I hope this thread belongs here, because I didn’t really want to start a Pit thread. This isn’t so much about being frustrated as it is about wanting some kind of response from the appropriate powers-that-be.
Way back when I was a newbie here, I made a post in MPSIMS that qualified as both mundane and pointless. It was pretty innocuous at the time, but it can now clearly identify who I am IRL. I’m not sure how much that matters (see my thread, “Why do we want to be anonymous?”), but I figured I’d just as soon not have it there.
I emailed a moderator to ask if the tidbit of info that personally identifies me could be edited out of this years-old thread. I received no response. After waiting a few months, I escalated it and sent a very polite request in email to an admin (Dexter).
Nothing. Zip. No response from him either.
I would certainly appreciate an answer, even if it’s “go away, kid, you bother me.” This is a paid board now, and I feel like paying my dues entitles me to get at least some kind of response from a moderator or administrator.
If you won’t edit the post, tell me and I’ll just be done with it and put my real name in my sig block or something.
You could have tried sending emails to more than one moderator/admin at a time. They aren’t always on deck all the time (lives, sleep, need to treat hamster scratches etc.).
Hope you get a response soon – but they do warn you in the rules an’ regs not to post stuff here you’ll come to regret in saner moments.
That’s why I waited over a month in each case. I didn’t want to spam a whole bunch of people when it only takes one to handle the problem.
Yeah, I know that. I had just joined, and wasn’t thinking long-term. I’ve been using online forums since the days of dial-up BBSs and usenet, and very little of it has been anonymous.
If they tell me no, I can deal with that. I’m just not happy getting no response at all.
It ain’t spamming them to email more than one when you have an issue. Too late now, you’ve already waited after just trying one contact at a time – then probably got at least a little ticked (goin’ by your OP) that no one responded. Next time – multi-email.
And I agree with Hoops – “SDMB” is the magic keyword.
I’m a Mod. Basically, you need to email an Admin about most things. But, I can tell you we don’t “delete” things. Just not done.
Now, I’m not gonna make excuses for you not receiving a reply. That should have happened. If you knew the amount of emails that Admins like Dex and Tuba get, you might have some understanding of why things fall through the cracks sometimes. Again, not making an excuse, just saying…
Try sending Dex an email again, after Passover, and jog his memory. He really does try to answer everything.
You sure didn’t send it to me. Why don’t you try that? TubaDiva@aol.com
It should also be mentioned that mostly what goes here stays here . . . but that is covered on a case by case basis, as there are meaningful exceptions.
I have to come in here and say that **Dex ** & **TubaDiva ** (the only ones I e-mail) have *always * answered me. Even if it’s to say, “We’ll think about it”, or “No”. Particularly TubaDiva.
And I bet anybody the next SDMB membership that **tomndebb ** would, too.
I very very rarely lurk in ATMB, but when I saw your post, I had to go back and find the post and find out who you are IRL! Now that I know what your real name is, I’m going to take over your identity bwahahaha…
Just kidding…I just couldn’t resist. Sorry. If you hadn’t said anything, the chances of anyone ever seeing that post again are slim to none, but now that you’ve brought up the issue, chances are, people will go back to that old post just to see if they can figure out who you are and there goes your anonimity. But you’re right, the mods should have sent you an answer.
Another option might have been to have gone to your old post and used the “report this post” button. It doesn’t spam the mods but all of them can see it.
You’ll find the “report this post” button doesn’t show on your own posts. Invisible Wombat would have had to report someone else’s post in the thread, then explain in the box the full story.
Oh, anybody who really wants to find out who one of us is can probably do so. It’s hard to make hundreds (or thousands) of posts to a board like this without giving up some details! This was just a wee bit too blatant.
I did the same thing. The thread made me curious enough to go back and find the original post that identified him. Hadn’t this new thread existed, I’d never have done that.
I deleted the title of the book, but please understand that we do NOT plan to make a practice of editing posts, deleting old threads, etc. We don’t have the staff for it, and most of the time it’s unnecessary - as others have pointed out, had the OP not called attention to the post in question, chances are no one would have looked at it and deduced his real name. To repeat our longstanding policy, you are responsible for what you post. If you later find it embarrassing or otherwise problematic - hey, chalk it up as a learning experience. We delete contact info such as address and phone number but the fact that someone can figure out your real name does not strike us as an urgent concern - we have a fair number of posters, me for one, who use their real names as their screen names. Finally, if you need to contact the staff, feel free to CC the e-mail to several of us. We can read the CC list and figure out who is best equipped to deal with your problem. Better that than have you e-mail the one person who is out of the country for a month and stew because you’re being ignored.
I’m not overly concerned about the few people who saw this thread and ran off to find out who I am. I’m not really that exciting. I just figured I should either go ahead and post under my real name, or see if we could fix that old post to make it just a wee bit harder to pierce the shield of my anonymity.
Strangely enough, NoClueBoy, you can’t see where invisible wombats are <snicker>. You can only see where we’ve been by the trail we leave behind us!
