To All,

This thread was posted concerning the decision of the Moderating Staff of X Marks the Scot to close a thread concerning kilt wearing, sitting, and male genitalia.

The original post stated that there apparently was a certain amount of unease with dealing with issues of male anatomy on XMTS.

To this I have to say that there are certainly differences between European and American sensibilities concerning a great many subjects. As an international forum we have to try to make things comfortable for all. This can seem restrictive to Americans on some issues and Europeans on others. The best we can hope for is a happy middle ground where families world wide can learn from and enjoy the forum.

Some subjects can be discussed on our forum that come close to the boundaries of our forum rules provided they are approached with a mature and respectful attitude. There were signs from the start of this discussion that there was a high chance of inappropriate humor and/or commentary being posted that would result in the thread being removed from the open forum.

Because the original poster declared that he had received useful information that solved their problem we thought it best to close the thread before it devolved into one that gave offense and had to be removed (taking with it the useful information).

It was suggested that the Moderating Staff here are biased in applying the rules of our forum. I can say in all honesty that we try exceptionally hard to be fair to all. We discuss matters as a group, we vote on them, and try to explain our actions. Members of the “Mod Squad” often excuse themselves from certain votes if they feel that they cannot be truly unbiased.

Some thread topics, posts, or images can be very difficult to judge. Sometimes it is a subtle matter of focus or intent that define them as falling within or without of our rules.

Members always have the option of contacting one of the staff here if they think something is questionable before posting it.

Members can always contact the staff to politely ask why something was pulled or see if they could be given the reasoning behind that decision.

There are other forums out there that allow pretty much everything and for adults that is fine.

This forum has rules to keep it one that virtually anyone can feel comfortable participating in or recommending to others.

We have an exceptional membership and the polite, respectful, informative, and fun setup with have here on XMTS allows all kinds of people from all walks of life to interact on a level playing field.

XMTS isn’t perfect and there are compromises.

The Moderators aren’t perfect, we are human.

No community is perfect, but this one is pretty darn good.

In future it would be far better and far more respectful to contact the Moderators directly by PM to ask questions or express a concern.

Since this issue has now been addressed it is the decision of the Mod Squad to close this thread.

Sincerely

Jamie