# Moderation - Deleting Posts without notice



## wiggydiggy (21 Oct 2011)

Hello,

I see that a post of mine containing content some found offensive was removed. I have no problem with you taking action as you see fit regarding content on the site, however I must raise as a question/concern the fact it was permanently deleted with no message from the moderator responsible.

In terms of moderation I think you should have left my post but with an edit that you have removed a picture some found offensive. I am speaking as a moderator on another forum and I when I am editing/deleting posts I would always leave the original post, minus the content, else confusion may reign as to what moderation takes place. 

For example there is no message left by the moderation team here telling me what you have done.

Perhaps next time this is needed, a message could be left with the reasons why?

Thanks, Wiggy.


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## Shaun (21 Oct 2011)

I can't see which post you are referring to (looking through your recent post history) - what was the jist of the content?

Are you sure you posted it, and didn't just preview it without posting - we've had that before?


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## Shaun (21 Oct 2011)

Oh, and just as a point of note, none of the moderators can permanently delete posts or threads, and they cannot edit them without it being noted on the post, so the content/action is always retained in the database for me to refer to if there are questions about it.

However I've been back over the last 60 posts of yours and can't find anything that appears to have been moderated.

Let me know what you think has been moderated - thread or rough date and an idea of content - and I'll look back for you.

Cheers,
Shaun


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## wiggydiggy (21 Oct 2011)

Admin said:


> I can't see which post you are referring to (looking through your recent post history) - what was the jist of the content?
> 
> Are you sure you posted it, and didn't just preview it without posting - we've had that before?



I am positive and I take it you didnt do it then?

Details:

The post that has been deleted was am image of Gadafi, I have it saved if you want it posting as an example here?

http://www.cyclechat.../95330-gadaffi/ 



wiggydiggy said:


> Fnaar said:
> 
> 
> > Isn't that Michael Jackson's "Thriller" video ?
> ...





Maz said:


> @wiggydiggy...please can you take that picture off. It's gruesome.





That quote is Post #15, Fnaar is commenting on the picture and indeed his post has also been deleted. Later in the topic from Post #21 there are calls for the image to be removed. So my post was numbered between #1 and #15.

So I am quite certain that the post has been deleted without warning, my complaint is not its removal but the lack of info and clarity around that.

Like I mention, I moderate another site so I understand it can be taxing at times, but you need to make sure all moderation is transparent.


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## ColinJ (21 Oct 2011)

I agree with wiggydiggy. 

I have had a few posts deleted with no mention being made of the fact and I didn't like it. The posts weren't that important and they weren't that offensive, just a bit silly. I think it is a dangerous step towards arbitrary censorship when a moderator can decide that a post should go just because it is silly or perhaps off-topic. If there is that policy, then I think it should be made public, and I think that a message should be posted about the deletion.

I have made the mistake of previewing posts instead of submitting them, but in the cases that I am thinking of, I had seen them appear in the threads and then they just got deleted.

I'll give you a concrete example - I posted a YouTube video of The Archies song _Sugar Sugar _with the comment that I'd probably have the damn thing stuck in my head for a month afterwards. It got deleted later that evening. Okay, perhaps that was to prevent the CycleChat membership also having it stuck in their damn heads too but it isn't the way to go about things!


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## Shaun (21 Oct 2011)

There is an oddity in the thread in that one post that is reference in a quote doesn't seem to exist any more - which shouldn't happen because I'm the only person on CC with hard-delete privs (perm remove from database) and at that time yesterday I was driving home from work, wolfing tea down, and then out to the pub.

I'll look into it and see if there's anything in the database to indicate what might have happened.

Cheers,
Shaun


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## Shaun (21 Oct 2011)

Sorted. The mod who removed it did so as they were heading out the door and so didn't get chance to send a PM.

The graphic nature of the image was the reason - and the mod has only just returned home this evening, so wasn't able to advise until now.

The database glitch was due to the post being copied to the archive forum (which I forgot, applies a different ID).

The new software we're moving to allows for PM's to be automatically sent when modding actions are carried out - we'll try to do that in future so people are made aware.

That being said, if you post things that are gruesome your expectation should be that they _will_ probably be removed, so don't be too surprised if they are.  

Cheers,
Shaun


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## Norm (21 Oct 2011)

wiggydiggy said:


> I am speaking as a moderator on another forum ...


 Maybe that experience should have pointed you towards the rules & guidelines, then, which are linked from every forum page. 

Specifically:


The Rules said:


> *No objectionable material - *Please do not post pornographic or objectionable/inappropriate material.



I didn't see the image but we can probably guess the content as it was in the "gadaffi" thread, in which case I can't imagine why you'd have posted it, let alone complain that it was removed.


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## Norm (21 Oct 2011)

Norm said:


> Test


Check


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## DonnyDarko (24 Oct 2011)

You moving to VB by chance?


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## Shaun (24 Oct 2011)

DonnyDarko said:


> You moving to VB by chance?



Xenforo.

We were on vB 3.8.4 before moving to IP.Board.


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## DonnyDarko (24 Oct 2011)

Fair play.

You not considered VB4 at all?


