Terms of Service - Notice

[Craig Zettle]

Here is the scene.
I am in church listening to a sermon. Everyone is enjoying the message, when someone jumps up and disrupts the sermon.

What do we do?

According to our TOS, we stop the sermon, send everyone home, and pretend the sermon never happened.

Hmmm...

[Bernie Weishapl]

I have pretty much dropped off all the other web sites because of all the belittleing, chastising and flaming. I settled here because it is civil and because I have seen you can ask what might be considered a dumb question or have a opinion and not be belittled or flamed because of it. I like the fact if someone asks about a piece of equipment you can respond I have this brand and this is why I chose it. I have only been on here a year now and the amount of knowledge I have gained here is incrediable. How many mistakes have been avoided because of this site either working or buying.

I would like the thank Keith, Aaron, and the mod's for all they do in keeping this site a place of pleasure and a place to learn. It is a woodworking family. I want to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy, Peaceful, Healthy New Year.

[Dave Falkenstein]

All,
...Rather than posting to correct the user, we urge that you use the Report Post to Moderator button at the top of any offending post.....

OK, I'll be the dummy that asks the stupid question:

Exactly where is the "Report Post to Moderator" button. I have looked all over several posts, including in all the drop-down menus, and cannot find it.

[Brian Austin]

Here is the scene.
I am in church listening to a sermon. Everyone is enjoying the message, when someone jumps up and disrupts the sermon.

What do we do?

According to our TOS, we stop the sermon, send everyone home, and pretend the sermon never happened.

Hmmm...

Most people wouldn't behave in church like they do online.

And you have no TOS in church. The analogy doesn't work.

[Brian Austin]

OK, I'll be the dummy that asks the stupid question:

Exactly where is the "Report Post to Moderator" button. I have looked all over several posts, including in all the drop-down menus, and cannot find it.

The exclamation point inside the white/red triangle near the post number on every post. Hold your cursor over it and it pops up with "Report Bad Post".

[tod evans]

Also note, this thread topic is NOT about one specific thread-

i have noticed a common factor in the most reciently eddited/deleted posts that i`m certain hasn`t gone unnoticed by all regardless of the thread(s) title..........tod

[Scott Coffelt]

Well I guess it must be done, but as others have mentioned the one thing I find most valuable about this site, besides the folks here is the information I can gleam from it. I am saddened that something valuable to me can be wiped away because a few can not get along. I understand the reasons behind the actions, but it's too bad. The good thing is I was able to gleam a portion of the info I needed to make an educated buying decision. I value the input from our manufacture members when called upon and hope they can continue to be involved in the discussions.

But as another member has said int he past, we do spend an awful lot of time discussing tools and not nearly as much on design and the art of design and finally techniques. Maybe we should make a more concerted effort on these topics for awhile.

[Dave Falkenstein]

The exclamation point inside the white/red triangle near the post number on every post. Hold your cursor over it and it pops up with "Report Bad Post".

No wonder I couldn't find it - it is called "Report bad post". Smile. Thanks. Merry Christmas everyone!!

[Dave Falkenstein]

I want to thank the folks here at Sawmill Creek for doing their best to keep these forums on topic and civil. As a regular participant in several woodworking forums, I feel that Sawmill Creek stands out as one of the very best, maybe THE best. I also want to add that a good measure of one of the most recent "fights" in which I became involved, was mostly a spillover from another forum, where the TOS are much different. After a request to edit and/or delete inappropriate/off-topic posts in that thread, I complied. I support and applaud the moderators for doing their best at a most difficult job.

[Bob Noles]

Aaron,

Thank you so much for your devotion to our enjoyment and allowing us to visit in your living room.

[Michael Perata]

i have just read the av suit mentioned above....this has opened my eyes!

Do you have alink you can post?

[tod evans]

here ya go;
http://www.overlawyered.com/archives/02/sept2.html

you can dig through that venue or search google, tod


"One of Mr. Wolk's complaints was that we did not supervise our chat room to prevent libelous comments about him being published by our subscribers. We have corrected that. Another of Mr. Wolk's complaints was that our characterizations instigated some of our subscribers to libel him. We will no longer characterize matters in such a way as to bring apparent discredit upon anyone." [The consequences of such a formula for the future of hard-hitting journalism can be imagined. And the mind reels at what is involved in the task of avoiding all characterizations which, whether or not libelous themselves, might instigate others to commit that offense. -- ed.] "While the defense of Mr. Wolk's lawsuit has been expensive, he nonetheless has been gracious enough to settle with us for a payment to charity. In fact, even in settlement negotiations, when there was a demand for money, it was always to be contributed to charity, none for Mr. Wolk himself. He steadfastly insisted that his lawsuit was not about money and we have come to believe him." [Why would it be thought surprising that the aim of such a lawsuit might be more to silence certain critics than to obtain cash from them? -- ed.]

