The end of local chat boards?

[GreyWolf]

I’ve been on here a few years now, John and his fellow mods I think do a very good job overall it’s not easy I suspect, I don’t follow all posts but dip in and out and I am pretty sure a lot of Mhk/ CS  and some of the local news reporters are prowling around looking for nuggets because sometimes subjects are broken or started through this forum and long May it continue.

[AOR]

^

Maybe not the same necessarily for all politicians, but certainly no journalist is doing their job properly if they aren't scanning Manx Forums now and again. And for that matter anyone interested in the Isle of Man.

I occasionally see people commenting on Facebook and Twitter about how awful Manx Forums is (erm....) and how they never go near the place etc. but they still seem to have a good knowledge of it.

[De nada]

1 hour ago, HeliX said:

I've been a prat on this forum for 13 years and, to the best of my knowledge, have never received a warning/ban.

Must be that favouritism people are talking about. It's understandable - I'm pretty great.

Obviously not prattish enough, keep trying.

[HeliX]

41 minutes ago, De nada said:

Obviously not prattish enough, keep trying.

Depends who you ask 

[Passing Time]

7 minutes ago, HeliX said:

Depends who you ask 

[Apple]

5 hours ago, John Wright said:

From a moderating point of view it’s posters who have little self control, no filters, and  who don’t take hints or requests to stop or tone things down, who cause headaches.

Too true. 

Could always live with less profanities and less references to mental illness etc. 

 

[The Old Git]

3 hours ago, HeliX said:

I've been a prat on this forum for 13 years and, to the best of my knowledge, have never received a warning/ban.

I’ve blocked you a couple of times, not now obviously  😂

[HeliX]

Just now, The Old Git said:

I’ve blocked you a couple of times, not now obviously  😂

Ouch.

[Happier diner]

5 hours ago, John Wright said:

I’m sorry if some posters who have had posting rights suspended ( by me or any other moderator ) feel hard done by.

im more than happy to stand down. I’d welcome new moderators.

I can honestly say there are no favourites, who get better or more favourable treatment. New comers aren’t  treated any differently to those who’ve been here 18 years.

Apart from one or two who post under their own names or who I’ve met, over the years, I’ve no more idea of who posters are than anyone else. Possibly less. 

Over the years moderators have been accused of being a political cabal influencing content on here, a group of close friends, useless. We aren’t any of those.

From a moderating point of view it’s posters who have little self control, no filters, and  who don’t take hints or requests to stop or tone things down, who cause headaches.

For all sorts of reasons we are mainly reactive rather than proactive. In other words before an intervention there has to be a report or complaint. And, yes, some of those are too sensitive, and are ignored.

I know when I last properly banned someone. They were full of self-righteous indignation that their post had been hidden because we were investigating something. They reposted it twice, increasingly intemperately, before being put on moderator preview. I then offered a way out. I received several very abusive PM’s, full of conspiracy theory stuff about moderator friendships, preferences, unfairness.

In the last 24 hours the mods have banned 3 new posters who were spamming with offers of meds, fake currency or documents, etc. we do that every day. You’d not like it if there was more spam and dross visible than real posts.

There we go. Someone start a search for new moderators thread.

Hi John. You banned me last month with no warning whatsoever. I took it on the chin as I respect that being a moderator is voluntary and also I further respect that your discretion is final (as per the rules). I admit I got into an argument with @Banditsor whatever he/she is now. But a little warning would have sufficed. That's my moan over.

On the matter of censorship I believe that it is spot on. No forum can be unmoderated and the rules make clear what is acceptable and what is not.

I always think, if you are not happy with MF, then it's not compulsory. I think it is lively and interesting. Sometimes there are slow news days. I also enjoy the humour. @quilprecently stated that I took myself too seriously. I dont.

So, apart from my ban I love it just the way it is and if I never take the  opportunity to say it enough I appreciate the work that the mods do. Please dont give up.

[John Wright]

4 minutes ago, Happier diner said:

Hi John. You banned me last month with no warning whatsoever. I took it on the chin as I respect that being a moderator is voluntary and also I further respect that your discretion is final (as per the rules). I admit I got into an argument with @Banditsor whatever he/she is now. But a little warning would have sufficed. That's my moan over.

On the matter of censorship I believe that it is spot on. No forum can be unmoderated and the rules make clear what is acceptable and what is not.

I always think, if you are not happy with MF, then it's not compulsory. I think it is lively and interesting. Sometimes there are slow news days. I also enjoy the humour. @quilprecently stated that I took myself too seriously. I dont.

So, apart from my ban I love it just the way it is and if I never take the  opportunity to say it enough I appreciate the work that the mods do. Please dont give up.

Actually it was mid August. There are plenty of public warnings about tit for tat, turn of the screw, trolling exchanges.

[Asthehills]

3 hours ago, Happier diner said:

You banned me last month with no warning whatsoever. I took it on the chin as I respect that being a moderator is voluntary and also I further respect that your discretion is final (as per the rules). I admit I got into an argument with @Banditsor whatever he/she is now. But a little warning would have sufficed. That's my moan ove

Same as when I got “restricted”. It wasn’t for long, but still.  Absolutely no warning just an immediate ban for trying to make my point on something (I was right by the way 😜)

[Happier diner]

3 hours ago, John Wright said:

Actually it was mid August. There are plenty of public warnings about tit for tat, turn of the screw, trolling exchanges.

How time flies! To be honest John I didn't realise I was turning any screws. Maybe I was. It was still harsh. Like I say I took it on the chin and I am not complaining. I wouldn't have even brought it up if there wasn't a new thread talking about it.😆

[The Voice of Reason]

1 hour ago, Asthehills said:

Same as when I got “restricted”. It wasn’t for long, but still.  Absolutely no warning just an immediate ban for trying to make my point on something (I was right by the way 😜)

In a fit of pique immediately after my unjustified ban I stopped posting on here for a while.

Oddly enough I found this quite cathartic and was all the better for it. Now ready to return but I would suggest that from time to time contributors might benefit from taking a break ( like they suggest in those gambling adverts) . Obviously everyone is different.

 

[Steady Eddie]

1 hour ago, Asthehills said:

Same as when I got “restricted”. It wasn’t for long, but still.  Absolutely no warning just an immediate ban for trying to make my point on something (I was right by the way 😜)

You seem to do that a lot to be fair. Have you considered that it might be why you started this thread but few others seem to have an issue. Forums don’t really work for people who always want their own view to be the only accepted narrative on a platform.

[Gladys]

17 minutes ago, The Voice of Reason said:

In a fit of pique immediately after my unjustified ban I stopped posting on here for a while.

Oddly enough I found this quite cathartic and was all the better for it. Now ready to return but I would suggest that from time to time contributors might benefit from taking a break ( like they suggest in those gambling adverts) . Obviously everyone is different.

 

That is a very good point, a bit if distance is good at times.

Personally,  I love these forums, informative, good range of viewpoints and some good researchers, Roger comes to mind.  I used to read more sections, but now am really only interested in the Local News section.  I haven't found an alternative platform on the Internet that deals with local issues so informatively.

The FB News and Politics page is very heavily moderated by a person who accepts no challenge and has a grossly inflated opinion of his own views and analytical capability.  I got banned for challenging his self-professed credentials as a journalist. 

It all goes a bit Pete Tong on here, though, when you get some posters having a ding dong.  It really does inhibit the discussion, never averse to a carefully aimed and crafted put down, however.