Question about Skoda

What’s even the point of this horror cop thread?
I mean, there’s an entire subforum dedicated to that stuff—and honestly, the people posting over there rarely ever show up anywhere else on the site.

I also have this idea—just a thought, really—that we should totally link the US section to the main lounge as a subforum.

Anyway, I’d probably just set a timer on my phone—you know, let fate take the wheel for a bit—to make sure I don't lose track of things.

Thanks for all the input, everyone—really appreciate it. Could someone please drop the key? 😁

I find myself compelled to pose a question regarding the USA subforum: what was the reasoning behind shuttering the "Not Applicable" thread? In my estimation, it stood as one of the most legendary discussions within that entire section.

I noticed that the justification provided before the access key was issued mentioned that, on rare occasions, certain individuals would grace the thread with threatening or insulting remarks—comments directed at people they wouldn't dare confront face-to-face.

In my view, the fundamental responsibility of a moderator is to prune such toxicity wherever it arises, and there is certainly enough material to justify that kind of cleanup across the board. If a mere moment of effort spent deleting an occasional offensive post after a routine sweep of the thread is considered sufficient grounds to terminate such a high-quality discussion, then it is truly a profound loss; that specific thread was practically a hallmark of the USA community.

Larry Wilson25 said:So, what’s even the point of this horoscope thread?

Well, I guess the whole idea is just for people to write stuff and read it... 😁
It isn't really a "chat" thread anyway, if you ask me.

There's an entire subforum dedicated to that, and honestly, the folks posting there hardly ever show up anywhere else on the site.

So?
If someone happens to be into astrology and drops by just to share a thought, I don't see why that's such a big deal, really.

Sarah Sanders34 said:I actually have a question for the USA staff: why did you guys shut down that one legendary thread? It was seriously one of the most epic discussions on that whole subforum.

I noticed the explanation you gave before locking it was about how—every once in a while (and I mean *really* rarely)—some people pop in and leave threatening or nasty comments toward others because they aren't brave enough to say it to their face.

But, I mean, isn't a moderator's job to clean up stuff like that everywhere? There's always something to delete, right? If it's just a tiny bit of extra effort to scrub a few bad posts after checking the thread once in a while, then it feels like a huge bummer to kill off such a great thread. That topic was basically a trademark of the USA community.

Yeah, you guys should totally reopen it.

-Steve

Honestly, this whole horoscope thread is just pointless—it’s the same repetitive nonsense over and over again. Plus, much like those old school assignment threads, it doesn't even really fit the vibe of the US forum. I actually wanted to kick off a real discussion about making some changes, especially since topics like the old PIs and that whole "not applicable" situation have completely vanished.
But hey, since everyone decided to label my post as just me trolling, I'm officially done trying to think about how to improve the US.

I honestly don't see why a thread about horoscopes and broken hearts wouldn't fit on the US... I mean, if people actually believe there's some cosmic link between their lonely lives or their terrible luck in dating and where the stars are sitting, then hey, let them vent about it. Volume 3 is currently active, which pretty much proves the topic isn't going anywhere... people clearly love it.

Besides, you wrote 135 posts about horoscopes in the first part, and then 111 in the second. It’s kind of weird that suddenly this whole thing became "pointless" all of a sudden... I'm sure it's pretty obvious why someone would think you're just trolling at this point.

As for the not applicable situation, we've already looked into it and decided there's zero constructive stuff happening there anymore... it's basically just become a breeding ground for clones and trolls.

Look, all I care about is that nobody told me to go screw myself or labeled me a troll and locked this thread.
I was just jumping into the discussion because I love a good laugh—and honestly, my Mercury in Scorpio loves it too—plus, back then, Jupiter was making everything here way more interesting. (There were plenty of cute girls around, too!)

Thanks for getting back to me. See? I don't bite.
I actually brought up this whole issue with my therapist during our last session, and after burning through an entire box of tissues, we finally hit the nail on the head regarding the real problem:

Give me back my access to the PDF!!!!!1111!!!!!

P.S. Haram isn't posting on the US forums anymore.

I’m still suggesting those little experiments of mine to boost the number of new threads, assuming you guys agree on making changes to the PDF format. It doesn't even matter if I'm the one posting in the threads I end up locking, or if I hang out in any of the chats.

