Quick question!

William Myers7 said:That rule came from the new moderator, who, if I recall correctly, had never even been on the Jokes subforum before.

Incorrect. That rule was collectively decided upon by all the moderators of that subforum. She is simply enforcing it. Furthermore, her appointment as moderator was approved by the admins and the head moderator. Their decision regarding who serves as a moderator is final, not yours.

EDIT:
I have no intention of listing examples of closed threads and their successors until I stumble upon one that actually satisfies you. I provided the first example that came to mind. The reason for closing that thread wasn't any more significant than the reason for this one. And nobody complained then.

Jacob Foster11 said:That’s not actually how it works. The moderators for that subforum all came up with that rule together, so she was really just carrying out the plan they all agreed on. Plus, the admins and the head moderator were the ones who officially approved her role. At the end of the day, they're the ones who decide who gets to be a moderator, not you, I guess.

Who says mine has to be the last one? I guess it’s not really my call... Besides, silentsailor5 already went on the record about how she ended up becoming a moderator anyway...

silentsailor5 said:She’s great in bed, and since I’m the moderator here... well, you know how things work in this country, my dear Barbara. 🙂

Why are you even getting off track here? I mean, the whole point isn't really about who someone is or what they're like—it's more about the why. Like, why does it happen, or why doesn't it? That's the actual question, I guess.
So, you guys have gone ahead and made your decision, and honestly, most of us—myself included—are pretty much on a different page. I guess we just don't get a vote in this, and clearly, our opinions don't carry much weight either... It’s a bit tough to wrap my head around. I really wonder why those of you in charge don't seem to have any heart for us regular folks out here. I truly don't know.

Your example isn't even close to what we do here... Yours is like 350 pages long, whereas ours is only about 80! Plus, your version just ends with a regular sentence from the moderator and then a link back to the old thread. You really need to look at how we wrap up one thread and kick off the next one!

William Myers7 said:Who decided mine had to be the final word? Not my business. Besides, silentsailor5 already went on the record admitting how she landed that moderator gig anyway...

If you can't take a joke, that's on you.

William Myers7 said:Why are you even deviating from the point? The issue isn't who someone is or how they act—it's why this is happening or why it isn't.
You've made your decision, and frankly, most of us couldn't disagree more. Unfortunately, we don't have a vote, and clearly, we don't even have a voice. I truly don't understand how you people in power can be so heartless toward the rest of us.

Am I the one going off-topic? You're the ones who have spent this entire time pushing the "who was where and when" angle just to attack the moderator, using those pathetic "arguments" about how she wasn't even present. In this context, that's completely irrelevant.

I'm repeating myself again. As far as the actual content goes, nothing has changed. You all complained about the moderator's decision, and for now, it stands.

William Myers7 said:Your example isn't even in the same ballpark as ours. Yours is 350 pages long, while ours is only 80! Your example just ends with a moderator's standard sentence and a link to the old thread. Look at how we actually close one thread and start the next!

I don't see why page count matters. If you're insisting that the number of pages is the key metric, then by that logic, the file size in MB is just as important. Even though this thread has fewer pages, it definitely carries more weight in terms of megabytes.

Of course cases aren't identical. Moderators aren't identical either. And even if they were, that still wouldn't mean the situations have to be exactly the same.

I suspect you all might be overthinking this a bit.
It doesn't seem to make much sense to close an old thread just to open a brand new one labeled part two.
If people weren't looking at the rules in the original post, they probably won't bother checking the first post of a new one either, I guess.

Maybe it would be easier to just start a fresh thread specifically for animations—like, funny animated GIFs.
Then, in the old thread, you could just update the first post with the rules and maybe change the title to something like "No Animations" or something similar.

