What is the point of the warning if this happens?

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
<Sigh>

I've stated this so many times it is getting boring.

A thread belongs to the TS, period. ...

If the subject is that interesting you open up your own thread. It is extremely simple. ... you are not allowed to take it over as your own....

This is not going to change. I have said this several time to the same person over and over. You may disagree with it, it is your prerogative, but it is not going to change.
I just read through "Terms and Rules" and "User Agreement." I could not find anything that even vaguely hints at what you've described here. Can you provide any official statement from the AAC site owners confirming their stance on the matter? Because from my perspective it looks like one moderator forcing their own ideas about forum etiquette on the masses, with no official documentation to back it up or even any consensus from the moderation team (hence the debacle that started this thread). It seems counterintuitive that the policy you've just layed out is what the AAC site owners would actually want in place on their site, as it is more likely to drive away new members than attract them.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
It goes to being disruptive. Too many people do try to take over threads, to the detriment of the TS. So the mods will do what we have to do.

Trying to use the ToS to justify actions we have said are not allowed is pretty futile. If you truly read the requirements we have huge latitude to keep the peace.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
It goes to being disruptive. Too many people do try to take over threads, to the detriment of the TS. So the mods will do what we have to do..
Does it "go to being disruptive"? Does it really now? If someone replies to a thread over a year dormant, that's disruptive?

If you truly read the requirements we have huge latitude to keep the peace.
Oh, nobody is questioning your supreme power. I wouldn't dare. But to be quite clear I am questioning your motives. You have ways you like to see things done, personal preferences. I have personal preferences too. You aren't "keeping the peace" or "preventing disruption" by enforcing your personal preferences on others, you're just, well, forcing your personal preferences on us.

And furthermore, the reason why I'm blatantly challenging you in public, is that you seem to be enjoying the shit out of it lately. I can't really pinpoint when it happened, or when I started noticing it, but I'm definitely noticing it now. You're way to quick to remind everyone just how powerful you are. I'll give you that, you're almost as powerful as a Librarian.

Trying to use the ToS to justify actions we have said are not allowed is pretty futile.
You just described your role on this website, and then said it was futile. Time to pass the torch? (I'm not volunteering).
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
Nice try, but it does not work that way. I was not elected to this job, I was offered it by the owner and I volunteered to accepted his offer. He can fire me, but until then you are stuck with me and my fellows. I will do this job the way I think it needs done, and modify it according the consensus of the other moderators. We listen and respect our users base, but we are not obligated to follow their suggestions.

You will find many policies posted in stickies. Some policies are extrapolations of how the ToS is interpreted by the moderating staff. As new circumstances arise we may modify how we do things, but it will come slow. Not everything in a culture is defined, but it there never the less.

The moderating staff still runs this place loosely, and I am one who does not want that to change. But when we decide on a course of action we try our best to make it happen. I've said this before, but adults can disagree without being trolls or uncivil. I have become hot over issues before, but I do try to argue the points of my case even so. I have even had other moderators suggest I back off, which I did.
 
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strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
I know my advice won't matter much to you, so i guess I'm giving it more as a bookmark to point back to later as a "told ya so."

You're coming off a bit dictatorial of late. That's my only issue here. The issue of necroposting i could have discussed like an adult, cooly and calmly. But you just came in here like a tyrant swinging your almighty hammer from atop a high horse, and pretty much talked to me like a child.

You keep that up and your constituents wil turn on you. Sure, we're "stuck with you" and we can't do a damned thing about any power trip you might be on or about to embark on, but we can leave. If enough leave, questions will be asked, and you'll be the senior man with the answers. We can't fire you but you are fully capable of getting yourself fired.

I've always been supportive of your moderation, and if you return to the same course you used to be on, I'll give you my continued support. Stay on your current course, and you're going to start seeing a lot more of these challenges, from a lot of other members.

