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Thread closing

D

Dashunde

New member
Lately I've been encountering one thread closing after another and the criteria seems very willynilly and up to whoever staff wanders by.

I see useless crap-slinging threads go on forever and then excellent threads such as this one complete with 2 other staffer postings be snipped off at the knees seemingly without cause.

What gives?
 
You missed the point - its not the junk threads I'm concerned with, I just unsubscribe, problem solved - its the good threads like the one linked to above being shut down that I'm taking issue with.

I asked Pax directly why it was killed, it seeminly didnt fit cleanly into the "tactics and training" slot.
 
Dashunde said:
I asked Pax directly why it was killed, it seeminly didnt fit cleanly into the "tactics and training" slot.
Click to expand...

No, that thread didn't fit, cleanly or otherwise. Did you not understand what pax wrote in closing that thread? It started as a tactics/training thread but devolved into a policy thread. That's clearly off topic for that forum.

In closing, pax gave you the reasons and pointed you to the appropriate area of TFL to have that policy discussion.
 
It started as a tactics/training thread but devolved into a policy thread. That's clearly off topic for that forum.
Click to expand...

Understood. However I think the thread was at least partially on topic due to it outlining the fact that policy and training are not well integrated.

Regardless, it was still a quality thread that several folks had invested their time and thoughts into.
Does it really matter that it doesnt fit just right into the scope of that particular forum?

I simply dont like it when many are thoughtfully participating and one swings by and cuts it off.

Edit...
Did you not understand what pax wrote in closing that thread?
Click to expand...

Pax edited her last post to add the reasoning sometime between me starting this thread and this morning.
At first it simply said "Closed" without explaination.
 
Last edited:
As Pax notes, that thread developed into a discussion on public policy, and that is off topic for TFL, and especially off topic for T&T.

It doesn't matter if it was a well reasoned discussion -- it was still off topic for that forum and this board.

I'm sure that I and several other members could have a very interesting discussion regarding the painting techniques used by master artists who have depicted firearms in their works.

And that subject would be off topic and should, and would, be closed as being sort of about guns, but not really.

In the aftermath of events such as Newtown, it's easy to lose sight of the board's focus because we're as shocked and as devastated by the events as everyone else.

TFL was created and envisioned to be a site where the focus would be on firearms discussion, with an allowance for discussions of civil rights (primarily as they tie to firearms) in the L&CR forum.

We're sorry that you don't agree with that, but that's the way it's going to stay, that's the way it has to stay if TFL is to maintain its status as the premier firearms discussion board on the internet.
 
I think the mods do a great job keeping the posts/threads on topics related to guns. Mod's have a tough job to do as many many posts have little value or they drift so far off topic they loose value.

Keep up the good work guys!:cool:
 
It doesn't matter if it was a well reasoned discussion -- it was still off topic for that forum and this board.
Click to expand...

Since a good T&T thread evolved into a policy discussion, then why wasn't it simply moved to the appropriate forum rather than just closed.
 
Since a good T&T thread evolved into a policy discussion, then why wasn't it simply moved to the appropriate forum rather than just closed.
Click to expand...

Per Pax..."I asked the L&CR moderators if they wanted it in their area where it would fit more appropriately, the answer was a resounding "No."
 
"Since a good T&T thread evolved into a policy discussion, then why wasn't it simply moved to the appropriate forum rather than just closed."

Because there is no General Public Policy discussion board at TFL.

Law and Civil Rights is not the forum for wide-ranging discussions of public policy, and it certainly isn't at home in any of the other forums here.
 
Doyle said:
Since a good T&T thread evolved into a policy discussion, then why wasn't it simply moved to the appropriate forum rather than just closed.
Click to expand...

That really a good question, Doyle, and it deserves a thoughtful response.

Under normal circumstances, such a thread would possibly/probably be moved to the L&CR forum. Under normal circumstances.

Because of the latest string of homicides, circumstances are not in any way, normal. We are, at the moment, being faced with some very real and possibly horrendous restrictions on our 2A rights.

The anti's have what is possibly the perfect storm to achieve their goals of disarming the public. The anti's are literally dancing in the blood of these defenseless children. Hell, they started their dance before the bodies had a chance to cool, let alone be taken from the scene. We are going to have to walk a very fine line in order to not be seen to be callous and/or indifferent to the victims.

The L&CR forum has seen a sudden influx of members wanting to express their own outrage at what the anti's are wanting to do. This has necessitated the closing of many threads.

While it is true, that many of these (now) closed threads could have been merged with one or two existing larger threads (on the same topic), we have decided to simply close them on sight. The problem was exacerbated, because by the time one thread was closed, two or more threads have been opened.

Quite simply, we don't have enough time or manpower to post a closing remark or move or merge the threads.

Now multiply that to other areas of TFL, and the problem becomes one of management. Hard decisions have had to be made in order to keep TFL focused on Rich Lucibella's goals. What you are seeing, in the short term, is the result of our decisions.

Public Policy discussions, as Mike has said, are not part of TFL's mandate. While we have allowed a few such discussions in the past in the L&CR forum, we are not willing to turn the forum into complete chaos.
 
Another key item to note is regular members only see certain posts. While the thread may appear to be somewhat on topic at times only to be shut down after a measly "one or two" posts being the rotten apple in the barrel, not everything is as seems. More often than not, there's a multitude of posts deleted due to rule violations.

If you saw the big picture, I think members would understand more.
 
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