Confused

[MrsMcMouse]

Hi,

I very seldom post on the boards but I read fanatically and I just love reading everyone elses views and stories.

I'm planning a 2007 trip and have found reading the trip reports so useful. It is so disappointing to see yet another funny and entertaining trip report being locked.

Whilst I understand that there may be occasions where trips need to be locked if something offensive etc was said. It seems like excessive censorship to close a thread just because it gets a bit longwinded. It is by hearing all about people's family and personality that you can decide if they are people who are like you and therefore if their experiences relate to something you would enjoy or avoid.

It is my understanding that web forums are for information and also for entertainment. It seems to me that it is an abuse of power to inconsistently lock threads for going off topic. If it was so far off topic no-one would read it, or it could be moved. A great deal of people were enjoying this thread and I'm disappointed that yet again it has been closed.

The DIS crowd seem to me to be a generally friendly and self censoring group and this heavy handed moderating seems so unnecessary - and indeed unusual for web forums. I think it unlikely that I would ever bother writing a report since chances are if people were to enjoy it and express their enthusiasm then it could well end up locked.

This brings me back to the title of my post - What's the point? If this excessive censorship continues then I expect many members will have the same thought and not bother writing their reports. Then the trip reports board will become pointless. Surely this is worse than a few lengthy reports?

 

[horsegirl]

I have to agree with you, Mrs. McMouse. I am struggling to finish my trip report and will not write another as long as the current interpretation of the guidelines remains in effect. We have potentially also lost one of the most loved trip report writers, Zzub. I suspect many more of the talented writers will no longer feel inclined to post here.

I may have not worded this correctly and added the word potentially. Sorry Zzub for the confusion.

 

[stitchesmom]

I agree with MrsMcMouse. What's the point? I love the trip reports. I never write them because I couldn't possibly write as well as Mel. Your decision to end her report just makes me sad. I want to hear more about her trip and all of her trip. Your decision to end it has us hanging and not in a good way, the good way Mel has left us hanging more than once.


I was not offended by her report in any way. Her reports are nothing but entertaining and informative. This web site I thought was about information and entertainment.

I am just sad sad sad sad sad.

 

[paslea_pooh]

The absolute worst thing I have ever seen anywhere on a message board is what happened to Mel. To close an OP's report after posting about a child loosing their best friend by being run over by a bus in front of them and how important that made their WDW trips was just outright horrible. It was the day I became embarrased to say that I was a Dis member.
Now is that time that if the moderators will not admit they made a judgment error and reopen Mel’s trip report, then the Webmaster needs to step in and do it himself!

May the sprit of Walt Disney be alive in all of us! And may the moderators realize what they have done and rectify this horrible mistake!

VERY WELL SAID !!!!!!
That was the most heartless and cruel thing I've seen done in a long while. It did make me ashamed to be associated with the Disboards. Jealousy is as cruel as the grave. That is what it comes down to.

 

[DebIreland]

Jealousy is as cruel as the grave. That is what it comes down to.

Very well said, this whole issue is personal and has nothing to do with guidelines and rules in my opinion. The amazing thing is, of all the trip reports on this board, I would say that the recent HappyHaunts one was the most ON-topic! So many reports meander off topic and include details that have nothing directly to do with Disney and I love those too because all the asides help build and maintain the atmosphere. But it's like the mods waited for that report to go off-topic and then they gleefully jumped on it and locked the thread. She posted about a tragic event in her daughter's life and to lock it because of that was really sick. Or was it locked because Canada was mentioned? How on earth does a person from Canada *not* mention Canada in her trip report! The ahem 'rules' are a little absurd!!!

Of course I'm typing into fresh air here - my last post was deleted very efficiently!

I wonder how long this thread will last?!

 

[nataliz]

I haven't been on these boards for very long. In fact, I just found it as I was researching for my up-coming trip to Disney. It contains a wealth of information and people who share a common love- Disney.

To me, trip reports are a way for people to share their vacation memories with others. They help me to look forward to my upcoming trip, while making me think about our last trip two years ago.

Mel's report has had over 34,000 views since she started writing it at the end of May. That's about 2000 times a day! She has to be doing something right if so many people are looking at it.

I love to read trip reports. I especially love to read the ones that let me live vicariously through another person's eyes. I think that it's a shame that we are shutting a person down who has done a great job of sharing her trip with us.

 

[2infinity&B-ond]

I agree with the above posters. What a sad state of things here on the Trip Reports Board of the DIS. We have lost several great writers.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I am the person that asked this same question the other night. I believe I mentioned a "witchhunt" and my post was quickly removed. I then asked why it was removed and instead of being given an answer, EVERYONE'S posts were removed from the thread and the thread closed.

