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Thread Sinking Policy? — Parallax Forums

Thread Sinking Policy?

Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
in General Discussion
What's the present policy regarding thread sinking?

As evenh pointed out this thread, has apparently been sunk.

While I despise the use of thread sinking in general, I thought we would at least receive notice when a thread was being sunk.

Did I miss some update in forum policy?

If unannounced thread sinking is now the norm, my enthusiasm for this forum will greatly be reduced.

Comments

  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    I'm not a big fan of thread sinking. However that thread makes a pretty good case for it.
  • kwinnkwinn Posts: 8,697
    Like Heater I am not a fan of thread sinking, but I have to say that to date the few threads that have been sunk deserved sinking. Any discussion of perpetual motion or free energy is a waste of time.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,254
    Agreed, it does seem bizarre. It's a popular enough thread, and not detracting from Parallax business.

    I hate to think that this discussion of a "free/cheap energy source" has been buried, along with all of the 200MPG cars & carburetors over the years. Have the big business/fuel/oil companies won again?

  • xanaduxanadu Posts: 3,347
    edited 2017-02-12 18:22
    It must have been un-sunk or a glitch. I see the magnet thread listed in position 4 in general.

    I've received hate mail from two comments I left on that YouTube video. Some child threatened to beat me up, then thumbs downed my popular videos haha. WHERE'S THE LOVE?

    Now back to that flat tire...
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    I'm pretty sure that Parallax has committed to non-stealth thread-sinking. If a thread is sunk without notice, it would be a violation of their stated policy.

    -Phil
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,254
    Exxon did it.
  • PublisonPublison Posts: 12,366
    Duane Degn wrote: »
    What's the present policy regarding thread sinking?

    As evenh pointed out this thread, has apparently been sunk.

    While I despise the use of thread sinking in general, I thought we would at least receive notice when a thread was being sunk.

    Did I miss some update in forum policy?

    If unannounced thread sinking is now the norm, my enthusiasm for this forum will greatly be reduced.

    Duane, You are correct. The sinking should have been announced. The thread is now un-sunk. We will review procedures.

  • Duane DegnDuane Degn Posts: 10,588
    Publison wrote: »
    Duane, You are correct. The sinking should have been announced. The thread is now un-sunk. We will review procedures.

    Good to hear.

    You have my enthusiastic thanks.

  • Courtney JacobsCourtney Jacobs Posts: 903
    edited 2017-02-13 20:32
    The guidelines do mention sinking. According to the current posted guidelines (which have been unchanged since soon after Vanilla's launch), moderators can use any method of moderation at their discretion and without prior warning, including sinking. This is not an indication that we will always be sinking things unannounced, but the policy is written to allow that.
    We require that you abide by the forum guidelines listed below, otherwise your posts and/or membership will be subject to moderation. By using these forums, you agree to be contacted by site administration, regardless of your account settings, when it becomes necessary to do so regarding your account activity. You also agree that the moderating staff may edit/close/sink threads or posts, suspend or ban accounts, and perform other tasks deemed necessary as part of moderating the forums’ material. Moderators reserve the right to perform any moderation task without prior notice or warnings.

    It is up to the moderator to decide whether to announce their intent before performing moderation. If the OP or a valid contributor to a thread wishes to debate the moderating action, please flag the thread and offer compelling reasons to undo or change the moderation. There are always calm and reasonable means to resolve differences with, or make a request of, the moderator team.

    Phil, you are likely recalling my statement several years ago that I would announce sinking, and it was related directly to forum issue reports and change requests. It was not a blanket policy for every moderator. If I am remembering incorrectly and I did state every moderator was to always announce it, please PM me the thread link or flag it to refresh my memory. After a search, I could only find my reply in June of 2015 regarding issue reports.
  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    edited 2017-02-13 21:01
    Courtney,

    On 14 July 2015, you posted this regarding thread-sinking:

    "To add even greater transparency to my actions for those who may not read this thread, I made my intent into an announcement."

    To which I replied:

    "Thanks, Courtney! That's all we could hope for. (Be sure to tell Bump. :) )"

    I can only infer from my enthusiastic response that the announcement contained some sort of anti-stealth sinking policy. However, there is not a thread in the Announcements history started by you on that date, so I'm now at a loss. And, yes, your comment seems only to apply to "issue" threads.

    That notwithstanding, I still think -- without reopening any wounds -- that a policy against stealth sinking would be in the best interests of Parallax and the forum community, since the benefits (an appearance of openness) seem to outweigh the costs (public scorn? :) ).

    Thanks,
    -Phil
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,254
    Onward & upward. I need to see a fabulous new robot from Duane doing a figure 8. It's been way too long.
  • Ken GraceyKen Gracey Posts: 7,386
    Let's not get into this again, please. In general, thread sinking isn't something we will be doing, okay? We value keeping all of you motivated to help out new users of everything from Blockly to WiFi, robots to sensors, and don't plan on using any secretive suppression tactics on you. We don't have time for it and in general it doesn't achieve any of our (collective) goals.

    There's a lot of momentum inside Parallax right now and I hope to see all of us join together together to make things go.

    Ambassador erco, carry on please.

    Ken Gracey

  • Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi)Phil Pilgrim (PhiPi) Posts: 23,514
    Thanks, Ken! I think that's what we were all hoping to hear from someone at Parallax. Case closed! (And maybe this thread too?) :)

    -Phil
  • Martin_HMartin_H Posts: 4,051
    I'd like to point out that the Official JavaScript Religious War Thread was sunk without notice!
  • Heater.Heater. Posts: 21,230
    That's a shame. So much good stuff has happened in the JS world since. Still, the follow on thread is still floating. As you might notice.
  • ercoerco Posts: 20,254
    Ken Gracey wrote: »
    Ambassador erco, carry on please.

    Some sinkings are downright interesting to watch (4:20). Your tax dollars at work.



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