Deleting/locking

[Evan]

What is the exact rule on this. It seems like it was never really laid out and everyone does whatever they think is right. How far can I go in moderating the forums? Obviously spam or completely absurd posts should be deleted, but what about just stupid posts?

Here (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=smallholdem) is an example of one. Obviously this guy isn't intentionally trying to disrupt the forum, but it's a retarded question. It will clog up SS and most likely degenerate into a flame war of "YSSCKY" and "SIHHP" bs. Sooo, can I delete posts like this? Should I lock them with an explanation? "This is too low content" or something like that? Do I just leave it and let things run their course? Fwiw, posts like this are a big part of the reason that SS and other forums are worse than they used to be. What should I do? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[MrWookie47]

In the Micro forum, we have a designated no content thread where we direct people to post bad beats, downswing rants, brags and the like. This system has actually worked quite well. You might want to consider it for SS, too. If I'm the first to get to a NC post, and it's from a semi-veteran, I lock the post w/ a direction to post that in the NC thread. If it's from someone brand new, I'll tell them to post NC stuff there in the future, but I won't lock their thread unless a flame war breaks out. I don't want to scare off new posters. If it's a strategically minded question, even a stupid one, I'll let it live unless it really degrades into a flame war, in which case I'll lock it with a note. Trolling gets locked right away, again with a note. If I lock something, I always leave a note as to why, and so that people can send me PM if they disagree w/ my decision. I only delete spam threads. I guess I'd delete NSFW stuff, but we don't get any of that.

[Greg J]

[ QUOTE ]
In the Micro forum, we have a designated no content thread where we direct people to post bad beats, downswing rants, brags and the like. This system has actually worked quite well. You might want to consider it for SS, too. If I'm the first to get to a NC post, and it's from a semi-veteran, I lock the post w/ a direction to post that in the NC thread. If it's from someone brand new, I'll tell them to post NC stuff there in the future, but I won't lock their thread unless a flame war breaks out. I don't want to scare off new posters. If it's a strategically minded question, even a stupid one, I'll let it live unless it really degrades into a flame war, in which case I'll lock it with a note. Trolling gets locked right away, again with a note. If I lock something, I always leave a note as to why, and so that people can send me PM if they disagree w/ my decision. I only delete spam threads. I guess I'd delete NSFW stuff, but we don't get any of that.

[/ QUOTE ]
Yeah we pretty much have the same policy on this. I think I'm a little quicker on the draw to lock threads in ML that Wookie, but I think we agree on 99% of our decisions (I tend to lock newbies' threads more).

I would suggest locking a lot of the crap -- that tends to work well. I typically give a reason either by adding text to the original post ("This thread is stupid, so I'm locking it. Love, Greg") or just make a reply explaining.

EDIT: The link you provided just sent me to the SS forum Evan.

[BottlesOf]

I feel like this will just clog the forum up. Evan: I'd lock with an explanation, that would be the nice thing to do, but it may get tedious. I don't think ppl would fault you if you just locked.

[DcifrThs]

[ QUOTE ]
What is the exact rule on this. It seems like it was never really laid out and everyone does whatever they think is right. How far can I go in moderating the forums? Obviously spam or completely absurd posts should be deleted, but what about just stupid posts?

Here (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=smallholdem) is an example of one. Obviously this guy isn't intentionally trying to disrupt the forum, but it's a retarded question. It will clog up SS and most likely degenerate into a flame war of "YSSCKY" and "SIHHP" bs. Sooo, can I delete posts like this? Should I lock them with an explanation? "This is too low content" or something like that? Do I just leave it and let things run their course? Fwiw, posts like this are a big part of the reason that SS and other forums are worse than they used to be. What should I do? /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

im probably one of the pickiest in this regard.

all non mid/high limit questions/posts get moved as soon as i see them. .

stupid posts get locked.

offensive, retarded posts get deleted.

Barron

[MrWookie47]

[ QUOTE ]
I feel like this will just clog the forum up. Evan: I'd lock with an explanation, that would be the nice thing to do, but it may get tedious. I don't think ppl would fault you if you just locked.

[/ QUOTE ]

The designated NC thread? On the contrary, I've found that it limits the numbers of NC posts on the front page to exactly one. One post is hardly a clutter, and it's easy to spot for what it is. People are going to post this stuff. Keeping it in one place has been great. The response in the micro forum has been overwhelmingly positive.

[BottlesOf]

[ QUOTE ]
One post is hardly a clutter

[/ QUOTE ]

What about when it gets hundreds of replies? Who wants to scroll through all that? This makes oot hard to read often.

[Surfbullet]

My general policy in HUSH has been:

-delete spam/drivel no questions asked
-lock blatant NC posts(bad beat, oh look he openfolded!, 2k stats-posts, etc) with an explanation
-let LC posts bounce around a bit unless there are more than 1-2 on the front page(esp if there's some strategy that seems to spring from nowhere - we've had some great discussions from a "LC" post) and lock them if they get out of hand / devolve into flame wars

However, I've been pretty vigilant in this regard since HUSH has been getting such high volume recently. I'd be much more relaxed about the occasional NC/LC post (esp from regulars) if there wasn't a new post every other moment.

Surf

[MrWookie47]

Well, viewing in flat mode just takes you to the latest unread post. I guess threaded does this too, now, but viewing the thing would be pretty unwieldly. Since pretty much every post is isolated in a vacuum, it's easy to just peruse and see what happened to people. It's not like OOT where you have to read through 25 posts to understand what was written in one on the last page. Occasionally a post will generate some discussion or a comment, and in that case, it's easy to click on the name of the person to whom the post is responding and see the post of interest. Also, we've been retiring it after it gets a few hundred responses and starting a new one. You can drop into the Micro forum and take a look at it. There's a link in the digest if it's not on the front page.

[Evan]

JBB is talking about viewing forus in expanded mode. Having a long and useless thread would be really annoying then.

[durron597]

[ QUOTE ]
In the Micro forum, we have a designated no content thread where we direct people to post bad beats, downswing rants, brags and the like. This system has actually worked quite well. You might want to consider it for SS, too. If I'm the first to get to a NC post, and it's from a semi-veteran, I lock the post w/ a direction to post that in the NC thread. If it's from someone brand new, I'll tell them to post NC stuff there in the future, but I won't lock their thread unless a flame war breaks out. I don't want to scare off new posters. If it's a strategically minded question, even a stupid one, I'll let it live unless it really degrades into a flame war, in which case I'll lock it with a note. Trolling gets locked right away, again with a note. If I lock something, I always leave a note as to why, and so that people can send me PM if they disagree w/ my decision. I only delete spam threads. I guess I'd delete NSFW stuff, but we don't get any of that.

[/ QUOTE ]

We had this for awhile, then I got complaints from people who read in expanded mode. But the STTers seem to like low content posts so just letting it be works for us.

[BottlesOf]

Right, and this is the only way to look at a forum's top page. I need to see who is responding to a thread before chosing whether or not to read it. I doubt I'm alone.

[MrWookie47]

Ah, ok. If you browse in expanded mode, yeah, it'd be pretty unweildly. I guess no one in the micros does, however. I've received zero complaints.

[BottlesOf]

They're probably just less anal than me and/or they don't have a crappy computer at work.