Just because you think the new moderator hasn't contributed to the thread doesn't mean she hasn't been present; maybe she just hasn't posted yet. So what? I haven't always jumped in either. I check out the funny photos every single day and they’re great. Honestly, back when you, William Myers7, were hanging out in the General Offtopic section, I actually missed your presence here. 😁
So, I can say I know my way around the PDF jokes reasonably well. If people want to claim my appointment as a mod was some sudden bolt from the blue, they couldn't be more wrong. There’s a selection process for moderators designed to—more or less—satisfy the community, and that’s how it stays. Choosing a new mod is primarily the call of the owner of Forums.com, the admins, and the mods of that specific sub-forum.
That joke by silentsailor5 was fine once, but it became obnoxious because of how you all choose to interpret it. In fact, trying to catch someone on that joke feels a bit low-brow, especially for people who are supposed to actually understand humor.
You guys are going overboard with the insults directed at the new moderator, yet you turn around and demand answers. Do you really think that's fair or decent?
No one is attacking you, yet you’re systematically attacking everyone else—including me, as a mod. And now you’ve taken it upon yourself to compare me to... well, we’ve all read your posts.
A moderator is simply someone who manages the PDF section to the best of their ability. I can say this with total certainty: no moderator here intends to screw over the section they manage. If they did, believe me, they wouldn't last three days, because mod activity is strictly monitored and controlled.
Truthfully, I had hoped that you all would be able to express your opinions without resorting to insults and belittling others. I see now that I was mistaken. Ultimately, the final word rests with the mods of the PDF and the admins. If anyone isn't happy with that, they are free to take their business elsewhere. But looking at those images on the new thread just highlights your level of communication and basic understanding. It's honestly quite pathetic.
You’ve earned a certain status here through your posts, and I’m not surprised the community respects you. However, you’ve really disappointed me in this thread. I genuinely thought you were more mature than this, but clearly, I was wrong.

I just don't get why people are making jokes about it, especially considering everything that was going down at the time. I mean, honestly, it’s not like this is the first time someone has clawed their way into a position like that through shady means. I don't see any reason to think things would be any different today. At least he’s being upfront about it, so maybe that’s why half the people are willing to overlook his behavior? I guess.
I guess the fact that I’m posting about ten different PDFs a day just goes to show that I definitely know how to mess around when the mood strikes. Jokes!

I actually went ahead and asked why our request wasn't approved in the first place! So far, I haven't really gotten a straight answer. Sorry, but it felt like someone was just trying to start a brand new thread based on reasons that only made sense to them. I mean, why can't we just stick to the original thread? I still haven't heard back on that part... I don't get what the issue is with continuing the old thread exactly as we were doing before (minus the animations, obviously). Honestly, the file size in MB shouldn't even be an issue here, and I think you know that too. People aren't loading the entire massive thread all at once; they're just viewing the specific page they're currently on. So, yeah, let's move past those technical excuses.

Sarah Morales90 said:Just because a moderator hasn't posted in a thread doesn't mean they aren't part of it—maybe (and I don't really want to go checking) they just haven't jumped in yet. So what? I haven't either, honestly. But I check out the funny photo section every single day and I love it. Actually, back when you, William Myers7, were on General Discussion, I really missed 😁
. So, I guess I can say I'm pretty familiar with the PDF Jokes section. Even so, if you think my being appointed as a mod was some sudden bolt from the blue, that’s just not true. There’s actually a whole selection process for mods that's designed to work for the community, more or less. That's how it works and how it’ll stay. Choosing a new moderator is primarily a decision made by the owner of Forums.com, the admins, and the mods of that specific subforum.
That joke from silentsailor5 used to be funny, but it got pretty tiresome because of how everyone interprets it. Honestly, trying to play along with that joke feels a bit low-brow, especially for people who should probably get the point.
You guys are going way overboard with the insults toward the new moderator, yet at the same time, you're demanding answers. Do you really think that's fair or okay?
Nobody is insulting you, but on the flip side, you're insulting everyone in line. Right now, you're even taking shots at me as a mod and thinking you have the right to compare me to... well, we've all read your posts.
A moderator is just someone who runs the PDF section the best they can. I can say this with total confidence: none of us mods come in intending to mess with the PDF we manage. If someone did, trust me, they wouldn't last longer than three days because mod activity is definitely watched and controlled.
To be honest, I was hoping—and now I realize I made a mistake—that you guys would at least try to state your opinions without resorting to insults and belittling others. At the end of the day, the final word still belongs to the mods of that PDF and the admins. If anyone isn't happy with it, they're free to go somewhere else. But looking at those pictures on the new thread just shows where everyone's level of communication and understanding is at. It's honestly just sad.
You've built up a certain status here through your posts, so I'm not surprised the community respects you. But you've really let me down on this thread. I just thought you were more mature than this, but I guess I was wrong.

