The mods have been making a better effort at stopping thread crapping and off-topic movie bashing lately, but they're not going about it in the right way. For example see this thread in the dvd talk forum asking how soon the Star Wars Episode 2 DVD will come out after the theatrical release. It's a valid discussion thread, but naturally some members had to ruin it by posting the usual anti-star wars "who cares it will suck anyway" crap. This started an argument and the thread was closed. So basically the lame thread crapper ruined the thread, and now their can be no more discussion on the episode II release date because the thread was locked.

IMO, the appropriate thing to do would be deleting the moronic thread crapping comments, and warn the members that posted them. If they do it again, suspend them. Third time ban them. Please don' t let a few losers ruin good discussion threads for all the rest of us.

Deal with these people. There is no reason to discuss the merits of a movie, whether your opinion is positive or negative, in a thread not started for that purpose. It was a thread asking about release dates, noone posting in it wanted to hear people say that the movie is going to suck. They didn't want any opinions on the movie at all, just opinions on the release date. The thread crappers are being rude and disrespectful to the member who started the post by posting off-topic, inflammatory comments. Besides, what the hell's the point of posting in a thread about a movie that you "have no interest in seeing?
Especially when the thread's purpose isn't to debate the quality of the film. Please start dealing with these type of things sternly, or the forums are going to continue the downward trend of losing quality posts that has been going on steadily for the past couple of years as the number of members has increased.

I think we all agree that thread crapping is a problem and, as you noted, the moderators in DVDTalk and Movie Talk have been working at keeping this stuff to a minimum.

But to expect a moderator to go in and edit out half the thread to keep it going is perhaps asking a bit much. Once a thread goes seriously off topic, sometimes it's just easier to close it and suggest that a new one be created if so desired.

What would be helpful is if people would just ignore the thread crapping and use the Report this Post to a Moderator feature.

When I was moderating the DVDTalk forum the past two months, I received these notices from only a very small group of people, and regular notices from only 2 or 3 members. Don't think that someone else has reported a problem post, let us know yourself. No one will know who made the report (we never release that type of information) and you'll help us keep on top of this stuff. It's really easy to do too. You just click on the link on the post in question, type a short message and then hit the send button. That's it.

(I was typing this as Blade posted, but as a mod for the DVD talk forum, here's my 2¢...)

I'm currently working a new post for the main forum to re-address the rash of thread crapping and off-topic comments, I've personally seen lately. And I have no problem with the subject you mentioned reappearing in a new thread, it's just that particular thread was just too far gone.

And yes members do get warned, suspended and even banned for thread crapping. Rarely do I take a member's admonishment to the public forum. It's usually reserved for an e-mail with the 'crapper,' as it were.

Remember, every mod here does this on strictly, volunteer basis, while juggling their home and work life. If you see thread crapping going on -- or anything else suspect -- use the 'Report Post to Moderator' function found on the lower right-hand side of each and every post. You'd be amazed how little it gets used. We don't always get the time to sit and re-read every thread as each new post is added.

So any help the whole DVD Talk community -- that means its members -- provides is genuinely appreciated. The environment and civility here is only possible with input from its members and not just by the actions of the mods and admins.

- C

Thanks guys. I do use the report this post to a moderator links pretty often. Ask namja and geoff how many they've gotten from me from the video game forum. I just haven't been reading DVD Talk as much lately, so I haven't reported anything lately, and that thread was closed before I noticed the thread crapping.

The post you're going to make in DVD Talk is a great idea, thanks in advance. However, I think it's best to deal with thread crapping in the thread, as well as through e-mail. You don't have to necessarily admonish the member in the thread, but you could make a post in the thread reminding members that this type of behavior is unacceptable.

For example, in that thread you should have posted something like. "Thread crapping isn't allowed in these forums. This thread was discussing the possible dvd release date of Star Wars Ep. II, not the merits of the movie, so any posts saying things like "who cares, the movie will suck" are inappropriate. If you think the movie "will suck" why did you waste your time reading and replying to a thread about it's release date in the first place."

That way everyone that sees the thread gets an explicit reminder of the forum's rules. It will be more read than the FAC, or your new post on thread crapping/trolling, because the type of members that have nothing better to do than thread crap aren't going to bother reading posts on the forums rules anyway, but they'll likely see it in the thread they where already posting in.

Exactly. Thread crapping is a small problem until the ensuing argument turns it into a big problem.

I agree wholeheartedly with this. Thread crappers should be ignored. Members should report the post as soon as they notice it, and not give the trolls the attention they are trying to get. The mods should then remove the, thread crapping comments, and warn the member through e-mail, and post an explanation reminding members that type of behavior isn't allowed here (as I described above.) That way the post can remain open, and all the normal, rule abiding, polite members aren't punished by having a valid thread closed. Arguing does no good, because it ruins the whole thread and gives the mods little choice but to lock the thread, rather than having the option of just editing a couple posts.

True dat. And thank you.

I try to read all the posts in every thread with more than x number of replies in addition to any problem-potential threads. It's simply not possible for me or any other mods to read every post in every thread.

I'd also like to echo this statement. Very few people use the "report to mod" feature and that's a shame. If we want this to be a better and more enjoyable forum we've got to put in a little extra effort ourselves to help it become that. I use the "rtm" feature frequently and more often than not, the problem is addressed in a timely fashion.

Out of curiosity, what happens when you click on the "Report this post to a moderator"? Does it go to all moderators of that forum, or how does it work?

I guess my real question is this: Which is more effective, to click on the "report this post to a moderator", or to email a moderator directly?

It goes to every moderator listed for that specific forum.

So if you use it in DVDTalk, it goes to ToddB and Adboy151 and gkleinman. In Book Talk, it goes to me and Benedict.

It uses our email addresses, so it's the same as you emailing them individually. But the Report a Post feature automatically includes a link to the thread and post you have concerns about, so it's just more efficient.

They're equally effective, the automatic feature is just a lot more efficient.

I've use the "report a bad post" a handful of times myself, if I've seen something that's just flagrantly off-topic or whatever. I do think though there's a stigma against using it, especially among younger members who think they're being a "narc" or something. As for me, if I see behavior on the board that I think deserves a smackdown, I have no qualms against taking a second to report it. I find that works better than me wading in with a response post and starting a whole back and forth thing anyway.

I have used it a few times. I never saw anything done so i figured maybe the function was not working right so i stopped using it

I also have at times emailed mods directly about a problem.

I look at posts and if i think it is borderline I do not want to waste the mods time so i do limit my emails to real trolling not just people disagreeing.

I agree that people should not enter a thread to "crap" on it. however I can see that people might go into a thread and disagree with things and discuss them.