Handling Disputes that Derail Threads

by Cali16
0 replies
Alaister,

It's not uncommon for many good discussion threads to get derailed when two members turn it into a dispute (or knock-down drag-out) that goes on and on and on, or gets very ugly pretty fast.

Often, these threads end up deleted by a mod . That's unfortunate, because then everyone loses. Good information is lost, as well as an otherwise valuable discussion. Deleting (or locking) the thread also doesn't discourage the behavior from occurring again and again.

My suggestion: encourage members to report such disputes and have a mod send a warning to the parties involved, telling them to stop posting in the thread and take their dispute elsewhere (e.g. via pm). Any posts that violate forum rules (e.g. that contain blatant rude behavior, name calling, etc.) should be deleted, but not the entire thread.

I realize this can be a grey area, but I think these types of interactions need to be quickly stopped without deleting the entire threads. If there are personal attacks or insults, then perhaps a temporary ban for the guilty parties.

Anyway, just a suggestion that I think would benefit the forum.
#derail #disputes #handling #threads

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