Shut down (or up?)

[Emirus]

Another thread has just been shut down in the space of a month because two people wandered away from the original point raised by the OP and got into an argument which the AHMod thought unacceptable. The enjoyment of all those actually contributing sensibly, and all those who read these threads but don’t comment, has been spoiled.

I don’t know whether threads being shut down is a regular occurrence or whether it’s just coincidence. My memory tends to be able to only go back a few weeks so there may be more I’ve seen but can’t recall. On the other hand the Authors Hangout is the only forum I tend to inhabit and I don’t read every thread only those which catch my attention.

When I first joined in with comments I encountered the wrath of another writer and I made the mistake of responding. It was a bad move. They seemed to take exception to just about every one of my comments irrespective of whether or not it involved them. After a while I stopped responding to them and that cured the problem.

Sometimes it’s not the content of the comment but how it’s worded that’s the problem.

Is it not possible for a standard post to be used by the AH Mod telling people to stick to the point of the original post and/or simply deleting the troublesome comment(s)? If they have the power to alter comments perhaps delete the text of the comment and replace it with “comment deleted by AHMod”, or something similar. Anything to prevent the thread from being needlessly shut down.

This has probably been raised before but, if so, obviously to no avail otherwise I wouldn’t be making the point.

One final point. Please don’t have this thread shut down by making offensive comments and thus preventing other people from making sensible ones.

 

[_Lynn_]

I've posted a reminder (approved by Laurel) on threads in the EF before.

 

[Emirus]

I've posted a reminder (approved by Laurel) on threads in the EF before.

So the AHMod could do the same? Without having to name themself, as you’ve done, if they wish to remain anonymous?

 

[ElectricBlue]

Threads getting shut down is only an occasional thing. From what I've seen, the reasons are:
- the thread itself breaches a Lit policy rule - usually underage discussions,
- personal attacks and flaming,
- topics better suited to the Politics or General Board.

I've also seen posts get removed, and warnings from the AHMod, fairly discrete and low key.

Generally, threads get shut down because members can't police themselves, or we have a drive-through player who arrives with all the subtlety of an atom bomb and people react.

What some folk fail to realise is that the AH does get scrutinised, and Laurel clearly does keep an eye on it all; and there's a difference between popcorn threads and out of order threads.

On the whole, I reckon the moderation is a light touch, and we're treated as adults. Except when our behaviour shows that we're not.

 

[Emirus]

On the whole, I reckon we're treated as adults. Except when our behaviour shows that we're not.

IRL people keep telling me I’ve never grown up. Or is it I should grow up? I’m often not sure which. But after all these years I don’t think there’s much chance of either. lol.

 

[ElectricBlue]

IRL people keep telling me I’ve never grown up. Or is it I should grow up? I’m often not sure which. But after all these years I don’t think there’s much chance of either. lol.

At least you're out of training pants...

... you are out of training pants...?

 

[jsmiam]

….Is it not possible for a standard post to be used by the AH Mod telling people to stick to the point of the original post and/or simply deleting the troublesome comment(s)? If they have the power to alter comments perhaps delete the text of the comment and replace it with “comment deleted by AHMod”, or something similar. Anything to prevent the thread from being needlessly shut down.
...

You’re not wrong, but at the same time, it’s possibly asking for too much also.

AH-Mod mostly is effective, most of the time, mostly doing their thing in the background. A few years back, possibly you could have made a case that he/she gave a little too MUCH leeway to the then and probably now, the most persistent/pugnacious troublemaker in AH history. Nonetheless, mostly effective.

I’ll compare that to another mod here on another board, who led me to pull all my stories and go away mad a few years back. A humorous non-sexual reference was deleted (fine, I suppose, I can accept the deletion) and the text replaced with “Removed - Bestiality” (not fine, not accurate, a power play by someone with unchecked power.) I reached out to Laurel, not asking for my post to be restored, but to say I wasn’t happy with being accused of bestiality, and nothing. So I pulled my stories and left. That’s mostly a side-note, and my pity-party is now over. But moral of the story, on the side-topic of moderator oversight, mods work/volunteer for free. Don’t expect Laurel to ever take a peon’s side over that of someone providing free labor.

Back on point - AH-Mod is a blessing compared to other mods.

And also, offenders have a tendency to never give up, hence much of the time they’ll open up a follow-up post the next day. And the rest of us might still have some raw nerves, but the locked thread helps us let the topic rest. Locked threads calm heads.

