Deleted posts COMPLETELY deleted now?

[rsngfrce]

I have recently noticed that when a mod deletes a post now, it completely disappears, rather than being listed as a deleted post with an explanation. Has this fact been explained anywhere? I'm not sure I like this, I prefer the transparency of the prior method of deletions. Anybody want to comment?

 

[Kate51]

Now I understand why I couldn't clean up my contact box earlier.
I think transparency is always a good idea, but that's just MO.

 

[Walrus]

Speaking only for myself, it depends on the reason it was deleted. If I don't think there will ever be a reason to look back in it, I'll hard delete. Doubles, OP requests, some spam, etc.

Deleted posts for which someone got an infraction, I'll leave as a soft delete.

That's just me.

 

[rsngfrce]

Speaking only for myself, it depends on the reason it was deleted. If I don't think there will ever be a reason to look back in it, I'll hard delete. Doubles, OP requests, some spam, etc.

Deleted posts for which someone got an infraction, I'll leave as a soft delete.

That's just me.

Damn, your avatar just changed on me (get some sun on your forehead)! So is the difference now that you are hard deleting what other mods were seemingly soft deleting?

 

[calligal]

Going with Walrus on this one. His reasoning is very logical.

I came across a topic which had something like 8 in a row that had been removed. That delayed and distracted me from the subject because of course I had read every single reason for the delete (btw: most of them were due to spam.)
I would rather they had been completely removed but how does that mess up the contact box?

 

[Kate51]

Hate to go off topic, but where do I find my "download photo" for my album. Couldn't find it tonight, a glitch?? I did it before....nothing pornographic..so..

 

[Walrus]

Damn, your avatar just changed on me (get some sun on your forehead)! So is the difference now that you are hard deleting what other mods were seemingly soft deleting?

Lol, that pic is a few years old. I always ride with a doo-rag on... gave the tan line.

Anyway... Some mods can only soft delete. Many times they will ask those of us that can to hard delete for them. If leaving it would serve a purpose, I still soft delete.

 

[Walrus]

Hate to go off topic, but where do I find my "download photo" for my album. Couldn't find it tonight, a glitch?? I did it before....nothing pornographic..so..

Do you mean upload? Maybe your limit is reached?

 

[Nuck]

Since we're asking mod questions..how do I see the private messages that I sent? It always shows as empty.

Btw..whole threads of posts are being deleted with no references left. It happened recently to myself and while I didn't care about the deletions, it was a bit dishonest in that it completely changed the flow of the thread.

There have been a lot of changes in moderation lately with a lot more authoritative stances being assumed, even by new mods (not you Walrus). The forums are starting to lose some of flavour (and I don't mean drama) they had even a few months ago.

Hope it is just an adjustment period and the egos will settle.

 

[Walrus]

Since we're asking mod questions..how do I see the private messages that I sent? It always shows as empty.

Btw..whole threads of posts are being deleted with no references left. It happened recently to myself and while I didn't care about the deletions, it was a bit dishonest in that it completely changed the flow of the thread.

There have been a lot of changes in moderation lately with a lot more authoritative stances being assumed, even by new mods (not you Walrus). The forums are starting to lose some of flavour (and I don't mean drama) they had even a few months ago.

Hope it is just an adjustment period and the egos will settle.

I think you actually have to select the 'save to sent' option for them to show up.

There has been a lot of discussion between SmokeyJoe and the moderators about exerting a bit more authority. The general concensus is that it's been like the Wild West for too long, and that any authority right now will be seen as too much. But as large as the forum has grown (and is growing), it has to be done.

It's growing pains, definitely. Many times we discuss how to handle certain situations, but every now and then a mod (new or old) has to make a decision alone because there is no one else on. Would another of us have handled it differently? Hard to say, especially at the time. Is it better to act, or to wait? Depends on the situation.

No one is infallible, but we are doing the best we can.

 

[Nuck]

I think you actually have to select the 'save to sent' option for them to show up.

There has been a lot of discussion between SmokeyJoe and the moderators about exerting a bit more authority. The general concensus is that it's been like the Wild West for too long, and that any authority right now will be seen as too much. But as large as the forum has grown (and is growing), it has to be done.

It's growing pains, definitely. Many times we discuss how to handle certain situations, but every now and then a mod (new or old) has to make a decision alone because there is no one else on. Would another of us handled it differently? Hard to say, especially at the time. Is it better to act, or to wait? Depends on the situation.

No one is infallible, but we are doing the best we can.