Just think about it.
 

shortbus

Joined Sep 30, 2009
10,045
If a thread "belongs" to the TS and can't be posted in a later date, why can it be posted to at all? When starting a thread we get a list of other threads to read on the topic. If the "new" question is close to what you want to know but not quite, my first thought when a newbie here was to ask for clarification in the existing thread. This was one of the first forums I joined and didn't 'know' it was bad form to do such a thing. The very first forum I had joined(metalmeet.com) Accepts it(necroposting) and prefers it, keeps all information on the same topic in one place.
 
keeps all information on the same topic in one place.
FWIW my 'take' is that 'necroposting' should be allowed only where the new post is on topic (i.e. not a 'hijack') -and- 'thread' vs. 'forum' dichotomy is maintained (i.e. the choice to 'resurrect' vs. create a new thread, remains wholly voluntary)! -- I'd hate to see discussion of a topic restricted to pre-exsisting threads thereon!:(
My $.02:)


Best regards
HP:)
 
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#12

Joined Nov 30, 2010
18,224
I'd hate to see discussion of a topic restricted to pre-exsisting threads
I agree. I don't read posts with over 500 words and I don't read Threads with over 100 posts. It just takes too much time!

Some of the same questions come up, year after year. Some are easily handled by pointing to a Blog or a Sticky. The rest usually go down in 20 posts or less. I like it that way.
 

atferrari

Joined Jan 6, 2004
4,764
I believe in short threads. Firmly. Besides that, just in case, I made already clear what I think of being an owner in this context. I prefer to think of it as a sample of "creativity". o_O

Last night this thread got me thinking of something else: many many years ago, more than I would like to recognize, in less than maybe 8 or 10 months, I joined four different forums (Microchip, CZ (EPE), ETO and AAC of course). In case you look there, in some of them, my fans recognized me as Agustín Tomás. Later I became my current self.

It is only here where I heard so many times what it seems an increasingly trendy pet subject: "moderator" or "moderation". In so many venues of life along my career I had to exert authority even in extreme situations (the kind that no one would like to live) and never crossed my mind that I needed to say (not even warn anyone) "I am the XXX here", simply because people with me, knew that.

Given the limited yarn in the bobbin we all have (please trust me on this) I am focusing more and more on the challenges that so many unknowns pose to me. Right now, Ohm's Law and Bluetooth (where <CR> plays a role).

Back to the bench.
 
In so many venues of life along my career I had to exert authority even in extreme situations (the kind that no one would like to live) and never crossed my mind that I needed to say (not even warn anyone) "I am the XXX here", simply because people with me, knew that.
I daresay the position of a (military commander?), by dint of uniform alone, is significantly more conspicuous than that of a forum moderator -- Hence the occasional necessity of the latter to announce his/her position in maters of compliance enforcement... But perhaps I misunderstood your post?:confused:

Respectfully
- very best regards
HP:)
 

wayneh

Joined Sep 9, 2010
17,496
One of the things that has always bugged me here, and I think contributes to necroposting, is that it's so darn hard to find answers in the "General Electronics" or "Projects" fora. Other topics like Physics or Homework or Computing seem to get pigeonholed into those fora pretty well. But the two I mentioned are vast oceans with no real distinction between them.

Some people come here looking to repair something. I believe there should be a dedicated forum for the repair of commercial products. Stickies might be established for how to desolder, how to replace bad caps, how to test a bridge rectifier and so on.

Some people come here as complete noobs working on their first projects. Why not have a forum just for that, so that those noobs would know exactly where they should post? That forum could have stickies for the usual stuff - how to draw a schematic, test on a breadboard, build a PCB and so on.

Then there's batteries and chargers. Or wind and solar. PWM, audio amps, and don't forget LEDs.

My point in this post is not to define all the topic categories that might be useful - I'm not the person for that - but to suggest that better organization could hugely improve this forum. I've been around here quite a while and I know I've seen some very cool stuff go by - various tips, tricks and tools - but I find it very hard to put a finger on any of them. I may know the topic and the poster I want to find, and I STILL can't find it in a reasonable amount of time.
 

