forum or Facebook

[oldclaypaws]

Thankyou Dexter, I have indeed as you know been posting and enjoying the 'other' far more active and relaxed SWOG forum on Facebook, where I've made many new friends and my enthusiastic and often humorous woodland posts are apparently widely enjoyed and approved without any issues. Whereas on Facebook SWOG the conversation is perhaps by contrast less in depth compared to SWOG.org, at least you can indulge in normal light hearted banter without receiving shirty warning emails from certain parties every time you try to raise a smile . I have a simple policy in life of not frequenting places where I feel unwelcome or over-zealously harangued.

[Dexter's Shed]

the beauty of social media sites such as facebook swog that I find rewarding, is that at a glance you can see who has read your post, and also members can like it even if they don't want to leave a reply, I'm not trying to knock forums (this one in general) as I do think they keep us informed of items of interest that may get overlooked on other media sites, but you should not constantly feel the need to check your post five or six times before hitting the reply button for fear of saying something that the others may feel offensive, or that will get you banned without warning,

sorry to take this post off topic, but look at the last few days and the activity here and there, boxerman has put up the lynx post here, no replies, you put it up on FB SWOG and there must be 30 plus interesting replies on the subject, it's gone off in another direction at the moment and some have got quite heated over the subject, but everyones a grown up, no ones been banned or had posts moved, and theres been a bit of humour there too

the trouble with forums is that those people that get the most flack, are also the ones that keep the forum alive, theres nothing worst when searching for a forum to join, than finding one where the last new post was weeks or months ago, people want daily interaction, just look here, it's been very quite of late, I wonder if that's seen as good or bad

[smojo]

Sorry off topic again but I wanted to follow up on what's just been said. I agree with what Dexter and Paws are saying. I too have been lured to the dark side but the jury is still out on it for me. The reason I left FB the first time was I got fed up of logging in to read a load of trivial comments. I have joined some of the groups there but I like the more in depth comments you get on forums like this and it seems easier to follow (better organised in post and topic names) than on FB where it's one long list of comments and posts that you have to trawl through to find what you are interested in. Not particularly bothered if someone "likes" something or not - that seems a bit of an ego trip to me and I'm certainly not interested in friends I might also know (but never do). There's room for both types of sites I think.

To be fair I have had a lot out of this site, it's been enormously helpful over the last year but the posts are dwindling and I find I'm logging in and seeing nothing much new now. Eventually I'll get bored of that and become one of the many members who you never hear from.

[oldclaypaws]

So let's see, three of the forum's previously most active posters express polite uniform views about the way in which on this forum posts are regularly moved, light humour isn't tolerated and with over policing healthy normal discussion is stifled, driving people away, and what happens? Rather than taking any of that on board in the spirit of democratic useful feedback, the polite discussion is suppressed and squashed by being moved to this dark little corner. (again).

Q.E.D

The mods would apparently prefer have a dead forum where they can chuck their weight around rather than one where open discussion and normal banter are permitted. R.I.P.

[boxerman]

Did wonder why you two weren't posting much....

Facebook is one place I won't venture tho - never have and probably never will so don't completely abandon this place 'cos if there's no Paws and no Dexter this place may as well close down. Have to admit that I haven't noticed too much sign of heavy handed moderation but I haven't been subjected to any and don't know the reasons for the bans... Having said that, the irony of splitting of this thread does kind of reinforce what you say - talk about bad timing by a Mod......

Moderation can be a difficult one - in general a forum is rather like being down the pub with your mates - topics can be a serious, one track affair where off topic comments disrupt a serious discussion and prevent it from concluding but in most cases a little little hearted humour helps things along and, of course, folk being folk it will happen and it needs to happens if a forum is to be a happy, active place.

Like Smojo, I've learnt a lot from this place and felt welcome and part of it but if there's no activity 'cos folk are feeling over moderated then it will die and I would hate to see that.

[The Barrowers]

Happy with Forum. Don't do social evil F B.

[Wendelspanswick]

Happy with Forum. Don't do social evil F B.

Shame to see OCP and DS go but I agree, can't stand Face Book, much prefer a forum setup.

[oldclaypaws]

Thanks WendelP, we haven't burnt all our bridges, but if we feel 'had at' for mild humour and feel harassed where certain people get their kicks from pushing us around and moving our comments with frequency for the heck of it we inevitably won't be as active on here. Some people need to take a chill pill. Anything goes on the other SWOG, although it is more trivial.

[Gideon]

this is like the thing at the bbc with clarkson where hes being kicked out for having a laff and refusing to doff his cap to the pc nobs in charge. if people are kicked off for joking and having to watch there p's and q's i dont think ill last long and might as well jump before i get the boot. ill check out facebook. not much seems to happen here anyways.

[Dexter's Shed]

Happy with Forum. Don't do social evil F B.

much prefer a forum setup.

and so do I wendle, which is why I grovelled to get back on here, but, and here's the but, which I'll probably get banned for yet again,

a little while ago, on the chainsaw stuck in tree post, I made a comment to the posters pat&sam, whom I know personally outside of this forum, the post contained some mild tongue in cheek humour, no swear or sexual words, yet it was deleted and I received a one month ban

OCP made a remark and it was removed, but he received a warning, now my point is, there's FORUM RULES that we are asked to follow, and I would expect admin/moderators to follow them too,
here they are save you going and looking, quote;


We don't want to be too draconian, but whilst we get used to the new system of posting, moderators will be sending out gentle reminders for people to keep to these guidelines, (I think the software calls them 'Warnings' don't take it personally though!)

so why does one member get a warning, and another is banned for a month ???? no warning, no private message etc, it's as though the rules change depending what side of the bed was got out off.
I did try mailing admin, but was told I was being petty
I have been a mod on quite a few forums, and this is not the way any others work,

as I expect this post and myself to be removed now I'll say my goodbyes just in case, you can find me on the facebook swog page, I'll soon be posting up pictures of the new goose wood caravan