Brian Shannon

I am very disappointed with the moderation and deletion of posts in the HD-HD-DVD forum.

If the format is not open to discussion then what is the purpose of the forum? I intended to reply to a post regarding the XBox 360 and a possible add on HD peripheral that apparently goes against the pollyanna view fostered over there.

If the devices and format cannot stand up to civil discourse then that says something right there.

Adam Tyner

The only post of yours (or of anyone's but my own) I deleted was one that said "Then I will simply delete my post." Should I have kept it for posterity?

No, I don't think an inflammatory statement like "they should've named the Xbox 360 the Xbox 1.5" is appropriate for an HD forum since it just derails things and spins off unnecessary arguments. If you want to talk about the peripheral, talk about the peripheral. It doesn't matter if you meant that statement to be inflammatory or not, but all something like that's going to do is start off-topic side arguments. It's an HD discussion forum, not the Video Game Flamewar forum.

If you have a problem with my moderation, at least try to contact me directly first before running to the Feedback Forum. The first post of yours in this thread makes it sound like I quash all discussion and maniacally delete posts, but I nearly never delete or edit posts (and even then, it's virtually always related to splitting threads), and I try not to stifle discussion at all. I just want the forum to be discussion purely about HD formats by people with an interest in HD formats, and I don't think that's unreasonable.

Gallant Pig

Adam does an <b>excellent</b> job moderating that forum. Emerging technologies combined with format wars are like the wild west on Internet forums so there is a very good reason that modding takes a more conservative turn on there. Same thing with video game talk, and political talk right now.

Brian Shannon - as you can see there's already a thread for discussing this, along with the fact it's a much better idea to just email a mod on why you think your thread shouldn't have been deleted. If you are intending to call said mod out and embarrass him, then something ain't right there.

John Sinnott

I also think that Adam is doing an outstanding job in the HD forum. It's a thankless task and one that takes up more time than it should, but he's managed to keep that forum from devolving into a giant flame war. People are so rabid about which side they support that bland comments of what you're looking for in a player are taken as personal attacks.

Adam!

digitalfreaknyc

Another for Adam. He's one of the more even-tempered and even-sided mods I've experienced here.

John Sinnott

A crap on HD home video forum?? Hmmm....I think we can live without that.

Gallant Pig

No. We also didn't have a VHS forum for those who hadn't accepted the DVD format.

Breakfast with Girls

This should be a poll!

wildcatlh

That's a pretty... odd argument, considering that the DVD format is going to live on for years, and VHS didn't. The HD-DVD forum seems to be the only subforum on DVDTalk where that type of moderating goes on; and in my 6+ years on this forum it's the only time I've seen such moderating.

Adam Tyner

What is "that type of moderating", exactly?

A couple of people annoyed with my actions in a couple of threads have extrapolated that I'm some sort of heavy-handed, post-purging fascist, which is hardly the case. Many of the people who have responded to these couple of Feedback threads don't read the HD forum and are making assumptions based on out-of-context excerpts and retellings slanted to sound more sympathetic in favor of those unhappy with my moderation.

Criticism is not being squashed in the HD forum. If I were, then...well, I wouldn't be allowed there, since I've complained about the terrible remote that comes with the HD-A1. I've griped about the length of time the player takes to boot. I've criticised the selection of launch titles of both formats, the studios' reluctance to release any information more than a week or two in advance, the ridiculous price of hybrid HD-DVDs, the lack of marketing, the cost of players... I've suggested that people who don't currently have an HDTV hold off on investing in one of these formats early on since the players are clunky, prices will plummet, there'll be more software available down the road, etc. I'm not an evangelist of HD-DVD or Blu-ray. I've said that I don't expect either format to amount to much more than a Laserdisc-ish niche for quite a few years. Does this sound like someone blindly championing high-definition?

I don't discourage criticism, but I do think some threads are more appropriate for it than others. I made a judgment call that the thread Vandelay posted to wasn't one of them. I also feel that in general, if someone repeatedly expresses their displeasure for the subject of a particular forum, including several threads that don't lend themselves to that sort of criticism, they're better off spending their time elsewhere. As for the case mentioned in the original post, no, I don't think a jab saying that the Xbox 360 should've been called the Xbox 1.5 is appropriate for a general HD forum. That discussion's not even permitted in the video game forum, let alone the general HD forum, and even though I don't think Brian meant any harm by posting that, all it would do is inspire needless bickering.

Moderation is not an exact science, and every decision a moderator makes runs the risk of ruffling some feathers. Clearly some users disagree with the decision I made, and I'm not disregarding any of these responses on sight. However, I felt and continue to feel that it was a sensible call.

Gallant Pig

I guess my point didn't come across right

If we allow discussions from people who haven't accepted the new formats (Vand saying it's only for people who "have" accepted them), what exactly does this discussion entail? "I don't like the much better quality!"

Basically that form of discussion is all threadcrapping isn't it? Sure DVD will co-exist for a long time, but except for money reasons, there is no reason to wait around to upgrade.

I guess what I'm saying is, what's not to accept at this point other than which will be the mainstay: BR, HDD, or both? In the early years of the DVD format, VHS still lived on for years yet Geoff didn't have a DIVX or VHS subforum.

Maybe I'm offbase here, but I don't see why someone who doesn't want anything to do with HD-DVD needs to contribute to the HD-DVD forum?

wildcatlh

Well what's the difference between that and posts in the DVD Talk, TV Talk, Music Talk, and Movie Talk forums which "bash" the movie/tv show/CD that's being discussed?

Josh H

Well, thread craps get punished if they are in the wrong thread.

And the mods have said they're ok with the bashing in the appropriate threads.

I think the main point is it gets old seeing repeated bashing posts from members who have no interest at all in HD format. At least the people bashign movies etc. have interest in movies.

Josh H

If you say so. I have an interest in movies and music. I care about DVDs and CDs now, and that's pretty much all I focus my attention on. I don't waste much time discussing MP3s, records, vhs or even much time on HD-DVD formats (just enough to keep up on what's going on).

Again, it just doesn't seem intuitive to spend time repeatedly expressing your opinion on something you have no interest in and no intention in buying. Stating that once got your opinion across.

Josh H

Apparently not if you have no interest in forthcoming formats.


Only in this case, as it's a forum designed more for people interested in the topic. I'm not going to seek out a gay porn forum since I have no interest in it, much less post their repeatedly saying I don't like it.

I don't think there needs to be a set rule, I'd hope people would just not waste their time repeatedly stating over and over that they have no interest in the topic of that forum and find something more worthwhile to do with their time.

tenaciousdave

I might be in the minority on this one, but I'd actually like more heavy handed moderation in the HD talk sub forum.

There is so much bickering in every thread that I avoid that forum for the most part.