JoeJester

Joined Apr 26, 2005
4,390
While a military officer might have the full force of the UCMJ to ensure compliance, the true leader doesn't need to swing that UCMJ hammer except in rare cases.

In the scheme of things, it is the difference of interpetation that causes threads like this.

The user agreement is broad based and that allows the differing interpetations, along with English as a nth language.

Wendy used her words, and the have their roots in the User Agreement and the stickys that provide other guidance.

Of course, the recourse would be to make the case to the owners, with properly cited attachments illustrating the acts you have issues with.

And I will assume you will be volunteering to be part of the solution, if the owners request it.

It has happened at other forums, it has happened here in the past.

As a member, I know the moderators have great latitude, and do a thankless job. I reserve the option of having a different interpetation of a thread, whether I articulate that difference or not.

When I do express my opine, I hope the moderators read it for what it was ... A different interpetation.

Pre emotive strikes typically result in strong counters. That of course, results in threads such as this one.
 
While a military officer might have the full force of the UCMJ to ensure compliance, the true leader doesn't need to swing that UCMJ hammer except in rare cases.
I apologize that the intent of my post was unclear? --- My point was that, whereas a military CO or an on-duty law enforcement officers' credentials are manifest via their apparel alone -- A moderator's position is indicated only by a line of rather fine text below their username -- Hence my sincere observation that Mods must, at certain junctures, announce their position - not to 'intimidate' or 'impress' but merely to clarify their interest in a matter...:)

Very best regards
HP:)
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
One of the things that has always bugged me here, and I think contributes to necroposting, is that it's so darn hard to find answers in the "General Electronics" or "Projects" fora. Other topics like Physics or Homework or Computing seem to get pigeonholed into those fora pretty well. But the two I mentioned are vast oceans with no real distinction between them.

Some people come here looking to repair something. I believe there should be a dedicated forum for the repair of commercial products. Stickies might be established for how to desolder, how to replace bad caps, how to test a bridge rectifier and so on.

Some people come here as complete noobs working on their first projects. Why not have a forum just for that, so that those noobs would know exactly where they should post? That forum could have stickies for the usual stuff - how to draw a schematic, test on a breadboard, build a PCB and so on.

Then there's batteries and chargers. Or wind and solar. PWM, audio amps, and don't forget LEDs.

My point in this post is not to define all the topic categories that might be useful - I'm not the person for that - but to suggest that better organization could hugely improve this forum. I've been around here quite a while and I know I've seen some very cool stuff go by - various tips, tricks and tools - but I find it very hard to put a finger on any of them. I may know the topic and the poster I want to find, and I STILL can't find it in a reasonable amount of time.
I agree. Other forums have many subforums (sometimes too many) which greatly helps to compartmentalize the info. Compartmentalized info is easier found. I suppose dividing the forum up into logical sectors should be the first step, and addressing the "to necropost or not to necropost" issue should come second.

But when we get to that second issue, I opine that we should instead of solely focusing on the issue from the stance of "necroposting" and the connotations that that word carries, we should also open our minds to the idea of considering it compartmentalization of information. Related info from multiple parties gathered into one thread instead of strewn about in multiple unlinked threads, filed under OP usernames which are useless search metrics.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
So has this discussion accomplished anything? Moderation team went silent. Are we any closer to a consensus on how to handle "necroposts?"

Even if the official decision is to allow newbies to post on old threads and then lock them, which is obviously silly, there needs to be an official decision and some consistent enforcement.

What say you moderation team?
@bertus @JohnInTX @nerdegutta @Wendy @ScottWang @DickCappels

BTW where is @MrChips and @Georacer these days?

Notice I didn't call out jrap or dave or any of the orange team. I have faith that our mod team can sort this minor issue out among themselves, and also that any damaging trends in moderation will draw attention to themselves without my help.
 
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