Your comments please

MossRoad · Sep 6, 2005

Those two replies were from Bird and MikePA, both moderators. Apparently it's OK for them to say whatever they like, but don't challenge them...they have the power.


You really think that? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

I believe every moderator here has had their own posts moderated by other moderators or the owners of TBN at one time or another. Remember, we are TBN members first, moderators second. Some times we get caught up in the same conversations that the rest of you do. Sometimes we are reminded of this when another TBN member or moderator points it out. Then we say, whoops, maybe I shouldn't have contributed to that thread. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif It happens.

OkeeDon · Sep 6, 2005

You really think that? 

I carefully used the word "apparently". I would not like to think it. And, to be fair, I had another post at the end of that same thread in which someone else put words in my mouth, and I let him know how unhappy I was about that, also. It was most likely a contributing factor.

I won't, however, take back a single word I said in those replies. In both cases, I was not the instigator, but was reacting and defending myself. I don't believe it is fair for spurious statements to be allowed to stand unless one defends oneself. yet if one does defend, all of it disappears.

I am very upset about it.

AndyM · Sep 6, 2005

Don,
The following was posted previous to your post:

 2. In the Related Topics forum, "No politics, religion, joke lists or personal/legal advice threads." 

This rule is enforced by some moderators and not others, and enforcement is selective, depending on the member who made the post.

 Those two replies were from Bird and MikePA, both moderators. Apparently it's OK for them to say whatever they like, but don't challenge them...they have the power.


Once again, that only applies to some moderators and some members. There are certain moderators who can make comments in threads but will instantly delete similar comments depending on which poster made them.

I've sat back on the sidelines on this issue in the past, not really believing there was an issue when members (and ex-active members) have pointed it out to me, but there have been many times lately where a certain moderator's bias again a poster really shows through. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

AndyM, who is putting on his white hat and riding off into the sunset on his Ford 8N. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Bird · Sep 6, 2005

( I am very upset about it. )

Yep, Don, I should not have posted any message in that discussion; an error on my part. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif But I don't understand why either of us (you or me) should be upset about it. I don't think you paid any more for the privilege of participating on TBN than I did; i.e., nothing! And when one of my messages gets removed . . ., well, that doesn't cost me a penny either. I figure if it doesn't hurt and it doesn't cost me anything . . ., well, it's gonna take a lot more than that for me to get upset. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

As far as who was the instigator. Hmm, you didn't have to post anything at all in that thread and then you wouldn't have had anything to defend. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif And of course the same applies to me. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif So if this thread also gets deleted, so what? Most of us came here to learn about tractors, rural living, and such and to have a good time and good fellowship, and having individual messages or whole threads removed isn't going to interfere with that; at least not for me.

Bird · Sep 6, 2005

( enforcement is selective )

Andy, perhaps a little explanation is in order. There are simply too many messages posted for each moderator to read all of them. So you're right in that the moderators do not catch all the violations, just as the police don't catch ALL the speeders on the roads, or all the burglars and thieves. Does that mean they shouldn't take any action on the ones they do catch? There's a "notify moderators" button on each message. If you think the moderators should take action on a post, all you have to do to notify all of them is to click on that. That notifies all the moderators that they should look at that post. Unfortunately, at the present time, it doesn't tell them why you think it needs their attention, but you can also send a PM to any moderator any time. So the "selective enforcement" may depend on several things, but it does NOT depend on who made the post.

Spiffy · Sep 6, 2005

Bird, correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm guessing that the times when the moderating load becomes heavier, entire threads are more likely to be deleted than indvidual posts; probably also: more posts being assumed as inflamatory or against the rules than "benefit of the doubt" when times are slow [maybe never?! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif] and/or less emotional.? ie the "shotgun approach" I mentioned earlier as opposed to a "rifled approach".

Also, does the software still delete all replies to a deleted post? I suppose it needs to, else some very confusing threads would develope. Of course they do already! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

OK, I'm babbling again. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

edit: Actually any of the moderators can probably confirm or negate my guesses; just thought Bird was online yet.

Spiffy · Sep 6, 2005

Ok Vin, I'm not up on my Aussie Slang: /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Sundie paper = Sunday Paper?
fair suck of the sav /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Fair dinkum /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
(I get the idea, just not the litteral translation)

dinky di ocher = Red Neck?

 a little less sophisticated 
It'd be a pretty safe bet I wouldn't have to go to far to find less sophistication than whatever quirks you claim [and most of them I wouldn't need to leave my bathroom mirror /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif ]

BTW I don't know about our own media let alone yours, so I won't even guess at the facts; but I can pretty much bet you were the only one posting to the threads in question who had a chance of being truely objective (not sure if Mith tossed in any comments or not).

Bird · Sep 6, 2005

Spiffy, I really hadn't thought about it in the way you stated about entire threads being more like to be deleted, so I don't have an answer; don't really know. I can't speak for all the moderators, but for me personally, it's sometimes a tough decision as to whether individual posts should be removed, or the whole thread. The question I try to ask myself is, if some of the thread is left, will it just result in more problems. And yes, deleting a single post, but leaving the responses to it would leave some fragmented and confusing threads.

beenthere · Sep 6, 2005

When I get deleted or included in a delete, I sometimes pout for a little bit, and then realize that it wasn't that important, and get back to enjoying the many other posts that are great.

Life is too short to do otherwise...... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 It may be that my sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Inspector507 · Sep 6, 2005

Andy,
This is not particularly a response to you but to the idea that only certain moderators are the only ones deleting posts. I would imagine there is a lot of "behind the scenes" talk between the moderators and Muhammad as to when a post needs "moderated" or deleted. Then one of them is the "bad guy" who deletes it or closes it. There must be a whole lot of discussion between them all to decide what to do. They have a tremendous amount of posts to look at each day to try to do a thankless job. Quite often they only know about a problem when someone notifies them. I think they do a great job at trying to keep TBN and CBN a place we all can enjoy without getting our blood pressure up. I've left more websites that I can count because of the lack of moderation.