Question on Discussion protocol

[poppab02]

Ok so I looked through all the locked threads tonight just basically because I was bored.

Here's my question:

Is there any way to keep people in line so that threads do not get locked? Can administrators edit posts and take out things that are offensive (as if they need more work to do)? I think there are some issues I would like to see discussed but I think it's pretty much impossible since people tend to call other people names, say their position are stupid or indefenseable and unredeeming, and other various things that are similarly offensive. I would like to believe that issues could be discussed without these things happening, but current evidence seems to lend to the contrary. I'm just wondering if there is any way to discuss something in a civilized manner or if it is too much to be asked.

Please do not interpret this as an attack on administrators for locking threads, in every circumstance they were correct in doing so. I would just like to discuss some issues, related to various subjects including politics, and just wondered if you could set out certain rules in the first post that outlined a procedure in which we could do so and get useful feedback without having the crossing of the line that inevitably happens.

[vega]

So far, i observe that the community here is very friendly and helpful compare to most forum i been to.

Hope nothing change on that.....

[fishfreek]

Can administrators edit posts and take out things that are offensive (as if they need more work to do)?

we could, BUT we live in a free country where freedom of speach is important and such editing would be censorship above and beyond the beeping out of undesirable words and we do not censor.

I think there are some issues I would like to see discussed but I think it's pretty much impossible since people tend to call other people names, say their position are stupid or indefenseable and unredeeming, and other various things that are similarly offensive.

Our rules are in place to keep this place civilized. If you wish to discuss issues that you think are impossible here i trust you there are websites that you can freely discuss them. There are countless political, socal and economic forums out there for example.

I'm just wondering if there is any way to discuss something in a civilized manner or if it is too much to be asked.

Thats up to every single person that replys. Most conversations are civilized at the start and then they slowly make their way to a place where none of us wants to see them go. Its a balance of letting things play themselves out and making sure they dont go sour.

[TankGirl]

All I can say about it is that if I see things turning sour I try to post an "okay, everbody calm down and agree to disagree" post, but sometimes that does not work and the thread has to be locked. What you don't see are the threads that die out because everyone DOES agree to disagree and drops the topic, without need for locking.

I agree with Vega that this is a very friendly community, and having posted on boards that were not always that way, I very much appreciate it.

Great thread! I think it helps for all of us to think about how threads wind up getting locked, and try to remember to keep our heads, even though we are of course passionate about our hobby

[Springcheeks]

No matter where you go you will find people who cant manage to keep their cool and have a debate about something without resorting to name calling. I help to maintain another busy fish forum and its the same there too.
I havent been a member here long but the place seems pretty friendly.

[BrianNY]

By and large the members that frequent this forum are an exceptional group of people. We are all friendly and helpful and I think genuinely like and respect each other. So there is actually less "flaming" going on here then on most forums.

In the more than a year that I've been here, I've only been involved in 2 contraversial threads. One where someone flamed me because he disagreed with my fish keeping methods. One where I started a topic after having a political discussion with some friends while drinking a few too many martinis. Well, I know not to post if I've been drinking now. [acronym:e2264f9b2b="Laughing out loud"]LOL[/acronym:e2264f9b2b].

The point is that even the nicest of people can become a "jerk" under certain circumstances. It would be impossible to never have the need to lock a thread.
[acronym:e2264f9b2b="Just My Opinion"]JMO[/acronym:e2264f9b2b]

[Atari]

I would like to be able to discuss other topics too. I think it's all good and well saying there are plenty of other forums out there for this, but [acronym:946ee647fd="In my opinion"]IMO[/acronym:946ee647fd] the whole point is to discuss things with your own community of friends.

I was quite surprised to see a pre-emptive lock on a seemingly good-natured discussion the other day.

Nastiness aside, it's quite frustrating not to be able to debate issues you care about with people you care about.

[shawmutt]

Is there any way to keep people in line so that threads do not get locked?

Don't talk religion or politics!

All joking aside, this forum has been mostly peaceful and patient, even with some of the "controversial" things I have posted in the past.

[vega]

The only controversial i alway come across here is the issue of using [acronym:6aecff4c88="Under Gravel Filter"]UGF[/acronym:6aecff4c88] and the glowing fish.... now don't get me start...

[reefrunner69]

I was quite surprised to see a pre-emptive lock on a seemingly good-natured discussion the other day.

Can you pm me a link, I missed that one.

As has been noted, some subjects affect different people more intensly than others, the medium we're using is another issue, many things do not communicate well over the internet and some people get upset or frustrated at a comment they felt was disrespectful to them. There are many reasons why some topics get locked, the lock is there for us to be able to stop a thread gone sour, without necessarily having to remove members from our community.