• Psychedelic Drugs Welcome Guest
    View threads about
    Posting RulesBluelight Rules
    PD's Best Threads Index
    Social ThreadSupport Bluelight
    Psychedelic Beginner's FAQ
  • PD Moderators: Esperighanto | JackARoe |

Why so many closed threads?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Rage_Phish

Greenlighter
Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
27
Location
Electric Avenue, USA
I'm still rather new to this forum and have been enjoying it, but wanna be more knowledgeable to the way this site runs. I have noticed that threads get closed very often here. When they are closed for being against the rules, or inappropriate i understand. Why do threads get closed simply for being duplicates? I would think that if people didnt want to talk about that subject they just wouldn't respond and the thread would die. If people are responding then it would seem that it would be a useful thread. Is it simply a storage issue?

another example would be the "did my LSD degrade from being out of the freezer" thread i just read about the guy who took his L into the dessert to rock climb. It was closed because "enough" people had answered. This leads me to think it must be a storage issue.

Id be happy to be filled in on why this happens here.

Thanks!
 
Didn't used to be this way, but I too have noticed an uptick in moderation lately.

Kinda pisses me off frankly... mods seem lately to be acting like angry scolding schoolmarms, going crazy whacking everyone's knuckles right and left for flippant reasons.

Bluelight is about what THE MEMBERS wish to post and discuss... however, lately the moderators have been on their high horses running around trying to coral everything as if it's really all about their whims.

Storage should really not be an issue, but maybe that is the reason, who knows.
 
If you PM a mod (preferably the one who closed the thread) they will tell you why and will re-open it if there's good reason too. Sometimes it may just be a misunderstanding. In the case of topics that already have threads it's usually to make it easier for people searching for topics to find a thread with good discussion in rather than dozens of bits and pieces - good to keep info together especially to keep the search function more relevant and focussed.

Storage alone is probably not an issue as there are regular prunes to save space. In the case of the LSD degradation thread I imagine it was closed because there's only so many variations on "it's fine" needed to answer the question and leaving them open tends to mean they end up as social chit-chat which is generally kept to a minimum outside of the social threads in Focus Forums like PD.

Also, I disagree that less threads were closed in the past. Mods were way stricter when I first started posting here, notoriously strict going back even further, and when I was mod I closed way more threads than get closed now. Too many probably. Mods make a point of leaving threads open longer before moving, merging or closing than they did last year, for sure.
 
We close a thread if it might threaten the site or its users, if it violates a rule, or if it's just generally offtopic. Most threads that get closed have already received multiple reports from well-respected users.

Let me say that again:

Most threads that get closed have already received multiple reports from well-respected users.

Why do threads get closed simply for being duplicates?

I'm not sure what you mean?
 
Also, I disagree that less threads were closed in the past. Mods were way stricter when I first started posting here, notoriously strict going back even further, and when I was mod I closed way more threads than get closed now. Too many probably. Mods make a point of leaving threads open longer before moving, merging or closing than they did last year, for sure.

:p=D:!
 
If this was the ecstasy board I would say it's because there are so many terrible threads but as far as this board goes I think it mostly stems from posters not using the search function.
 

Hahahahaha

Ha! Forgot they allowed you proper olskoolers to stay around the place instead of being put out to pasture =D;)<3

I was actually thinking of mods going back quite a ways now. Obviously not naming names but there was a time when PD was notoriously strictly moderated and was even thought of as being a bit of a closed talking shop that wasn't too friendly to noobs. In my mind that was the primordial PD that I mainly know through archives and discussion with veteran posters. The era around the time you guys were in your PD modding prime(the PD renaissance period?) was a bit of a golden age for me - mainly cos that was when I was a noob here. I do think things were stricter then than now - depends on your point of view whether that's a good or bad thing.

I think the way PD is modded now is probably the most laid-back in terms of allowing for social chit-chat here and there (but not letting it get outta hand) and giving threads a chance and giving advance warning of moves and mergers and so on. Modding is surely an evolving process and new mods learn what works and what doesn't from those that went before and build on it. I know I certainly learnt loads from you guys and hope my lil time here maybe helps those who came after - even if only in small ways. Like the way I was probably a tad overzealous with merging and moving in particular - the current crop of mods are much better at allowing things to progress more naturally, I'd say.

Onwards and upwards and all that. I think the mods do a bloody great job for the most part. I don't think people often realise how much goes on behind the scenes in terms of working out the best approach to deal with situations and the way that mods work together - it really isn't a case of a bunch of Little Hitler Jobsworths on some kinda power trip at all. Quite the opposite, in fact.
 
