Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

User alerts need to be dealt with in reasonable time, to prevent them piling up, and so that users can see that moderators are responding to their concerns.

Speaking as a moderator the reasons why I may lock a thread are

1. To stop a flame war.
2. If the thread has gone off topic (which often co-incides with reason 1.)
3. Necronised threads.
4. At user request, if appropriate.

I personally feel that once threads get too long, they lose value for newcomers to the topic under discussion. However, I agree with the Dakka policy of not locking and (almost never) deleting threads without a good reason.

Alternatives to locking a thread are

1. To edit it
2. To PM the infractors and ask them to edit their posts and/or apologise
3. To insert public notices, such as “Remember rule no.1”
4. To do nothing – which requires sending an explanation to the complaining member
5. To refer it to the private moderation forum for advice

All of these options are time consuming and generally require more work later, and it’s not unusual to try to damp down a flame war only for it to flare up again and require locking.

The only other option is to ignore the thread and wait for another moderator to deal with it. That is rather a cop-out, so I only do it when I am too pressed for time to thoroughly consider an issue.

There are many threads and not a lot of moderators. Most often, my attention is brought to a thread by a user alert. Sometimes I am actively reading a thread, or I am ‘patrolling’ the forum and notice something that needs moderating.

In the case that I pick up a thread though the user alert system, it is probably something I have not read before, because it’s something I am not interested in.

When such a thread is very long, I may not have time to carefully read and understand the whole trail of to-and-fro argument, so I speed read it and come to a conclusion about what to do, then I do it.

Moderators aren’t perfect. Issues may not be clear cut, and they will require a judgement call on what to do. When this happens, the moderator response may not be ideal, in fact there may not even be an ‘ideal’ response which satisfies everyone.

I agree it’s a good policy to put the reason why you are locking a thread. I often but not always add that users can PM other moderators for a second opinion, or point out that users can start another thread if they like.

The purpose for my long post is to try to explain to users the kind of processes involved in moderating, and to reassure users that moderators take their duties seriously and give their best (though not always perfect) efforts to dealing with issues as they arise.

Deadshane1 wrote:

"Can someone answer a question for me? Are Chaplains Fearless?" and "Someone help me pick an army."

So are Chaplains Fearless?

Often times a thread willbe locked because there is about to be a flamewar. Although I did not lock that thread, I have locked threads in the past where there was too much hostility going on and I didn't want to take 30 minutes to try to edit one thread because two or three posters couldn't keep their act together. I've also opened threads, including yesterday, where I have been PM'd with a request to re-open.

If there is an issue you can always PM one of the mods, especially the mod that did the closing.

Unless you're deadshane1 of course, because he refuses to answer the essential question of whether Chaplains are fearless...

...but I WILL help you pick your army.

grizgrin wrote:Not so sorry for this post: If the traffic is too much for people to be taking the care that the proles need, then either the traffic needs restriction or the mods need to be augmented. Probably with additional mods, but I wouldn't pass up a laser targeter eye.

Oh man, I need to be augmented. Can I get a laser eye, optional nightvision, and drones to do my bidding? I promise I'll do more modding...

...but I WILL help you pick your army.

See, progress is already being made...

I do apologize if I seem heavy-handed. As Yakface said, feel free to PM me to re-open a thread; I've done it before, and I'll do it again, no sweat. The reason I locked those two threads is that arguments were being repeated, and in my experience here on Dakka, that is a sign that the thread is soon to devolve in a flame war and I was trying to prevent this.

Like Yakface said, we're just people. I do have thick skin, so don't be afraid to say something to me if you've got a problem with what I'm doing. Moderation does have a degree of personal judgement, so all of us will do it differently.

Fair enough! Indeed.