Bringing IMG back to the Teens subreddit

I honestly thought we’d closed this chapter ages ago on this PDF, but it feels like we’re stuck in this endless loop where we have to relearn the same lessons over and over again.

What’s the deal with all these posts being deleted on Gossip Girl?
Seriously, why?
First off—we’re talking about a public figure here. Someone who maintains an open profile and chose to share news about their child right there on that very same public platform.
It’s not like someone went digging through private channels to "leak" some tragic information to Gossip Girl; anyone in the US, or even abroad for that matter, could have read it directly from her public feed.
The parent clearly didn't intend to hide this from the public eye.
So, what's the actual issue?
Does Nica think bringing it up is "tasteless"?
Are we really back to this again?
Honestly, I don't see why it matters what you or any of the mods think is tasteful or not.
As long as we’re staying within the Reddit rules, I don't see a problem—unless, of course, certain sensitive people just don't like the topic?

Secondly—the conversation wasn't just about this one specific case. It spiraled into a broader debate about today's kids, parenting styles then vs. now, and even things like schools closing because of a little snow...
Almost every thread on Gossip Girl eventually expands like that. Like that one time when a discussion about Selena Gomez and New York City somehow turned into a massive tangent about fatherhood, the legal system, gold diggers, and everything in between.
Again, what's the big deal?

Not a single rule was broken, and if you don't like what's being written because it doesn't suit your personal taste—then just don't read it.
Also, it was decided a long time ago right here on this PDF that posts wouldn't be deleted on Z; instead, they’d be flagged if a mod decides they need a warning. This happened because most users weren't okay with posts just vanishing, so we wanted them to stay visible for everyone to see what was being flagged.
Even though the current moderators weren't in charge back then, I expect them to honor what was agreed upon with the administration.
I'm just really tired of every new mod coming in and expecting us to dance to whatever new set of rules they feel like enforcing.

Reddit really isn't the right place to be dissecting something as heavy as the death of a child.
Look, I get it—it’s public news, and nobody is trying to sweep this under the rug or hush anyone up, but I honestly don't see why we need to be debating it right here in a thread dedicated to traces.
If you guys are looking to dive deep into tragic events like this or other similar topics, there are plenty of other subreddits and discussion boards better suited for that kind of conversation.

As for the whole thing about deleting posts? That’s just a standard tool for moderators to use. Posts get taken down when they need to be, and that happens on Z as much as it does anywhere else on Reddit.

From what I've noticed, none of the fathers on their profiles actually listed the cause of their child's death.

And honestly, I find it so hard to believe there are people out there who would actually gossip about such a tragedy on a thread like Gossip Girl.

I’m taking this opportunity to vent because the moderators, with their so-called "benevolent" oversight, have allowed what used to be a fun, hilarious, witty, occasionally edgy, and intelligent corner of the site (Gossip Girl) to devolve into a pathetic thread full of moralizing and small-mindedness. It’s become a place where users constantly think they are the main attraction instead of actually gossiping about celebrities. I get it—people have complexes. They crave relevance. They think every mundane thing they do deserves a freaking medal. But ever since Facebook existed, there’s been plenty of space to dump your life story elsewhere. You don't need to do it here, on a thread dedicated to dissecting and mocking public figures.

We get ten pages of users discussing their surgeries, then their family origins, then how their private lives supposedly align or clash with some B-list celebrity. Then comes endless posts about what a user's husband, boyfriend, or hookup commented on, which has absolutely nothing to do with the topic at hand... followed by more posts about users' medical histories... "I had my ovaries removed," "I had cancer," "I had a brain tumor"... then ten pages of sincere empathy for a user who shared her life story on 🤦... then "my sister's boyfriend had a family issue..." or "my ex-husband was adopted so he never..." and then ten pages on parenting, followed by twenty pages of bickering and hardcore moralizing. Seriously, what the hell? I don't get it.

And then, look, I apologize, I’m only using this as an example because it’s right there on the last page as I’m typing this, and it’s certainly not the worst:

"Every morning before work, I walk my kid to the school bus. The parents are already at work by then, and it works best for my schedule. We only have to cross one crosswalk, but what we experience there is terrifying... at least 90% of drivers just ignore us and fly past without stopping, so fast that we don't even dare step out thinking they might actually brake. Traffic is heavy, everyone is rushing to work, and pedestrians are treated like an inconvenience. I’m scared to even imagine my child trying to do this alone, even though they eventually have to overcome it. It's the same road I took every day to school, except back then there wasn't even a crosswalk, but everything is different now... the speeds, the volume of cars."

WTF???? What does this have to do with anything? And no, this thread didn't "naturally" turn into an off-topic chatroom; rather, the moderators failed to step in when they should have. This is how it became this absolute dumpster fire where you can't even find a single scrap of gossip anymore because you have to wade through posts like "Oh, and my husband's family makes really good chili."

Regarding recent events, I think the tragedy being mentioned has genuinely shaken many (actually, everyone!). The fact that people are starting to write about it on this specific thread is the fault of the moderators, who have allowed this topic to go to hell for YEARS. So why are they writing about this here? Not that I think they should—quite the opposite. But the people posting in this sub-forum don't even understand the purpose of this thread, so how could they possibly realize that this isn't something meant for discussion here? At least the endless cycle of "RIP" posts from a while back has stopped—I can't even remember who it was. God, why even write those? For whom? What is the point of life for people who just post selfies? I know, I'm rambling.

