What is it with...

Status
Not open for further replies.
Joined
Feb 9, 2008
Messages
6,366
Location
Midwest
What is it with the recent spate of threads on subjects that will clearly get locked? Do people not have any self control when it comes to posting new topics? Do they not remember the rules to which they agreed when they signed up for this board?

At the top of the General and Off Topics forum there is a post called "Board Rules". It's really simple-yet there seem to be a lot of folks that can't follow them. Recommended reading for anyone considering a post that touches the R/S/P guidelines. It really is simple to understand.

I have no problem saying what think, but do other folks not have the self discipline it takes to stay away from topics that will clearly get locked or deleted?

Is having a thread locked or deleted some sort of bizarre, twisted badge of honor?
 
I thought that too, but there has been a lot of emotion in topics lately...on touchy topics...

Kinda like women....emotions get in the way!
wink.gif



Seriously though, it might be the current topics....
 
Originally Posted By: Stelth
Never thought I'd be 100% in agreement with Pops, but yeah.


Common sense can make for some strange bedfellows.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
Originally Posted By: Stelth
Never thought I'd be 100% in agreement with Pops, but yeah.


Common sense can make for some strange bedfellows.



Loads of truth in that....
 
I'm going to take a vacation from making threads in OT for a little while. A little fun here and there is not as important as community continuity and cohesiveness. We're all here to discuss oil anyway. Cheers guys.
 
I think its just a heavy hand with the thread locking device. This is a forum where people discuss things. Sure they sometimes get off track, but its still a discussion. If you don't want to discuss then move on. So what exactly is the purpose of locking a thread, other than some moderator sitting at home going on a power trip?
 
Originally Posted By: bvance554
I think its just a heavy hand with the thread locking device. This is a forum where people discuss things. Sure they sometimes get off track, but its still a discussion. If you don't want to discuss then move on. So what exactly is the purpose of locking a thread, other than some moderator sitting at home going on a power trip?


I can see why they do. Almost every political discussion ends up down the line with name calling and anger. I wish that a few threads would show that those discussions can take place with out bad behavior, but a few people always end up reinforcing why threads get locked.
 
I agree with you Pop_Rivit. I can think of one fairly new guy who seems to delight in bringing up controversial subjects that will cause arguments here. And people keep trying to bring in politics, religion, and sexual topics which are NOT ALLOWED!

I have been here a long time and I can remember when discussions about politics, religion, and sexual matters were allowed and I know full well why those subjects were banned. Those subjects cannot be discussed without heated arguments developing.

Since people are supposed to understand the rules when they come here they should be able to follow those rules.
 
Some comments seem to be borderline. Can anyone tell me if something like the following crosses the political line:

Quote:
If attacks are taking place only because of the upcoming elections in November ......


Enough with the golf and the expensive fund raising events with wealthy donors
 
Originally Posted By: Apollo14
Some comments seem to be borderline. Can anyone tell me if something like the following crosses the political line:

Quote:
If attacks are taking place only because of the upcoming elections in November ......


Enough with the golf and the expensive fund raising events with wealthy donors


I'm not sure.

But if it said...."President Obama plays too much golf and the expensive fund raising with wealthy liberal donors".

Now THAT would probably be crossing the line.
 
I think the heavy hand is off on vacation, frankly. I "notified" on something totally racist and the post and thread were still going strong 12 hours later.
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg
Originally Posted By: Apollo14
Some comments seem to be borderline. Can anyone tell me if something like the following crosses the political line:

Quote:
If attacks are taking place only because of the upcoming elections in November ......


Enough with the golf and the expensive fund raising events with wealthy donors


I'm not sure.

But if it said...."President Obama plays too much golf and the expensive fund raising with wealthy liberal donors".

Now THAT would probably be crossing the line.



Or saying there is way too much murder and violence in the black communities across America.

Why didn't he comment on the 15 shot in Miami last week ?
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I think the heavy hand is off on vacation, frankly. I "notified" on something totally racist and the post and thread were still going strong 12 hours later.

^ This. Been the case for months now. All the disturbing ideas and personal attacks are coming out of the woodwork, and the mods just aren't keeping up.

The political and ideological climate in general (not just on BITOG) is hugely polarized these days. It makes people want to stand up for their side and strike out at the other side. That part is just human nature. BITOG's heavy-handed moderation made it an unfriendly venue for taking out those frustrations because the comments got deleted and the topics got locked. Now, the moderators aren't keeping up and people feel more free to wrestle with the demons in public. That draws others in, and things go downhill fast.

I've seen threads that mods have participated in, where stuff happens that wouldn't have been tolerated for two seconds a few years ago, and the thread just continues.

I spent a while petitioning moderators to bring the heavy hand back a bit. Even offered to help. That was a couple of years ago. I gave up.
 
I have noticed a few threads lately that I thought would surely be locked. It is a fine line, but then again this is the world we live in and it is the off topic sub-forum. Maybe we need an argument sub-forum and then people can just go there or ignore it.
 
Originally Posted By: bvance554
So what exactly is the purpose of locking a thread, other than some moderator sitting at home going on a power trip?


People agreed to a terms of use prior to getting a username, and they are clearly violating it.

A BITOG checks and balances, if you will.
 
Originally Posted By: bvance554
I think its just a heavy hand with the thread locking device. This is a forum where people discuss things. Sure they sometimes get off track, but its still a discussion. If you don't want to discuss then move on. So what exactly is the purpose of locking a thread, other than some moderator sitting at home going on a power trip?


How is it heavy handed when the rules CLEARLY state no R/S/P?

If anything, it's not heavy handed enough. Or at least not responsive enough. When these things start, given the combination of clearly stated rules and recent results, weed it out early.

The rules state on R/S/P, so to complain about R/S/P threads being locked or deleted simply demonstrates a lack of understanding or respect for the rules.

I think there are plenty of places where you can discuss R/S/P if you want.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top