Unlike many forums out there on the big ‘World Wide Web’, this one is moderated. That means there’s a team of Administrators and Moderators who roam the forum like benevolent aunties & uncles, helping to ensure this site stays an entertaining and educational place to visit on the internet. Sometimes this means posts get edited.
Simply put, the Admin Team and Moderators reserve the right to edit posts as we see fit. This means the removal of offensive language (or the suggestion of it), as well as defusing arguments, occasional editing for clarity and deletion of anything that might be deemed offensive, or which could be seen to attack a particular individual or organisation. We also take steps to edit or remove posted opinions that could bring West Oxon Forum and/or the poster into disrepute. An example would be a post which we consider racist or sexist.
If your post is edited there should be a note added at the bottom of it explaining which Moderator edited it. There won’t necessarily be any explanation. We try to add a note to the bottom of edited posts, but sometimes we just don’t have the time. If there isn’t, please accept our apologies. It’s not “stealth editing”, it’s a lack of time, an oversight, or a mistake. Sometimes for teeny tiny edits (like to change a mis-spelling, or to add a word which has obviously been missed out) we don’t even bother with the “edited by” message.
We never edit posts intending to change context. Quite apart from the fact that that would be pointless, it would be contrary to the spirit of the forum.
We often see people starting new threads that are duplicates of often-discussed topics. In these cases you may find that a Moderator will either direct you to a previous thread and close your one, or merge your thread with an older one. To avoid this please search before posting a new topic – it may well have already been covered.
Finally, Moderators may choose to move a thread which you started to a different area of the forum. Typically this is because it either didn’t belong in that area to start with, or it has evolved into a thread that belongs elsewhere! Don’t take offence if it’s moved – this is just the Moderators keeping the place clean and tidy – you won’t usually be informed that your thread has been moved.
If a thread starts to get out of hand to a point where it breaches forum rules, individual posts may be deleted. I know it’s frustrating to find that your post has just disappeared apparently without trace or explanation, and we do try to PM users to let them know this has happened, but it’s not always possible due to time constraints.
If it gets really bad, then the whole thread may get closed and/or removed. In the case you’ll probably have already been made aware (in the thread or via private message) that your thread is for the chop!
While we are very open to constructive criticism and positive feedback, we are consistently surprised when people complain that their posts have been moderated. You can throw the “free speech”/censorship argument at us, but as has already been explained, this little corner of cyberspace is moderated. Anyone not liking the rules of the forum is welcome to go elsewhere, it’s as simple as that.
I think that’s pretty good for a service which is provided and moderated completely free of charge.
I had a forum of my once upon a time, it was included as part of adriancoomber.com but this new forum is open to all of West Oxfordshire and is a great place to discuss local issues and to raise concerns or questions on just about any subject. We hope that in due course, parish councils, neighbourhood police teams, residents groups and other community organisations will come on board with a common aim to help make West Oxfordshire a better place.
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