Forum has existed for many years- its goal being to provide and promote a positive and welcoming environment for SASS members and guests to exchange ideas and discuss topics related to SASS and Cowboy Action Shooting. This goal has been achieved for many years- mostly due to the diligence and giving volunteerism of SASS members serving as Moderators and Administrators of the Forums. 

 

The Forums Rules and User guidelines have existed since its inception with little review, edits or updates made to evolve alongside the growing and evolving SASS membership's needs as well as the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting. 

 

Change... it's a 'comin!  

 

In early 2018, the SASS Wire Forums were given a thorough analysis, reflecting that the Forum itself is in a trend of decline. The evolution and growth of internet social connectivity has grown exponentially over the last 5-10 years. The rise of social media platforms has given way to a multitude of choices for users to communicate and express themselves- many times without rules or moderation. It is important to find a middle ground in which the environment is one that is positive and welcoming- encouraging users to express themselves, all the while moderating content and enforcing guidelines and a framework of rules that ensure the forum is maintained in a respectful manner and remains in line with the intended goals of the forum itself. It is now more critical than ever to work together to achieve a "place" we can all be proud of in the SASS Wire Forums.  

 

EFFECTIVE MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2018:

1- An updated Document Outlining the "NEW" SASS Wire Forum Guidelines/User Terms will be in effect. *WILL BE POSTED/AVAILABLE ASAP!

2- All CURRENT SASS Wire Moderators, as well as the SASS Administrator roles will be vacated. 

3- A clear definition of Roles within the Wire Forum (Moderators/Super Moderators/Administrator) will be provided to all members

4- All newly recruited Moderators (fresh blood! ;)moving forward will be "GHOST MODERATORS" (Anonymous) and will perform their duties anonymously under a Generic Moderator profile, not their own. Moderators will commit to volunteer for 3 month rotations in/out of the role. (*Please contact Misty @ misty@sassnet.com if you are interested in filling a 3 month slot as a "Ghost Moderator".) 

5- The TEAM SASS Forum will continue to be managed and moderated by Charlie T. Waite (Thanks Charlie!) as a seperate forum

6- The SASS Mounted Forum will be eliminated.

7- The SASS Forum titled, "WTC- Whats the Call" will be deleted to be "tabled" until data collection and completion can be completed by the ROC. 

 

Our most sincere thanks go out to all current (and past!) Moderators and Administrators. Allie Mo, Doc Faraday, Dusty Chaps- You guys are awesome and will be missed by many, I'm quite sure. Your time, dedication, and care will always be celebrated and remembered with great admiration.  Doc has been a moderator here for over 20 years, and Dusty isn't far behind that 20 year mark in his tenure... WOW- 20 years!..... And, of course, Miss Allie Mo stepped in during a critical time and grabbed the reins when no one else was interested back when Black Harris retired. Allie, you've got the heart of a lion and we are grateful for all your work and dedication. Go enjoy some freedom, guys! 

 

Thanks everyone- as usual, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly: misty@sassnet.com

 

....Now, who wants to come be a Ghost Moderator?  :ph34r:

 

~Misty Moonshine 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 74
  • Created
  • Last Reply

A hearty "Thank you" goes out from me to Allie Mo for all you have done for us as a Moderator.:wub: I Thank all the Moderators and Administrators for their hard work, but single out Allie as for some reason I feel as though I know her a bit! Thanks again ALL

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Allie Mo, Doc Faraday, Dusty Chaps How could we ever thank you for such a thankless job. Well Done!!!! Ifen the saloon still exist come April Fools day drinks should be on everyone for you three!!:FlagAm:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think this is a great idea, Misty. Excellent idea!

 

I moderated for a few months at the request of Allie Mo. It's a tough job. It's even tougher when people make it personal.

I have never understood how folks can tell others about the rules of SASS and what is okay and what is not yet just cannot follow or refuse to follow forum rules. Truly baffling.

