Are all posts being moderated at the moment?

Yes - again - naturally - and this point is endlessly made - and self-evidently true !

Notwithstanding, one way to stop "bad actors" entering Heathrow is to close the airport, or make it so hard (or frustrating) to navigate THAT AUTISTIC PEOPLE ARE EXCLUDED.

Number said:

I'm not sure that cunning span bots would actively edit their posts - more than twice - after posting!

I find my posts are held after just 1 edit now, but not all. There must be a more complex algorythm that decides whether the post should be moderated.

I guess the solution it to write the response in a word processor to check for spelling errors before posting - this will catch most needs to edit the post.

Bunny said:

I can understand how the NAS might feel that publishing its own internal moderation rules - which it uses to protect us from spammers and other bad actors - would be the equivalent of providing a detailed “what not to do” guide to any passengers with malicious intent when arriving at Heathrow.

An astute observation.

If we were paying for the site by subscription then we would have a reasonable right to understand more about this but it is a free service to the public and as such is an easy target by all sorts of bad actors so it makes sense that they keep this veil of secrecy to protect themselves.

Obviously, I agree with the point you are making here (and have made this point myself over many years).......but I'm really not sure it applies to the matter at hand?  I'm not sure that cunning span bots would actively edit their posts - more than twice - after posting!

Without wishing to fan any flames of suspicion, I've actually been back on for quite a while - just too focused other matters to participate. 

Number said:

Bunny, the "rules" do not address the question/statement made by Pixie.

Pixiefox asked "Are all posts being moderated at the moment?". I explained that the issue was affecting her posts rather than everyone’s, due to her account having been placed in pre-moderation. And referenced the rules, which do explain why that happened - albeit from a user's perspective.

What the NAS hasn’t done within the updated rules is to specify or share its internal admin / moderation rules for the forum, including how, precisely, the automatic filters have been configured, and therefore tell us how to avoid falling foul of them.

Personally, I don't have any issue at all with that. I feel the lack of such explanations is consistent with, and supports our request for - and their aim to provide - "Increased moderation to ensure the community is a safe, welcoming, and supportive platform".

Imagine if, ahead of passengers reaching border control at Heathrow, everyone could read the internal rules followed by Border Force officials - including how their systems and officers aim to spot potential troublemakers from aspects of their appearance, behaviour, and/or comments.

I can understand how the NAS might feel that publishing its own internal moderation rules - which it uses to protect us from spammers and other bad actors - would be the equivalent of providing a detailed “what not to do” guide to any passengers with malicious intent when arriving at Heathrow.

Good point.......and I have a similar thing that I learned the other day that I think you might like (as a break from all this tedious bureaucracy and mediocrity about the "communications" in this place);

Birds have backward facing "knees" - although these are actually their heels - because birds actually walk on their tip-toe.  Their actual "knees" are tucked up, out of sight, by their bellies and do face forwards like human ones.*

* - For all pedants, I know that this rule only applies for circa 98% of all birds, I do believe there are a few exceptions, but I can't remember any of them off-hand/off-paw/off-toe. 

Number said:

unless I have a mouse and a VERY steady hand

Mice don't have hands - they have paws.

- Personally, I have given up trying to look at "votes" unless I have a mouse and a VERY steady hand.......it is impossible to safely look otherwise.

Well, I for one, contribute to NAS, as I know many others here, also do.

I'm not out "pitchfork waving," I am asking for some simple communication with the membership that is meaningful in its particulars.

out_of_step said:

Sorry I think my sausage fingers down voted you by accident.

I did that myself once, and was horrified to see that I remained in the list despite correcting my mistake!

Number said:

I reiterate again.........it is the LACK OF COMMUNICATION that I am finding unacceptable at this point in time.

it is a little dissapointing to say the least but we do have to keep in mind that this is not a service we pay for and we have no expectation of a quality of service.

NAS are a charity and from the way the upgrade has gone, one who are not blessed with very good management or much in the way of staff to interact with out pitchfork waving.

What we get it pretty decent for a freebie.

There is a time to "pull back the veil"......if that were to be the case.......OR....... someone could just find the (not unreasonable) time, just to keep us updated and informed?

And if we were told / informed / advised or otherwise communicated with, to that effect, then I am VERY confident that we would all be far less anxious, irritated and confused by WTAF is going on at the moment, "behind the scenes."

I reiterate again.........it is the LACK OF COMMUNICATION that I am finding unacceptable at this point in time.

You are a very nice man.  I like that.  I am hard-wired the same way......but I also know that there is a time to make our voices heard too.

The concern that you posit, is the same as when I see a weaker human being bullied or neglected or abused by a stronger human (or human in a higher position of authority).....one doesn't wish to intervene for fear of making matters worse for the weaker human.......it's a judgement call.

The NAS without a forum (no wait, sorry, NEW forum [that would have taken some cash investment]) is not a realistic concern at this moment in time.  However, the risk of members here leaving or drifting away is a VERY VERY real concern.

SpikeyMark said:

that ever happened to this forum I would be devastated

And that's putting it mildly.

Sorry I think my sausage fingers down voted you by accident.

I wonder if whoever did the changeover has pulled the wool over NAS' eyes, and the only way "the powers that be" will know prospective changes HAVEN'T  been made, or errors still exist is if we tell them.

Just my two penneth. 

.

Sparkly-Temporary Account said:

I recall that in one of the pre-upgrade announcements, we had been told that many of the things we had requested in the survey would be implemented. Although some changes have been made, it's not to the extent that I feel had been implied.

In my thread I resurrected earlier, I've linked to that.

As far as I can see, nothing whatsoever has been done (or  maybe one thing).

Number said:

perhaps think we were "oversold" what we might expect of the result.

I've actually been having similar thoughts Number.

I recall that in one of the pre-upgrade announcements, we had been told that many of the things we had requested in the survey would be implemented. Although some changes have been made, it's not to the extent that I feel had been implied.

This is pure speculation on my part, but I find myself wondering if something catastrophic had happened, which meant some of the planned changes suddenly had to be aborted.

SpikeyMark said:

Possibly Debbie?

Yes, it was me.

The Shutterstock forum was closed down because they couldn't be arsed to monitor it and remove spam.

Also it may be worth pointing out again what someone else said in another post (I can't remember who, sorry. Possibly Debbie?)

Sometimes decision makers can just throw their arms up and say 'this isn't worth the hassle anymore', and just decide to stop a resource (for example, a free forum). I want to keep up the encouragement alongside the criticism, because if that ever happened to this forum I would be devastated (alongside almost everyone else here)