Closing threads

SectionF

I'm not quite sure how this should be framed. I've read the charter and it doesn't really shed any light on it: I can't see any guideline with specific relevance, though I'm open to correction on that.
I think it would be useful if someone in ownership/authority set out what the soccer forum's policy is on free expression, and with it the various bases for locking a thread.

CiaranC

A thread has to not bore GuanYin apparently. Cant see it in the charter myself.

Xavi6

Any examples of threads that were locked that you aren't happy about? Just so i can see what you mean.

CiaranC

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055483994

GuanYin warns in post #13 not to talk about the thread in the context of LoI vs EPL, because he finds it boring. 72 posts later, despite being the most active thread on the forum at the time, its locked.

Xavi6

It is boring, and the same arguments are wielded out time and time again. No new ground is covered and people end up making personal digs at each other (ntlbell towards Des in that particular thread).

Do you think that thread offered anything to the forum?

Mitch Connor

Xavi6 wrote: »

Do you think that thread offered anything to the forum?

the people actively contributing to it obviously thought it did.

CiaranC

Xavi6 wrote: »

It is boring, and the same arguments are wielded out time and time again. No new ground is covered and people end up making personal digs at each other (ntlbell towards Des in that particular thread).

Do you think that thread offered anything to the forum?

If its boring, then noone would post in it surely? It was the most active thread at the time.

Can you point out in the charter where it says we can only discuss things the moderators dont find boring?

Xavi6

Mitch Connor wrote: »

the people actively contributing to it obviously thought it did.

People will post on anything.

Xavi6

CiaranC wrote: »

If its boring, then noone would post in it surely? It was the most active thread at the time.

Can you point out in the charter where it says we can only discuss things the moderators dont find boring?

It's nothing to do with being 'boring'.

From experience those threads only go down one route that leads to infractions and bans because people can't keep their emotions under control. It was already happening in that thread, hence the early warning. It wasn't adhered to so the thread was locked.

Blame to ones who couldn't discuss the topic without being bitchy. They got it locked.

Boggles

Xavi6 wrote: »

People will post on anything.

Your dead right Xavi. :pac:

Mitch Connor

Xavi6 wrote: »

People will post on anything.

so? The point of a discussion board is to provide people the facilities to have a discussion. Surely as long as the topic itself is not offensive, and is related to football it should be allowed to live or die as it may, by the vote of the forum users and not one mod.

I can understand the desire to stop personal digs and abuse that lead to infractions and bannings, but imo the people posting should simply be made accountable for their own actions and punished individually, rather than a collective punishment of declaring any discussion on the closed topic temporarily banned, which is effectively what closing a thread does.

Of course if the thread simply descends into an abusive nightmare then it should be closed, but closing threads should be a last resort, or a step taken later than it sometimes is.

Personally, I would also have a problem with threads that get closed for going off topic, while still remaining football related. IMO, all football discussion will eventually flow from one topic to another and, again as long as it is not abusive, it should be allowed to do so. The match threads, for instance, getting closed when the discussion has moved on to the repercussions the result has on the league or approaches to the next game as a result of the one player, is wrong. A match will effect other games and the perception of results and so discussion should be allowed to reflect that until it naturally migrates back to a super thread or the next match thread.

CiaranC

Xavi6 wrote: »

From experience those threads only go down one route that leads to infractions and bans because people can't keep their emotions under control. It was already happening in that thread, hence the early warning. It wasn't adhered to so the thread was locked.

Blame to ones who couldn't discuss the topic without being bitchy. They got it locked.

Where is the early warning about emotions, infractions and bans?

GuanYin wrote:

Let us not go the usual EL vs. EPL route, it gets boring.

....aaaaannnnnddddd we're done.

(see earlier warning for details).

Looks like it was locked for being boring to me.

The only person who 'got it locked' was the mod.

Aidric

Xavi6 wrote: »

bans because people can't keep their emotions under control.

That's a shocking piece of text. Are you suggesting people should keep their emotions under wrap on a subject they feel passionately about? Hearty 'banter' between fans is all part of the make up of what's great about soccer. If you go down the road of putting a muzzel on opinions everytime they stray then it all becomes very formulaic and ironically 'boring'.

Xavi6

Well actually, the thread should have been closed it went completely off the topic of Sundeland and descended into another debate over the EPL and the LOI.

That's not the question the OP asked.

therecklessone

CiaranC wrote: »

A thread has to not bore GuanYin apparently. Cant see it in the charter myself.

Another dig like that and you'll have reason to add me to your list of mods you dislike. Offer constructive criticism or none at all.

CiaranC

Ive just sussed that therecklessone is now a mod, and maybe GuanYin was referring to his warning.

therecklessone wrote:

Tone down the replies please, or there will be more than a few edited posts.

So are any posts or threads touching on this topic now effectively banned?

Are we going to get a charter update?

Xavi6

Aidric wrote: »

That's a shocking piece of text. Are you suggesting people should keep their emotions under wrap on a subject they feel passionately about? Hearty 'banter' between fans is all part of the make up of what's great about soccer. If you go down the road of putting a muzzel on opinions everytime they stray then it all becomes very formulaic and ironically 'boring'.

Did you even bother to read the fucking thread before posting?

I was referring to this comment specifically in that thread -

Originally Posted by ntlbell
Des usually does a runner from these threads as soon as a rational debate on topic arises

Is that the 'hearty banter' you're on about yeah?

therecklessone

CiaranC wrote: »

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055483994

GuanYin warns in post #13 not to talk about the thread in the context of LoI vs EPL, because he finds it boring. 72 posts later, despite being the most active thread on the forum at the time, its locked.

