I have had a few of my posts deleted or modified because it offended an admin.  This is ridiculous.  There are many posts in which I feel offended by but don't have the power to delete.  If we deleted every post because it offended someone, we wouldn't have a forum.  It seems to be getting out of control.  I understand some issues and things need to be controlled, but come on...........there seems to be an obvious abuse of power going on. 

...did I miss something?!?!?!

I removed information regarding my personal life and matters from a post that Atlas had made. I consider the privacy of individuals to be important and paramount, and I see nothing wrong or out of line with removing or snipping posts that stray too far into that. We've done that in the past with no issue. I sent you a PM about this Atlas, with an explanation of why I snipped private information about my life out of your very public post, but I'm not going into details about it for varying reasons.

Thats fine, I think you were valid in taking out the personal info. I said about you.  But why were my posts deleted last night?  I am not sure if it was you or not, but regardless, there was no warning...no 'get back on topic.'  It was ridiculous.  This isn't the first time I have felt this way.  If something is going to get deleted because it is off topic, then I think there must be a warning first.  Am I not justified?   

Siiigggghhhh... Jpop is right.  This is exhausting.  EC, I apologize you are fairly new and being pulled into 327's specialty.  Turning everything he possibly can into the downtown Cleveland retail rant.

 

Is this thread intertwined with retail.  yup.  But 327 has beat this horse to death so badly that someone may file charges for animal cruelty.  Can you get many daily items in downtown?  yes.  Is it by any means a viable "shopping" area? no.  Would a better retail selection help lure more downtown residents?  Absolutely.  Do we all want to see an improved retail scene downtown? Yes. But you see if anyone brings up any realities of the situation unique to Cleveland?  They are pessimists.  It doesn't matter if it's lenders who try to finance such things, or commercial real estate agents who have tried to land new tenants... doesn't matter.  Apparently no one "gets it".  If Frank Jackson just waved a magic subsidy wand, there would be a Macy's sprouting up out of thin air, and it would solve all the worlds problems.  And no matter what anyone says on the subject... blah, blah, blah... subsidy.  Blah, blah, blah, such and such city has downtown retail.  Nor apparently should the biggest financing standstill in a generation make a difference, even though without it there very likely would have been an enormous retail centric development in the center of town.  If people want to hate Mike White for not seeing the changing financial landscape of the retail world and offering a subsidy when we had department stores and it would have made a difference... fine.  If people want to hate FCE for running their mall into the ground and never hiring a mall manager... fine.  But it doesn't change where we are now.  And the challenges we face in getting things on line.  If people don't want to acknowledge the sever over saturation of retail in our market, and think that's just pessimism talking... fine.  But it doesn't change the fact that Gap doesn't think that most people are going to pass the other 50 gaps on the way downtown, and therefore aren't too interested. 

 

  So in summation... do we know that we'd all be better with more downtown retail? YES.  Everyone knows this.  Everyone gets this.  Is it being worked on by both people inside AND outside of the current administration.  YES.  As I have mentioned before in MANY threads, the Euclid Avenue retail study is in fact real.  I would even say it's a priority.  There are people currently negotiating a contract with a group to implement.  Hopefully we will see the fruits of that in the not to terribly distant future.  Now for THE LOVE OF GOD, can we PLEASE move past this, because this is the same old...

 

BROKEN RECORD!!!!!!

 

 

 

How much more crystal clear could punch's post have been?!? Stop playing the victim, it's tiresome and totally disingenuous. Let's see - other forumers manage to contribute and participate, and most of the time - can realize when something is a tangent (a completely unrelated one at that), and when they don't - they usually respond to a reprimand and abide by the rules. You however, are constantly being reprimanded and you don't change your ways. 3,000+ members, yet you seem to be getting a lot of flak... yeeeah, the Admins and Mods give you grief because we don't have better things to do with our time :roll:

 

The onus is not on UrbanOhio to change just so you can post material that (as has been said in the past and I think it would it be a perfect fit) truly belongs in a blog. You should consider that - start a blog about downtown retail, critical mass, etc. - you're obviously passionate about it and knowledgeable.

