How does it work, i.e. does the forum member request their account deleted or are they barred by the moderators?
Are you tempted Jord? Maybe you were just thinking about applying on someone else's behalf - me too. I think Deleted member 11267 falls under that category now. Edit: That's proof! I didn't type what everyone can see. I typed the person's name - rhymes with hobby - not a fan of dot and dab (or most things modern actually) - you know who I mean.
Going that way isn't it Willy..... That's exactly the reason I'm asking mate, noticed Deleted member 11267 hadn't been on for a while then saw an older post that I knew he'd contributed on and wondered if he fell or was pushed, so to speak. Big shame in my opinion either way, he'd been on here fifteen years or so, he was blunt to the point of rude sometimes which I actually quite liked as he cut through all the bull and he was one of the most knowledgeable blokes on here, if not the most.
I wonder if there are different criteria. For example pollowick and chippie244 got banned to the best of my knowledge but their posts can still be found under their name whereas the aforementioned contributor or DA are both referred to as a deleted member. Maybe SFP could clarify this?
And Goldenboy, I assume they were banned for a week or month but then thought sod it and never returned. Jack of trades was in the same bracket as DA and dobs, deleted. It's an enormous own goal for the forum in my opinion as a huge amount of help and knowledge is lost being as you can't search for the person to find their advice.
I have skated close to the edge. As far as I can tell there is only one moderator. Nobody to moderate the decisions in other words. It is perhaps a contentious issue, but should there be a team of moderators?
I am actually banned from the IET forum under a different name to the one I use here. I unfortunately suffer from losing my temper with people and one particular person used to grate my nerves on there who was kind of clique with a whole bunch who always sided with him. Impossible to know but thats the impression I got. He hated being questioned, or challenged, so I got the push.
This is the only forum I post on, and in my limited experience I would say no based on too many cooks spoil the broth, with such a diverse range of personalities on offer I think threads wouldn't last two minutes before a mod would get 'offended' or take it upon themselves to lock the thread, that racism nonsense thread posted the other day lasted a lot longer than I thought it would before getting locked, if there were more mods I don't think it would have gotten past the first page.
That is the 'issue' is it not. What something can be categorized as according to the opinion of one person. Life is becoming intolerable should you say one wrong thing it gets blown out of all proportion. There is no point in raising any contentious issues for fear of upsetting anyone. It's like walking on eggshells all the time. It is saying something when a moderator actually follows you on the forum purely to be poised ready to pounce. Not really in the spirit if a moderator is it.
I'm with Jord on this one. Despite our occasional moans (locking threads, trolls, private messaging etc) I think SFP actually manages this quite well. Unlike a number of forums, this is a sideline of a successful commercial operation and you can be sure that he has to account for the decisions he makes and actions he takes - probably more so for the actions he doesn't take. There will be someone looking over his shoulder in one form or another.
Yes, but losing your temper with people unfortunately marks you out as one to keep an eye on. If you were a moderator you'd surely feel that way? An old favourite of mine applicable to the discussion is "it takes years to build a good reputation, and one bad day to lose it", which is cruelly apt, you can give ten years worth of good honest advice, have a bad week with a bit of kicking off and toys thrown out the pram and all of a sudden you're a banned troublemaker. A lot of people forget that the builders or tradesmen they are asking advice from on here probably didn't grow up with a plum in the mouth or subscribed to the Collins English Dictionary, it's straight talking no pussyfooting responses that aren't the textbook chapter they hoped for.
I think i might have done some "skating" on here a few times...................certainly had a few "time outs" that's for shure. As far as Moderators go, yes, there should be more. But like other sites that i mod on, those mods should only be able to mod one subsection. That way they become very knowledgeable about the regulars that post in that section and are fully aware of when something is wrong or getting out of hand. Sometimes all it would need is a message to the poster to back off and that would be the end of the matter. If the thread needs taking down, then a mod that has full knowledge of that subsection is the one to do it. If we actually had a mod to each subsection, then the issue of a mod following you around the forum wouldn't exist.
Have to agree the forum is suffering without the likes of DA, Chippie, Goldenboy although opinionated they were very knowledgeable, even peter palmer who I quite liked
I once posted on a lesser known forum and posted something that prompted 5 mods to pile in alI at the same time. I couldn't believe it.
This sort of situation is where more than one mod can cause an issue. I, personally, think that SF Pete does a pretty good job, and for forums such as this, extra mods involve extra costs as well. I also agree that a lot of posters gain a reputation, sometimes good, sometimes bad, and it's very hard to read every thread, and follow everything that's been said by who, to who, if you see what I mean, there are delays etc in that thread forming. We can all be guilty of having a bad day, and it must be quite hard for mods to see whats going on and how other posters would like to see that mod modding to keep control of things. Just my take though
I'm amazed frankly as to the high number of really knowledgeable people that have bitten the dust, this forum just isn't what it once was in providing valuable help to numerous people asking. The one person who I think sadly hasn't returned and wasn't banned is KIAB, can only think the worst
Agreed, He was so amicable to all, I think there's few here that miss him, would be nice to know what transpired.