What denotes "serious discussion" in After Hours?

Earthwalker

I have recently had a post of mine deleted from a thread in the After Hours forum. When I contacted the moderator they told me that they did so because I had "posted a joke in a thread where a serious discussion was occuring" and was lucky not get carded for it.

Now, I fully understand that on threads discussing topics such as the current one where a child died after a raped, or where users are trying to show their respect to someone recently deceased, then these are not really the places to be making jokes. I would in fact, be one of the first to report such posts and tbh, would consider it trolling as I would question why anyone would want to make light of such things.

However, this was not a thread of that kind, it was in fact a thread discussing Miley Cyrus's performance at the VMAs and the world's reaction to it. I felt that, if the performance wasn't so odd, it would have been well suited to a lapdancing club and to make that point I posted:

I found that so strange and bizarre, that I almost didn't come.

Now, I'm clearly no Frankie Boyle and so perhaps it was a "stupid joke" but is that really grounds for deleting it and how am I or other users supposed to know just what it is that is going to be considered "serious discussion" when the criteria for it being such seems to be so inconsistent given that I see jokes allowed to remain on threads in AH with far more
serious topics than what the world and their aunt make of Miley Cyrus's attempts at shocking the world into forgeting who Hannah Montana ever was.

So, would really like to hear from AH moderators, on just which topics they feel are open to joked about when subject to a discussion on AH, as I feel the two things, serious discussion and jokes, do not have to be mutually exclusive and can happily co exist on the same threads, other that is, to the rare exceptions which I mentioned previousily.

If not, then would appreciate it if the charter of the forum was updated to include the fact that jokes on such threads are not wanted, as at the moment these is no mention of it.

Czarcasm

Well I've always understood it to be a judgement call tbh. For example even in your OP you've set out where you'd draw the line yourself at what humor you'd consider distasteful. Somebody else will come along with the usual "Nothing should be off limits", <Stephen Fry Quote>, etc.

You simply can't say what's specifically "allowable" and what's not, because it all depends on context and interpretation. The Moderators of that particular forum, whether it be After Hours or any other forum on Boards, are trusted to be the best people to call that judgement without it descending into nit picking and rules lawyering.

Earthwalker

Czarcasm wrote: »

Well I've always understood it to be a judgement call tbh. For example even in your OP you've set out where you'd draw the line yourself at what humor you'd consider distasteful. Somebody else will come along with the usual "Nothing should be off limits", <Stephen Fry Quote>, etc.

Yes, but I doubt anyone would make the "no limits" argument and you are strawmanning quite early don't you think.

As I said, there are some quite specific examples where it is very understandable to delete jokes and I'm not looking for a complete list of what can and cannot be joked about but more a general outline, as at the moment it seems to be decided on upon a whim.

You simply can't say what's specifically "allowable" and what's not, because it all depends on context and interpretation. The Moderators of that particular forum, whether it be After Hours or any other forum on Boards, are trusted to be the best people to call that judgement without it descending into nit picking and rules lawyering.

I think you're missing my point. I was told that my post was deleted because I had posted a joke on a serious thread and I see no mention of anything of the sort being against the charter.

Again, not asking for, nor expecting, an exhaustive list but some examples would be nice, as as far as I'm concerned, a discussion like the one in which I made the joke on, is hardly a topic which should be ringfenced and declared to be "serious" and immune from users making jokes about.

There are many other forums on Boards where people can start threads devoid of jokes or the possibility of them being posted, but surely AH is not one of them (barring the odd topic exception which I've exampleed earlier).

Nodin

Earthwalker wrote: »

I have recently had a post of mine deleted from a thread in the After Hours forum. When I contacted the moderator they told me that they did so because I had "posted a joke in a thread where a serious discussion was occuring" and was lucky not get carded for it.

Now, I fully understand that on threads discussing topics such as the current one where a child died after a raped, or where users are trying to show their respect to someone recently deceased, then these are not really the places to be making jokes. I would in fact, be one of the first to report such posts and tbh, would consider it trolling as I would question why anyone would want to make light of such things.

