I have a (very seroius) complaint to file with Ming the moderator of the OT Forum.

[Ming]

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by Alexander's Horse on 01-08-2001 07:05 PM</font>
Yes you are getting old - that is the main problem. Retirement beckons

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Dream on

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Ming
CivII & Off-Topic Forum Moderator
Ming@Apolyton.net

[Lefty Scaevola]

Ming must have a big montitor with multiple windows continuously open on the OT & Apolyton topic pages while he works. I supect he also scan the boards someyimes under a (officially santioned) DL so posters won't see him on the who is online. Got few more tatic in his bag as well I suspect.

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Gaius Mucius Scaevola Sinistra
Pontificator Pendanticus
older richer & wiser than you

[Ming]

I have a good arsenal of weapons to fight the dark side

[Alexander's Horse]

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by Ming on 01-08-2001 07:21 PM</font>
I have a good arsenal of weapons to fight the dark side
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Huh? I thought you were the dark side




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Chaos, panic and disorder - My work here is done.

Keep the OT sticky thread free!!

[cherryfunk]

You have an arse-nal, Ming? Can we say "arse" here?

[Alexander's Horse]

Ming, I think the main concern is that in your fervent, not to say bizarre, crusade against what you consider duplication and spam, you seem to often confuse spam with fun. Fun threads are not spam except to a small minority of posters who are so hopelessly humourless that I pity them.

How Sneak gets away with endlessly posting threads through his civnation DL whilst other harmless threads are closed simply baffles me. Lighten up.


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Chaos, panic and disorder - My work here is done.

Keep the OT sticky thread free!!

[TCO]

It really is amusing to see people whine about their threads getting locked. Especially big tough Army officers.

[Alexander's Horse]

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by GP on 01-08-2001 08:52 PM</font>
It really is amusing to see people whine about their threads getting locked. Especially big tough Army officers.
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I didn't realise this was a spectator sport, until of course you started constantly showing up.




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Chaos, panic and disorder - My work here is done.

Keep the OT sticky thread free!!

[LoD]

Ming and MarkG: I'm surprised at your reaction resulting from my comparison. Surely you must have realized that I wasn't comparing Apolyton itself to the III Reich itself. I was focusing on methods used here and there. The similarity is increasingly remarkable. And, since the methods used by the Nazis are considered as wrong in the majority of the civilized world...

Mark: I do not understand why a topic discussing racism (which, I must say, is quite civ-related ) would be judged as inapropriate on this board, in the OT forum. The only thing that would justify a removal of sucha a thread is a threat of the site shutting down due to illegal content. And, in this case, it's perfectly understandable. However, nowhere have I seen you or Ming specifying this as the reason.

Again, Mark and Ming: Look, guys, I am not poised at verbaly attacking you, flaming, etc. I wrote this because you seem to act like I was indeed doing that.
Instead of assuming hostile intentions, try to picture my posts on this thread as a friendly suggestion on how to improve the site.

LoD

[cherryfunk]

This all reminds me greatly of the huge disaster we just had at the forum (Age of Kings Heaven) I just came from.

That event, which led to the temporary closing of the forum by the overzealous though well-meaning forum admin, was blown all out of proportion because the moderators began getting a little too eager with their thread closings, which led to vociferous complaints from some forumers (myself included), which led to defensive moderators, which led to more thread closings, more protest, and finally bannings.

I honestly believe that a light but firm hand is a moderator's best friend.

Ming, I think you should treat this forum as if it were a woman that you were making love to. Be gentle, take your time -- if you're uncertain about something, ask before acting. Two-way communication is the key. And always use protection.

[Ming]

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font><font size=1>Originally posted by LoD on 01-09-2001 08:59 AM</font>
The only thing that would justify a removal of such a thread is a threat of the site shutting down due to illegal content.

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If that was the only criteria for closing or deleting a thread, 99.999999% of all threads would be fine.
It would be rare for a thread to pose a threat to the site.

But, many other criteria are used for closing/deleting a thread. And these are based on rules established by the OWNERS of this PRIVATE site.
1) Spam threads (yes, a matter of opinion)
2) Duplicate threads (to avoid clutter)
3) Copy cat threads (to avoid clutter)
4) Hate threads (threads that are personal attacks)
5) Pornography (sexual discussion is ok as long as it doesn't get explicit)
6) Post Count threads (threads that are intended to only raise post counts)
7) Club threads (Like "only emperors can post here"
8) Any thread that we think disrupts the forum

In addition... If a "legal" thread turns into a spam fest or flame war, it to will be deleted or closed.

For some reason you seem to think Apolyton is a country. It isn't. It's a PRIVATE SITE! Just like you get to set the rules in your own home, the owners of this site have set the rules that people must abide by if they wish to post here. That is their right.
They have put a lot of time, money and effort into this site. So they have established rules that they feel are in the best interest of their site. It's that simple

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Ming
CivII & Off-Topic Forum Moderator
Ming@Apolyton.net

[Ming]

Now for cherryfunk comments...

Please remember that this a civ/gaming site first.
The on topics forums are very lightly moderated, as they should be. The on topics forums provide a wonderful opportunity for gamers to discuss all the elements of the games.

The Off Topic Forum is a different matter entirely.
It is there for two reasons:
First, to provide a place for people with a common interest to discuss non game related subjects.
Second, a place to move off topic threads posted on "on topic" forums to a place where they won't disrupt discussions about the games.

The rules that have been established for the OTF are based on past actions of posters.
Anti Spam rules were established because people were starting many threads that served absolutely no purpose but to clutter up the forum and add to their post counts.
Pornography and explicit sexual talk is restricted because the owners of this site want this to be a site anybody can come to. And people were posting links to pornography and talking about sex in very explicit terms.
Flaming got out of hand, so it has been restricted.
Hate Threads were also causing problems... they are no longer allowed.

The point is, the rules have been established because of posters who just didn't use common sense when posting.

It would be great if moderation wasn't needed. But, as proven over and over again... it is needed.

So again, you are welcome to your opinion.
But please respect the rights of the owners of this site to set whatever rules they desire. It is their site.


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Ming
CivII & Off-Topic Forum Moderator
Ming@Apolyton.net

[The Mad Viking]

Ming!

u r a g*y tw*t.

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Free EVC! Stop this senseless censorship! Let EVC speak!

[cherryfunk]

DL = what?

I know what it means. We called 'em "smurfs" back home. But what does it stand for?

[LoD]

Ming:
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<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font>
If that was the only criteria for closing or deleting a thread, 99.999999% of all threads would be fine.
It would be rare for a thread to pose a threat to the site.

But, many other criteria are used for closing/deleting a thread. And these are based on rules established by the OWNERS of this PRIVATE site.

<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1></font></td></tr></table></center>

Look, forgive me if my non-English-native-speaker phrasing is to blame, but I was talking about EVC racism question thread and that thread only. That's why I said "such a thread". And for that matter, it was neither a:

1) Spam thread
2) Duplicate thread
3) Copy cat thread
4) Hate thread
5) Pornography
6) Post Count thread
7) Club thread

So it only fits in 8), and we have discussed this category already.

<center><table width=80%><tr><td><font color=000080 face="Verdana" size=2><font size="1">quote:
<img src="/images/blue1.gif" width=100% height=1>
</font>
For some reason you seem to think Apolyton is a country. It isn't. It's a PRIVATE SITE!

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Ming, read the 2nd paragraph of my 2nd post on this thread. Then read the last paragraph of my post directly before this one.

LoD