When someone resigns from HO are their previous posts deleted? We’ve had resignations from the Boston board recently, and the previous posts of at least some resignees have gone with them.
The problem with this is that it leaves holes in threads, making some discussions incomprehensible. It’s certainly discouraged me from posting to active threads because adding something that makes sense, given the gaps, is too difficult.
I realize that people may wish to leave, but altering the past ought to be avoided. Part of the usefulness of sites such as this is that they function as an archive. Removing past posts is antithetical to this idea.
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To answer your question, nothing happens. In the instance which you are referring to the member had some “moderation” abilities to help manage the board. They used those abilities to remove their posts, which a “normal” person wouldn’t be able to do. So this was one of those “uh-oh” issues once it took place and as @naf explained it’s something we are looking into.
Regardless I would still suggest you post in whatever thread you want. I wouldn’t let that stop you or myself from participating in any thread.
I didn’t witness the Boston kerfuffle, but I only recall Viking Kaj being escorted out in 5 years and his posts are still there, as far as I know.
This has always been a no/low stress place, part of the appeal.
Thanks for your explanation above, @NotJrvedivici. Now I can understand.
2 Likes
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
8
Do people “resign” from a forum or do they generally just stop visiting the site?
I would certainly hope that posts are not deleted (unless contravening HO rules) in the former event. These are valuable contributions to our collective knowledge. I’d take a similar view of posts from folk who may not have left voluntarily.
Of course, we may never know the reasons why, one day, someone is a prolific poster. And then suddenly disappears never to be heard of again. Yes, I do have one contributor in mind. Generally a positive, if sometimes provocative poster. There one day, gone the next.
By the by, I lurk on another non-food forum which has a moderators announcements section. It’s a “name and shame” area about suspensions and bans and is clearly intended to “encourage les autres”. I think it’s a good idea for maintaining the common politenesses that we all expect. .
Not sure I agree with that. Rules and guidelines usually are created after or in anticipation of a larger challenge.
If you are blocked by a fellow HO it’s as if they’ve left because that voice is lost to your own reading pleasure. It’s their use of the forum tools.
If a HO removes themselves, its their decision.
If a HO deletes their own post(s) but it remains listed in a thread anyway thats a Mods decision.
Decisions are our own responsibility.
1 Like
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
11
Did you mean that my voice is lost to their reading pleasure, rather than the other way round (although they must have had a reason to block me so presumably wouldnt be regarding me as pleasure). And, surely if I’m blocked by another HO, I do not even know that I’ve been blocked.
I do generally agree that blocking someone (which I only recently learned we can do) should be used very sparingly - against folk who really irritate you disproportionately). Hope you’re able to read this
All good here between us! When you are blocked you know because your comment to them doesn’t go through. And, You can’t see their comments even though other posters are replying to them by user name.
The way I see it, blocking anyone means we both lose out.
John,
I’ve got to be perfectly honest, I’ve been shocked by how petty, childish and downright repugnant people can be over “quitting” a site like this. This is my first and only time being a moderator for any web site, and I signed up willingly. The stupidity and downright nastiness we see/deal with on all too frequent a basis is honest shocking in my opinion.
I am constantly surprised how thin skinned people can be across the board, but yes, there has been more than one who has kicked and screamed their way out the door, and a few who continued to “threaten or curse” us even after banning/suspense. lol
I do wish more people would use the “ignore” function, I just DO NOT for the life of me understand how people can’t just scroll past things they don’t agree with. I do it ALL THE TIME. lol
There have been a few–a very few–users who have been banned outright from HO. Their posts are not removed, Unless, of course, they violate site rules.
There have been a few users who ask that their accounts be deleted. I’m not sure what’s behind such requests. As others have noted, these users can simply stop posting. But maybe they want HO to beg them to stay? At any rate, their previous posts are left intact
More than a few users have announced their intentions to cease participating. They feel censored, harassed, or disrespected in some way. Again, I suspect these users want other members to reassure them that they are valuable contributors and that the site would suffer in their absence. Again, their pasts posts remain as they were.
Other users (can’t say how many) simply fade away. Sometimes they return after an absence, sometimes they don’t. Folks are free to come and go as they see fit, but their posts remain.
As @NotJrvedivici noted, in the case of the Boston posts, the user had moderator rights and so was able to delete all of their previous posts. It’s the first and only time I recall this happening and has been discussed among the moderators.
6 Likes
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
15
I used to play extensively on a military history forum and it was quite common for there to be dramatics over such announcements. Quite often, they’d slink back, a week or so later. Only to have more drama down the line.
I am thankful that no forum has ever asked me to be a mod. Not least as a refusal can sometimes offend.
I’m sure you’d be a thoughtful moderator, but I don’t think a refusal would be taken as an offense by the HO owner.
1 Like
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
17
I had a pal who was a mod on the history forum, so I got to hear of some of the behind the scenes “goings on”. Seems that most permanent bans (relatively few), were either fro continuing to transgress in the same manner as had been the case with a warning/suspension, or abusive/threatening language towards a mod.
Personal disclosure - I was once suspended from that forum for several days for using inappropriate and obscene language towards another user. The mods offered me a choice - apologise to him or be suspended. I took the suspension - my description of him and his views were entirely fitting IMO.
I had quite a long break from posting ( thanks for the nice welcome back BTW, it was appreciated ) . This was because work was so full on. I’m a civil servant where part of my job was dealing with Brexit and then got moved to supporting businesses during COVID. So I didn’t have the energy.
As for people announcing them leaving. I was always amused by the response when someone said they were leaving our local Facebook group. " This is not an airport. There’s no need to announce departures"
That person is a category moderator, less moderating right compared to a standard mod, usually helping in a board especially in editing titles, moving posts etc.
