Someone is suspended, a thread is closed with no explanation, a post goes missing. The rules (or at least the mods) say you should not ask the whys and the wherefores in a thread - not even in ATMB - you should instead PM a mod.
OK. But why?
Seems to me that a single posted query followed by a single pointed answer posted for all to see is the most efficient course of action. If I wonder why a thread was locked with no explanation it stands to reason that others may be wondering as well. A public question and answer would put the matter to rest with a quickness.
I don’t understand why individual (and secret) back-and-forths are the preference.
After all, if any of us can message a mod and expect an answer, then it can hardly be considered classified info.
mmm
99% of the time the circumstances you describe happen because of a returning sock/troll. Since they are socking and trolling to get attention we chose not to give them any. You may disagree with that method but it’s been the policy since long before I became a mod. We do handle things on a case by case basis and if there are extenuating circumstances we will make an announcement.
Suspensions are almost always announced. We usually do give explanations when closing threads. The vast majority of deleted posts are socks, trolls, or spammers.
As Loach says, when we delete threads or posts it’s generally because they were by individuals who we don’t want to give further attention to.
In practice, I receive very few PMs asking about disappeared threads or posters. The present policy is far more efficient for us since we don’t actually get many queries.
If you’re curious about something, it takes no more effort to PM a mod than to post a thread.
The thread in the Pit is paying attention to current members. There’s a difference between that and giving attention to banned members/socks. The people being pitted are free to reply, or not, as it suits them. Banned members can’t reply.
I generally don’t ask by PM even when I’m curious, because it strikes me as a little inconsiderate of the mods, who I am sure have better things to do with their time than satisfy my idle curiosity - especially as I’m just one isolated poster and not a particularly substantive or prolific contributor.
Maybe I’m unusual in that regard, but you should probably consider that the “PM only” policy has a dampening effect on people’s willingness to ask for information, even when they are curious. In other words, the extra efficiency you derive quite possibly comes at the cost of a little less member satisfaction.
(Not a big deal, of course. Everything in life has trade-offs, and this is a pretty minor one.)
The policy makes sense. I should imagine there is nothing a sock/troll would enjoy more than reading a long discussion of their trollery. (Even though they are banned I’m assuming they can still read the board.)
Conversely, to find that, like the Baker, they have softly and silently vanished away, without trace, without mention, must prove intensely annoying.
I get that some folks are reluctant to PM (for multiple reasons), but really, it’s no big deal. The next time you are curious, go ahead and send us a PM. I don’t think it’s inconsiderate and I don’t mind answering those PMs at all.
Anyone who wants to know can always PM me as well, I will always answer, ASAP.
In fact, I might be getting those that you never seem to get, Colibri. I tend to get a lot of them when people have questions (about disappeared threads/banned posters)
So what? Maybe some of them also get their jollies by having someone ask and get told they have to PM the staff. What difference does it make how someone no longer allowed to post here gets satisfaction, unless it’s by making another, disallowed account?
It only matters that the owners of this board determined early on that the policy would be to disappear both the troll/spammer/sock and all of their posts(when possible). They also decided to not offer any further discussion of the same. YMMV.
