I've deleted two threads and locked another on this. To clear up any confusion I'm going to write this, then lock it, then sticky it.
I don't think an open discussion regarding moderation here would be productive. Both sides have once again expressed that they think the other side gets special treatment. Additionally, some simply use it as another chance to insult people with whom they disagree, including myself and other moderators, admins, and owners. Frankly, allowing this to become an open discussion is more likely to cause problems than eliminate them, thus we aren't going to have one.
There have been several threads locked recently, about half by me. Of the ones I locked, the reason was always the same. A small group of people cannot or will not follow the relatively simple rules of conduct created here at GBO. They are available for all to read in the "Announcements" section near the top of the topics. A quick reading will reveal a host of good information including:
GBO will not tolerate "Flame Wars" if you feel the need to constantly flame people then you are at the wrong web site and should leave now. Anyone violating this policy is subject to removal from the GBO website for a length of time decided by the Administration.
Personal Attacks are considered unacceptable at GBO and will result in removal from the GBO website, the manner in which these are handled will be at the discretion of the Administration. In cases of continued disagreements in open forum by multiple parties equal action will be taken with all involved parties, no one member will be shown special consideration in such cases regardless of membership status.
Every thread I've locked, and every post I've deleted, has been as a result of the violation of one of these two rules. I do not believe they are hard to understand, still, if anyone genuinely does not understand them please send me a personal message, instant message, or email. I would be happy to discuss what is acceptable and what is not.
Both flaming and insulting have been problems recently. Most notably, ignoring the topic and responding regarding the character of a previous poster. This does not lead to civil "family oriented" discourse, is against the rules, and will cause a post to be removed or a thread to be locked. The regular offenders of this rule of been individually warned multiple times, but this can also serve as a general warning to those who may be new to GBO or the Politics section. This type of behavior is not acceptable. At this point violations will result in the offender being banned from this site. A long time and respected member was banned today. Hopefully he will return, and hopefully this will pass without further issue.
Additionally, insulting someone without using their name is still a violation of the rules. INSULTING ANYONE, IN ANY WAY, IS AGAINST THE RULES!
I cannot speak for Matt, GB, the global mods, or nw_hunter, but I can assure you I do not even remotely enjoy reading through post after post of the same cheap shots and bickering. I know many of you have heard this before, but I consider this a simple test:
1) Write something.
2) Go back and read it.
3) Ask yourself, "Does what I just wrote have to do with the topic listed on the thread, or does it instead have to do with another poster?"
4) If it does not have to do with the thread topic, please delete it and start over.
5) If you cannot handle 1-4 because you do not understand, please send me a message and we'll try to hash things out.
6) If you cannot handle 1-4 because of a flaw in your personal character, please leave GBO. The rules are not considered optional.
If you have an individual concern about why a post was deleted or a thread was locked, please ask me by PM. I do my best to respond to every one I get, generally within a day or less. I do not consider individual moderating decision to be appropriate for public discussion, other than in the "Moderators" section. Again, if you have an individual concern, let me know.
Thanks for your time, and I hope this clears up any confusion.
dukkillr
