Off-Topic Posting

[Slave of the Beast]

If it is spam, it is policy to remove those posts.  Otherwise, who are we to decide what content should or should not remain on the site?  Blatant derailers will be infracted and subsequently banned for offenses, but the posts will remain unless it is spam.

If the majority of the userbase reasonably wants derailing and/or shit posts removed then that in itself is enough reason. You can of course ignore the userbase' reasonable requests, but the internet is littered with enough failed Totse clones to illustrate why that is foolish in the long run.

We keep it there mostly out of proof that the person has committed an offense ...

NIMF.

You see, if someone's already seen and responded to a derailing, the damage is already done. Removing posts en masse that were responding to the derailing isn't going to help the issue either. The best that can be done as a mod is to infract the person who started it all and move on. Also, it's not that hard at all to bring a conversation back on topic anyway. In fact, it is more preferable to naturally bring it back on course than to jarringly start removing a bunch of posts.

...but also because other people might have responded to the derailment/quoted it and it reads wrong when you remove the offending post.

NIMF.

If post removal is done well and in a timely fashion, people who click on the thread title will find the thread content and thread title actually relate to each other. People who've derailed, and by that I do not mean 'conversational meandering' but completely irrelevant commentary and/or shitposting, can continue their discussion in NIMF. No one gets seriously 'jarred' unless the post-excision is done by an autistic wielding a meat cleaver.

This was the purpose of the NIMF forum on Totse and when sensibly used the system worked well.

If the mods start pulling threads apart whenever there's an off-topic post made we really run that risk of micromanaging and possibly overstepping our bounds, which some other members mentioned as concerns.  Post removal might have its place, but we would do well to approach it very mindfully.

E' has raised an excellent point. Assume the majority of the userbase reasonably request that blatant thread derails/shitposts are moved to NIMF, and Arnox gives the the mods the authority to carry out this task. The question then becomes; would every member of the team be able to reliably perform that task with competence?

Given the extremely selective and character-based criteria by which Arnox picks his unimpeachable staff and barring the occasional honest human error, the answer to that question is surely... yes.

Or have I missed something, Equanimity?

[equanimity]

Or have I missed something, Equanimity?

Arnox outlined the "post removal criteria" in his OP here.  That's our standard until further notice.

[Obbe]

If it is spam, it is policy to remove those posts.  Otherwise, who are we to decide what content should or should not remain on the site?  Blatant derailers will be infracted and subsequently banned for offenses, but the posts will remain unless it is spam.

If the majority of the userbase reasonably wants derailing and/or shit posts removed then that in itself is enough reason. You can of course ignore the userbase' reasonable requests, but the internet is littered with enough failed Totse clones to illustrate why that is foolish in the long run.

We keep it there mostly out of proof that the person has committed an offense ...

NIMF.

You see, if someone's already seen and responded to a derailing, the damage is already done. Removing posts en masse that were responding to the derailing isn't going to help the issue either. The best that can be done as a mod is to infract the person who started it all and move on. Also, it's not that hard at all to bring a conversation back on topic anyway. In fact, it is more preferable to naturally bring it back on course than to jarringly start removing a bunch of posts.

...but also because other people might have responded to the derailment/quoted it and it reads wrong when you remove the offending post.

NIMF.

If post removal is done well and in a timely fashion, people who click on the thread title will find the thread content and thread title actually relate to each other. People who've derailed, and by that I do not mean 'conversational meandering' but completely irrelevant commentary and/or shitposting, can continue their discussion in NIMF. No one gets seriously 'jarred' unless the post-excision is done by an autistic wielding a meat cleaver.

This was the purpose of the NIMF forum on Totse and when sensibly used the system worked well.

If the mods start pulling threads apart whenever there's an off-topic post made we really run that risk of micromanaging and possibly overstepping our bounds, which some other members mentioned as concerns.  Post removal might have its place, but we would do well to approach it very mindfully.

E' has raised an excellent point. Assume the majority of the userbase reasonably request that blatant thread derails/shitposts are moved to NIMF, and Arnox gives the the mods the authority to carry out this task. The question then becomes; would every member of the team be able to reliably perform that task with competence?

Given the extremely selective and character-based criteria by which Arnox picks his unimpeachable staff and barring the occasional honest human error, the answer to that question is surely... yes.

Or have I missed something, Equanimity?

Well said.

Moving off-topic posts and conversations to NIMF would clean up the thread as well as allow moderators to keep their proof.  Don't you agree Arnox?   Isn't that more logical and reasonable and better then leaving the garbage in the middle of legitimate discussion?

[-SpectraL]

Then you go into the NIMF forum and see certain nicks just plastered all through there over months and years, but you don't do anything about them.

[Slave of the Beast]

Or have I missed something, Equanimity?

