[Jessi]

There's our admin and then there's a report button. That is all. There's a good reason why we need to police each other. I think we should have at least two active mods who live on different time zones so there would be someone online enough.

Thankfully BN is mostly really peaceful, but the fact remains that any fucktard troll could easily have a free reign here before getting acted upon simply because there is no moderator online all the time.

I think this is very valid concern. It only takes one idiot to start a flame war or spam stuff which will make the forum uncomfortable for many and then people start leaving. I want to avoid that as BN is quite unique.

Well.  I have definite opinions, but open forum's not the place to discuss them- mainly because I don't want to give trolls and spammers ideas, but also one never disputes mod/admin decisions in public, unless invited to by the mods/admins.  That's why PMs were invented.

[CM213]

A thought on moderators. I think it would be beneficial to have a moderator for each category, and all they do is focus on any threads posted in the category they are assigned to. 

And as for the stats. My original thought was either 1) the US has a lot of people who are fetishizing this, or have legitimate body image issues and dysphoria, or 2) that the US has the most access to the Internet over some of the other countries on the list, which makes me think with more access to the Internet more access to pornography. Which brings me back to more being aware of all kinds of kinks and fetishes, as well as people who are trans and dealing with dysphoria, and people (women) looking to increase what they were born with so to speak. There may be more groups of people who visit the forum, but again the access to it, and other things that would have been learned about or discovered by using the internet is far greater in the u.s and the UK.

[Jessi]

A thought on moderators. I think it would be beneficial to have a moderator for each category, and all they do is focus on any threads posted in the category they are assigned to.

Yes, it would.  I'm no expert on the matter, but mods assigned to the categories they feel best qualified/interested in is a sensible approach.  Forums (categories) without a mod specifically named to them would be shared responsibilities- although in practice, a mod is a mod is a mod, but it is nice to have mods named over specific areas as the ones members could turn to first for advice/help.  Also they'd know that category the best, and that means a lot too.  Not that these forums have a lot of crap going on in them, but say someone had a special interest in Bovine Ovary (just the one I pulled off the top of my head) they're going to be better at the subject and able to give advice and also be more attuned to the atmosphere of that forum.  Comments/behaviour/advice that might be suitable for one category or forum, might be out of place in another.  Personalized modding like that helps with that kind of thing.  I'm speaking in general terms, I know nothing about BN or all the different subforums much less the culture in each category.  Also when there's a mod specifically named over a category, they also have their finger on the pulse and when your a mod there's gentle ways of steering conversations in a healthy direction or keeping them on topic.

The structure I know best is that.  Named moderators for categories- the folks selecting who to approach for the mod team would cogitate over candidates for this category or that category, and approach them via PM.  But all mods are mods over the whole forum- it's a team thing, even if each mod would have their 'specialty'.  Then I suppose there's the question of mod authority- I don't know how myBB works, but I know like in phpBB you have some broad categories from the most basic of mods who have limited abilities, to junior admins who have the power to bind and loose and have the most access to confidential information (such as IPs and registration emails- which are indispensable when deciding the fate of dodgy posters that set off your trolldar or spamdar).  Each category carrying not just more power and authority, but also more responsibility- when you're a global mod (practically an admin but not quite) the buck stops with you, and you become the final say in any sort of dispute that the lower levels of moderator haven't been able to resolve (or when a member has an issue with a moderator).  Ideally, it'd be organised like a pyramid, with the lowest level mods being the most numerous and able to give their full attention to threads in their specialties, then a less numerous middle level with some greater forum abilities, and then finally a small core of a few or several global mods who have powers just short of the forum owner/admin, to oversee the rest and they could concentrate more on adminy kind of stuff, even though they'd have their named categories, also.  And they'd also be the go-between between the rest of the mod team and the admin/owner of the site.  Also they'd be the ones who the top admin would authorise to report members to the authorities- not just illegal activities but say someone came in forum and they are terribly dysphoric to the point of making... noises like they're going to harm themselves.  Someone has to have the authority to decide what to do in such a case- someone's life might depend on it. 

My original thought was either 1) the US has a lot of people who are fetishizing this, or have legitimate body image issues and dysphoria

Surely some of both.  It can be a fine line between fetish, sexuality, and gender.  Am I a fetishist?  An autogyne?  Trans?  Don't ask me, I don't know, I've just wanted breasts a really long time.  I think even if some fetishists come here, they might discover it's more than fetish for them.  And fetish trolls?  Well, that's why banhammers were invented.

[Christy]

Breastnexum is Not a Fetish Forum.

