Forum Procedures
 

Am I going mad? I had always assumed that if a "higher power" decreed that a thread was getting too acrimonious, the thread would disappear. But on discovering a (fairly acrimonious) thread that was still able to be accessed but that no longer had any "post a message" or "jump to end" tabs displayed, I posted a NEW message asking if THIS was how Fodors "stopped" a thread.
But now my question itself has disappeared and is completely untraceable. Help! Just how DO these things work?

You just kind of have to guess:)

Too funny, Sheila! :)

And the Subject of the acrimony was ?

Three replies, not one of which addresses the question! Does it matter what the subject of the acrimony was? - if I mention it I might set it all off again! My question is simple - how does one know a thread has been stopped by "Big Brother". Does it disappear into a black hole? Or is it left as accessible but with the "Post a new message" heading deleted?

I have had that same thing occur today, but it seems to be a technical problem. When I refresh or click out and come back later, it works again. Don't know if there's another more intriguing explanation.

I think it means they got too many emails protesting yet ssome like to believe their one email did it.
Danny is everyone's friend.
fodors is everyone's site.

Fauxdors seems to respond to email complaints. However, fauxdors often does not realize that the people complaining are often the ones who start the nontravel threads that cause the complaints. They do not appear to investigate because some posts get removed and threads halted while other much worse posts are left up.

I believe that people starting the nontravel posts know what is going to happen and do it deliberately because it a source of amusement to them. I include in this observation Oaktown Traveler who has begun many such threads recently.

Yeah, I was wrong. It only happened on that one thread, I guess.

twoflower, in my experience, there are two different ways fodors can deal with a thread the editors find objectionable or irrelevant. They can delete the entire thread, or they can "freeze" it by eliminating the ability to post a reply. (No replies means the thread sinks quickly out of sight.)

They tend to delete threads that have absolutely nothing to do with travel. They tend to freeze threads that start out legitimate (and contain some travel information) but stray or are hijacked into offensive territory. Attacking another poster by name (as opposed to disagreeing with an opinion) is a sure way to shut down a thread or get your posts deleted.

On the other hand, the editors do allow us our little traditions, such as the Freaky Friday Rants and Raves on the US board, much of which has little to do with travel.

I think (and it's just my observation) that the bias is towards laissez faire and the censorship only happens in fairly extreme cases.

And I thought this was going to be about some weird new procedures at the Roman Forum...

..."They tend to delete threads that have absolutely nothing to do with travel...." hmmmmm..I think they may be asleep at the switch lately since THIS thread could very well qualify since it seems to have more to do with low self-esteem, insecurity, one-upmanship, and in the case of "the management" asking questions about what is done with some of the information posted here that seems to hit a little too close to home IMO.

Even those "What should I wear when I'm pretending not to be a tourist?" questions are preferable.

Singletail, please note I said "tend to." Some of the editors' decisions mystify me, but then, I am but a humble poster in this little universe, and the gods do as they will.

... oh, faux goodness sake! Oh, do faux give me, Faux.

Faux goodness sake is right. You gave me such a laugh.

Faux sure!