'Moderating' on the Bankruptcy board

MSE_Martin

Folks I understand you all want to protect vulnerable people. Yet I think you may have lost site at what this is.

It's an OPEN FORUM for people to interact.

I cannot protect those who are too vulnerable to interact, and this is not an appropriate place for them. Nor is any forum in my view. It's been an unfortunate weekend, and there've been problems by nasty people.

Go to any pub and the same can happen, any PTA meeting, council meeting. Many people disagree, they pick on the vulnerable, they say horrid things to sensitive people who don't realise it. This isn't a "special safe place" this is an "open forum" and that's what it is designed to be - we don't have facilities or resources to be anything else. That's explained when people register and listed at the top of EVERY page in the forum.

We respond to abuse reports, but not instantly. Unless I charged every forum member £1,000 to use the forum that can't be done. I do my best to provide this resource, which no one pays for, yet no one is forced to use it - and if it doesn't work for people - or isn't right - its best they don't. Yet I can't stop them.

Martin

Broken_hearted

I like the site the way it is compared to other sites there are few fights. Although i still think bankrupsy forum neeeds moving to it's own space.

Richard_S

Fair comment Martin,

But it is only fair; there are workable solutions they just take more thought. I love this site, you're a great guy but.....

Richard

ClaireLR

Hi Martin,

As you said people can disagree but you also said that you did not see the post in question. It was not a disagreement, it was one person deliberately starting a new thread to attack another user.

When I said can't posts be removed I don't mean every little disagreement, people do have the right to voice their opinons after all. Can't something be done along the lines of volunteers to remove deliberately inflammatory posts before they get out of hand as they have this weekend please?

If this isn't workable could we not think of something that is?

Bakeybadoo

Why is it hard to understand that it's not feasible.

How would you even decide on a criteria for volunteer mods to follow, about what was acceptable to remove and what wasn't? It would open more problems when people complained their post was pulled or that it wasn't pulled because Z moderator didn't see it as a problem thread, etc.

It's too much hard work, with too many risks. It's far easier to say the forum is open, post at your own risk and report if you feel a thread has taken a bad turn and it will then be dealt with in due course.

dizzy_lizzie

It's really tricky and I suppose it's in our nature to want to protect those that are vulnerable, the whole forum is based on support and guidance. I suppose there are two options, the site as it is or no site at all, and I don't think anyone here could bear to think of the latter. Could there be a way that we all agree on when situations like this crops up? I don't know what that could be though
Bakeybadoo what you suggest is probably the only way, it would be a minefield for the moderators and probably cause just more bad feelings. Ah well at least this shows we all care.

Richard_S

Martin,

I've had a very roller coaster life; I've made money and then lost it, made more again and then lost everything and so it goes. I've met lots of interesting people and done business with the good the bad and the ugly. One thing that sticks in my mind and this is relevant to you, is one old guy saying "don't tell me what the problems are, I know what the problems are; tell me what the solutions are then I'll listen to you".

What's the best way to contact you with a solution?

Richard

Bakeybadoo

I guess ignore and report.

And I realise I need to work on #1. Must be stronger to pass those type of threads by.

Richard_S

Bakeybadoo wrote: »

I guess ignore and report.

And I realise I need to work on #1. Must be stronger to pass those type of threads by.

You've lost me on that one Bakey :think:

Bakeybadoo

I was replying to ClaireLR's last post (and dizzy's) but several got inbetween before I hit 'post'!