I don't think it's fair for Mel's reports to be locked; she is a great writer! I understand that the mods don't want people to talk about something that happened at home, that has nothing to do with Disney (**this has to do with the original report, NOT this one). However, adding a bit of background into a person and give insight into them is what a good writer does.

This post will probably be removed and it's sad. It's like the mods don't want anyone to question them. They give generalized answers and don't explain themselves.

Please mods, just explain why you have such a problem with Mel? Please don't give the reason that she strayed from the topic, she didn't. She was just giving background on why she went to Disney with her family and what it means to them.

I feel that many people will stop writing here because they will be afraid of adding anything of interest to their stories.

 

[Bonnie40]

This is definitely needed!!!!!!!!

I could give example after example after example of off topic information that was posted.

Anyone read the recent report that explained for nearly a page about why the trip was important because of problems as a teenager???

How was that not off topic

Instead of posting a warning to the OP the moderators jumped on board with about how wonderful the trip was

That is only one trip report that included a lot of off topic stuff that the moderators gushed over instead of posting a warning. I can go through others but it will be a long list that are still open and running with no warning whatsoever.

If the moderators want to police this board fine then police it fairly.

There was absolutely no reason for that TP to be closed. It was on topic for the most part and the few sections that weren't only allowed us a glimpse into a family.

The absolute worst thing I have ever seen anywhere on a message board is what happened to Mel. To close an OP's report after posting about a child loosing their best friend by being run over by a bus in front of them and how important that made their WDW trips was just outright horrible. It was the day I became embarrased to say that I was a Dis member.

Now is that time that if the moderators will not admit they made a judgment error and reopen Mel’s trip report, then the Webmaster needs to step in and do it himself!

May the sprit of Walt Disney be alive in all of us! And may the moderators realize what they have done and rectify this horrible mistake!

VERY WELL SAID! I was surprised to still see my thread here this morning! I have been PM'd and told where to check out the fabulous writers that have left the DIS...that website's gain is the DIS's loss!

 

[darrylpan]

I think one of the great things about visiting a Disney Park is how the magic of the place makes all our worries and cares disappear. I think the comments in Mels TR reflected just that. Disney can help heal and bring the smile back to your face. I found nothing off topic in Mels report. In fact her trip report just enhanced my view of the Disney experience and magic.

 

[KTSMOM]

VERY WELL SAID! I was surprised to still see my thread here this morning! I have been PM'd and told where to check out the fabulous writers that have left the DIS...that website's gain is the DIS's loss!

Would you please PM me and let me know the new website? I would love to continue to read her fabulous trip reports! Thanks!

 

[horsegirl]

At the risk of this thread being locked too, if people have questions, please pm me and I would be happy to help. I have recieved numerous pms in the last few days, and will keep my box open. I recognize it is hard when there is no place to vent. PMs are a good use. Feel free to PM one another as well. Just a thought, if that is not too presumptuous.

 

[kpk89]

Disappointed doesn't even begin to cover my reaction to the latest lockdown. Mel (and her fans) have made every effort to keep to the trip, and the report. It's not as though the reply posts went off on wild tangents (this time).

Mel Happyhaunt is an excellent storyteller. She is not the first trip reporter to intertwine background stories about her family into the report. Such additions to a report provide substance and cause the readers to CARE about the family and their trip. Which makes the report far more compelling than one that merely provides details about where they stood to watch Wishes or how long they waited for a bus from whatever resort. Those details are important too, for a different reason, but IMHO I can find out that kind of info on the tips or theme park boards. I go to the Trip Reports board for entertainment.

Or, I used to.

I have hope that the mods can take another look at the lockdown of Mel's latest report, and perhaps give some thought to reversing their decision. I realize that moderating is a volunteer job, and a thankless one -- and for the most part I applaud their hard work in keeping the DIS a safe, friendly environment. I happen to think this particular decision was inappropriate. Very.

 

[MrsMcMouse]

I have to agree with you, Mrs. McMouse. I am struggling to finish my trip report and will not write another as long as the current interpretation of the guidelines remains in effect. We have also lost one of the most loved trip report writers, Zzub. I suspect many more of the talented writers will no longer feel inclined to post here.

I don't blame you for struggling to finish (though I wish you would - yours is one of my favourites!). If I was writing one I would feel the same!!

There are lots of great reports on the boards - people don't need to be able to write like Zzub or Mel to still have a great report but it just seems madness to me that the most popular reports are those that the mods have most trouble with.

GRRRR - rant over!