Larry Wilson25 said:Give me my PiK back in a PDF format already! Seriously!

We aren't planning on bringing back the PIK. The last two times we tried that, it just turned into a playground for certain cliques to go at it, and half the users would just bail for Reddit if they didn't get the answer they wanted.

Look, if you think things are going to settle back down into those old arguments once everyone cools off, fine by me. I’m definitely not a fashion expert, so I can't really say if this is just a passing trend or what.
Honestly, though? I actually hope you guys stay incredibly busy in 2015—because for us readers, more work means more juicy debates and, well, just more stuff to sink our teeth into and comment on. We can always bring in an extra moderator or two if we need to.
I really hope you get where I'm coming from—I'm not trying to be a troll or anything, I swear. It's just that sometimes there's not enough content or energy here for me. I'd love to see at least twice as many users active, which is why I suggested merging with the main site.
That way, Jacob Sullivan91 would have to deal with the Reddit crowd too.*

*just kidding

Larry Wilson25 said:Look, if you think things are gonna heat up again once everyone chills out... fine. I don't really have much experience with the mod side of things, so who knows if it’s actually an issue.
But honestly? I hope you guys stay swamped in 2015. More work for you means more juicy debates for us users, more stuff to read, and way more to comment on. Plus, we can always just call in or add some extra mods if needed.
I hope you get where I'm coming from—I'm not trying to be a troll or anything. It's just that sometimes there's just not enough text flying around here, not enough energy... I wish we had at least twice as many active users, which is why I suggested merging with the main board.
That way, Jacob Sullivan91 would have to keep track of the whole damn FBI too.*

*just kidding

I mean, you should really be setting an example for the rest of the Americans here. Start jumping into threads or even starting your own. I'm pretty sure our number of female posters would shoot up if you did. 😉

Larry Wilson25 said:I really hope you get that I’m not trying to be mean or troll anyone here! It’s just... sometimes I feel like there isn't enough text flying around or enough energy in the threads. I guess I just wish we had at least twice as many people active, which is why I suggested merging with the main site.

I mean, it's not like anyone is actually stopping you from clicking over to LJS and posting there too.
Whether we merge or not, it's up to you. 😁

-Steve

I’ve been hesitant to post in this thread for a while now.

Even though I feel lonely sometimes, I’m not currently a Lonely Heart, so I figured if I posted here, people might think I was just trolling. That isn't my intention. I'm writing because I am genuinely concerned about the current state and future of the Lonely Hearts subforum.

Given how things are going, I support the idea of merging LH with LJS. It might bring more energy to the subforum and maybe make things easier on the moderators.

The main reason I’m speaking up is the popular "Classifieds" megathread. After plenty of complaints from users, strict rules were finally introduced, but they aren't actually being enforced. In my experience, it takes several days for anything to happen. I personally saw Jacob Sullivan91 struggle with a report; she issued a warning but didn't delete the rule-breaking posts, which basically makes the new rules pointless. By the way, there are still a handful of posts violating the rules on that thread—I think you can see nearly ten of them on page 22 of that topic.

On top of that, some threads that belong in other subforums are still sitting in LH. I assume it's just because there aren't any moderators available to move them to their proper place. I noticed a few topics being moved over to LJS and ŽuD recently, which makes me wonder if the LH moderators even check new posts, or if they just don't read them at all. I know there’s nothing wrong with moderating based solely on user reports, but it makes me wonder if any other subforum operates exclusively that way.

Some users also mentioned how slow the mods are to react to the "Back to School" megathread. While most of the staff probably knows my personal stance on that thread, I’m not sharing my own opinion this time—just passing along what other regulars who follow it have said. Apparently, it takes more than a few days to announce a winner or start a new thread. I don't know all the details, but it feels like the mods in charge of this section of LH just don't care.

A couple of other small things: I've noticed various threads clearly opened by bots advertising nonsense, which then sit there for days before a moderator finally notices and deletes them.

Regarding the comment that the "Horoscope" thread is just a chat thread, I'd say that is exactly what it was designed to be. It doesn't bother me, though, because unlike many other threads here, it’s active and people actually have meaningful conversations.