 

OK that's enough. 

 

I don't know what definition of moderator involves openly bashing forum members.  If you think I'm the only one upset about this, you're wrong.  No adult should ever be spoken to in that manner.  You guys need to tone down the bullying.

 

And I need some time away from all this fun.  MTS is back... I'm sure he'll keep things interesting.  If I get banned for life or something, I want everyone here to know how much I've enjoyed your company.  Live long and prosper.  :-) 

Such a  message could have been sent personally. Posting it on the main thread is worse than the original accusations of Off Topic. I agree. Just as new people who come to this forum, me included, maybe need to get a better grasp of how the forum works, a feel for the characters here, etc... (I am trying!) Moderators should understand how the bullying, for lack of a better way to put it, must look to new forumers. This works both ways, so if you want to attract more good people, maybe a bit less with the 'tick tock..the game is locked' thing. No 'yeah buts' here.. It would be nice if they were fair and just took it on board, just as I have been taking on board what they say and try and follow the rules, respectfully. Overall, I like this site and the threads and posters. I hope I will stay.

Is there somewhere where maybe the mods can post some rules for the forum that the forumers should know and have to abide by? Maybe it can even be a "terms of usage" kinda agreement before becoming a member that everyone has to read and sign off on? Just a suggestion.

 

If there's something like that already, then I apologize .. it's just not very publicly accessible.

 

I would hope that, if censoring/editing does happen here, that it's for good reason and not to temper the exchange of great ideas. I love this forum, and I'd hate for the freedom of speech to be silenced here.

 

I do think that having some posted forum rules would be helpful, though.

Is there somewhere where maybe the mods can post some rules for the forum that the forumers should know and have to abide by? Maybe it can even be a "terms of usage" kinda agreement before becoming a member that everyone has to read and sign off on? Just a suggestion.

 

If there's something like that already, then I apologize .. it's just not very publicly accessible.

 

I would hope that, if censoring/editing does happen here, that it's for good reason and not to temper the exchange of great ideas. I love this forum, and I'd hate for the freedom of speech to be silenced here.

 

I do think that having some posted forum rules would be helpful, though.

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?action=help;page=post

Is there somewhere where maybe the mods can post some rules for the forum that the forumers should know and have to abide by? Maybe it can even be a "terms of usage" kinda agreement before becoming a member that everyone has to read and sign off on? Just a suggestion.

 

If there's something like that already, then I apologize .. it's just not very publicly accessible.

 

I would hope that, if censoring/editing does happen here, that it's for good reason and not to temper the exchange of great ideas. I love this forum, and I'd hate for the freedom of speech to be silenced here.

 

I do think that having some posted forum rules would be helpful, though.

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?action=help;page=post

 

I don't see anything there about forum rules.

Is there somewhere where maybe the mods can post some rules for the forum that the forumers should know and have to abide by? Maybe it can even be a "terms of usage" kinda agreement before becoming a member that everyone has to read and sign off on? Just a suggestion.

 

If there's something like that already, then I apologize .. it's just not very publicly accessible.

 

I would hope that, if censoring/editing does happen here, that it's for good reason and not to temper the exchange of great ideas. I love this forum, and I'd hate for the freedom of speech to be silenced here.

 

I do think that having some posted forum rules would be helpful, though.

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?action=help;page=post

 

I don't see anything there about forum rules.

 

I'm suggesting that as a place to put what you're requesting, since it came across as if you were unaware this area existed.

Is there somewhere where maybe the mods can post some rules for the forum that the forumers should know and have to abide by? Maybe it can even be a "terms of usage" kinda agreement before becoming a member that everyone has to read and sign off on? Just a suggestion.

 

If there's something like that already, then I apologize .. it's just not very publicly accessible.

 

I would hope that, if censoring/editing does happen here, that it's for good reason and not to temper the exchange of great ideas. I love this forum, and I'd hate for the freedom of speech to be silenced here.

