Before locking up threads ...

[Aeni]

I urge moderators to keep their distance on "touchy" subjects and not get emotionally involve in those discussions, as you tend to start believing you're "right" and end up doing stuff like locking threads up just because you want to have the "last" word.

Yes, there is such a thing as "moderation" for moderators.

I hope the owners of these forums can tell their new mod staff members to practice restraint. Some threads were civil enough and did not warrant intervention.

[Kildem]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

I urge moderators to keep their distance on "touchy" subjects and not get emotionally involve in those discussions, as you tend to start believing you're "right" and end up doing stuff like locking threads up just because you want to have the "last" word.

Yes, there is such a thing as "moderation" for moderators.

I hope the owners of these forums can tell their new mod staff members to practice restraint. Some threads were civil enough and did not warrant intervention.

Quote, like the jihad thread.
Just because there was that word it doesn't offend none.
Jihad means "holy war in the name of God" nothing else.
Is like if you say to me "Apocalypse" or something like that (since i am christian).
There is nothing offensive and we weren't blaming anyone...

[Grizzlebeard]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

I wholeheartedly agree. I'm pretty disgusted to see mod rights become nothing more than an, "I win" button on a heated, yet adult, discussion.

[Intensity]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

Whoa, that thread got locked? lol

Sounds interesting. Wish I woulda participated. =P

EDIT: Anyone else notice their name below their title? lol Damn it, and I wanted to abuse me some colors.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

If you have an issue with the way a thread is moderated or a moderator, then use the appropriate venue. That would be in pm'ing the appropriate people in question and NOT posting a thread about it.

As to the thread in question, it had served its purpose. The issue was discussed to death and the route that it was starting to take was not on topic and a dangerous route at that. Any discussion of religion always ends on a bad note and so it was closed.

[Intensity]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

I thought the only reason it was even brought up was because a Mod had mentioned it may be offensive? lol Prior to that I don't think religion was discussed @ all.

[Pai Pai Master]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

I mentioned that some may find the thread title offensive. TheGrandMom reiterated that point before closing the thread, but that was not the main reason the thread was locked.

The thread began as a user complaining that he had been suspended from FFXI by a GM because he was reported using inappropriate language in /shout. This quickly brought on people who argued that he should have been suspended, while others argued that he has the right to do so and anyone who doesn't like it can turn on the language filter.

The argument went on for multiple pages but never really got much farther.

After 3 pages, it's only natural that the thread was closed when not much was being argued about the original subject.

As for the religious aspect of the post, I can see why some people may feel that it was closed solely for the purpose of a moderator wanting to express their personal beliefs. I can only say that that idea is far from the truth.

I am a Muslim, and I was offended by the thread's title. "Jihad" is a word many non-Muslims fail to understand. They take what they hear on the news or in movies like Team America and they believe that it is simply the word Islamic fundamentalists use when declaring a religion-sanctioned act of violence. No, "Jihad" does not mean "holy war in the name of God." To use the term "declare a Jihad" in such context as the thread title is not only disrespectful to the true Muslims around the world, but also ignorant and politically incorrect, relating a massacred religious term to bloodthirsty freaks who untruthfully claim that they follow the word of Allah.

I mentioned that some users on the forums could be offended by the thread's title, and other users and moderators agreed with me. I'm not TheGrandMom and I didn't close the thread, but I can assure any of you that her actions in closing the thread were not that of personal expression, but of her duty as a moderator to close threads which have lost their original goal or may have some value of offensive nature.

Normally I would close a thread like this, as site policy is that if a user feels that a thread has been unfairly closed, that the user may appeal to a moderator directly via PM instead of creating a new thread. However, I feel that it would be much more constructive to discuss this matter further among the entire community, as it is apparent that other users agree with the original poster. If you'd like, you may also contact me via private message or AIM if you'd like to discuss the matter privately.

[nazlfrag]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

relating a massacred religious term to bloodthirsty freaks who untruthfully claim that they follow the word of Allah.

I like to compare it, for the non-muslims out there, to the KKK and Christianity - most christians would see the KKK as violent radical extremists, while the KKK see themselves as shining examples of christian faith. Obviously the KKK are a bunch of loonies who are condemmed by organized religious groups worldwide. That doesn't stop the KKK from quoting the bible and saying theirs is a christian lifestyle.

