COVID thread locked without explanation (again)

Samuel Turner2 said:If there's no money involved, why act like this? Are you being pressured in some other way?
Why put up with it then? Do you honestly think this behavior is acceptable?

Yes, we are under the thumb of a massive herd of mindless parrots who failed to use even a shred of common sense to filter the voices surrounding them; instead, they focused solely on those driving them toward a climax of pure idiocy, all while chasing the promise of elite, instant knowledge and a final utopia—reserved just for them.

That particular voice filled their brains with this (non-regime #lol) instant wisdom they feel compelled to use, and at its prompting, fueled by the dream of utopia, they have scattered across virtual fields to sow weeds instead of seeds of wisdom.

The "wisdom" they were promised is actually the weed itself; utopia is a myth, yet these parrots continue to recite things from memory, waiting fruitlessly for a harvest.

Which, much like in a dark fable, will never come, because the whole thing is built on lies and mirrors reflecting distorted images where every parrot looks magnificent, tall, and draped in brilliant, colorful feathers—all while being utterly deceitful.

Honestly, I don't think even we know why we tolerate them. Perhaps we are just masochists. Maybe we feel a certain pity for them. Maybe we hope that if we point out the warped mirrors, they might somehow stumble back into reality. But most likely, we are just plain masochists.
🤷

Charles Fox10 said:If you hand over the keys and head down to a cheap local diner, they’ll just serve you some flimsy, cardboard-flavored nonsense that’s basically garbage in a bowl, and before you know it, you’re left holding an empty bag while wondering where all your money went.
Don't try to sell me on getting rich off twenty bucks in pocket change.

For heaven's sake, show some actual maturity.

I have already stated this once... the moment anyone asks me to moderate based on their personal whims, I am done doing it, and frankly, I doubt anyone else would bother either—leaving the boss, much like a scene from a song about General Motors, standing alone in the dark blowing out a candle because there's nobody left.

Oh, give it a rest; it is as if people haven't realized that the real Charles Fox10 is long gone, replaced by some festive stranger who doesn't belong here.
Making up words that don't exist isn't going to save you. 🐔

driftingtinker said:They’ve been looking for $2000 and an appropriate diagnosis for the role of moderator on the forum. I'm still weighing my options.

That isn't exactly pocket change to set aside (though I doubt the diagnosis part will be an issue), but just think about all those poor souls you'd be "saving" if you actually started banning people—for heaven's sake, have some heart!!1!

Charles Fox10 said:So you hand over your paycheck and head down to Coffee. They just take it right out of your hands, and then you're left feeling like some soft piece of cardboard, basically just tossing a handful of nothing into the trash. Then, before you know it, the bill hits you hard enough to leave a mark on your soul.
Don't talk to me about getting rich off twenty grand in credit.
.

Man, I honestly had to read that twice just to decipher what was even being said. 😬

Casey Bennett said:Yeah, we're all just under the thumb of this massive flock of mindless parrots who can't bother to filter through the noise with any actual common sense, just reciting things they've memorized while waiting around for a payout that might never come.

....and I still haven't figured this part out 😁

Eh. Slow down a bit.

Casey Bennett said:Give it a rest. It’s not like they haven't realized the old Charles Fox10 is long gone—lost to the night—and some loudmouthed guy from the Midwest has taken his place instead.
Making up words won't save you. 🐔

I'm not translating a few idioms just to be stubborn for your sake.🙂

as if you actually understand them 😛

It’s about time some platforms caught up with the times. 🙄

On a certain foreign subreddit I browse from time to time, some great people posted this notice:

"If your threads or posts are removed, it means they violated our community guidelines. If you disagree with the decision, feel free to go vent to the wall in your room."

And that's it. 😁

Problem solved. No endless appeals or pointless arguments needed! 😁

It’s 2021, and everyone has a smartphone with constant access to the web, so anyone looking to troll or waste time can just find their own space online. We aren't living in 1999 anymore (though looking at how some forums are designed, you might think 😁 ), where most users were decent, well-educated people. Nowadays, you never truly know who is behind a screen—it could be a kid trolling for attention or a bored retiree passing the time...

