What do you think the best solution is in dealing with a post that is off-topic, inflammatory, just trolling or insulting? Here are the choices I see.

H

This needs to be dealt with on a case by case basis.. There is no blanket solution.. The important thing in my opinion is to deal with it using a light hand.. only step in when absolutely necessary.. and then be consistent.

* Off topic can easily be moved to the correct topic..
* Threatening or abusive posts should be removed and the offender warned. (repeat offenders probably should be banned)
* Complaints about posts should be looked at with an unbiased eye.
* Personal feelings need to be isolated from moderating.
* dont be ready to jump on every little deviation from the rules. People need a "little" leeway.. Some debates may get heated.. but thats okay as long as we arent throwing insults and getting personal.

all this is easy to say.. i do not envy you your job here.

I agree with Archy, case by case.

I'd also like to add, please never react to the situation, but take the time to reflect and respond with a cool head.

Always warn before you lock.

...somewhat explains what happened to a post I made today.


Delete the post - Gestapo tactic.
Move the post. - this, with a PM, seems like the only grown up thing to do
Edit the post. - to say what? "ugh, this is off topic". Doesn't achieve anything
Lock the topic. - this is a great idea (insert sarcasm)
None of the above - we wouldn't need moderators
All of the above. - how is this even an option? Or are we going to Move, Edit, Delete the post, and then finally locked the thread all in one shot?

No disrespect, but this Poll is ineffectual. Seriously. When someone posts offtopic, do we really need to do anything other than move the post to the correct area or even as a new topic, with a polite comment indicating same?

Cheese & Crackers

Oh and by the way, a little levity:

If 'All of the above' is a line below 'None of the above', you effectively cancel out any valid result of this Poll, since doing all of the above includes doing nothing!

Boo Yeah!

I think there are more situations to consider. Sure, off-topic, that seems to be the right thing to do. But there are definitely times when locking a topic is the right call. Even deleting a topic. If a topic is truly offensive, delete it. But if things are just getting heated and we just need to shut down a topic before someone gets into trouble, lock it. That way anything in the topic that might still be of use is there for reference. Moving a topic doesn't help much if the issue is one of behavior.

I think topics can be heated and still be relevant. Our recent posts were mildly heated and we disagreed, but that is what happens when people care about the subject. In our postings either one of us could have created a flame war very easily, but neither (I don't think) went there. A moderator has to take the full content into account, and if it was someone else I had been disagreeing with a moderator might have became alarmed and locked it. No, I'm not saying JP gets special treatment - rather the moderator knew he would not let the discussion erupt into flames.

It is an awfully fine line...

               / Promethius / Enigma / Wolfen /

"A man who has no skills can be taught, a man who has no honor has nothing."

How about the times when the moderator fans the flames, and his posts remain intact while the members posts are moved and locked?
It seems the current thing to do is to let the moderator do as he wishes and the members can learn to like it or vote with their feet. That will work fine until there aren't any members left.

Bingo

Post of the year!

I completely agree.

And if there's any special treatment related to me in this forum, I'd prefer it be to give plenty of slack to whomever I happen to be "vigorously debating" ;) I'll definitely give plenty of warning if I think it's getting out of hand. I don't want to see anyone reprimanded, much less banned, especially in a case where I'm inciting the locals to riot!

BAN JP BAN JP BAN JP





(JK)

ROFL

If you scrutinize every off-topic, inflammatory, just trolling or insulting post here then this board would lose most of it's members and surely become a ghost forum. It's already very slim on posting compared to most forums, why stick another knife into it.

less than a year ago, it was 3 times better than it is now. Its obvious that a problem exists.

The definition of insanity: keep doing the same thing but expect different results.

There is a problem. It needs to be fixed.

Maybe if your a MAC user, but us Microsoft users get diferent results all the time.