Venting

I suppose I just need to get this out. I just received what I consider
to be a very distressing notice from a pen site (usually goes by a three
letter acronym). There is currently a discussion regarding the nature of
their board, and one of my posts was redacted for what I consider to be
questionable reasons.

The what's and why's don't really matter. What matters to me is the fact
that the action was taken without warning or discussion. It was an
admittedly hostile opposing post, but then my opinion regarding what is
happening is hostile and in opposition. I called into question the
manner in which moderation is acheived. That post was cut. Too sad
really.

--
macaddicted
Wisdom is radiant and unfading and she is easily discerned
by those who love her and is found by those who seek her.
Wisdom 6:12 (NRSV)

In news:1ihir31.m7g2uz7gjf9iN%macaddicted@REMOVETHISc a.rr.com,
macaddicted wrote:

What matters to me is the fact
that the action was taken without warning or discussion.

I missed whatever led to the Chatter Forum's shutdown, because I rarely
check it. I'd just cut them some slack, go on to other things and let it
get sorted out in its own time -- their abruptness probably has more to do
with being harried than with being hostile.

Brian
--

"Brian Ketterling"
wrote in message ...
In news:1ihir31.m7g2uz7gjf9iN%macaddicted@REMOVETHISc a.rr.com,
macaddicted wrote:

What matters to me is the fact
that the action was taken without warning or discussion.

I missed whatever led to the Chatter Forum's shutdown, because I
rarely
check it. I'd just cut them some slack, go on to other things and let
it
get sorted out in its own time -- their abruptness probably has more
to do
with being harried than with being hostile.

Brian
--
Hey, we are seasoned here! We were blessed by Frank Dubiel!
(RIP Frank...we miss you)

Brian Ketterling wrote:
I missed whatever led to the Chatter Forum's shutdown, because I rarely
check it. I'd just cut them some slack, go on to other things and let it
get sorted out in its own time -- their abruptness probably has more to do
with being harried than with being hostile.

It probably has to do with the fact that they'd like to keep the site
commercial-free and the chatter forum was using up a huge chunk of the site's
bandwidth. If there were enough people who wanted to put in the time to moderate
AND also enough money AND enough bandwidth, it probably wouldn't have been an
issue.

That said, I think allowing religion or politics on a web forum dedicated to
neither is never a good idea.

--
_Deirdre web: http://deirdre.net blog: http://dsmoen.livejournal.com/
"Memes are a hoax! Pass it on!"

Brian Ketterling wrote:

In news:1ihir31.m7g2uz7gjf9iN%macaddicted@REMOVETHISc a.rr.com,
macaddicted wrote:

What matters to me is the fact
that the action was taken without warning or discussion.

I missed whatever led to the Chatter Forum's shutdown, because I rarely
check it. I'd just cut them some slack, go on to other things and let it
get sorted out in its own time -- their abruptness probably has more to do
with being harried than with being hostile.

Brian

Yes, there is nothing quite like benevolent despotism.

--
macaddicted
Wisdom is radiant and unfading and she is easily discerned
by those who love her and is found by those who seek her.
Wisdom 6:12 (NRSV)

macaddicted wrote:
The what's and why's don't really matter. What matters to me is the fact
that the action was taken without warning or discussion. It was an
admittedly hostile opposing post, but then my opinion regarding what is
happening is hostile and in opposition. I called into question the
manner in which moderation is acheived. That post was cut. Too sad
really.

Macaddicted, a lot of people are feeling the loss of the Chatter forum.

I'm not going to make judgments about what happened, because I don't
have (and don't care to have) all the info. What I know happened on
another forum (where I did criticize what happened in a similar
situation): the forum had been sued by a PoS.

Hiding the forum and its history seems to go along more with the "ZOMG,
something big just happened" theory than the "straw/camel" theory.

Just a thought.

--
_Deirdre web: http://deirdre.net blog: http://dsmoen.livejournal.com/
"Memes are a hoax! Pass it on!"

Deirdre Saoirse Moen wrote:

macaddicted wrote:
The what's and why's don't really matter. What matters to me is the fact
that the action was taken without warning or discussion. It was an
admittedly hostile opposing post, but then my opinion regarding what is
happening is hostile and in opposition. I called into question the
manner in which moderation is acheived. That post was cut. Too sad
really.

Macaddicted, a lot of people are feeling the loss of the Chatter forum.

