Voting on Locking Threads

[fcgamer | 4,723]

I've been seeing recently an influx of topics being preemptively locked. I'm personally not one for such thread-locking, as it almost feels as a way to silence voices. If people feel there is something underhanded or improper going on, it should be addressed, openly, as we are a community.

Therefore, I had an idea. Before locking a thread, a poll should be set on it and left there for 24 hours, whether to lock the thread or let it remain. This would also serve as a way to let others know to pump the breaks, if the thread is really going off the tracks.

[Gloves | 11,777]

Lol no. An "influx" of threads being "preemptively" locked? Don't be ridiculous. I locked two threads yesterday. One was a troll thread and the other was a For Sale thread in which the item had already been sold and the thread had derailed into people literally posting gifs of beating a dead horse. 

[Murray | 2,448]

In before the lock!

[fcgamer | 4,723]

30 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Lol no. An "influx" of threads being "preemptively" locked? Don't be ridiculous. I locked two threads yesterday. One was a troll thread and the other was a For Sale thread in which the item had already been sold and the thread had derailed into people literally posting gifs of beating a dead horse. 

No cussing, no flaming, no acting like assholes, so why lock threads where people are having fun? Oh wait ..

[Gloves | 11,777]

Just now, fcgamer said:

No cussing, no flaming, no acting like assholes, so why lock threads where people are having fun? Oh wait ..

Ah yes, because I'm captain stifle peoples ability to congregate. You got me! 

[fcgamer | 4,723]

1 minute ago, Gloves said:

Ah yes, because I'm captain stifle peoples ability to congregate. You got me! 

So why exactly was it necessary to lock those threads again? Did you lock the other sales threads where the items were sold? If not, I'll gladly go down through tonight and tag you, to help out, so you can lock all the other sold items threads over the past two or three years.

[fcgamer | 4,723]

Just happy to assist, no need to pay me for it

[Brickman | 3,984]

32 minutes ago, Murray said:

In before the lock!

Better cast your vote!

[Gloves | 11,777]

Just now, fcgamer said:

So why exactly was it necessary to lock those threads again? Did you lock the other sales threads where the items were sold? If not, I'll gladly go down through tonight and tag you, to help out, so you can lock all the other sold items threads over the past two or three years.

I've already explained why it was locked, but I'll do it again anyway, even though really I have no obligation to explain myself to you.

The discussion about how OP had handled the sale had run its course. People said what needed said. Then it got derailed and chatty, which 1) doesn't belong in a For Sale thread in the first place, and 2) serves only to bury the actual valuable conversation for future potential readers. 

I don't go around locking every Sales thread where the transactions completed because typically I don't HAVE to. 

If people want a dick around thread that's fine, make one in Everything Else. That's what it's there for and that's literally the whole point of both of those thread locks. 

[Sumez | 2,951]

VGS has been admirably patient with people posting all kinds of absurd opinions and straight up destructive world views, so "silencing voices" is probably the last thing I'd accuse them of.
If anything, it might actually be in their interest to moderate a little harder, not to censor users, but to avoid attracting an unfortunate reputation

I don't really see any purpose in protecting the ability for any and all threads to turn into a kindergarten of GIFs which had nothing to do with the original topic.
There is no lack of existing places to do this on the forum as it is, so you'd be hard pressed to argue that "fun isn't allowed" on VGS. It's also in the interest of users of a forum that threads maintain some amount of on-topic discipline. And I see no reason that we shouldn't be able to trust in the moderators' abilities to make those calls. A forum isn't a democracy - polls are for deciding who likes Brazil and who doesn't.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Sumez

[fcgamer | 4,723]

5 minutes ago, Sumez said:

VGS has been admirably patient with people posting all kinds of absurd opinions and straight up destructive world views

I haven't noticed this and I've been here from the start. Who is posting about destructive world views?

[Gloves | 11,777]

Here we go. 

[JamesRobot | 5,800]

50 minutes ago, Murray said:

In before the lock!

[CodysGameRoom | 2,008]

15 minutes ago, Sumez said:

VGS has been admirably patient with people posting all kinds of absurd opinions and straight up destructive world views

I wouldn't even say patient, I've seen straight up racist, sexist or bigoted ideas and opinions (which i reported as well) just be ignored and allowed to persist on the platform.

 

15 minutes ago, Sumez said:

but to avoid attracting an unfortunate reputation

Yea, I know for a fact of one transgender user who stopped coming here a few years back after a certain thread. And also do you notice how none of the female users stick around very long? 

