New Global Moderator.... Cooran!

[Ben]

Hi Dan

THat 'banned' stamp is so cool. However, I and I am sure my colleagues, would never use that - except maybe for one serial pest.
And thank you, my colleagues and I have worked hard to ensure that DW is very different to e-Sangha. Dhamma Wheel truely is a place for a healthy, collaborative Dhamma discussion.
kind regards

Ben

[Sanghamitta]

I'm sorry to break the party here but I think it's a bad move. Cooran was a moderator at e-sangha and I remember those days where I had to tip-toe around her in order not to get censured for everything I said. She was a very bad moderator. She is a good contributor here and not fit to be a moderator given her past. Having said this, I hope that the policy of freedom in this forum continues despite this.

I have just come across this. And after a brief debate with myself concerning whether it would be better to let sleeping dogs lie, I have decided that it should not go unremarked on.
Cooran was one of the very best moderators on E Sangha because of her insistence on replies being attributable to the Pali Canon whenever views purporting to be those of the Buddha were floated.
Or whenever there was a request for the authoritative view.

More strength to her elbow !

[Modus.Ponens]

I'm sorry to break the party here but I think it's a bad move. Cooran was a moderator at e-sangha and I remember those days where I had to tip-toe around her in order not to get censured for everything I said. She was a very bad moderator. She is a good contributor here and not fit to be a moderator given her past. Having said this, I hope that the policy of freedom in this forum continues despite this.

I have just come across this. And after a brief debate with myself concerning whether it would be better to let sleeping dogs lie, I have decided that it should not go unremarked on.
Cooran was one of the very best moderators on E Sangha because of her insistence on replies being attributable to the Pali Canon whenever views purporting to be those of the Buddha were floated.
Or whenever there was a request for the authoritative view.

More strength to her elbow !

I do not wish to discuss this. I said what I felt I had to say and that's it. My hope in writing that critique is that this forum doesn't become like the Theravada section of E-Sangha. I have a good amount of confidence in the older staff, in that the forum will remain a place of freedom from censorship.

[Virgo]

Congratulations!

Kevin

[cooran]

Hello Sanghamitta, Virgo, all,

Thank you for your kind words – but truly, I need no defence.

What has happened is that in a ‘Welcome’ thread someone is unwelcoming … does this matter? Is this important? No.
The post belongs to the author and simply reflects that person’s internal world and perceptions, that’s all.

I particularly like this article:
Right Speech Piyadassi Mahathera
http://www.budsas.org/ebud/ebdha090.htm

And, of course, there is the Buddha’s teaching on how to handle criticism and insult:
SN 7.2 Akkosa Sutta: Insult Thanissaro Bhikkhu
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html

with metta
Chris

[Sanghamitta]

[octathlon]

Congratulations, Cooran!

[retrofuturist]

Greetings MP,

I do not wish to discuss this. I said what I felt I had to say and that's it.

I appreciate the courage that underlies standing up for what you think is important. A healthy community or group requires people to have the courage to make clear their concerns for the community, even if there's a degree of personal risk associated with making such comments.

As someone who actively did that at E-Sangha when I was a global moderator (and because of doing so was eventually tossed out by the Vajradmin) it's something I'm acutely aware of. So coming from that background, bringing that philosophy here to Dhamma Wheel and founding this forum on those principles, I hope you'll be able to take the assurance that I believe Cooran will do a very good job in her new role, and I know that despite any reservations, people will give her every chance to demonstrate her capacity and ability.

Metta,
Retro.

[Ben]

I've known Cooran both online and in-person since I first started as a member at e-Sangha in 2003. I know Cooran who is a dedicated practitioner of the Theravada. She has attended many retreats, been on yattra to the four holy places in North India and Nepal, visited Myanmar, attended the Dhamma Study Group in Bangkok with Sujin, attended ten-day courses in the tradition of SN Goenka, is a student of Patrick Kearney, and has serves the Sri Lankan community and Sangha associated with Dhammagiri forest monastery in SE Queensland. Chris has also been very active on online Buddhist discussion groups inc. e-Sangha, Dhamma Study Group and here at Dhamma Wheel since I have known her. Chris brings to the role of global moderator a wealth of experience and knowledge concerning the Dhamma, integrating Dhamma into daily life and is very familiar with online Buddhist discussion groups as both a member and moderator.

One word about e-Sangha...
There were a lot of people in moderator roles at e-Sangha that did a great deal of good work in serving those new to Buddhism and the general membership. The people that impressed me the most were those who had a deep commitment to serving others and got on and did it with a great deal of compassion and insight and without the need for acknowledgement or fuss. Chris was not afraid to take on the autocratic, paranoid-schizophrenic administration and be the voice of reason or advocate on behalf of a member. There were a lot of really good things going on behind the scenes that never came to light.

So, please join me in welcoming Chris to the role of moderator. I can think of no better qualified person within our midst.
with Metta

Ben

[Modus.Ponens]

Hello retro.

Thank you. I'm more at ease now.

Be well.

[alan]

An excellent choice. Thanks to Cooran for taking on the task!

