This isn't a poll. I don't care what most of you think, such that it is. It's just that now that The New Fray has become a TJ Maxx, where you have to claw through the bargain bins just to find something readable in and amongst all the barely literate lunatics like a desperate bong head looking for that blunt he stashed a couple weeks back, it might be time for a little perspective. Or a belch. We're still sorting out the details and relative benefits.

A fray is only as good as its editor(s). Scary observation, I know. But there it is. Choices. Self-awareness. Clouded clarity thrown into sharp relief.

Moira is about as edgy as a water balloon, and perhaps almost as smart. While I don't think she really knows how this place works, she seems even more confounded by Adam's willful invisibility and blatant obtuseness. Not a pretty picture.

Geoff was pretty good. But he became fickle and moody. I think toward the end he was chastised by his alleged superiors for highlighting the "wrong sort of posts" there for awhile. Perhaps he was just tired of being our pimp.

J.D., or something, was before my time. But I get the sense that his approach to editing was akin to bowling in your bare feet with a ball made out of ground beef.

Then that other guy. Was there another guy?

Doesn't really matter. Because the best editor so far is clearly Kevin Arnovitz (Am I spelling that right?). Great writer, terrific sense of humor, fabulous sense of timing, and, as a bonus, gayer than a 300 DVD release party. Which means his taste was impeccable.

You'll occasionally hear his name mentioned as an editor at the end of Marketplace, a show produced by either National Public Radio, Public Radio International, or American Public Media. We just don't know.

Anyways. Kev. We know you still read The New Fray. You're missed. You're missed like your average fray poster misses taste, dignity and self-respect.

I did like Kevin, though he didn't pay nearly enough attention to Surfrayvor. I tricked him into deleting the combined posts of the other team at one point, if you'll recall.

Geoff had some good ideas, like flushing top-post call-outs. But he presided over the Human Network fiasco, and wasn't able to rein in their excesses. It's like Queen Elizabeth II presiding over the dismantling of the British Empire. Not his fault, but it casts a pall. No wonder he got moody.

Perhaps it's nostalgia, but I've always been fond of Moira. Whimsical and capricious, she likes to play. I don't like Editors to be aloof guardians of propriety. The good Lord knows, were I Editor, people would know it in a hurry and never forget it.

Also, I revel in chaos, so her style suits me. Cry havoc, and let slip the adorable puppies of war. If Geoff was Elizabeth, Moira is Arthur, prophesied to return during our greatest peril, and to usher in the Second Coming in 2012.

You and your circle of friends (cough) miss 'Kevin' terribly because you and your clique's every wish was his, or Adam Christian's, command.

Whatever the request ..... he complied. That's why you guys hung out so much on Fraywatch back in the 'good old days'.

He clearly has a genius IQ, is/was well-spoken and brilliantly articulate, but under new management, this board's posters anyway, are much more fairly treated than they were before under the old Fray's watch.

Kevin has received the most and Moira the least concerted criticism from Fray posters during their tenures. Traditional Fray history posits Moira as the architect of the most perfect edifice the Fray ever erected, and Kevin as its demolisher.

kevin had a take no prisoners approach that was much needed at the time he arrived.

JD Conner was a nice guy to a fault. Always answered every single email and was always very kind.

Moira is a good balance of both ability to discern and kindness mixed in.

She genuinely likes people. That's a big plus.

Kevin helps edit Marketplace?

J.D. teaches film theory at Harvard. Read it and weep.*

Moira, well...Moira 'edits' the Fray.

*although he can never be forgiven for starring Jack Dallas

Aren't you embarassed to be so transparent?

Or is it like this trannie hooker I used to chat with when I was night-clerking in NYC in the 70's?

Her street name around the Camelot at 50th and 8th was "Panama", but her real name was Larry B. He/she called herself "Panama" because she came from the CZ - an army brat.