How did I let you down? In what way? Please, tell me... We're all having a blast in this damn thread, and then someone, without an ounce of shame, shuts it down and opens a new one just to show off how much power they have? For no reason and without any warning! If you'd been following the old thread regularly, you'd know that the process for closing an old thread and starting a new one would be handled differently!

What am I supposed to do? Just stand on the sidelines and stay quiet while they trash talk all of us who were enjoying ourselves? All our requests were shot down, so... I can't just sit here calmly and take it!

William Myers7 said:I already asked why our request wasn't approved! So far, I haven't received a single straight answer. Sorry, but it seems to me someone just wanted to start a new thread based on reasons only they can understand. Why can't we just stick to the original thread? Still waiting on an answer for that... What exactly is the issue with continuing the discussion as we did before (minus the animations)?

I can't answer those questions for you. You'll have to wait for an official from the relevant authorities. But honestly, judging by how things have been playing out here lately, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't hold my breath for any kind of response.

William Myers7 said:The weight in megabytes is irrelevant, and you know that just as well as I do!

I know there isn't one. It's just like how page count doesn't mean anything. Yet, you’re still using it as an argument to differentiate between these two cases—yours and the one I linked.

It looks like you’re having a hard time accepting the fact that the mods and admins reached an agreement. It was a pretty straightforward answer. Until they decide to change things up, this is just how it works.
So, let's drop the act about not getting an answer. You got one; you just don't like what it was.

And this idea that you land a moderator spot by sleeping your way to the top... is that some kind of joke? Or are you actually being serious right now?
The thought that someone had to go through the beds of the owner, 14 administrators, and finally silentsailor5 just to volunteer as a mod is... honestly, it's hysterical.🙄

William Myers7 said:What exactly did I do to surprise you? Come on, enlighten me...

Given your level of discourse, I'd say it was pretty easy to predict 🤷

We're all having a good time discussing this topic, and then someone, without an ounce of shame, shuts it down just to start a new one to flex their muscles? No reason, no warning! If you had been keeping up with the old thread, you'd know there's usually a different way to handle closing one and opening another.

The thread was closed because it needed to be split into two new ones. Closing it was about organization, not some power trip. Honestly, I'd love for someone to explain what moderator power actually looks like, because I've yet to see any. All I see is how you guys jumped on Countess to show off what you can do.

How am I supposed to act? Just sit on the sidelines and stay quiet while they trample over everyone who was actually enjoying the discussion? Every single request we made was shot down, so... I can't exactly just sit here and take it.

Of course nobody is asking you to do that. This PDF exists specifically so people can share their thoughts. My issue isn't with the sentiment, it's just the way it's being handled.
I've been on this forum for years and I've never gone out of my way to insult anyone or call them stupid. Do you think I haven't had the chance? Sure, I have, but that's usually what people with a limited vocabulary resort to, and I've never put you in that category. In fact, whenever someone tried to talk trash about your photos, you always had a sharp, clever comeback. I actually respected that. So, go back and read the beginning of my post again and realize 😉

Jacob Foster11 said:I honestly can't give you an answer to those questions myself. You’re probably going to have to wait on someone in charge to weigh in. But, just looking at how things have been playing out here over the last few days, I guess if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be holding my breath for much of a response.

Thanks! Finally, I think I got a real answer for once, and that's just saying he... I guess you just can't do it.Well, I guess I'll just keep waiting around for someone who actually knows how to handle this...

Sarah Morales90 said:I guess you're having a bit of a hard time accepting that the mods and admins on Forums.com have already reached an agreement on this. It was actually a pretty clear and straightforward answer. Until they decide to change things up, I suppose this is just how it’s going to be.
Look, I wouldn't dwell on the fact that you didn't get an answer anymore. I mean, you actually did get one, it just wasn't what you wanted to hear, I guess.

