Rule breakers

[Lilian]

I have limited experience but would be happy to help in any way I could.

Nobody wants to lose this wonderful forum.  We have all had lots of stress and emotion this past year or so.  Please @Acorn stay with us 

[Lowena]

I love this forum. As a founder member and a Moderator I know how hard the Admin team work. I certainly couldn't do what @Acorn does, the tecchy stuff is amazing ( and not always in a good way)

[Helen M]

I do hope things can be sorted out but it does prove that whoever decided on 'no politics' made the correct decision.

 

[Ohsewsimple]

I'm sorry whenever this sort of thing happens on the forum.  I’m very grateful to all who keep this forum running.  I hope @Acorn changes her mind as she is obviously very good at all the techie stuff and very much needed. 

[Sheilago]

From my involvement in other voluntary organisations I know how being behind the scenes can often demand the diplomacy skills of a UN envoy.   @Iminei , @Acorn and all who run things for us, please know that your efforts are really appreciated by those of us who are here because we love sewing and value the advice and inspiration we get here. 

[b15erk]

I am another who stands firmly behind the moderators on this forum.  I don’t normally put my head above the parapet as I hate confrontation in any form, but having thought carefully about the original post, and the action taken, I can only feel that it was the right thing to do.

I read the original post, and found it fairly innocuous for the most part.  But then to find that all Europe hates me, well that’s a bit strong, and in my opinion uncalled for.  I try not to let my politics show, there are other forums for that if I feel the need to air an opinion.

I remember this forum being set up, and how joyous we all were that we again had somewhere where we could talk sewing, in all its iterations, and like-minded people would understand us and even cheer us on.

We have all gone through a challenging year, and for some it’s been a lot harder than others, and I think sewing has become difficult for those who have other worries and responsibilities. I like to think that we have been supportive of friends who just need to share their worries, sewing will come later, when we all feel that life is a little more ‘normal’.

I can’t believe that so much trouble has been caused, by a post which wasn’t even sewing related.

@Iminei @Acorn  and all other mods

 

Jessie

[Deafoldbat]

Not having bothered to read a certain thread, I was amazed to see this one. Having backtracked to the source, as it were, I see that the OP has apologised, on that thread for any offence caused, and that should be the end of it. Moderators and Admin here do a thankless task very well. If they don't do it the way you think it should be done, you can always offer to help them out, or you can just accept they have the final say and let it be.

Can we put the toys back in the pram, go and have a quiet cup of tea (or something more to your taste), and reflect on the old saying 'Least said, soonest mended'. And do some sewing...

[Greybird]

I have only been able to dip in and out briefly of late and I have come back this evening to find that all hell has broken loose. I saw Charley's post earlier and I have to say I found it very offensive. As a fairly new member Charley would (or should) recently have read the rules when she joined and she apparently chose to completely ignore them. Along with other moderators I made my feelings known to Acorn, took part in the discussion of how it should be dealt with and gave my full support to the action taken. I feel that openness in the way things are dealt with is an essential part of the ethos of this forum and  I would not have supported anything being done "behind closed doors".

I don't think it is helpful to compare us with other fora and the way they are operated - we are, and always have been, different. That is what most of us love so much about it. @Acorn and @Iminei are the very soul of this forum. They have worked tirelessly and unselfishly to set it up and keep it going for the rest of us, and if it does manage to survive without one or both of them it will not be the place we have known and loved. I, for one, hope that Acorn can be persuaded to accept the sincere apologies of those who have offended her so deeply.

[Efemera]

I really don’t agree.... a public dressing down isn’t the way to deal with things. It’s humiliating, we’re not five years old. A private message and warning should have been enough but it seems I’m in the minority on this.

[BrendaP]

I don't think I saw the original thread so I can't comment on that but it saddens me to see how much acrimony this has caused.  TSP is moderated and for good reason - just look at how much negativity there is on unmoderated groups, including the biggie (Facebook).

Yes, we all disagree at times - I've certainly been criticised by a (non-mod) member for what I though was a pretty reasonable comment, but rather than argue back I just ignored the comment and moved on - as I have done with FB in the past. 

I'm sure that the mods conferred with each other over this issue, and if a relatively new member has already had a 'warning' about inapproriate posts then she should have been more careful/thoughtful about what she wrote.  This is not a political group.

Please everyone, let the mods get on with their sometimes thankless tasks and get back to discussing what we all prefer to chat about.  If the individual concerned has taken offence and chosen to leave us so be it.  If one or two others strongly support her views (whatever thay were) and choose to go with her it's their choice, though I really hope that @Acorn  will reconsider.  She does such a wonderful job with the tecchie side of things. 

