2. What happens when moderation is done
electronically not personally
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUr8mWNJ_0U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjsSVCLxcZ4
3. Example of a well-moderated site
Forum Rules for a public (Australian) site:
http://www.politicalforum.com/australia/announcements.html
The Political Forum – examples of (threaded
contributions):
http://www.politicalforum.com/australia/
4. Managing a basic discussion
Q. Having read Smith‟s instructions on poaching the
perfect egg and having watched the video demonstration
of the technique, go now to the forum and share what
you regard as the critical elements in preparing the
breakfast.
A. Alison: I noticed that the egg was put into the water very
carefully. It was first broken into a cup it could be
poured easily and gently into the simmering water. For
me, this as a very important hint.
B. Carol: I noticed the cup too. I‟ve got the same crockery
set in my kitchen. I bought it at a Myer sale last
Christmas and all my family really like the pattern on it.
5. Response: redirecting, refocussing discussion
Moderator:
a) Ignore Carol and encourage Alison‟s approach:
“Thanks Alison and Carol for your contributions. Alison‟s
observation about the importance of pouring the egg
from a cup into the water makes sense. It seemed a
really helpful suggestion to me too.
b) Deflect/redirect:
“Carol, you mention you have the same cup but I wonder if
you‟ve found that using it in the way that smith suggests
has helped you in preparing your poached eggs?
6. Examples of Discussion from Pastoral Care Forum
Q. Having considered the literature on ways of extending
help and support to those in our community who are
most marginalised, go now to the Forum and share your
own experience of helping those in your pastoral work.
A. Tom: For the past year I‟ve been working at an inner-
city drop-in centre and I‟ve seen a wide range of
marginalised people. The mentally ill are the biggest
group, but we also see addicts and alcoholics who are
homeless, and quite a number of transgendered people
who have not been able to find work or accommodation.
At the centre we provide meals for them; we give a bed
for the night to as many as we can but there are also
more people than beds ...
7. When to DELETE a post
Lou: “transgendered” people – as you call them – are just
homosexuals in drag and ALL HOMOSEXUALS are an
abomination and will burn in Hell.
8. Response to an offensive post
This message is not only in breach of Australian anti-
discrimination law but also has the (very high) possibility of
offending the majority of students/participants in the Forum.
• IT MUST BE DELETED immediately
• An email (private) message should be sent to the person who
posted it, informing them that their post have been removed
because it is offensive and in breach of Australian law
Example: Your Forum post in response to Q.7 in the course Pastoral
Care has been removed by the site administrator as it contains
offensive material and is in breach of Australian Anti-discrimination
law. Posts of this nature are not permitted in the online space and
any further similar posts will be immediately deleted and may result
in your exclusion from the Forum.
9. When to delete a post
You must delete any post that contains:
• Personal attack
Amy: “ That reading really helped me”.
Michelle: “Are you crazy, Amy? That reading was very ordinary. I think
you need to apply yourself and do some more study. You don‟t
know what you‟re talking about.”
• Offensive and/or foul language or content
• Trolling – sarcastic or nasty comments in response to another‟s
post, e.g.:
Amy: "I just thought I‟d share with you a picture of a pottery project I‟ve
just completed. My class love it.”
Michelle: "I just thought I‟d share with you my reactions to this useless
piece of information: it‟s garbage.”
10. Illegal content
• Pornographic or inciting to violence
• In breach of copyright
Inappropriate Content
• As above but also if unsuitable for the age
group or „interest group‟ you are dealing
with
11. Animating the Conversation
• Share your views on the range of ways in
which spirituality is expressed in Australia.
Do you think that there is a spirituality that
could be described as “uniquely
Australian”?
• Ruth: I can‟t think of anything that I‟d
describe as “Australian”. I really can‟t
contribute much to this discussion.
• John: I know what you mean, Ruth. Maybe
the tutor could give us a few clues on this.
12. Animating the Conversation
From your tutor: Carmel Davis
I wonder if anyone happened to catch two very interesting programmes on ABC TV last
night (14th Nov). The first, "Sisters of War" was the true story of army nurse Lorna
Whyte and Sr Berenice Twohill, a nun of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart missionary
congregation. Together, they survived their POW experience in WW2 and remain firm
friends to the present day. The second was on the life, work and legacy of Rev Ted
Noffs (Wayside Chapel). All three people, in the reaction to their experiences and
others' hardships, represent a very particular part of Australian identity and Australian
spirituality.
Ted Noffs' work has left a dedicated (family-run) foundation which ministers to the
poorest and most disenfranchised groups in our society and yet, in the latter part of
his life, Ted disavowed his formal religious connections and his family have taken a
similar approach. Ted's view was that Australians are "the most spiritual people in the
world" in spite of/because of their disinterest in/rejection of formal religions.
Ted, Sr Berenice and Lorna are really admirable and inspiring Australians, I think, and
they do seem to represent something of the range of Australian spirituality. If you saw
one, or both, of the programmes you might like to include some discussion of same in
our forum topic this week.
13. Ruth: Thanks for this, Carmel. I did see the program you mentioned and I
was deeply moved. It was wonderful, at the end, to see those two old
women still alive and enjoying one another‟s company. Also, at the very end
of the time in New Britain, those cooees echoing through the jungle brought
tears to my eyes.
“Sisters of War” gave a realistic picture of soldiers and civilians during war.
Some of the qualities displayed by the people in the film were those
common to people of any nationality in oppressive and dangerous
circumstances. They were afraid, courageous, resilient and defiant. They
scrounged and survived as best they could. In the mini-documentary on the
ABC website for “Sisters of War”, Sister Berenice said, “We talk about what
the Japanese did. But every army did the same thing. War brings out the
worst in humanity and it brings out the best. We saw most heroic things.
So, what, in this film, was unmistakably Australian for me? Perhaps the
irreverent humour. The writer of the program, John Misto, described
conversations he had with Lorna Johnston (née Whyte) and Sister Berenice
Twohill, commenting on the way they bounced off one another, with their
“dry, laconic Aussie humour.” I think there‟s a spirituality in that – being able
to laugh in the face of adversity. And it‟s very Australian.
