Hearst Thread Lock

[Anonymous]

Hey Jeff, Hoping you can just provide more clarity about the Hearst thread lock in DC Schools forum?

I've often wondered at what point the smear campaigns are deemed necessary to shut down, and at what point you feel you have the right to lock a thread. It seems that there is plenty of "detailed" info that doesn't come to light on most school-bashing threads, but those may be allowed to continue, even though you may remove some personal posts on occasion.

The big one that comes to mind is the Watkins thread, why is that allowed to remain live and this one is not?

[jsteele]

It is important to remember that I only read a small fraction of the posts and threads here. Posters often ask, "why did you allow such and such thread" when they really should be asking, "have you read such and such thread and, if so, why did you allow it?". I am not sure to which "Watkins thread" you are referring as it seems as if every third thread in the DC school forum ends up being about Watkins. But, I suspect that the thread in question did not start out as a "smear campaign" of Watkins. Or, if you are referring to the 100-page monstrosity, I have no idea how it started out. If a thread has another original purpose, I am likely to remove inappropriate posts, but allow the thread to continue serving its original purpose.

I also wouldn't call the Hearst thread that I locked a "smear campaign". Rather, it just seemed like a poster expressing somewhat understandable frustration about a topic, the details of which really aren't appropriate for public discussion.

[Anonymous]

OP, it's important for you to understand that Jeff is not even-handed or even particularly rational when it comes to moderating.

He will delete a post with a cuss word even though people cuss all the time here. He will delete a post for snark in a thread filled with vile personal attacks. He will shut down useful and informative threads for going off-topic while others sprawl all over the space-time continuum.

It's completely arbitrary, following only the rules of Jeff's whim.

Oh, and when you ask about it, he will either hide behind the fig leaf of "I only read some threads" or he will attack you personally.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:OP, it's important for you to understand that Jeff is not even-handed or even particularly rational when it comes to moderating.

He will delete a post with a cuss word even though people cuss all the time here. He will delete a post for snark in a thread filled with vile personal attacks. He will shut down useful and informative threads for going off-topic while others sprawl all over the space-time continuum.

It's completely arbitrary, following only the rules of Jeff's whim.

Oh, and when you ask about it, he will either hide behind the fig leaf of "I only read some threads" or he will attack you personally.

LOL. I am always surprised how upset some posters get when their posts are removed -- in this case for using inappropriate language. Are you suggesting that I actually do read all of the threads and then lie about it?

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, it's important for you to understand that Jeff is not even-handed or even particularly rational when it comes to moderating.

He will delete a post with a cuss word even though people cuss all the time here. He will delete a post for snark in a thread filled with vile personal attacks. He will shut down useful and informative threads for going off-topic while others sprawl all over the space-time continuum.

It's completely arbitrary, following only the rules of Jeff's whim.

Oh, and when you ask about it, he will either hide behind the fig leaf of "I only read some threads" or he will attack you personally.

LOL. I am always surprised how upset some posters get when their posts are removed -- in this case for using inappropriate language. Are you suggesting that I actually do read all of the threads and then lie about it?

I'm suggesting you are arbitrary and inconsistent.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:I'm suggesting you are arbitrary and inconsistent.

That's sort of the nature of the beast. If I don't read every thread, and I don't, I can't treat every post the same. That is the simple reality. Moreover, if you think that any human being is capable of consistently acting the same way over a period of time and in response to thousands of posts, you clearly have a misconception of the capabilities of humans.

The bottom line is that you posted in a thread in which posts were reported due to inappropriate language. I removed those posts, apparently including one of yours. You could have simply reposted using appropriate language. Instead, you are criticizing me for my moderating style. Fine, if that's what is important to you, that's what is important to you. I'm not going to judge your priorities. But, I will point out that if your priorities include completely consistent moderating, this is the wrong forum for you and you will face repeated disappointments unless you adjust your expectations.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm suggesting you are arbitrary and inconsistent.

