Greebo
N9017H - C172M (1976)
- Joined
- Feb 11, 2005
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- 10,976
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- Baltimore, MD
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Retired Evil Overlord
I want to take a moment to discuss a matter that apparently has rankled a few people enough to levy complaints about "management practices" - and that is the recent closing of a thread in the Medical Matters forum which had gotten off topic.
Appropriate use of the Forum Categories
First of all - let me explain that Medical Matters and Lessons Learned are serious forums. We allow anonymous posting in those two forums because they are serious enough that we respect that people may wish to hide their identity when discussing certain topics. Because of that extra ability, and the potential for abuse that such anonymous abilities carry with them, those two forums will always be treated somewhat more strictly than the other forums, and much more strictly than Hangar Talk.
Hangar Talk is the play forum where pretty much any topic is acceptable so long as the RoC isn't violated. The other forums have general categories - and it is expected that those categories are respected and generally adhered to. When threads in those forums drift off topic, or are in the wrong category, they will be moved or closed, depending on the circumstances.
Folks that's all there is to it and it isn't gonna change.
The Closed Thread
As to the specific thread that was closed - lets review. It was over six months old. It was, originally, appropriate to the Medical Matters forum. It died a natural death, until its unnatural revival by a spam ad, becoming a zombie thread. Had the thread gotten back on the topic, it could have led a second life, but it wandered into subjects that were completely unrelated to medicine or the original posters message, and so, in order to keep the Medical Matters forum, I closed it.
Complaints about Management
Now as for General Management. I have heard that there have been complaints raised about the closing of the thread - some in public, and some in private to other members of the Management Council.
I have no problem if someone asks why a thread was closed openly. The best place to ask such questions are in Site Feedback, and in a thread of their own. Bear in mind though that 95% of the time, if a thread is closed, it will stay closed. Decisions of the individual managers here are mostly final. I'm always happy to explain my reasons for closing a thread. I'm rarely happy to debate them.
Now where we do apparently have a problem is with how issues with general management are raised. If you have a problem with the action of a moderator, the first person you should talk to about that problem is that moderator. (PMing would be the most appropriate means of bringing it up.) Evidently some people were bothered enough by the fact that I closed a thread that they went to other members of the management council to complain, rather than PMing me.
If you had a problem with another moderators actions, and came to me first, the first thing I'd ask you is, "Have you spoken to them about it?". If your answer was No, you can guess where I would send you. Likewise, if you have a problem with an action I've taken, you should talk to me about it first.
Our moderator staff here is part of a team. We discuss our actions with each other. We generally don't overrule each other. There have been occasions where, jointly, a decision to change an action taken has been agreed upon, but we try to ensure that those kinds of overrides (if that's the right term for it) are done jointly, not by individual action. Otherwise we'd have the management fighting for control with each other, which would not be good.
I'm always glad to address any concerns anyone might have - and I know my fellow council members feel the same way.
As always, we are very happy that you've chosen to land at Pilots of America.
Sincerely,
Chuck
Appropriate use of the Forum Categories
First of all - let me explain that Medical Matters and Lessons Learned are serious forums. We allow anonymous posting in those two forums because they are serious enough that we respect that people may wish to hide their identity when discussing certain topics. Because of that extra ability, and the potential for abuse that such anonymous abilities carry with them, those two forums will always be treated somewhat more strictly than the other forums, and much more strictly than Hangar Talk.
Hangar Talk is the play forum where pretty much any topic is acceptable so long as the RoC isn't violated. The other forums have general categories - and it is expected that those categories are respected and generally adhered to. When threads in those forums drift off topic, or are in the wrong category, they will be moved or closed, depending on the circumstances.
Folks that's all there is to it and it isn't gonna change.
The Closed Thread
As to the specific thread that was closed - lets review. It was over six months old. It was, originally, appropriate to the Medical Matters forum. It died a natural death, until its unnatural revival by a spam ad, becoming a zombie thread. Had the thread gotten back on the topic, it could have led a second life, but it wandered into subjects that were completely unrelated to medicine or the original posters message, and so, in order to keep the Medical Matters forum, I closed it.
Complaints about Management
Now as for General Management. I have heard that there have been complaints raised about the closing of the thread - some in public, and some in private to other members of the Management Council.
I have no problem if someone asks why a thread was closed openly. The best place to ask such questions are in Site Feedback, and in a thread of their own. Bear in mind though that 95% of the time, if a thread is closed, it will stay closed. Decisions of the individual managers here are mostly final. I'm always happy to explain my reasons for closing a thread. I'm rarely happy to debate them.
Now where we do apparently have a problem is with how issues with general management are raised. If you have a problem with the action of a moderator, the first person you should talk to about that problem is that moderator. (PMing would be the most appropriate means of bringing it up.) Evidently some people were bothered enough by the fact that I closed a thread that they went to other members of the management council to complain, rather than PMing me.
If you had a problem with another moderators actions, and came to me first, the first thing I'd ask you is, "Have you spoken to them about it?". If your answer was No, you can guess where I would send you. Likewise, if you have a problem with an action I've taken, you should talk to me about it first.
Our moderator staff here is part of a team. We discuss our actions with each other. We generally don't overrule each other. There have been occasions where, jointly, a decision to change an action taken has been agreed upon, but we try to ensure that those kinds of overrides (if that's the right term for it) are done jointly, not by individual action. Otherwise we'd have the management fighting for control with each other, which would not be good.
I'm always glad to address any concerns anyone might have - and I know my fellow council members feel the same way.
As always, we are very happy that you've chosen to land at Pilots of America.
Sincerely,
Chuck
