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Old 4th May 2022, 10:09 pm   #1
Lancs Lad
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Default Threads being closed?

I'm really becoming quite vexed by how quickly the moderators are deciding to close threads.

Are we not allowed to meander off at the odd tangent any more?

I used to really enjoy reading and participating with UKVRRR, but this draconian management is just happening too often and spoiling it for me these days.

I don't like it. Why are you doing it, Mods?
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Last edited by Lancs Lad; 4th May 2022 at 10:18 pm.
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Old 4th May 2022, 11:30 pm   #2
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

No, members are not allowed to 'meander off at the odd tangent'. Forum policy on off topic posting hasn't changed.

Please do not criticise the forum moderation in public threads. Moderators are all fellow enthusiasts, and are unpaid volunteers assisting the forum owner. If you have a specific complaint, you should use the PM system.
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Old 4th May 2022, 11:42 pm   #3
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

Right!

I'd be interested to read responses to my initial comment, and also to the reply.

What are your thoughts?
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Old 4th May 2022, 11:54 pm   #4
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

Seems you have fallen into one of the 4000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire, Peter.
I have had many posts deleted although I dont think threads closed.
Read the rules again !!.
Its quite specific.

With respect

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Old 5th May 2022, 12:17 am   #5
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

Hi this is my 2 pence worth, another forum it has mods ? this being a teck forum topics include the U situation etc and home brewed beer this being well off topic ( QRP Radio) but not moderated in any way if i wanted to discuss beer i would find a forum to do so i think the mods do a fine job and thank you for not letting this forum turn into a free for all > i now don't visit this other forum at all Mick
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Old 5th May 2022, 3:23 am   #6
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

There is a thread on toasters that got closed pretty quickly once one of a different brand name crept in.
I just say that this is the strict forum and accept it for what it is.
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Old 5th May 2022, 9:01 am   #7
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

Nothing has changed with how this forum is moderated for many years. Meandering off at odd tangents has never been permitted, and if it has been allowed to happen it was just because we didn't notice.

If you started a thread about something and within a few replies it had wandered onto something different without answering your query, you wouldn't be happy. Or if you found a thread that looked promising from the title but most of the posts were about other things, you'd be disappointed. Keeping things focussed is generally the better approach.

Experience over the 20 years of running this forum has shown us what works and what doesn't.

Other UK based vintage radio forums may have different moderation policies and styles which suit you better. A couple are listed here if you wish to try them.

https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=93391

Or if you want to chat online generally about anything then a social network such as Facebook is the ideal place.
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Old 5th May 2022, 9:39 am   #8
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

Having been involved in running a forum myself many years ago, I can say that it is impossible to please all of the people all of the time. Moderators are stuck between a rock and a hard place and have to make decisions for the good of the forum and not individual members.
On the whole, I think this forum is moderated well, and I like the fact that everything is kept on topic. During my time here I have had one very small disagreement with a mod, but these people are human and a couple pf PMs later everything was sorted and nothing needed to get shirty. I found no need to air the dirty laundry in public, (or whatever the expression should be).
This is my go to forum for anything old tech related, but is not and never will be my go to for other hobbies. I am fine with that.
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Old 5th May 2022, 10:17 am   #9
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

I was wondering if the OPs comment was in regard to Paul's thread on his cat which was then shut down after two days as others posted about their own cats?

OK not on the forums normal topics, but also not seeming to wonder off the topic of cats in general.

The forum is a good for many things vintage electrical/electronic and gets many posts per day. I would imagine this can only happen with strict moderation, otherwise members would not consider it a good resource.

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Old 5th May 2022, 10:29 am   #10
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

MI&N is the nearest this forum gets to having a general discussion section, and it is less strictly moderated than other sections. It is still moderated though, and threads are closed when they start to wander or they have served their purpose.
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Old 5th May 2022, 10:29 am   #11
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

Not a thread closure but something else which is in a way related.....I was put under Moderator Approval Control at what was (and still is) a very traumatic time for myself and my family, no prior warning was given or reason as to why.

At that time I had not broken any forum rules whatsoever that I was aware of, I did post a query as to the reason for its instigation but it seemed to fall on deaf ears.

This measure was enforced for some considerable period of time consisting of several weeks which made it very difficult for me to use the forum in a chronological sense regarding the edit window time etc, the Moderator Approval Control was eventually lifted, again with no prior notice or reason given for it's instigation whatsoever.....

I felt, and still do feel very much let down by that action.

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Old 5th May 2022, 10:41 am   #12
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

Members are placed on pre-moderation when they have a posting history that has required moderator intervention. It is not in itself a punishment, and only moderators will be aware that it is taking place. Posts will usually be approved quickly, though obviously this requires a mod to be monitoring the forum.

Members are not subjected to premod without a cause, as it generates more work for the mods.
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Old 5th May 2022, 10:50 am   #13
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

No, it wasn't about Paul's cat thread, really. It just seemed like threads get closed down far too soon nowadays.

