CompuServe Messages

If you are referring to your messages in this thread, it's because we don't really have any other section to put it (other than SYSOP). So where do you think it should be ??? ….Pick a Message Section. Your response to the thread was not specifically moved into section 0. The thread was moved before 6:00 AM CDT which is 7:00 AM on the East Coast and 4:00 AM on the left coast. Your message wasn't posted until after 8:00 PM CDT, or 14 hours AFTER the message thread was moved. The message thread was moved because of the responses it generated. I thought that most of the members were reasonable adults on this forum, but the responses to that "cry for help" (other than Gary's considered and tactful reply) were the most childish things I've seen on this forum. Actually, in the entire thread, there were only two messages that actually considered that the original poster may be having some real trouble and just might be extremely frustrated. Those two messages were the first one (Gary's) and the last one (your's). It would have been simpler and easier to just DELETE the dumb replies that the thread generated. BUT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN CENSORSHIP !!!! Moving messages into section 0 or any other closed section doesn't prevent the sender, receiver or other member with access to that section from reading those messages and replying to them. You can reset your HMN (or message aging) and still see your message in section 0 (if it hasn't scrolled by now). You can even write a reply to that message and extend the thread. You just can't see the rest of the thread without access to the section. And that's a lot different than just DELETING the messages. So if you consider limiting your access to the thread censorship then I guess that it is. It's interesting that you compared the forum to a newspaper. Very few see the relationship. CIS like a newspaper is a commercial service. It ain't a free soap box for anyone to spout whatever they seem to think at the time. Newspapers have huge staffs to determine what will be printed and what won't be printed. Here we have a coupla sysops. We determine what gets "printed" by deciding which section the message will appear, or which section in which to move it if need be. So I guess you can say that we do censor what is on the forum just like an editor censors what will be in the paper. Moving messages is our way of making this decision. But it's one of only a few tools we have to maintain the forum and message board. The ASOFT forum has not been built on Flame Wars like some other forums on CIS. And it will not be (though an occasional flame ain't bad for business…..<g>.) That particular message and thread had accomplished exactly it's purpose. The poster of the original message did get the answer he needed from Gary, and leaving the entire thread in section 1 only asked for more responses like the majority of the one's it did get. I deemed it prudent to remove the entire thing, rather than having to check the forum every 15 minutes to catch any more childish responses. Your message just followed along with the rest of the thread. If it makes you feel any better, the original poster has collected the entire thread (or at least those messages addressed to him, including the rash ones). Wonder just how he feels right now ??? Bet he has a VERY favorable impression of this forum. Maybe I should have really CENSORED that thread and removed those "extra" messages ??? As far as I know, I'm now the only sysop on this forum that is maintaining the message base. I try to get everything, but sometimes I goof. I appologize for any flames you may have received, but on the other hand, there ain't any way to prevent it without CENSORING the messages and DELETING them from the board. The only thing I could have done with the flames at you is the same thing I did with the thread in question, move it into a separate and closed section. It wouldn't have prevented the flame, nor would it have prevented you from receiving it. All it would have done it remove it from public view. So the interest isn't sudden. It's been ongoing ever since I built this forum with JP some four years ago. I move somewhere between 30 and 50 messages a day on this forum. (I'll be moving 22 of them with the posting of this message to you.) Most of them are simply posted in the wrong section. But occasionally there is the little incident like we just went through. Guess that's to keep me on my toes………..<g>.