Randy,

When the mods delete our posts or threads, could they PM us with the reason? I've had posts (and entire threads) disappear leaving me no clue as to what part of the TOS I violated, or how I violated it. A simple one or two sentence note, letting us know how the rules are interpreted and applied, will be helpful and provide guidance for future posting.

On initial reading the TOS seems straight forward, but in reality it is quite subjective.

If the mod doing the deletion doesn't want their name pegged to the action, you can just set up a general mod handle used strictly for this purpose, so the explanation comes in to us anonymously.

Under the current system, not only don't we know the reason, but if we don't check back on every thread we post in, we could be crossing the line, having posts deleted, and we'll never realize that we are in violation.

Thank you for your consideration,

Walter I agree but I believe it is deeper than you might realize perhaps. My understanding after speaking with Mikol on Randy's staff & other senior moderators is the TOS is a guideline only and the interpretation of it varies from moderator to moderator and even at times from day to day for the very same moderator....I respect the fact that this is Randy's web site and he can do as he wishes with it but likewise we all freely choose to participate here as well, likewise I appreciate the time the moderators volunteer to spend moderating, with out them this would just be another site out on the internet, but again would find it extremely helpful if there was one set of rules for everyone regardless of position/standing to follow....

I believe that feeling was reflected in the TalkBoard Topics thread concerning charitable contributions.

TalkBoard had made a change to the TOS and I wanted to know exactly what it meant. I gave a real-life example and asked at what point -- if any --it would be a TOS violation under the new rules.

The different TalkBoard members gave very different replies and I was told by Spiff that "Dovster, while those are both good questions, they are questions about moderation and not TalkBoard questions."

Well, no. If TalkBoard makes a decision to change the TOS, what it meant should not be a moderation question but rather a TalkBoard issue. That is the only way that a poster can be certain he is not violating the TOS. There can't be a situation where an identical post is a TOS violation on the AA Forum but not on the Delta Forum (or vice-versa).

Randy has made it clear that the TalkBoard is responsible for approving changes in the TOS. Moderators should have the job of enforcing those changes but only within the intent of what TalkBoard decided.

To take this to an admittedly extreme extent, let's take a look at the El Al Forum (which TalkBoard approved this year) and the proposed Alitalia Forum (which TalkBoard rejected).

It is clear that TalkBoard wanted a forum reserved for El Al and not one for Alitalia.

Would a moderator then have the right to ban all discussion of El Al on this forum and allow only Alitalia posts there?

application/enforcement of TOS does vary GREATLY depending on forum and moderator.

That is understandable and unavoidable. Some moderators will always be more lenient than others -- just as some policemen will let you off with a warning for going a few miles over the speed limit while others will give you a ticket.

Still, if you are going 56 mph in a 55 zone, you know that you are risking a ticket and if you are going 54 you know that you are not.

What I find disturbing is that if the TOS is not spelled out clearly, you can find yourself given a suspension in a situation where you had no way of knowing that you were violating it.

Moreover, the theoretical ability to appeal a suspension to Randy is, in many cases, just that -- theoretical. Randy has an "inbox" which is more stuffed than ATL during a thunderstorm and by the time he is able to deal with a questionable suspension it has often been completed -- even if it is for 30 days.

i dont think people need to be worried about being suspsended for a small amount of offtopic or not searching, and that sort of thing.

the people who i have seen with suspended status all seem to have regularly pushed the boundaries of deceny and respect to others, as well as the proportion of their posts which contributed nothing of value to FT.

Per Randy's forum-opener note here
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=376034
and since he may be traveling or unavailable, we are closing this and have notified him for his review.

cblaisd, gleff, Canarsie,
Senior Moderators