 

I do think that having some posted forum rules would be helpful, though.

 

To be honest, at first, I found this site a little confusing to navigate through. So many different threads...that many, I see, can actually be consolidated into discussions that would accommodate the great exchange of ideas you pointed out---but if someone tweaks just an inch to the right, left, up, or down, BLEEEEPPP!!!  The "Off Topic" police come.

 

Oh, is this off topic? Sorry!  :-D  :-o

No rules can spell out articulately what you can and can't do on this forum.  Like any community, there are rules that are socially enforced and are not as simple as "no loud noise after 11pm".  Just like any social circles, there are certain topics/comments/perspectives that may be socially acceptable in one but not in another.  The same is true here.

 

It would be like dressing up in your Browns gear at a Steelers game in Pittsburgh and vociferously cheering for the Browns as they beat down the Steelers.  Are you doing anything "wrong"?  No.  But you're gonna catch hell for it in that environment because Steeler fans have deemed your overt Browns support to be socially unacceptable. 

 

Basically, if you steer too far away from popular opinion, you're gonna hear about it.  You just need to figure out what issues constitute a "limited contradiction" against the popular opinion.  Like if you went to a Pirates game in your Indians gear during interleague play and went nuts for the Indians, you'll get away with it.  But not at a Browns/Steelers game even though you're exhibiting the exact same behavior, in principle anyway.

 

So aside from some pretty basic rules - liike no personal attacks - you need to just feel your way around a bit.

Personally, I think this should have been handled via PM, so as a long time poster, I would suggest folks be respectful, don't get personal and stay on topic when posting a response.

Basically, if you steer too far away from popular opinion, you're gonna hear about it. You just need to figure out what issues constitute a "limited contradiction" against the popular opinion. Like if you went to a Pirates game in your Indians gear during interleague play and went nuts for the Indians, you'll get away with it. But not at a Browns/Steelers game even though you're exhibiting the exact same behavior, in principle anyway.

 

I kinda have a problem with this statement, actually.

 

So .. basically, only the popular opinion can be stated here? People can't differ in opinions? I'm hoping that's not what you're saying.

Oh, never mind...

Basically, if you steer too far away from popular opinion, you're gonna hear about it.  You just need to figure out what issues constitute a "limited contradiction" against the popular opinion.  Like if you went to a Pirates game in your Indians gear during interleague play and went nuts for the Indians, you'll get away with it.  But not at a Browns/Steelers game even though you're exhibiting the exact same behavior, in principle anyway.

 

I kinda have a problem with this statement, actually.

 

So .. basically, only the popular opinion can be stated here? People can't differ in opinions? I'm hoping that's not what you're saying.

 

No, that's not what I am saying.  See analogy of being a Browns Fan at Heinz Field vs. being an Indians fan at PNC Park.  The exact same behavior is going to be received differently in each instance based on the passion for the topic and volume of people who share the exact same view.  It's not that you can't disagree, but you are more likely to offend someone simply by defending your point if the viewpoint is passionately shared by a large number of people because they are likely to have a larger emotional reaction than actually listening to what it is you are trying to say.

 

I'm not making a judgement on it; I am simply stating the way I see it and trying to provide a perspective to the people who posed the question that may help them out.

 

I'm sorry that was not clear in my original post, or even if I am still not being clear now.  But I don't think this particular point needs to be belabored.

I don't even think it's as much about bashing opinions as it is having the same tired things brought up over and over again.  I mean, I've only been around here for a year and some change, but I swear if I see another conversation about opinions of downtown retail, my head is going to explode.  Newcomers to the forum don't know that certain things have been discussed a bajillion times previously, because it's just not humanly possible to read every page of every thread.  I don't know what the best solution is, but I think that's why the mods and those who have been around as long as and way longer than me get annoyed with such conversations.

