All,,,,,

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> You chose to edit the content of MY posts, yet, there are other posts on TBN with inline images... Deleting and /or editing may be a right of TBN and it's moderators, but it should be across the board. </font>
I change inline images to links when

1. I am notified of them.
2. I personally see them.

When you've seen inline images, have you notified the Moderators? There are far too many posts each day for the Moderators to read all of them. We are a community of TBNers and we (the Moderators) count on others to notify us of issues. If we are not made aware of it, we can't correct it.

<font color="blue"> If nothing else, two terms come to mind...consideration and customer service. </font>
I remove inline images out of consideration for people who connect via modems.

<font color="blue"> Since I did not violate the terms of service or the forum rules, and others are allowed to do this, maybe a PM would have helped me understand your actions a little better. </font>
The Terms Of Service and the FAQ can not cover all eventualities plus the explanation I added to each post that had an inline image explained both what I did and why.

<font color="blue"> There have been other things stripped from the site that only a very few found to be wrong, but they are gone. The thread on disinternments comes vividly to mind.</font>
Very few might have complained publicly about that thread.

 

[Spiffy]

No problem with my modem.....but it happens to be DSL. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Just couldn't resist the chance to rib someone in the IS business a little over a broad term that is often associated with a narrower meaning. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Actually, when I'm at the inlaws all they have is dial-up "56K" service (56 yeah....maybe 20Kb throughput /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif). So I am quite happy when pictures are attached instead in the posts.

On moderator feedback in general: a PM to any changes would be quite curtious, but I understand the loads you guys have and don't think I'd be very good at the job, soooo: Keep up the good work guys. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Bird]

Dale, inline pictures, if they're not too big and not too many of them, might not be too bad, although even then probably not a good idea. And there's a very simple reason; not all of our members have high speed or broadband cable Internet service. I have broadband now so it's not a big concern for me, personally, but when I lived in the country and had dial-up service, any thread with one inline picture, not to mention a thread with several, took forever to download, so I very much disliked for anyone to post inline pictures.

So a little plain old fashioned courtesy and consideration for others seems to me to be an adequate reason to avoid inline pictures, or for a moderator to change them to attachments. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif After all, making them an attachment doesn't take anything away from the poster.

Looks like Mike and Spiffy typed faster than I did. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[JerryG]

I have DSL now and in-lines are not a problem. When I had dial-up, and I clicked on a thread that had a lot of in-lines, I would just hit the back button. If it was a thread that I knew that I was interested in, sometimes I would click on it and then go out to get the mail or go fix me a drink. Even doing that, part of the time I would still have to wait for a while. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[gmsssi]

Are all moderators following the guidelines you have stated?

Your statement "I remove inline images out of consideration for people who connect via modems." give me the perception that is a choice you made and not necessarily a consistent guideline set by TBN.

Please take no offense, but there does appear to be some inconsistencies in other areas as well and I think that may be the point that’s trying to be made.

 

[SnowRidge]

Personally, I would like to see inline images banned. That said, I can't find any rules against them. What I can find are instructions in the FAQ on how to place them in your posts:

<font color="blue"> To Place an Inline Image in your Post, use the following markup tag: (actual instructions deleted) </font>

To me, this makes no sense whatsoever if the moderators are supposed to delete them. Anyone else?

 

[beenthere]

I agree that in-line images should be attachments. I think the moderators are doing a good job in working with the hundreds of members who need some help.
I am on another site that is also a great site, but all images are in-line. However, to do that, the images are restricted to 350 X 350 pixels and no more than 20kb in size. That is done for a few reasons, one being the members who are on dial-up. Those images are not near the quality that we can post as attachments. I like this better,- - much, much better!

I see this forum as a privelage to belong to and participate in, and don't see myself as a 'customer' that needs any special treatment /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif .

I too have been reprimanded (sounds harsher than it was) for speaking too bluntly to a new member and she complained to the moderators (which was the way to go, IMO) and the moderator sent me a PM letting me know that they don't want members "talked-to" the way I did (and let me know that a smiley would have eased the bluntness of my comment /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ). I was a bit depressed that I said the wrong thing and pouted for awhile about it /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif and then got over it. Kinda like getting chewed out in school and being embarrassed in front of my peers. But the admins were right, and my kind of blunt talk could escalate and later really get out of hand.
Keep up the good work, admins. Your volunteer effort and time doesn't go un-noticed from my side of the fence.

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> Are all moderators following the guidelines you have stated? </font>
Yes.

<font color="blue"> Please take no offense...</font>
No offense taken.

<font color="blue">but there does appear to be some inconsistencies in other areas as well and I think that may be the point that’s trying to be made. </font>
Please elaborate. Stating there are inconsistencies without identifying them doesn't help either respond adequately or resolve them. dummy's specific point was inline images. I've already explained the 'inconsistency' with that.

 

[gmsssi]

I have definitety had post deleted/removed without an explanation and no profanity was used.

