Well, Mr. Moose, there aren't a lot of choices on that one.I did it. There's a standing Bradley directive to make unique titles to the threads, in order to make it easy to find them with the Search feature.
A mile of scratches is an exaggeration, of course, but if you've got a possible 5000 linear feet of scratches, you are not far off.
Having left the forum a while back over misbehavior by the moderators, I thought I'd come back -- and within a day I see that, no longer content to simply delete postings you don't like, it now seems you're actually silently changing other people's content without asking them or telling them.
Yes, I run online forums. Yes, I know it's a royal pain. Yes, I'm sympathetic. But honestly, I'd suggest that the entire experience here -- for you and for all the participants, would be a lot better if you took a step back and started taking yourselves a little less seriously.
There's a standing Bradley directive to make unique titles to the threads, in order to make it easy to find them with the Search feature.
However true that may be, just ignore it all. As a forum operator you know the rules:
you get banned, you tolerate it, or you don't post. Simple as that.
I believer there's a fourth option, which is to try to prevail upon the moderators to act more reasonably. And, being of course the epitome of reasonable behavior in all respects, who better than me to do it?
For one thing, Bradley and Janet are obviously both reasonable people who want to make this work, as evidenced by the simple fact that they're taking the time and effort to do it.
For another, as long as they continue to describe themselves as "the official forum provider to the NA Laser Class" or words to that effect, it's not quite strictly true that "it's their show and they can do whatever they want" -- there is the class to answer to.
There's a fine line between ruining a forum by letting disruptive jerks have free reign and ruining it by heavy-handed moderation.
I can't decide which bums me out more: this hamfisted approach to moderation, or the fact that Merrily chose not to concede this point and apologize yet. Where are you, Merrily? The longer it takes, the more people will turn...
I have apologized to bjmoose for changing the title to his thread without comment, and offered him naming rights to the thread, within the parameters of wanting a unique descriptive name. Since you have quoted the Terms of Service, please note that they do not address the naming of a thread, only the editing of posts within that thread. Also remember that I am not moderating this alone. I have a message out to Bradley and am waiting for his reply.
Hi Everyone,
[...] While we will try to avoid editing borderline acceptable titles, you can avoid the situation completely by including more than one descriptive word in your subject line.
Here's a good example of a well-named thread:
http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=7457
From the above link:
"You know what else I found out today by accident? Whatever thread title you write here automatically gets posted on the NA laser class assc. website homepage. So for example if you started a thread called...All NA laser sailors have tiny brains...imagine the sudden influx of angry NA's to this site. One way to boost visitors I guess."
Notice this is a thread about where best to sit while sailing a Laser, titled "Silly Laser Sailing Thread".
Nice - Gentlemen - Nice!
Before anyone even tries to figure out what was changed, we're all over Merrily like flies on sh&t. Call out the ACLU, call the 1st ammendment lawyers, she is changing content! Let's not ask the obvious question, what was changed! Even the person that started the thread didn't seem to care that much!
All of you out there ripping it up, demanding apologies, telling us all how it ought to be, time to man up - or do you all really believe adding 4 words to the title is such an offense.
Unreal! Dirty Fork is an understatement.
Here's a good example of a well-named thread:
http://www.laserforum.org/showthread.php?t=7457
From the above link:
"You know what else I found out today by accident? Whatever thread title you write here automatically gets posted on the NA laser class assc. website homepage. So for example if you started a thread called...All NA laser sailors have tiny brains...imagine the sudden influx of angry NA's to this site. One way to boost visitors I guess."
Notice this is a thread about where best to sit while sailing a Laser, titled "Silly Laser Sailing Thread".
Uhh... for my part, I don't believe adding 4 words to a title is a big offense at all, and I certainly haven't asked anybody for an apology.
etc., etc.
Nor can I believe I came back to see what this newest post had to say.I really can't beleive I just read all this thread.!
I second that!!Merrilly you feel free to change any thread title you like as far as I'm concerned!