Anyways, she would go out working in this transparent gauzy blouse that showed everything - no modesty, and when she came in off the street, she wouldn't bother to cover up.

I think a "real" woman would have - otherwise she's giving something of herself for free - the immodesty transcends the work-environment.

She/he told me that she never realized that when her appendages were molded from outie to innie, it wouldn't change the male orgasmic mechanics - which now couldn't happen. So in order to assume her desired shape, she had to give up orgasms for life. She was a little sad about this, and thought that if she had known, she would have remained a quasi-hermaphrodite.

Nice post. (And Seabiscuit(?), who knew??)

For me,

Moira1 - she just seemed to add some class to the joint

Ender - look, as de facto BOTF editor he put himself out there, tried to set a high standard .. marks for effort

J.D. - tough call to put him ahead of Kevin, but I think while kev was the cooler dude, JD was a better editor

Kev - yeah what you said, though he made some horrifically stupid judgment calls too

Moira2 - well, she's older now, but still threatening to add some class to the joint

Deej and Adam Masin - Fraysters who tried to fill the void with semi-interesting regular fare

Adam and Geoff - what to say, I don't see much positive in what either of them have done; maybe they're great behind-the-scenes guys

Urq: does amazing things with lousy material; has a gift for herding cats.

yes. when the archives come back i'll show you a post in which i lamented urq's invisibility to the editors.

You are right, of course.

I wasn't around when JD Conner and Moira were editors, Kevin was, and it seemed to me he was greatly respected and very well regarded, it just seemed to me that over time, I saw a distinct inclination on his or his co-editor's part to favour certain posters and they knew it,
I am just lucky he didn't ban me for all eternity.

I don't know anything at all about what editors do, but Moria does seem to have a very nice, light and diplomatic way about her (It's just that I thought the name Moira was a Scottish name, not Irish ... probably because of the ballerina Moira Shearer)
All four editors have been well though of overall, haven't they?

You poor deluded fool, the archives are never coming back. Human Network.

All the same, I'm flattered to be numbered among the Fray Editors. And Dawn is partially right, but I do my best work with lousy material. Like Mr Cartmenez. How do I reach these keeds?

Where do I pick up my check?

ellen__:

You are right, of course. I wasn't around when JD Conner and Moira were editors, Kevin was, and it seemed to me he was greatly respected and very well regarded, it just seemed to me that over time, I saw a distinct inclination on his or his co-editor's part to favour certain posters and they knew it, I am just lucky he didn't ban me for all eternity. I don't know anything at all about what editors do, but Moria does seem to have a very nice, light and diplomatic way about her (It's just that I thought the name Moira was a Scottish name, not Irish ... probably because of the ballerina Moira Shearer) All four editors have been well though of overall, haven't they?

she is really nice and light hearted about things. I remember even with the worst of things happening years ago on CB fray she would still be nice and never got mean or lost her temper..though she would ban posters and she would come on the Fray and very sternly request that the Fraysters stop treating each other so viciously.

Those days on Chatterbox were so beyond the pale extreme and crazy the posts would make your toes curl. those were wild days to be fraying, that's for sure.

I think she has good judgement.

I remember when she gave marylb her star.Hers was one of the first stars I saw awarded on Slate.

I thought it was great choice because agree with marylb or not, she has an uncanny knack for diplomacy and civility no matter what. That is a great trait for anyone posting on the internet.

not to urq: i'm going away, can somebody tell urq what he missed in my post?

do all of these great things of which you speak? Trying to set a high standard???? Like his posts about Zinya and others ... and, others ... I've saved enough of his posts that would refute those "high standards" comment. Possibly you are confusing very competent writing with other qualities.

Not being aware that Ender was a "de facto" editor, might you enlighten us on that subject?

Ender crafted almost every top post to ingratiate himself and pander to his exclusive circle of 'friends' and never responded or conversed with other posters, except for his exclusive clique. I have a few other opinions but I shall keep them to myself.