This topic is closed.
Within the last twelve hours three separate threads have been closed. In all three instances I have seen no reason posted for this being done.
I can speculate on why they were closed but I thought usually whoever closed it stated why. I know it's Robin's site and he can do whatever he wants, but am I the only one who doesn't like to see this?
Quoted from sammiesguys:I know it's Robin's site and he can do whatever he wants, but am I the only one who doesn't like to see this?
Doesn't bother me becasue it's Robin's site and he can do whatever he wants.
Standard moderation of a message board. The threads I have seen closed should have been. 200 posts aboot the JJP box; it was damn funny though. 1 calling out RGP which never goes well etc.
Quoted from TheLaw:Doesn't bother me becasue it's Robin's site and he can do whatever he wants.
Standard moderation of a message board. The threads I have seen closed should have been. 200 posts aboot the JJP box; it was damn funny though. 1 calling out RGP which never goes well etc.
I understand that, but I thought there was usually a reason given. And why these specific threads? Ive seen tons of threads go completely off the rails and not be closed.
Quoted from Wolfmarsh:It doesn't matter. Spend your energy on something else.
I think it's a reasonable question. If you don't want to answer it, or be helpful, there is plenty of other threads to post in.
Quoted from robin:Good point, this is a big challenge for most forums, including the Pinside. When a handful of people de-rail a thread by pointlessly arguing and badmouthing each other what should we do? Edit the bad posts? Delete them? Ban the authors of said posts? Where do you start, where do you end? It's not always easy, in fact most often the easiest way to end the crap piling up is by simply closing a topic.
Additionally, when we feel that a thread is not adding anything to the site, or if the contents are just something we don't want to be responsible for (let alone spend resources on) we may also choose to delete a topic. This choice is never taken lightly, I can assure you that.
We're currently in the process of making the site rules even clearer then they already are and we're also implementing ways for the moderator team to temporary send people away (called a temporary ban), which we hope will result in keeping the positive vibe going here - the main reason for a lot of people to join the Pinside.
Again, it takes only a handful of people to turn the forum into a negative place and we hope that our site rules and the new temporary ban feature will help get these people in check. But all other 99% of visitors should not worry about these measures as they will never see them apply to them.
I hope that explains why we edit, close or delete stuff.
Quoted from sammiesguys:I think it's a reasonable question.
It is, but it is one that has been asked and answered before. Obviously not about those specific threads, but as you stated, its pretty easy to guess why.
Why does it matter why they were closed, unless you were looking to disagree with it? Would you expect to be able to change their mind?
Fair enough. But I thought when someone closed a thread it was at least stated why. Maybe not. I just liked to see when a thread was closed why it was.
A few bad apples can spoil everything. I have noticed guys getting way to personal and taking offense to issues. At the end of the day we are all good people and all love pinball. Some guys like to argue their point until they begin to beat a dead horse-this is were I see post being closed. Bickering back and forth like a couple of teenage girls does not do this website-or our hobby any good. My.02
Quoted from pinmister:A few bad apples can spoil everything. I have noticed guys getting way to personal and taking offense to issues. At the end of the day we are all good people and all love pinball. Some guys like to argue their point until they begin to beat a dead horse-this is were I see post being closed. Bickering back and forth like a couple of teenage girls does not do this website-or our hobby any good. My.02
I don't have a problem with threads being closed. In fact, I think that more should be closed. As you said, some people get way to personal. I just don't like seeing them closed with no reason of why.
That recent congo fs thread was really ugly, while the JJP box thread was fairly tame.
Quoted from iceman44:Every Woz thread should be closed immediately! The hate and jealousy erupts immediately and never ends up going in the right direction.....
Nah. Then the only consistent big time fight topics left would be about Stern's crappy quality and incomplete codes. Got to spread it around. 
My Thread about The Flagman for the Killed Army Soldier was Deleted and Removed
and I got another Beloved Ban Vote ... Oh Well ( No PM , No Reason )
This Thread by GAP was closed but Not Deleted , I Guess when you are Set up on a
Monthly Donation you can get away w/ a few things .
http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/help-me-pick-my-new-gap-avatar
Quoted from BLACK_ROSE:My Thread about The Flagman for the Killed Army Soldier was Deleted and Removed
and I got another Beloved Ban Vote ... Oh Well ( No PM , No Reason )
This Thread by GAP was closed but Not Deleted , I Guess when you are Set up on a
Monthly Donation you can get away w/ a few things .
http://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/help-me-pick-my-new-gap-avatar
BR, do you get messages from Pinside to your personal email? If you have been on Pinside a while there are no PM's first warning the person, that person should already know the rules is the thought. When a ban vote goes to a person, that person and all the mods get an automatic message from Pinside. I got one that showed you got the vote and the reason. If you did not get one of those messages at 0945 central time today, check your spam box.
The closed threads added nothing and anyone that reads them should see that. There are a few that go on longer than needed but it is a fine line to try and not over moderate. Each persons line is going to be in a different place. That line even changes from topic to topic. Many times we are just not able to read everything as is gets posted.