[Smasholays]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

Any discussion of religion always ends on a bad note

That is so true.

[little ninja]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

I urge moderators to keep their distance on "touchy" subjects and not get emotionally involve in those discussions, as you tend to start believing you're "right" and end up doing stuff like locking threads up just because you want to have the "last" word.

Yes, there is such a thing as "moderation" for moderators.

I hope the owners of these forums can tell their new mod staff members to practice restraint. Some threads were civil enough and did not warrant intervention.

what you expect when they gave TGM the ability to lock up threads. its has been viewed by other mods an nothing happened. they felt the thread was ok still. TGM didnt like their game being bashed thus the thread was closed.

im sorry if you felt the jihad to be a bad comment. then again you guys fail to rectify the situation. instead you let the post carry on for 5 days before it is decided by one person to close it. i believe closed on the interest of there views an beliefs. just look back at the mods who were in this thread responding, how many viewed the thread yet did nothing.

you defend with rules, yet obviously fail to inforce rules until its way to late. if its wrong. its wrong from day 1, not 5 days later when i mod gets all sensitive on the situation.

[TheGrandMom]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

We gave our forum members the benefit of the doubt that they wouldn't turn a thread about violating the TOS into a religious arguement. For the majority of the time it was up, things went fine. But it only takes one bad apple to ruin the bunch and thats what started to happen. I'm sorry that you don't like me since you don't even know me, but don't turn this into something personal when its not.

[Pai Pai Master]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

Would you rather moderators lock a thread immediately on the first bad sign, or give a warning to the contributors and see how things turn out?

Honestly, I'd like to know how you feel. If we're moderating in a manner which the users of FFXIonline.com disagree with, then it's our duty to rethink our policies.

[little ninja]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

quoted by neighbortaru.
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"As the discussion has gone off from the original topic, i am going to move this to off-topics.

And I remind you all, please keep this discussion civil (which so far it seems to be)."
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they still felt like it was being handled in a civil manner. an as posters we had kept it for the most part clean. we can take this as a warning to keep it clean. but it never got that much further.

[Taskmage]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

It's written nowhere that the moderating staff must necessarily agree all the time.

Neighbortaru recognized that the discussion had the potential to go awry or there would have been no reminder to keep the discussion civil. He chose to let the thread continue until something genuinely out of order happened.

TGM saw the same potential and chose to close the thread before it had the opportunity to go downhill. She also noted that the dialogue was going nowhere and the thread had strayed far from its original subject, which I feel is fair enough reason to bring the thread to a graceful end.

Neither mod was in the wrong for the course of action they chose. If you disagree with how one or the other used their power, that's certainly within your right. However, it is much more appropriate for you to take up your issue with the moderator in question or a site adminstrator via the PM system. To wit:

I believe as a common courtesy, you normally do not post such things in the forum community. I think resolution with SE comes first and if all else fails, you come to see the community about it. Rather than explicitly detailing the incident, a simple question on advice and asking where to seek recourse would help much more than trying to incite the community, whether or not intentionally, and provoke emotions and drama over this whole deal.

The same should apply here.

[little ninja]

Re: Before locking up threads ...

It's written nowhere that the moderating staff must necessarily agree all the time.

Neighbortaru recognized that the discussion had the potential to go awry or there would have been no reminder to keep the discussion civil. He chose to let the thread continue until something genuinely out of order happened.

TGM saw the same potential and chose to close the thread before it had the opportunity to go downhill. She also noted that the dialogue was going nowhere and the thread had strayed far from its original subject, which I feel is fair enough reason to bring the thread to a graceful end.

Neither mod was in the wrong for the course of action they chose. If you disagree with how one or the other used their power, that's certainly within your right. However, it is much more appropriate for you to take up your issue with the moderator in question or a site adminstrator via the PM system. To wit:The same should apply here.

Pai Pai Master said "Would you rather moderators lock a thread immediately on the first bad sign, or give a warning to the contributors and see how things turn out?" so i will use what a MOD saying to counter yours.

as for PM comment. its a waste of time an a big freakin joke. since i have yet to get a MOD to guts up an respond back to me. or answer why i even have a warning, when they wrote that i was cleared of all charges.