Moodle community critique

Moodle community critique

by Olli Savolainen -
Number of replies: 6
http://educhalk.org/blog/moodle-security-censorship-and-trust-an-observation/



I ran across the above criticisms of Moodle community, openness and security, and they seem pretty harsh to me (not sure if they are from the same author even though the title is identical). I thought it might be good to discuss them. What do you think? I do not feel I know the community well enough to respond in the former link's comments, but someone here perhaps might feel they want to.

Olli
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In reply to Olli Savolainen

Re: Moodle community critique

by Marc Grober -
That would be a great idea Olli, but for the fact that no open discussion will take place in this forum as evidenced by the recent deletion first of a note pointing out that caveat emtor is still the best policy when dealing with MPs because of recent past negligence of some, and then the deletion of my objections to the first deletion.

The apparent defacto standard re forum netquette bars any comment no matter the truth of same should moodle.com feel that it reflects poorly on any contributor to it's revenue stream. Unfortunately that also lumps the bozos in with those more, well the term competent strikes me as appropriate and I might as well say what I think as I am sure this post will soon be deleted as well - lol.

Bols Hevik has taken to guerilla tactics while I have simply despaired and wonder why one should even bother with trying to discuss matters openly here. Certainly the yawners make it abundantly clear that they would prefer to continue nibbling lotus while most are so focused on immediate issues questions addressing such matters always remain on the back burner.

Mauno commented in another thread (another forum) regarding his perspective, which seems more enlightened in some respects than Helen's, but BH has painted them with dame brush as he feels the results ate the same. I don't know if I agree, but friendly censorship is still censorship. On the otherhand, unless we even allow porn it is always a matter of drawing a line, isn't it?

My concern in the present situation is that the censorship appears specifically targeted at protecting some MPs from what should be their just rewards as it were, and that is not censorship for and on behalf of the community, but as Mauno notes censorship on behalf of moodle corporate. It is just that kind of grey crap that makes me nervous about the commercial investment in mathjax. I certainly don't think that David is working on mathjax to co-opt opensoftware users but as the net fills with chatter about facebook no longer being free it gives one pause to think about such things.

Moodle.org is not open-it is a facet of a corporate venture which (the Corp) may have goals far afield from those participating at moodle.org. In the US we have again come face to face with overwhelming power of corporations, and though we could hamstring same organically, we will instead spend years and millions trying to make a pigs ear behave like a silk purse.
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In reply to Marc Grober

Re: Moodle community critique

by Don Hinkelman -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Plugin developers
Hi Olli,

I have been using Moodle in my classes since 2003 and we have had no crashes and only one hack into the system. The hack was due to an administrator, named 'johnson' who used 'johnson' as his password. Pretty easy for any hacker to get in that way. We have had no profile spam because we use captcha on some sites and manual enrollment on other sites.

So we have been really happy with Moodle security. All of the security problems have been our own doing, and I think for other people, I suspect it is the same or slow updating of security patches can be a reason for problems. I do not blame Moodle or any hosting service for these kind of issues. I think as an admin, you have to know a few basic priniciples to set up Moodle properly (don't use the one-click installers for a production server, for example) and then train your staff well in security.

For me, the main problem I criticize the Moodle Community is funding for new module building at Moodle HQ. They are doing a fantastic job and put security as first priority. But there is not enough staff to work on new module versions and contributed versions. So I would urge everyone to find ways to contribute to Moodle, either through donations, using Moodle Partners who automatically fund Moodle HQ, or use other service providers who contribute a significant amount to core development. Have you considered that?

Cheers,
Don
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In reply to Marc Grober

Re: Moodle community critique

by Mauno Korpelainen -

Marc,

in http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=143346 I did not actually talk about moderation as a plain censorship on behalf of moodle corporate - please read that post again. I pointed some important things like netiquette and common sense and gave some legitimate reasons for moderation. Civilized people usually know how to behave - and if they make mistakes they apologize. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do" is valid also in these forums. The newcomers don't always behave according to local custom but only idiots do not understand why local rules are written. And of course some people don't want to accept any rules or decisions made by others.

I did mention the fact that owners of web sites have a legal right to delete any posts they want and moderators have always good reasons for moderation of forums - for example to prevent unnecessary flame wars. Basicly Your rights are your rights, but they stop at Terms of Service ( here http://docs.moodle.org/en/Moodle.org_forums_Code_of_Conduct ) - so when you have created an user account and login you must follow simple rules given in code of conduct.

Steve has used this same right all the time when he has deleted any such comments from his blog that he does not like.

