Stop deleting threads and posts!

[Jaemie]

2) We don't allow swansongs - a general "I'm off for the holidays see you in a few weeks" is fine - but swansong leaving threads are always removed from sight.

I guess someone missed this one: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/off-topic-chat/295662-anyone-interested.html

 

[Trever1t]

Look, it's really simple.

Mods work for free.

They do a lot that the regular membership never sees. It is not a cake walk moderating a busy site.

They use basic guidelines but use personal judgement to curb any behavior that may LEAD to controversy, whether it has or hasn't yet occurred.

Membership generally hates moderation yet a lack of moderation generally is hated more. We don't need to think back far to remember the CHAOS on this site before the recent rash of moderation when we were losing good, talented photographers on a daily basis?

 

[mjhoward]

2) We don't allow swansongs - a general "I'm off for the holidays see you in a few weeks" is fine - but swansong leaving threads are always removed from sight. This is a general policy akin to other hotbutton topics and is in place because threads like that general devolve fast into fights/rants/problems.

To be fair, shouldn't the introductions section also be removed? Why is it ok to say hello, but not goodbye? I can think of MANY, MANY other thread topics that end the same way as these "swansong" threads and they are not deleted. I've seen multiple "Canon vs Nikon", "Mac or PC", and "Just got my first camera and shooting a wedding tomorrow... Need help!" threads run for over 10 or 15 pages and theyre STILL running.

 

[rexbobcat]

Look, it's really simple.

Mods work for free.

They do a lot that the regular membership never sees. It is not a cake walk moderating a busy site.

They use basic guidelines but use personal judgement to curb any behavior that may LEAD to controversy, whether it has or hasn't yet occurred.

Membership generally hates moderation yet a lack of moderation generally is hated more. We don't need to think back far to remember the CHAOS on this site before the recent rash of moderation when we were losing good, talented photographers on a daily basis?

It's also not a place to play out power trip fantasies.

It's not the moderation so much that is hated. It's the inconsistency.

A happy medium has yet to be established.

 

[Overread]

Jaemie - that thread is locked however

The rules for the site do not include "everything possible under the sun" we can't write rules that comprehensive without writing pages and pages of them. So we keep it simple. This also means we can be free to leave a leaving thread open if someone were - for example - just announcing a general shifting away from the site for a time.

Swansong threads which start off as a swansong (ie a parting shot at the site/members as the person leaves) or which head that way are apt for being locked and/or removed from view.

 

[SCraig]

Sorry, but I have to agree with Tireadiron. The so-called "Swansong" posts never work. There are always two sides to ANY argument. ALWAYS. Topics like that only present one side, the poster's side, or otherwise they devolve into a fight when the other side of the argument makes itself present. Either way they aren't worth the inevitable problems they cause.

If a person wants to leave a forum, fine. Do it. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Posting an "I'm Leaving" post is normally, but not always, an I'm-mad-and-want-attention post.

I do disagree that posts should just disappear. I'm a member of several other forums in which that is an everyday occurrence, and all it causes is confusion since in many cases nobody knows why. Sometimes it's completely obvious why they disappear but in many cases it is not. The mods here are very good compared to many forums in that they lock posts and post a reason at the bottom. I think that should have been done in this particular case, but it wasn't my decision.

 

[kundalini]

It's much better now than not-so-long-ago when the Beginner's forum was running amuck. The addition of Tres Hombres is well received by myself. Keep up the good work fellows. :thumbsup:



ZZ Top - "Tres Hombres" (Full Album) - YouTube

 

[Jaemie]

I think the moderation here is, generally, very good. And I'm thankful to the mods who do a good job. I think most of us are.

The problem is that a handful of cases have been handled rather hamhandedly and inconsistently, and the administration seems either unaware of it (unlikely) or okay with it (unacceptable, imo). Either way, it would benefit the site and go a long way to keeping order for the administration to take some corrective action.

 

[Overread]

The majority of the admin we have today run multiple sites, so the day to day moderation and running is mostly left in the sites moderation staff. That said the admin are attentive to the site, they do see the reported threads (and oft as not will react to them as well) in addition to responding to user concerns and reading the "feedback" section.

If you want to contact them directly about issues do use the PM system - http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/members/35849.html would probably be the best to contact (though remember if its general day to day running of the site stuff best to contact a site moderator directly or just use the report feature) .

 

[ronlane]

2) We don't allow swansongs - a general "I'm off for the holidays see you in a few weeks" is fine - but swansong leaving threads are always removed from sight.

I guess someone missed this one: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/off-topic-chat/295662-anyone-interested.html

Jaemie, I was thinking the same thing. That one went on for plenty of time and still isn't deleted.

 

[pixmedic]

Look, it's really simple.

Mods work for free.

They do a lot that the regular membership never sees. It is not a cake walk moderating a busy site.

They use basic guidelines but use personal judgement to curb any behavior that may LEAD to controversy, whether it has or hasn't yet occurred.

Membership generally hates moderation yet a lack of moderation generally is hated more. We don't need to think back far to remember the CHAOS on this site before the recent rash of moderation when we were losing good, talented photographers on a daily basis?

"were" losing? I think we have lost a few talented photographers recently. and not without warning or at least some reason.
could just be my opinion though, and I haven't been around long enough for my opinion to count for much. maybe this site is just getting to big for its own britches. always the pride cometh before the fall.

 

[jwbryson1]

Seriously? Schwetty's "goodbye" thread from this AM has already been deleted?????

Yes. Almost immediately.

I missed it!! What did he say? That SUCKS!

 

[mishele]

^^^I'll ask him on FB......lol

 

[IByte]

People complain too much

In a perfect world this site would be about photography and not personalities.

Lol the TPF Real World!

 

[Derrel]

2) We don't allow swansongs - a general "I'm off for the holidays see you in a few weeks" is fine - but swansong leaving threads are always removed from sight.

I guess someone missed this one: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/off-topic-chat/295662-anyone-interested.html

I saw the very,very short,simple and direct "Good bye" post that Schwettylens posted this morning,and so I was utterly shocked to see that it was immediately pulled, while o hey tyer's dramatic, insulting, and petulant flounce outta' here, replete with insults, was allowed to go on and on and on...it just did not seem right that Schwetty's brief good bye post was not allowed to stand after o hey tyler made such an insulting and self-aggrandizing exit...just does NOT seem like consistent moderation here, A-TALL...