Inconsistent moving of threads

31-01-2021 10:14pm #1

I noticed something recently. There have been threads in After Hours of a similar theme to existing ones that have been moved.
At the minute there are 2 music threads. Not too long ago a poster opened another but it was moved to the music forum. Why that one but not the other 2?

There is a Covid forum where everything Covid gets moved to. That means there is no space for having a bit of humour and AH irreverance regarding the topic.

They are only small things but I'm wondering about the thought process behind such movings?

Beasty · 31-01-2021 11:14pm

As this is AH-specific, moved from Feedback

Beasty · 31-01-2021 11:24pm

The AH mods can speak fir themselves, but I would have thought two (presumably long-standing) music threads is more than enough for the forum

In terms of Coronavirus, I'm not sure there is much room for light-hearted discussion without risking offending people. The Coronavirus forum was established to cover all aspects, and many specialist (and regional) forums do have dedicated threads. I'm really not sure it's appropriate in AH though

As a wider point, Current Affairs was established to divert some of the more serious discussions away from AH, and the Coronavirus forum was established as a sub-forum of CA to take all the discussion of the pandemic into a single place. It's only natural that threads will be moved there particularly as we already have over a thousand threads on the topic, a large number of them remaining quite active. In virtually all cases it will be either a topic worthy of a dedicated thread in the Coronavirus forum, or a thread will already exist there where the topic has been discussed

Ted_YNWA · 31-01-2021 11:40pm

I had a quick look through the first 3 pages of AH and can only one one music thread.

This one is the second edition of a mega-thread, as it has been long established, it has found it's home in AH.

Yes - there has been a number of music threads started that have been moved. Similarly, there has been other threads that are best suited to other forums. Boards has these sub-forums for this very reason. Otherwise AH, and any other forum would become a hodge-podge of multiple topics.

Thread moves are done on a case by case basis & also ensuring they meet the receiving forum charter.

COVID is a very sensitive topic. Everyone has been impacted in different ways. A light-hearted/banter style AH thread would be guaranteed to have comments that would hurt/upset another poster, completely unintended, as everyone has been touched by the pandemic in different ways.

01-02-2021 12:39am

That makes sense. So max of 2 music threads. As they are long running then they remain but no others can be started.

The Covid threads I have a slightly different view on. I understand how humour may offend but I don't see how the last thread moved could have offended. A poster recently diagnosed was looking for suggestions to pass the time. How offensive could that have gotten?

I think the Covid forum is like Current Affairs in that serious discussions go there but light hearted ones can remain in AH. If music threads and book threads and joke threads are ok in AH even though they have their own homes, then why not that particular Covid thread?

Beasty · 01-02-2021 1:23am

Ultimately all of this is down to mod discretion. There's no hard and fast rule that only 2 music threads are "allowed". I'm sure if you go through the history of the forum there will be dozens.

As for the Covid thread, I approved you porst at the same time as I approved Ted's so you won't have seen his comments when making your second post here. However as I've already pointed out there are already a very large number of threads in the Coronavirus forum, and a number of them could accommodate that type of discussion. Equally if one thread continues in AH, then what about the next one, or the one after that?

As I've said though, this is all down to mod discretion - no-one is looking at a set of "AH forum rules" when considering matters like this, beyond one that is set out in the Forum Charter:

If there is a more appropriate forum, post your thread there
There are a huge amount of forums on boards.ie. Often it can be difficult to locate the one you are looking for. If you need help please ask in newbies and FAQ.
If you post a thread in After Hours that is more suited to another forum it will either be locked or moved to the correct forum. If you are unsure if a topic is suitable for After Hours please send a private message to any of the moderators.

Of course you may then ask why other threads are not moved. And the answer is some are, but some remain - again mod discretion applies

Leg End Reject · 01-02-2021 1:24am

A Covid thread where we could discuss the impact all the restrictions have had on us would be perfect in After Hours.

We know why they're there, but they have a huge impact on our personal lives. Being able to vent without a "Yeah well, you're ignorant/disillusioned/conspiracy theorist etc" would be welcome.

Like a trivially thing that annoy you thread, but Covid specific.

It's a light-hearted forum, with an advertised pub-like feel. This is what we would be discussing in a pub is we could get inside one.

01-02-2021 12:06pm

I think mod discretion as a reason is a bit wooly. There are two threads on health insurance, one thread on a covid vaccine portal and a thread on minimum alcohol pricing.

So there doesn't seem to be any real logic for what remains and what is removed.

Also regarding the sensitivity of the covid topic; there have been many a sensitive topic discussed on After Hours.

Necro · 01-02-2021 2:25pm

Leg End Reject wrote: »

A Covid thread where we could discuss the impact all the restrictions have had on us would be perfect in After Hours.

We know why they're there, but they have a huge impact on our personal lives. Being able to vent without a "Yeah well, you're ignorant/disillusioned/conspiracy theorist etc" would be welcome.

Like a trivially thing that annoy you thread, but Covid specific.

It's a light-hearted forum, with an advertised pub-like feel. This is what we would be discussing in a pub is we could get inside one.

There's one of these already in the R&R forum, I personally think that's a much better fit than AH.

Nothing stopping you being TAed about restrictions in the TA thread either, we have a specific rule not to discuss other people's TAs so you wouldn't (or shouldn't) be labelled anything there.

On top of this there's also a long running thread in the Covid forum entitled Relaxation of Restrictions to discuss it in a more serious manner so I think we have all bases covered already to be honest.

Beasty · 01-02-2021 6:18pm

Deleted User wrote: »

I think mod discretion as a reason is a bit wooly.

That's always been the case, and in my view everything's a lot better for it

We really don't want people trying to micromanage mods with the fine print of charters. I can think of one particular forum where the Charter is prescriptive, and it ties the hands of the mods, with posters looking for mods to apply sanctions to what are often really minor indiscretions

Leaving mod discretion makes the site much smoother, and indeed a lot less hassle to all concerned than the particular forum I am thinking of (and yes, it's the Soccer Forum)

01-02-2021 7:24pm

Beasty wrote: »

That's always been the case, and in my view everything's a lot better for it

We really don't want people trying to micromanage mods with the fine print of charters. I can think of one particular forum where the Charter is prescriptive, and it ties the hands of the mods, with posters looking for mods to apply sanctions to what are often really minor indiscretions

Leaving mod discretion makes the site much smoother, and indeed a lot less hassle to all concerned than the particular forum I am thinking of (and yes, it's the Soccer Forum)

I used to agree with this view Beasty. Over time my opinion of AH and its moderation has changed. More and more I'm left scratching my head at some of the thread moves. I'm not going to get in to my feelings around the actual moderation of threads because that's for a different day.

Perhaps there is a collective discussion among the AH mods when it comes to moving threads rather than one deciding it just because.

Beasty · 01-02-2021 7:33pm

You can follow the thread to wherever it's moved

01-02-2021 9:39pm

Beasty wrote: »

You can follow the thread to wherever it's moved

Ah now. Some threads will die a death when moved and they will have to fit in with the charter of the new forum.

Anyways my query was to the 'why' there are inconsistencies. The reason is because of mod discretion. I disagree with such a reason but so be it.

Inconsistent moving of threads

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