So, I was just thinking... is it actually true that people land moderator positions through some kind of "behind closed doors" arrangement? Like, is that for real? That sounds like a total joke to me.
The idea that someone actually made it through the first owner of Forums.com, all 14 administrators, and finally survived silentsailor5’s reign just to end up volunteering as a joke moderator... I mean, it’s honestly hilarious. 🙄

I just can't wrap my head around why you guys are being like this and refusing to make things work for us. It’s not just me, either; I know a ton of other people feel the exact same way! We aren't even asking for images to be larger than 640 px—that would actually make sense—we're just talking about the basic ability to open them. I guess I'm just staring at this. Maybe I'm overthinking it, but it feels like there's more to see here. I honestly feel like there are certain discussion threads that just shouldn't be shut down. It feels a bit pointless, I guess. Maybe it’s just me, but some topics deserve to stay open.

Look, I don't really care about how someone lands a moderator gig. That’s not my business. I just think what he said was totally misplaced—like, wrong message, wrong timing. Maybe it just wasn't the right moment to bring that up.

Sarah Morales90 said:Given how you talk and your whole vibe, I guess it was pretty easy to see 🤷

The thread is closed, and honestly, there should have been two new ones opened up instead. So, closing it is just about keeping things organized, not about flexing any kind of authority. To be honest, I’d love for someone to explain what power a moderator actually has, because I just don't see it, and I never really have. All I know is that you guys went after Countess, and that felt like where you were showing your strength.

Of course, nobody is asking you to do that. This PDF exists just as a way to share thoughts. I just have an issue with the way it's being handled, nothing more than that.
I've been on this forum for a few years now, and I haven't once told anyone to get lost or called anyone stupid or anything like that. Do you think I haven't had the chance? Sure, I have, but that's usually what people with limited vocabularies do, and I've never put you in that category. Actually, quite the opposite—whenever someone left a negative comment on your photos, you always had such a clever and smart comeback. I really liked that. So, maybe just re-read the start of my post and realize 😉

Our power is basically getting shut down quickly with bans and warnings! That just proves we don't have any power at all...
We were looking for some middle ground, and we didn't even come close to getting it! Thanks for nothing!

I'm sorry if I let you down... Just try putting yourself in my shoes for a second! You'll see that I really do care about all of this...

I’m jumping in here as just another one of those "drive-by" users who doesn't even have three posts in the Jokes section, but I’m definitely one of those people who William Myers7 has been keeping entertained for ages with his pictures, GIFs, and whatever other media he throws out there.
The issue, if you ask me, isn't really that Countess almost never shows up in that specific thread—which ties back to my opening line and what Henry Edwards33 was saying earlier—it’s more about the fact that she’s not exactly a veteran user on Forums.com🙂, let alone an experienced moderator.
Now, whether the decision to turn the Funny Photo thread into what it has become was driven by some sudden burst of ego from her (unlikely🙂) or if it came down from the higher-ups... well, maybe someone in charge can weigh in on that.🙂

The second thing is this: when picking moderators for the Jokes section, they clearly didn't look at "past contributions," which is usually how this works. If they actually went by that metric, William Myers7 would’ve been first in line for the job. And no, I don't know the guy personally, we aren't buddies, I'm not covering for him, or anything like that. I'm just showing up as some random surfer passing through.😁
If they weren't going to pick one of the old-timers on the site, the next logical choice should have been an experienced moderator from another sub-forum. I mean, sure, the community might have complained if someone from the Pets forum stepped in, but it definitely wouldn't have blown up to this scale when the current mod hasn't even been registered for a full year.
Look, obviously seniority isn't a strict requirement for being a good moderator, but it doesn't take long to figure out who actually knows what they're doing and who's just winging it.🙂

Take Jacob Foster11, for example. You became a mod relatively recently, but in that short window, you've already proven you're great at it.

Anyway, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. That’s basically my bottom line for this whole thing.