In my opinion that previous discussion about Helen's decision to delete this embedded video from http://moodle.org/mod/forum/discuss.php?d=141979 caused only a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempest_in_a_teapot

Steve alias Figaro alias Bols Hevik alias Moodl ePnrBS (the "flame-baiter") ... and alias numerous other / blocked / anonymous persons has probably never read or refuses to accept our simplest forum rules in http://docs.moodle.org/en/Moodle.org_forums_Code_of_Conduct and as a regular reader of his blog you - Marc - have been trolled.

I am also a regular reader of Steve's / Figaro's blog but I have always a Flame Warrior filter enabled...


Olli,

you can find the long story about Steve Hyndman's reasons for moodle (partner) ranting from old posts of Using moodle course - Steve got banned (for 1 year) from moodle.org forums and during hat time wrote much more personal attack posts and ranting to his previous blog that was closed about year ago when Bryan Williams contacted FBI. Many old moodlers were pleased to see that Steve had found WordPress and started to post helpful support posts for WordPress users in his new blog but now he is back in moodle ranting again.

And I feel it is really, really sad that an intelligent man is using so much of his time to rant others while he could do so much more to share his knowledge in a positive way.

Forums of World Wide Web have always had Flame Warriors like

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/impostor.htm

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/rebelleader.htm

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/rebelwithoutclue.htm

http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/palooka.htm

but seriously there are no rational reasons for so clearly purpose-orientated ranting of moodle and moodlers - not only Partners or Helen or Martin D.

Steve's reasons must be purely emotional.

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In reply to Mauno Korpelainen

Re: Moodle community critique

by Olli Savolainen -
Thanks.

Seems I have somewhat naïvely opened a can of worms.
Thanks everybody for your points of view to the discussion.

Olli
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Mauno Korpelainen

Re: Moodle community critique

by Marc Grober -
Mauno,

My comments are accurate in that I did not say what you say I said.

Frankly you do not know whether I have been trolled or I am the troll, but what is very very apparent is that your post, which I think is fine, crosses the line vis-a-vis the moodle code of conduct in several aspects over several instances.

The point I have been making is that the censorship IS NOT even handed. One need only scan your vitriolic ad homina posted arguably in response to a wholly accurate post here to recognize this. Indeed, had the initial post been left alone that I daresay would have been that.

Once again moodledom is being asked to choose a sides over not foul language or libel but to protect certain persons from making a laughing stock of moodle, persons blanketed in moodle.com's embrace.

The attacks on recent posters are nothing more than attempts to discredit the points made, though the points made are accurate, well researched and well documented.

J'accuse, Mauno, and we will see what proof there is in the proverbial pudding ;=}
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In reply to Marc Grober

Re: Moodle community critique

by Mauno Korpelainen -
Marc,

that post was my first post in Lounge and this post will be my last post in Lounge.

I have posted over 4000 mostly helpful posts to moodle.org forums and still am a moderator of Installation problems, General problems and Mathematics Tools but I am not a moderator of this course - Lounge - so if you really think that my post does not respect other forum users and it violates this way moodle.org forums Code of Conduct or you feel that my post is inappropriate, please report it to a forum moderator or course facilitator (Helen) or use the moodle.org contact form.

If you think that my post is Flaming or personal attack (against Steve or you?) it can be deleted. And I do respect the decisions of forum moderators and course facilitators.

Olli asked a couple of simple questions about Steve's blog and it is no secret that blog keeper Figaro is Steve Hyndman.

Olli asked: "What do you think?" (about the blog) and I told my thoughts - the background we both know well from Using moodle course. The old posts are still there in moodle.org - only Steve's old blog vanished after Bryan's reaction to continuous ranting.

I don't call Steve with any other names than those that he has used himself - I just mentioned that Forums of World Wide Web have always had Flame Warriors like ... but seriously there are no rational reasons for so clearly purpose-orientated ranting of moodle and moodlers. It's my opinion like the last words "Steve's reasons must be purely emotional."

I really don't know why Steve is continuing to rant moodle and moodlers.

You may have a reason to feel that I did not respect you or Steve when I said that you have been trolled. I used that word in the meaning of urban dictionary:

Anyone who fails to recognize a troll and responds to it with anger or annoyance is said to have been "trolled".

Finally some comments to Steve and attached post from his blog (that Olli asked about) :

- No, I don't use meds
- I am not paranoid
- I may be typically a level headed but not misguided guy
- I have no reason to lie or tell half-truths about Steve Hyndman, Figaro or any other personas he wants to use. I use my real name everywhere, I am a teacher and have no commercial connections to moodle.com or Partners which most old moodlers already know
- I know who Olli is and I have no reason to believe that Steve has suddenly changed to Olli

And I apologize for my "flaming" - if you think I am flaming - for some reason I did not feel any heat... wink
Attachment steve.gif
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