I also think, considering the feelings expressed my those who have posted, it would appropriate for the mods to give a better response than has been provided thus far. Perhaps if they gave a better explanation we could understand it better?

 

[MrsMcMouse]

Disappointed doesn't even begin to cover my reaction to the latest lockdown. Mel (and her fans) have made every effort to keep to the trip, and the report. It's not as though the reply posts went off on wild tangents (this time).

Mel Happyhaunt is an excellent storyteller. She is not the first trip reporter to intertwine background stories about her family into the report. Such additions to a report provide substance and cause the readers to CARE about the family and their trip. Which makes the report far more compelling than one that merely provides details about where they stood to watch Wishes or how long they waited for a bus from whatever resort. Those details are important too, for a different reason, but IMHO I can find out that kind of info on the tips or theme park boards. I go to the Trip Reports board for entertainment.

Or, I used to.

I have hope that the mods can take another look at the lockdown of Mel's latest report, and perhaps give some thought to reversing their decision. I realize that moderating is a volunteer job, and a thankless one -- and for the most part I applaud their hard work in keeping the DIS a safe, friendly environment. I happen to think this particular decision was inappropriate. Very.

Excellent post - I couldn't agree more

 

[Frickles]

That is not the first trip report closed because of out of topic stories/comments, so I don't think they are gunning at her directly.

TLinden, the Mod for Mel's TR, was very curteous to reply to my PM and she told me that they have only had to close Trip Reports by two posters, so it isn't like they go around closing a lot of reports...you know. I don't want anyone to think TR's are being shut down like crazy because they are OT. She said Mel was shut down because she, not the subscribers who posted, went off topic. To me this just seems like a very low blow especially because of the story Mel had just shared. It isn't right.

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

I think it's fair to assume that many people will be finding other outlets to write. I just found ZZUB and I will be following his lead (not that I am half the writer that he and Mel are, but I don't want to be censored, this IS America after all).

I fear the TR report board is going to be a very boring place soon.

 

[jw50]

This post will probably be removed and it's sad. It's like the mods don't want anyone to question them. They give generalized answers and don't explain themselves.

Well the mods "explained" why the thread was closed. The thread violated one of the rules and the thread originator had been warned previously to stay "on topic" so to the mods she was a repeat offender and as such any violation (however slight) was justification for closing the thread.

Any further questioning of the mods actions or their intentions also violates one of the board rules and that is why so many of the posts questioning the mods have been removed.

And the mods do generally take appropriate action when they are informed of board rule violations, as evidenced by the removal of a trip report to Alabama that was not Disney related after this brought to the mods attention recently.

The Dis is not a democracy, it is a privately owned board and the Admins and Mods are selected by the board owner to intrepret and enforce the board rules as they see fit. The board owner is aware of the issues related to the closed TR threads and fully supports the actions of his moderation team.

So basically if you do not agree with the way the Dis is being run then your best option is to find another board that is more to your liking.

If you do wish to remain a member of the Dis then I recommend that you be very careful about making any posts that might be construed as criticizing any member of the moderating team.

 

[Kolache]

Ditto! I'd like to know as well. Loved both of those writers!

 

[DisneyGirl4188]

Well the mods "explained" why the thread was closed. The thread violated one of the rules and the thread originator had been warned previously to stay "on topic" so to the mods she was a repeat offender and as such any violation (however slight) was justification for closing the thread.

Any further questioning of the mods actions or their intentions also violates one of the board rules and that is why so many of the posts questioning the mods have been removed.

And the mods do generally take appropriate action when they are informed of board rule violations, as evidenced by the removal of a trip report to Alabama that was not Disney related after this brought to the mods attention recently.

The Dis is not a democracy, it is a privately owned board and the Admins and Mods are selected by the board owner to intrepret and enforce the board rules as they see fit. The board owner is aware of the issues related to the closed TR threads and fully supports the actions of his moderation team.

So basically if you do not agree with the way the Dis is being run then your best option is to find another board that is more to your liking.

If you do wish to remain a member of the Dis then I recommend that you be very careful about making any posts that might be construed as criticizing any member of the moderating team.

I just wanted a better explaination of why the report was closed (and so suddenly). It's not OK do question the decision of a mod? Even if it will shed light on what is and isn't allowed?

I need clear cut guidelines. If it is not OK to mention anything off topic, that's fine, it just needs to be followed across the board. To many of us, it seems as though people are being singled out.

I love the DIS, I am on many other boards here and think that for the most part the moderating is well done. That being said, when a guideline is posted, I think it is up to the mods to answer any and all questions, so that everyone can be on the same page of what is and isn't allowed.