 

Miss Allie, THANK YOU for doing the Admin / Mod job for so long and for being tough and sticking it out even at the cost of many night's sleep and the worry over trying to do the right thing. Thank you so very much. :) 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, C0ckr0ach, SASS #26100 said:

Ghost's are not accountable for their performance by their customers !

 

Is PWB, also, to be replaced by a ghost ?

 

Perhaps Ghost Riders in the Sky could be a new theme song.

 

Would Gene approve ?

The moderators will be held accountable for their actions or inactions by the new Wire Administrator- who, I can assure you, has the best interest of the members at heart.

 

PWB is not a moderator. He is a member of the RO Committee. His role on the wire will not be affected by this. 

 

I do kinda like the theme song suggestion! Although... now I’m going to be singing that song in my head for the next few hours! 

 

Yep- I’m sure Gene would approve!

 

Misty Moonshine

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I appreciate your sense of humor.   Thanks.

However, only Customers are able to hold Suppliers accountable.

Transparency always produces the best performance.

Suggest you give this additional thought.  (Based on a career of management experience).

Overall, I have been pleased with your management.

 

Take care

Link to comment
Share on other sites

37 minutes ago, The Original Lumpy Gritz said:

Will we at least know who the new Wire Admin is?

X1K about 'transparency'!

Respectfully,

OLG

I will fulfill the role of Wire Administrator. 

Super Moderators will be filled by SASS Staff, and the Moderators will be the volunteers among the wire membership working anonymously. 

 

Once I (very soon) publish the roles you’ll understand in more detail everyone’s roles and responsibilities.

 

Misty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

42 minutes ago, C0ckr0ach, SASS #26100 said:

I appreciate your sense of humor.   Thanks.

However, only Customers are able to hold Suppliers accountable.

Transparency always produces the best performance.

Suggest you give this additional thought.  (Based on a career of management experience).

Overall, I have been pleased with your management.

 

Take care

I agree. What you must also consider, however- is that the moderators will continue to be volunteers.

The roles of super Moderators will be filled by my office staff team, and I will fill the administrator role. 

Im confident that my customers (our members) will be taken care of well with the newly assembled team... I’M the one to be held accountable by our members- NOT the volunteer Moderators.

 

Misty

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks Misty

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

perhaps suggest the readers of the Wire use the report option when something gets out of hand so the mods don't need to read every post..

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought you were going to say that effective 2 April we would no longer be able to show magazines of more than 30 pages, how to assemble a Marlin after some idiot at the reloading table took it apart with a mallet and a screw knife, and any picture of Cap'n George Baylor in which he was wearing a skirt 2 inches above his bony knees.

 

I feel better now.

 

Wolf Bane

SASS 13357 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the heads up Misty. As always your ability to get info to shooters and members is always appreciated. As with any change in this game whether it's a different match director or different cookie after the match I'm sure there will be some growing pains. But I'm very confident that the staff at SASS are all over it. I love the ghost moderator idea and not knowing who  will not affect my enjoyment or use of the wire one bit. The wire is a added benefit available to us as members and even guests. Thank you to all the moderators present and past! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While I agree with Cockroach’s philosophy of transparency, I also believe one size doesn’t fit all. I’ve participated in a LOT of very diverse discussion forums from SASS to bodybuilding to politics and pretty much everything in between. One of the things they all seem to have in common is grudges being held against moderators. I believe this “ghost” approach is an absolutely brilliant way of solving that problem. Thank you Misty and the entire SASS organization. It’s quite obvious that striving for perfection isn’t just some empty jargon in SASS. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think what a lot of people don’t know is what a hassle being a Moderator can be.

 

By the way, this is going to make someone mad...and I don’t care.

 

Let me enlighten some of you:

1. The first thing that I noticed is I lost over half of my so-called “friends” here in the Wire. Why? I have no idea.

 

2. For some reason folks assume that because you are a Mod you shouldn’t be participating (watching them) in “their” thread. I don’t know how many threads I posted on where my post was the last post. Or how many times I would get a PM or an email (yes, someone who knew my email address and was kind enough to share it...bless their heart :angry:)...Anyway, I don’t know how many times I got messages asking me why I was posting, did they do something wrong, etc. 