I don't even think it's as much about bashing opinions as it is having the same tired things brought up over and over again.  I mean, I've only been around here for a year and some change, but I swear if I see another conversation about opinions of downtown retail, my head is going to explode.  Newcomers to the forum don't know that certain things have been discussed a bajillion times previously, because it's just not humanly possible to read every page of every thread.  I don't know what the best solution is, but I think that's why the mods and those who have been around as long as and way longer than me get annoyed with such conversations.

 

Understood and valid, however, are newcomers not allowed to engage in any future discussion of such a topic that has been discussed a lot just because others have become tired of it? What is the answer? A new thread for newcomers? We cannot treat forums like cliques and with a 'tick tock, the game is locked' attitude. Remember, newcomers likely do not know what has been discussed all the time.

I think that's why all previous discussions aren't deleted. They're kept online so that people can refer to them and see what has already been discussed. There's no point at all in constantly bringing up the same things over and over. It should be your responsibility to see what has already been discussed if someone brings it to your attention that it already has been. New people are obviously still learning the ropes, so you may not know that .. and people should have some leniency with people who are new and teach them the ropes.

 

It's irritating to the forumers and to the community at large to have to listen to things like a broken record .. to hear the same things discussed only because people like hearing themselves talk. It's not about the forum becoming a clique, and it's not about what YOU want only. You're not the only one using this forum, and as you spend more time here, you'll realize that what more experienced forumers are saying about this is true.

 

That's just my opinion. I'm not a mod, so I have no authority, of course.

 

I'm not making a judgement on it; I am simply stating the way I see it and trying to provide a perspective to the people who posed the question that may help them out.

 

I'm sorry that was not clear in my original post, or even if I am still not being clear now.  But I don't think this particular point needs to be belabored.

 

Cool .. thanks for clarifying. I didn't think that was what you were saying. I agree with your points, too. :)

I don't even think it's as much about bashing opinions as it is having the same tired things brought up over and over again.  I mean, I've only been around here for a year and some change, but I swear if I see another conversation about opinions of downtown retail, my head is going to explode.  Newcomers to the forum don't know that certain things have been discussed a bajillion times previously, because it's just not humanly possible to read every page of every thread.  I don't know what the best solution is, but I think that's why the mods and those who have been around as long as and way longer than me get annoyed with such conversations.

 

Understood and valid, however, are newcomers not allowed to engage in any future discussion of such a topic that has been discussed a lot just because others have become tired of it? What is the answer? A new thread for newcomers? We cannot treat forums like cliques and with a 'tick tock, the game is locked' attitude. Remember, newcomers likely do not know what has been discussed all the time.

 

I often suggest that newcomers read (lurk) and learn their way around before posting.  Often times, things you post have been asked and answered multiple times.  But if you lurk for a while, you can see how the forum is laid out.  I dont think we've had any major forum changes in the past year or two, with exception to the transportation forum.

 

Some forums, prevent new members from posting for "X" amount of time after signing up and/or limit the locations/forums they can post to.

 

Maybe if we had new users guide, that might help.

maybe instead of taking such a patronizing "been-there-done-that let's-move-on" approach to newcomers who repeat old issues, wouldn't it be better to diplomatically just direct them to the location where the topic in question was already exhaustively addressed, instead of treating them as if they've committed a capital offense?

maybe instead of taking such a patronizing "been-there-done-that let's-move-on" approach to newcomers who repeat old issues, wouldn't it be better to diplomatically just direct them to the location where the topic in question was already exhaustively addressed, instead of treating them as if they've committed a capital offense?

 

I totally agree. I personally apologize for ever losing my cool .. but the way things are communicated at times just isn't helpful or conducive to an atmosphere of open discussion. It's very off-putting.

I think that's why all previous discussions aren't deleted. They're kept online so that people can refer to them and see what has already been discussed. There's no point at all in constantly bringing up the same things over and over. It should be your responsibility to see what has already been discussed if someone brings it to your attention that it already has been. New people are obviously still learning the ropes, so you may not know that .. and people should have some leniency with people who are new and teach them the ropes.

