Once again: I'm concerned about removal of posts simply because someone didn't think they were sufficiently "on-topic". Yes, this is a quizbowl group, but that also means that it's a place where we quizbowl players can chat about a lot of different things that interest us. Quizbowl is a game about everything, and, while long digressions about, say, favorite foods or CDs can get tedious, the occasional free-associated thread about rhubarb recipes or boy bands is bound to wind through at least a trash packet here and there. (Note that I wrote "occasional", not "interminable". I think the regulars here are smart enough to know the difference.) One suggestion to everyone: Use descriptive message subjects. That way, if a hockey question prompts a discussion about the current year's Stanley Cup, the people who hate hockey have the option of ignoring it. That's a LOT more pleasant than having half the messages from the group turn into something along the lines of "Take it to [insert splinter club's name here!". As far as ~ad hominem~ attacks and other offensive posts go: I think the moderator does have some discretion here (for instance, removing posts containing ethnic slurs or similarly intense crudities). However, one player merely calling another a doofus in the heat of a format war, or its equivalent, shouldn't have to take up a moderator's time. Julie
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0: Sat 12 Feb 2022 12:30:44 AM EST EST