 

3. Al of a sudden you become “Mom”...”Mom, he won’t stop touching me!”...”Mom, she made a comment that hurt my wittle feewings.”...”Mom, he is saying those bad words again.” 

Imagine that every day in Reports, PMs and emails. 

 

4. You constantly get asked about the latest conspiracies going on within SASS. Oh yes, conspiracy abounds within SASS! You didn’t know that? Well, my friend, you are talking to the wrong people.

 

5. Some folks with big egos and bigger mouths think that “they” know what’s best and “they” can’t be pushed around by some woman or some guy that has never even won a match or because they have won some matches that they are superior. These are people that hold a special place in my heart because they can be a serious pain to deal with as a Mod. Some of these people are the reason for “time outs” and even worse, outright bans. 

 

6. In addition to the above you have what I call the “Cowboy Gangsta’s”. These are the bitter people that have a following that buck everything a Mod does and they have a contingency of followers to help them gang up on a Mod for doing their job.

 

6. Then you have the reports and PMs from folks that must really like hitting that “report this post button” and then expect immediate action only the action you perform must be approved by them. If it’s not they then badger you with PMs asking you over and over why you can’t see it their way.

 

7. Then you have the lost souls. The ones that just couldn’t stop pushing the envelope by breaking the rules and then putting it in the Mod’s faces (think Cowboy Gangsta) and then when they get their wings clipped they go running to SASS HQ hat in hand and wearing their best Bruce Dern sad face hoping to be allowed back in. So not only did the Mods have to deal with that guy now they have to answer to HQ for why they did what they did.

 

I could go on but I think I made my point...I am not sure how long my point will be posted but I wanted to let you know why I think Misty’s idea is a good one.

 

It’s a damn shame when a person loves this game and this organization so much that they volunteer their time to help out only to be kicked in the teeth and the shins at every turn. Losing sleep many a night trying to find the right solution using the Cowboy Way as a guide. FOR FREE! No money, no perks, no recognition. FREE time, FREE effort and FREE heartache. 

 

Now, after saying all that I want you to know that I am talking about a minority of SASS members here. A minority! But that minority can make a person nuts.

 

Being a Mod could literally be a full time job.

 

I came very close to walking away from SASS, again, over some of the things that occurred when I was a Mod and I still get PMs from folks wanting me to Mod things. I still get emails from a couple of folks you don’t see on here any more trying to spin things up.

 

If you think being a Mod is all “sunshine and snacky-cakes” then step up and do the job for a while...as a Ghost Mod you probably won’t experience what I outlined above and THAT is why I think Misty’s idea is a good one!

 

My name is Pat Riot.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I want to thank all the moderators for all the hard work they did for us here on the SASS Wire.  It was a full-time, non paid position with very little thanks for the hard work they did.  Just like in most situations, you can please some of the people all of the time, some of the people most of the time, and some of the people none of the time.  Thanks again for how hard y'all worked on keeping all of the SASS Wires civil and yet informative and interesting.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pat Riot----Know in your heart that I'm one of the folks that appreciated and often laughed at your posts and Moderation's if that's a word!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

27 minutes ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I think what a lot of people don’t know is what a hassle being a Moderator can be.

 

By the way, this is going to make someone mad...and I don’t care.

 

Let me enlighten some of you:

1. The first thing that I noticed is I lost over half of my so-called “friends” here in the Wire. Why? I have no idea.

 

2. For some reason folks assume that because you are a Mod you shouldn’t be participating (watching them) in “their” thread. I don’t know how many threads I posted on where my post was the last post. Or how many times I would get a PM or an email (yes, someone who knew my email address and was kind enough to share it...bless their heart :angry:)...Anyway, I don’t know how many times I got messages asking me why I was posting, did they do something wrong, etc. 