[Randy Meijer]

....We don't outright delete threads, but we do move them to a non-public area.....

Aaron/Brian. Thanks for the insight. That was exactly the explanation I was looking for!! I would be the first to acknowledge that moderating is a tough job and no mater what the circumstances, mods are always going to have someone unhappy with their decisions....guess you have to develop a reasonably thick skin if you are going to stick with the job and not loose your perspective and sanity.

With respect to the quote above, not quite getting what you are suggesting. If a thread is removed from public viewing, the information is no longer available and is "effectively" deleted?? There must be some subtle differentiation that escapes me....care to elaborate??

Final comment. You guys do a wonderful job and this board is a lot more civil than many. I've quit more than one because of the lack of control by the board staff. It does still irk me, however, that good information is lost, frequently, when an out-of-control thread is removed from viewing. Being a little more hard nosed than most, I would handle a problem thread as follows. Lock the thread with a warning that revisiting the specific discussion in a new thread would be frowned upon. Prune the posts that violate the TOS and direct the few who charge "favoritism" to other forums where they might be happier. It does seem a shame that the good information and efforts of members could be lost because of the irresponsible actions of a small minority who can't/won't follow the rules.

One final curiosity......There is at least one board I visit on occasion that locks threads which don't pass muster; but leave all of the offending posts for everyone to see!! I sure don't see the logic of that??

Thanks again for the insight. You can go ahead and close this thread if you like.....before it gets out of hand!!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Randy.....I think the main reason they don't edit the posts and instead remove it from public viewing is the amount of work involved......take a look at Ken's response on why they don't take the time to notify individuals when they have to move or edit a post.......


Each Forum has an assigned moderator who can edit the content of any thread in the particular forum to which he is assigned. I as Super Moderator can edit the content of any forum, including moving threads to the proper forum along with some other assigned responsibilities. The adminstrators ( Keith, Aaron & Jackie) can edit any post in any forum.

Actions taken by any Moderator or Administrator is done at their discretion as stated in the Terms of Service.


Frank,
With all due respect, notifying posters of changes to their post/s is totally unmanagable. Please remember Moderators are volunteers and like everyone else, have time limits in their lives. You have absolutely no idea the time required to fulfill the duties of "Moderator"

As an example, I read 90% of ALL posts. My "new posts" listing on a daily basis is usually in the 100's. Numerous edits, and other changes are required ( moving to proper forum, quote coding corrections, titles, removing unauthorized direct links, commercial content, profanity and ON, ON and ON ) . The reason for editing/deletions are usually noted as in the last line of this post. These actions are to insure the forums are maintained as stated in the Terms of Service which have served us well for 3 years.

As a member you have a choice of which post you read and which you do not and you only action is to reply if you choose. I and the other moderator don't have that luxury. We have to read all posts for which we are responsible.

We are proud SMC has the reputation of a being a "well moderated" forum (odd in the internet forum world of today). and we will continue to be diligent in that regard.

I urge all members to review the Terms of Service from time to time - they are cast in stone .





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Last edited by Ken Salisbury : 12-16-2005 at 9:03 AM. Reason: Reasons for edting, post/thread deletions are usually defined her


Imagine having to read all the posts...entire threads to see if there is anything out of line...outside the TOS.....these people volunteer their time for the rest of the membership's convenience.

JMHO

[tod evans]

[quote=Randy Meijer]
With respect to the quote above, not quite getting what you are suggesting. If a thread is removed from public viewing, the information is no longer available and is "effectively" deleted?? There must be some subtle differentiation that escapes me....care to elaborate??


randy, by researching the thread so kindly provided by brian, excerpt above, i learned that by our collective posts on this forum we are subjecting keith et al to liable suites if a person/manufacturer doesn`t like what is being said. according to the court it doesn`t matter if they make or agree with the statements posted, they are still liable......up until i read that i would have thought that expressing my opinion on this forum was only opening myself up for criticism or debate. not so, by speaking my mind here i am jeopardizing not only keith but the site as a whole. just as each and every person who posts here is.
as to your mention of folks charging "favoritism" when alluding to my earlier post(s) please reread ; http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=27681
i think you will find that my intentions are to uphold the integerity of smc, not to debase it in any way. tod