Some very good posts above, many people getting personal and going negative. Any ideas on how to fix it?
Quoted from sammiesguys:Nah. Then the only consistent big time fight topics left would be about Stern's crappy quality and incomplete codes. Got to spread it around.
True that....after all, most pinheads are just a bunch of "whiny little B*tches" (Burn Notice show).....including myself 
Quoted from RobT:When a thread is closed, can it be done by a single moderator? Or do they vote on it?
A single mod can close it.
The box thread was comic gold. I was sad to see it go...
And yes, it is usually obvious why threads get closed. That one? Not so much. I've seen much, much worse threads allowed to continue on.
But whatever. Deuce happens. Moveon.org
Quoted from sammiesguys:I don't have a problem with threads being closed. In fact, I think that more should be closed. As you said, some people get way to personal. I just don't like seeing them closed with no reason of why.
That recent congo fs thread was really ugly, while the JJP box thread was fairly tame.
The JJP box thread was closed as soon as the discussion turned to Jack's past disrespectful comments to and about Gary. Anything negative about JJ on Pinside is a sure way of getting a thread closed down.
It may not seem fair but (let's all say it together) Robin's website.... Robin's rules.
Quoted from BLACK_ROSE:My Thread about The Flagman for the Killed Army Soldier was Deleted and Removed
and I got another Beloved Ban Vote ... Oh Well ( No PM , No Reason )
This Thread by GAP was closed but Not Deleted , I Guess when you are Set up on a
Monthly Donation you can get away w/ a few things .
There was nothing to offend any body about that thread,a good story like that is heartwarming to all and if if it was deleted for that I for one will consider terminating my account.
Quoted from scooter:There was nothing to offend any body about that thread,a good story like that is heartwarming to all and if if it was deleted for that I for one will consider terminating my account.
When you add political comments to it there is something wrong with it. He took a shot at a political leader and had multiple videos up. If he would of left it alone and not tried to push it with a political commentary this would not of happened. B_R has been here long enough to know politics doesn't belong on the site and has been warned more then a few times about it.
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:When you add political comments to it there is something wrong with it. He took a shot at a political leader and had multiple videos up. If he would of left it alone and not tried to push it with a political commentary this would not of happened. B_R has been here long enough to know politics doesn't belong on the site and has been warned more then a few times about it.
Well that might have gotten deleted because I did not see it,I saw the original post and commented on it.
I am not sure I understand what the desired outcome of this post is. Its really a no win situation. Lets say a generic reason is added and when threads are closed that reason, say something like "Doesnt contribute to goals of site" or something like that, is given. Now what you have is more threads started with titles that state "How was x not a contribution? Do you guys agree?" So, in the end its circular and pointless.
Sometimes the best explanation is none at all, because this prevents follow up questions that just re-hash the same things over again.
Quoted from PDXGeek:Sometimes the best explanation is none at all, because this prevents follow up questions that just re-hash the same things over again.
IMO no explanation doesn't prevent follow up questions. An explanation gives an answer and then closes the thread. No explanation leads to speculation like this:
Quoted from PismoArcade:The JJP box thread was closed as soon as the discussion turned to Jack's past disrespectful comments to and about Gary. Anything negative about JJ on Pinside is a sure way of getting a thread closed down.
It may not seem fair but (let's all say it together) Robin's website.... Robin's rules.
I'm not going to comment on whether the above is true or not, but no explanation leads to rampant speculation. And I don't think that's a good thing.
Quoted from sammiesguys:I'm not going to comment on whether the above is true or not, but no explanation leads to rampant speculation. And I don't think that's a good thing.
I can tell you for sure it is not all smiles and sun shine moderating the site. Moderators here are not paid and do so simply to contribute to the site as much as we can. Sometimes it gets frustrating when members have been here a long time and make us constantly edit things and or troll forcing us to stop train wreck threads. I try to explain when I close them out which is not all that often but sometimes an eye roll can really explain why it was closed.
Rampant speculation is always going to occur regardless. Like I said, a generic answer isnt going to please everyone. So, whats the real goal? Even with a concise explanation, if you disagree, then another "I disagree" post is going to be made. Spending time moderating forums for a few years and you realize that people just really want to complain. Having dumb things like Karma only adds to this problem because it incentivises making posts.
Quoted from PismoArcade:The JJP box thread was closed as soon as the discussion turned to Jack's past disrespectful comments to and about Gary. Anything negative about JJ on Pinside is a sure way of getting a thread closed down.
It may not seem fair but (let's all say it together) Robin's website.... Robin's rules.
Is that really why the thread closed?
So the rule is no mentioning anything Jack has said about deadlines, game code, his competition's games or Gary Stern even if its verifiable on YouTube?
Well that doesn't leave much to talk about... other than a cardboard box
I think maybe the OP or JJP requested it to close due to shitty PR for both him & Jack rather than a mod with a WOZ preorder defending his game.