 

3. Al of a sudden you become “Mom”...”Mom, he won’t stop touching me!”...”Mom, she made a comment that hurt my wittle feewings.”...”Mom, he is saying those bad words again.” 

Imagine that every day in Reports, PMs and emails. 

 

4. You constantly get asked about the latest conspiracies going on within SASS. Oh yes, conspiracy abounds within SASS! You didn’t know that? Well, my friend, you are talking to the wrong people.

 

5. Some folks with big egos and bigger mouths think that “they” know what’s best and “they” can’t be pushed around by some woman or some guy that has never even won a match or because they have won some matches that they are superior. These are people that hold a special place in my heart because they can be a serious pain to deal with as a Mod. Some of these people are the reason for “time outs” and even worse, outright bans. 

 

6. In addition to the above you have what I call the “Cowboy Gangsta’s”. These are the bitter people that have a following that buck everything a Mod does and they have a contingency of followers to help them gang up on a Mod for doing their job.

 

6. Then you have the reports and PMs from folks that must really like hitting that “report this post button” and then expect immediate action only the action you perform must be approved by them. If it’s not they then badger you with PMs asking you over and over why you can’t see it their way.

 

7. Then you have the lost souls. The ones that just couldn’t stop pushing the envelope by breaking the rules and then putting it in the Mod’s faces (think Cowboy Gangsta) and then when they get their wings clipped they go running to SASS HQ hat in hand and wearing their best Bruce Dern sad face hoping to be allowed back in. So not only did the Mods have to deal with that guy now they have to answer to HQ for why they did what they did.

 

I could go on but I think I made my point...I am not sure how long my point will be posted but I wanted to let you know why I think Misty’s idea is a good one.

 

It’s a damn shame when a person loves this game and this organization so much that they volunteer their time to help out only to be kicked in the teeth and the shins at every turn. Losing sleep many a night trying to find the right solution using the Cowboy Way as a guide. FOR FREE! No money, no perks, no recognition. FREE time, FREE effort and FREE heartache. 

 

Now, after saying all that I want you to know that I am talking about a minority of SASS members here. A minority! But that minority can make a person nuts.

 

Being a Mod could literally be a full time job.

 

I came very close to walking away from SASS, again, over some of the things that occurred when I was a Mod and I still get PMs from folks wanting me to Mod things. I still get emails from a couple of folks you don’t see on here any more trying to spin things up.

 

If you think being a Mod is all “sunshine and snacky-cakes” then step up and do the job for a while...as a Ghost Mod you probably won’t experience what I outlined above and THAT is why I think Misty’s idea is a good one!

 

My name is Pat Riot.

 

 

 

Pat, 

First of all, thank you for your stint as a moderator. I’m sorry to read what you’ve outlined above as your negative experience in the role. 

It is clear that the system before wasn’t working- which is why the need for a revamp came to light. I believe that several factors led to your experience: Too few mods with no real clear definition of roles and responsibilities- coupled with an uninformed member base on user terms due to unclear, outdated guidelines... and some “rules” not documented appropriately.

Many hands make light work- the fresh recruitment of moderators working as a team and the reassignment of roles within SASS HQ will help ease this burden. 

The “new” Ghost mod jobs will likely experience a bit of growing pains as we settle in, but ultimately my goal is to ensure the experience is a positive one- NO volunteer should ever feel unappreciated or report an experience as negative as this one under the new structure.

Members/Users of the Wire agreeing to a code of conduct is a must. 

We are all adults here... and a melting pot of personalities to boot! No one is ever going to agree with everyone ALL of the time- but being respectful and tolerant is something everyone has the capability to do.

I am confident that we can ALL pitch in, come together and truly represent everything that is great about SASS and Cowboy Action Shooting... 1st on the list? The people. 

 

Fun fact to consider: on average, 100 “members” visit the forums each day. In contrast, an average of 450 “guests” visit the forums EACH DAY. I implore every member of the Wire to ask themselves- are you doing your part in representing SASS and our mutual love of Cowboy Action Shooting to those guests/potential new members/shooters in a positive light?

