The History Eraser Button

[Whimgrinder]

All that needed to be done was to close the thread to disallow further comments. Jettisoning the entire thread wasn't necessary. So yes - actions do have consequences.

[silken]

I am sorry to say that I am the guilty party. I didn't intentionally steal it away from anyone. I am a fairly new moderator and haven't had to do a lot of things on here with threads. I found no actual 'lock' setting. Maybe there is one, I don't know. I at first closed the thread but didn't remove it. Since it still continued to show in current threads, it seemed to not really accomplish much as far as getting rid of the ability for everyone to see some of the very bitter and negative comments that had happened in the past on that thread. I waited before even doing that so those involved on the thread would see my intent to do something with it to close it out. No-one other than Cody responded.

I did suggest that those wishing to carry on the discussion could start a new thread that stuck to the facts of which vendors are stealing photos and that way people reading the new thread could voice their disapproval to those vendors or boycott them. The one I removed was so very long and full of extraneous discussion for people looking for that info.

So I had no intention of violating anyone's rights. One contributor very much wished their comments to be gone. I figured the thread had a lot of unnecessary negative content.

So fire me and you are welcome to the job as moderator.

As for the info about vendors stealing photos, there were only a few mentioned and I think it would be no difficult task to re-post them in a new thread for all to see. After all, that was the title and intent of the thread in the beginning.

[jkofferdahl]

The OP submits.

[Whimgrinder]

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[FairyInTheFlowers]

I can't speak for everyone, but the reason I suggested a thread lock instead of deleting comments after the fact is that it warps the perceived flow of the conversation. It can make a users old response to a newly edited post seem more inflammatory or off the track than it otherwise would have been, altering a future readers perception of the entire exchange. What's done has been done, and an explaination has been given. It may have been a mistake, but let's not repeat the mistakes of the thread in question.

[jkofferdahl]

The OP submits.

[Ray]

I think that there's one fact that participants in forums forget: this is a privately owned forum in which the owner is willing to allow folks to participate. Therefore, one's right of free speech does not apply.

If the owner, or his proxies, the administrators, decide that a post or thread needs to go, that's their decision, and no-one else's.

I do not agree with censorship, however, at a participant' request.

[jkofferdahl]

The OP submits.

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by Ray

I think that there's one fact that participants in forums forget: this is a privately owned forum in which the owner is willing to allow folks to participate. Therefore, one's right of free speech does not apply.

If the owner, or his proxies, the administrators, decide that a post or thread needs to go, that's their decision, and no-one else's.

I do not agree with censorship, however, at a participant' request.

Ray and All:
I have been following this thread with interest and little comment. I have learned a lot! I did not see any comment that indicated the thread would end. However, Ray brings up an interesting point: How does the Board work?

As a fairly new member, I had no idea the OB was privately "owned." I was researching on the web and kept running into the OB and finally 'someone?' said "you're lurking, join." I did...but, I and other newbies might be interested in just how this thing works. Who owns it? What exactly is a moderator? Who is a senior member and how etc.etc.

I too, hated to see this end, although I can understand. And, August, your "warts" are refreshing in a world where we all (except John) care too much about what everyone thinks

If we don't like it, we don't have to read. If I could make one comment, August, I do find your language a little salty...that, in my opinion, was worse than your "rant." But, then again, I'm an old lady.

[jkofferdahl]

The OP submits.