Arnox outlined the "post removal criteria" in his OP here.  That's our standard until further notice.

I'm well aware of what Arnox has said. I'm asking you to think for yourself.

Am I asking too much?

[equanimity]

Or have I missed something, Equanimity?

Arnox outlined the "post removal criteria" in his OP here.  That's our standard until further notice.

I'm well aware of what Arnox has said. I'm asking you to think for yourself.

Am I asking too much?

You want my personal opinion?

Moving individual posts is almost never necessary, and doing so is likely to create a fair amount of strife that only makes things worse.

[Idiosyncrasy]

SOTB, yes we would all be able to carry out the task.

[constantinople]

Hey look, non contributors complaining.

[Slave of the Beast]

Hey look, non contributors complaining.

I see people having a discussion. And your ironic post, of course.

If the mods start pulling threads apart whenever there's an off-topic post made we really run that risk of micromanaging and possibly overstepping our bounds, which some other members mentioned as concerns.  Post removal might have its place, but we would do well to approach it very mindfully.

SOTB, yes we would all be able to carry out the task.

I don't doubt you personally Idiosyncrasy, but Equanimity's faith in the mod team's competence seems far less resolute.

I'm curious as to why there's a difference in attitude.

Or have I missed something, Equanimity?

Arnox outlined the "post removal criteria" in his OP here.  That's our standard until further notice.

I'm well aware of what Arnox has said. I'm asking you to think for yourself.

Am I asking too much?

You want my personal opinion?

Moving individual posts is almost never necessary, and doing so is likely to create a fair amount of strife that only makes things worse.

And, as a moderator, you base your opinion on what experience?

[equanimity]

Slave, I don't see a majority of posters asking for more posts to be moved.  There were a few posters for, and a few against.  If Arnox decided it was best and tasked us with removing off-topic posts, we of course could all manage it.

[Obbe]

Slave, I don't see a majority of posters asking for more posts to be moved.  There were a few posters for, and a few against.  If Arnox decided it was best and tasked us with removing off-topic posts, we of course could all manage it.

What's the point of leaving shitposts and derailments in the middle of legitimate conversations?   Don't you agree that it's more logical to move them to NIMF?

[starvingniglet]

What's the point of leaving shitposts and derailments in the middle of legitimate conversations?   Don't you agree that it's more logical to move them to NIMF?

Obbe is pissed that everyone didn't take his gay 'living reality' thread seriously, so he is going to demand that moderators regulate everyone elses' conversations to keep out 'shitposts' and 'derailments'.

[Slave of the Beast]

You want my personal opinion?

Moving individual posts is almost never necessary, and doing so is likely to create a fair amount of strife that only makes things worse.

And, as a moderator, you base your opinion on what experience?

Slave, I don't see a majority of posters asking for more posts to be moved.  There were a few posters for, and a few against.

You haven't answered my question.

If the mods start pulling threads apart whenever there's an off-topic post made we really run that risk of micromanaging and possibly overstepping our bounds, which some other members mentioned as concerns.  Post removal might have its place, but we would do well to approach it very mindfully.

If Arnox decided it was best and tasked us with removing off-topic posts, we of course could all manage it.

So the risks that you thought were "really" possible no longer exist, despite the mod team in question being exactly the same as it was 24 hrs ago when you made that statement.

What precisely has changed?

[Obbe]

What's the point of leaving shitposts and derailments in the middle of legitimate conversations?   Don't you agree that it's more logical to move them to NIMF?

Obbe is pissed that everyone didn't take his gay 'living reality' thread seriously, so he is going to demand that moderators regulate everyone elses' conversations to keep out 'shitposts' and 'derailments'.

It has nothing to do with you.  Attention whore.   Lanny caused much more grief in that thread than you.

What I'm saying here has nothing to do with any individual, but what is logically the best way to deal with off-topic posts.

[starvingniglet]

Obbe is pissed that everyone didn't take his gay 'living reality' thread seriously, so he is going to demand that moderators regulate everyone elses' conversations to keep out 'shitposts' and 'derailments'.

I never thought that this community of all places would be so full of petty control freaks and censorship advocates.  We are supposed to stand apart from everyone else....we are the ones that 'get it', the ones that see through all the bullshit that surrounds us. 

But some of you just cannot overcome the crippling scourge of 'shitposting'.  All those mean, harsh words, getting in your way...day after day they get badder and scarier until one day you just can't go on, so you raise the pistol to just above eye level and put it up to your temple.....You fucking mewling bitches, you let words control you and offend you and get in your way. 

Some of you are so affected by mere words that you demand that they be removed from your presence and the conversation, lest they 'pollute' your pristine verbal constructions that satisfy your infantile egos.  Its like getting lung cancer, and blaming the air for it.

Attention whore

I don't care about myself...this is about you...allll about you.