I did see some posters beginning to put aside their differences and finding common ground in the thread. But, it was also becoming a pissing contest between others.
It was often very heated. There were attacks and people going at each other personally, rather than the matter being discussed (politics, Trump, etc). I was glad to see some of you move closer to common ground.
I admit there was some productive parts of the thread, but there was also a lot of chaos. I shut it down mostly because I realized how preoccupied with the the thread we had all become. I hoped in locking it, we could all take a break from it and move on to more productive things for what remained of the day. Most everyone seems to be getting along better this morning (even if some are grinning and bearing), so maybe closing it and allowing some time for reflection wasn't a terrible thing.
Closing the thread was not personal. I did not seek to cut anyone off. I wasn't being vindictive. I wasn't trying to give anyone the last say (
@Strenuus was still typing his response when I closed the thread. He had no idea I was closing it. I saw that he drew the ire of several of you and I would have spoke up sooner, but I was having game night with the fams. Sorry Stren for putting you in that position), I was not trying to abuse my power or anything so nefarious. My intentions and reasons were good.
There were posters who flagged some posts. As moderators we ask posters to do such when they suspect violations of the rules. Some of those flags were rejected, some were found to be correct in assertion. We take them all seriously, and while I understand your objection, we cannot advise posters to not flag posts they believe to be attacks/insults etc, just because other posters feel differently. We do prefer posters flag serious infractions, but we are glad the system is being used. It does help us.
I agree, I have too seen far worse threads, but I have disclosed the reasons I closed this one, like them or not. You might be surprised who some of the "complainers" are. We keep that private for obvious reasons. And, no not because we are some evil deep state cabal. As Moderators we aren't out to get anybody, we aren't trying to instil a certain political agenda on the forum, etc etc.
We have tried to be fair. Our framework is not based around politics, though we have tried to balance conservative and liberal voices on our staff.
We aren't wardens or police officers. We aren't your parents. We like to think of ourselves as fire fighters, putting out the flames before arguments get to three alarm fires.
Many here post opinions as though they are facts. If you see them as opinion and not fact, take it as such. Mods are posters too, just because we are also watching over threads doesn't mean we don't have a right to express our opinions too, even if you don't agree with them. Sometimes, like everyone else, those opinions get heated. We are after all humans and not robots.
I get that you are angry about a mod having the final post in the thread. (Again, he was expressing his opinion as a poster and didn't know the thread was being closed)You thought he posted and then closed it to get the last word. I understand the frustration that caused. Again, I am sorry I didn't clear matters up earlier, I was with my family.
So, your thought is mods shouldn't be invloved in heated political threads? I don't see that happening. Again, mods too have the right to express their opinions here. I get what you are saying, but if you ask us to abstain from one thread or type of thread then we would have to abstain from others. Then we might become the very thing you fear we are, some power hungry overseers.
I do see what you are saying about moderators having other moderators not involved in the heated thread mediate those threads. I will bring this up with the other mods. I had considered this when I closed the thread. I knew there would be some voicing of my having been part of the thread as bias in closing it.
I wouldn't put it past Trump to shutter the phones of those critical of him. That was not the case here. I understand you feel like you were shut out. My decision to close it had nothing to do with your and Barfo's difference of opinion. Nor, was it to mute you or anyone else. I have stated my reasons. I stand by them.