Lets get back to sewing and sewing related issues.  My sewing news for today is that I have abandonned the plasticy Singer machine that a friend rescued from a skip - it's going back there but I have kept the table and with a good dose of teak oil it looks pretty good.  Today we got my lovely 201 into it and a rearrangement of the study means that I have a bit more desk space to clutter up.

[Mr Twingo]

A huge amount of work goes on behind the scenes of TSP. @Acorn and @Iminei both put in an inordinate amount of work; without Acorn's technical knowledge, there really would be no forum.

No warning is issued without discussion and agreement; whether a warning should be issued at all, and its wording are debated. Revisions are made. Admins and mods are not trigger happy in these matters.

[Efemera]

(Please everyone, let the mods get on with their sometimes thankless tasks and get back to discussing what we all prefer to chat about.  If the individual concerned has taken offence and chosen to leave us so be it.  If one or two others strongly support her views (whatever thay were) and choose to go with her it's their choice,)

No body as far as I can see supports her views strongly or otherwise...  that is not the issue. The issue is how it was dealt with... publicly. If there has to be moderation then it should be just that moderately and between the mods and the member. If it had then none of this kerfuffle would have ensued.

[Esme866]

I have left all but one other sewing forum due to uncontrolled rude posting people. Posting on this forum is much like sitting and having open discussions used to be 20 to 40 years ago - before so many people decided that anti-social behavior should be permitted IRL just like on the internet.

I read Charley's post - found it obnoxiously rude and found the replies from both @Acorn and the admins/moderators to be very respectful and professional. They were clear and concise. The entire world has reached a point where the majority of humanity is incapable of discussing politics and most other subjects in an intelligent, polite manner - so many topics must be avoided.

In the mid 90's, I went back to school at night for a couple of advanced training classes. Four of us from this area along with 7 middle eastern men, all friends from 3 different countries of which 2 were at war, wound up spending an hour talking during our "15 minute break" - as the other 20 people in the class were on the remedial end of the learning spectrum and required extra time. We discussed everything - including religion and politics - openly and honestly. All in our 30's, we agreed these break periods were the highlight of our social lives, as the discussions were so reminiscent of those we had years earlier at uni. We all had our regular seats in the courtyard.

Then one morning before our evening class, the Federal Building in Oklahoma City was bombed.

The tension upon entering the classroom that evening made breathing feel difficult. At break time, no one knew what to do, but to everyone's credit we all took our regular seats in the courtyard - quietly trying to pretend there wasn't a massively huge pink elephant glaring at us all.

Finally, the guy from Syria loudly blurted out, "All I have to say is: I hope to hell it wasn't one of us that bombed that building!" Everyone died laughing and we quickly began discussing our own views on terrorism, how they had all had to leave their homelands to get away from such behaviors,some because they were Christian's and others even though they were Muslim. We continued to learn.

The internet has taught people how to communicate in extremely anti social ways. If someone decides to post rudely on this extremely courteous and socially well adjusted forum, I see nothing wrong at all for those charged with maintaining the site to constructively correct inappropriate behavior and to leave the offending post up and make the correction public - as a reminder to and learning experience for everyone.

I do not for one moment believe that my experience in that courtyard over 25 years ago, could occur in today's world without physical harm coming to someone.  Until those that are anti-social offensive today are retrained to behave appropriately in civilized society things will only continue to worsen.

Thank you Admins and Moderators for your graceful and professional handling of this situation.

[charley]

I have logged on today to offer my sincere apologies for the upset and offence I caused with my post on the 'Eurovision Song Contest' thread, in addition to my one line apology on Monday evening.
The post was just my opinion of the UK entry, and how the public vote may reflect how the Uk may be perceived abroad. It was not my intention to offend anyone.

I was not sure where to post, and then saw this thread 'Rule Breakers'. I decided to read the the posts on here before posting my further and fuller apology.

When I read the @Admin team response to my post, I was shocked with the public humiliation and public rebuke. I do not understand why the @Admin could not have made their post alerting me to a private or direct message with my punishment.

I read TSP in the evenings, I do not go online during the day, and the shock and distress of that humiliation is still with me now on Wednesday lunchtime following 2 sleepless night. This is my reason for logging on today, to apologise again, and in the hope of sleeping tonight.

I want to thank the members who had sympathy for me and the manner of the rebuke.

I did not choose to ignore the rules @Greybird

I do not think that I have had a previous warning @BrendaP

I am distressed again with your post @Esme866 

[Bill]

I read the post relating to this almighty mess and in my humble, newbie-ish opinion, it really wasn't that bad.
I've seen far worse with less severe bollo**ings. That last warning from the admin team was as if @charley had murdered someone with a bent and very dull knitting needle. But to do it in public? No. Not good enough. Public executions stopped long ago. I think it's the way that it was done that has caused the upset, not the actual telling off.
Civilised behaviour only works when both sides agree to it.