CPF will eventually linger on as an example of how BBS were killed off by over modera

TEEJ

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Eventually linger on? That's the same as enduring....right?

I think the moderation has saved this board.

I've SEEN examples of forums where the owners "were sick of PC/over moderation etc...and want a board where there's no censorship/moderation" and it was a free for all, and, ALL of them essentially peaked and crashed, BECAUSE moderation is needed, and lines need to be drawn.

Sure, some people get disciplined, and get so resentful over it that they run off with a hurt butt...but, others recognize the context of that discipline, and its overall purpose.

Those others are the ones who remain...and the ones who simply resent being told what they can or cannot do on a forum, enough, wander off.

There will ALWAYS be those who feel a board is "over moderated" or, "under moderated", and, on a case by case basis, it IS hard to do perfectly. Think of it like a professional sporting event, say a football game, with officiating. They will NOT get every call 100% right, but, they ARE trying to keep the game under control, and fair (FIFA, well, maybe another story...)....

...and that's what happens on the boards. Volunteers, do their best to try to give YOU a good experience and make the forum a good resource. You might disagree with a call, but, overall, you need officiating to keep it from decomposing into a brawl.

:D
 

WalkIntoTheLight

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The moderation seems to ebb and flow. Lately, it's seems about right. But I've seen other times where moderation was far too heavy, and threads are closed just because a mod seems to be having a bad day. Other threads where very good info is deleted, because the mod doesn't think it belongs in that particular thread.

Perhaps the mods are in a better mood in the summer, or have better things to do, and go a little easier on the moderation.

Definitely moderation is needed, but sometimes tangents in threads are good.
 

Tac Gunner

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I haven't really seen where it is too over bearing and appreciate the fact the moderators don't let it turn into a free for all. I am a member of a couple of truck forums and quite using them after a couple of posts because all it was was immature people arguing over an air filter, tires, oil, etc and no facts on anything. If somebody on there did not agree with you than they would cuss you, call you everything in the book, talk trash about your family (even though they had no idea who you or they were) and before you know there would be three pages of nothing but three people acting like three year olds with no helpful info. I enjoy this forum and like being a part of it because the info is the best there is for this hobby, people have always been friendly and helpful, and threads don't turn into pissing matches about who has more machoism. For this I appreciate the moderators and what they do. If there is something besides flashlights that wants to be discussed then use the cafe sub-forum and it should be all good (as long it falls with in the rules of course)
 

Treeguy

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Forums that lack good, even tough, moderation eventually turn into forums with threads that are little more than insult fests.

I was a mod at a popular game site years ago and the section I ran with another guy was clearly listed as "100% friendly... or else!" And it worked. People liked that there was a place to go to where there was no swearing, no insults, and no ugly arguments. There are a billion forums where you can run wild and act like an idiot, far fewer where it's friendly and comfortable.

I like friendly and comfortable. :wave:
 

1DaveN

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I came here six or seven months ago while researching a light I was considering purchasing. I've found these forums to be respectful, everyone seems to get along well, and there's a wealth of accurate and educational information and well founded opinion. I guess the fact that CPF has held my interest so long past what I initially came here for speaks well for the mods (although I would argue that it's the participants that really make it). The only time I've questioned moderation is the rule against discussing use of lights for personal protection, which in my opinion is a valid topic, if not as much as it was in the 3xD days.

I participate in some other forums where you have people who like one brand of product at war with those who like another brand. Without moderation, it's easy to have conversations degenerate into personal attacks against people who don't like what other people like. It's a credit to CPF that there's pretty much none of that here.
 

WarRaven

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I came here six or seven months ago while researching a light I was considering purchasing. I've found these forums to be respectful, everyone seems to get along well, and there's a wealth of accurate and educational information and well founded opinion. I guess the fact that CPF has held my interest so long past what I initially came here for speaks well for the mods (although I would argue that it's the participants that really make it). The only time I've questioned moderation is the rule against discussing use of lights for personal protection, which in my opinion is a valid topic, if not as much as it was in the 3xD days.

I participate in some other forums where you have people who like one brand of product at war with those who like another brand. Without moderation, it's easy to have conversations degenerate into personal attacks against people who don't like what other people like. It's a credit to CPF that there's pretty much none of that here.
+10

When I first came to this forum, long ago, it wasn't so friendly.
Arrogant, snotty and rude experience was sure to be had.

Then heavy moderation came, couldn't mention a bug or issue without it being deleted, that was shocking to me, it was like a cover-up.

Since then, this is one of the better forums I frequent and love it here now.
Good group of nice, friendly and intelligent posters, and me dragging bro curve down lol.

CPF and its members, Rock.
+100
 

Treeguy

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The only time I've questioned moderation is the rule against discussing use of lights for personal protection, which in my opinion is a valid topic, if not as much as it was in the 3xD days.

Agreed.

Maybe a protected thread where you have to ask the mods for the password. I think there are many forums that have sections that are off limits without a password.

