Staff Member
Diamond Supporter
Platinum Supporter
Bronze Supporter
- Messages
- 12,575
- Reactions
- 18,020
Several members have contacted me with concerns regarding their posts being deleted, specifically in this thread: https://www.northwestfirearms.com/threads/how-do-you-store-your-firearms.199063/
Though I understand why this could be frustrating, maintaining a clean and orderly forum is one of the main responsibilities of our moderators. This has happened from the beginning of Northwest Firearms, and likely happens on almost every forum you visit. The difference is that in the name of transparency, we have opted to allow members to see the deletion notices which normally only staff can see. I'm sure this was also more noticeable due to the number of posts deleted from that thread.
Those who want some perspective, consider this. A new member, GREGULON, asked a simple and useful firearm-related question. This is a perfect example of one of the fundamental purposes of this site. The first couple of replies to the thread are honest and educational, but it doesn't take long for the thread to go off the rails. Just before 11PM the post count was in the 30's, with the vast majority useless and completely unrelated to the question. This wouldn't be an issue in the off-topic section, but it's inappropriate when a new member is trying to use the site for the purpose it was created.
The negatives that go hand in hand with allowing this in a forum environment are proven and long-lasting. New members are discouraged from posting sincere questions, people visiting for the first time are left with an bad impression, and our credibility takes a hit with people in the industry.
We work far too hard trying to get new members here and make them feel comfortable enough to ask basic questions. I won't allow this to become an unwelcoming environment, and I hope you won't either. Lets try to keep threads in the appropriate sections on-topic and useful, and save the other stuff for the off-topic section.
Though I understand why this could be frustrating, maintaining a clean and orderly forum is one of the main responsibilities of our moderators. This has happened from the beginning of Northwest Firearms, and likely happens on almost every forum you visit. The difference is that in the name of transparency, we have opted to allow members to see the deletion notices which normally only staff can see. I'm sure this was also more noticeable due to the number of posts deleted from that thread.
Those who want some perspective, consider this. A new member, GREGULON, asked a simple and useful firearm-related question. This is a perfect example of one of the fundamental purposes of this site. The first couple of replies to the thread are honest and educational, but it doesn't take long for the thread to go off the rails. Just before 11PM the post count was in the 30's, with the vast majority useless and completely unrelated to the question. This wouldn't be an issue in the off-topic section, but it's inappropriate when a new member is trying to use the site for the purpose it was created.
The negatives that go hand in hand with allowing this in a forum environment are proven and long-lasting. New members are discouraged from posting sincere questions, people visiting for the first time are left with an bad impression, and our credibility takes a hit with people in the industry.
We work far too hard trying to get new members here and make them feel comfortable enough to ask basic questions. I won't allow this to become an unwelcoming environment, and I hope you won't either. Lets try to keep threads in the appropriate sections on-topic and useful, and save the other stuff for the off-topic section.