Cheers, everyone.

William Myers7 said:I'm sorry if I let you down... Just try walking a mile in my shoes for a second. You'll see that all of this actually matters to me...

Honestly, everything I've been reading feels like pure frustration, so I'm taking it as just that. I’d like to believe you didn't actually mean what you wrote... (not that I'm going to quote your whole rant about the mods) but that it was more an outburst of anger than your actual stance. Still, being realistic, that kind of talk ends up painting me as a moderator for Forums.com, which made me feel targeted too.
That said, I’d really love to see some constructive way to fix this because I truly miss those photos. Believe it or not, I used to check this thread at least once a day, and just like everyone else, it was my little escape.
The bans and warnings went to people who earned them. If anything, looking back at everything I've seen and read, the mods and admins haven't been particularly harsh or unfair. Users who post offensive images or comments know the rules; they knew exactly what the consequences were when they chose to go down that path. There’s a right place and a right way to vent your dissatisfaction, and that place is right here.

You probably have no idea how much work I've put in since becoming a mod. I've spent plenty of time merging and splitting threads just to keep things organized so users can find answers or join discussions quickly and easily.

I think I've said enough, and I don't want to keep picking at this.
As a regular reader, I just hope you guys reach some sort of agreement or truce. Ideally soon, so we can get back to laughing instead of all this drama.

Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm siding with Countess. She didn't do anything out of spite, yet she's expected to keep moderating a PDF section where she isn't exactly welcomed. I hope this whole thing is forgotten quickly, though as I've mentioned before, some of my hopes aren't exactly grounded in reality... But whatever... I hope. 😉

Sarah Morales90 said:I suppose users who go out of their way to post offensive images or comments already know what the penalties are, so they’re likely doing it with full awareness of the consequences. They’ve basically made a choice to take that path. There’s a specific place for expressing frustration—which is right here—and there’s a proper way to go about it.

Look, I get why offensive posts get flagged; that makes sense enough to me.
But if you just don't share the same sense of humor as someone else who might be "offending" you, well, that’s a different story entirely. 🤷
To us, those images are actually pretty funny, which is why we keep posting them. 🤷

Hey, could you try opening this forum on an Android phone for me? Seriously, give it a shot—whether it's an iPhone, a BlackBerry, or whatever else you've got lying around. Just tell me what the very first thing you see is once it loads... please! I’m curious to see what everyone else gets. For the benefit of the group!
What's the deal with Opera Mini? I can't help but think that anyone who's constantly obsessing over their data limits is probably using it to scrape by.

Tapatalk?

I mean, honestly, these people are so incredibly cheap they probably count every single megabyte they use. They crawl onto the forums just to read the joke threads, only to get absolutely roasted by a GIF, and then—of course—they have the nerve to slide into the admins' DMs to complain about it. Typical.
I’m basically acting as my own admin here, mostly because he’s actually going to show up on this forum eventually. And honestly? It’s driving me absolutely nuts. Every time I try to load this thread, it takes forever. The GIFs are the main culprit—the whole page is sitting at about 30MB, and just one single GIF is probably dragging us down by 300kb. It's a mess. 🤦)

Look, everyone’s entitled to an opinion. You guys made a massive blunder, and now you're trying to hide behind all this pseudo-official corporate jargon to justify it. Honestly? It’s just a bunch of excuses. From where we're sitting, this whole thing is just one big, messy rant.

Sarah Morales90 said:Don't get me wrong, but I'm siding with Jose Johnson79 on this one. It’s not like she did anything out of pure spite.

Is it really?
I can't believe I actually fell for that one. Honestly, looking back at how much time I wasted on it, I feel a little ridiculous. It’s one of those things where you think you've got everything figured out, and then—boom—you realize you were walking straight into a trap. Anyway, enough about my momentary lapse in judgment. What do you all think? Is it just me, or is this whole situation getting a bit absurd?
ilitga

Jose Johnson79 said:What exactly am I missing here? 🤦 Men... honestly.

GIFs and video clips aren't photos. End of Story.