A bit more decisiveness and backbone would go a long way! 🧐

mistybison is rooting for Anytown! 🎉

Samuel Turner2 said:I’d actually love to know the logic behind shutting this thread down.
Thanks!

The military structure is a joke, honestly. 🤣

If Sugar can do it, so can I.

Hellboy said:...Well yeah, because why wouldn't I struggle just to write down my kid's religion class info?

Whenever I come across a comment like this, I can't help but feel incredibly grateful for the insight shown by 🙏 who made sure our Great Leader Janez Janša was properly educated back in that small town in rural USA, isn't that right? It really saves us all from having to endure this kind of nonsense over here.
Thanks a million, sir! 😁

Samuel Turner2 said:Look, I’m not saying whether there’s money involved or not.
It’s just that the way some of these moderators act totally justifies people thinking that way.
I mean, if there isn't any cash changing hands, why act like this? Is someone pulling your strings behind the scenes?

Honestly, looking at the absolute chaos on the Media and coronavirus subforum, those folks at the CDC are pretty clueless if they're actually paying for this level of mess.

I’d bet my bottom dollar that Reddit is getting a massive kickback from the anti-vaxxers, considering how many of them there are and just how loud they get!

I feel compelled to bring this up once more because the moderation team hasn't come up with a viable solution yet, and time is slipping away—please, just delete the posts that actually violate the rules. It really should be that simple. Locking the threads for "Protest against mandates" and "Media and coronavirus" seems like a rather ill-advised move to me.

It’s particularly frustrating because those specific topics have already become established pillars here, and they can't just be swapped out for something else. I suppose it was easy enough to quietly lock and remove new threads with 15 or 20 posts without offering any explanation, letting them fade into obscurity, but now you might be creating problems for yourselves.

For instance, if I wanted to write a post right now regarding the protests against mandates, I honestly wouldn't know where to put it, so I am asking the moderators for guidance so I don't end up off-topic or breaking the rules. Please don't suggest using the chat thread, as that is strictly a chat space. By locking these themes so thoughtlessly, you're essentially forcing users into a corner where they either have to break the rules or act out in defiance. One way people might show that defiance is by opening a "Protest against mandates Vol. 2" thread, which I think would be entirely justified given how relevant and necessary the topic remains, especially since no coherent reason was provided for the initial closure. This will likely lead to more than just tension; such actions give people plenty of reason to suspect that you've actually taken a side.

All of this leads me to wonder if the moderation team is not only being impulsive in their actions but perhaps a bit lost in all of this as well. It almost feels as though there isn't a clear way to resolve a problem that doesn't truly exist in the first place.

I'm not quite sure what the reasoning behind this is. I think we should just let people discuss things. I don't understand who exactly was spreading misinformation on these threads—which was cited as the reason for the lock—to warrant shutting them down. If the issue started somewhere and the discussion was ruined, I would argue it began when the user "minime0" minime0 showed up and started stirring the pot, trolling, drifting away from the point, diluting the conversation, and ultimately destroying it.

Anthony Nelson3 said:Given the state of the Media and coronavirus subforum, the people in charge are being quite foolish if they're actually paying for that kind of content.

I would argue that Reddit is essentially getting funded by anti-vaxxers, considering how many there are and how loud they shout.

They drive the clicks.

Everyone wins here: the anti-vaxxers and conspiracy theorists get the illusion that they are intelligent, that their opinions carry weight, that someone is actually listening, and that they possess some secret knowledge that makes them special or enlightened.

People just like them—along with a whole crowd of confused followers searching the internet for answers—stumble upon links to these topics, read them, and end up even more muddled and misled 😁 , yet the site benefits because all of this translates directly into traffic and revenue.

We live in a society where nonsense, triviality, and sensationalism grab attention and generate profit. That is why a "Women's corner" filled with Instagram influencers and gossip can be read by hundreds at any given moment, while a section for "Philosophy" or "Literature" considers it a success if ten people visit simultaneously.

