UPDATE: Fate of thread outlined here.
Ok everyone, here is the deal. I don't even know where to start or how much I'll have left out by the time I end this post so.. Rather than spend forever trying to do some formal thing and make this perfect I'm going to just type, and when done, post.
READ THIS POST. It is long, yes. Read it.
First thought I have on this: users were asked over and over again to keep the thread on topic. This did not happen so the thread was eventually closed. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, nor should they be angry with the mods for doing it. What was their other option? Stand by and let members walk all over them and the requests/statements they've made? No. Their job isn't to make suggestions and hope people follow. It is to MODERATE. The moderator was doing his job and moderating. Seeings how so many people were choosing to ignore him, all I can think to say is "Uhh, ba-duh people."
Second thought - I see the pride thing, etc, but seriously guys. You have a whole forum here. I do see the value of the thread. I'm sayin'... you'd be fine without it.
Now with that said..
I've thought about this all night and morning. I was going to come in this morning, reopen and merge threads and make a post, and instead have been sidetracked with a buncha complaints splattered around badmouthing staff and the "official we're mad" thread, etc. These had effectively changed my mind. But, I'm trying to look at the big picture and sometimes special circumstances can allow for things to be done outside the norm. So that is what I'm going to do.
But not without making a best effort to get people to read this post first.
I'm going to merge the two threads, and reopen. The original post needs to be continually updated by Anonimac with news that the group as a whole considers important enough - like he's been doing. Should it get to where he cannot, come up with who can - and we'll remake the thread under their name and merge it over. I am going to make an edit on the OP myself, and it is to stay intact. It will say something to the effect of: he his making a best effort to keep the OP up to date, not all posts are on topic seeing how it is sorta your hang out, but that this doesn't excuse members from listening to the mods. You are still to follow rules. Be polite, don't flame people, this sort of thing.
If people want to make new threads about something they can (and should!), and THOSE THREADS are to remain on topic as per usual. Those threads will not be merged onto the big thread. The information in those threads can be re-posted in the big one, that's fine.
I'm going to close all threads about this. The I'm mad thread, whatever else pops up in the time of my typing this. (I see a poll now). This everyone will live with. If you have feedback or want to voice your opinions on the matter do it on THIS THREAD.
All mod-hate, ignoring, etc up till now - amnesty. This is everyone's one warning. Infractions will follow. When a mod asks you to do or to stop doing something, oblige. If you're not okay with a moderator action/decision, PM an admin.
Let me stress this is happening because it is a special circumstance in which this seems an okay solution for reasons that are inside my head. I'm not obligated to explain any further than what gets put in this post.. It is not because we're being overwhelmed with upset users. We're not overwhelmed. This really isn't that big a deal for us to handle, either way we choose to do it. It also, and I'm only saying this because of some reply I saw somewhere, is not at all because we're afraid we're going to lose traffic to boycotting. Let whoever said that understand: AF has been doing just fine a long time. We do appreciate you all being here, it's great, we love our community, and I hope you all choose to remain here but, seriously - you're not making AF. If everyone angry with this situation boycotted and left to some other site.. we would see minimal change in traffic. Trust me on that.
So to sum up. Merging and opening. Anonimac it's on you at this point to keep the OP updated. Should you move on and the thread is still kickin', we'll assign it to someone else. Users are encouraged to create new threads for things, and those will be kept on topic. Info into those can be cross-posted to the big thread. Everyone needs to understand, mad or not, that the moderator was doing his job, and it was THE GROUPS fault for choosing to ignore his repeated requests, that it got closed. As mods pop onto the thread in the future, as they inevitably will, I highly suggest you listen to what they have to say and if you have a problem with it let me know. Don't go ignoring the mods. They're doing what they are supposed to do.
All of this may change in the future, when the phone is announced or something, but for now we'll continue like this and see how it goes.
I assure you the mods will go along with this decision fine. They may offer an opinion that supports or goes against this decision to me, and that's fine. They're encouraged to do that. But they will be mature about it. I hope that all of you will too. Please do not continue to bash the staff for doing their jobs. The whole "power happy" or whatever stuff - I'm tired of seeing it, to be honest. I wouldn't call waiting until you've been ignored 5 times to close a thread, power happy.
Happy posting, do hope everyone can keep it cool like this. Let's see some of that policing-yourselves thing I keep reading.
