Closing threads down

[Spc. Scott]

Martin, I think the problem it is a cultural one. In the USA children are rigorously shielded from all things sexual, in Europe we are much more relaxed about things like that. The moderators have the very difficult task of making sure that nobody on this multi-national forum, feels upset, embarrassed or insulted no matter what their cultural background.

On this forum they give us the right not to be embarrassed or insulted, not the right to say what we like regardless of other peoples feelings, that is what makes it such a great forum.

Peter

I think Peter has hit the nail on the head here.

A Mods job can be a tough one but I am active on a few different forums and I feel that the mods do a really great job in keeping things civil.
And as was said earlier the thread did have the potential to turn south so to speak.
Some good advice was given so at least that got out there.

[davedove]

...The moderators have the very difficult task of making sure that nobody on this multi-national forum, feels upset, embarrassed or insulted no matter what their cultural background.

On this forum they give us the right not to be embarrassed or insulted, not the right to say what we like regardless of other peoples feelings, that is what makes it such a great forum. ...

That's the real task for the Moderators.

They also have to weigh the potential of a thread to get out of hand, something that is very much a judgement call. Any one of us may not agree with their decision, and I'll bet that there are times when they themselves are not in 100% agreement (we just never see the secret workings of the League).

[fudgeman]

What particularly irks me is the shutting down of threads on the basis that they are not "kilt-related" yet threads regarding someone working on their motorcycle or telling jokes (not kilt related) or moving to a new location continue. I don't believe it is an issue of being inappropriate or crossing any lines--it relates to what the mods interests are and what they like. Closing the two recent threads regarding corset and bodice making are examples. As well as the current one under discussion. Sure they weren't exactly "kilt related" but were interesting. Yet many other non kilt related threads continue. Go figure. Is this one closed down yet??

[macwilkin]

What particularly irks me is the shutting down of threads on the basis that they are not "kilt-related" yet threads regarding someone working on their motorcycle or telling jokes (not kilt related) or moving to a new location continue. I don't believe it is an issue of being inappropriate or crossing any lines--it relates to what the mods interests are and what they like. Closing the two recent threads regarding corset and bodice making are examples. As well as the current one under discussion. Sure they weren't exactly "kilt related" but were interesting. Yet many other non kilt related threads continue. Go figure. Is this one closed down yet??

Did you raise your concerns with the Mod staff? All of our mods are pretty reasonable fellows, and I'm sure they would have listened to your comments, as well as presenting their reasons.

Regards,

Todd

[duchessofnc]

I have been a former Mod before on (holy cow) a Harry Potter forum *shudders* and it is a thankless job. And while sometimes I think the mods are a bit heavy handed on this thread (sorry) they have to be else it can quickly be chaos. I've been to several of the other kilt and Scottish forums, I will say this... in my opinion while they are ok, they don't stand up to what Xmarks is.

The mods here do a wonderful, wonderful job.

[Cynthia]

I would like to point out, as far as non-kilt related things for women goes, we have a Lasses Wear thread here that has been allowed to go for a long time. Much thanks, to the Moderators for allowing us Lasses to have our little spot! Keeping in mind, honestly, how many men are here and how riled up they get even in that thread, I can understand to some degree why they might not want to allow too many threads that don't have anything to do with a man's kilt or accessories (especially regarding women's wear).

The recent thread being closed did have something to do with kilt wearing, but I can see how they thought that closing it before things got out of control would be wise. Some good advice came up, and they did wait for that, at least and then saw the opportunity to go ahead and close it. Do I wish that a few other things had been posted? Yes. Maybe some of the final tips posted aren't the things that might have been a problem, and I know many of you were probably interested in that thread. I was, actually.

I was the woman who PM'd the OP of that thread. I was hesitant to discuss things too much openly for obvious reasons and also because my husband finds that subject frustrating and I didn't want to upset him if he came across it -- when I've tried to help give him advice to help him sit better, he gets very frustrated and I was a little nervous about discussing things I've seen from his sitting and seeing if it compared with the OP to help him. My husband does know about that thread now and I'm hoping that the tips in it will help him.

