Moderator decisions & Attractivity of TalkGraphics

[remi]

Hi Bones,

I'm glad that you've added your views, and I think there are some interesting points to discuss.

I cannot speak for sledger, but as I said before, the reactions in a forum are dependent on the current mood (how we interprete a thread). The moderators are not only humans too , we are also different personalities and this is great in my eyes.

You have argued that the moderators in some internet forums were incapable to reconsider their decisions. I know from some discussions in our "moderator forum", that we think self-critical about our own actions. And as you have seen in this thread, we are open for discussions. Maybe you're now also able to rethink your views.

I spend very little time here because I find these forums very stale and lightweight. I come here with specific questions, when they arise, but I don't find this the kind of place that is likely to teach me anything really worthwhile because its all too fluffy and nice.

I would say, some discussions are a little bit boring in the last time. But in my eyes one of the reasons for this is, that there are no interesting new features/updates from Xara for a long time. In my eyes, it's simply not worth to discuss well known features day after day and therefore the attractiveness of the forum is falling a little bit. I'm sure this will change, if we get some new functions/features to discuss.

No-one pushes any boundaries or really challenges anything, its all too antiseptic. A little bit of chaos makes for the enticing possibility that something good and fresh may emerge at some point. This place doesn't really do any of that.

In the end it's your own decision, if you want to visit a soccer game for watching football or if you want to visit such a game, in order to meet some hooligans after the game and start to create "a little bit chaos". But we have bad experiences with "hooligans", therefore we have a large sign reading "No hooligans please" in front of our forum.

btw: The above is only an example to illustrate the "boundaries". It's _not_ my intention to call you a "hooligan" or something like that (I'm far away from such a thinking, ok?) - personally, I'm open for controversy discussions, too. We just have to be careful, that these discussions don't get out of control. If we lay emphasis on a little bit more "enthusiasm" or more "substantive discussions", then I agree with you.

That's the way I see it.

Remi

[David O'Neil]

I agree with the first part of BONES's post. Sledger's actions came across in a very negative way to me, as the thread had cleaned itself up. I say just delete the last post and reopen it, just so you don't come across like bullies in a playground, protecting your turf. Protect your turf, certainly, just not like bullies. Use the other tools in your workbelt--edit posts to remove offensive content, PM the originators and tell them that if they continue in that vein they will be banned, make posts that steer the topic into constructive avenues.

Before that post, another thread got closed on page 2 without any reason being given for doing so. At least that one was opened up again, after another mod concluded (rightfully) that there hadn't been a reason to close it. But unfortunately, that one degraded (probably because the mods weren't moderating) and it had to be closed again.

Open a third thread Bones [as was suggested] - there's no rule against it

Actually, a while ago (over a year?) I tried to restart the valid portion of a topic in a closed thread, and I was told that I could be banned for questioning a moderator's decision, and doing what I did. That pissed me off, so once the heat had died, I pulled on the wound and reposted. The moderators showed that they were not as closed as the earlier statement made them out to be, and I got over it. But your statement is not in line with the moderators viewpoint--once something is closed, it stays closed, and there is to be no further discussion, period.

Overall, I give the moderators a 95% mark--pretty darn good. But when they do poorly, it really sticks out.

[handrawn]

not aware of this last point David - comment from the moderators - think we need clarification on this?

good that it was ok in the end because banning reopening of a valid topic would amount to censorship - don't want that

[Lin Evans]

Hi,

I'd like to address an issue I've discovered on my 2nd post to the forum. I'm a professional photographer (over 40 years now) who was recently introduced to Xara Xtreme 4 (long time user of Xara 3D).

I found a sample on one of the forums a week or more ago which someone had posted which allows the user to drag and drop photos onto a Xara file on the top and on the "reflection" - a very nice implementation of some of Xara's 4's new photo features.

I'm a long time user of a presentation slideshow program called XXXXX, in fact I have a dedicated website where I post samples and sell tutorials for XXXXX (I also write numerous free audio visual tutorials) which are available for download on the Wnsoft forum. I created a demo slideshow showing how the Xara creation could be used in a photo show and posted it on the XXXXX forum (XXXXX is the developer of XXXXX) along with a "plug" for Xara Xtreme 4 which I believe is a very nice tool.

I posted a link to the demo on the forum here only to find when I returned that two of your "moderators" had decided my link was somehow "spam". Rather than contacting me to ask, they simply accused me of spam because my website is part of my signature. There was no direct link to my website in my post but a link to a zipped executable slideshow posted on a folder on my site. Clicking on the link simply allows one to download the file and run the slideshow.

I'm quite insulted that I was accused of "spam" simply because my website link appears in my signature block. It's in my signature block on perhaps 20 or more photography sites and other places on the world-wide web.

If this is the kind of reception people get here on this forum with their posts removed and totally unfounded accusations, then I will gladly remove my post and stop promoting Xara Xtreme on other forums as well. Heavy handed action like this is unnecessary and if one must "walk on eggshells" on this forum then I want no part of it.

If this is an honest mistake, then I expect an apology from the two moderators. If not and this is de jure, the let me know and I'll not return...

Thanks,

Lin Evans

[RTK]

The thread in question is here: http://www.talkgraphics.com/showthre...228#post261228

<snip>
I'm a long time user of a presentation slideshow program called XXXXX, in fact I have a dedicated website where I post samples and sell tutorials for XXXXX.
<snip>

It's in the agreement you agreed to when you signed up to this forum: Do not join TalkGraphics.com to spam. This includes "I've just found this website…" posts, website links posing as feedback requests and other spam masquerading as useful information. If one of your first posts is plugging a website or product you will be banned. Please get involved with the community before you post links.)

Gary and Steve are not so-called "moderators" they ARE MODERATORS...

You have a total of FOUR posts at this forum --- THREE of them plug your interests (including this one).

If this is the kind of reception people get here on this forum with their posts removed and totally unfounded accusations, then I will gladly remove my post and stop promoting Xara Xtreme on other forums as well.

Thanks for pointing your posts out -- the moderators were giving you the benefit of the doubt -- you didn't even care to follow up on that.

You don't need to remove your posts -- I'll clean it up for for you.

Risto

[steve.ledger]

.. and stop promoting Xara Xtreme on other forums as well.

TG is a forum run by it's members.
TG members do not run the Xara Company.