Having a life at The Watch - or not

You guys can be flat out jackasses and the moderation is on record for supporting such bad treatment as long as it goes strictly in the accepted direction.
Which direction. It is only abuse when received, not given.
Nobody forces anyone to step into the P&R swamp, but y'all are chasing him all over the forums, as evidenced here.
Comments are made in the threads they are made in. Plenty of occurrences of comments made outside the P&R section and with that, no time spent on typing the comment as it might be a copy paste or videos.

There is no point chasing something down when that something periodically rises up everywhere.

Now, those comments made everywhere on this site might have been answered anywhere on this site.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
6,265
@lostforever; Moderation only happens when something is against the TOS. One can not ask for moderation merely because one reads something one does not like. Note:
Constructive criticism of the work of a person is allowed, even if that person does not like the criticism. Also specific behavior of a person can be criticized

The only thing of the TOS that seems to be applicable here is ‘Off topic’:
In general a contribution to a discussion should add something to that discussion and keep the discussion going and on-topic, not stop it or divert it.
But if applied strictly in this thread lots of posts would have to be deleted, yours (#47) included @lostforever; for it does not answer the question where Couch is.

If I had received a request from the one that started this thread ( @you; ) to get rid of all the non-related stuff very soon after the first off-topic posts appeared high chance I would have done so, btw. It is his thread. I’d like to add: people wanting to deepen matters that come up in a thread are always free to copy/quote/quote+ one or more posts and start their own thread.
 
Last edited:
The guy TOLD ME via PM exactly what I related. Whether you choose to consider it a possibility or blatant opportunism is ultimately up to you. To borrow a phrase, I don't need to prove you wrong.

Quite convenient as publishing private box messages is against the charter.

Nevertheless, the hunting thing whether reported or not does not fit the experience.

Comments are dropped in the threads they are dropped and might be answered where they have been dropped.

Dropping posts a bit everywhere and getting answers to them does not mean being hunted. It means establishing a presence everywhere and getting response to it everywhere.
 
Joined
Mar 29, 2011
Messages
6,265
Could I suggest we maybe split this thread off from the point it spun into a different conversation? I do feel a bit uncomfortable having this long debate around a person who isn't currently here to comment, but at the same time I want to respond to some of the points made. I also don't think we should be discussing what he told people in private messages. Let this thread go back to, "Hope Couch is alright".
 
Joined
Nov 8, 2014
Messages
12,085
Quite convenient as publishing private box messages is against the charter.


You are absolutely correct and that should have been handled at the time. probably because I was not surprised by the shared information that it did not trigger me. A bit late to do it now, but better late than never.
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
11,223
Thanks for bringing this to our attention @ChienAboyeur;.
Right. Next: Splitting the thread. May take a while.

Anyone objecting to having been part of the move, please pm me later.
 
@Ripper;
I know you were not making fun of him and I have no issues with making fun of people's political afflictions in general. However this thread was started out being concerned for Couch so I don't believe suck a joke is merited in such a thread because if Couch see this thread and see those thing then it might have a negative effect on him.

@Eye;
Couch isn't nobody around here. He has contributed so much to this site and
I hope you have been around here long enough to know that something is up with Couch during the last couple of years to make him turn bit bitter (may be wrong choice of word). I felt he was acting out of character compared to 3 or 4 years ago. I also know moderation is not easy but then there is also the letter of the law versus sprite of the law thing so I felt (not saying I am right) some of those early posts could have been removed etc…
 
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
4,425
Location
UK
Update
Move completed. Some posts were copied, since they contained information that was more appropriate in the other thread. I deleted text from those posts, keeping the text that seemed logical for that specific thread.

Please next time, just quote or quote+ and start a new thread yourself.

some of those early posts could have been removed etc…
Yes, I agree with you - completely. Hindsight. :)

To split every time some people start going off topic seems premature though (you never know how long the ‘derail’ will continue) and would simply take too much of my time. Therefore I am triggered by requests done by an OP, and my advise to all repliers to DIY by quote/quote+ and start a new thread if you want to deepen a subject that seems off topic.
 
Last edited:
I thought of making a post to get back on topic a few times - but decided it was hopeless after a while and moved on. What i think of Couch politically is not relevant to concern that he just vanished after all I do believe he is not in the best of health from things said in the past.

Moderation only happens when something is against the TOS. One can not ask for moderation merely because one reads something one does not like. Note:


The only thing of the TOS that seems to be applicable here is ‘Off topic’:

But if applied strictly in this thread lots of posts would have to be deleted, yours (#47) included @lostforever; for it does not answer the question where Couch is.

If I had received a request from the one that started this thread ( @you; ) to get rid of all the non-related stuff very soon after the first off-topic posts appeared high chance I would have done so, btw. It is his thread. I’d like to add: people wanting to deepen matters that come up in a thread are always free to copy/quote/quote+ one or more posts and start their own thread.
 
Joined
Oct 20, 2006
Messages
7,758
Location
usa - no longer boston
As far as I’m concerned the OP can request off-topic issues to be removed or deleted. The last is in line with the TOS. The first depends on my time.

