Mick,

Both you and Bob do a great job. I do not agree with all your decisions on what is acceptable, but your job is not to make just one person happy (whether that is me or someone else). You cannot delete every post. And sometimes all it takes is someone to let you know of a situation.

Keep up the good work. I know I would not want that job.

Peace

What the he// happened to my post !?!??
 

Thanks, Rut.
It can be a chore, ...especially the baseball forum.

What we usually start with there (as you well know) is a genuine subject.
Then someone says something, on topic, a little bit differently than is accepted.
Then a comment get made like: <LI>That's stoopid!<LI>Only a Little League Ump would think that.<LI>How can you me so lame?

[<I>Now we have something going</I>]

The next retort may be submissive, passive, aggressive.
If it's submissive, the discussion may continue.
If it's passive, then a question may be asked as to why the retort wasn't challenged.
If it's aggressive, it becomes a testosterone contest.

With the contest, now the thread may become a history lesson of all the posters involved, where they posted, why they posted, their age, their training and, possibly, their sexual preference.

So what was once a "legitimate thread"* has then become a contest of whose is longer, bigger, better.
<I>(*Obviously, not all threads start out void of antagonism.)</I>
Moderating now becomes that subjective chore to which bob alluded.

Windy and you, as well as others, wonder why these things are allowed/not allowed to continue; where is the cut-off; why is that deleted, but the one before was left; how come he got the last word and not me. When I lock and/or delete a thread, during a multiple user squabble that isn’t that bad (ie, just delete it!), but seems to have volcanic potential, I try to pick an “equal-enough” point/counterpoint position before the single post deletions and locking occur. (I am surely aggravating someone/everyone/no one when I do that, but it’s the call I make that seemed like the right thing to do at the time.)

Also, I, and I think bob is close, (but I really cannot speak or try to speak for him), kinda watch (<U>if</U>, in fact, we have happened to even read a thread), and we kinda hope that the tone will change and get back on topic. If it does, …good deal. If it doesn’t, …time to adjudge.

If it doesn't go back there, but keeps getting worse, now I am thinking, "the easiest thing to do is delete, but there was some value, but it's getting ugly, should I lock it, should I delete it, should I move it, does it have enough value to merely move, am I hurting the forum by allowing it, helping the forum by deleting it, hurting..., helping..., Aaaaaargh!

Regardless Rut, as you say, "That's just me." :)

Before the moderators were listed, we, The Forum users, would be reading away, then leave, then come back and "Whuh?, the thread was gone!" There was little doubt why our posts were deleted, but not much was said about it. And life went on.

Now, I think you've noticed that some threads that used to be deleted quickly are slightly longer lived in hopes that they return to topic. This longer life is due to the open-mindedness of the OfficialForum administration, nothing else. I cannot speak for the administration, but I think it's due to the overall faith in the forum users that all wandering threads do not have to "go bad".

A user from each active forum has, at one time or other, e-mailed me and, I am sure, other moderators, to take a look at a specific thread because they have been offended, or because of vulgarity, or because someone's name was used in vain. Some of there threads go away.
We moderators are questioned privately, as well as publicly, about our motives/reasons.

When questioned, the answer is given. The questioner, may not like the answer, but that is the end of it, ...as far as I know.

We all are pretty darn sure when we cross the line. We know we are not fooling anyone with the funny symbols above the numbers, but some of us cannot think of another word to use, so we curse. I think the software will automatically handle some words, but not all of them, as we, that may use the $$, know. We try to sneak by because we are all clever. And what have we accomplished? We've merely aggravated someone, …or merely cursed.

That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it.

Anyway, I really appreciate this forum. It's a good thing.
I learn here, ...especially on the baseball forum. :)

mick

Thank you Mick, that is the longest post I've read from you.


Bob,
I'm still wondering why you haven't answered my question. :)

...Just got to ramblin' on and couldn't stop.
M'bad.
mick

Must have been a slip of the tongue.

I thought so...
if you're feelin' blue, it might be time for school.

You are smarter than people give you credit.

It was fun being Rob, though. At least he thought so.