Thread moving by Mods

[photohikedive]

As it has been said before, the only rights you have on an internet forum is what the owner(s) give to you, there is no such thing as free speech. If you don't like what they're doing, don't participate.

Thank you for your comments here. So often, as I mentioned, opposing views take on an antagonist feel. You responded with your oppinion in a well written statement, that I found to ring of honesty.

I completely agree with your comments about rights on the internet. I do not come here with the idea that ScubaBoard is a democracy. I do not want the role of moderator, or the aggrivation that comes with it. I understand that I am a guest here, at the hosts discretion, and that while here, I am to abide by thier rules.

On the other hand, in many ways, ScubaBoard is only as good as it's users. With this in mind, the "If you don't like what they're doing, don't participate." view, doesn't seem to fit. The impression the moderators have left on me, is that if you don't like something, you are free to discuss it. I am sure that there has been instances that if a better way was agreed upon, it was integrated.

I love ScubaBoard. I recomend it to any new diver I meet while at dive sites. It has introduced me to more people than I would have ever met without it. I find it to be a huge system, that is extremely well run. There are the occasional growing pains, of course. Yet, in my experience, there have been none, that couldn't be worked out. What more could you ask for?

 

[Kim]

I'll probably get my head chewed off but I'm going to comment anyway!

First off - I didn't move anything so I only have an outside perspective here.

When I read the first post of what turned out to be a series I was slightly amused and I just thought: 'OK, these guys are ribbing each other....no big deal'. As more and more threads started to appear though the joke seemed to get a little stale. and start to take over the whole place. Someone mentioned a private conversation and being overheard earlier. Yes, it is a little like that - but the conversation becomes less private the louder and more widespread it gets. There are people who also use the forums who aren't necessarily part of the joke. It's their forum too (as well as being visible by everyone else), and some of them obviously think that it went too far and complained. Haven't they also got a right to do that?
Once again I think that this is a question of balance. Something can be fine in a small dose, but create problems when it get's overdone.
The Mods try to move posts to suitable forums. There is nothing about TOS compliance in that decision - it's purely about content. If someone asks a question about the Red Sea in a US forum, I'd move it to the new Red Sea forum in a heartbeat. If I really had time I 'might' send a PM, but if I didn't I'd just leave a re-direct.
In this case it's obvious that the posts were meant to be humorous and there were too many appearing to simply ignore (people were complaining), so they got moved to the Humor section.
Seems like QED to me.
Nobody 'owns' a forum on SB. In the end the Mods have to act in the general interests of all - not specific groups (at least in cases of conflict between 'group' wishes and 'all' wishes)

 

[photohikedive]

I've also found that with the several pointless 'cry wolf' headlines the past several days, I've already skipped over one real accident report thread because I thought it was more of the same.

Please excuse me if I have this pegged wrong. It has the ring of a troll reply though. Regarding the "cry wolf" headlins causing people to skip over real headlines, I will post here the titles to the "accident" reports I posted.....


Local Diver Survives Ordeal At Destin Jetties
(prediction) Tragedy Strikes Panhandle Dive Community
Diver goes to see the Wizard, by way of Dorothy
Hundreds of dead divers found on FL beaches

The first one, I made in jest, and in reading the thread, it becomes obvious fairly quickly that it was meant that way.

The second, I included the (prediction) part, after another poster finding my first thread amusing, used it's format to write his own, and had it edited by a moderator. If a headline including (prediction) fooled you, then you might want to start wearing a helmet

The third, at this point I made sure that the title was firmly in the grounds of "not a real news headline". If you were fooled by this, then maybe going outside without supervision isn't such a good idea.

The last one. Well, if you believed this one, then how in the world are you able to use a computer?

 

[Walter]

Photohikedive, you have a very good attitude about this. You've certainly earned lots of respect for how you're handling it.

 

[photohikedive]

I'll probably get my head chewed off but I'm going to comment anyway!

I certainly hope there is no head chewing, for the overwhelming majority, I think that this has been a conversation, not an argument here. I appreciate any view people want to present, as long as it is an honest one, not one meant for trolling.


Someone mentioned a private conversation and being overheard earlier. Yes, it is a little like that - but the conversation becomes less private the louder and more widespread it gets. There are people who also use the forums who aren't necessarily part of the joke. It's their forum too (as well as being visible by everyone else), and some of them obviously think that it went too far and complained. Haven't they also got a right to do that?

I likened it to a semi private conversation with some friends in a room. The complainers overheard the conversation by poking thier head into the room. While everyone would be welcome in that room, they are not being forced to join the conversation. In this case, the posts were in a local forum that gets a moderate amount of traffic. If anything, they should have been moved from the Florida Conchs sub-forum, to the even narrower forum dedicated to Northern Florida. Yes, it has been commented that the jokes seems to include a small number of people. It is our fortune that most of the people who post in this section know each other in person from diving together, or have communicated enough that they feel like they have already met.