[Virgo]

I'm sorry to break the party here but I think it's a bad move. Cooran was a moderator at e-sangha and I remember those days where I had to tip-toe around her in order not to get censured for everything I said. She was a very bad moderator. She is a good contributor here and not fit to be a moderator given her past. Having said this, I hope that the policy of freedom in this forum continues despite this.

I have just come across this. And after a brief debate with myself concerning whether it would be better to let sleeping dogs lie, I have decided that it should not go unremarked on.
Cooran was one of the very best moderators on E Sangha because of her insistence on replies being attributable to the Pali Canon whenever views purporting to be those of the Buddha were floated.
Or whenever there was a request for the authoritative view.

More strength to her elbow !

I do not wish to discuss this. I said what I felt I had to say and that's it. My hope in writing that critique is that this forum doesn't become like the Theravada section of E-Sangha. I have a good amount of confidence in the older staff, in that the forum will remain a place of freedom from censorship.

I loved the Theravada forum on E-Sangha. I especially liked the fact that even though Namdrol chimed in often, he only expressed his opinion and would note that it was not consistent with Theravada view. He didn't push things and gave people a safe haven even though he disagreed with their understanding sometimes. I believe the 'Theravadin' mods there did a great job as well.

That is in the past though. This is a different forum and a different time. I think Chris (Cooran) had hard work at E-Sangha keeping the loopies out of the Theravada forum and trying to keep it a safe haven for people that actually revered and respected the texts. She played the role well, not as an authoratarian but as a public servant-- a servant to those who wanted the Theravada Forum to be what it was described at in it's Forum description. Let's not forget that people in positions of "governance" are really public servants. They serve to make sure (in places like Dhamma Wheel) that the Free-for-all is free for all, and that the Abhidhamma forum, for instance, is a place where people won't chime in with uneccessary criticism of Abhidhamma and so on. It is easy to look from the outside in and make judgements, but far more difficult to put yourself in the shoes of someone else and see if they are really doing the right thing, keeping in mind the specific and objective role they have to undertake. Anyway, let's not all be so serious anyhow.

Again, that is then and this is now. Let's not judge Cooran before she even has a chance to act. What happened to being in the moment?!

Kevin

[rowyourboat]

I've known Cooran both online and in-person since I first started as a member at e-Sangha in 2003. I know Cooran who is a dedicated practitioner of the Theravada. She has attended many retreats, been on yattra to the four holy places in North India and Nepal, visited Myanmar, attended the Dhamma Study Group in Bangkok with Sujin, attended ten-day courses in the tradition of SN Goenka, is a student of Patrick Kearney, and has serves the Sri Lankan community and Sangha associated with Dhammagiri forest monastery in SE Queensland. Chris has also been very active on online Buddhist discussion groups inc. e-Sangha, Dhamma Study Group and here at Dhamma Wheel since I have known her. Chris brings to the role of global moderator a wealth of experience and knowledge concerning the Dhamma, integrating Dhamma into daily life and is very familiar with online Buddhist discussion groups as both a member and moderator.

One word about e-Sangha...
There were a lot of people in moderator roles at e-Sangha that did a great deal of good work in serving those new to Buddhism and the general membership. The people that impressed me the most were those who had a deep commitment to serving others and got on and did it with a great deal of compassion and insight and without the need for acknowledgement or fuss. Chris was not afraid to take on the autocratic, paranoid-schizophrenic administration and be the voice of reason or advocate on behalf of a member. There were a lot of really good things going on behind the scenes that never came to light.

So, please join me in welcoming Chris to the role of moderator. I can think of no better qualified person within our midst.
with Metta

Ben

Nice one, Ben. Maybe this post should have been the first one in this thread

Congrats again, Chris. I hope you make DW a more welcoming place for the fairer sex!

with metta

Matheesha

[Mawkish1983]

Congratulations, Cooran

[manas]

I've not been to E-sangha, so I can't relate anything about them. But I've been to other internet forums, and I found that it was often quite personal, in that so long as you got along well with the mods, you did ok; but if you rubbed them up the wrong way, they started to make life difficult for you (well, your online life, I mean). Here, by way of contrast, we have sane and rational mods, who as far as I can see apply the rules judiciously, without partiality. And so I also welcome you to this important, and challenging role. My thanks to you (and to all the mods and admin people, without whom this whole site could not function)!

[Modus.Ponens]

I've not been to E-sangha, so I can't relate anything about them. But I've been to other internet forums, and I found that it was often quite personal, in that so long as you got along well with the mods, you did ok; but if you rubbed them up the wrong way, they started to make life difficult for you (well, your online life, I mean). Here, by way of contrast, we have sane and rational mods, who as far as I can see apply the rules judiciously, without partiality. And so I also welcome you to this important, and challenging role. My thanks to you (and to all the mods and admin people, without whom this whole site could not function)!

To be fair, strictly speaking of cooran and me, she wasn't personal about it.

[cooran]

Thanks MP - this is one of the best birthday presents I received today.

[Modus.Ponens]

You're welcome. Happy birthday!

[Ytrog]

Good luck Cooran

[cooran]

Thanks Ytrog! appreciate!

with metta
Chris