That's sort of the nature of the beast. If I don't read every thread, and I don't, I can't treat every post the same. That is the simple reality. Moreover, if you think that any human being is capable of consistently acting the same way over a period of time and in response to thousands of posts, you clearly have a misconception of the capabilities of humans.

The bottom line is that you posted in a thread in which posts were reported due to inappropriate language. I removed those posts, apparently including one of yours. You could have simply reposted using appropriate language. Instead, you are criticizing me for my moderating style. Fine, if that's what is important to you, that's what is important to you. I'm not going to judge your priorities. But, I will point out that if your priorities include completely consistent moderating, this is the wrong forum for you and you will face repeated disappointments unless you adjust your expectations.

I'm not referring to any one specific post, and you're fixating on language when my point has to do with consistency. The fact is that you delete comments for tone when there is no shortage of examples of much, much worse (often in the same thread), and you shut down threads for going off-topic while other threads go multiple pages without so much as touching on the original subject.

Speaking of language, if you really gave a crap about "inappropriate" language you would use the autocensor function I'm pretty sure your forum software provides (this is VBulletin, right?)

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:

jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm suggesting you are arbitrary and inconsistent.

That's sort of the nature of the beast. If I don't read every thread, and I don't, I can't treat every post the same. That is the simple reality. Moreover, if you think that any human being is capable of consistently acting the same way over a period of time and in response to thousands of posts, you clearly have a misconception of the capabilities of humans.

The bottom line is that you posted in a thread in which posts were reported due to inappropriate language. I removed those posts, apparently including one of yours. You could have simply reposted using appropriate language. Instead, you are criticizing me for my moderating style. Fine, if that's what is important to you, that's what is important to you. I'm not going to judge your priorities. But, I will point out that if your priorities include completely consistent moderating, this is the wrong forum for you and you will face repeated disappointments unless you adjust your expectations.

I'm not referring to any one specific post, and you're fixating on language when my point has to do with consistency. The fact is that you delete comments for tone when there is no shortage of examples of much, much worse (often in the same thread), and you shut down threads for going off-topic while other threads go multiple pages without so much as touching on the original subject.

Speaking of language, if you really gave a crap about "inappropriate" language you would use the autocensor function I'm pretty sure your forum software provides (this is VBulletin, right?)

This is not VBulletin and the version of the software I am currently running does not have a language filter. I am sure that you would do a much better job than me moderating a forum. I encourage you to follow your true calling and set up your own forum so that your talents can be utilized. It would truly be a loss to humanity if you were not able to fulfill your potential. In the meantime, I will continue my humble existence performing the mediocre-at-best job that continually fails to meet your expectations. I will look forward to your demonstrating how one established consistency in moderating messages one does not read. Sadly, that is just one of the many talents that I have failed to develop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:...he will either hide behind the fig leaf of "I only read some threads" or he will attack you personally.

jsteele wrote: I am sure that you would do a much better job than me moderating a forum. I encourage you to follow your true calling and set up your own forum so that your talents can be utilized. It would truly be a loss to humanity if you were not able to fulfill your potential. In the meantime, I will continue my humble existence performing the mediocre-at-best job that continually fails to meet your expectations. I will look forward to your demonstrating how one established consistency in moderating messages one does not read. Sadly, that is just one of the many talents that I have failed to develop.

Case in point.

[Anonymous]

In any case, I left once before due to your poor moderating and got sucked back in somehow. I won't make the same mistake again. Bye.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:In any case, I left once before due to your poor moderating and got sucked back in somehow. I won't make the same mistake again. Bye.

Bye.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In any case, I left once before due to your poor moderating and got sucked back in somehow. I won't make the same mistake again. Bye.

NP here. Thank god. I thought he'd never leave.

Thanks, Jeff.

[Anonymous]

I did not read that thread but I have read plenty of others. Jeff does an overall good job as a moderator. When you see what goes on in other forums/ blogs, the ugliness is not amusing or appropriate and it does not lead to more readers or comments. So we lose some threads here that might be interesting, but overall the tone is civil and he does a good job. thank you, Jeff.