I'd have loved to hear how Chris55000 went on with his new boiler installation last Thursday, for instance, but the story wasn't allowed to continue, for some reason.
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Old 5th May 2022, 11:28 am   #14
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

Quote:
Originally Posted by paulsherwin View Post
Members are not subjected to premod without a cause, as it generates more work for the mods.
There was nothing I said at the time of the "triggering" that would have warranted moderator intervention and no reason at all was given....It just came out of the blue, most unsettling.

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Old 5th May 2022, 11:49 am   #15
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

Yes, Lawrence, it is very unsettling. I understand exactly what you mean.

It's damned upsetting, too, to be honest.

I make every effort to write sensibly, respectfully and intelligently on this forum (and intelligibly, I hope!) so to receive a rebuke from the moderators just feels like a real insult.

I might have wandered off-topic now and again, but the thread usually gets back on track as it goes on. There's often no need to shut it down so peremptorily.

That's why I'm vexed.
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Last edited by Lancs Lad; 5th May 2022 at 12:08 pm.
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Old 5th May 2022, 11:50 am   #16
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lancs Lad View Post
Right!

I'd be interested to read responses to my initial comment, and also to the reply.

What are your thoughts?
Just my opinion but I'm more than happy with the moderation here and prefer it when threads stay on topic.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Lancs Lad View Post
No, it wasn't about Paul's cat thread, really. It just seemed like threads get closed down far too soon nowadays.

I'd have loved to hear how Chris55000 went on with his new boiler installation last Thursday, for instance, but the story wasn't allowed to continue, for some reason.
It was interesting but nothing to do with Vintage radio repair and restoration ... I imagine if any general chat on any subject was allowed this forum would be unmanagable and lose its specialism very quickly.

John
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Old 5th May 2022, 12:15 pm   #17
Lancs Lad
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

That's just it, John! It WAS interesting! To me, anyway. I'd have loved to hear the end of the story!

And, if the rules are so rigid, why was the thread allowed to carry on as far as it did, when it was obvious from the beginning that it wasn't strictly about Vintage Radio Repair?
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Last edited by Lancs Lad; 5th May 2022 at 12:23 pm.
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Old 5th May 2022, 12:29 pm   #18
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

The way things are moderated here has improved a lot over the years. There was a patch many years ago when the slightest misdemeanour seemed to trigger thread closure or infractions, and as others have said, this can be upsetting.

However, I genuinely feel that the mods do an amazing job keeping the forum running smoothly, and this is why it’s so successful and long lived. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Yes, I too would have liked to hear about Chris’ boiler, but if It meant that much, I could have always PMd him.

Best advice to anyone who’s unhappy is give it a break for a bit and come back in a few days when the air’s cleared. Or PM a mod for a chat. But public protests tend to cause hard feelings all round, and one or two well regarded members have been lost over the years as a result.

Cheers,
Nick
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Old 5th May 2022, 12:35 pm   #19
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

If we look at the age poll it's inescapable that with time we drift, go off-focus a little and pay less attention to details than we did..i have failed to read a couple of threads properly lately before contributing myself- it's age.
I suppose that my point is that we can't afford to lose any large-scale contributors at this point- poor health has given the forum a big hit lately, hasn't it?
I'm going to respectfully ask that this thread stays open a little longer than 'normal' as without polite annoyance being vented there's going to be unnecessary departures.

I'm in no position to dish out orders, but i would much rather see 'this thread will be closed tomorrow' than be unable to type fast enough to contribute before closure. I would have thought this would allow mods. to better allocate time between moderation and their other day-to-day stuff. But of course i could be wrong.

(I did PM Chris after 'boiler thread closure' as there was unfinished business, but overall it was too close to the gas appliances exclusion on the forum so i was fully expecting closure)

Dave

Last edited by The Philpott; 5th May 2022 at 12:42 pm.
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Old 5th May 2022, 1:10 pm   #20
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Default Re: Threads being closed?

Saying something like 'this thread will be closed tomorrow' will just invite people to get more off-topic comments in while they can. If a thread is going off-topic we often post a reminder to get back onto topic (sometimes more than once) and even delete the off-topic posts, to try to keep the thread going in the right direction, but unfortunately this generally doesn't work and the off-topic posting often continues. There is only so much we can do, and if members don't take the hints then unfortunately the threads will be closed.

Regarding pre-mod (where posts are checked by a moderator before appearing), obviously it is not appropriate to discuss individual situations here. However it is a lot more work for us so we do it as infrequently as possible and remove the restriction once the problem has resolved. We will contact the member if we think the reason isn't obvious to them, although often we think it should be if they look back at recent posts. Members can always PM one of the mod team to ask, we are human too!

The boiler thread was off-topic for the forum from the start really (we don't allow discussions about gas appliances because it's way off-topic and there are safety and legal regulations involved). We let it run for a while as it was in the member news section and was more about moving equipment to gain access etc initially. When it moved onto the actual boiler it really had to close. There's nothing to stop interested parties continuing in a PM discussion though.

We always prefer any issues or concerns to be raised by PM rather than in public threads. We are able to discuss specifics that way too, whereas open threads need to be more general for confidentiality reasons.

On that basis I think this is a good point to close this thread. If there's anything you feel is unanswered please PM one of the mod team.
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