As for the explanation that Pik was locked because users were arguing and coming here to "complain if they didn't like an answer," from my own experience, that behavior was encouraged long before the current moderators took over. Still, I respect their decision not to have a thread like that in their subforum if it makes their lives easier. 🤷 I mean, where else are people supposed to go to complain if not to Pik? 😳

Regarding the "Clean" topic, I’ll admit I agree with the decision to lock it. I actually suggested locking it back when I was on the old Pik, but I never intended for it to be closed permanently. The mess on that thread was really just a result of the moderators being indifferent to the activity in their assigned subforum. Unfortunately, nothing has changed, and it likely won't.

Everything I’ve written here is just my own humble opinion. I’m not looking for a debate or any kind of reaction. I have nothing against the USA moderators, even if this post makes it look like I’m attacking them. I just want what’s best for the USA. My apologies in advance if anyone feels called out or offended; I just felt like I needed to speak my mind.

Best,

Herbie. 👋

I honestly miss Bemudni so much it hurts.🕺 And I’m not the only one, either.
😢

If you all seriously think he’s just become some breeding ground for clones, why not implement a rule where you need, say, a hundred posts under your belt before you're even allowed to write on this board? 😁

neonsurfer4 said:If you really think he’s just turned this place into a breeding ground for clones, why not implement some kind of minimum requirement—like, say, having at least 100 posts under your belt—before anyone is even allowed to write in here? 😁

Look, we already have rules like that for the Classifieds section, so we see them working every single day. 🤷

"I know I'm breaking the rules, and I'm begging the mods not to ban me—it's not that I don't want to participate in the forum, it's just that if I happen to stumble upon the love of my life right here..."

"Psst, hurry up, guys, before the mods notice—hit my inbox!"

"My husband and I have both been on this forum for years, and usually, we come across as pretty literate people, but naturally, we're going to ignore the rules of this thread even though it explicitly says 'READ THE RULES,' all while simultaneously looking for a third person for a threesome." 😒 "

🤷

Sophia Kern43 said:That rule actually applies to the Classifieds section, so we get to watch it play out in real-time every single day. 🤷

"Look, I know I'm breaking the rules, and please, mods, don't ban me—I really don't want to be *that* guy posting here, but if I'm lucky, I might just find the love of my life in this thread..."

"Psst, hurry up, guys, before the mods catch on... slide into my DMs!"

"My husband and I have both been on this forum for years and usually come across as pretty literate people, but obviously, we're totally ignoring the thread rules even though it literally says 'READ THE RULES' right there, all while we're busy looking for a third for some fun..." 😒 "

🤷

Not to mention pik with that whole 'haven't read the US updates in months' vibe... I just skimmed the last page of this thread, but my girlfriend told me I should hop in here to see what's up. 🤷

We aren't in kindergarten, people. We can't just operate like this. Threads get locked for a reason.

I don't think merging the US subforum with another one is necessary, but Herbie definitely has a point about certain things.
It isn't just about reacting; it's about reacting to problems on the US in a timely manner.

Take the classifieds, for instance. If people actually acted faster on ads posted by users with fewer than 100 posts, then maybe people would respect the rules. As it stands, someone checks out the ads, maybe skims the first post... but then they scroll through the last two or three pages and realize a huge chunk of the crowd is ignoring the 100-post rule entirely. Their ads have been sitting there for days, which leads to that classic logic—if everyone else is breaking the rules, why shouldn't I?
Even Brian Johnson pointed out the mess in the classifieds a while back. I noticed his post was deleted, yet those who are violating the 100-post rule are still perfectly fine. I’m looking through the last few pages right now and seeing ads that break the rules dating all the way back to December 21, 2014, and they’re still up! 🤷

Regarding the homework assignments, I actually had to ask if there would even be a vote several days after the deadline passed. 🤷
And yeah, this thread—which is clearly meant for teenagers—sat on the US for almost three days. The very first sentence says the kids involved are 16 years old. 🙄

This summer, I started quite a few threads for forum meetups, and several times I literally had to beg for days just to get my thread bumped to the top. I tried everything from messaging various moderators privately to reporting my own thread as spam just to force someone to finally react. Isn't that ridiculous? 🕺

Look, I get it. The mods and admins aren't servants who are going to pull 24/7 shifts on the US, but surely someone could check in from time to time to see what's actually happening...

