Locking threads

[muskrat89]

Luckily I don't have to endure the (obvious) burden of being perfect.

I don't know why this seems to be such a difficult concept.

Why?  because a mod thought
Quote
This thread is going 90 miles per hour down a dead-end street. EndQuote
but worse than that, it was a preemptive strike against a specific subject based on nothing more than a feeling.

So.... you type a PM to Mike, or hit "Report to Mod" and say "I don't understand why that thread was locked. It doesn't seem justified, examining the tone and content currently being presented in the thread"

Then.... Mike looks at it, or the other Mods (or even me), depending on which option you chose and say either "The lock was justified and it stands" or "You're right, we'll re-open it".

Since you seem to have no problem making this black and white while pointing in our direction, I don't understand why you are struggling with the solution, which is also black and white.

 

[armyvern]

All good Muskrat ...

As long as one realizes that for every 20 reports we get asking why a thread was locked ...

We probably recd 20 beforehand asking "Why the hell is this thread spiralling at 90 miles an hour and not locked yet?"

Don't presume that by using the "report" button, that things will occur the way you wish them too either. We get it from both sides -- and in end it always comes down to a judgement call.

We use our judgement as best as we can ... and make the best attempts that we can.

We'll never satisfy everyone, and in the end -- someone will be unhappy with what Admin action has been taken. I'm good with that. I'm far from perfect myself, so I'll just continue doing the best I can at whatever given time.

 

[Michael OLeary]

What are we going to play a game of my site is bigger than your site?  Tanknet, heard of it? 

Thank you for your open-minded willingness to continue a line of discussion you brought forward in an attempt to further your own case.  Since you found it more appropriate to dismiss and deflect my inquiry, I will just assume you have nothing useful to offer on that tangent.

 

[Reccesoldier]

Thank you for your open-minded willingness to continue a line of discussion you brought forward in an attempt to further your own case.  Since you found it more appropriate to dismiss and deflect my inquiry, I will just assume you have nothing useful to offer on that tangent.

Why don't you read what I wrote!!!!

Quote from: Michael O`Leary on Today at 12:31:59
I'm interested in better understanding your frame of reference.  Can you tell us how large the forums you monitored were, how broad their scope of subject matter was and what nature of topics were the hot-button subjects you had to deal with the most intractable user interactions?

Further, can you explain in detail exactly what methods you used to ensure that every Moderator used the same balanced approach that ensured that no threads were ever locked that you might disagree with the decision?

To which I replied

What are we going to play a game of my site is bigger than your site?  Tanknet, heard of it?

Yes, basically to avoid arbitrary locking of threads each and every topic was allowed to die a natural death as the people in the forum lost interest.  Conversely if a topic morphed into another subject the new subject was split from the old one and the old one was permitted to die.  Also it was very rare that a topic got locked at all, the mods instead dealt with the individual causing the problem.  None of what I call the old army "Collective discipline" mentality.

This is truly telling.  3 comments on previous comments I made and apologized for, and one that willfully ignores the answer that was asked for in a futile attempt to intimidate/castigate me, and not a single solitary admission or even an attempt to discuss that the self professed "overworked" staff, in closing topics that are "going nowhere" and do not have ongoing flame wars are essentially making work for themselves and tilting at windmills.

Wow.

You asked for an answer, I gave it to you and I admitted that I'd been an *** but you just won't let it go. And you won't even discuss any of the suggestions you asked for

Play on boys and girls I'm done!!!

 

[muskrat89]

that by wasting their time closing topics that are "going nowhere" and do not have ongoing flame wars they are essentially making work for themselves and tilting at windmills.

Says you. Obviously, Mike (the guy that owns this site) doesn't agree. By the way, I indicated that we are not above re-considering how we do things, or even locking/unlocking threads. My point is that there is a mechanism to bring it to our attention. That's all. That, to me - is an "admission".

 

[Reccesoldier]

Says you. Obviously, Mike (the guy that owns this site) doesn't agree. By the way, I indicated that we are not above re-considering how we do things, or even locking/unlocking threads. My point is that there is a mechanism to bring it to our attention. That's all. That, to me - is an "admission".

Point taken. I missed you admission, just as it seems you missed the fact that I already stated prior to your referenced post that I would bring it up with the mod the next time a thread is locked for what I see as no good reason.

Even?

 

[muskrat89]

Even. 

Pinky-shake?

 

[Yrys]

Pinky-shake?

I'll need a civilian (or francophone) translation toward that, gentleman  .

 

[Reccesoldier]

Even. 

Pinky-shake?

Naw, we'll just call it a do-over.  ;D

 

[armyvern]

Why don't you read what I wrote!!!!

To which I replied
This is truly telling.  3 comments on previous comments I made and apologized for, and one that willfully ignores the answer that was asked for in a futile attempt to intimidate/castigate me, and not a single solitary admission that the self professed "overworked" staff  that by wasting their time closing topics that are "going nowhere" and do not have ongoing flame wars they are essentially making work for themselves and tilting at windmills.

