3275 Journalistic comportment, and deletions

[CENTER][CENTER][COLOR=black]Relaxed stay relaxed, this forum has rules all of it's own and you never now which one is in vogue at anyone time. [/COLOR]
[COLOR=black]I don't think your idea would be very practical, if people can not edit, especially like me cos being dyslexifickle I may not notice for day's and also if the post has been written in the wrong context or something then even more people with get upset because they have miss understood the poster, again! [/COLOR][/CENTER][/CENTER]
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Just chill have another glass of vino, you'll never change the system, it's too much hard work trust me, have seen them come and seen them go.
Spose if ya get really stroppy you could become a mod too! (Sorry most mods are very very nice) :D :D :D

Forget the rules. I'd say 80% of the forum users are unaware of any background squabbling & 99.9% are unconcerned with the content of it.

IMHO, the 0.1% that are concerned with it are only interested in their own egos & a warped belief in their own importance. The fact that this (vast) minority believe that the 99.9% are bothered is proof still that the forum is better off without them. Deleting historic threads? Blimey, that sounds like a puffed up ego to me!

Egos can't be subject to rules; whatever you do to legislate against them, some have a puffed up view of themselves. I'd let folk play their own daft little games & ignore them...if it starts to affect the forum, then act.

Most of the deleted posts were propably self-important twaddle & it's not worth pandering to.

The forum is a place where lovers of Italy and things Italian can exchange views, hopefully in an open and friendly way, it is not a newspaper. Individuals have the right to edit their posts, few posters use that facility other than to correct spelling. One or two use it with a sense of malice which is unfortunate, but, "folks are folks" and in the forum as in life there are some people who know they are superior in many ways to us poor mortals who just want to get on with their boring little lives and, share their experiences in or of this lovely place in peace, sometimes the bickering caused makes people leave because the place has become less fun, sometimes people leave because the moderation of their posting is not liked, very occasionally posters are banned. The individual should have control over their postings and, if they wish to remove all of them, so be it.
I, for one am pleased that John did allow his posts to stay intact, it simply shows, so far as I am concerned, that he knew his posts were useful and it was an ego free gesture, which underlines John's view of the forum.

Wise words, and so true.

[QUOTE=andy s].......There is NO Indispensable Man.[/QUOTE]

or woman ;)

[QUOTE=andy s]Aaaaargh!!!! It's the PC police!

Unfortunately woman doesn't rhyme with can, and there is no indespensible man (or woman) sounds pants.

Andy[/QUOTE]

hahahahahaha, chill AS :D
(I'm happy to be the laughing PC Policeman; I could never be a serious one!)

Certainly the forum is like contacts in real life a constantly changing bunch. However we like to think that real FRIENDS are forever and we have actually made a few via the forum! A few we have even met up with in real life now. Sorry that some of our original forum colleagues are no longer posting.

[quote=andy s]George and All

Whilst it's all very well to lament John's passing, I do not believe that as far as the forum as a whole is concerned it has any significance whatsoever. I am sad that John has gone as i enjoyed his posts. Had the occassional 'debate' which never actually descended into a slanging match and on the whole he is a great guy.

The point is that this will carry on. It will change its form and its character to suit the people who are here. I saw a poem recently which explained the effects of people leaving and i think it just about sums it up.

I think our lives would all be better if people followed the rules and approached the forum in a more sensible manner. That includes not being abusive and also not thinking that just because someone has been abusive to you, that you can ignore the rules and post something which is inappropriate and degreades the content of the forum as a whole in retaliation.

People will come and go and that's life. My circle of friends in the real world is different than it was a year ago. A year ago it was different to what it was two years ago. That is just life. There is little point lamenting people leaving so extensively.

Regards

ANdy

PS: Said poem is below

When you're feeling so important, and your ego is in bloom
When you simply take for granted you're the wisest in the room.
When you think your very absence will leave a great big hole.
Just follow these instructions. They will humble any soul.

Take a bucket filled with water.
Put your hand in to the wrist.
Pull it out; the hole remaining is how much you will be missed.

Splash wildly when you enter.
Stir a lot and splash galore.
Then stop, and in a minute it will look just like before!

The moral of this story is to do the best you can.
Be proud, but please remember, There is NO Indispensable Man.[/quote]

Your poem says it all. :)

[QUOTE=Relaxed]Firstly, I think this forum is a very useful source of information on all things Italy, a place where "regulars" can exchange the odd (inoffensive) quip, and that it is hosted and managed by a pretty slick server under competent management.
However. I consider the forum a publication. As such it should, in my opinion, follow the rules of any printed publication - once something has been uttered on the forum it should be considered in the public domain.
This raises in my mind two problems. The first is the possibility which an author has to delete (or indeed edit) a post, at will, and at any time. Not only does this facility - when invoked - damage threads sometimes to the point of unintelligibility, I believe deletion has been used by members as a deliberate tactic on occasions. I would like to propose a time limit (say 30 minutes) for a member to be able to delete something which has been thought better of; and the same time period for any editing - so if you don't spot your typo at the first re-read it will live on!
I do not have any problem with moderators deleting posts - (they are then acting as editors, not publishers, and editors clearly have rights over what the publication prints) - but again I think there should be a time limit on this ability, (more generous than the time period for members) and that any post which has been deleted should be clearly marked as "deleted post".
My most major worry though concerns the status of the posts made by a member who chooses to leave the forum - for whatever reason - and deletes their profile. I have recently been informed (to my complete astonishment) that the deletion of a profile results in all historic posts being deleted.
This is on a par with James Cameron dying and a search on his articles resulting in zilch.
I would be interested in opinions - and if your first reaction is "we are amateurs, not journos", I think you should seriously consider whether you should be posting at all.
(Hope I haven't instigated a mass flight from the keyboard!!!)[/QUOTE]

I am as guilty as most anyone of deleting and editing posts but I would say never was it done with with malice and foresight. Usually bad spelling or grammar but sometimes because I have wanted to tone down the original post. However, I agree with your 30 minute suggestion Relaxed as it might make me less knee-jerk in my reactions.

Thanks, sodj - someone who read the original post in the way I intended it to be read! You haven't assumed any asides, any griping, any reading between the lines - just genuine queries (and worries) on my part.