Is this really an open forum?

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Deerless

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Just been reading the thread re a recently departed African leader with great interest.
I have an open mind and can think for myself, I can also read, research history and draw my own conclusions from what I have read.
I was very surprised that towards the end of the thread, someone drew a line in the sand because people were expressing opinions. They did however say that this was an open forum?
I too believe that the media coverage of this has been and will continue to be excessive.
There are many who read this site that will be aware of the great things he did in his later life but know nothing of the reasons why he was sent to prison for so long and the terrible acts that were allegedly committed in the name of the ANC, a political party that they were part of.
I cannot see any comments in the original thread that raised a complaint from anyone and feel that the thread was prematurely locked as some may have been about to point out some truths that made someone uncomfortable.
This may upset some, but if it is indeed an open thread, then a degree of discussion ought to be allowed.
 
I think you miss read the open forum meaning as it is open for anyone to read anywhere. I don't feel this thread will add anything of benifit to the stalking directory or stalking in general and i would also bet it will end in yet another bun fight if left to go on,atb wayne
 
He was a great man know doubt about it and he changed the world as we know it BUT what is this forum called??? its a Stalking forum which has nothing to do with people dying does it??? Other than that we live in a free world..... you can choose whether to log on or not - nobody is forcing you.....
 
I too have my own probably contraversial views of Mandela but think it's maybe best not to spout them on an open forum.
What people should be aware of is that the owners of the site are responsible for anything untoward that is posted and can face the site being shut down by the server and possible prosecution if things ever got that serious.
This is well moderated on here and long may it continue
 
Ahem..... The STALKING directory.

plenty of other forums out there to voice your non shooting related opinions on. Or is it me?
 
Nope Druid......not just you although I do like some of the other shooting related stuff
 
Deerless the offending post was obviously removed by the moderator before he locked the thread.
 
I declined the kind and thoughtful invitation to comment in the tread that is now locked as the opening post had far too much of a “lightblue touch paper and retire” quality about it. It did however serve to demonstrate a sad truth: This site has lost some of its vim and allure of late.

:cry:

Cheers

K
 
some folks just can't play nice. If the game doesn't go in their favor, they just scatter all the cards and pout....... Politics and religion are best left out of any house (forum) unless it's dedicated to the subject......
 
Yes it's The Stalking Directory...but the thread was in General Discussion...General Discussion and topics that don't belong elsewhere.

Was the thread not general discussion...
 
Some subjects are best left well alone. You just knew that this was going to be one of them right from the first post.
 
We try to keep a balance between letting people have their say but not at the expense of causing unnecessary conflict or dragging the site away from its core purpose.

Some people think we are censoring them, some people think we don't moderate the site enough and maybe a few more (hopefully) think we have the balance about right and we put a lot of time and effort into trying to keep it that way.

At the end of the day we have to make a judgement about what we want our site to be but before accusing us of being heavy handed/corrupt/biased/whatever it is we are being accused of today please take some time to go to some of the many 'free for all' sites out there and see how they have turned out.
 
Ahem..... The STALKING directory.

plenty of other forums out there to voice your non shooting related opinions on. Or is it me?

Ahem, STALKING directory it may be, but there are numerous threads over just the last few days, which are not shooting/stalking related. These threads have been allowed to roll on without being locked.
I haven't mis interpreted the open thread issue, I mean people can be allowed to be open about their opinions, obviously without being abusive or offensive, which should not be tolerated in any circumstance.
It just seemed to me that someone was uncomfortable with the subject matter and chose to prematurely lock the thread.
I, like everyone else have a choice when logging onto a site as to what I choose to read, but in this instance, I felt the choice was taken away without just cause.
If indeed an inappropriate comment was made and deleted prior to locking, maybe an explanation that this was the case would have been appropriate and may have changed my view.
 
I haven't mis interpreted the open thread issue

I think you have I'm afraid. Malcolm meant that the site is open to the entire world to read, therefore threads which do a disservice to this site do so on a global scale!

This site is a moderated site, not a free for all. We try to let everyone have their say within the confines outlined in my post above.

Malcolm removed some posts and requested that the tactless posts should stop, the request was ignored therefore the thread was closed. It was an 'off-topic' thread, it was causing trouble, it wasn't core to the site, therefore it was closed.

Like this one.
 
Ahem, STALKING directory it may be, but there are numerous threads over just the last few days, which are not shooting/stalking related. These threads have been allowed to roll on without being locked.
I haven't mis interpreted the open thread issue, I mean people can be allowed to be open about their opinions, obviously without being abusive or offensive, which should not be tolerated in any circumstance.
It just seemed to me that someone was uncomfortable with the subject matter and chose to prematurely lock the thread.
I, like everyone else have a choice when logging onto a site as to what I choose to read, but in this instance, I felt the choice was taken away without just cause.
If indeed an inappropriate comment was made and deleted prior to locking, maybe an explanation that this was the case would have been appropriate and may have changed my view.


Well it was me that locked the post and also took off some of the uncalled for posts. I guess some of you think I spend all bloody day sitting on the computer!!

As I have already responded in one PM, when I awoke this morning I just knew there would be a post about the man's passing and the uncalled for comments. As an open forum ANYONE IN THE WORLD can read the site posts, they do not have to be a member. Therefore comment such as " well he should have died 50 years ago" and a full face picture of Mr Mandela with also an uncalled for comment underneath is there for the whole world to read and was bound to cause Admin some trouble from somewhere.

Then we have the childish comments about it being our toy set, or words to that affect. To bloody right it is, having spent our money and a considerable amount of time getting to where it is over 5 years. And as the owners we are also culpable to a certain extent to what people post on here.
On the other hand I would like to think that overall this is the only site that has introduced MANY new stalkers into the sport, it is the ONLY site that has put money into creating bursaries for those less fortunate members to undertake Level One for free. And it is one OF the few sites that gives away free clothing (thank you Swazi) ( Free Safari to Africa) not to mention the large sums of money raised through the membership for H4H and other very worthy causes.


I will say this, and some may not like it............. Why don't the bloody moaners and groaners we get occasionally get of their arse and help others more. Go and offer free stalking like I and others have done, put something back into the sport and stop finding small issues to grip about.


Off to get a stiff drink now :rolleyes: before I say something I will really regret.
 
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