Why don't YOU read what I (or other mods) wrote!!??

This "overworked" volunteer staff member is tired of YOUR self-righteous posts which seemingly infer that you can do our jobs better than we can. Why don't you come on in and give us a hand and fix 'er all up??

Word up --- there's a HUGE difference between working with 18000 users in a forum which sees hundreds of new posts a day in hundreds of threads, whether YOU want to admit that or not.

As to the bold bit of your post (my emphasis), I suggest that you go back and review one of my previous responses to you ... I (and other mods) have already TOLD why we lock topics --- and it isn't only because they've run their course <--- that is actually one of the very minor reasons why they are locked around here. Perhaps you should swallow your own advice ...

and start reading.

And, from now on, if you want to ask an Admin question but DO NOT want responses from ADMINS (or more than one of them), lest you claim "dog pile" when we answer, then don't be childish and start up a new thread. PM a mod, or better yet, the site owner. Or does that not garner enough attention?? Play on Reccesoldier. Just as you'd have us play on.  :

Mark the week on your calendars ladies & gentlemen. It's that time ... and this bit of a childish thread started asking for mod input but crying foul when he gets it --- is EXACTLY the kind of useless thread that'd I'd love to see locked.

Hope you feel better now with whatever your intentions were. Have fun in the playpen. Feel free to pick up the slack and start helping users yourself ... instead of bitching about the shitty job you seem to think we mods are doing. Your last post and the italicized "self professed overworked mods" seems to infer that your belief is that we do nothing around here except exist to piss yours truely off. Well, if you think we've got it so easy, and no work -- what's stopping you from joining us?? Congrats on that. Plug away. I'll refer users to your humble expertize and sound judgment from now on. Be prepared for the influx:

Hey, ArmyVern, you have 1202 messages, 0 are new.

No pinky shake coming from me.

 

[Reccesoldier]

Why don't YOU read what I (or other mods) wrote!!??

This "overworked" volunteer staff member is tired of YOUR self-righteous posts which seemingly infer that you can do our jobs better than we can. Why don't you come on in and give us a hand and fix 'er all up??

I already told you I didn't want it.  What's the matter I answer questions and people think I mean the opposite?  I use the english language very specifically.

Word up --- there's a HUGE difference between working with 18000 users in a forum which sees hundreds of new posts a day in hundreds of threads, whether YOU want to admit that or not.

Yo homie! as I have already stated I am a MOD on a site just as big and just as active as this one. Whether YOU want to admit that or not.

As to the bold bit of your post (my emphasis), I suggest that you go back and review one of my previous responses to you ... I (and other mods) have already TOLD why we lock topics --- and it isn't only because they've run their course <--- that is actually one of the very minor reasons why they are locked around here. Perhaps you should swallow your own advice ...

and start reading.

And I acknowledge the reason and the appropriateness of the staffs actions but dealing SPECIFICALLY with the issue which I have been raising here IE the locking of innocuous threads, fer gods sake WHY WASTE YOUR TIME!!!!

And, from now on, if you want to ask an Admin question but DO NOT want responses from ADMINS (or more than one of them), lest you claim "dog pile" when we answer, then don't be childish and start up a new thread.

 

Please note I NEVER started a thread on this topic, check your facts Vern.  48th regulator reopened this with a comment I made in another topic when he mentioned shutting down the religious accomodation thread.

Mark the week on your calendars ladies & gentlemen. It's that time ... and this bit of a childish thread started asking for mod input but crying foul when he gets it --- it EXACTLY the kind of useless thread that'd I'd love to see locked.

Hope you feel better now with whatever your intentions were. Have fun in playpen. Feel free to pick up the slack and start helping users yourself ... instead of bitching about the shitty job you seem to think we mods are doing. Congrats on that. Plug away. I'll refer users to your humble expertize and sound judgment from now on.

No pinky shake coming from me.

Cry me a river Vern I feel like swimming.  I'll have you know, just for the record and just so that the facts don't get lost in the shrill I have never said that the Mods do a shitty job. 

I know exactly what a thankless job it is but hey.  I made a comment, I have since admitted that not only did I go out of my lane and not only did I not make my complaint known in the proper manner but that my specific complaint was misconstrued as an overall attack on the moderation of this site, and that was NEVER my intent.

However, an interesting side note.  Since this has started I've received 4 PM's from other users on this site complaining about their own experiences with the mods, about their own frustration with the locking of topics and get this, most of them have complained through the chain, but alas, the quiet complaint, the one that no-one ever sees but the complainer is the easiest to dismiss as "whining" or "bitching".

And since the problem seems to remain, one can only infer that it was never rectified. 

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Now, if someone doesn't think this has dead ended, they can send their comments to a mod for inclusion. Now it's just neighbors yelling over the fence IMHO.

So.............

Locked.

Milnet.ca Staff