What's with the lockdown?

I don't think there's any more locking being done than usual. I just looked over the most popularly used boards to see how many threads have been locked, and I only found five topics that have been locked since the Soda thing happened:

1) A thread about approval of the Atlantic Yards project locked on the PH board because there was already a thread on that topic (a link was provided to the active thread).

2) A thread about Christmas trees locked on the PH board, also because there was already several threads on that topic (links provided there too).

3) The whole "bar fight" thread, which was removed because of name-calling and the mention of some people's real names.

4) The "Naked Avatar" thread here in the Lounge, which I locked because it was getting really heated really fast and we were waiting for DH to show up and give his opinion on whether the original avatar in question violated the rules of the site (this one is now continuing in a less heated manner in another thread, so I don't see any need to open it back up).

5) A thread here in the Lounge about an alternate side parking map for Mac users, locked because there was already another thread on this topic (a link to that was provided).

So... five topics locked across the entire site doesn't seem "lock happy" or a "ton of shit being locked up" to me. Granted, I suppose the three topics above that simply duplicated other existing topics could have been merged with the existing topics instead of locked, but they didn't contain any info that would have added to the existing conversations. The others seem to me to be a proper use of the locking function. I don't think it can be inferred that the mods are going apeshit with the locking function on this basis.

Beyond those five locked topics, I only saw one other locked topic that was even on the front page of any of the boards, and that was one on "Brooklyn and Beyond" that was locked on November 8, almost two months ago, after a new user got really abusive and nasty towards others in the thread.

Hope seeing the actual number of locked topics makes you feel a little better about this. That said, I'm locking this topic. Just kidding. I am going to move it to Board Administration, though, because I think it's more appropriate for that board.

Edited to add: Wait, in the interest of being complete, there was one more -- one of the threads about the muzzled pit bull was locked, but then later unlocked. We think someone locked it because it was posted on more than one board, but the mods then discussed that one, most of us agreed it shouldn't have been locked, and it got unlocked. Still, I don't think this constitutes going "lock happy" across the site.

Salright. I can see how you might have perceived it that way, especially given that you just came back after some time away from the board. That's why, when you first posted, I decided to look over the boards first and see how many locked topics there really were and why each one was locked before responding.

WhyFi wrote: Sorry to say, mods, but the lock-downs are only playing in to the hands of the people that are stirring up shit. It's ending the discussions without allowing them to come to a head, only to have the trouble crop back up in another thread. If you're not going to seriously consider banning for sock puppetry, shit stirring, etc, you need to give other members a chance to police their own.

banning for shit stirring, etc... i wholeheartedly agree with
but sock puppetry? what's that? :-s

Sock puppetry is when someone creates a second account or logs in as a guest, when he or she already has a username. Here's the Wikipedia definition, which I think is pretty good:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_sock_puppet

Excerpt:

A sockpuppet (sometimes known also as a mule, glove puppet, alternate account, or joke account) is an additional account of an existing member of an Internet community to invent a separate user. This may be used for fictional support of separate people in a vote or argument by falsely using the account as a separate user, or for acting without consequence to one's "main" account. It is often considered dishonest by online communities, and such pretending individuals are often labeled as trolls.

The whole entry's worth reading, as it gives several examples of different types of sock puppets.

So if, say, for instance, a new user starts off with an avatar photo of his or her pet, which happens to be the same exact avatar photo of an existing user's pet, and then say, for instance, that the new user also signs a post or two with the name of the existing user, that new user might just be a sock puppet.

Just sayin'.

apollonia666 wrote: So if, say, for instance, a new user starts off with an avatar photo of his or her pet, which happens to be the same exact avatar photo of an existing user's pet, and then say, for instance, that the new user also signs a post or two with the name of the existing user, that new user might just be a sock puppet.

Just sayin'.

So, for instance, if one account begins at the same time that another ends... or if one user happens to state that they live in the same exact area that another has already claimed as their home turf... and they happen to both have the same type of pet... AND they both happen to change avatars mid-argument in a decided effort to annoy the opposition...? AND they both have a penchant for misinterpreting the posts of others DESPITE the claims of higher education at prestigious institutions?

This is hilarious.

quijibo wrote: [quote=mypasswordwontwork]This is hilarious.

hey Precious! :shock:
wanna chime in?

i wanna see the lefthanded sock puppet talk to the righthanded sock puppet....

I am almost tempted to reveal my true former username. Almost, but not quite. Although actually a quick IP check would reveal the truth about these ludicrous accusations. Anyhow, keep your detective work coming because it gives me something to laugh about on these dark wintry days. Only some internet addict who has no life would even know what a sock puppet was.

Actually, its Saintjohnsnear5th.

Carnivore wrote: [quote=mypasswordwontwork]Actually, its Saintjohnsnear5th.

Whatever. You've already told us to dismiss everything you say.

Feel free to, yes.

Innocent X wrote: This board seems way over-moderated to me.

you're entitled to your opinion of course.

the reasoning behind mods and Be Nice or Leave:
there's plenty of other snarkfests available, and we are trying to do something different from that here.