I'm relatively new to this website but I've spent a few years on a site focusing on gynecomastia.  My breasts have been growing for a few years without my making any attempt to enlarge them... Mother Nature is doing what she does as men age.  Granted, I came here originally because I was so enjoying my breasts that the thought crossed my mind I might want to help Mother Nature along.  I knew, of course, that men who are contemplating transitioning want to develop breasts but when I arrived I noted the forum on Men Staying Men where men were not only using herbs but also pursuing implants.  I couldn't help wondering why.

I know from my history that I HAVE fetishized wearing a brassiere.  I have a history of sexual trauma that led me down that path.  I find it hard to believe there isn't a component of fetishism for many of the folks visiting this site.  I know at the gynecomastia site where we can post photos of our breasts, and brassieres that the views for sexy photos FAR exceed the number of men who participate in the forums.

It is certainly a relief that folks sharing here do so respectfully.  But I brought my fetish to this website along with my very real breasts.  Brassieres do excite me, almost as much as my breasts.  But I certainly have no intention to invite others here to play with me.  I'm just happy to have a place when men CAN talk about their breasts with affection rather than disdain.

[Heaven's Night]

The whole point being repeated to no end is that mainstay of BN forums idea and purpose is to discuss and further the hormonal SCIENCE of breast development. Obviously this branches off to a whole lot of subjects, but we are definitely not a fetish forum, that is not the focus here. Reasons for pursuing breast development vary a ton and a lot do it for fetishistic reasons, but that doesn't change our focus.

And the self policing we do here has a very obvious reason, to make sure this forum doesn't attract nasty people and to keep discussion on track. Idea is to grow boobs and figure out how and why, not to get someones pp hard.

This is why I think BN is the best place to go for all this information, because that is our main focus. Other forums which are somewhat similar don't come even close and are usually quite repulsive for those of us who aren't there to get their rocks off and especially to women.

[Christy]

The whole point being repeated to no end is that mainstay of BN forums idea and purpose is to discuss and further the hormonal SCIENCE of breast development. Obviously this branches off to a whole lot of subjects, but we are definitely not a fetish forum, that is not the focus here. Reasons for pursuing breast development vary a ton and a lot do it for fetishistic reasons, but that doesn't change our focus....

I read your post "Where's My Place" which certainly makes the point that we each are pursuing our own path here and elsewhere.  That exploration can take many directions; gender expression and comfort, body dysmorphia, sexual orientation.  There appears to be much greater fluidity about gender than there was when I was young, but that certainly doesn't make a person's own journey any easier.   

Since there is no fee for participating here, I imagine this site is sponsored by the folks selling supplements intended to "enhance" breast development.  Nothing wrong with that.  I've read about programs some members are pursuing and I see a great many folks here right now exploring different aspects of herbal enhancement.  But if furthering "the hormonal SCIENCE of breast development" is the purpose, I'm confused about the forum devoted to breast augmentation.  It seems breasts are very important to folks coming here.  What that is about really is none of my business... but my guess is the reasons are varied.  Understanding hormonal science may play a part in the journey for some but I doubt it is because they're endocrinologist's pursuing their professional goals.  It is all about developing breasts and what that means to each person here is complicated... to say the least.  It certainly is for me and I'm relying on mother nature.  Of course, I was very interested in what was happening in my body so I did a bit of research on how hormones work and how they change over time.  I guess we could call that hormonal science.  But ultimately, it was my pleasure in having breasts that mattered the most to me... for my own complicated reasons.

[Heaven's Night]

I have a very good reason for bringing out the science of this as everything I'm doing is based on science, there's very little guesswork about it. Almost all of the knowledge comes from Lotus's awesome wprk digging up studies and exploring ideas and sharing it all here. Breast development isn't wishful thinking and "trust me bro" but its based on hormonal functions we all have and there's plenty of science on it... I guess most of the random feitsh dudes do it by the way of "trust me bro", but I don't. Lotus doesn't, neither does plenty of others who actually take this matter seriously and not just toy around with the idea.

I think the "I want female secondary sex characteristics, but I want my penis to work" attitude is where it goes kinda silly, to the trust me bro thing, dancing on the fence, trying to have everything all at once, dreaming of becoming a porn category. Many people would not like me one bit if I said it bluntly what I think about that. Trying to help people who are here for just fun and getting their rocks off, who aren't even willing to read into what makes breasts grow and follow through with a decently effective program can get exhausting.

Especially when the discussion delves into what they did today to get their release. That's the last thing I wish to see discussed here as that's not what we're here for. Its already in the forum title what the whole purpose is.