Operation Stealth Lock: The New SL Forum Mod 3000

It's very obvious to me why most threads are locked. Is it really an issue that a moderator doesn't make a post stating the obvious before locking a thread?

The beggar thread would have been better off completely deleted but oh well, locking is better than nothing.

It could be. You cannot do an effective job if you enforce one rule (locking a thread for a valid reason) while breaking another (not commenting why as the guidelines say must be done).

Again, like you I pretty well know why a thread is locked when it is but there is a reason the Lindens want transparency. I suspect that reason is so they do not have to deal with challenges to the locks more often then they should.

I think we all agree that more transparency is better, but let's not lose our grip on common sense when a cesspool thread is locked.

Hey I don't need to cut and paste. I'm perfectly capable of making up my own Lock Worthy Jokes.

I do agree that we SHOULD be told why a thread is locked, it is educational, and preferable to deleting offensive posts. But in any event, it isn't something I will get my panties in a bunch about, as Walker says, "It's a Forum. No one dies".

And it IS LL's Forum. We are all here at their pleasure.

i rather believe we're actually here as their jesters.

The reason for the original General Forums to be taken down is because they were full of alts trolling, flaming, personal attacks and the biggest problem: constant bad mouthing of the Lindens and LL.

I would say that as the RA stands now it likely is a pleasure for the Lindens. Lots of support tickets are avoided here.

It is the trolling/spamming stuff that will get locked. Most everything else around here seems to be ok with Katt.

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Resmod
Resmod who?
[locked]

:waits expectantly:

OK. THAT one, I'd cut and paste.

Thanks. Made it up all by myself.

Obviously it is.

And then we will burn some books.

The grip loosing is not coming from me. I posted my observations. And what I feel is a better policy than closing threads with no explanation.

I do not think that Linden Lab would put a full time paid employee on forum detail if all they has as a customer base were ten million free accounts. That said, as a customer I do expect an explanation when the company I pay for services changes the way they do things or is rolling out new policies that effect me.

Hey! Cut that out!

to a very limited number of users

Drama about a thread that devolved into pure drama, and was necroposted to



And what makes you think the majority of paid accounts care about threads being locked that were nothing but drama and BS? Much like this one.

You're attempt to be witty here only displays your ignorance. There is absolutely nothing analagous in deleting a solicitation for money and censorship of literature. Asking for money in a thread still has the undesired effect after the thread is locked, if only for a more limited duration of time as it fades into obscurity on to page 10 and beyond. It would be better to simply delete them just as it is appropriate to either delete or move posts advertising products when they are placed in the RA forum.

I wasn't necessarily speaking to you, just in general. You do have a right to know as a paying customer I agree. But that CAN be done without a forum, if LL so desires. Just sayin.

Was the book burning comment a stealth Godwin?

I've always kinda wondered about the actual history of The Godwin. It seems to have been in full-force before I ever paid any attention to the forums, so it has that air of being impossibly ancient and profound, as with all things that happened before one was born.

The particular candidate for thread-burning, if not deleted, could have benefited from an edit to remove the OP links. But presumably we all have our browsing shields on full power before we click any links here. (Right?) Whether we call it book burning or revisionism or prudent editing, it's hard to see how anybody would have been materially worse off if any or all of that thread had been expunged.

.....

To the topic of stealth-locking: I'm thinking that not every moderator necessarily knows the magic incantation for locking a thread and then editing in a post so it doesn't get bumped. Strife knew how to do it, yeah, and maybe it's common knowledge for moderators, but in the absence of evidence, I wouldn't assume that. (In any case, I'd personally prefer that all threads be locked automatically without comment after a week of inactivity.)

.....

I know I'm just not visiting a lot of threads now, so maybe I'm not getting a representative sample, but it *seems* that the popular pastime of forum dramaturgy has subsided a bit. There's still the occasional Alphonse and Gaston "Clique" / "No, you" / "I insist, you first", and the Deep Blue gambit of "complaints about complaining about complainers." But on balance the thumb-sucking metaphysics of forum etiquette seems to consume less overhead these days (current thread--and, for that matter, current paragraph--notwithstanding).

Of course, the fact that things aren't spectacularly broken here is probably enough to keep any Linden from trying to fix it--as with a vBulletin upgrade. So maybe we should try insulting each other's mothers for a while and see if it gets better results.

I was referring to freedom of speech. A lock with an explanation why seemsreasonable. Deleting it seems an abuse of power and sensorship. People can SEE a post for goodness sake. We don't need a corporate employee saving us from ourselves.

Freedom of speech applies to government intervention.

It does not apply to a corporation moderating their message boards.

Ding, Ding, Ding... we have a winner.

IBTSL

Really don't see the problem here but that might be just me.

We all know what are the rules when posting here, and those who do not know, can check them.
To be honest, even without reading them it is not that hard to keep within the boundaries. The only important rule is the "not naming names" one. For the rest:

- Bashing the Lindens in their own forum? Plain stupid. Commenting on decisions should be okay, and is okay as far as I can see.
- Going against TOS: Even more stupid.
- Using foul language? Try to be civilized. If you cannot, walk away from the forums, and take a course in behaving like a civilized person. Test your improvement on a random person in a bikers bar.
- Bashing other users: See "using foul language".
- Posting in the wrong forum? Read the subforum title and try to understand what it means.

Considering we are in RA here, I think the Mods go very very easy on us. Many more threads could be closed, if the rules were applied stricter. We should value that.

Threads that are obviously against a handful of rules, can be closed and/or deleted without any explanation as far as I am concerned, it is easy enough to understand why it was locked if one uses his/her mind. Giving an explanation is more goodwill then need.

Many people do not know the rules and new players do not know where to check them.
Yet the latest naming name threads are all still open (Don't Get Ripped off Like me" Thread).


Then let's see how fast the "Are you going to the SL5B" Thread is axed.

Corporations never give more goodwill than needed. Adding a few more key strokes to their task is well worth their time. I have never been apart pof a forum that the Mods did not feel it worth their time to respectfully explain their actions.

Thank you!

If they do not know the rules, its their own problem. Posting here without knowing what you can post, is stupid. And as I said before, most of the rules are simply related to being civilized, and using common sense.


One thing we do agree on I guess, is the fact that there is no consistent moderation. Some threads run too long (one of them your own) and should have bene moderated much sooner.


No one forces you to be member of this one though. I have been on fora where not obeying the rules would result in thread removal, a warning, and the second time a perm ban. Some people seem to need that.

/wipes first Pepsi of the day off monitor

I wandered over to the locked post in question and read the whooooole thing. It was sort of like when one comes upon a really bad car accident and don't want to look, but do and then can't look away.

I did find it rather educational though. For example:

*I know to NEVER engage in a debate with a couple of our forum posters. I know squat about physics of any kind and some kind of theory by a guy with a name that sounds like the Hindenberg

*Except for the trip to Ahern a few weeks ago during the avatar experiment in which I participated I've never been to infohubs. One in particular is now on my "To Do" list.

/waves back to Amara

Your idea of a sound business plan and customer service is somewhat lacking.


I agree that it just wandered aimlessly after the 300th post (not by me - I stuck to the original subject). But the Lindens can find a policy, publicize it and stick to it - or I think they can. The status quo had been that the Mod that applied the lock would IDENTIFY THEMSELVES and then write something not agreed with. One could not respond (in the closed thread) but at least it was some courtesy.


Waiting for warning. Dead silence is not communicating.