Is this abuse of mod power?

I'd like to start by saying that the reason I've started this thread is because of the lack of feedback or a good reason for these actions so i want to know why this should just be accepted.

This thread is currently the eye of a bad storm that's brewing at the moment.

The basic situation is that this thread was started earlier this year as a means for the regulars of the soccer forum to get to know each other and chat about non soccer related issue. It has been received in nothing but a positive light. There is a good community about and the atmosphere of the thread is very good. It's even led to a beers meet up and posters who don;t post about soccer to join in on the chatter.

Problem is that one moderator (Guan Yin) who is actually a contributer has on more than one occasion closed this thread without any particularly good reason and has done so permanently today:


This thread is where the trouble started and the posts which resulted in the thread being closed start at post number 25. There is a huge amount of feedback from forum regulars on this thread too so maybe a good idea to read through it too.

Now the Off Topic thread has been my go to thread for a long time, I'm not the only one and this thread has:

- no flamewars
- no bad blood or bickering
- light hearted banter
- a sense of community, like the BGRH bar thread, people have the craic and its never dull in there.

And yet one mod can spoil everyones fun over something so petty? Surely this can be construed as taking the p1ss. When i first got made a mod I sat down and read the mod charter and all of the advice regarding not making any rash decisions, "if annoyed log off for a few minutes" etc seem to have been thoroughly ignored here.


This is not right and I'd be worried about where the soccer forum would go if this is allowed to happen.

GuanYin

The OTT thread is not a Soccer thread. It was allowed to run with several conditions.

It was stated from the offset that the thread would be closed if photos of cats or animals were posted, if there was inter-club sniping, if there was on-topic discussion or if a feedback complaint occured.

The first came about in the form of slydice photos which I softly dissuaded before clamping down on.

The last came about because I clamped down on the slydice style photos.

With these occuring, I upheld my original promise and closed the thread.

I did offer an out to zuroph and Charlie by suggesting they change their attitude on what the thread actually was, but instead of any sort of diplomacy (as I am told I am lacking), I was met with abuse and demands.

As such, I see no reason to reopen the thread.

The title of the feedback thread in question has nothing to do with this action, it just so happens that is where zuroph and charlie made their ill judged complaint.

GuanYin

GuanYin wrote: »

I did offer an out to zuroph and Charlie by suggesting they change their attitude on what the thread actually was, but instead of any sort of diplomacy (as I am told I am lacking), I was met with abuse and demands.

I've said my piece and will let the feedback come in before posting again, though any forum regs who want something added can PM me and I'll post it here. However I've quoted the above as i think it's important to emphasise how stupid this all is:

zuroph does not ever post in this thread and yet Guan Yin has repeatedly used him as part of her reasoning for closing the thread.

Frisbee

Some added Feedback from other users PM's, I'll edit this with any more that i get, I won't post the names of who sends these but will happily disclose them to an SMod if needs be:

Personally I think closing a thread that has 700 pages in it is complete bull****. Why doesnt the moderator edit the posts that are annoying him/her rather than closing an obviously popular thread.

This is just my view on the OTT in the Soccer Forum. Guan Yin claims it's a privilege as if she was doing you all a favour by having it but in truth it has lead to the improvement of the forum and helping to make her job easier;

To be fair, the OTT in the Soccer Forum has served to diffuse a very intense atmosphere; it has improved the spirit of the forum. By giving posters an arena to let off some steam, it has helped to reduce the amount of soccer related threads that get derailed. Simply put, that thread has played it's part in creating a community in the soccer forum.

"Since it began ... how many reported posts have been generated from the OTT thread ?"

Firstly, The off topic thread has been a huge success since being introduced to the soccer forum. It created a mini-community within boards that never could have occurred inside team thread/match threads. Closing the thread will destroy the community that has been built up.

Secondly, The only mod that I have even seen question any of the workings of the Off Topic Thread has been GuanYin. I believe many of the mod's have contributed to it over its life span, while none have ever felt the need to moderate it.

