Fellow NANOG-ers.
I am very happy eith the recent revival of traffic on NANOG on relevant
subjects, as I am sure we all are. My email is about traffic we don't
see and unless I am missing something, don't know gets filtered. due to
what I believe is very heavy-handed moderation by the admin team.
First, is this a known issue? If so, please point me to the right clause
at the AUP and ignore the rest of my message as misinformed.
My concerns are, as I will demonstrate in this message:
1. Threads are moderated with no notice to person or mailing
list, or availability for examination.
2. There is no apparent over-sight (that I know of) on this
moderation, or visibility.
3. It is very heavy-handed high-key moderation, which is not
what we ask for on NANOG as far as I understand, unless there
was a policy change.
4. Non of this is covered in the AUP. Not thread moderation, not
the decision process, not how it can be challenged and not
where discarded threads can be examined.
5. The admin team does not respond to requests for information
or challenges on this matter (I made one).
A week ago I sent in a request for comments to NANOG on how ISPs handle
phishing on two fronts. Stopping it from reaching clients, and
experience on notifying clients this is happening.
The above may or may not be off-topic. I will accept for the purpose of
this discussion that it IS *off-topic*, so that we can concentrate on
moderation procedures and lack of response to members.
The back story:
I got 6 responses off-list (by those who CC: OP) which detailed
operational experience on handling it. Of these, several had NANOG CC:'d
to the email, and the messages never reached the mailing list.
I believe the responses were operational, and that the request was as
well. The admins could have mailed us or the list, or even guided us to
discuss only operational parts of the message. Or wait a day. They
instead moderated quietly and unilaterally.
For the purpose of this discussion, I indeed accept the discussion was
off-topic and therefore should not be done on NANOG.
But, unless I am missing something and this is approved and known, such
moderation is unacceptable.
What IS important?
People emailed in just to discover that they can't. I personally thought
I was moderated without any warning.
The AUP clearly states that the admin team has the power to do so, but
it also discusses a warning process.
Rather than get upset, I emailed and asked the admins about this. I was
told that it was the thread which was moderated, not us. This happened
without any of us OR the mailing list OR even (as a ridiculous example)
nanog-futures being notified.
I emailed back requesting:
1. That this decision be revisited as obvious, actual,
operational content was being shared and never reaching the
mailing list.
2. More importantly, why is this heavy-handed moderation
happening, and how is the decision to moderate a thread
happen?
I never received a reply. I was never told of a different way in which I
can request this moderation to be re-reconsidered.
If this is acceptable procedure, why is it not listed in the AUP?
Further, if it should be listed in the AUP, why is a note on how to
challenge a decision not there?
Perhaps I missed some NANOG meeting minutes, or the AUP was not updated
to indicate that this was discussed and approved. In that case I do
apologize.
In summary, unless I am indeed missing some new NANOG guidelines, the
admin team is actively moderating entire threads without warning or
visibility, or accountability for that matter. I find this to be very
disturbing.
Their lack of response when questioned on the subject, is just as
disturbing.
Gadi.
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