 

It's irritating to the forumers and to the community at large to have to listen to things like a broken record .. to hear the same things discussed only because people like hearing themselves talk. It's not about the forum becoming a clique, and it's not about what YOU want only. You're not the only one using this forum, and as you spend more time here, you'll realize that what more experienced forumers are saying about this is true.

 

That's just my opinion. I'm not a mod, so I have no authority, of course.

 

I'm not making a judgement on it; I am simply stating the way I see it and trying to provide a perspective to the people who posed the question that may help them out.

 

I'm sorry that was not clear in my original post, or even if I am still not being clear now.  But I don't think this particular point needs to be belabored.

 

Cool .. thanks for clarifying. I didn't think that was what you were saying. I agree with your points, too. :)

 

I don't know about others, but I have read a lot of the past posts here, but since there are so many threads dating back 3 years or more...In reality, it is unlikely many are going to retread all that material whether it is considered their responsibility or not. I only have the luxury of doing this at all because I work mostly from home and would never have time otherwise, therefore I can understand if some newbies would not refer to past posts. Just as moderators express not having time to chop off the threads, maybe such people are in the same boat of not having time to refer back several posts. How do you know that new ideas will not come into play if a given topic is again brought up by newbies? Or, are all ideas possible contained within UO?

 

As for the retail discussion, granted, past discussions have discussed, it, but unless I missed something, and maybe I have, I saw plenty of talk on 'retail' in general, but have not spotted anything about specifically LOCALLY owned/operated/independent entities that could make a town center a mecca for such places to compete strongly in an otherwise highly franchised retail scene these days...and to attract those who do not wish to do the sprawl thing all the time. That and ways to achieve it and have it work comfortably with the DTA plan. Basically, about encouraging more local entrepreneurship.

 

Those are the expanded ideas I wanted to throw around which I did not see covered otherwise. Again, if I missed that...Then I am sorry, but if I did see it, and wanted to comment on something someone said a year ago...would I be entitled to do so, or would I be told we already talked about that?

 

Retail, etc. was discussed in the Critical mass thread lately, but unless I am mistaken on what we are defining as "Critical Mass" and attracting it,  then I fail to see how the issue of retail and making a downtown more functional with it--and its relation to critical mass cannot be sooner or later brought up again in such a thread. It's like talking about improving breathing health in someone, and ignoring the discussion of the fact that the person smokes, and that it should stop.

maybe instead of taking such a patronizing "been-there-done-that let's-move-on" approach to newcomers who repeat old issues, wouldn't it be better to diplomatically just direct them to the location where the topic in question was already exhaustively addressed, instead of treating them as if they've committed a capital offense?

 

Now, that was the best suggestion yet. Thank you. Things really get unproductive when we take time debating whether something should be discussed again or not..or whether it has already been covered. A simple reference would prevent all that. And, reference that is not condescending or belittling. I don't expect anyone expects it to be served with sweet tea and crumpets, but just basic manners/patience.

Here's another way of think about all of this, and one of the long-time forumers said this better than I'm about to... Imagine walking into a party where you don't know many of the people, or anyone for that matter. What is the socially adept way to enter into the conversations?

 

Those conventions go right out the window on the web, where we can be anonymous and not fear the repercussions. So some newcomers jump right in here and start some shit like saying "I haven't been here that long, but KJP I just don't agree with you that government should force everyone to sell their cars and ride those piece of shit busses." I respond to the newcomer that they don't understand me yet. "You're wrong -- I know everything there is to know about you!" the newcomer replies. People have done similar stuff and worse here, then wonder why their messages are being deleted or their posting privileges are temporarily revoked. Can you imagine if someone conducted themselves like that at a party? What would be the appropriate response by the party hosts?

Here's another way of think about all of this, and one of the long-time forumers said this better than I'm about to... Imagine walking into a party where you don't know many of the people, or anyone for that matter. What is the socially adept way to enter into the conversations?

