NationStates Jolt Archive

First of all, this is NOT a critique nor is this a request to reverse any Mod action/decision but more of a clarification.

in this post (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showpost.php?p=12675080&postcount=4)...
UnHoly Smite, referring to members of one party as "Democraps" is flamebait. Do you not think that you'd react negatively if someone called you a "Republicunt"? The fact that you deleted them counts for something, but the fact that you posted them in the first place still counts... are you saying that such a label is Flamebait? and thus could be actionable?

Was it not clear enough that both Tsaraine and Katganistan stated the same thing in the same thread? Seemed pretty clear to me that we all considered it flamebait. Whether it's actionable depends on other factors, obviously, as no action was taken against Unholy Smite as a result of that particular phrase.

Was it not clear enough that both Tsaraine and Katganistan stated the same thing in the same thread? Seemed pretty clear to me that we all considered it flamebait. Whether it's actionable depends on other factors, obviously, as no action was taken against Unholy Smite as a result of that particular phrase.

the reason why I'm asking is because while I wouldn't get riled up with such labels, I have seen them (or similar) in use repeatedly in some threads and wondered if it should be reported because they are defined as flamebaiting.

normally I think of those things as "growing a thicker skin" but if they are flamebaiting, then that is something good to know.

more for my (and I hope, others) clarification to avoid further... unpleasantness.

I also have a question on Gravedigging... if you don't mind. :p

Ok, some are obviously digging deep for threads, but is there an 'experation date' so to speak? say Rule of thumb, a week, a month, ect... (to prove the point of the popularity of a type of topic, I listed several threads and one reply was "oh look three pages back" to which I responded, "Check the date, it's only two days old.") that, among other things, got me thinking about the experation point of threads.

and granted those that end up posting something... frivolus should be reburied... what if the person makes an honest attempt to keep the topic going, even if it's been a week or month or whatever... would those threads be allowed to be... reanimated?

sorry, but everytime I see someone doing a Suicide by Mod for the reason of supposed mod bias, I tend to try to review the situation from their side and see where the misunderstanding occurred. :p

Regarding the grave-digging thing, it varies, mainly due to what forum it's on; in General the internet bits and bytes are full of caffeine, so you post like fleets of hyperactive squirrels at Starbucks ... whereas in NS the internet is suffused with valium, so we take our time. And in NS2 we have to resurrect posters from deathlike slumber before every post.

As a rule of thumb I don't think there is one, but in General a week is almost certainly too long. I'd say a couple of days, tops.

~ Tsarmageddon

General the internet bits and bytes are full of caffeine, so you post like fleets of hyperactive squirrels at Starbucks ...
Somewhere on the Internet there is a picture of that, and when I find I, I swear I will post it because it pretty much its it dead on.

Just out of sheer curiosity, may I ask why gravedigging is considered bad at all? I can understand where irrelevant posts are to be frowned upon, but what about relevant posts? Why must we waste Jolt's bandwidth with even more threads about the same topic if another, older thread is relevant to the subject at hand? Again, I stress curiosity, lest a mod suspect I am attempting to rouse feelings of...something...

Just out of sheer curiosity, may I ask why gravedigging is considered bad at all? I can understand where irrelevant posts are to be frowned upon, but what about relevant posts? Why must we waste Jolt's bandwidth with even more threads about the same topic if another, older thread is relevant to the subject at hand? Again, I stress curiosity, lest a mod suspect I am attempting to rouse feelings of...something...

I think the time limit Tsaraine gives above is a rough guide, rather than an absolute. There have been many times when a thread has been left open even after a long time because it remains the most appropriate place for something to be. It's generally a judgement call.

As to why it's not allowed; I don't know about you, but I'm not desperately keen on having things quoted back at me that I said a long time ago, and may have completely forgotten why I said it, or changed my mind on something. That might not be the official reason, but it's why I don't like them.

Imagine we had only one thread on religion and some posters who are generally very involved in religious threads. If a thread that was here a year ago revives on the topic, I'm likely to know all the relevant bits but anyone who wants to join the conversation on even ground has to go back and read 60 pages to catch up. They probably aren't going to do that, so a fresh thread filled with fresh debate (okay, well, whatever) is a better way to go.

Seriously, think about what it would be like. All reasonable new posters discouraged to join the ongoing discourse because of their ignorance of pasts goings on. It's just not a good practice to keep the blood flowing around here.

Or so I'd call it that, at least.

Regarding the grave-digging thing, it varies, mainly due to what forum it's on; in General the internet bits and bytes are full of caffeine, so you post like fleets of hyperactive squirrels at Starbucks ... whereas in NS the internet is suffused with valium, so we take our time. And in NS2 we have to resurrect posters from deathlike slumber before every post.

As a rule of thumb I don't think there is one, but in General a week is almost certainly too long. I'd say a couple of days, tops.

~ Tsarmageddon

Then there is a possibility I gravedig (how ironic) on a fairly regular basis... since my work weeks tend to be long, and I do most of my posting in the 'free time'... that means it can be 8 or 9 days between entries into a topic I particularly want to comment on... and I'll admit, I've had to search for 'dropped' debates before.

The gravedigging rule is in place to prevent idiots from posting "Good Post! I agree! ;)" in two-year-dead topics. Even when the next 3 posts are bitching about the grave-digger, it inevitably reopens the debate (with associated discontinuities of both players and concepts) or degenerates into spam (which some people seem to enjoy, for utterly incomprehensible reasons).

Somebody bumped a two-year-old thread the other day where they posted "if you haven't done <thing> by April 2007, I'll <action>". Sure enough, they <actioned> in April 2007. Seemed entirely on topic to me, though I did close the thread because of the spammy response that followed.

I personally don't have a problem with gravedigging when it's on topic, and the relevant players are still active. However, that's rare. Ususally, it's somebody new who just discovered the Search function, and they're reviving some ancient abortion or gun control thread. We have enough of those that we don't need to raid the cellar for more.

The gravedigging rule is in place to prevent idiots from posting "Good Post! I agree! ;)" in two-year-dead topics. Even when the next 3 posts are bitching about the grave-digger, it inevitably reopens the debate (with associated discontinuities of both players and concepts) or degenerates into spam (which some people seem to enjoy, for utterly incomprehensible reasons).

Somebody bumped a two-year-old thread the other day where they posted "if you haven't done <thing> by April 2007, I'll <action>". Sure enough, they <actioned> in April 2007. Seemed entirely on topic to me, though I did close the thread because of the spammy response that followed.

I personally don't have a problem with gravedigging when it's on topic, and the relevant players are still active. However, that's rare. Ususally, it's somebody new who just discovered the Search function, and they're reviving some ancient abortion or gun control thread. We have enough of those that we don't need to raid the cellar for more.
Ah. Well, in that case, it makes sense then. Thank you, Fris.

First, thanks for all the clarification. it will lead to less misunderstanding.

Second... I now have an image of a Battalion of Hammies (Over the Hedge) invading Starbucks... :headbang:

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v260/Katganistan/th_HAMMYNO.jpg