Thirdly, GuanYin has stated that the Off-Topic thread was closed due to a feedback thread being started about it. Firstly the feedback thread was started as a piss take, by a user who has admitted they rarely leave the poker the forum and have never posted in the Off Topic thread in soccer. The Off-Topic thread was then locked due to the contributions of Charile McHugh to the feedback thread.

So a lot of posters are getting punished for one posters actions/comments etc. This is just wrong, and does not support the idea of boards being a community at all.

Lastly, this decision regarding the off-topic thread should be made by all the soccer mods + admins. We will all then have to accept that decision but I think it would be a lot easier to accept the decision knowing it was made by all the mods and not just one.

I would also like to voice my displeasure for the closure of the OTT in the soccer forum. The thread allows the regular contributors to the forum to become better friends with each-other. This may not be the main aim of the forum, but the better camaraderie inevitably means that fans from rival teams may be a little more respectful to each other when the next heated debate sparks a little aggression. That can only make a moderators job that little bit easier!

It's the best thread in the forum and I've personally increased my overall contribution to the forum because of the topic, and I'm sure better and more regular contributors to the forum feel the same. It really does make the entire forum a more pleasant place to be, and I'm sure all of the posters of the Soccer forum would appreciate if you unlocked it!


This has become petty and stupid, making an example of the most popular thread in one of the most popular forums on boards to prove you have the power and certain posters should beware is ridiculous. It's turning into a flat out powertrip.

Frisbee wrote:

Immediate reaction, wtf?!

I don't know what GY is on about saying it caused Feedback threads. It was referenced to in a feedback thread by someone to prove a point.
I mean look at the OT threads in Nocturnal, Body Mod etc. There is easily as much trouble from them as there was from us, i.e. none.
It's policed much harder than the other OT threads:

GuanYin: "No photo's of cats or animals?"

Fair enough if this was stated before the thread was opened but IT'S AN OFF TOPIC THREAD, it's meant as a bit of light natured fun and where the forum regulars can talk to each other about non-football topics.

I'm seriously pissed off with this decision and will be very surprised if it stands.
Taking away the OT thread is going to make the soccer forum a much harder place to Mod as threads are going to start being derailed due to people having a go at each other/ OT talking etc.
Effectively the closing of the OT thread may as well signal the end of any camaraderie that currently exists in the Soccer Forum.
Having the OT thread has certainly gotten me more involved in the forum as with out it I wouldn't know Xavi6, Des, Neil1984, charlie mchugh, eZe^, ~Rebel~ and whoever else I've forgotten where decent lads, which will give me more reason to pop into a thread after seeing they've posted in it as I know it probably has something worthwhile reading.


And I'm not sure if you didn't want everyone flooding the thread with replies Neil, or you thought people would just prefer anonymity but you can put my name on this reply

Gordon

Archimedes wrote: »

Whoever was responsible here for getting the Off Topic thread closed in Soccer forum, I hope you choke on your cock you silly little prick.

If your a female, then I hope you choke on someones elses cock, you slut.

Is this the type of stuff that goes on in the thread that you guys talk about?

Why you think that kind of response is acceptable and thankable is beyond me, bang out of order, disgusting imo.

Gordon

Gordon wrote: »

Is this the type of stuff that goes on in the thread that you guys talk about?

Why you think that kind of response is acceptable and thankable is beyond me, bang out of order, disgusting imo.

First I've seen of this reply and i wouldn't dig it up but for a PM I received. I thanked that post because it made me laugh. It made me laugh because said poster has a habit of posting that kind of thing when he is drunk. My thanks doesn't imply I necessarily agree with him, it's a thanks because I laughed at the way teh internets brought out the rage.


And no it most certainly is not what goes on in the thread. There's a community feel to that thread, and the idea that an issue in a different forum could lead to it's closure annoyed me and everyone else there. That post is certainly not reflective of the thread in question.


That is all.