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.

Looking for clarification here as I have never been clear on where the line is between something more appropriate for a "personal blog" and something eligible to be discussed as a topic.

Exhibit A:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/668831.page

Relapse's thread about personal satisfaction/achievement. That seemed like a positive thread with lots of room for interesting discussion, but it was locked because of "personal blog" material being present.

Exhibit B:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/667957.page

Killkrazy's thread about seeing a Delorean. It was topical for Back to the Future day last week, but the OP doesn't really lend much to discussion and yet that thread was allowed to exist. In my opinion the OP in Killkrazy's thread does read much more like a blog entry than the OP in Relapse's thread.


So where is the line? Or is this a I know It When I See It situation?


*typos

It's a subjective rule and adhering to it is up to every individual mod's decision.

Sorta what I feared.

Perhaps something more objective needs to be worked out among the MOD team because there are clearly very different standards being used and some decent discussion are being curtailed prematurely.



Another good example: http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/668582.page


No text from the OP to generate discussion, just an embedded video.

We use this as our guidelines:

 yakface wrote:


The Off-Topic forum is a place for you to discuss non-wargaming related topics, something that is not normally allowed in the rest of the forums.

HOWEVER, please be aware that all of the other normal rules for the site apply. In particular that means you still need to be polite and friendly, even when discussing such hot topics as politics and religion.

Also, even though this is a forum for discussion about non-gaming topics, any thread started must still contain an actual topic for discussion. So for example, the following types of threads (and posts) would not be acceptable, even in this off-topic forum:

• Spam thread (or post) that is essentially gibberish.
• General thread asking what other users are doing today/this week, etc. or
• 'Blog'-style thread about random things happening in your life.


Just remember that even though this is the off-topic forum, it is still a forum designed for topics of discussion. If you do not have an actual topic of discussion and instead you are just looking to vent/share or post something random for your own amusement, that is not allowed.



Users who continually break Dakka's rules will eventually have their account suspended temporarily and eventually permanently if they don't stop.


Thanks.

Hope that helps, but I don't think you're going to get 'THE LIST' that you're looking for though.

 Alpharius wrote:
Hope that helps, but I don't think you're going to get 'THE LIST' that you're looking for though.

It doesn't actually. I wasn't expecting a list of banned topics per se, rather I was seeking a rationale as to why certain threads are nuked.

• 'Blog'-style thread about random things happening in your life.

While I think I understand Yak's intention (not having threads about what someone ate for lunch, or a thread deliberating over buying a new duvet in either blue or purple) overall that guideline is so vague that almost anything in the OT not directly related to a news story could fall under the definition of "random things happening in your life".

And, that judgment doesn't seem to be applied evenly to every thread. Why didn't the Delorean discussion get locked? To me it fits the blog-style post criteria perfectly as Killkrazy literally saw something in his area and commented on it.


Is there any chance a more precise definition of "blog style" posts could be determined by the admin team?

Dude, stuff gets locked. Deal with it.

Why, just today, my shout out for the Scrote'n'Tote on Indiegogo got locked and wiped to boot.

As for why some stuff gets locked and other stuff stays? Dakka isn't a bunch of robots. It's people. And people aren't perfect. If you want to push to have KK's thread locked, go for it! Not sure anything will come of it, but you can always ask.

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
Dude, stuff gets locked. Deal with it.

Why, just today, my shout out for the Scrote'n'Tote on Indiegogo got locked and wiped to boot.

As for why some stuff gets locked and other stuff stays? Dakka isn't a bunch of robots. It's people. And people aren't perfect. If you want to push to have KK's thread locked, go for it! Not sure anything will come of it, but you can always ask.

Thanks for completely missing the point.

I am looking for consistency and trying to help the site run better. Inconsistent locks and wildly differing opinions on what constitutes a rule infraction does not help anyone.

But I appreciate your post. Your avatar always makes me smile even if the content of the post is often questionable.

Sorry, I was just noting that you're probably not going to get that level of consistency. As far as I know, neither of us was infracted / punished, so it's not a big deal.

Anyhow, have a good weekend and enjoy some candy!

 DarkTraveler777 wrote:

I am looking for consistency and trying to help the site run better. Inconsistent locks and wildly differing opinions on what constitutes a rule infraction does not help anyone.