 

Those conventions go right out the window on the web, where we can be anonymous and not fear the repercussions. So some newcomers jump right in here and start some sh!t like saying "I haven't been here that long, but KJP I just don't agree with you that government should force everyone to sell their cars and ride those piece of sh!t busses." I respond to the newcomer that they don't understand me yet. "You're wrong -- I know everything there is to know about you!" the newcomer replies. People have done similar stuff and worse here, then wonder why their messages are being deleted or their posting privileges are temporarily revoked. Can you imagine if someone conducted themselves like that at a party? What would be the appropriate response by the party hosts?

 

Stated perfectly.

Where are the snacks?  :-D

Where are the snacks?

 

At UO happy hour!!!!  I guess we haven't had one of those in a while, and yes there is a specific thread for that :).

sounds like everyone could use a uo happy hour!

 

for the record i think mayday does a fantastic job swinging "the axe." there is plenty of warning and 99.9999% of the replies i have caught before they were axed well deserved the deletions. i certainly don't begrudge his sometimes over the top pre-axe remarks, come on people it's a hell of job keeping on top of it all! my hat is off, the site is so much better for all the careful and attentive moderation.

 

if you dont like it, well, what can you say? consider the major alternative: that ridiculous cleveland dot bomb advancenet site is always waiting for you with it's wide open claws and tentacles... :-o

 

Sherman Cahal took offense to a post I made in the Religion thread in the Urbanbar forum.  He had posted a full article in July, and being that I see folks routinely post full articles to this day, I was confused and made a comment about moderators being able to get around the rule.  I made another post asking for clarification.  All of those posts have been deleted.  I'm fine with that.  They were technically not on topic, and once the issue was resolved, I understand the concept of cleaning up the clutter.

 

What I'm not happy about, is that I made a post in the Religion thread in the Urbanbar forum in which I described my feeling about religion.  Totally on topic.  That ENTIRE post was deleted by Sherman.  Why?  He was offended by the first sentence in the post where I commented on his posting of a full article.  I've asked in the thread and I've asked via PM, and he was not responded as to why the post could not be amended and REQUIRED full deletion.

 

I understand the need for moderators, but I will not tolerate folks who are more than happy to power trip and abuse their roles.  This kind of behavior brings UO down and I'm calling on the other mods and admins to correct this issue.  Thanks.

It's a sad day when you've got me defending the moderators!  Even above, you claim you routinely see people posting full articles!  PROVE IT!  There is not a full article posted especially by moderators!

 

You're first sentence took a shot at Sherman, it deserved to be deleted.  Repost your religion comments and I'm sure they will remain.

Why do I have to repost anything?  If the MAJORITY of the post is ON TOPIC, then the ONE SENTENCE that a moderator took offense to can be edited.  Sherman acted out of anger, and that's not how mods should be acting.  He should never have been given moderator duties at all if this is how he chooses to handle things.

 

As far as folks routinely posting full articles, one was posted by a memeber yesterday that an exception was made because he authored the article.  There was another one re-posted from Salon.com.  I believe you personally responded to that one, DanB.

 

And stop following me around.  You're creeping me out.

Here is the deal: if you are going to post an accusatory statement against any user, especially a moderator or administrator, then you better check your facts and do a bit of searching before posting.

 

My article in the religion thread was posted on July 21, 2009 and it was full-text. The notice to stop posting full-text articles from copyrighted sources was made on September 4.

 

Here is what you wrote:

 

"So mods are allowed to break the RED BOX rule?  Okay..."

 

DanB then corrected you:

 

"Look at the date, moonlite.  just help out and point it out."

 

You continued onward by adding:

 

"Are you talking about the RED BOX thing?  I don't know when the rule was implemented.  What I do know is that I see people breaking the rule and it's always excused as being an exception.  I'm not one to bicker about rules, to begin with, but I'm genuinely confused, because there seems to be a lack of clarity on what should be a crystal clear issue."

