Runaway threads or topics and the Lock-it! Stick
Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 12:39 pm
There has been a noticeable rise in the number of what I'm calling runaway threads, as well as an increase in the number of reports. While I've not taken to handing out warnings to this individual or that (on the basis of a report that says "he called me this" or "she said that, and it's totally not true"), I have begun cleaning up some of the threads, removing the extraneous bits that don't REALLY contribute to the topic of the thread, and then locking the thread.
What's the reasoning? Why am I doing it? As a moderator I'm supposed to keep this train on the tracks (as it were) and I'm seeing in this forum some of what I don't like when I read other forums. Mind you, the squabbling and the name-calling and the carrying-on is not nearly as bad as some other forums, but we have potential.
A couple of common issues that are setting-off my Lock-it! Stick:
This thread will remain sticky for a week and open for comments. Depending on how it looks at the end of a week it may be locked altogether.
What's the reasoning? Why am I doing it? As a moderator I'm supposed to keep this train on the tracks (as it were) and I'm seeing in this forum some of what I don't like when I read other forums. Mind you, the squabbling and the name-calling and the carrying-on is not nearly as bad as some other forums, but we have potential.
A couple of common issues that are setting-off my Lock-it! Stick:
- 1-quoting with no name - this one is relatively new (from what I've observed) and it puzzles me a bit: if you've gone to the effort to quote somebody else's words, and then strip out their names from the markup text, why bother? This is similar to the previous practice of editing-out of posts by original posters - there's changing what you wrote and then there's removing it altogether.
2-circular arguments - going round and round, over and over again with the same points, instead of coming to some kind of termination, even if that means agreeing to disagree. I've seen a couple of "I disagree with you" and "I disagree with you also", but then the points and counterpoints start up all over again. Learn to let it lie.
3-what I'm calling a lack of PM'ing. If you want to continue to 'converse' with an individual, you really should use the PM button. It's there, beside everyone's alias, and it's a efficient way to further discuss a topic without cluttering a thread.
4-bringing of PMs into the light - this is another one that a number of people have complained about, either through PMs to the moderators or by flagging a post with a report. PMs are meant to be private (as in between you and the other party) and it's not intended to have their content reproduced into a thread (unless both parties agree).
This thread will remain sticky for a week and open for comments. Depending on how it looks at the end of a week it may be locked altogether.