S/O Locked topic - can we see why?

[sparksals]

I think its also going to depend on who is on at the time it is reported, and if the thread gets reported at all. People may be more reluctant to report an established member or perceived "favorite" than someone less established, either not wanting to complain about a long time poster or assuming that if a frequent and long time poster is doing it that it must be OK.

And yet the mods and Jeanne herself have stated that there are no favourites, and that longtime posters who break the rules will be dealt with the same way everyone else is.

From what I've seen in my many years on the board, this is 100% true.

But if no one reports it, and the mods don't see it, it continues... and new posters see that people that have been here for awhile don't get in trouble for violations, so they are more likely to violate the same rule.

I'm sure long time posters have seen newer people not get in trouble either.  I don't think it's right to ascribe 'unfairness' to one group.

[TurtleDove]

I don't know that anyone is saying "It's not fair! The newbie got reported and the old timer didn't!" I think what people are saying is that when we don't know why a thread is locked we can't modify our posting to ensure we don't do the same types of posting that will get future threads locked. Without an explanation, I can see how some people might think "this thread was locked because the OP is new but it wouldn't have been if the OP were someone else" or some other reason that hopefully isn't true.

[ShadesOfGrey]

I dont know about anyone else, but I wasnt talking about old-timers vs. newbies being treated differently, I was speaking specifically to the same types of threads in some cases being locked and/or spoken out against, and in other cases being allowed to go on. 

Please dont misinterpret me - I'm not "calling out" or saying it's unfair or complaining about it, I'm just trying to give a very plausible, feasible, realistic explanation for why this happens at times on this board-that's all.  Different mods have different tolerance levels for "should be locked" vs. "must be monitored very closely" is all. 

*it's happened with threads I've reported, so I know it's not a case of it not being reported.  Just whoever I reported it to decided that that particular thread didnt cross the bright line, whereas the one I reported 2 months prior with very similar tone/subject had crossed that line - perhaps it was a different mod, perhaps they collectively decided to handle this issue differently, perhaps they merely didnt have the time to lock it, perhaps I had reported a lot of threads lately and they were ignoring me - who knows?! ;-p

[DottyG]

perhaps it was a different mod, perhaps they collectively decided to handle this issue differently, perhaps they merely didnt have the time to lock it, perhaps I had reported a lot of threads lately and they were ignoring me - who knows?! ;-p

I think it's that last one.  Definitely.

[ShadesOfGrey]

DottyG - hehe, it totally could be! ;p

I actually said that because I feel like I go through reporting "cycles." For example, I dont report anything for like 8 months, and then all of a sudden there's like 5 threads in a span of three weeks I feel are objectionable or have been locked before, or a mod needs to know about, etc.   I wonder sometimes...

[Schmoopie3928]

You two are cracking me up! I rarely report threads, I have been given a talking to on my threads before and I have had the mods come to my defense before locking threads. Sometimes I am also curious as to why a thread is locked, but if I can't figure it out I usually shrug and move on.  I appreciate the mods especially because they keep the forum troll-free and civil. That's why I stay here when I have left so many others.

I sound like a dork. I think I need a nap. :p

[pierrotlunaire0]

DottyG - hehe, it totally could be! ;p

I actually said that because I feel like I go through reporting "cycles." For example, I dont report anything for like 8 months, and then all of a sudden there's like 5 threads in a span of three weeks I feel are objectionable or have been locked before, or a mod needs to know about, etc.   I wonder sometimes...

Boy, is that me.  There was one time, I realized that it was my xth report in a short period of time, and I could just see the mods saying amongst themselves, "Okay, it must be that time of year for Pierrot!  There she goes again!"

[The TARDIS]

Oh dear, I copy/pasted what I wrote in an email while telling a friend about my toothache, and silly me I forgot to remove the question about home remedies to tide me over until I can see my dentist. I tried to access the locked topic and clicked the "remove" button only to get a message stating moderators have to do that.

I wasn't thinking clearly and I didn't realize it until I went back and saw it locked. I feel foolish now and I apologize. Please feel free to delete that entire topic if it is problematic.

[RebeccainGA]

I had a topic locked, too - a bit baffled, as it seemed to be going well, but perhaps the mod thought the question had been answered. Also got another really snarky answer from someone who is usually reasonable, and has been on here forever - beginning to get a complex about them.

[Lynn2000]

I had a topic locked, too - a bit baffled, as it seemed to be going well, but perhaps the mod thought the question had been answered. Also got another really snarky answer from someone who is usually reasonable, and has been on here forever - beginning to get a complex about them.

I've noticed the mods have been locking topics a lot lately if it seems that the etiquette question has been answered, and the discussion is now going around and around about small details. So that could indeed be the reason. I don't have a problem with it myself, though I do like it when a mod posts something in the thread about their reasoning.

[RebeccainGA]

I've noticed the mods have been locking topics a lot lately if it seems that the etiquette question has been answered, and the discussion is now going around and around about small details. So that could indeed be the reason. I don't have a problem with it myself, though I do like it when a mod posts something in the thread about their reasoning.

Agreed. A quick 'question answered, move along, nothing to see here' would make it clear that it was ended before it devolved into ugliness and not because something had already been done inappropriately. But hey - the mods keep the place fairly positive and it's appreciated, so if they don't have time to do that, so be it.

[thedudeabides]

I had a topic locked, too - a bit baffled, as it seemed to be going well, but perhaps the mod thought the question had been answered. Also got another really snarky answer from someone who is usually reasonable, and has been on here forever - beginning to get a complex about them.

Why not just ask them about it instead of posting here in a vague way?

[Erich L-ster]

For a while there the locked threads were being ended with a post giving the reason but the past few I've seen are just locked out of the blue with no explanation and no obvious reason. Example: http://www.etiquettehell.com/smf/index.php?topic=126207.30

Please go back to posting the reason. It just makes things better to tell us why so that the problem can be fixed in future threads.

[Yvaine]

For a while there the locked threads were being ended with a post giving the reason but the past few I've seen are just locked out of the blue with no explanation and no obvious reason. Example: http://www.etiquettehell.com/smf/index.php?topic=126207.30

Please go back to posting the reason. It just makes things better to tell us why so that the problem can be fixed in future threads.

Well, I think that one is probably because it's so tangled up with legal/discrimination issues and safety.

[lowspark]

I think about this thread when a topic gets locked without explanation. And I gotta say, about 99% of the time, when that happens, it's fairly clear to me why it got locked. I agree that it's nice when the mod says why it's getting locked and they do most of the time I think. But really sometimes, it's just obvious. There are times when I'm following a thread and thinking, uh, oh... this is heading toward locking territory. So when it does get locked, it's not much of a surprise.