Forum "temperature"

[Ghost]

You just need to lighten up, ***!

"Smile when you say that so all may know you speak in jest "

If you don't like the thread, go read another one.

But what if it's a thread I actually want to read eg someone's finally figured out which foot to step back on in the first move?

I'm not asking people to not comment. All I'm asking is that people be polite.

[Double Trouble]

It's almost a comedy sketch:

Q: Does anyone else ever think the forum's got too argumentative and vitriolic?

A: F*ck off, you t*sser!

Couldn't have put it better myself...!

[David Bailey]

It's almost a comedy sketch:

Q: Does anyone else ever think the forum's got too argumentative and vitriolic?

A: F*ck off, you t*sser!

I was wondering how long it'd take to get self-referentially argumentative.

[ducasi]

"If you can't stand the heat ..." is not any sort of justification for rudeness ever.

[WittyBird]

All I'm asking is that people be polite.

I'll try being nicer if you try being smarter.

[Shodan]

Errrr... from a newbies (to this forum) perspective this thread seems to be fairly argumentative and we are only discussing whether this forum is becoming too 'hot'.

I know I'm too new here to comment on historical incidents for you long term people on this forum, but I'm very keen on meeting some new people here and being nice and so forth.

I mean I work along the lines of if I have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all.

[Gav]

"Smile when you say that so all may know you speak in jest "

Yes, I'm aware of that convention.

But what if it's a thread I actually want to read eg someone's finally figured out which foot to step back on in the first move?

I'm not asking people to not comment. All I'm asking is that people be polite.

I agree, on serious threads people should remain polite. All I'm saying is that you should use the existing systems to sort out people who aren't, not impose some system where the moderators have to crack down upon everyone. Ultimately that could kill the forum off altogether. Whether that's because people feel unable to speak out or because the extra work leads to charges for registering to pay for the moderators extra time.

Look you've got me being all serious now. G1t.

[El Salsero Gringo]

Read the Sofa for any length of time and it quickly becomes apparent

I'm with Witty on that one: read the Sofa for any length of time and your brain will start to dribble out of your ears.

God only knows... Funny pictures on their computers that ... make them laugh?

If only.

[Double Trouble]

Errrr... from a newbies (to this forum) perspective this thread seems to be fairly argumentative and we are only discussing whether this forum is becoming too 'hot'.

I know I'm too new here to comment on historical incidents for you long term people on this forum, but I'm very keen on meeting some new people here and being nice and so forth.

I mean I work along the lines of if I have nothing nice to say, dont say anything at all.

BORING.....!

[Gav]

BORING.....!

See, I borrowed Witty's gag but you just couldn't resist could you?

[Lory]

Time for more moderators?

Un-contentious question.. can you give examples of threads/posts you would have liked to see moderated more stringently?

Its hard to make personal judgements about how each individual feels about having a 'personal attack' on them.

Some may wish the post to stay, as they believe that it shows the 'poster' in a worse light than them. And therefore wish the post to stay.

Some may get very upset and in which case, if they reported it, we would remove it immediately

Anyone can report a post that concerns them and we (moderators) could then make a decision to PM the person involved and ask if they were aware if it and if they're happy for it to stay

[TheTramp]

Un-contentious question.. can you give examples of threads/posts you would have liked to see moderated more stringently?

None.

Unless, as you say, it's a personal comment about a specific person, and that person objects.

Although, as you also say, most of the personal attacks that have taken place, have shown the poster in a worse light than the person that they are attacking...

[Ghost]

Un-contentious question.. can you give examples of threads/posts you would have liked to see moderated more stringently?

I'd be very interested in seeing this thread moderated more strongly as an experiment

[Lory]

I'd be very interested in seeing this thread moderated more strongly as an experiment

How, exactly?

[MartinHarper]

The second the forum becomes so heavily moderated that you can't speak your mind, is the second that everyone with an opinion will start using other forums instead.

It's possible to express opinions without being rude/aggressive/etc.

[Ghost]

How, exactly?

Ok how about posts 14,38, 39, and 49 on this thread?

Before I upset Witty et al, no I didn't take offence , but as Shodan pointed out they do come across as unnecessarily arguementative. I'm interested in whether the Moderators feel they need to be moderated seeing as that's the essence of this thread.

[ducasi]

Un-contentious question.. can you give examples of threads/posts you would have liked to see moderated more stringently?

I think that some of the nonsense that led to David B leaving could have been better handled. Also some of the stuff concerning Simon Borland and the Hippodrome got a bit nasty.

Its hard to make personal judgements about how each individual feels about having a 'personal attack' on them.

Indeed, I don't envy your task.

Some may wish the post to stay, as they believe that it shows the 'poster' in a worse light than them. And therefore wish the post to stay.

I think I'd prefer to see bad posts stay in place, but a private (or if needed, public) warning given to the poster.

Some may get very upset and in which case, if they reported it, we would remove it immediately

I think I'd prefer to see a post edited in this case to show that someone said something which was found to be unacceptable.

Most of what the moderators do we are blind to – we don't see posts or threads that have been deleted, we don't see warnings given to posters. Perhaps because of this, we just assume there are no controls...

Anyone can report a post that concerns them and we (moderators) could then make a decision to PM the person involved and ask if they were aware if it and if they're happy for it to stay

I rarely have reported a post – I think I've only ever reported spam. I'm assuming that the moderators are watching these kinds of threads I've referred to, and acting accordingly.

We're told that the moderators don't have time to read everything and that you rely on people reporting things. If it's such a time-consuming task then perhaps more moderators could share the load.

[Gav]

Think I'll go and poke some sleepy, dangerous animals with sticks now, just to see if they have a sense of humour.

[ducasi]

Ultimately that could kill the forum off altogether.

Imminent death of the forum predicted!

Whether that's because people feel unable to speak out or because the extra work leads to charges for registering to pay for the moderators extra time.

Do the moderators get paid for their time at present?

[TheTramp]

Ok how about posts 14,38, 39, and 49 on this thread?

Definitely not!

I'm not really worried about a bit of bad language. It's just a language deficiency on the part of the person posting, rather than anything else

So, apart from sh1t, and b0ll0cks, I don't see anything in any of those threads that I'd even consider remotely in need of moderation. We are after all adults here. And some mild disagreement is inevitable in a forum that gets as many posts per day as this one.

I really don't want to be wrapped in cotton wool, and prevented climbing trees, or going outside after dark, or any of the other things that kids don't seem to be able to do today. Especially now I'm an adult.

There have been threads and posts here that I have thought maybe should be moderated in some way (and most have). Those definitely don't count in that bracket.