As karma grows, so do the opportunities for moderation and meta-moderation. I've been working in higher education as an educational technologist for a number of years now. My expertise and research interests lie in asynchronous technologies, such as threaded discussions.

Since I've actually started participating in Slashdot, I've come to appreciate this system. Even more so since it appears to have arisen organically[slashdot.org].

In a previous journal post, I ranted a bit about the abuses of moderators who mod down anything that passes for discussion in this <irony>threaded discussion-based community</irony>. However, I think that the meta-moderation process may actually keep most of those abuses in check. It's not clear from the Slashdot moderation link provided above what role meta-moderation plays in the algorithms that "choose" moderators, but, based on personal experience I'm beginning to suspect that meta-moderation closes the so-called "feedback loop."

Seen from my admittedly limited perspective, meta-moderation would work best if it diminished the opportunities that moderation outliers--those who unfairly moderate in order to shape discussion according to their own biases--have to moderate. In other words, if your meta-moderators consistently disagree with your moderation methods, then you're given fewer opportunities to moderate than those whose moderations are <grin> more moderate</grin>.

It would be interesting to hear what Cowboy Neal or another Ur-Slashdotter had to say about meta-moderation and the role that it plays (or doesn't) in moderation-selection processes.

Just finished meta-moderating again and I can't help noticing a propensity among /. moderators to mod down posts that call into question a blind allegiance to Linux. I'm not talking moderators taking to task the roaming bands of M$ trolls that plague this community with their flamebaits, I'm talking about level-headed examinations of the Linux community being trolled or flamebaited by knee-jerk, party-line moderators.

Every community needs clear-eyed self-reflection in order to stay healthy and vital. One need only to look to the abuses of the current administration for examples of why a measure of dissent is crucial in a free society.

My only regret is that I didn't grab a link or two in order to provide examples. I'll do so from now on.

To be continued...

I've been a lurker on Slashdot for quite some time now--despite the fact that I've had quite a few mod points (not that you'll be interested, but I used them all)--so I guess it's time I did something public. This, then, will pass as something, though the scrupulous observer will note that it really amounts to nothing.