I get that for the most part they want to let people have their free speech on the platform but when members are saying straight up racist or bigoted stuff it should be removed immediately in line with the spirit of the board.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

36 minutes ago, Gloves said:

Ah yes, because I'm captain stifle peoples ability to congregate. You got me! 

You have obviously become a power hungry dictator. Next you're gonna change your official title to "evil overlord". 

[fcgamer | 4,723]

1 minute ago, Bearcat-Doug said:

You have obviously become a power hungry dictator. Next you're gonna change your official title to "evil overlord". 

OMG 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

18 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

I haven't noticed this and I've been here from the start. Who is posting about destructive world views?

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

2 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

OMG 

I made sure to add the emoji at the end to show I was kidding so I didn't get banned!

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

35 minutes ago, Sumez said:

If anything, it might actually be in their interest to moderate a little harder, not to censor users, but to avoid attracting an unfortunate reputation

Yeah, we don't need Pat the NES Punk burying us on his podcast like he did the old place. We can't have his five listeners getting the wrong impression. 

Edited September 4, 2023 by Bearcat-Doug

[Gloves | 11,777]

18 minutes ago, CodysGameRoom said:

I wouldn't even say patient, I've seen straight up racist, sexist or bigoted ideas and opinions (which i reported as well) just be ignored and allowed to persist on the platform.

 

Yea, I know for a fact of one transgender user who stopped coming here a few years back after a certain thread. And also do you notice how none of the female users stick around very long? 

I get that for the most part they want to let people have their free speech on the platform but when members are saying straight up racist or bigoted stuff it should be removed immediately in line with the spirit of the board.

I do think there's a smidge on of subjectivity in these statements. Like if I saw something straight up racist there would be a punishment for that for sure. 

That said, some people definitely skirt the line with statements with an implied smirk, knowing full well that given context what they're saying is inappropriate, and yes - the *plan* is to be harsher on that type of thing. We don't retroactively re-punish things, so if something happened in the past it's not likely to be re-reviewed too handily, though if you see something straight up racist report it (again?) and I'll take a look. 

Every report is reviewed though, and any punishments handed out aren't aired publicly, so it may well be that your report had an impact and you just aren't aware of it. 

A user is currently temp banned, for instance, after doing something he was explicitly warned not to. I don't WANT to do that to long-standing members who I respect as individuals, but this also isn't NA. Friends don't get a pass, and you can't buy your ticket to freedom with a gifted game or whatever. 

Thaaaaat all said, within reason, if someone has an opinion that differs from that of the larger group, we generally don't stop posts about it. Unfortunately sometimes that means that some people might get offended. If those offended parties decide that VGS isn't right for them because of the opinion of a minority (eg some people believe that abortion is wrong) that's honestly on them to decide and I respect their decision to leave. As in my example of abortion being "wrong", I don't agree, but I respect that people may hold that view. As long as they're respectful about it I see no reason to not allow them to state their view without ridicule, and likewise others can argue the opposite. But if someone is like "people who get abortions should be murdered, let's see how THEY like it", then report it, I'd say that's at least worth an official warning. 

[Khromak | 768]

I thought this thread was about how if a post is locked you could still vote (in polls, or with reactions).

There's absolutely no chance that we could vote on a thread lock scenario. There are plenty of times when conversations get derailed or inappropriate where the mods need to step in and don't have the luxury of time to wait to see what people think of it first.

I think the mods do a great job of balancing between allowing conversations to continue and keeping threads on-topic. If anything, we get away with murder...proverbially speaking, sometimes.

If you want to have a sidebar conversation about the appropriate syrup to put on your waffles, make a thread about it, don't post it in someone's FS thread or in a topic about the price of clamshells (video game or food)

[Gloves | 11,777]

19 minutes ago, CodysGameRoom said:

And also do you notice how none of the female users stick around very long? 

Just a quick funny behind the scenes thing cuz why not - at least 3 "female users" were one dude making alt accounts. They don't come around anymore cuz I banned him and his alts. 

[Hammerfestus | 3,844]

I abortions.

Edited September 4, 2023 by Hammerfestus

[Gloves | 11,777]

1 minute ago, Hammerfestus said:

I abortions.

I can see edits lol. 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

5 minutes ago, Gloves said:

A user is currently temp banned, for instance, after doing something he was explicitly warned not to. 

What did @docile tapeworm do this time?