One must be wise enough to preserve quality contributors (so the site doesn't turn into a "Twilight zone" 😁 ), while still monetizing those who "work" for free day and night, churning out the trendy controversies that drive engagement. It is a delicate balance. 😢

To answer Casey Bennett — no, I would certainly never be Anytown. 😁

mistybison said:Seriously, when are you guys gonna catch up to the times? 🙄

On this one random forum I check out every now and then, some decent people posted a disclaimer:

"If your threads or posts get nuked, it’s because they broke the rules. If you don't like our decision, feel free to go scream at the wall in your bedroom."

Simple as that. 😁

Problem solved. No endless appeals, no whining, nothing! 😁

It’s 2021—everyone’s got a smartphone and constant internet access now, so you can spend all day arguing with every troll and loser online if you really want to. It isn't 1999 anymore (though looking at how this place is designed, you might think 😁 ), where most users were actually educated, well-meaning folks. Nowadays, who knows who's even typing? Some kid trolling for fun, or some lonely old guy bored in retirement...

Needs more backbone! 🧐

Enchi, Enchi... come on. At least for the last few years, you've written enough posts complaining about how this whole forum has gone downhill, making big exits just to say goodbye... and then coming back. You should know by now that when you spend that much (valuable) time somewhere, you don't just stay quiet and vanish that easily.

Now that you’re clearly backing this rude treatment of anyone with a different opinion on a certain global topic—a narrative that makes people hate participating here—you’re suddenly telling others to take a firmer stand. 😢

Noah Perez5 said:Look, I want to start a thread about the protests against these mandates, but I don't want to get banned or clutter up other sections. Mod, where should I put this?

The thread’s been live for over a day now. Figured you guys would stumble onto it eventually, but clearly, I overestimated the room. There was even a hint 🙂

bluelynx52 said:The military structure is just a joke, honestly.🤣

Thread went up this morning. Some people are just blind. 🤣

bluelynx52 said:The thread’s been live since this morning, honestly people are just blind 🤣

I totally tried to wrap my head around that nonsense, but I still can't find the actual thread anywhere.
So, could someone please point me in the right direction and maybe drop a link?

bluelynx52 said:The thread has actually been open for more than a day now. I suppose I was hoping you all might just figure it out on your own, though I guess there was no guarantee that would ever happen. There was even a subtle hint 🙂

The topic was still active as of this morning, so I’m not quite sure why everyone is acting so clueless 🤣

Protests against the mandates and Media coverage during the pandemic are still locked tight.

https://ibb.co/x5xkMCC

So, I really don't follow what you're getting at here.

But hey, I do appreciate the effort to try and unlock these threads, even if it seems like it's mostly because there aren't many actual arguments left to make.

P.S. Let's not muddy the waters; someone just unlocked the first thread moments ago. 👍

Honestly, you're making yourself look pretty foolish. 😁

mistybison said:...We live in a world where mindless nonsense, trivialities, and pure sensationalism grab everyone's attention and rake in the cash. That’s why the "women's corner" filled with Instagram influencers and celebrity gossip gets read by hundreds of members at any given moment, while a thread on "Philosophy" or "Literature" is considered a massive success if even ten people show up at once.

That's a bit like saying today is Wednesday and tomorrow is already Thursday...
If half the population has an IQ under 100, what can you really expect?
People just have this deep-seated hunger for stupidity, mindless drama, social media fluff, true crime stories, and watching other people's lives fall apart. Would it really be a good thing if Reddit lost half its user base over this? It’s pretty obvious that the platform would go belly up almost immediately, so where would we all go to talk then?

I think we could use a little more empathy for those folks who, let's just say, aren't exactly the brightest bulbs in the box.
If someone were to walk up to General Electric today with a weapon, they'd probably just say: I don't seek out foolishness, nor would I ever provide it to you.

bluelynx52 said:They are open

Alright, I appreciate the clarification. 😁

However, I still find myself struggling to understand the reason behind insisting that these threads were unlocked just yesterday—and perhaps even leaning into that false claim as if it somehow serves a purpose—when they clearly weren't.

I suppose I'm not the only one on this forum who seems to have caught onto this somewhat clumsy attempt at... well, whatever it was you were trying to do.

🍿