To say this forum has be on edge for the last little while would be an understatement. Anyone who has been around here for more then a year knows that this is part of the cycle. Next it will be mod bashing (started already), then it will be something else.
The problem as I see it is we have a few people who post here who make it their calling in life to post topics they know will start something. I've seen many a thread like this that a Mod has posted in asking the person to edit their post,etc. The thread gets back on track and someone has to throw some gas on the fire by trying to get the last word in. It grows old real fast folks. That is one reason threads get locked.
I find it amusing that all the members here have no problem voicing their opinion on a topic based on their interpretation of the subject but when a thread gets locked because of a Mods interpretation of said subject or the posts in the thread he is being a power hungry PC thug.
I can tell you it takes a while to get the hang of being an effective firm but fair mod.(I'm not there yet!)
Especially when it comes to applying the conduct code. Everyone reads it different. We allow latitude when enforcing it based on everyone not reading the same message in it. How about giving the Mods some latitude if their interpretation isn't identical to yours?   It isn't easy walking the line with such a diverse group of people. Instead of starting a clone thread of one that got locked to prove a point or ranting and raving like a little kid, how about discussing it like the mature gun owners we are and offering solutions. Give the Mods a chance to get the hang of it. Sure they will make a mistake or two. Haven't you? I sure as hell have.
This is our site, if you think something needs to be fixed or changed then offer suggestions and help change it. Don't sit back and hurl insults and attack people who donate their time for free to help out on the premiere gun site on the net.
Lets get this sorted out, put behind us and move on.
[size=3][red]Okay folks. Let me narrow the scope of this discussion down a bit. I posted this thread asking for ideas and suggestions to help get the GD forum back where it was. Lets limit the replies to that please!
thanks.[/red][/size=3]

How about we adopt this-



"The General Non-Gun Discussion Forum is provided for the benefit of all members, as a means to communicate about other things than firearms and to get to know one another as a group. It is NOT a personal soapbox forum for spouting controversial issues such as race and religion. The administrators of this forum have tried to give as much slack as possible, but lately it has become a huge headache as some folks seem fit to only post here and raise hell, instead of trying to contribute something positive. In private discussion it was considered that we remove the non-gun forum entirely, however, in the meantime we have decided to try something different. We will continue to run the non-gun forum, but any topic that we feel is in poor taste or that breaks forum rules will be deleted IMMEDIATELY. Members who object or who continue to pose a problem will have their posting privileges taken away. We feel that this is a more fair solution than to simply remove this forum entirely and hurt everybody, so let's see how this works. If you have any questions or comments feel free to e-mail me or any of the other administrators."

I swiped this from 1911forum.com

15 replies and 6 offering suggestions. The rest..people hurling insults at others.

I'll tell you what is bullshit.  Bullshit is when you accuse me of of locking a post "that did not cross any lines."  Here is my explanation for the lock:

There was a response by Tonys68l36 in another thread.  Here it is, where he admits to trolling:

Alrighty, my .02...

There has been an increase lately in both overactive moderation [i]and[/i]  overactive trolling.  If I had to guess, I'd say the overactive trolling came first, but not by much.  I think the problem is that we hit that point in the cycle where people were starting to get pissy with each other (I think it last peaked in April or May) at the same time we got some new mods.  

I like BenDover and thebeekeeper1.  Liked both their contributions in the past, and I thought they were both good pics for mods.  I also think they've been a little quick on the trigger, and I think BenDover's got to either be a referee or a fighter.  Not both.  And that goes for all the mods.  You can't get in the pissing matches, and then drop the blade when things get hairy.  Call it one of the drawbacks to being a mod.

So, how to fix it?  First, people need to chill the fuck out.  [b]This is not real life.[/b]  People post, people get offended, people get over it.  

Second, everyone has a responsibility to this board, whether you're "on the team" or not.  It's a big sandbox, and there's room for a lot of diverse opinions, but the trolling - and by that I mean posts that have no purpose other than to inflame passions and rile people up - has been on the increase, and it should stop.  If you get your jollies by pissing people off over the internet, you need to get a life.

Finally, electing mods is nonsense.  This is not a democracy.  Goatboy and staff run the show.  All this whining about "we should get to pick the mods" is bullshit.  If you don't like what's happening, do something constructive to fix it.  You and I don't run the show; we're guests here.  This is the best site on the net, and it hasn't gotten that way by letting whiney bitches run the show.  The conduct code is real easy to follow - if you think something in a post might be in violation, it probably is, and you should ask yourself what, if anything, constructive would come of posting it.

Again, because I think it's important, it's [i]everyone's[/i] responsibility.  Not just the staff, not just the mods.  I don't care who first said it, we should all make an effort to "all just get along".

Rant off.  

edited for grammar.

