The MLP Arena

Site Information => Sigs & Site Support => Topic started by: Sweet Daes on February 27, 2018, 03:18:01 PM

Title: Rules confusion.
Post by: Sweet Daes on February 27, 2018, 03:18:01 PM
Hello  :3

I made a thread in Off-Topic because it is nothing more than a useless rant about the annoying side of eBay and sellers, but it was moved to a different forum, which there is not any notification for.

My logic:
I am not looking for assistance and just went to vent, and I didn't want to take up space from those with legit issues seeking help or passing along a necessary message. Basically, it was a run-by posting. If no one posted and if it didn't gain traction, it would be abandoned anyway. The off-topic forum doesn't have any rules so I was under the impression that anything would go as long as it follows the rules of the entire site.

How literal are the rules? This seems really odd  ^^;;

Do the staff message you in the event of a thread getting moved? I would prefer to know so I know what forum to go to as the result. I don't want to be a pest to the moderation staff.
.
Thank you~!
Title: Re: Rules confusion.
Post by: lovesbabysquirmy on February 27, 2018, 04:09:19 PM
Anything Ebay related goes in Trader Support ;)  It may not be about ponies but the rules still play out the same, whether it's a MLP or a lawnmower engine part. 
Title: Re: Rules confusion.
Post by: Safflower on February 27, 2018, 04:09:43 PM
Well I think off topic is for everything that doesn't fit into another board. Your topic about eBay fits into the Trader and Classfeilds because it was about eBay. And off topic does have rules about what you can post there, like any other board here. It would be weird to have pony topics and customs in off topic, wouldn't it? We already have a specific board for those. An eBay topic would be just the same :) Hope this helps (and I hope it was okay for me to answer!)
Title: Re: Rules confusion.
Post by: Kiwi on February 27, 2018, 06:16:44 PM
What they have said - anything Ebay / transaction related goes to Trader Support. Even if it's a rant, someone might learn something useful.

The other forum it could've fit into is What's Your Problem, but you won't have access to that until 210+ posts, so your thread couldn't really be moved there right now.

There is no notification system, but you can always see where your posts are by visiting your Profile -> View Posts.
Title: Re: Rules confusion.
Post by: Sweet Daes on February 27, 2018, 08:49:11 PM
What they have said - anything Ebay / transaction related goes to Trader Support. Even if it's a rant, someone might learn something useful.

The other forum it could've fit into is What's Your Problem, but you won't have access to that until 210+ posts, so your thread couldn't really be moved there right now.

There is no notification system, but you can always see where your posts are by visiting your Profile -> View Posts.

I see...

If I may be so bold, that seems a bit flimsy of a reason, especially considering the Trader/Classified forum does not have a specific rule set that states non-topical, non-constructive threads are allowed.

Even the name of the forum doesn't suggest that useless rants would be allowed there. I had placed the topic into the Off-Topic forum because I was under the impression that the forum would be a lot more lax about keeping the thread from veering off-topic. I am good at tangential discussion, but otherwise, the intention of the thread was not to talk about anything viable involving eBay specifically, and that seems to contradict the purpose of the other forum.

That other site I was part of for 15 years was organized by context and intent of the topic before the subject matter. Even if a thread were about the 2018 election, if it was composed of non-constructive venting it would have been moved to the "anything goes as long as it follows the general rules of the site" forum, so I hope that my confusion is a bit clearer.

While I understand that traffic flow may not be a factor on a site that is thousands of accounts smaller than what I am used to, not receiving notification on a the thread move is a bit jarring. I freaked out when I couldn't find my thread, and my first thought was it was seen fit to remove my thread from public view, like perhaps it was toeing a line of a violation, and I wasn't told it was moved. This is something that was a common occurrence on that other site, seeing that it was their policy to alert their members of topics being moved. I can understand if this is not the policy here, though. The system on the other site had modtools that kept that from being a burden on the people doing the moderating.

I am not trying to pry or butt into something that really isn't any of my business, it's just that this site and the MLPTP are the first two forum sites that I have joined in over 15 years. Forums not having detailed stickied/tacked rules specifically for that forum is a new experience, so going by forum names alone seems unreliable considering my thread isn't anything remotely constructive to those looking for advice about eBay. In my experience, rants and nonconstructive venting are best for private spaces, like a journal or in a chatterbox/off-topic area.

I just don't want to be a pain in the butts of the moderation team, 'tis all.
Title: Re: Rules confusion.
Post by: Kiwi on February 28, 2018, 03:55:43 AM
We have specific forums for specific types of threads. Each forum does have a description (if you click the Forum link at the top left, you will see a list along with descriptions.

Off Topic is for light fun posts. It is our standard practice to move any threads that are negative topics. Depending on the subject, the thread would get moved to the appropriate forum, or to What's Your Problem, which is our general forum for advice needed threads, sharing some sad or frustrating news, or just venting. As I mentioned, you will gain access to that forum after 210 posts.
Title: Re: Rules confusion.
Post by: Safflower on February 28, 2018, 07:13:42 AM
It doesn't matter if a thread is non constructive, if it's about something, it goes in that forum :) Your thread was about eBay, and Trader and Classfeilds are for topics about eBay, not just advice. Off Topic isn't :)

You can also ask the mods for help with a difficult topic to place if you need it.

Also, when you go to each board, there is a little description up at the top, above the stickied threads. It has a yellow ish background.

Also, we aren't that other site you have been part of for 15 years :) Things will be organized differently. And we don't have to have the same system for what goes where.
Title: Re: Rules confusion.
Post by: lovesbabysquirmy on February 28, 2018, 10:53:13 AM
Oohhhh I get what you mean about that kind of bulletin-board etiquette! 

No, the Arena lets us go off-topic frequently in threads... I mean, eventually the mods corral us back into line (hahaha!  See what I did there!) but nahhhh, we have MLP emoji parties and side tangents pretty frequently! 

Here have a confetti party with some dancing ponies!
 :party: :party: :frolic: :happy:  :good: :frolic: : :party: :party:
Title: Re: Rules confusion.
Post by: Sweet Daes on February 28, 2018, 10:57:59 PM
We have specific forums for specific types of threads. Each forum does have a description (if you click the Forum link at the top left, you will see a list along with descriptions.

Off Topic is for light fun posts. It is our standard practice to move any threads that are negative topics. Depending on the subject, the thread would get moved to the appropriate forum, or to What's Your Problem, which is our general forum for advice needed threads, sharing some sad or frustrating news, or just venting. As I mentioned, you will gain access to that forum after 210 posts.

I appreciate your response! The other site that I moderated had rules on top of a brief forum description, so it's my first instinct to go to the "anything goes" forum for anything that wasn't a constructive discussion.

Oohhhh I get what you mean about that kind of bulletin-board etiquette! 

No, the Arena lets us go off-topic frequently in threads... I mean, eventually the mods corral us back into line (hahaha!  See what I did there!) but nahhhh, we have MLP emoji parties and side tangents pretty frequently! 

Here have a confetti party with some dancing ponies!
 :party: :party: :frolic: :happy:  :good: :frolic: : :party: :party:

Yeah, and it was a site for 13+, so things had to be laid out and clean since many ..."kids" would come looking for a fight even if they were wrong  x.x

At the end of it, I'd prefer to keep my relationship with whatever site I am posting on a friendly level, haha!
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