Forum Rules/New Global Moderators

[Bridgett]

I think our MOD SQUAD needs a theme song.

[YesBiscuit!]

My opinion:  delete the offending members - not the forum.

Sorry the new mods are having major problems already.   

[Carol]

I for one do NOT want this forum to disappear...so maybe we can all take a deep breath....remember this past friday night and the most recent drop and run recall.....where would alot of us be without this forum??...I don't mean to sound like I am preaching...I am not...but stop for a minute and think of all the good we do with our prayer support and our ability to find things that the people we pay to keep us and our pets safe do not make public!!   Please let us get beyond this most recent troubles here....there are bigger fish to fry and none of them are with squabbles with us!


eta---thanks...

[catmom5]

I don't know what's going on behind the scenes, but c'mon folks, this is an important and valuable forum. Let's not lose what we have here because of a few people who insist on disrupting the forum. What a sad, sad day it would be if Ben decides the forum isn't worth the trouble.

To the moderators, I am so sorry this is happening.

I, for one, want everybody to grow up, play fair and keep the focus on keeping our pets healthy. If you are to the point where you are unhappy because of the way this forum is moderated, then please find one where you feel more comfortable, but please don't screw it up for those of us who need Itchmo forums to continue.  

I also wondered why the offending members couldn't simply be deleted rather than the whole forum . . .

[catbird]

One of the things that everyone needs to keep in mind is that the moderators do not have the power to delete or ban anyone.  Only Ben does.

You should also know that some of the mods have received nasty PMs from certain people when a call or a post they make does not go according to the way that person thinks they should.

[Carol]

This forum is bigger than any one of us alone...it started when we were scared out of our wits last year...together we have learned so much...helped each other...gotten courage to write letters to the "powers that be" in pet food...tried to make a difference...let us not allow our egos to get in the way of the bigger picture...remember March 2007...remember learning about 2004's recall....remember all the posts that may have gotten one of our members through a really tough day...I can remember each and every thing I just mentioned...let's get back to the fight against unsafe pet food and stop the fighting between us...we all deserve better....

[Mandycat]

I echo everything that catmom5 said.  We don't want to lose this forum, so behave yourselves.  I also have to say, though, that I am surprised to hear that so much has been going on behind the scenes because, unless I missed something, I have only seen one exchange that I felt might have caused a problem.  Please think twice before clicking on that Send to Moderator.  I've personally never used it, and think it should only be used in an extreme situation.  There are going to be differences of opinion now and then, but they do not warrant being reported unless they include a blatant personal attack.  Discussion very often has two sides, very often neither of which may be 100% correct.  

     Thank you, moderators, for tackling this huge job.  I hope that things now settle down for you.

[YesBiscuit!]

One of the things that everyone needs to keep in mind is that the moderators do not have the power to delete or ban anyone.  Only Ben does.

You should also know that some of the mods have received nasty PMs from certain people when a call or a post they make does not go according to the way that person thinks they should.

Having mods who are active participants in the forum makes sense.  Tying the hands of those mods doesn't make sense IMO.  Is there anyone who actively participates in the day to day goings on here who can take appropriate action to avoid the forum being shut down?  If not, can we get at least one (or four) mods who can actually moderate the forum?  

Sending private nasty messages to the mods:  Thumbs down!

[catbird]

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are also a few disruptive people here who goad others into angry reactions.

[Sandi K]

I had no idea this was going on behind the scenes either, I thought things had calmed down.  Im sorry this is happening to the mods and still hope it works out and levels out.  Its clear by some of the newer members posting that Itchmo is one of the few places that one can go to find out if there is a recent problem with pet food, it would be a sad day if we lost that for us and our pets.  Lets move on and fight for each others furbabes.   

I have to add a big thank goodness for our stealth researchers here as there is no way I would have seen or heard about the recent recall, its hardly been on TV and it was from some fellow Itchmoers that we found about it and thats also how Pet Connection found out about it.  Kuddos to those who found it right away, you might have saved some pet or human from getting sick! 

[purringfur]

Thank you, moderators, for volunteering to do this tough job.  I didn't realize that things were still bad. 