And this one too.
I honestly don't know where to start with this mess. It’s one thing to deal with incompetence, but it's another level entirely when it's this systematic. I was looking at the data again this morning, and it just doesn't add up. There’s no way anyone in charge actually looked at these numbers before making that call. It feels like we're just throwing darts at a board in a dark room and hoping we hit something profitable. I mean, really? We're supposed to believe this is the "strategic direction" for the next fiscal year? Give me a break. It’s almost impressive how they managed to miss the obvious red flags. If this were any other company, they would have been replaced by the board months ago. But here, it's just business as usual. Anyway, I'm probably just venting now. My coffee is cold, my mood is sour, and I’m clearly getting nowhere with this. Just felt like someone had to say it.

Jose Johnson79 said:Good grief, I haven't seen this much pure audacity even in the most notorious reform schools.👋

Maybe it’s just me, but it really gets under my skin when someone tries to act like an expert on something they clearly don't understand. Like, okay—a GIF isn't a photo. It *is* a photo, sure, but it can be animated. She didn't make a mistake by accident; she genuinely just doesn't get how it works. Or maybe I'm just being overly sensitive because I'm a guy and I took it personally. My bad. 🤷 Look, I know I come across as sensitive—it’s just how I am—but honestly? Most of the time I’m actually pretty indifferent. It’s not that I don't care; I just have some very specific reasons for staying detached. ☕

Look, I’ve got nothing against her personally. Truly. My issue isn't with her; it's with the sheer inconsistency and the total lack of common sense coming from that entire side of the aisle.

@ lili p.

Yeah, I was worked up, and honestly, I'm still a little on edge, but I don't really regret anything I said. If you felt like I was calling you out personally, then I'm sorry about that, but anyone who recognized themselves in my comments knows exactly why—it was directed at them. Shout out to the exceptions, though, the ones who stood by us or at least kept their cool because they know we all make mistakes sometimes; we're all human, after all. You just happened to be on the other side of things 😢.

Lately, I feel like I’ve forgotten how to laugh, and I haven't really been in the mood to laugh at anyone else either... It'll probably stay this way since I don't see any reason to start posting on the new thread! You say you miss the photos and want some kind of helpful solution, but I already laid it all out when the old thread was unlocked. Once that gets unlocked again, the photos will come back! And I really think that once that happens, people will stop posting those new funny pictures that I—and everyone else on the new thread—find so ridiculous, because there won't be any reason to keep doing it...

I honestly don't get why everyone is making such a huge deal out of closing the old Funny picture thread just to start a new one without the GIFs. It’s standard practice on basically every forum out there to have Vol. 1, Vol. 2, and so on—it never causes this much drama elsewhere. People who posted in the first thread can just keep posting their stuff in the second one and it's totally fine...

Look, seriously, if you don't actually know what's going on here, just don't post... and since it's pretty obvious you have no clue, please, just don't post.

goldentrucker18 said:we really need to 'meet in the middle' (admins and users);

When I mentioned that GIFs aren't being posted in the photo threads anymore, that old thread shouldn't have been labeled "old" in the first place! You guys had your own dedicated thread and your own rules for GIFs. Honestly, I didn't see anyone actually liking this "middle ground." Maybe it was buried under all those insults and people just went, "Sure, whatever," but I definitely didn't see it. Please, enlighten me!

Kate Castillo55 said:if you mods agreed on this, the rules in that PDF should have explained why a separate GIF thread needs to be opened and why GIFs shouldn't be added to the image thread anymore.

If a GIF thread had opened, photos would just keep going in the old thread. But our usernames aren't highlighted in black, and that’s why dozens of us have been jumping in like crazy.

You users could have just accepted it right away! You could have kept your old thread and just moved the GIFs to the new one. Instead, you chose to be insulting.

Alright, William Myers7, here is my pitch.

The old photo thread will be set as a pinned topic (locked, obviously) and stay that way from now on. That way, you don't have to worry about it getting lost on the site.

On top of that, any future comments attacking my or Zodiac's moderation—whether they are images or text—will result in a three-day ban, no matter where on the site they are posted. You've been warned!

Do we have a deal?