Did 'Open Discussion' just disappear?

Or am I nuts?

[PC Dave]

There's an announcement on this forum above the threads. OD's been closed. Bummer.

Wow... bummer. Understandable, though.

[KirkVining]

I think the Nambla thing pushed them over the line.

You don't think it was us fighting? :/

[KirkVining]

Originally Posted by webwench

You don't think it was us fighting? :/

I don't recall us calling each other child molesters. That was pretty extreme stuff.

[KirkVining]

Originally Posted by tkamiya

I was afraid this might happen. I think some of the threads and posts pushed the patience and tolarance of the site owner too far.

Unfortunate, but understandable move...

I blame it on lousy moderation. The nambla deal was the first time I saw the mod in months. Somebody has to set tone and limits, otherwise no one knows what the boundaries are, and things get way out of hand. I think they had a hard time getting someone willing to moderate.

I also think they may have been worried about liability issues. We have had some real wackos here to.

Originally Posted by KirkVining

Somebody has to set tone and limits, otherwise no one knows what the boundaries are, and things get way out of hand. I think they had a hard time getting someone willing to moderate.

Perhaps because it is a car forum and not a political forum, they felt they shouldn't need to set tone and limits, or at least shouldn't have to spend much time doing so. Political and religious discussions and the like are the types of discussion that need that type of limit-setting. On that score, I can completely understand.

I've been a moderator on a couple of political forums, am a moderator on a free-for-all forum now, and it's really tough. No matter what moderation steps you take, you're still wrong in the eyes of the community, more often than not. It can be a real lose-lose sort of job.

And that's the last bit of moderation-back-seat-driving I'm going to do, out of respect for these guys.

[Plantman]

The open forum was actaull yu my favorite one, beside the diesel one.

I asked for, and received plenty of great non- auto related help there.

It;s unfortunate amd I am totally unaware of the real reason behind it's deletion, beside lack of moderation.

What's the big deal on expressing ones opinions?

I for one will miss it a bit.

See ya!

[yal]

Man that was sudden. Talk about a downer

[PHAEDRUS242]

I understand a little bit of the commotion it has generated, but as previously stated here, there are far worse OD forums available, and it really did stay more civil than most. You allow some one that level of anonymity, and some will use it to act out in ways they are unable to in their actual existences.

Regardless of right or wrong, I do have to question the decision on a purely business oriented sense. I don't know the numbers myself, but could speculate that a good deal of the users of this particular forum were fans of at least browsing the OD pages. Now, with that eliminated, they would be likely to visit other forums sponsered by other businesses in search of not only their OD related discussion, but maybe their MB related disucussions as well. I can again speculate that some of the loyalty that is owed to said sponsers of this particular forum results, at least partially, from their fondness for the discussion forum (OD included). Otherwise it would not make sense to sponser it. Now, calculating the amount of bandwidth that it took up, plus the amount of complaints recieved, does that outweigh what could only be detrimental to overall online parts sales? I suppose only time will tell.
I imagine if the bottom line takes any kind of a hit, we may see the OD back.

[DslBnz]

This is a shock. The OD was the setting for some of the most diverse and intellectually stimulating threads.

Instead of potentially closing the OD indefinitely, the moderation should've thought of the what's in the best interest for ALL the good little girls and boys this election year.

It wasn't as if anyone was posting "#$%^*&^(*^( that %((*&)(*) LOSER!!!! I'M GONNA %*^^(*&&( their &^*&&(**&^*&^*! THAT BA%$&^(&!!" of which I have seen in by in large from other sites.

My suggestion, and I'm sure the VAST MAJORITY of the OD participants will agree, is to BAN POLITICS UNTIL the election is OVER AND DONE WITH. As was suggested earlier in this thread.

We DID have a poll by the Doc, and it was overwhelmingly in favor of BANNING politics, if I remember correctly. The OD was starting to lose it's flavor, and it soon became bitter. But canceling the OD is bewildering to me.

Please guys, "BRING BACK OD" and as for the rest of us "liberal weiners" and "right wing nut jobs", I think WE need to instigate a little more originality into the forum if/when it surfaces.

[GermanStar]

Originally Posted by DslBnz

We DID have a poll by the Doc, and it was overwhelmingly in favor of BANNING politics, if I remember correctly. The OD was starting to lose it's

Actually, you do not remember correctly. Roughly 60% voted for no censorship (note that censorship does not mean moderation).

[Billybob]

Taking the Webmaster's words at face value the clear and absolute reason for the discontinuation of the Open Disscusion Forum is, was, and has been for more than a year and a half the incessent demands of many individuals who after voluntarilly taking affirmative and deliberate actions to view and sometimes participate in "Open Disscussion" that some other person (in this case a moderator) is responsible for protecting them from and emiliorating their self-infliced hurt feelings and bruised egos. Any person who has ever contacted the moderator or Webmaster and objected to or complained about anything her/she/other saw or read in the "Open Disscussion Forum" is personally and directly responsible for this sad turn of events. It is a true shame that the crybaby communications of these persons/frauds are not available for all to see and know. My bet is that many who shouted the loudest sniveled the most!

"someone must help me, I can't stand what I've done to myself (again and again)" is a malignant cancer that threaten's to overwelm the body of liberty for all.

Contemporary political conflict is simply a clear manifestation of this condition. The failure of the "Open Forum Disscusion" is a localized manifestation. Good luck to all, vote like it matters!

[GermanStar]

Originally Posted by Billybob

My bet is that many who shouted the loudest sniveled the most!

"someone must help me, I can't stand what I've done to myself (again and again)" is a malignant cancer that threaten's to overwelm the body of liberty for all.

Somehow, I have a feeling that's exactly right.