Thread closing and reasons for it

[monadvspec]

I started a thread recently about firearms in the US. It was closed by the moderator I believes controls the forum.
I must admit that it was valid to close as there was no sense in continuing because of the lack of civility. I will be a man and state that I was sucked into the base ignorance often exhibited on this particular forum. For that and the other posters who show a decorum that should be present in these debates I apologize. However, I have seen the and easily identified how and why these threads fall apart. I have been coming to this forum for years and pay a subscription fee to the main site.

It is only recently that I have been posting as I have read many threads and did not bother to participate for one reason or another.
There are problems that I would hope the "owner" or the person designated as such would take into account.
I have seen threads started and fall apart, people expressing an opinion banned and people that have been confrontational and always vocal in their opinion still staying around.
I have seen moderators expressing opinions on threads and editing posts to suit their point of view and ignoring more egregious posts always it seems initiated by the same member.
On the guns thread, there is an easily identified poster and moderator that have been constantly instigating a form of politicization of threads and causing issues and bickering. Always, the same poster is at the very heart of these confrontations and the same moderator chooses to ignore him, but, will edit, sanitize posts, or, will ban completely a poster who is responding in kind.
why is one person banned for using the easily identified # as a form of camouflaging words that are inappropriate for the forum and accepted by the moderator for the vast number of posters as being fine to use but once again, the moderator chooses to ban or edit others that use the exact same identical sign or substitute for a letter.
Where I am live and through life experience I see that the divide is pretty easily identified.
Those of us with a liberal viewpoint or should I be forced to use the word progressive as a substitute, are the one's that are banned or will have their opinion edited by one moderator while a consecrative point of view is allowed.
Europeans are more open minded in my opinion and to identify one as being liberal or conservative is often harder to identify. Not everything in Europe is black and white. People have open minds and the politics of people is harder to identify.
On this particular forum I have found it much easier to see that in the US there is a clear divide and there is a starkly defined and vitriolic hatred exhibited by certain confrontational groups and in the case of these forums one or two that I will not name but will conclude that it is obvious to most of the members.
Threads should not be forced to close and an even hand in the moderating should be used. Moderators who choose to insert their opinion into a thread should automatically loose their right to moderate the thread. They are expressing an opinion and will edit or ban when they choose. Always someone they disagree with.

[monadvspec]

The main site?? This is it, isn't it?? Its free for me

I come through a subsciption site.
Please excuse the errors grammatical and spelling. I tried to fix them but was not allowed.

[Eki]

debates between cultures that are never going to get each other.

Without debates it's guaranteed they are never going to get each other. With debates there is at least a chance they'll get closer to each other. It's better to fight with words than with bullets. And if there will be a war, I'm sure it's more difficult to kill somebody who you've met before (even on the internet) than somebody you've never met.

[race aficionado]

I echo Eki's comment.

The reason I continue coming to our forum is precisely because I can have some very interesting, sometimes educational and yes, sometimes very heated debates with other forum members from around the world.
For me this experience is like no other, as a matter of fact, I find it a privilege to be able to do so.

That said, it is of prime importance that our points of view, that may be different to others, not be rammed into our throats nor our opinions be considered a threat to other peoples lives.

I am a believer of unity through diversity - how wonderful that many of us are different - and how wonderful it would be if we can respect each other's differences by just accepting the fact that we believe differently and that by the same token, that we be respected too.

And yes, I am one of the forum's idealists, dreamer and yes, a #@!* according to some.

peace

dammit!

mokin:

[Eki]

I am a believer of unity through diversity - how wonderful that many of us are different - and how wonderful it would be if we can respect each other's differences by just accepting the fact that we believe differently and that by the same token, that we be respected too.

True. For example, I don't dislike people like Roamy, anthonyvop, Garry Walker or Bob Riebe, just because I don't agree with them. Actually, I find it refreshing to hear their opinions. I believe it's important that people have an opportunity to voice their views.

[monadvspec]

True. For example, I don't dislike people like Roamy, anthonyvop, Garry Walker or Bob Riebe, just because I don't agree with them. Actually, I find it refreshing to hear their opinions. I believe it's important that people have an opportunity to voice their views.

It is good to see opinions and have diversity. With it moderators should keep their nose out of the comments. Why have people like Gluaist??? been banned, my comments edited and another's and then we are left with Riebe who does nothing but whine, moan call names and his comments never get edited and he is obviously, not banned?

[Mark]

Moderators are entitled to their opinions they are just forum members at the end of the day.

I totally agree about the political threads here and if threads are started on certain topics I will know with certainty that some will start hurling insults, some will hurl some back, others will accuse me of bias WHATEVER action I take and everyone will be upset.

How to solve this? Ban those threads, maybe? But then I read other forums with those types of thread and they work ok, but then mostly with people from only one country. Or dish out points; well certainly. Only trouble with that is whenever I give ANYONE points I AWLAYS get a PM accusing me of bias. Plus ca change!

[EuroTroll]

I think banning political threads would be a bit extreme, as they're usually informative, interesting, and fun.

I think we should carry on as we have: allow those threads, give members who hurl insults a slap on the wrist, and close the thread once it gets too much.

Being a moderator is a thankless job, as we know, and I definitely think this forum is generally well moderated. I also think that particular case Monadvspec is referring to, involving Starter, is really a non-issue. Some post got modified, others didn't -- so what? If you don't want your posts modified, be polite. It's as easy as that.

I don't think we have a problem.

[Mark]

I'd also like to add. Please use the reported posts function, we don't always get back to you on what happened, but they are read.

[EuroTroll]

Can we just ban threads that talk about gun ownership? [...] This just seems to be the one discussion that starts here over and over and exactly the same debate continues again and again.

I really don't understand what's wrong with that. Many topics of discussion come up again and again. That just means people care about them and want to discuss. Why ban? It's an obvious and possibly lame thing to say, but you can always not read the threads you're not interested in, can't you..