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## wiggydiggy (24 Oct 2011)

Norm said:


> Maybe that experience should have pointed you towards the rules & guidelines, then, which are linked from every forum page.
> 
> Specifically:
> 
> ...





wiggydiggy said:


> ..........I see that a post of mine containing content some found offensive was removed. I have no problem with you taking action as you see fit regarding content on the site, however I must raise as a question/concern the fact it was permanently deleted with no message from the moderator responsible..................




Norm - difference of opinion was not my reason for complaint, it was the lack of communication regarding the removal, which is where admin steps in:



Admin said:


> Sorted. The mod who removed it did so as they were heading out the door and so didn't get chance to send a PM.
> 
> The graphic nature of the image was the reason - and the mod has only just returned home this evening, so wasn't able to advise until now.
> 
> ...



Thank you for finding out why but I think you should re-assess how your moderators operate as their actions a reflection of the site itself. As ColinJ has pointed out this is not the first time posts have seemingly been deleted without warning, and the fact they had not notified anyone on the moderation team/general users they had done so could be worrying if that is the normal process.

TBH I dont accept 'heading out the door' as a valid excuse, it takes 30 secs to type a "Removed by request" post and we wouldnt be having this conversation if they had done so. Software may help with moderation but communication is key, I can only ask/hope that you take this feedback on board and pass it down the line.


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## wiggydiggy (28 Oct 2011)

[QUOTE 1585986"]
Explaining why posts have been removed is courteous. That doesn't mean that it's always going to happen. And for different reasons. The reason for your post being removed was that it was clearly inappropriate, and it's common for that kind of post to illicit a warning and not a polite notification.

You've been given the reason why you weren't notified immediately. Don't assume that all "missing" posts are missing for the same reason, or that you'll be party to discussions about all post removal, software issues, user error or what ever else causes posts to appear to disappear on this forum.
[/quote]

You've misunderstood my reasons for highlighting the issue, as I state twice above the lack of comms was the issue not the difference of opinion.

As Admin has already replied to my satisfaction, I dont need to reply further.


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## Norm (28 Oct 2011)

wiggydiggy said:


> You've misunderstood my reasons for highlighting the issue, as I state twice above the lack of comms was the issue not the difference of opinion.


 And you have again failed to read what was written.

Communications is a courtesy, not a requirement. 

Pictures of dead bodies need to be removed, and someone who posts a picture of a dead body shouldn't be so sensitive when the courtesies are side-stepped.


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## wiggydiggy (28 Oct 2011)

Norm said:


> And you have again failed to read what was written.
> 
> Communications is a courtesy, not a requirement.
> 
> Pictures of dead bodies need to be removed, and someone who posts a picture of a dead body shouldn't be so sensitive when the courtesies are side-stepped.





wiggydiggy said:


> You've misunderstood my reasons for highlighting the issue, as I state twice above the lack of comms was the issue not the difference of opinion.
> *
> As Admin has already replied to my satisfaction, I dont need to reply further.*


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## PpPete (28 Oct 2011)

[QUOTE 1585986"]
Explaining why posts have been removed is courteous. That doesn't mean that it's always going to happen. And for different reasons. The reason for your post being removed was that it was clearly inappropriate, and it's common for that kind of post to illicit a warning and not a polite notification.

You've been given the reason why you weren't notified immediately. Don't assume that all "missing" posts are missing for the same reason, or that you'll be party to discussions about all post removal, software issues, user error or what ever else causes posts to appear to disappear on this forum.
[/quote]


I try not to be a spelling nazi ... but MP, in this context where we are discussing inappropriate images an' stuff , I think you might want to learn the difference between "elicit" and "illicit".

Admin.... Any plans to give your "Support Team" spelling tests before making them "transparent" ?


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## Shaun (28 Oct 2011)

PpPete said:


> Admin.... Any plans to give your "Support Team" spelling tests before making them "transparent" ?




Yes, there's a special CC SAS-style special training course they have to complete before they can get in:


Fix three punctures - 1 without tyre levers, 1 without a patch, and 1 without a pump, whilst repeating random pages from the Highway Code
Cycle across a County boundary line at midnight, in the winter, without any clothes on
Pass the "clipless moment" falling onto a side test (no fall-mats)
Fit a set of carbon look-a-like mudguards to one of Dellzeqq's bikes whilst he's wait for a group of FNRttCers to arrive
Do 3 minutes at a min. 120 rpm cadence on a set of rollers that are covered in Marmite
... and for the top level hardcore support team tier:



Do PBP on a unicycle!!! 
So, as you can see, we only take the best ...  

Cheers,
Shaun  

EDIT: It's so "special" I wrote special twice!!

<Nips off to book the whole support team in for speeling lissons>


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## PpPete (28 Oct 2011)

Touché !


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## PpPete (28 Oct 2011)

Rules me out then ! TFT !


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## Shaun (28 Oct 2011)

The Marmite one has to be done in an open field. We tried it in a garage once and everyone passed out ...


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## Mozzy (28 Oct 2011)

HUGE Kudos, respect et al to the Moderators. I was a senior moderator on a heavily used business forum for some years. I know only too well what a thankless but necessary task it is. Phew, never ever again.

Mozzy


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