Deletions of Threads and Postings

[Bagpuss]

Lurpak i prefer margarine, now would this post be banned ???

[mattylad]

As an outsider here & not having taken part or seen the thread concerned, I'd say if a mod or admin of a forum deleted it because it had potential to cause problems for the forum or their owners then I'm afraid that it would just have to be lived with & I would.

Although the forums (whichever they may be, wherever on the web) are "for" the users they are run by the administration team & their decisions have to be accepted otherwise there is no point in having any moderation.

Decisions can often differ between different moderators, especially if they do not have a set of specific guidelines to follow.

Expecting a mod to spent the time to chop & change threads, delete messages from them when the whole thread can be deleted because it contains potential troublesome posts can be asking a lot from a mod.

If this site does not already have a separate admin/mod only area to move troublesome posts into then it would be highly advised to do so, having been an admin of another site I found this most useful, especially for allowing the mods to temporarily move the thread there while a final decision was sought or changes made.
Auto pruning if available can clear out the forum after a set period.

As users, does it really matter if a thread is removed? do you really lose anything?

[WillowTheWhisp]

Some of us weren't so much concerned about having lost something as not knowing in particular if something we'd said had contributed towards the reason for its removal. On the basis that if we don't know we've said something we shouldn't then we could easily end up making the same innocent mistake again. If we know what we shouldn't have said then we can avoid saying it.

As an administrator of a (now sadly defunct) message board I must say that we found an admin area extremely useful for temporary "docking" of possible problem threads and for discussion amongst moderators as to what was and was not acceptable. A private word to those whose posts had caused the problem usually avoided any further difficulties. Edited threads were often replaced back in the open forums.

[Darby]

Originally Posted by mattylad

As an outsider here & not having taken part or seen the thread concerned, I'd say if a mod or admin of a forum deleted it because it had potential to cause problems for the forum or their owners then I'm afraid that it would just have to be lived with & I would.

Although the forums (whichever they may be, wherever on the web) are "for" the users they are run by the administration team & their decisions have to be accepted otherwise there is no point in having any moderation.

Decisions can often differ between different moderators, especially if they do not have a set of specific guidelines to follow.

Expecting a mod to spent the time to chop & change threads, delete messages from them when the whole thread can be deleted because it contains potential troublesome posts can be asking a lot from a mod.

If this site does not already have a separate admin/mod only area to move troublesome posts into then it would be highly advised to do so, having been an admin of another site I found this most useful, especially for allowing the mods to temporarily move the thread there while a final decision was sought or changes made.
Auto pruning if available can clear out the forum after a set period.

As users, does it really matter if a thread is removed? do you really lose anything?

In principle I concur with your opinion and the use of an admin/mod area seems sensible.
However, the reason for this thread in the first place was a sudden disapearence of a posting and then another whole thread, so that those who posted did not know (A) why they had been deleted and (B) what they had done / written that was wrong.
Or had somebody squeeled that they did not want to see words or the thread itself or the moderator had made an executive decision and simply deleted it. Without some explanation, albeit without further discussion or prolonged arguement, we could all assume anything up to political underhandedness..

If threads can be removed at will without reasoning, then why have a site in the first place? A Read-Only website would do!

A simply PM saying why...would be quite satisfactory, its not actually rocket-science.

[KIPAX]

then why have a site in the first place? A Read-Only website would do!

If no one can post then what would they read? Duh!

[Darby]

Kipax. You are what's known as a nice man. But with very limited intellect, and reasoning power.
I know that you have difficulties with trying to understand or even comprehend somebody else's point of view, but just for you:
"Anybody with half a brain cell (well maybe a touch more) would know that; the powers that would be, (people like yourself - and members of the PC brigade that cannot stand or reason with another point of view) would provide the inputs based on what they thought was suitable, or censored versions of external stories for the rest of us to consume".

Now, there you are.

As you ALWAYS MUST HAVE the last word, I await your reply with baited breath.

I'm so excited I can hardly contain my indifference.

[Gobsmacked]

Originally Posted by Darby

I'm so excited I can hardly contain my indifference.

Nice one Darby. I must remember that.

[Gobsmacked]

I've now read a little more of this subject and hope you don't mind if I stick my two pennorth in as a message board owner without wishing to sound self promoting.

I have seen the opposite extremes of moderating and believe it is necessary to find a happy medium. Yes, it's true that the board owner should be able to specify the permissable limits but on the other hand without the members there wouldn't be a board.

I know of one message board where anything goes, including foul language and personal insults to such an extent that all which now remains is a series of such postings with nothing of any value to them whatsoever. I also know a board which is moderated by little hitlers who delete every off topic post or even those deemed to be off topic to the point where people soon stop posting because five minutes later half of what they said has disappeared.

I don't personally tolerate certain words (and have used an auto substitute feature in order to censor them which in itself leads to some hilarity when leg pullers try their damndest to outwit me) but thread wanders are tolerated and treated lightheartedly. In fact we even have an emoticon for them. There's no point in putting people off before they even get started.

It looks like a lot of customisation work has gone into the creation of this board and I must check out more of the features (there's my own little thread wander to illustrate a point) lol.

[Darby]

Thanks for your point of view, and one that I can accept without any arguements. Common sense should be the norm, but as you know, it's not always used.
I can accept most things on websites and boards, and I always try not to misuse or abuse anybody or any rules.
As you say, there's always exceptions, and Roy has done a lot of hard work and deserves support from us all. But I like to know the reasons that any of my posts are deleted. If it's PC.....OK then I know and can move on, if I've offended another human being, then I can apologise and rectify things.

No big deal, I thought. But mere mortals such as I can be wrong I suppose!

[WillowTheWhisp]

I totally agree with both Gobsmacked and Darby here.

Perhaps some of the problems arise from things not being read in the same tone of voice in which they are written (if you know what I mean)

Unfortunately I take most postings at face value and have recently managed to offend someone by presuming that something another person posted was on topic and then asking the originator of the thread a simple question.

[KIPAX]

So todays post by Darby containing personal insults directed at me is OK is it? Cheers fellas.

[Darby]

Originally Posted by KIPAX

So todays post by Darby containing personal insults directed at me is OK is it? Cheers fellas.

Yes...Yes.....the last word! (as predicted). Now can I get on with other things?

[KIPAX]

I was asking the other two if they agreed your personal insults where acceptable. I have reported your post and trust the insults will be removed.

[Darby]

Originally Posted by KIPAX

I was asking the other two if they agreed your personal insults where acceptable. I have reported your post and trust the insults will be removed.

Lets wait and see what the others think first.

I didn't think they were insults.....more like observations of an attitude problem. Still, small minds small...............!
I use to teach first year apprentices who had some minor attitude problems, but they managed to grow-up in time.

Ah well, back to less mundane things...like work. Now what's 4 letters and begins with P?
Funny how some people easily get offended by a word that's in the Oxford Dictionary! :engsmil: :engsmil:

[WillowTheWhisp]

Originally Posted by Darby

Now what's 4 letters and begins with P?

Pool? Path? Peep? Past? Post? Pest? P...d (oh no, that's six letters)
Pooh?(see dog dirt thread)