Re: A GS democracy?
arshad - the topic about the written rules and policies for moderators is beaten to death and it is often reminded to us that there is a guide for moderators in a place unreachable to non-mod guppies. As for consistency in warning, I personally do not believe in warnings - only to an extent. Warnings are a show-off of your status IMO. A good moderator would have enough stamina to handle and COMMUNICATE with its members that there should hardly arise a need for a warning - and that too as a last resort.
For example, let's think about it. A new comer posts in cafe with three consecutive replies. Now having the excuse that a user is assumed to have read the RULES before posting, a mod gives him/her warning on his/her arrival without a reminder of the rule - thus creating a communication gap and more likely steering away a new user who might be an asset to the forum; would you agree with such a decision? Atleast, I would not.
Coming back to the topic, you do seem to have a working plan but appointing of panel is where I am still feeling skeptical because remember as per you, politics is there, how would you avoid that?