Been there, don't try it. You'll end up fighting windmills. Some rules are very subjective and what may be a violation for one mod isn't for another. The most you get is admins satellingg you "Yes, it was a wrong decision, but deal with it." in a very nice and elaborated way. It's their board, they make the rules and as a regular user, you just do what you're told. To be fair, though, dealing with their own tabletop game that actually makes money, or hopefully will do, might understandably take up most of their time.

Don't worry... I heard that Bernie Sanders will turn things around at Dakkadakka once voted Admin of the Internet.

 DarkTraveler777 wrote:

 JohnHwangDD wrote:
Dude, stuff gets locked. Deal with it.

Why, just today, my shout out for the Scrote'n'Tote on Indiegogo got locked and wiped to boot.

As for why some stuff gets locked and other stuff stays? Dakka isn't a bunch of robots. It's people. And people aren't perfect. If you want to push to have KK's thread locked, go for it! Not sure anything will come of it, but you can always ask.

Thanks for completely missing the point.

I am looking for consistency and trying to help the site run better. Inconsistent locks and wildly differing opinions on what constitutes a rule infraction does not help anyone.

But I appreciate your post. Your avatar always makes me smile even if the content of the post is often questionable.

I'm not so sure that the site isn't running OK right now as currently constituted, but you're always welcome to appeal to the owners of the site if you'd like.

webmaster@dakkadakka.com

While I would of course bow to the wisdom of the moderators in knowing what threads to lock and what threads to let live, I'd like to also respectfully lend my support for reconsidering and re-opening Relapse's thread.

It was obviously personal interest, no question; but right now the OT is sort of a hard, snarky place. I think this thread was unusually positive, and offered the larger community an opportunity for some discourse that wasn't screaming about politics or guns or the usual nonsense. I think in a forum that maybe shouldn't even be on the boards, this was one of the better threads of late. I know it's sort of a grey area, but I think one of the chief concerns for OT threads that are not "news story" are that it's actually something the community can participate in as a whole (not "I feel bad because I got an F on my homework). That community participation seemed to actually be developing. Maybe it would have gone downhill, but that hadn't happened.

But obviously, it's your house, just making an observation that I think it was actually a pretty good thread. Hell, I'm publicly advocating for someone I fight with bitterly over one of my favorite people on Dakka, so maybe it's already making the OT less salty.

 Ouze wrote:
While I would of course bow to the wisdom of the moderators in knowing what threads to lock and what threads to let live, I'd like to also respectfully lend my support for reconsidering and re-opening Relapse's thread.

That thread is fething delightful, and the answers all seem well thought out.
I'm a little puzzled at its demise as well, as it seemed an encouragement for others to share their moments, not a single OP focal point.
Maybe I'm just a bit hugbox, but I agree that it lowered the average level of cynicism in OT to have such a thing.

 Ouze wrote:
It was obviously personal interest, no question; but right now the OT is sort of a hard, snarky place. I think this thread was unusually positive, and offered the larger community an opportunity for some discourse that wasn't screaming about politics or guns or the usual nonsense. I think in a forum that maybe shouldn't even be on the boards, this was one of the better threads of late. I know it's sort of a grey area, but I think one of the chief concerns for OT threads that are not "news story" are that it's actually something the community can participate in as a whole (not "I feel bad because I got an F on my homework). That community participation seemed to actually be developing. Maybe it would have gone downhill, but that hadn't happened.

I have to agree with this. I get that some "personal blog" threads are just spam. Obviously "I had lunch today guys!" isn't going to produce any discussion beyond a bunch of zero-content "lol, lunch" posts, but the mods are being way too aggressive in locking stuff where legitimate conversation is happening. And that thread is a perfect example.

 Ouze wrote:
While I would of course bow to the wisdom of the moderators in knowing what threads to lock and what threads to let live, I'd like to also respectfully lend my support for reconsidering and re-opening Relapse's thread.

It was obviously personal interest, no question; but right now the OT is sort of a hard, snarky place. I think this thread was unusually positive, and offered the larger community an opportunity for some discourse that wasn't screaming about politics or guns or the usual nonsense. I think in a forum that maybe shouldn't even be on the boards, this was one of the better threads of late. I know it's sort of a grey area, but I think one of the chief concerns for OT threads that are not "news story" are that it's actually something the community can participate in as a whole (not "I feel bad because I got an F on my homework). That community participation seemed to actually be developing. Maybe it would have gone downhill, but that hadn't happened.