If the OP says in his first message he wants to stick to the subject, or does not want it to be diverted no seperate request will be needed, that is, if I happen to read that specific thread. :)

Edit:
To be on the safe side: as an OP just send me (or any other moderator or administrator) a PM requesting off-topic posts to be removed. I am checking in twice a day at least (to check for spammers), so I am not far away. ;)
Or send in a report, the tos:
In general a contribution to a discussion should add something to that discussion and keep the discussion going and on-topic, not stop it or divert it.
 
Last edited:
Nobody forces anyone to step into the P&R swamp, but y'all are chasing him all over the forums, as evidenced here.
I did add a few news in his "RPG news" thread without any comments.
I did discuss gaming bs in the gaming bs thread started by me with him and if not each time we agree in like 99% of cases.
I tend not to post in P&R because I have certain attitude towards general life that doesn't fit any "normal" ideology - that includes all varieties of extremes, but I don't remember ever going into flame war or something with him, no reason to.
And for whatever reason, I do not stalk people.

So it's not "y'all".

Aside from that, Couch is mia for reasons unknown and he can't say anything about any of this which makes this whole thread unfair towards him.
I just hope he's all right and will return somewhere in the future. Dunno about you but I miss him.
 
Joined
Apr 12, 2009
Messages
23,459
Oh, how I expect people to … what's the word ? "lästern" in German language … - over me … I'm very sure, I'm just not liked by everyone.

So .. I'm sure, people are talking about others ... That's pretty normal.

What I don't want, however, is any form of 4chan. As soon as the watch would become THAT, I'd be gone.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
21,908
Location
Old Europe
Oh, for heaven's sake.
 
Joined
Jan 30, 2012
Messages
1,192
Location
San Francisco
I believe I mentioned your absence in a thread last year Alric. I mean, I obviously regretted that a few weeks later, but it felt good at the time. :p
 
Joined
Nov 1, 2014
Messages
4,762
I know. :D
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
21,908
Location
Old Europe
As always its great to see you, deets again posting in the regular forums and come to say we miss you too. you are more absent than Couch these days.

I come to these forums because they are moderate and anything extreme gets shoved over to the cesspool that is the P&R forum which I rarely wade into.

You know you and I hold a lot of the same opinions on matters and I come here because they are largely tolerated.

I agree with your assessments on the P&R forums that management at the time overstepped themselves, if only in spirit, here because of one user because they agreed with her politics. Management at the time included our absentee poster. Regardless, it's owned by said management and they can do whatever they want IMO. They are paying the bills. They are kind enough to have policies in the first place and typically don't act like autocratic dictators where people are banned for life just for disagreeing with you.

I don't get involved with those forums because they get all riled up and I end up in fights. I can't stand the attitude some people get by not willing to fight in them all the time, getting in one last insult and dig when you state that.

If you haven't noticed a lot of the worst offenders in those forums eventually leave permanently from burnout - some find a home on that other RPG site for weird reason.

That's what I'm getting at - no one's mind is changed, people just get burnt out and they leave and they find they can't talk about anything else but politics all the time.

There are a couple of good things that did come out of that but I'll only mention one:

The P&R forums are off the front page now. Something I advocated for years ago. Its lead to a lot more enjoyable experience coming to the site for me now.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
5,212
Location
The Uncanny Valley
Yup this is a liberal bastion and you have to just deal with it. I post fairly infrequently as a result. Somehow RPG's have attracted left wingers whereas my car related forums are overwhelmingly conservative. You aren't going to change it. And where there is a big Euro element you are dealing with socialist elements to boot. Put a fork in it. I suggest becoming interested in muscle cars LOL
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
3,593
Location
Boston MA
Last edited:
Joined
Nov 8, 2014
Messages
12,085
When I look at how many news posters have left her - kinda popped up, did work, then completely vanished out of sight - then I must say to myself : Being a news poster here is a dangerous job. One stays up front to criticism, and people who don't like one as being a news poster don't restrain themselves from trying to bully the news posting person out. Then the "criticizers" become silent again. Until the next one they don't like appears. And they *never* do want to be news posters themselves because ... criticising someone is SO MUCh easier than being at the front of the shitstorm oneself ...

And this is a symptom of at least some of our "western" societies as well : Bullying people out of a place is a thing these days. Especially young men do so as some kind of "showcase" for their own perceived might and power - which they cabn feed themselves on, or show others. Like as if "only if you have successfully bullied someone out of business, only then you are a *real* man !" Comes nicely together with gangsta rap (and its current German counterpart, the "Deutschrap" which is about nothing than cars, money, fast driving, and girls) and the current rise of aggression in societies in general.

In short : What we see here as behaviour is only weak ripples coming in from a far bigger stone thrown into the lake somewhere else.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
21,908
Location
Old Europe
Hey Couchpotato! Get back here so I can post some more of your news. ;-)

And don't let things grind you down because tomorrow is another day.

If it makes you feel better I must admit a reluctance to post in P&R forum as I am not a utopian leaning person but more focused on what an individual can do with what they are given. I do not think a meaningful conversation can take place there with all the rampant tribalism. It blinds us all but some more than others.

Peace out.
 
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Messages
9,312
Location
New Zealand
Back
Top Bottom