So what you're saying is that despite a clear warning on the thread not to derail the topic and move on to another topic, posters did exactly that, and now there's a complaint that the mod acted on her warning and closed the thread?

That's what you're saying, correct?

Because from where I'm standing that is as self-defeating an argument as one can get.

CiaranC

therecklessone wrote:

Another dig like that and you'll have reason to add me to your list of mods you dislike. Offer constructive criticism or none at all.

Lol, I can see where this is headed.

Xavi6 wrote: »

Is that the 'hearty banter' you're on about yeah?

Im sure Des is suffering from extreme emotional distress after that comment. Hes probably in counselling right now to get over it :rolleyes:

therecklessone

CiaranC wrote: »

Ive just sussed that therecklessone is now a mod, and maybe GuanYin was referring to his warning.


So are any posts or threads touching on this topic now effectively banned?

Are we going to get a charter update?

See my 2nd post above, GuanYin was acting on her own warning, but the fact that I had to intervene on the thread will not have made her decision any more difficult.

therecklessone

CiaranC wrote: »

Lol, I can see where this is headed.

If it heads that way it will be through your own actions, not mine. Take this as a friendly bit of advice.

Xavi6

CiaranC wrote: »

Im sure Des is suffering from extreme emotional distress after that comment. Hes probably in counselling right now to get over it :rolleyes:

So you think that those sort of comments have a place in the thread and don't antagonise people?

therecklessone

CiaranC wrote: »

Im sure Des is suffering from extreme emotional distress after that comment. Hes probably in counselling right now to get over it :rolleyes:

Well, he responded to the barb, so he obviously felt something.

CiaranC

therecklessone wrote: »

So what you're saying is that despite a clear warning on the thread not to derail the topic and move on to another topic, posters did exactly that, and now there's a complaint that the mod acted on her warning and closed the thread?

That's what you're saying, correct?

Because from where I'm standing that is as self-defeating an argument as one can get.

The posts were all relevant to the context of the discussion. How can you discuss Irish fans sudden support of Sunderland, after an Irish manager and Irish players and Irish investors arrive, without mentioning the contrast to people supporting Irish clubs?

Just let us know if the topic is now banned from here or not.

Xavi6

No topic is banned. Each thread is judged on an individual basis and it's own merits.

_blank_

Lads, the thread got out of hand (whatever about the personal stuff :rolleyes:).

Same old points, re-hashed again and again on the subject on this forum.

I've gotten tired of it myself, and I was probably the most militant LoI head in here for a while.

At the end of the day, people are going to have their own opinions on it, and posting about here isn't going to change that.

So, instead of getting hot and bothered about it, why not try a different approach.

People who don't hold the same opinion as you on the subject are silly, misguided fools.

On whatever side of the debate you find yourself.

therecklessone

Mitch Connor wrote: »

so? The point of a discussion board is to provide people the facilities to have a discussion. Surely as long as the topic itself is not offensive, and is related to football it should be allowed to live or die as it may, by the vote of the forum users and not one mod.

I'm always happy to allow discussion meander a bit in a thread, human discourse is inclined to do that anyway. What I don't like seeing is every opportunity to derail an honest topic into a slagging match between LOI and PL fans. The signal:noise ratio gets thrown all over the place, and there are enough threads still open in the forum for people to continue their battles on that front anyway. I'd like the topic of the closed thread to be aired and discussed, but when there is a clear warning from a mod not to hijack the thread and people ignore that warning then what are we to do?

As for your point re. match threads (and by extension superthreads), we will be reviewing that situation in the summer.

Mitch Connor

therecklessone wrote: »

I'm always happy to allow discussion meander a bit in a thread, human discourse is inclined to do that anyway. What I don't like seeing is every opportunity to derail an honest topic into a slagging match between LOI and PL fans. The signal:noise ratio gets thrown all over the place, and there are enough threads still open in the forum for people to continue their battles on that front anyway. I'd like the topic of the closed thread to be aired and discussed, but when there is a clear warning from a mod not to hijack the thread and people ignore that warning then what are we to do?

As for your point re. match threads (and by extension superthreads), we will be reviewing that situation in the summer.

My point that you first respond to was in relation to Xavi6 saying that people will post on anything, which i don't think is a good argument at all.

As for the second response, cheers for the info..

LuckyLloyd

Aidric wrote: »

That's a shocking piece of text. Are you suggesting people should keep their emotions under wrap on a subject they feel passionately about? Hearty 'banter' between fans is all part of the make up of what's great about soccer. If you go down the road of putting a muzzel on opinions everytime they stray then it all becomes very formulaic and ironically 'boring'.

This forum is not like other soccer forums on the internet that allow unchecked emotion to spill over. And, as far as I am aware, there are no plans to make it that way anytime soon.

CiaranC

Xavi6 wrote: »

No topic is banned. Each thread is judged on an individual basis and it's own merits.

Fair enough

Xavi6

So can we stick a fork in this?

LuckyLloyd

Xavi6 wrote: »

So can we stick a fork in this?

Well I'm done!

Mitch Connor

Xavi6 wrote: »

So can we stick a fork in this?

Pah, already trying to lock another thread....

CiaranC

Xavi6 wrote: »

So can we stick a fork in this?

Is it boring you?

Xavi6

Hmmm

- Topic discussed
- Actions explained
- Users listened to
- Feedback taken on board
- Systems to be reviewed in the off system

Wtf just happened?!