 

Misty

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have only been on the Wire since last July. I really enjoy it. Have not seen any rude, hostile or offensive posts or comments in my limited time. Not sure why a change is necessary?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First of all, Thank you to the Moderators! It's a thankless job, much like a Match Director. People pour their lives into such positions and never get enough credit for doing those jobs.

 

I also like the idea of the "Ghost Moderators". It keeps personal conflicts out of it. I seen at least on a few occasions (plus what Pat Riot posted) where Moderators were attacked either here or on Facebook. This eliminates the Moderators getting attacked for doing their "Voluntary Jobs".

What it comes down do is this, TREAT OTHERS HOW YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. It's that simple. In a perfect world, there wouldn't be a need for Moderators. Just follow the rules.

 

It's up to us to show these "Guests" what this sport is all about. We need to paint a picture that reflects that. It's often been said that "The Wire isn't SASS". Well why not? Why can't the Wire be SASS?? Why can't it reflect what we all see at the Range?? Think about that... 

 

Like everything else in the World, change is inevitable. Some changes are for the good, some for the bad. It's obvious changes needed to be made to the Wire.

Also, like everything else, you have to have a certain level of TRUST in the Leadership. I don't know about everyone else, but I have COMPLETE Faith in Misty Moonshine, Amber Oakley, Roxy West, the Wild Bunch, and everyone else behind the scenes at SASS.

 

Just my two cents, thank you... Buckaroo Bubba

Link to comment
Share on other sites

24 minutes ago, Lawman Mays said:

Have only been on the Wire since last July. I really enjoy it. Have not seen any rude, hostile or offensive posts or comments in my limited time. Not sure why a change is necessary?

That is because, even though short staffed, the Mods were doing their due diligence.

 

I am so glad your experience has been positive.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

I think what a lot of people don’t know is what a hassle being a Moderator can be.

 

By the way, this is going to make someone mad...and I don’t care.

 

Let me enlighten some of you:

1. The first thing that I noticed is I lost over half of my so-called “friends” here in the Wire. Why? I have no idea.

 

2. For some reason folks assume that because you are a Mod you shouldn’t be participating (watching them) in “their” thread. I don’t know how many threads I posted on where my post was the last post. Or how many times I would get a PM or an email (yes, someone who knew my email address and was kind enough to share it...bless their heart :angry:)...Anyway, I don’t know how many times I got messages asking me why I was posting, did they do something wrong, etc. 

 

3. Al of a sudden you become “Mom”...”Mom, he won’t stop touching me!”...”Mom, she made a comment that hurt my wittle feewings.”...”Mom, he is saying those bad words again.” 

Imagine that every day in Reports, PMs and emails. 

 

4. You constantly get asked about the latest conspiracies going on within SASS. Oh yes, conspiracy abounds within SASS! You didn’t know that? Well, my friend, you are talking to the wrong people.

 

5. Some folks with big egos and bigger mouths think that “they” know what’s best and “they” can’t be pushed around by some woman or some guy that has never even won a match or because they have won some matches that they are superior. These are people that hold a special place in my heart because they can be a serious pain to deal with as a Mod. Some of these people are the reason for “time outs” and even worse, outright bans. 

 

6. In addition to the above you have what I call the “Cowboy Gangsta’s”. These are the bitter people that have a following that buck everything a Mod does and they have a contingency of followers to help them gang up on a Mod for doing their job.

 

6. Then you have the reports and PMs from folks that must really like hitting that “report this post button” and then expect immediate action only the action you perform must be approved by them. If it’s not they then badger you with PMs asking you over and over why you can’t see it their way.

 

7. Then you have the lost souls. The ones that just couldn’t stop pushing the envelope by breaking the rules and then putting it in the Mod’s faces (think Cowboy Gangsta) and then when they get their wings clipped they go running to SASS HQ hat in hand and wearing their best Bruce Dern sad face hoping to be allowed back in. So not only did the Mods have to deal with that guy now they have to answer to HQ for why they did what they did.

