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Are there 'unwritten' rules about threads

by dracoboar
7 replies
Hello,

I was wondering if there were unwritten rules about threads being deleted. I get a ton of FREE value from this forum, of which I am greatly appreciative, so I have no complaints rather I want to make sure I am staying within the guidelines.

I assume the mods work to clear 'clutter' which would be threads that are not really capturing the forums attention?

Can anyone provide some insight?

thank you
#rules #threads #unwirtten
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
    Yes, there are a lot of unwritten rules, and that's out of necessity.

    My best advice is to participate and contribute on a regular basis, and pay attention as you do so.

    Typically speaking, if you break an "unwritten rule" you will get a warning, but there could be exceptions to that as well.

    If you...

    ...don't spam
    ...don't blow up if a post or thread gets deleted
    ...treat others with respect
    ...give people the benefit of the doubt, and
    ...don't try to find loopholes in the written rules...

    You shouldn't have to worry too much.

    I'm not a "Super Mod", but I hope that helps.

    All the best,
    Michael
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    "Ich bin en fuego!"
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    • Profile picture of the author Ken Strong
      There are definitely unwritten rules about threads, as Michael said, but no, in most cases if you didn't do something bad enough to get a ban you probably won't get any reason for it.

      Some of the most common reasons threads disappear:

      Posted in the wrong section (they may get moved to the right section or deleted outright, depending on the moderator's current mood and how sick and tired he is of moving threads at that particular moment);

      Useless rants about anything (it might stay up if it's accompanied by some actual constructive suggestions to fix or alleviate the problem);

      Anything that's already been done to death here (bitching about PayPal, bitching about "gurus," bitching about threads being deleted, bitching in general [see above paragraph]);

      A "watch-me" thread (never-ending threads including regular real-time updates about whatever project you're working on);

      Invitations to check out your new blog/website/whatever;

      Including any link in your post that could be interpreted as self-promotional, or pointing directly or indirectly to your sig.

      These are just ones that come to mind at the moment -- there may be others.
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      • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
        Just one edit to Ken's comments: If I personally see a thread that's in the wrong section (other than "Hi, I'm new here," which I usually move to offtopic), I just delete it. Doesn't matter what my mood is.

        *poof*

        The minor inconvenience of having a few posts deleted is more than outweighed by the increased accuracy of replies from folks with a more focused interest in the topic, who are usually found in the sub-sections related to the question.

        Too many of them every day to spend time telling every person about the sub-forums. And moving them gives them no incentive to put them in the right place the first time.


        Paul
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        .
        Stop by Paul's Pub - my little hangout on Facebook.

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  • Profile picture of the author tpw
    One thing that I often see that the above mods did not mention is that sometimes the thread is deleted on account of a third-party in the thread, who violated one of the above rules or was trying to start a flame war.

    When posters go personal and mean for no good reason, posts or threads often disappear or get locked.
    Signature
    Bill Platt, Oklahoma USA, PlattPublishing.com
    Publish Coloring Books for Profit (WSOTD 7-30-2015)
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  • Profile picture of the author dracoboar
    wow everyone that was alot more feedback than I was expecting thank you very much
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  • Profile picture of the author Dennis Gaskill
    I'm not a mod so one of them may correct this or clarify it, but complaining about how the forum is run may not be an unwritten rule, but it's seldom productive and could earn you a "vacation" as Paul would say, depending on the how the complaint was worded and/or how you handle yourself as the thread progresses.
    Signature

    Just when you think you've got it all figured out, someone changes the rules.

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  • Profile picture of the author Targeted Traffic
    Actually I believe a simple common sense and respect will get you through here for the longest time... I notice the majority are fair-minded
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