Ok everyone, here is the deal. I don't even know where to start or how much I'll have left out by the time I end this post so.. Rather than spend forever trying to do some formal thing and make this perfect I'm going to just type, and when done, post.
READ THIS POST. It is long, yes. Read it.
First thought I have on this: users were asked over and over again to keep the thread on topic. This did not happen so the thread was eventually closed. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, nor should they be angry with the mods for doing it. What was their other option? Stand by and let members walk all over them and the requests/statements they've made? No. Their job isn't to make suggestions and hope people follow. It is to MODERATE. The moderator was doing his job and moderating. Seeings how so many people were choosing to ignore him, all I can think to say is "Uhh, ba-duh people."
Second thought - I see the pride thing, etc, but seriously guys. You have a whole forum here. I do see the value of the thread. I'm sayin'... you'd be fine without it.
Now with that said..
I've thought about this all night and morning. I was going to come in this morning, reopen and merge threads and make a post, and instead have been sidetracked with a buncha complaints splattered around badmouthing staff and the "official we're mad" thread, etc. These had effectively changed my mind. But, I'm trying to look at the big picture and sometimes special circumstances can allow for things to be done outside the norm. So that is what I'm going to do.
But not without making a best effort to get people to read this post first.
I'm going to merge the two threads, and reopen. The original post needs to be continually updated by Anonimac with news that the group as a whole considers important enough - like he's been doing. Should it get to where he cannot, come up with who can - and we'll remake the thread under their name and merge it over. I am going to make an edit on the OP myself, and it is to stay intact. It will say something to the effect of: he his making a best effort to keep the OP up to date, not all posts are on topic seeing how it is sorta your hang out, but that this doesn't excuse members from listening to the mods. You are still to follow rules. Be polite, don't flame people, this sort of thing.
If people want to make new threads about something they can (and should!), and THOSE THREADS are to remain on topic as per usual. Those threads will not be merged onto the big thread. The information in those threads can be re-posted in the big one, that's fine.
I'm going to close all threads about this. The I'm mad thread, whatever else pops up in the time of my typing this. (I see a poll now). This everyone will live with. If you have feedback or want to voice your opinions on the matter do it on THIS THREAD.
All mod-hate, ignoring, etc up till now - amnesty. This is everyone's one warning. Infractions will follow. When a mod asks you to do or to stop doing something, oblige. If you're not okay with a moderator action/decision, PM an admin.
Let me stress this is happening because it is a special circumstance in which this seems an okay solution for reasons that are inside my head. I'm not obligated to explain any further than what gets put in this post.. It is not because we're being overwhelmed with upset users. We're not overwhelmed. This really isn't that big a deal for us to handle, either way we choose to do it. It also, and I'm only saying this because of some reply I saw somewhere, is not at all because we're afraid we're going to lose traffic to boycotting. Let whoever said that understand: AF has been doing just fine a long time. We do appreciate you all being here, it's great, we love our community, and I hope you all choose to remain here but, seriously - you're not making AF. If everyone angry with this situation boycotted and left to some other site.. we would see minimal change in traffic. Trust me on that.
So to sum up. Merging and opening. Anonimac it's on you at this point to keep the OP updated. Should you move on and the thread is still kickin', we'll assign it to someone else. Users are encouraged to create new threads for things, and those will be kept on topic. Info into those can be cross-posted to the big thread. Everyone needs to understand, mad or not, that the moderator was doing his job, and it was THE GROUPS fault for choosing to ignore his repeated requests, that it got closed. As mods pop onto the thread in the future, as they inevitably will, I highly suggest you listen to what they have to say and if you have a problem with it let me know. Don't go ignoring the mods. They're doing what they are supposed to do.
All of this may change in the future, when the phone is announced or something, but for now we'll continue like this and see how it goes.
I assure you the mods will go along with this decision fine. They may offer an opinion that supports or goes against this decision to me, and that's fine. They're encouraged to do that. But they will be mature about it. I hope that all of you will too. Please do not continue to bash the staff for doing their jobs. The whole "power happy" or whatever stuff - I'm tired of seeing it, to be honest. I wouldn't call waiting until you've been ignored 5 times to close a thread, power happy.
Happy posting, do hope everyone can keep it cool like this. Let's see some of that policing-yourselves thing I keep reading.