In this case it's obvious that the posts were meant to be humorous and there were too many appearing to simply ignore (people were complaining), so they got moved to the Humor section.

You mention people complaining, but unless the complaints were removed, I only noticed two people who voiced in the threads that they were not amused by the content. This goes contrary to the idea that a large number of people were complaining, because in my experience, most people have no problem declaring thier displeasure on the internet.


Nobody 'owns' a forum on SB. In the end the Mods have to act in the general interests of all - not specific groups (at least in cases of conflict between 'group' wishes and 'all' wishes)

In reading the comments to this thread, I feel that the so called detractors actually have strengthened my point. The complaints seem to be that putting posts and jokes meant for a focused group, into an area that all are "forced" to read, is what offends them.

Of course, there will always be the perpetually offended. Those who feel voiceless unless they are declaring thier rights are being infringed because they are offended.

Someone commented that "They struck me not as 'regional in-jokes', but 'jokes between me and my several buddies', and frankly I didn't see the point of them being on a more public board at all - take it to email. If the only thing that made them 'funny' was posting in a public forum, then the best description that comes to mind is graffiti." Well, what is this forum for, but to be able to talk to your "several buddies" at once. Why break down the forums into localities, if you aren't supposed to localize your comments? Why relegate myself to email when the way I met my "buddies" is through this very venue?

 

[radinator]

Please excuse me if I have this pegged wrong. It has the ring of a troll reply though. Regarding the "cry wolf" headlins causing people to skip over real headlines, I will post here the titles to the "accident" reports I posted.....

Not a troll reply at all.

After the first one, I had no idea where you would 'draw the line'. I still don't, although the later ones were easier to identify.

I chime in with the earlier poster who mentioned that the first one may have been a joke, but after a while it started to seem like board spam. (I'm paraphrasing here).

 

[photohikedive]

Photohikedive, you have a very good attitude about this. You've certainly earned lots of respect for how you're handling it.

Thank you Walter. While I very much enjoy playing the idiotic fool (some would argue that I am not playing), there are times that subjects become serious. This seems to me to be one that while it isn't work fighting about, it is worth arguing for.

This is why I agreed with El that it belonged in a forum that might provoke change, and not just come off as a gripe. In this, I am interested to hear what people have to say, that do not see it the way I do. It also is why I have focused on the people who had views differing that mine, or thought they did. While I appreciate hearing from the people who agree with me, only commenting on thier views wouldn't be very productive in this case.

 

[Kim]

I likened it to a semi private conversation with some friends in a room. The complainers overheard the conversation by poking thier head into the room. While everyone would be welcome in that room, they are not being forced to join the conversation.

As I tried to say already, just one thread would probably have remained 'semi-private'. There are many more than that though and it's obvious from some of the replies in this (and other) threads that not everyone sees it the same way as you do.
Don't get me wrong - I'm actually just observing here - it DOES seem to be what I'm seeing though. One thing that strikes me now for sure though - there's nothing that any Mod could do which would fully satisfy the range of opinions and desires being expressed here. Kind of like 'Damned if you do and Damned if you don't!'

 

[photohikedive]

Not a troll reply at all.

After the first one, I had no idea where you would 'draw the line'. I still don't, although the later ones were easier to identify.

I chime in with the earlier poster who mentioned that the first one may have been a joke, but after a while it started to seem like board spam.

This is where I am confused. How is it board spam, when it is posted in a forum mean to be read by the people who are included in the joke? Posting it in forums that are aimed at a larger audience I would agree could fall into that catagory. Some might claim that the people from NW FL come off as a small group of buddies, but that is only because we are fortunate that the few of us that post on here, are able to meet fairly regularly to dive, and actively encourage anyone to join. The seemingly close knit group of buddies stretch from northern AL to beyond westernmost FL, and east beyond Tallahassee. Actually, pretty much what is spelled out to encompass the Northern Florida sub-forum.

My complaint was that the posts were moved outside of this forum, to one that was more widespread. Both the humor forum, and the whine and cheese forum.

 

[photohikedive]

As I tried to say already, just one thread would probably have remained 'semi-private'. There are many more than that though and it's obvious from some of the replies in this (and other) threads that not everyone sees it the same way as you do.

I see your point, but I counter with this. Please pick any one of those threads. Count the number of people who are against what was written. Feel free to repost their comments here. Then factor in, how many of them are from outside the reigion, how many would never have bothered to read them if the threads hadn't been moved to a broader audience?