Yeah..I understand. It's a tough line to keep what is great about the forums while cracking down on the excesses. With that in mind I've actually sat on my hands (which isn't easy for me) a number of times.

Hopefully the desire to suppress the extremes doesn't get in the way of some of the really great debates that we've witnessed over the months.

 

[Walrus]

Yeah..I understand. It's a tough line to keep what is great about the forums while cracking down on the excesses. With that in mind I've actually sat on my hands (which isn't easy for me) a number of times.

Hopefully the desire to suppress the extremes doesn't get in the way of some of the really great debates that we've witnessed over the months.

As long as they can remain (fairly) civil, I don't see why it should. Hopefully it will be better. There will be some focus on preventing the derailing of threads, muck-raking for it's own sake, and the prevention of pissing contests, but bonafide debates shouldn't see any intervention.

 

[Nuck]

I just had a random thought. Perhaps one of the reasons this forum has been so much more successful than the other ecig forums is that the wide variety of personalities have been given the freedom to express themselves so openly. It's part of that whole 'flavour' thing that is hard to describe.

Anyway..I understand and I'm sure you'll have no shortage of reasons to moderate me in the future

 

[Kate]

I'm not a big fan of authority, I think it makes people less loyal and less likely to feel like it's their community. This forum has successfully policed itself for a long time and now we're being directed and monitored. In my view all the mods should do is enforce rules. Directing discussions is dictating what we're allowed to think about.

There are always excuses for curtailing freedoms, our societies are very good at generating fear of terrorism nowadays for example, and use that to justify restriction of the freedoms of citizens. I don't like being told that I'm being locked up for my own good, I would voluntarily take cover if I considered there to be good cause.

I still appreciate the mods and think that overall you do a great job.

 

[Kate]

Another thought, along the lines of what Nuck was saying. This has been a successful community with low levels of intervention, what will hold it together when we have no responsibilities or 'ownership' of discussions?

 

[Walrus]

I'm not a big fan of authority, I think it makes people less loyal and less likely to feel like it's their community. This forum has successfully policed itself for a long time and now we're being directed and monitored. In my view all the mods should do is enforce rules. Directing discussions is dictating what we're allowed to think about.

There are always excuses for curtailing freedoms, our societies are very good at generating fear of terrorism nowadays for example, and use that to justify restriction of the freedoms of citizens. I don't like being told that I'm being locked up for my own good, I would voluntarily take cover if I considered there to be good cause.

I still appreciate the mods and think that overall you do a great job.

Well Kate, I guess that's where we disagree. The forum did police itself well once upon a time. The last few months? Not so much. The number of members has grown exponentially, and some people's parents never taught them how to act in public.

No one is proposing 'directing discussions'. Flaming, and baiting flames, is and has been against the rules. The fact that so many people accept it as normal just shows what kind of job 'self-policing' has done.

 

[Kate]

Sure, there's no reason why we all have to think the same thing.

We'll see how long the 'community' sticks together and if you end up being a parent of an unruly bunch of kids.

If existing rules had been enforced the last few months we might not be hearing about problems now. Clamping down on rules isn't the same as telling us what we can talk about or for how long.

 

[Walrus]

Another thought, along the lines of what Nuck was saying. This has been a successful community with low levels of intervention, what will hold it together when we have no responsibilities or 'ownership' of discussions?

No one is suggesting 'a policeman on every corner.' I personally only read threads that interest me. If someone reports a post, then I look into it. I don't see where that has to change. We are just going to be a little less tolerant of trolls, baiters, and flamers.

 

[Caesarea]

Hope the community will transcend. No doubt we'll need our strong relationships to resist plants, finks and provoc. Some things may require to be deleted - I'm glad that is an option if the OP needs it done.

C.

 

[Nuck]

No one is suggesting 'a policeman on every corner.' I personally only read threads that interest me. If someone reports a post, then I look into it. I don't see where that has to change. We are just going to be a little less tolerant of trolls, baiters, and flamers.

I think what really worries me is that with all the new mods and the new stance, very little seems to have gone into the vetting process. Last night we had one mod post a long, barely literate, ego inspired set of rules in a forum that has NEVER needed moderation. We now have 4 mods for a sub forum of very polite, very friendly people.

Another mod, and you know this one since you were in IRC as much as me, bragged constantly about how he performs DDOS attacks for fun and flooded IRC with spam before logging off in a huff.

These are the people that will be making the judgement calls? I can easily see the cure being many times worse than the disease in this case.