Suggestion Suggestion: Please Don't Make Threads Disappear Because of a Few Bad Posts

[H2Andy]

in a recent thread, which has been going on and on for ever, about a fairly volatile subject (Creation v. Evolution) the following Mod comment was posted:

*** MOD POST***
Keep The Insults Off The Board. If you can't do so then you will be removed and this thread will disappear.
*** END MOD POST ***

first, let me say that I agree 100% that personal insults have no place on this board, and they need to be rooted out. i'm not sure what it's meant by "you will be removed" but I assume that means that the person will lose posting privileges, per TOS. again, not a problem for me. we have no room for people who insult others.

my concern is with the last clause, "this thread will disappear."

i say NO, PLEASE!!

don't remove good threads just because some people act like bongholes. shut the bungholes up, but let the "good citizens" keep on discussing what they're discussing.

just a suggestion, not meant to flame anybody

 

[H2Andy]

ok, Kim, let's get back to the point here and not assume things about people's motivations

my only point (in the Suggestions forum) made as a *suggestion* is that the punishment of making a thread dissapear SHOULD NOT be meted out, since it punishes the few guilty and thre great non-guilty majority alike.

basically, pull the thing, clean it up, and put it back if you must.

that's it, basically. that's my suggestion.

don't pull entire threads on account of a few bad apples. it punishes a bunch of poeople who put a lot of effort and time into the thread.

 

[Kim]

to return to topic, Kim, the issue is whether pulling an entire thread because of a few bad posts is a bad idea.

I thought I'd already said it a couple of times (and others too...) - we agree with you.

 

[H2Andy]

well, it looked like the conversation was drifting off into other regions, and i wanted to pull it back to the point of my thread

btw, other than Mo2Vation, no other Mod said that they agreed, including Pete.

i can't read minds, ya know

and then you went off questioning my motives, which hardly seems like you're agreeing.

i'm just saying, read what's there and how it comes across to others, not what you intended to write or meant to write

 

[Kim]

......and not assume things about people's motivations

I'm not assuming anything.

I just find comments like:

......or to Mods who want a particular thread gone?

pretty off colour and unfair. I mean - who is assigning motivations with that suggestion?

 

[Thalassamania]

I'm satisfied that it was handled as well as it could have been, under the circumstances. But what a shame to spoil that thread, we'd done really well.

 

[H2Andy]

kim, here's that line in context.

i'll let it speak for itself

i just HATE the idea that the solution "make the thread go poof" should be a viable one.

that's basically conceding the Board to the troublemakers.

or to Mods who want a particular thread gone?

note that i name no one, so even if you consider it insinuation (frankly, i meant it as a joke), it's not the same as you directly ascribing motives to me, by name.

Basically we don't pull threads unless we think there is no other course of action that can reasonably be taken. In spite of your obvious dislike of that fact we ARE the people who decide what's reasonable or not!

just not in the same ballpark at all

and here i am again in the Suggestions forum defending myself and my motives after i make a suggestion...

maybe a pattern, could be a pattern, i don't know...

 

[lamont]

I'm just upset it keeps on disappearing before I get to read good flamebait... =(

Just how often do I need to keep clicking on "reload" to beat the mods to a post?

 

[H2Andy]

i have a macro, that runs independtly of my account, which constantly updates my archive of SB, and flags Admin action ...

so i can keep track of which posts and threads are gone ...

*beeep beeep beeep*

oh , there it goes again


(juuuuust a joke, ok guys? no need to get a search warrant)

 

[MXGratefulDiver]

Threads like this one just make me so glad I'm not a mod any longer ...

just to play devil's advocate (hehehe...), the Mods are here to serve the members, not the other way around.

I submit that the mods aren't here to serve anybody ... they're not working for tips, ya know.

The mods are here to maintain a reasonable level of order, both in terms of content and organization on the board. Nothing more.

They're volunteers, not paid civil servants. It's a classic lose-lose position, as they not only get grief for their actions ... not matter what they do ... but, due to being moderators, aren't even as free to post their own thoughts to the board as non-staff members are.

Here's my "suggestion" ... if a mod does something you don't like, try PM'ing the mod first and asking them why they did it. If that doesn't bring you satisfaction, PM Pete. It's almost always the case that one can get more done by dealing directly with the person you're having issues with than by trying to publicly take someone to task for a perceived "wrong".

All this public whining about the moderators is useless ... especially from someone who's been in the position and should understand better than most the rationale behind the decision-making process.

It only serves to create an "us vs them" mentality ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

 

[Sasquatch]

Now I can guess what happened to the USS Wahoo thread. I wondered, (though I still don't know why).