By the way, regarding the abysmal moderation, I noticed some excuse along the lines of "protecting the privacy of users." In that spirit, I’d like to request that regular users be protected from the public, semi-public, and "not-so-private" users who come to the site and refuse to stay anonymous, choosing instead to identify themselves or "allow themselves to be revealed." Consequently, they get labeled as total degenerates or local losers. Recently, on another thread, I mentioned something from a TV show, totally unaware that the person I was commenting on is a "prominent user." Very quickly, they chimed in, responding from the position of a public figure who just happens to be a user. Honestly, give me a break! I don't care who you are in your private life, and please, protect me from such insecure idiots. Don't make me the bad guy just because I won't respect the privacy of a user who shoved their real-life identity in my face against my will.

So, the posting rules here... they’re basically a joke since "everyone has their own interpretation." You can't quote a photo without getting a strike, yet over on Reddit you can multi-quote all you want—if people could just get over the "my opinion is the only one that matters" complex and actually reply to everything written between their posts. There, you can write a reply that references the topic, but then some moderator fails to grasp the context and just deletes it. Seriously? You’re killing any desire people have to actually come here and have fun writing. Look at the BB thread; she unintentionally broke a dozen different rules because the guidelines change depending on which sub-forum you're in. What is the point of any of this?

Thanks for the attention. Delete away.

Kate Wilson said:I honestly don't think Trac is the right place for us to be sitting around dissecting or overanalyzing the death of a child.
Look, it’s public knowledge at this point—nobody is actually trying to sweep anything under the rug or hide what happened. But honestly? I really don't see the point in dragging this whole thing into a thread dedicated specifically to Trac. It feels a bit out of place, don't you think?
If you guys are looking to dive deeper into discussions about tragic events like this or any other heavy topics, there are actually some much better threads and sub-forums designed specifically for that kind of stuff. Feel free to head over there if that's what you're in the mood for!

Look, when it comes to deleting posts, that’s a totally legitimate tool for the moderators to have in their kit. Honestly, posts get wiped—and they’re going to keep getting wiped—whenever it's actually necessary, whether we're talking about right here on ZK or anywhere else across the rest of the forum.

I’m totally on the same page as Sab, which is pretty much what I was getting at in that warning I posted yesterday. Just because someone is a public figure doesn't mean they’re fair game for everything; boundaries still exist, especially when half the stuff being circulated on Trac isn't even publicly documented. Honestly, I really thought that in a situation as devastating as the loss of a child, people would show a little bit of decency and respect for privacy. You'd think once someone asks you to stop, you’d just stop—especially when we're talking about one of our own from this forum. I have to say, I am genuinely floored that people are actually demanding an explanation as to why we shouldn't be dragging out the details of a child's death, speculating, or playing detective. This is a gossip thread—that's literally what it is—and yet here we are, with people who don't even know the individuals involved acting like they have a right to dissect a tragedy like this. If you want to offer condolences, go on Facebook and do it there, where the people actually grieving can see it. And if you're looking to have deep discussions about teen self-harm or any of those other heavy topics you touched on, there are plenty of better places for that than a gossip thread on Kokošinjac.

I honestly don't even know where to start with this one, but I just had to jump in here because my mind is absolutely racing! It feels like every time I turn around, there's some new piece of news or a random thought swirling around that just demands an explanation, you know? I’ve been sitting here staring at my screen for a good while now, trying to wrap my head around everything, and I just feel like we need to really dive deep into this. It’s one of those situations where you can't just skim the surface—you have to get into the weeds if you want to understand what's actually going on. I'm feeling so animated about this right now, almost like I've had three espressos, because it just feels so significant! What do you guys think? Am I totally overthinking this, or is there something much bigger happening under the radar here? Let's talk about it! kaže:
I really need to take this opportunity to vent for a second. Honestly, I’m just so frustrated with how the moderators and their so-called "benevolent" management have let things slide. They've essentially allowed what used to be this incredibly fun, hilarious, witty, and—let’s be real—occasionally spicy and intelligent corner of the forum to devolve into this pathetic thread filled with nothing but moralizing and petty small-mindedness. It’s honestly exhausting. Instead of actually gossiping about celebrities like we used to, it feels like everyone here constantly thinks *they* are the main attraction, rather than actually focusing on the celebrity gossip that brought us all here in the first place!

Look, we’re fully aware of what’s going on here—we really are. To be totally honest, moderation on this forum has been a bit hit-or-miss for a while now. We've mostly relied on user reports to keep things in line, but between shifts in the mod team and some people taking longer breaks than expected over this massive stretch of time, things have definitely slipped through the cracks. Sometimes, a post gets buried under newer, more urgent issues, and before you know it, you've got a whole pile of stuff left unaddressed. It’s our mistake, plain and simple, and we know we haven't fixed it as fast as we should have. But we want to make it right. We’re going to sit down, look back at everything, figure out what needs changing, and work hard to get this thread back to where it belongs. If you see a report that hasn't been touched, please don't hesitate to shoot a message to Sab or me directly so we can jump in and sort it out personally.