The word "moderator" in the same sentence as "chat room" opens up a whole lot of debate. Ranging from "free speech"
on side to perhaps "moral policing" on the other side.
Enough has been said about the unruly behaviour on the e-pao chat room (public room) and enough can still be said.
Have we done enough? A Yes and a No.
Yes, Because we did what we presumed possible. No, because we didn't succeed and there are arguably stricter measures that can be adopted (which we didn't).
Early in the days, we realised the need for a chat application in our e-platform. We had a run through the web trying out various
chat applications before picking up the one from ParaChat.
Few months into using it, we realised that this new medium is very popular and there are many of us who can't enter the room due
to the small user based offered in the free version. It was upgraded to the paid version with 500+ users.
As it turns out, we have become the benchmark for other Manipur sites on the use of this chat service. ParaChat offers us moderation rights amongst other things. A very good tool, we must admit, and we tried to exercise the new-found power.
Chat Admin checks in frequently warning the foul-mouted fellowmen and even expelling them if they cant conform to rules.
Repeated wrong-doers are even banned. From the start we didn't beleive in the 'registration process' bit and so the nicknames be
damned we just had to look at that other unique identity in the web world - the IP address.
Nickname reminds... they are a case-study by itself ranging from an irritatingly named one and straight crass one.
So our good old admin would do these "moral" check facing the wrath of the chatters who doesn't like their party busted.
Many of these 'wrong-doers' log in multiple sessions. Sometimes Dr Jeklyl and Mr Hyde login at the same time. Dr Jekyl will
tchh-tchh us while the admin kicks out Mr Hyde for playing too tough.
As we find out Mr Hyde loves this hide and seek and (s)he only comes back in another avatar to start his party where he left it.
IP tells us this new person and Mr Hyde (and Dr Jekyl) are the same and admin shows off the power by banning that particular IP. Yeah! that showed him. Then what's next?
Turns out our multi-personlity was using a web surfing joint. This ordeal only makes him(her) come back with a bigger bang the
next time, perhaps from another surfing center.
Very soon, this act will be followed by mails which reads like one of the below :
Dear chat admin,
My name is Srinivas and I own a surfing center. I have many Manipuri customers who uses your chat service. For the past
few days we get the following message when we try to enter the chat "This IP is banned from using the Chat service".
Please do the needful.
Hi,
Why do I get the message "This IP is banned from using the Chat service" when I tried chat. you chat is not working. Please fix it.
Hello e-pao,
My friend was misusing chat yesterday but I cannot log in. I did not do anything. Hope you will allow us log in.
Once we even had a good wild goose chase by a chatter who dared us to identify him/her and who kept logging in with
different (country) IPs. So whats the moral... the IP is not helping us.
This moderating business is too effort-draining for us. It doesn't seem to solve anything anyways. Then we posted a big
Dos and Donts list and requested users to exhibit understanding and compassion for fellow chatters and leave the foul
mouth at the surfing center entrance.
But then who read the rules... huh?
Female chatters and first time users still gets a shock but apart from tendering apologies (on the wrong doers' behalf), we
are quite helpless. The chat will not become registered users only. We cannot administer it 24 / 7.
We cannot remove the service and deny those who actually use it and have found life long friends through this medium. We can only hope that our 'goofy' chatters will eventually come in line.
Somebody said, once these chatters come in line, the next generation will set in. we'll hope for the best.
We thought it might be a good idea to add up a few lines to the RG's post
"Internet Goofy Manipur Youths"
to present this issue from our angle too.
It would actually be great if we get to hear more on this topic and their own interpretations of the case. And we thank "RG"
for starting this conversation in a big way!
* This article was webcasted on June 29th, 2007
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