Why I Might Delete a Thread

[Cyclofiend Jim]

Because my name (or at least position as "moderator") came up recently, I thought I'd share a couple thoughts.

- Off-topic?
There were comments that unless I step in and delete a thread, it's not off-topic. This is patently wrong. The topic of this group is clear.  The direction is clear. We are talking about guardrails. If we keep veering toward the guardrail because folks are piling on, that's going to degrade the quality of this group. You have the ability to not add momentum to the vector. Please take a moment to make a clear choice before posting.

- Adult behavior

The time I need to step in and delete a thread occurs the moment it gets personal and/or nasty. Deleting threads is a PITA and takes extra time I don't typically have. That's why I rely upon the members of this group to take responsibility for the content shared and tone taken. It's why the "new member bottleneck" exists. That minor delay is often very revealing as to how short people's fuse is and the speed with which umbrage is taken. By the time you've been unmoderated, I usually have a sense that you will be a contributing member of the community. I've only had to remove a handful of folks over the years.

- Moderator's perogitive

Of course, if I see a post that starts with "This may be OT..." then I'm just as likely to delete it out of hand. A casualty of early awakenings and strong coffee, the condition in which I usually am perusing new and moderated posts.

- My goal

Is to continue to fortify respectful communication between members here. Too many groups have long since devolved into generally nasty or snide back and forths - being glib or clever for some unknown agenda. I think we continue to show more restraint on hot button topics and I greatly appreciate that effort. 

- Random thoughts

Let's not extrapolate. Let's understand there's a real person on the other side of the conversation Let's continue to remember that each of us are imperfect individuals. Let's give one another the space to be wrong and change our minds.

Happy holidays to all and thanks for adding to the conversation.

- Jim / cyclo...@gmail.com / moderator-admin

[WETH]

Jim,
Since I believe we cannot over express our appreciation for your efforts on behalf of this group, I sincerely thank you for keeping us within the guardrails. This Group is a joy and a wonderful place to dwell.
With thanks,
Erl
Kensington, MD

[Jacob P]

I second Erl. Thank you, Jim.

Jacob

[Hugh Smitham]

Jim I second Erl's thoughts. Mainly a lurker these days, I've always respected this groups tenor and your steady hand.

Happy holidays,

Hugh