se23 forum censorship
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bigbadwolf
- Posts: 726
- Joined: 7 Jan 2008 21:21
- Location: Forest Hill and Sydenham
se23 forum censorship
Is any body else who uses the se23.com forum on this site who are sick and tired of having their post's and threads censored or blocked and having their personal message option blocked. I never swear or single anyone out and personally think the admin/webmasters actions are pathetic in a democracy like ours. ALL COMMENTS WELCOME FROM SE23 AND SE26!
Sadly moderation is necessary in forums today. We try to keep it to an absolute minimum here. And we have been criticised for not being stringent enough.
So there is no absolute 'right way' to moderate forums. Moderators are always doomed to get it wrong (at least in some eyes). The webmaster at SE23.COM does keep a stricter ship. And that means their Forum has not had some of the agonising we have had here.
The bottom line is Forums cannot please all of the people all of the time. It is the moderator's interest to please most of the people most of the time - or there will be no successful forum. SE23.COM is a successful forum for Forest Hill and was the inspiration for trying to do the same in SE26.
Forums are not democratic. Forums, newspapers, radio stations & websites run by democratic organisations rarely succeed. Quick decisions have to be made. The moderator will be thinking not just of your post but what the knock on effect will be. Some will be mistakes. You have to live with that or start your own Forum.
Sorry if that sounds harsh. But you should see some of my mailbag!
Admin
So there is no absolute 'right way' to moderate forums. Moderators are always doomed to get it wrong (at least in some eyes). The webmaster at SE23.COM does keep a stricter ship. And that means their Forum has not had some of the agonising we have had here.
The bottom line is Forums cannot please all of the people all of the time. It is the moderator's interest to please most of the people most of the time - or there will be no successful forum. SE23.COM is a successful forum for Forest Hill and was the inspiration for trying to do the same in SE26.
Forums are not democratic. Forums, newspapers, radio stations & websites run by democratic organisations rarely succeed. Quick decisions have to be made. The moderator will be thinking not just of your post but what the knock on effect will be. Some will be mistakes. You have to live with that or start your own Forum.
Sorry if that sounds harsh. But you should see some of my mailbag!
Admin
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bigbadwolf
- Posts: 726
- Joined: 7 Jan 2008 21:21
- Location: Forest Hill and Sydenham
se23 forum censorship
I've taken in what you've said and fully respect that sometimes you and se23.com are subject to nasty or stupid posts but to be continuasly censored and kept out in the cold for several months is ridiculous. Se23 admin say that you can contact them but I've sent them several emails asking as to why they take a very drastic big brother approach but they just ignore me. I posted a reply as to who I would like elected mayor and popped in an inoffensive joke and the admins response was to restrict my p.m option immediately! Personaally I'm not brown nosing but if se23.com was run like this site it would be alot more interesting not to mention fun. To be perfectly honest I have suspicions that certain members are in private contact with se23 admin and try and dilute the sites content and dumbing down threads to please the more fragile and easily offended members who use the site. I shall continue to use both sites as I enjoy reading both but stand by my original comment, the webmasters approach is ridiculously hardline.
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Forest_Hill_Billie
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 21 Mar 2008 14:28
- Location: SE23
STF = me. And for SE23.COM it will be their webmaster. We both live and work in our respective communities. We receive no aid save (here) for the GoogleAds which offset some cost but not for our time. The real return is trying to give something back to the community. Of course we occasionaly get it wrong. Or rather more often according to some!
BTW This is not the place for sorting out SE23. You are very welcome to sort out SE26
Admin
BTW This is not the place for sorting out SE23. You are very welcome to sort out SE26
Admin
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nork1
- Posts: 287
- Joined: 9 Jul 2006 12:49
- Location: Banned myself - can't be bothered with the Greg/Ulysses show anymore
I just saw this thread and it made me laugh. I think you're picking on the wrong forum! SE23.COM - like this forum- is very well moderated, conversation and debate are free flowing (within reason) and the modration style is pretty relaxed.
If you want to see examples of how all-powerful over-moderation can kill threads and severely restrict debate then there are plenty of examples in a forum not a million miles away where this post would probably be deemed off-topic and edited/removed.
If you want to see examples of how all-powerful over-moderation can kill threads and severely restrict debate then there are plenty of examples in a forum not a million miles away where this post would probably be deemed off-topic and edited/removed.
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bigbadwolf
- Posts: 726
- Joined: 7 Jan 2008 21:21
- Location: Forest Hill and Sydenham
Well I'm sorry Nork1 but I have to disagree. A friend of mine started a very worthy thread complaining about harassment and offensive/sexist language being direct at her and other female commuters by the pikeys who hang about outside the Bird in hand pub on Dartmouth rd. It got some very helpful replies but for some reason was swiftly removed without an explanation. That was her first posting and she's a very shy girl who doesn't usually speak up and was annoyed and discouraged from posting again. I posted my experience of nearly getting mugged at knife point in the alley along the railway warning others to be vigilant but it was refused, again without explanation.
Is pikey really the most appropriate phrase?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7446274.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7446274.stm
Well I think I will bring this thread to a close. As I think we are drifting further off-topic for this Forum.
It is one thing to make generalised observations about differences in local forum moderation aimed at improving moderation here. It is another to discuss specific issues on another non-Sydenham forum where we do not, and cannot, know all the facts.
I can understand the frustration of being moderated. And with he feeling that free speech is being impaired. But the beautiful thing about the web is the difficulty of being silenced. It is trivial and no-cost to setup webspace or a blog where you have freedom to say what you wish uncensored.
So BBW if you do that I have no problem with adding a rider at the bottom here to say the conversation is being continued at .... (Just PM me the link)
Admin
It is one thing to make generalised observations about differences in local forum moderation aimed at improving moderation here. It is another to discuss specific issues on another non-Sydenham forum where we do not, and cannot, know all the facts.
I can understand the frustration of being moderated. And with he feeling that free speech is being impaired. But the beautiful thing about the web is the difficulty of being silenced. It is trivial and no-cost to setup webspace or a blog where you have freedom to say what you wish uncensored.
So BBW if you do that I have no problem with adding a rider at the bottom here to say the conversation is being continued at .... (Just PM me the link)
Admin