I'm not going to make judgments about what happened, because I don't
have (and don't care to have) all the info. What I know happened on
another forum (where I did criticize what happened in a similar
situation): the forum had been sued by a PoS.

Hiding the forum and its history seems to go along more with the "ZOMG,
something big just happened" theory than the "straw/camel" theory.

Just a thought.

I posted on FPN that I don't want Chatter to go away, but it is the
admins decision. What I don't like, and I don't respect, is how
dishonest the admins are being with the members. Ruaidhri just posted
that the admins have been pulling posts (mine was one of them) out of
the thread:
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo...topic=64343&vi
ew=findpost&p=622833 .

If that is the case then why were they not doing so with the troublesome
posts in Chatter?

If there are rules than we, as members, should know them and be held to
them. But everything the admins have done this weekend has been, to me,
very arbitrary. If Chatter is too much trouble than say so and DO
SOMETHING ABOUT IT. Pull posts, pull threads, suspend or ban members who
continue to act incorrectly. But don't shut down what is evidently your
most popular forum on the board because you don't want to deal with it.

Since there is no owner, as Ruaidhri has also said, the admins are the
caretakers of FPN and have a responsibility to act in a open and fair
way with the members. Which is what I said. Which is what was redacted.
Which is why I am posting here and not there. For if I were to post
there the language would be something a Seargant Major could appreciate.

I meant what I said in another post here that the admins are acting like
benevolent despots. Ruaidhri has also said that the purpose of Chatter
was to discuss non-pen related topics. I have the sneaking suspicion
that Chatter getting out of control was the excuse and not the reason. I
keep hearing about bandwidth and storage on the server. If that is the
reason then tell us. At least it would be honest. But telling us Chatter
was getting out of control because they lacked the will or the desire to
solve the problem is escapism at best.

BTW, I posted much of what I said above on FPN and it was yanked. Other
things have come out since last night that have continued to lower my
opinion of the admins, which I didn't think was possible. Somehow every
solution except for the admins stepping up and actually taking
responsibility for fixing the problem has been suggested (or at least
left visible). But the whole "some members were acting poorly" line
doesn't fly with me.

--
macaddicted
Wisdom is radiant and unfading and she is easily discerned
by those who love her and is found by those who seek her.
Wisdom 6:12 (NRSV)

On Mon, 26 May 2008 03:00:42 -0400, "Brian Ketterling"
wrote:

In news:1ihir31.m7g2uz7gjf9iN%macaddicted@REMOVETHISc a.rr.com,
macaddicted wrote:

What matters to me is the fact
that the action was taken without warning or discussion.

I missed whatever led to the Chatter Forum's shutdown, because I rarely
check it. I'd just cut them some slack, go on to other things and let it
get sorted out in its own time -- their abruptness probably has more to do
with being harried than with being hostile.

Well, what happens, I think, is rabid FPN'ers hound the moderators and
the moderators take action as a result. The moderators are to blame
for caving in.

They let all sorts of things go by on FPN, but when somebody is
disagreeing about something--especially in the religious/politcal
chatter forum, the rabid right wingers whiners to the dip****
moderators.

On Mon, 26 May 2008 18:04:18 -0700,
(macaddicted) wrote:

BTW, I posted much of what I said above on FPN and it was yanked. Other
things have come out since last night that have continued to lower my
opinion of the admins, which I didn't think was possible.

The admins on FPN are average dip****s. There's not much good you can
say about them: You can't polish a turd.

Welcome to the usenet and invite your friends. The FPN admins will
never come out of the woodwork and into this forum.

On Mon, 26 May 2008 10:40:27 -0700, Deirdre Saoirse Moen
wrote:

Brian Ketterling wrote:
I missed whatever led to the Chatter Forum's shutdown, because I rarely
check it. I'd just cut them some slack, go on to other things and let it
get sorted out in its own time -- their abruptness probably has more to do
with being harried than with being hostile.

It probably has to do with the fact that they'd like to keep the site
commercial-free and the chatter forum was using up a huge chunk of the site's
bandwidth. If there were enough people who wanted to put in the time to moderate
AND also enough money AND enough bandwidth, it probably wouldn't have been an
issue.

Deidre, don't try to take up for those dip****s. You know damn well
they censor certain political and religious thought in chatter.

And next time you're on FPN, invite your asshole friends to come
discuss it on the usenet.