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> I have definitety had post deleted/removed without an explanation and no profanity was used. </font>
While this isn't an explanation for why your post was deleted (no specifics supplied), all replies to a post that is deleted get deleted as well. This is a limitation of the web software. So, some 'innocent' posts get rounded up with the 'guilty' ones. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[gmsssi]

BTW.........let me get this off my chest, I have been a member (#343) for over six years and never posted any significant numbers until March of 2005 when I decided to upgrade tractors. As soon as I started posting I was identified as a “Lurker” and I’m sure it was someone just having fun but none the less I felt “labeled”. But it stuck with me until I asked about it in a thread (no moderator interaction). It took a few more days to lose the label and it did make me feel uninvited. I say this not as a slam to the moderators but I use this example as the reverse for this thread. I could have easily have just left the chip on my shoulder and never came back but I did stick it out to test the water and I’m glad I did.

If you read the FAQ’s, we’re restricted to technical document standards and I know that’s not the intent. This may seem like an extreme approach but it appears by some of the statements made in the thread, it has raised considerable concern. Maybe we need more rules but I doubt it. We need someone to draw the line, define it and enforce it. In order to address threads like this the administrator MUST get involved and stress consistency!

 

[gmsssi]

Cool............ /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Bird]

Greg, all the moderators are using the same guidelines, but all the moderators do not have time to read all the posts. And just as the police have never succeeded in catching all the criminals, the moderators may not catch all the posts that need to be moderated. And of course, some violations are obvious and flagrant, while others may be a matter of judgement. To again use a law enforcement analogy, driving at a speed of 1 mph over the posted limit is illegal, but how many officers will write a traffic citation for that? Yep, there may be a few and they're right when they do it, but most would not. And there are some non-law enforcement people who also think citations should be issued for 1 mph over the limit.

I assume you have read the Terms of Service. Look again at the paragraph right under item #10. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( <font color="blue"> I have definitety had post deleted/removed without an explanation and no profanity was used. </font>
While this isn't an explanation for why your post was deleted (no specifics supplied), all replies to a post that is deleted get deleted as well. This is a limitation of the web software. So, some 'innocent' posts get rounded up with the 'guilty' ones. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif )</font>


Mike, I recently was involved in a thread where things heated up. None of my posts were deleted, but there were at least 6 posts that were deleted. One of the posts that was deleted was from a guy who said absolutely nothing offensive. It just happened that he hit "reply" to a post that was deleted. The member contacted me and was complaining about moderators deleting his post. I explained to him that he was deleted not because of what he did, but because of the fact that his post was essentially attached to a deleted post. He understood after that, and he is fine with it. But I wonder if nasty posts get deleted if it would be possible to also inform the unlucky innocents who get taken out too?


BTW . . . this thread is waaaay of of Johnday's orignal topic and I wonder if it would be beneficial to move that last several posts on this thead to a new thread so Johnday's thread could continue as intended. Just a thought.

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> As soon as I started posting I was identified as a “Lurker” and I’m sure it was someone just having fun but none the less I felt “labeled”. </font>
Those labels are automatically assigned by the site software based upon the number of posts, maybe how long the person has been a member, too, not sure about that. No one was 'having fun' with you. Neither the Administrators nor the Moderators have the time to track down new members, or any member for that matter, and assign specific labels.

<font color="blue">We need someone to draw the line, define it and enforce it. In order to address threads like this the administrator MUST get involved and stress consistency! </font>
As I stated before, if the moderators are made aware of an issue it gets addressed. We can not get involved if we are not informed when the issue arise. If there's any doubt as to what to do, the Moderators discuss it. As much consistency is used as is humanly possible. I don't know how else to explain this.

 

[gmsssi]

Bird,

I understand! I have given this thread alot of thought since it was posted and have refrained from replying until today. I have 2 pages worth of response and I've held off. Frankly, I was worried I may be one of the guys their talking about because I'd had post deleted without explanation. Mike has made it clear that mine may have just got caught in the fire and believe me when I say I'm relieved!

Thanks,

 

[MikePA]

<font color="blue"> I wonder if it would be beneficial to move that last several posts on this thead to a new thread so Johnday's thread could continue as intended. Just a thought. </font>
Good idea, but it's not possible to move part of a thread.

<font color="blue"> But I wonder if nasty posts get deleted if it would be possible to also inform the unlucky innocents who get taken out too?</font>
Another good idea, and possible if there are not that many posts in the chunk that gets deleted. However, since there's no way of sending the same message to multiple recipients, this means jotting down the names of the innocent then sending individual PMs to every person in the thread, plus the PM to the person whose message violated the rules. Possible, but potentially very time consuming.

 

[gmsssi]

I'm just a stickler for principal and it is much more understood now!

Thanks,

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> There are idiots all over TBN who are ...</font>

Once you call someone an idiot, everyone that fits the bill but doesn't realize it will attempt to roast your coffee, so to speak.

Make your replies, make your points and let them stand for what they are... good information. What happens too often is people keep trying to convince people that cannot be convinced.

<font color="blue"> Again, there are a small number of trouble makers, but they seem to have a pretty big effect on TBN.
</font>

Only if you let them. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Use that Notify Moderator Button. You'd be surprised how few people actually use it, and, since most of us have other lives and TBN has grown so much, most moderators no longer have time to read all the posts like we use to, as Bird stated so well. I, too, remember the days when I could log on in the morning and read every single new post on TBN for the last 24 hours in about 30 minutes. Now I can hardly get through just the Power Trac forum in that amount of time. I can't imagine it in one of the major brand forums and I'm lucky to get to the Related Topics or Rural Living forums but a few times a week.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Good point.