[X] My Assistant

[Stu]

Interesting...

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=27336

[elakdawalla]

Let me try to explain in a different way. This site is moderated and administered by humans who have interest in space exploration, in all sorts of different topics, and we spend the time it takes to moderate this site because we generally enjoy the discussions. However, some discussion topics -- for example, astrobiology and human spaceflight -- have, in the past, generated more than their share of administrative headaches, to the point that the ratio of our administrative headache to our enjoyment of the discussion has just gotten too high for us to want to continue to deal with it, even if we may be interested in the topic. Therefore, we push discussion of such topics to other forums -- astrobiology to BAUT, human spaceflight to nasaspaceflight.com -- where those site administrators have proven more willing and interested in moderating the discussions than the particular group of administrators is here.

--Emily

[Guest_Sunspot_*]

Let me try to explain in a different way. This site is moderated and administered by humans who have interest in space exploration, in all sorts of different topics, and we spend the time it takes to moderate this site because we generally enjoy the discussions. However, some discussion topics -- for example, astrobiology and human spaceflight -- have, in the past, generated more than their share of administrative headaches, to the point that the ratio of our administrative headache to our enjoyment of the discussion has just gotten too high for us to want to continue to deal with it, even if we may be interested in the topic. Therefore, we push discussion of such topics to other forums -- astrobiology to BAUT, human spaceflight to nasaspaceflight.com -- where those site administrators have proven more willing and interested in moderating the discussions than the particular group of administrators is here.

--Emily

This is the last i'm going to say on this issue, but I felt I had to respond.

More and more of NASA's research and discovery aims are becoming astrobiology related as a result of the unmanned spacecraft visiting more and more destinations. Possibile subsurface oceans on Europa and Ganymede... and the latest discoveries at Enceladus by Cassini. I remember the tremendous excitement and anticipation surrounding Opportunity's first discoveries at Meridiani relating to water and possible past habitability. Phoenix and the polar Ice too. The future MSL will have a substantial astrobiology element to the mission.

These latest results will surely have an impact on future design and instruments to be sent to Mars which is why I found the suggestion that people could be banned or suspended for discussing them truly astonishing.

[djellison]

These latest results will surely have an impact on future design and instruments to be sent to Mars which is why I found the suggestion that people could be banned or suspended for discussing them truly astonishing.

Then talk about them in a different forum - what's stopping you? People get banned or suspended for breaking the rules. The rules are there for everyone to see. People get warnings and a heads up when they're running the risk of breaking those rules. We even gave a specific warning in this very thread.

If someone gets banned - it's because they refuse to respect the rules.

UMSF was started, as you will remember, as a place for people to share their mosaics, and talk about what the MER's were up to. Its scope has grown and grown and grown for 5 years. Lines have to be drawn to dictate what is an isn't allowed to maintain the S/N ratio for those topics for which the board was started. Biology, like Politics, or Manned Spaceflight - has baggage. It has too much scope for arguments, bickering, personal ranting campaigns - and in the specific case of biology, fringe theory nut jobs.

Now, we can try and accommodate that subject and spend, literally, hours trying to keep things at a reasonable level, get accused of bias or inconsistent treatment - and the end result is the very occasional interesting topic and an enormous quantity of unseen administrative workload, annoyance, hassle, insults, accusations and entirely unjustified stress.

OR - we can simply say no to that subject entirely, giving admins and mods little bits of their lives back, keeping the ammount of administrative workload to a minimum - and above all, maintain the S/N ratio of the subjects for which this forum was started and is maintained.

If you want to talk about Biology, try the www.bautforum.com - it's brilliantly maintained, conducive to interesting discourse, and a perfect home for that sort of discussion. It's what I do - and I can see no reason why anyone else would object to doing the same.