But then this site is private property and it's up to the owners, and that part of the flashlight world is not part of their groove, and that's fine. :)
 

more_vampires

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As a participant in many unmoderated forums, I must say that it's eventually an invite for spammers and a massive-alternate troll taking command by post count alone.

Real knowledge should be the requirement for being a moderator, not post count, and certainly not 61 alternate accounts.

I was in on Usenet back in the day, back when I needed a SLIP acct to connect to a unix server to rec.arts.** . Nobody knows what that is these days, it seems.

Guess I'm just a harmless "old friend." My mother used to moderate AOL soap forums and met some guy named Chuck Palahniuk.

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/

You never know the convolutions of this life, nor this connection to the entire world that was simply impossible 40 years ago.

I still remember the "human fat" saponification fiasco. It's even funnier now, that the movie is old news.

Talk about some HATE MAIL! :)
 

nbp

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The moderation seems to ebb and flow. Lately, it's seems about right. But I've seen other times where moderation was far too heavy, and threads are closed just because a mod seems to be having a bad day. Other threads where very good info is deleted, because the mod doesn't think it belongs in that particular thread.

Perhaps the mods are in a better mood in the summer, or have better things to do, and go a little easier on the moderation.

Definitely moderation is needed, but sometimes tangents in threads are good.

I actually agree with you on this; spot on.
 

idleprocess

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Then head on down to the freewheeling underground where there's minimal moderation. Only the users have largely voted with their feet and it's lightly-trafficked.
 

besafe2

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From everything I can tell moderation is great here & I love coming on here. Several years ago I was one of the moderators on a very busy airline forum. I would come home from work late "dead tired " & last thing I wanted to do was get on line & read more "airline stuff ". If done right moderation requires much time & I for one appreciate & thank those who do it. All of our moderation ended one night when the owner of the forum "fired " all of us saying we over moderated & pretty much turned it over to the "inmates" & it just went crazy. I have no idea now as I'm retired & will not go there.
 

Woods Walker

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Over-moderation? I never had an issue with the mods or at least none that I know of. LOL! If someone thinks this place is over-moderated maybe they're doing something to attract them? Kinda like blaming the flies for being attracted to fish guts.
 

eh4

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Good points guys.
I agree there is a lot of good moderation here, and it is one of the more helpful communities.
I was thinking of how many subforums there are, and how much livelier it seemed several years ago, and of some threads that were closed for inappropriate reasons, like a moderator Thought that the question had been answered elsewhere, and so they close the thread, provide a link, and the link goes to a necro thread on a related topic that doesn't at all answer the question...
Anyhow, overall, great forum and good mods.
And yes I hope it lingers on and on and endures, till this whole big bandwidth fad passes. ;-)
 
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nbp

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Good points guys.
I agree there is a lot of good moderation here, and it is one of the more helpful communities.
I was thinking of how many subforums there are, and how much livelier it seemed several years ago, and of some threads that were closed for inappropriate reasons, like a moderator Thought that the question had been answered elsewhere, and the link goes to a necro thread on a related topic... Anyhow, overall, great forum and good mods.
And yes I hope it lingers on and on and endures, till the big bandwidth fad passes. ;-)

I also agree with this bolded point. It is quieter than it used to be, regardless of what anyone says, I feel. I had a thread about a year and a half ago that yielded some interesting posts on the subject. Where have all the good threads gone?
 

ForrestChump

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The moderation seems to ebb and flow. Lately, it's seems about right. But I've seen other times where moderation was far too heavy, and threads are closed just because a mod seems to be having a bad day. Other threads where very good info is deleted, because the mod doesn't think it belongs in that particular thread.

Perhaps the mods are in a better mood in the summer, or have better things to do, and go a little easier on the moderation.

Definitely moderation is needed, but sometimes tangents in threads are good.

+100 on this entire post.

Moderation has been night and day ( MUCH better ) compared to say 6-8 months ago....

So much so Im positive I wouldn't still be here. Now if we could just be done with CPF Mall and go back to CPFM, we'd have Utopia.

and...uhhh....this thread is in the wrong section. :)
 
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more_vampires

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Over-moderation? I never had an issue with the mods or at least none that I know of. LOL! If someone thinks this place is over-moderated maybe they're doing something to attract them? Kinda like blaming the flies for being attracted to fish guts.

Overmoderation killed Slashdot after the DICE acquisition. I was in on Slashdot just after "Chips and Dips." Had a low 5 digit user id.

That group really liked their freedom of speech. After the "F-Beta" fiasco, I never went back. It went from good signal-to-noise ratio to worse and worse, Slashdot is dead. Long live Slashdot.

CPF is a whole lot like how Slashdot used to be, except Slashdot was self-policing. DICE kept trying to change that and the user base revolted. If it's not broken, fix it until it is... right?

Edit: Oh, and the moderation system used to allow reading posts that were modded down. Some called this "browsing at -1." You would not belieeeeeeeve what happened at the -1 level. :)
 
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