 

DanB had to correct you again by stating:

 

"What are you talking about?  The red box just appeared last week, with the reasons why not to post articles!  If you are referring to the story Sherman posted above, it is dated July!  Pay attention!  Its one that hasn't been corrected as yet, must have slipped by.  Why not help out by pointing it out to the moderators and letting it go?  I pointed it out already, so don't bother."

 

I replied, stating that you should either check your facts or politely send the user a private message. Instead, this is what I get in my inbox from you, MoonlightOhio:

 

"If you're concerned about cluttering threads, you could've PMed me (y'know, like how you recommended I do, and AM DOING NOW).  You'll also notice the bulk of the post that you found to be accusatory was relevant to the thread.

 

There's nothing worse than having a message board moderator make a cluttered post in a thread telling someone else they should utilize the PM system."

 

And then,

 

"And if you're concerned about off topic posts, don't make them yourself."

 

There has not been a full-text article posted by any user moderator or administrator since the ban was implemented on September 4. You continue to remain clueless as to why your accusatory posts were removed, and you continue to remain clueless as to why your posts were removed. They were off-topic, baseless and garbage. I PM'ed you your reply to the Religion thread so that if you want to post your on-topic comment, you can.

 

That said, you haven't been able to defend your comments with anything that is factual or citeable, you continue to blame others for your carelessness, and when others call you out on it, you reply that they are "stalking." Here is a tip: drop it, repost your short, on-topic reply, and move-on.

Moonlight, I think you need to move on, because right now the Admins and Mods have more to worry about than if your feelings were hurt. Sorry your post got zapped but there's not much we can do at the moment. Now - if we can get back to making sure the forum doesn't need to be shut down for good...

There's a lot more you can do.  Make sure it doesn't happen again.  It's not that hard to NOT be an asshole.

 

As for Sherman's response, he completely glossed over the fact the small portion of my post that offended him could've been edited instead of the whole post being deleted.  I'm assuming the reason he glossed over that is because he knows this and doesn't want to admit he did something in error and/or out of anger for being offended.   

 

It's not hurt feelings here, it's accountability.  If the mods aren't held accountable for their actions, then what's the point?

The Mods *are* held accountable - and those discussions are usually handled in the Admins/Mods section.

 

Now your choice - move on and drop it, or have a few days off so we can get back to what needs to be done. This has already taken too much time out of our day.

^The mods have every right to run the site as they see fit. They do a lot of thankless work (for free I might add) and if you don't want to comply with the way they're running it, as in any site with moderators running it, you can quit posting.  I am a member of many moderated sites and while our mods are sometimes more snarky with their warnings and corrections than some on other boards I frequent, it's still their right to run UO the way they want, and if you don't want to play by their rules, post elsewhere.  JMO.

HA HA.  Good stuff!  May be awhile if anyone is waiting for Moon to issue an "I was wrong about that" statement.

 

As for the moderating, there is an obvious bias by a few, but not all. 

Every moderator should be careful to only edit or delete posts that truly break the rules and to do so whether the post matches their ideology or NOT (some have a hard time with that).

^You, and everybody else, are here at the pleasure of the management. If you don't like that, hang out on a different forum. Frankly I would see that as a loss for all involved, but that's just my opinion.

I guess the problem I have with this, is that I've moderated a board before, and I never abused my powers, as it were.  Sure it's a thankless job, but that doesn't excuse bad behavior.  My problem comes from the bad behavior seemingly being excused all over the place here because, "Hey, this is their show, they do what they want."  In my opinion, that's not how message boards should exist.

 

It's apparent that Sherman doesn't think he did anything wrong, and other mods and admins will fall over themselves in support of his actions, as they seem to be doing.  That's fine.  I'm done with this issue.

I'm not a moderator or an admin, just someone who enjoys posting here and will comply by the rules to do so.

There's a lot more you can do. Make sure it doesn't happen again. It's not that hard to NOT be an asshole.

 

I can only imagine how MTS would respond to this quote!  For God's sake, LET IT GO ALREADY!!!!!