Sophia Smith29 said:Given how things are looking right now, I’m actually on board with the idea of the US joining LJS. It might be just what we need to inject some life back into this subforum—plus, it would probably make life a whole lot easier on our moderators.

Unless the owner of this forum decides to pull the trigger, this isn't going to happen—no matter how much you guys back the idea.

Sophia Smith29 said:The main reason I’m even posting right now is that whole mess with the "Classifieds" section. After everyone on the forum complained about it, they rolled out these super strict new rules, but honestly? They aren't being enforced at all. It feels like it takes several days for anyone to actually step in. I personally watched Jacob Sullivan91 struggle to handle a report for a post that clearly broke the rules—instead of actually enforcing the policy, she just handed out warnings and... I don't think I've ever seen anyone go this far with it. All those controversial posts basically made the whole point of those new rules completely useless.

Some posts get nuked immediately after being reported, some take a few hours, and others linger for a full 24. Since the mods aren't exactly obligated to jump on every single report the second it happens—and seeing as the thread is being kept clean regardless—could you please stop implying that the rules aren't being enforced? The link you sent over did have some unmoderated ads on it, but they've all been cleared out now.

Sophia Smith29 said:Moving forward, there's also... Maybe some of these topics would be better suited for other subforums. They’re still hanging around the US section, and honestly, I suspect it's just because there aren't any moderators available to move them over to their actual primary subforum. I'm only bringing this up because I've noticed several threads getting shuffled over to LJS and ŽuD lately, so it makes me wonder how much the mods assigned to the US section actually do. FlyoversIf people aren't even checking out the new threads anymore, this whole board is basically going to turn into a ghost town. Look, I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with moderation that only kicks in when someone actually files a report—that's fine—but it makes me wonder if there are any other subforums out there that operate strictly on a "wait for a complaint" basis.

You’ve got a point. If a thread with fifteen posts gets buried after only three days, it's pretty clear that people just aren't checking out the new stuff.

Sophia Smith29 said:A few other little things I’ve noticed—nothing I’m personally taking to heart, but still—there are all these random threads clearly opened by bots peddling total nonsense. They just sit there on the sub, cluttering up the feed for a couple of days before some moderator finally remembers they exist and hits delete.

The point is, those threads eventually get nuked; whether it happens today or tomorrow doesn't really change the fact that they were there.

Emily Fisher23 said:Take the classifieds section, for example. It’s a perfect case study. If we actually moved faster to address posts that don't meet the 100-post minimum, people might actually bother respecting the rules. As it stands, someone jumps into the classifieds, maybe skims the stickied first post, and then flips through the last two or three pages. They quickly realize half the crowd is already ignoring the 100-post rule anyway. Their ads have been sitting there for days without anyone saying a word, which leads to that classic logic: if everyone else is cutting corners, why shouldn't I?

How fast should we be moving on this? Look, I know sometimes we’re jumping on a report within minutes, and other times there's a bit of a lag. We’re constantly checking the threads and keeping things clean, but let's be real—is it possible for something to slip through the cracks? Of course it is.

Emily Fisher23 said:I actually had to reach out and ask if there would even be a vote at all, considering I didn't get around to checking on the deposit requirements until a few days after the deadline had already passed. 🤷
And yeah, this thread—which is clearly aimed at teenagers—was actually sitting on the US site for almost three days before anyone noticed. I mean, the very first sentence of the post literally says the kids are sixteen years old. 🙄

Meadow will be around to handle the homework assignments. In the meantime, I’ll leave this thread up for a few days—feel free to eyeball how long you need. It’s not like she went out and caused some massive crisis here in the States or anything.

Emily Fisher23 said:I started quite a few threads this summer just to get everyone together and hanging out, but honestly, I spent way too much time begging for them to be bumped back to the top. It felt ridiculous. I tried everything—messaging a handful of moderators directly, even going as far as reporting my own thread as spam just to force someone to finally take notice. Isn't that just pathetic? 🕺

Maybe it’s just because it was summer; everything seems to move at half-speed when the heat hits.

Emily Fisher23 said:Look, I totally get that the mods and admins aren't exactly on call twenty-four/seven to babysit the site here in the States, but it would be nice if someone could at least glance over things once in a while to see what's actually going on.

Let’s be real: claiming we don't cheat every once in a while is just a blatant lie.