You were a mod...
You're right I was a mod and if I remember correctly when I asked how to do it as I had no experience I was told to use my judgment. So I handled it the way I mentioned above. If I came across a disagreement that wasn't too personal or hostile I let it stand. If there were offending words I changed the one word at let the theme of the post stand. If it was too personal or hostile I dumped the whole thing.
But what I felt was the way to do it was different than how others feel to do it and those inconsistencies create their own problems. It should be established across the board. Speeding is speeding, get a ticket. Hostile is hostile, get a ticket. Offensive is offensive, get a ticket.
call it babysitting if you like but when members choose to bicker on the public forum and then other members complain to me about it I look for a solution. If you have a better way to deal with this situation then please share it. All suggestions and criticisms are always welcome.
Unless, as Hoax has pointed out, those suggestions and criticisms are against a Mod or policy. Criticism that is personal or hostile like any other post should be treated the same. Criticism or questioning of an action that is done in a respectfully manor should be allowed, especially out in the open. If you feel an action was warranted, such as UpState and 407 being given a time out from each other, then stand by your reason and say so publicly. If you had posted your decision there are those of us , myself included, that would have backed you as it was getting carried away. But to do it behind the scenes is the part I disagree with.
If someone visits our forum for the very first time and the only page they read is full of off topic personal attacks it undermines the credibility of our entire community.
As does the credibility of first time visitors who swoop in to create chaos by starting a storm of hostility in the community.