However, this was not a thread of that kind, it was in fact a thread discussing Miley Cyrus's performance at the VMAs and the world's reaction to it. I felt that, if the performance wasn't so odd, it would have been well suited to a lapdancing club and to make that point I posted:



Now, I'm clearly no Frankie Boyle and so perhaps it was a "stupid joke" but is that really grounds for deleting it and how am I or other users supposed to know just what it is that is going to be considered "serious discussion" when the criteria for it being such seems to be so inconsistent given that I see jokes allowed to remain on threads in AH with far more
serious topics than what the world and their aunt make of Miley Cyrus's attempts at shocking the world into forgeting who Hannah Montana ever was.

So, would really like to hear from AH moderators, on just which topics they feel are open to joked about when subject to a discussion on AH, as I feel the two things, serious discussion and jokes, do not have to be mutually exclusive and can happily co exist on the same threads, other that is, to the rare exceptions which I mentioned previousily.

If not, then would appreciate it if the charter of the forum was updated to include the fact that jokes on such threads are not wanted, as at the moment these is no mention of it.

...if all is as you say it to be, it strikes me as bizarre that the post was deleted.

padd b1975

Serious discussion usually starts once all the thanks whores have had their say.

Tombi!

Well, when did you say it?
That's also important.

As padd said, once all the usual attempts at humour are done, the discussion really can get going.

Femme_Fatale

I really can't understand what was so out-of-line about that post that it was deleted. It's not like Miley's under-age, and it was hardly sexist seeing as being OTT sexy was her aim.

Nodin

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

I really can't understand what was so out-of-line about that post that it was deleted. It's not like Miley's under-age, and it was hardly sexist seeing as being OTT sexy was her aim.

....fairly sure having an oul flog of the dolphin isn't sexist.

dr.bollocko

I thought in the context of the seriousness of the discussion it was a needlessly crass comment ergo I removed it.

Cookie_Monster

dr.bollocko wrote: »

I thought in the context of the seriousness of the discussion it was a needlessly crass comment ergo I removed it.

it was a thread about a celebrity tramp, how serious can it have been? nothing involving celebrity can really be deemed serious can it, it's the lowest common denominator type conversation.

padd b1975

dr.bollocko wrote: »

I thought in the context of the seriousness of the discussion it was a needlessly crass comment ergo I removed it.

What about the context of AH as a whole?

Why can crass and insensitive posts be allowed to stand as long as they are made on the first page or two of a thread?

A crappy post is a crappy post no matter what time it occurs in a thread,

Is it not?

Earthwalker

dr.bollocko wrote: »

I thought in the context of the seriousness of the discussion it was a needlessly crass comment ergo I removed it.

Well, this is just it. You say my joke was deleted due to the "seriousness of the discussion" but surely, compared to other thread subjects on that forum, that regularly contain similar jokes, it wasn't all that "serious" a discussion at all.

I notice also that you posted on the thread yourself many times, right after jokes where made regarding the shape and unattractiveness of Miley's rear in fact (posts which I have no issue with, just referencing here for context) and do you not feel those posts qualify as "needless" and "crass" and should be deleted due to the "seriousness" of the discussion? And if not, why not?

Genuine question as I just don't know how you expect users to judge when they can and can't be crass in joking fashion, if that is the type of thread which you feel qualifies as "serious" in nature.

danniemcq

Just for reference here is a link to the deleted post

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=86232200 (won't be viewable to all)

and a link to the thread

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057025238

dr.bollocko

Came across as needlessly trolling to me OP. Sort of post designed to provoke a negative reaction. Hence I removed it.

dr.bollocko

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

it was a thread about a celebrity tramp, how serious can it have been? nothing involving celebrity can really be deemed serious can it, it's the lowest common denominator type conversation.

Celebrity tramp? First off I don't agree with that assessment of what the thread is at all.


What was the thread called? Was it "Lets make fun of some celebrity tramp?"

A miscalculated assessment of what that thread was about IMO cookie monster.

That makes it more OK?

I don't think it was. It came across to me as an unhelpful needlessly trollish off topic comment and as such I removed it.

BuffyBot

So, would really like to hear from AH moderators

Perhaps, then, you should send them a private message about instead of making an attention whoring thread where you want to show the world how you grind your personal axe.

/thread