But obviously, it's your house, just making an observation that I think it was actually a pretty good thread. Hell, I'm publicly advocating for someone I fight with bitterly over one of my favorite people on Dakka, so maybe it's already making the OT less salty.

Thanks for your post, good one. Agree with what you said.

I think moderators sometimes look at where a thread might go, based on being summoned to the scene of really atrocious posting on many occasions, rather than where a thread currently is at. So I can see why the positive things thread was locked. But you guys have made some good points ITT so I took the liberty of unlocking it. So let's see how it goes and hope it continues down a good path.

Manchu wrote:
I think moderators sometimes look at where a thread might go, based on being summoned to the scene of really atrocious posting on many occasions, rather than where a thread currently is at. So I can see why the positive things thread was locked. But you guys have made some good points ITT so I took the liberty of unlocking it. So let's see how it goes and hope it continues down a good path.

Thats true. the "Positive thing" thread could have well turned into "I did X today, I feel Proud" Granted I doupt the thread would have gotten that far.
But one time I did a thread about things breaking at the worst moment and to hear peoples story about them. Was locked for the same reason. I felt that was not personal blog territory. But MEH

I reported that thread today.

It feels absolutely like a big personal blog circle jerk.

I think that's precisely the kind of thread that should be locked.

Very rarely do we learn much about Dakka posters if it is not directly related to the topic at hand, or their views on it. That topic allows folks to show a bit of themselves that they actually like.
If that's circle jerking, then at least it's masturbation that helps us learn about the people around us.

 cincydooley wrote:
I reported that thread today.

It feels absolutely like a big personal blog circle jerk.

I think that's precisely the kind of thread that should be locked.

That isn't what circlejerking means. A circlejerk is sth. like the "AoS optimists" thread where people gather to get their very own opinion confirmed multiple times. Just sharing positive experiences isn't circlejerking.

Look what I did.

Pat on the back for you.

Circle jerk.

Without the unintentional comedy of the Dakka dating advice thread.

So person complaining about how stupid that thread is posts a stupid response about banging two chicks at the same time with nothing more than a picture, and it gets shut down for joke posts?

impressive...

 d-usa wrote:
So person complaining about how stupid that thread is posts a stupid response about banging two chicks at the same time with nothing more than a picture, and it gets shut down for joke posts?

impressive...

That's my thought. Several posters were opening up about themselves, making others see them in a new light. He reports the thread, then gaks it up with stupid memes about banging two girls. Wicked nice.
At least some good stories came out of it.

Irrespective of that, thank you mods for giving it another opportunity - if nothing else it proved Alpharius has better instincts than I do for when a thread is likely go go bad.

 Ouze wrote:
Irrespective of that, thank you mods for giving it another opportunity - if nothing else it proved Alpharius has better instincts than I do for when a thread is likely go go bad.

Seconded.

Who said it was a joke?

Should one not be proud of that?

 cincydooley wrote:
I reported that thread today.

It feels absolutely like a big personal blog circle jerk.

I think that's precisely the kind of thread that should be locked.

 cincydooley wrote:
Look what I did.

Pat on the back for you.

Circle jerk.

Without the unintentional comedy of the Dakka dating advice thread.

These say it was a 'joke'.

Not entirely sure why attracting some joke posts among the actually pretty good content is grounds for locking, but I'm not a mod and it's their decision. It was good to read while it lasted!

 Spinner wrote:

 cincydooley wrote:
I reported that thread today.

It feels absolutely like a big personal blog circle jerk.

I think that's precisely the kind of thread that should be locked.

 cincydooley wrote:
Look what I did.

Pat on the back for you.

Circle jerk.

Without the unintentional comedy of the Dakka dating advice thread.

These say it was a 'joke'.

Ir if you're cynical, that it was a deliberate move to get his or her way after being partially ignored.

Either way, it was nice to see how many people were capable of contributing positively.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:

These say it was a 'joke'. Or if you're cynical, that it was a deliberate move to get his or her way after being partially ignored.

Seconding this. Kudos to Alpharius for sorting this out and putting /some/ people in their place.

But maybe that...
*puts on sunglasses*
...made someone feel good about himself