As Carol stated, look at all the ways we've helped one another over the last year and a half.  How many of us would have known early on about problems with unrecalled food had we not read the reports from members suspecting certain brands?  Instead of fighting, think about our pets that have died and the ones we're still doctoring now.  Think of the emotional and financial devastation to families caused by the industry. 

Think of the recalls we heard about in the human food supply and of various household products and children's toys.  Look at the knowledge we gained about our regulatory agencies (FDA, USDA, CPSC) and what we learned about inspections and labeling.  The year 2007 may go down in history as the "Year of the Recalls."  Remember when so many of us purged our homes of MIC junk?  Remember the spike in sales of lead testing kits?  Remember that seed companies this year reported a marked increase in seed sales, which many attribute to the toxic, contaminated food recalls of last year.  The information we discovered and shared on itchmo was a life-changing catalyst for me.  Many of you have reported the very same wake-up call and have changed how you eat and live forever.  We were here for one another, keeping each other informed, digging for information, and writing and calling the "powers that be." 

This site is probably the one that most people turn to for recall information.  The PFI would love it if there were internal squabbles here that were serious enough for the owners to close the board so they wouldn't have the hassle.   Where could we then go to learn the latest information?  As a group, we are a thorn in the PFI's side, and I'm sure they'd cheer to see this site closed.  Well, let's not let that happen or even come close to it. 

Direct your anger and frustration at the PFI, the FDA, or any person remotely responsible for allowing the mass poisonings to occur and the recalls to continue -- not one another here.  Let's get along and send the message to the PFI that Itchmo is alive, well, and united, and that we Itchmoans ARE SCRUTINIZING THE PFI, not picking on one another.

Thanks again to our mods for volunteering.  I just read the new replies...  Perhaps if those goading others on get reported enough, the mods can as a group decide whether to forward a name to Ben for temporary or permanent banning?? 

 

[3catkidneyfailure]

This is a mean thought to consider and one I hope not true. Could some of the constant
reporters and complainers be people planted by design by one or more of the food companies?
I don't know who they are. I don't know what they're complaining about. But is that a possibility?

Edited to add: alternatively, could a maximum number of PM complaints be set, and after that, if the
moderators find no merit in the complaints, the PM sender is permanently blocked from sending complaints
to the four moderators or Ben?  That may be a way of urging posters to only complain if they're really
upset by something and minimizing other possible personality conflicts maybe? I don't know, but is a
suggestion. I also believe the forums' advice and pet food safety discussions are most valuable.
 

[trudy1]

I don't know where i'd be today if We didn't have these forums and these wonderful, informed people who are here.
Thank you so much Mods.
Let's grow up, and help the pets and the people who are here, not fight.
Don't ever forget- We have made a difference
Let's all play fair now.
There's enough fighting in the world already.

[Bridgett]

I don't know where i'd be today if We didn't have these forums and these wonderful, informed people who are here.
Thank you so much Mods.
Let's grow up, and help the pets and the people who are here, not fight.
Don't ever forget- We have made a difference
Let's all play fair now.
There's enough fighting in the world already.

I think we have made a difference too.  We have to be a united voice for our pets.  We all have different views on what is happening in politics and that is fine.  We are all entitled to our own views.  But our one uniting factor, that brought us all here is the safety of our pets.  All of us were affected by the recalls, whether we lost a pet or not.  We cannot, CANNOT let that happen again. 

We, through the kindess of the Itchmos, have a place to come and find the truth about PFM.  We have Kaffe and others who have helped many of us start homecooking for our pets.  We have avid researchers, like Menusux and Poco who provide us with all the latest information on recalls or concerns that are being raised in the PFI. 

PFM is not going to change until we make it change.  We have to fight for our pets.  This is the place to do it.

And yes, we are making a difference.  I just bought a bag of Whole Life chicken treats.  The label proudly said " Made in and Sourced in the USA."  That is a big deal.

[lesliek]

Again another big thank you to past and present moderaters ! I have been worried that if this squabbling continues the Itchmo's will find it too troublesome to keep us going here. There is nowhere else to find all the information gathered here. This site is too important to allow a few people to destroy it. My vote is for the moderaters to report anyone who is abusive to them,sending constant reports or egging others on. Let them be removed rather than lose this site.I really don't want to see the PF co's rejoicing because there is no one left to expose the pf problems.