I like the idea of voting for mods, even though it won't change anything, the rules here are simple and any mod is required to lock certian threads no matter who is doing the moderating. However I don't think a mod should have to justify why they lock a particular thread. Rules are rules and if you can't follow them you get locked. By nature of our pro-gun politics we are fighters at heart, but sometimes that energy gets misplaced and we fight amongst ourselves. We are not here to be PC, that is by defenition the furthest thing from the truth, given our constant battle against draconian gun laws. Granted there will always be those undisciplined sh*tbirds who try to push everything to the limit and disrespect other members. Some people who post here are trouble makers and someone has to have the unpleasant and unpopular job of handling them, I think it would be tougher than I imagine to be a fair mod on such a large and diverse board. This place is like a large family to me and there will be disagreements between us, but let's handle it in a mature, responsible way and there should be less problems with locked threads.

There was no "flood" of new Mods. There are a couple of new people but most were mods in handgun and the ak boards. They ended up here when we went with the one GD forum. Some are staff now.
There is some good feedback here. Keep it coming.

simple- make me a mod... [}:D]

and i missed something, whats all this IBTL crap?

Absolutely.  Friends henceforth.  This is my only intention with you and all other Members.  All, feel free to contact me.  I check my IM/E-mail throughout the day and half the night.  I assure you, my heart is in the right place.

One point, so everyone knows, GoatBoy asks us to post the reason for thread locks, quoting the CC rule that the thread/post violates.  This is to be done every time, to avoid confusion/hard feelings.  Please don't go berserk if one of us fails to do so though.  [:D]

Best idea all night. Do this!!

Once the thread is in the "Gas Chamber" it will live for 3-5 days or 12 hours of inactivity  then get deleted.

I'm not sure this is the answer, but Full-Auto does this. When a couple of guys just start rolling around in the shit they send it to "Rant" I never thought much about it but I guess it does let guys duke it out in peace without disturbing everyone else. On the other hand Full-Auto has no advertisers etc so they can be a lot looser with what topics they allow.

Personally, I think that an election for MOD's, is NOT a good idea. GoatBoy has done a great job selecting MOD's, and I only have a small problem with a couple of them. And that in time I am sure will resolve itself.

Don't take it all so serious, laugh a little, make fun of those that post BS.

Don't take it get personal, it is the internet for crying out loud. Be a man, we get pissed and happy in the same hour, in real life. So don't be any different here.

If you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

And if it is clearly racist/bigotry, lock it and dump it. But I do think inuendo is another thing altogether. I would prefer it to be left alone to continue until it dies of it's own accord, or it becomes crystal clear.

You asked for input, I gave it.

dave

This is exactly how it is.  The list at the right on the main forum screen is it.  The only ones who have "magic powers" in each forum are those listed, even though the title now appears in all forums a Mod inhabits since the new site upgrade.
It already exists as a repository for outrageous threads, but cannot be accessed by Members.  It is at the bottom of the list.
This is precisely what we are instructed to do.  I have each time I found it necessary to lock a thread, and I'm sure any oversights by others were unintentional.  The Board has gone down several times today which made it difficult to do it though, as the lock and explanation post have to be done separately.  

We are not allowed to delete for legal reasons and edits are to be done "rarely, if at all," according to GB.  Usually, we ask the poster to edit his own post, and give the reason, then lock if he/she refuses.  It is ironic the Membership blames the Mod/Staff for locks when the poster is the real culprit.  

We serve at GoatBoy's pleasure and this would be a nightmare for him, IMO.  If we do well we get an occasional pat on the head from I-don't-know-who-because-it-hasn't-happened-yet, but when we do bad or err, we are kicked in the nuts repeatedly by a long line of willing participants.  [:D]

Goatboy chooses his Mods/Staff based upon his own secret criteria that is a mystery to all of us.  I seriously doubt this would make a difference.  The "Member" Mod would still be subject to the above gonad-kicking when he locked his first thread, trust me.  

Thank you for such a constructive and thoughtful post.  I hope my own thoughts clarify some things, and give you something to think about in others.  As a "family" everything will be worked out and we will be back to fighting our true enemies in no time.  Thanks again!

eswanson is right in line with my thoughts.

I wasn't aware that my "moderator" powers extended beyond the forum that I was listed in. I wouldn't use them else where anyway as I aways use my God-like powers for good.

You are allowed to vote off moderators by sending complaints to the staff. I get both fan mail (thanks mom) and hate mail (take it easy will ya' my ISP limits me to 10 Mb). Seriously you can't take the mission seriously. As was pointed out this isn't real life!

When someone sends me a complaint I might not comply with the person bitching but I will read the thing and understand where the guy is coming from at least. It's only fair. The guy might not be right as far as the forum rules are concerned but he is right as far as he is concerned. I do moderate my moderation.

I do also get pleas from people to lock or delete threads that have gone to the dogs.

For the most part it is the same trouble makers time and time again over the same few issues: racism, abortion, and religion (and the USS Liberty! [:p]).

This is a cycle where the crap gets posted, moderated, spawned again, locked, and then the moderator bashing starts. It doesn't help that school is out, welfare checks have arrived, and the moon is full.