It really just depends on the matter, but for duplicate threads you can imagine that it is bad organization if discussion on one single topic is had in multiple threads. The most elegant solution is usually to merge them into one. But sometimes a topic has been covered a million times already in the past and if no one has added anything really valuable in our opinions it can get closed.
If you see that happening there are several things you can do, one is PM a mod if you have a valid reason why discussion should continue... but another one which I'm afraid not everyone does is use the search engine and the index, and look more than just 10 seconds. I assure you many threads that are closed are already out there. Often we use the search engine for you but really I think it's your responsibility to learn how to use it.

One important thing I wanna mention is that I think that the search bar of BL is flawed, it is really limiting and IMO you should always
click on search >> advanced search. And also, I often sort by number of replies if there are many results. More is not always better but surely I can find lots of stuff on BL. If you cannot find any discussion on LSD and storage you are really doing something wrong.

I'm sorry about newcomers, everything is hard when you first have to learn it, but staff here have a responsibility to keep things organized. If we let everyone do whatever they want it would not be organized or pleasant to use. Moderation is sometimes also encouragement not to be lazy but to actually read the rules and FAQs yourself. Ask yourself how many FAQs have you read here? Have you really tried to find out ways to get your answers other than just thinking: 'well hey I will just open a thread'? Look I'm not mad about that AT ALL, but just don't be surprised if threads are closed because we are trying to put in our free time to keep it tidy here.

It's hard not to let this sound as staff/ex-staff ass-kissing but Shambles as crew or ex- senior mod understands that we have to do a certain minimum of readjusting here. Anarchism does not work, we want to keep it a nice place for everyone but if people don't use the forum correctly we have to moderate for the good of the majority. Even if you were hoping to discuss a subject in a new thread. This is not a chat box.

If I had all the time and motivation in the world I would keep redirecting people for them, make it all crystal clear when I close something... but I suggest you try doing that again and again and again. I double dare you.

Dwayne I don't really think you are getting here what good we are trying to do. I don't need your approval, but I can very well do without your anti-establishment attitude. It's getting old.

__

Oh yeah DJ revisionist really mentioned what I said in a compact post already! Yes, it's either incorrect use of the search function or not using it at all.

__

Also yes I agree with you Shambles, that new mods should be given a chance to learn. If you disagree with something just PM that mod about it and if you have a valid point I'm sure we will remember to try and do a better job next time.
 
Last edited:
So I gripe a little about what I felt was excessive hyper moderation and am tagged as having an "anti-establishment attitude" and delivered a disapproving sneer. Nice. LOL... dont you see what an absurd remark that is, here of all places, for crying out loud?

Solipsis I do get what you are trying to do, but think moderation is at times more excessive than it needs to be, just expressing my thoughts since the topic was raised.

Your disapproving opinions are IMO inappropriate, the forum is for the members, the moderation staff is just here as employees to keep things organized. Your personal feelings are completelty irrelevant. So I say back to you, I do not need your approval either. But dont take my remarks so personally and act all huffy amd offended, please, I do enjoy your thoughts and opinions when you participate in threads and I am sure we would be pals if we were to meet IRL.
 
Last edited:
Sure, fair enough.

But what personal feelings are you talking about, we have to make judgement calls here and a lot at that. It's inevitable. It is like being caught between the two fires of allowing too much and too little. I cannot speak for the decisions my fellow mods make but only stand behind them as a team, I have faith in the other mods and I hope they have faith in me.

I get that you think that in a number of occasions it couldn't do any harm to let more threads run their course, perhaps sometimes it is harsh to proclaim a thread DOA. But I've seen enough threads spiral out of control and I weigh that against the actual value I think a thread could have for anyone else. Yes this is a public forum, but that doesn't mean that if you think something is valuable to discuss in a certain way that it has to be allowed every single time for some sort of freedom of speech.
Sorry, I'd rather keep it civilized here. If you have a complaint, then mention it specifically to the relevant mod.

Your philosophy is heard and appreciated as your own personal view, now I see nothing left but to treat things one case at a time.
 
Guys, I hope this thread won't be a seed of discord. PD always was a friendly place.

It would be a nice joke from mods if they closed this thread right after first post. :D But now I hope this thread will stay open for enough time.
 
I understand Solipsis... I love everyone here including you... like I said I just occasionally kvetch a little when a chit chat is not let run just a little longer, but that's all it is, just a little kvetching, OK? <3

And just for the record...

what personal feelings are you talking about

I can very well do without your anti-establishment attitude. It's getting old.
 
Dwayne, I think maybe you say things in a somewhat blunt manner; which is fine really, I like blunts ;)

When myself and SKL were moderators, we seemed to have the uncanny ability to both simultaneously close a thread, which really meant one of us closed it whilst the other reopened it....Ah, those were the days :D <3

I think the current mods do a great job; threads that are closed are actually relatively uncommon (to my mind at least) and all of them have a lot of wisdom to offer. :) Its actually a tricky forum to mod; you have to try and balance the free spirited ideals of psychedelics with the humdrum of organising a learning space. I think the current mod-team strike a really good balance there.

Thanks guys <3 :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top