I do understand the frustration as to why some things are allowed to stay and others are locked. But as a few have said, moderators have to stay on their toes and try their best to do what they can to follow forum rules and make sure things stay where they should. You can never please 100% of the people 100% of the time. I for one am happy to have as much moderation as we do -- some of my other favorite places allow a lot more and frankly I think it causes a lot more frustration and hurt feelings. Will I eventually be slapped on the wrist? I'm sure I will, but I'll understand that it's nothing personal and I will just have to try to remember that I'm glad I don't have their job!

[Rex_Tremende]

Having asked the question myself once a long while ago, the thread did not get closed down, so it is confusing sometimes why some decisions go one way and not the other. I'm sure every decision the mods make is informed by nuance, history and instinct, and we're not privy to any discussion that takes place, so it seems like a mystery. In this case it might be that the OP indicated he got an answer. In my case it ended up being a discussion about waistbands until it took an odd turn and I myself suggested enough was enough and it petered out on its own.

Regards,
Rex.

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Ya' know, once a question has been answered, well... it's answered. After that there seems t'be a lot of "me, too" posting which rarely adds to the discussion, and sometimes-- depending on the subject-- degenerates into the realm of locker room humour.

I'm all in favour of locker room humour.

But, this ain't "X Marks The Locker Room". So when postings become a little inane, or a little off colour, or a little offensive, and us members continue to pour fuel on the fire-- well that's when the Mods have to step in and do their stuff.

RE: the thread under discussion, I think Jamie shut it down at the right time, even if some of you may think he did it for the wrong reason. Guys, the question had been asked and answered. Postings were headed toward the locker room door, and Jamie shut it down before one of us stepped over the line.

This isn't about cultural mores or censorship, but it is about our knowing the boundaries of this forum and staying within them. And if we get it wrong, it's up to the Mods to put things back in to perspective.

[CDNSushi]

Maybe I am naive here in Utah but, HUH?????

If you've never heard of Godwin's Law, you can hop over onto Wikipedia and search for it. I guess I show my age a little when I say that I remember the days of Usenet (and before) quite fondly. It's a throwback to the pre-online forum era but the same rules still apply.

A fellow by the name of Mike Godwin made the observation, that as an online discussion gets longer, (especially a discussion dealing with religion, politics or pretty much any topic where you get some debate happening) it eventually degenerates into a mud-flinging contest where ultimately someone or some group gets compared to Hitler or Nazis in an ad hominem attack. I have definitely seen it happen many times, although on well-moderated forums, threads tend to get shut down before it gets to that level...

It's almost as interesting as the history behind the term "troll"... That's another fun little wikipedia search to try out.

[Jack Daw]

I would like to point out, as far as non-kilt related things for women goes, we have a Lasses Wear thread here that has been allowed to go for a long time. Much thanks, to the Moderators for allowing us Lasses to have our little spot! Keeping in mind, honestly, how many men are here and how riled up they get even in that thread, I can understand to some degree why they might not want to allow too many threads that don't have anything to do with a man's kilt or accessories (especially regarding women's wear).

The recent thread being closed did have something to do with kilt wearing, but I can see how they thought that closing it before things got out of control would be wise. Some good advice came up, and they did wait for that, at least and then saw the opportunity to go ahead and close it. Do I wish that a few other things had been posted? Yes. Maybe some of the final tips posted aren't the things that might have been a problem, and I know many of you were probably interested in that thread. I was, actually.

I was the woman who PM'd the OP of that thread. I was hesitant to discuss things too much openly for obvious reasons and also because my husband finds that subject frustrating and I didn't want to upset him if he came across it -- when I've tried to help give him advice to help him sit better, he gets very frustrated and I was a little nervous about discussing things I've seen from his sitting and seeing if it compared with the OP to help him. My husband does know about that thread now and I'm hoping that the tips in it will help him.

I do understand the frustration as to why some things are allowed to stay and others are locked. But as a few have said, moderators have to stay on their toes and try their best to do what they can to follow forum rules and make sure things stay where they should. You can never please 100% of the people 100% of the time. I for one am happy to have as much moderation as we do -- some of my other favorite places allow a lot more and frankly I think it causes a lot more frustration and hurt feelings. Will I eventually be slapped on the wrist? I'm sure I will, but I'll understand that it's nothing personal and I will just have to try to remember that I'm glad I don't have their job!

Well said.