 

[SimonDoom]

I sometimes think the AH Moderator is too quick to pull the trigger. At a minimum, if a thread is closed the AH Moderator should, in every case, provide a concluding post that offers a coherent explanation why it was closed.

In the case of threads that discuss content regulation, one problem is that the content rules are genuinely confusing to many people -- especially the rules relating to non-consent and underage. They're especially confusing to newbies. The threads are a substitute for a frustrating absence of a clear, comprehensive set of rules, posted in one easy-to-access location, explaining what the Site does and does not allow.

In the case of personal attacks, or the thread wandering afield of the OP's subject, it seems to me the appropriate remedy is to delete the offending posts and caution the offending poster, and let the non-offenders carry on their conversation.

 

[KeithD]

I don't think the threads on the AH are being shut down too often. Yes, sometimes it looks a little capriciously done, but more often than not the thread is better just being stopped. The AH should be the one place where personal attacks and attacking of each other's writing and stories on Literotica--as well as partisan politics--should be curtailed, in my view. Just closing the thread seems the most benign action.

 

[_Lynn_]

So the AHMod could do the same? Without having to name themself, as you’ve done, if they wish to remain anonymous?

Yeah.

 

[lovecraft68]

When this forum decides to delete a post or issue a warning to the most argumentative bully in the forum, then I'll by its about keeping things polite or trying to simply keep a fun environment.

But when the mod is that person's best -probably only friend-here, they'll keep allowing it

Threads are closed when people start exposing the sites BS far more than they do for some bickering, that's just the excuse.

Look at the forum-and site=of late. Multiple threads calling out the unfairness and hypocrisy of make believe rules, threads about how the site is censoring stories and threads....multiple threads about how since the site has decided they need to spy and censor every comment comments are way down.

Scores are down, voting is down, comments a fraction of what they were and in addition to that Provate feedback is also being censored which is why I receive several at a time...guess spammers must be using those too....but how would the site know that if feedback is 'Private"

yet with all the censorship we still have 100% blatant hate speech showing up in the LW category on a daily basis....THOSE comments get through screening.

Also on the subject of comments....the majority of comments people get here have nothing to do with spam, so why are we seeing so few? Maybe their bot they're using to screen them is keying on on words out of context? Maybe where ever they're being stored until approval is losing them?

Maybe the site thinks its funny to let all the trolls comment while blocking better comments. If anyone here spent time in the GB back when Laurel hung out there they'll know the abuse and bulling and threats were met with so history lends to that.

But I know there are readers who have told me that as soon as they saw comments now need approval they've stopped because they won't deal with big brother.

Now conversations and threads are being censored as well.

This sites best days are long behind it and the endless "if you don't like it leave" crap from the long time sycophants is going to be acted on. If the all the positives this site once had are now being eliminated, then why not go somewhere else that is much more professionally run and at this point so what if its less views, where are things heading here now?

I have nothing vested in here anymore other than leaving my stories for the readers that supported me all these years. if I were starting anew or this was a few years ago, I'd jump ship.

Lit in many ways has succeeded in spite of itself, the biggest with the best rep so people just came here and dealt with the crap, the site has never had to sell itself and has become an example of bad behavior and apathy being rewarded

I'm not sure that is going t continue. The zero fucks given attitude coupled with sneaky games, fake rules and clubhouse atmosphere has seemed to have reached the point people are mentioning it more and more and heading elsewhere.

From a pure business perspective I have always been frustrated to no end with how much better this site could be with just minimal effort rather than letting personal agendas and high school cool kids run the show.

 

[Emirus]

I don't think the threads on the AH are being shut down too often. Yes, sometimes it looks a little capriciously done, but more often than not the thread is better just being stopped. The AH should be the one place where personal attacks and attacking of each other's writing and stories on Literotica--as well as partisan politics--should be curtailed, in my view. Just closing the thread seems the most benign action.

I can’t, and won’t, disagree with you about threads not being shut down too often because, roughly guessing, I probably ignore 60%, take a look at 35% and comment on 5%. As I said in my original post I only tend to inhabit the AH. Therefore I can’t say I’ve noticed threads being closed down to any great extent. It’s just the fact two threads I’ve read in the last month have been locked, unnecessarily in my view, because of *****’s and their egos and thus stopping sensible people making sensible comments.

You’re correct that the AH is somewhere where personal attacks etc should not take place but closing the thread without warning and without explanation is something I think is wrong.

 

[KeithD]

Maybe you should take heart that this thread wasn't closed down on the post before yours.

 

[lovecraft68]

I had to check in this morning to see if this thread had been closed out of irony.