 

I could go on but I think I made my point...I am not sure how long my point will be posted but I wanted to let you know why I think Misty’s idea is a good one.

 

It’s a damn shame when a person loves this game and this organization so much that they volunteer their time to help out only to be kicked in the teeth and the shins at every turn. Losing sleep many a night trying to find the right solution using the Cowboy Way as a guide. FOR FREE! No money, no perks, no recognition. FREE time, FREE effort and FREE heartache. 

 

Now, after saying all that I want you to know that I am talking about a minority of SASS members here. A minority! But that minority can make a person nuts.

 

Being a Mod could literally be a full time job.

 

I came very close to walking away from SASS, again, over some of the things that occurred when I was a Mod and I still get PMs from folks wanting me to Mod things. I still get emails from a couple of folks you don’t see on here any more trying to spin things up.

 

If you think being a Mod is all “sunshine and snacky-cakes” then step up and do the job for a while...as a Ghost Mod you probably won’t experience what I outlined above and THAT is why I think Misty’s idea is a good one!

 

My name is Pat Riot.

 

 

 

My 17 short years on the wire I've seen every one of these and to shame for each of those that cause such a heart ache. And yes what a minority it is. Rules are not made for those that will follow the cowboy way, they are there for those that refuse to follow the cowboy way or give respect to each other. So often it is such a shame that rules are even needed, but, for those minorities, they are so strongly needed and they are the one's that challenge and even nit-pick to obtain loop holes in those rules. Like Utah Bob says, think I'll just stay in the Saloon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Misty Moonshine said:

Pat, 

First of all, thank you for your stint as a moderator. I’m sorry to read what you’ve outlined above as your negative experience in the role. 

 

Misty,

Thanks very much. I did fail to say or truly express that the negative comments above were regarding a TRUE MINORITY in SASS.

I have met no finer folks in my entire life than the people of SASS. I cannot say enough about the good folks of SASS and CAS.

I regret not mentioning this in the post I made above, but I do feel that what I said needed to be said.

 

Thank you for being proactive in the regard, Misty.

 

Kindest regards,

Pat

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, I've only got one thing to say.....Far Out!!B)

 

B. Thank You Miss Allie  and to all of those that make SASS and the "Wire" a fun place to be.:)

 

3.  What Bubba said;)

41 minutes ago, Buckaroo Bubba said:

What it comes down do is this, TREAT OTHERS HOW YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. It's that simple. In a perfect world, there wouldn't be a need for Moderators. Just follow the rules.

 

It's up to us to show these "Guests" what this sports is all about. We need to paint a picture that reflects that. It's often been said that "The Wire isn't SASS". Well why not? Why can't the Wire be SASS?? Why can't it reflect what we all see at the Range?? Think about that... 

 

Like everything else in the World, change is inevitable. Some changes are for the good, some for the bad. It's obvious changes needed to be made to the Wire.

Also, like everything else, you have to have a certain level of TRUST in the Leadership. I don't know about everyone else, but I have COMPLETE Faith in Misty Moonshine, Amber Oakley, Roxy West, the Wild Bunch, and everyone else behind the scenes at SASS.

 

Just my two cents, thank you... Buckaroo Bubba

 

Jefro:ph34r:Relax-Enjoy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have spent the last 24 years trying to clean up the wreckage of my past. I make the attempt to make less new wreckage, out there and here on the wire. I appreciate the efforts of all the current and past moderators, admin etc. I think if we all try to deal with this from the Cowboy way and attempt to dissolve some ego, we can have even more fun. That is why I came to SASS and the Wire. I have made some friends I may never be face to face with. I hope to correct that down the road.

 

See yall around the fire

 

Imis

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been a moderator for over 20 years. I guess it's because I have the skin of a rhino and the ability to look at things from a dispassionate perspective. I like the ideas Misty put together for a revamp of the SASSWire and it's continuation as a resource for SASS Members and new Members looking to get into the game.

 

Doc Faraday

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.