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:I can tell you for sure it is not all smiles and sun shine moderating the site. Moderators here are not paid and do so simply to contribute to the site as much as we can. Sometimes it gets frustrating when members have been here a long time and make us constantly edit things and or troll forcing us to stop train wreck threads. I try to explain when I close them out which is not all that often but sometimes an eye roll can really explain why it was closed.
I understand and appreciate that. I know you guys pretty much have a thankless job. You get blamed for many of the bad things, and little credit for the good. My intent wasn't to bash the mods with this thread. If it comes across as that, I apologize.
I simply wanted to know why some threads were closed without an explanation.
Quoted from sammiesguys:I simply wanted to know why some threads were closed without an explanation.
Those threads don't need explanation. Read through them again and see if you can find any positive contributions. You won't find any. Very different topics, none added anything to the conversation. With internet bulletin boards, the general idea is to add something positive to the discussion. Those threads failed that test miserably. If you can't see that, maybe you should stick to lurking.
IMO, at least the last two threads should've been completely deleted. This thread too. The signal to noise ratio is here is getting out of control. I also don't think posts or replies should be awarded any karma points here. A poster should gain or lose karma points on the merit of their posts. Rewarding poor behavior, even with something as silly as karma points, only encourages more bad behavior IMO.
Quoted from phishrace:Those threads don't need explanation. Read through them again and see if you can find any positive contributions. You won't find any. Very different topics, none added anything to the conversation. With internet bulletin boards, the general idea is to add something positive to the discussion. Those threads failed that test miserably. If you can't see that, maybe you should stick to lurking.
IMO, at least the last two threads should've been completely deleted. This thread too. The signal to noise ratio is here is getting out of control. I also don't think posts or replies should be awarded any karma points here. A poster should gain or lose karma points on the merit of their posts. Rewarding poor behavior, even with something as silly as karma points, only encourages more bad behavior IMO.
I agree 100% ,, Kill the Karma Pt's system .. It's Just an Ego Trip
Is the site creator Buddhist? And therefore allows a Buddhist term to be used on the site?
Is Karma not a Buddhist term? I recommend to change the name to Reputation to honor the site creators own ban of religion.
Otherwise, it's hypocritical.
Quoted from Propaganda:Is the site creator Buddhist? And therefore allows a Buddhist term to be used on the site?
Is Karma not a Budist term? I recommend to change the name to Reputation to honor the site creators own ban of religion.
Otherwise, it's hypicritical.
http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/karma.htm
This isn't the karma you're looking for.
Quoted from The_Dude_Abides:I can tell you for sure it is not all smiles and sun shine moderating the site. Moderators here are not paid and do so simply to contribute to the site as much as we can. Sometimes it gets frustrating when members have been here a long time and make us constantly edit things and or troll forcing us to stop train wreck threads. I try to explain when I close them out which is not all that often but sometimes an eye roll can really explain why it was closed
No kidding....you guys do a GREAT JOB and put up with a lot of garbage as a labor of love....keep it up, we appreciate it!
Let me squash one urban myth about how things work on a moderated forum: 9.9999999 times out of 10 moderators don't owe an explanation to anyone for closing threads. They also don't owe explanations for banning, kicking or suspending. Publicly probing and putting them on trial via a thread, demanding said explanations, does the exact opposite of reversing their decisions. No matter how fair/unfair it was.
When you come out of the cold wild west wastelands of unmoderated newsgroups, you're in the warmth of an organized house someone else built. There are rules to these places and how/when/if they get enforced isn't democratic. Despite the usual complaint that moderators are power mad, more often than not they are well intentioned people just trying to clean house. A house the world keeps taking several massive shits in, on the floor of the main living room, on an hourly basis. Usually followed by taunting.
If your thread is closed, put 1 and 1 together then move on. We have important shit like pinball to discuss.
I don't care in the least. I came to this site to get away from all the BS, trolls, name calling, threatening crap and insults on RGP. Everything here is good with me.
As far as I am concerned the mods here can blow away any post that they feel are inappropriate for whatever reason. I'm not gonna miss them or their posters when they are gone. This whole hobby is supposed to be fun. If some assclown keyboard commando wants to turn it into a monkey shitflinging session its nice to know that it will be put to an end so that the rest of us can continue to have fun enjoying our hobby and respectful communications to each other.
Free speech only applies to the sites that are free. If you paid to be here you agreed to be censored....so the jerks out there have plenty of options than Pinside to exercize their rights to free speech on.
Quoted from sammiesguys:Mods please close this thread
You like to tell the mods what to do huh?
Quoted from Propaganda:You like to tell the mods what to do huh?
Seriously? I asked them to close the thread. You want me to add a question mark to my last post? 
Quoted from Propaganda:Basically you're not in control here.
Thanks buddy.
Quoted from BLACK_ROSE:I Guess when you are Set up on a
Monthly Donation you can get away w/ a few things .
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