war topic

Exactly @C8H10N4O2. Why should posters have to deal with a pile-on from people telling them that they're on the wrong board if there are no explicit guidelines that would tell them where to post?

Threads are removed from sight on those boards everyday by the volume of newer posts

I know that. How is this different from banning/censoring certain topics from the miscellaneous boards? That is exactly what we are talking about (and did with Covid).

There may well be enough sustained discussion over time to have a separate topic but if you are then also going to ban those topics from the miscellaneous boards you need a sticky or modification to the talk guidelines which makes the rules clear for everyone.

Its very easy to say "I don't want to see this stuff and I want someone else to manage that for me" but people need clear guidelines to work to otherwise it becomes "mod inconsistency" immediately.

How is this materially different from using the words "censoring" or "banning" certain topics from the miscellaneous boards? That is exactly what you are describing - a separate topic with threads actively removed from those boards.

Threads are removed from sight on those boards everyday by the volume of newer posts.

No. I think Ukraine should have it's own topic and threads posted elsewhere should be moved to it as they are with the Covid topic now. I was talking about topics other than Ukraine not being moved because there just isn't the amount of them so they aren't cluttering up Active in the same way

How is this materially different from using the words "censoring" or "banning" certain topics from the miscellaneous boards? That is exactly what you are describing - a separate topic with threads actively removed from those boards.

I agree with Alexa that if that happens it needs to be clearly signposted with a sticky and in the talk guidelines.

The kind of fuzzy solution you seem to want where nothing is defined properly is exactly what leads to complaints about inconsistency in modding because it inevitably creates inconsistencies.

AIBU will promote a thread asking ‘AIBU to build a bomb shelter if it blocks my neighbour’s driveway and can I ask people not to wear shoes?’ because anyone can have an opinion on that, but ‘has anyone had experience of applying for a U.K. visa?’ will drift off the front pages if people don’t feel able to reply at the time of the post.

It's not censorship.

The post is still published on the site.

Having a topic is a reflection of the importance and volume of traffic, and it makes it easier to find posts on that subject

but I would regard it as censorship of the busier miscellaneous boards.

It depends how you view the boards.

I think AIBU and chat by default promote the most click baity threads, so it’s only possible to see things that are trending today, which makes it difficult to browse threads that are more than a couple of days old.

I don’t think the Westminstenders threads were less visible in the Brexit topic because they still appeared in active convos when people were posting regularly.

To be clear, I would not describe the covid board as censored, but I would regard it as censorship of the busier miscellaneous boards.

If MNHQ wants to do that, and a majority of MN users support that, then fair enough. I would just prefer that it's done openly and honestly, rather that surreptitiously.

As far as I am aware, there is currently no specific guidance on whether covid threads are "allowed" on AIBU or Chat, and it seems that some are moved and some are left where they are. Things are often moved when the thread police take it on themselves to complain loudly about where a thread has been posted, even though no explicit guidelines have been broken. This is intensely irritating for other posters. If it is policy to move the covid threads, then it seems to be fairly haphazardly applied at present.

I certainly think that some posters want the miscellaneous boards to be censored, which is why they come out in force to police the threads when they feel that some unwritten rule has been broken.

However we move forward, I want MNHQ to be honest and transparent about what they're doing. So if the plan is to dumb down certain boards to exclude discussions on serious topics, just tell us.

So would you describe the Covid threads as ‘censored’ (which is an odd word to use because censoring to me implies deletion rather than just shifting topic).

If this is just about creating a separate topic for the Ukraine war, just like we have separate topics for health, education, relationships etc, then I really have no issue with it.

My understanding is that it is not simply about assigning a topic, though. My understanding is that this topic will be different from the other topics like health, education and relationships because discussions on the subject will be restricted to that specific board and removed from the miscellaneous boards. The miscellaneous boards will effectively be censored, in other words.

If MNHQ decides that there are valid reasons for this censorship, then so be it. All I am asking is that they are explicit about which subjects are going to be considered taboo on the miscellaneous boards. And to take action against the posters who will inevitably get overzealous about policing that censorship.

with a list of any topics that are currently considered to be taboo.

Assigning a topic doesn’t make topics taboo. It just makes it easier to find and/or filter.

No, you're right that derailing isn't currently against talk guidelines, but if we're going ahead with censoring the miscellaneous boards, then I would like it to be. The stupid comments are so tiresome otherwise.

If the miscellaneous boards are going to be censored, I do think that MNHQ should at least make that policy clear. A sticky note at the top of each board would do it, with a list of any topics that are currently considered to be taboo. MNHQ needs to own its decision on this instead of doing it surreptitiously behind the scenes.

Well, that applies to all of us!

Exactly. Which is why there's no point us getting too bothered thinking anyone on here can just by stating their opinion.

@Sparklingbrook

I do also realise I can't personally stop anyone doing anything on MN. As has always been the case.

However, MNHQ have the power to decide how they want to manage and moderate the boards. Hopefully they will come back and tell us soon how they propose to proceed.

I do also realise I can't personally stop anyone doing anything on MN. As has always been the case.

Thanks for clarifying. As I've said above, I can live with the threads getting moved to a specific board, a)if MNHQ makes its policy on this really explicit and b)if strong action is taken to address the issue of people derailing threads by complaining about where they have been posted. That seems like a fair compromise to me.

Oh OK. So you don't actually want to stop people from posting about these topics in Chat/AIBU if they choose to, you just want a separate topic as well? I can get on board with that if people are still free to post wherever they like

No. I think Ukraine should have it's own topic and threads posted elsewhere should be moved to it as they are with the Covid topic now. I was talking about topics other than Ukraine not being moved because there just isn't the amount of them so they aren't cluttering up Active in the same way.

If certain topics are to be banned from AIBU or Chat

I would just like Ukraine to have it's own topic like Covid does. And maybe if another world event happens that causes MN to go slightly bananas that could have one too. So for me anyway, it's not about any other threads being moved, it's about quantity of threads about exactly the same thing.

AIBU - this is pretty clear. People use this board to ask if they're being reasonable/unreasonable about a situation. Can be anything. As long as they're using it genuinely to ask this question and not just posting 'for the traffic'

Oh come on - AIBU and Chat are both used utterly randomly. The sheer number of posters who apparently don't even know about topics or post in AIBU "for traffic" evidences the unhealthy extent to which they (especially AIBU) dominate the whole forum.

Most of AIBU has a largely artificial AIBU added and is plainly just a discussion thread. They could very easily go into its relevant topic board and have voting there.

Frankly if I were a mod I'd be wincing at the prospect of trying to police whether something is a "genuine" AIBU or not.

If certain topics are to be banned from AIBU or Chat then it needs a really clear sticky explaining which topics and why, as well as the penalties for misposting or questioning posts in the "wrong" place.