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Manila Bus Hijacking threads closed down

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  1. #1

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    Angry Manila Bus Hijacking threads closed down

    Could someone explain why threads relating to the bus hijacking are closed down so quickly after their inception?
    I suspect it is to do with some people not liking criticism of the Philippine Government. Doesn't bode too well for a democratic forum.


  2. #2

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    I agree weird that all these threads got closed down so quickly!


  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by HKITperson:
    Could someone explain why threads relating to the bus hijacking are closed down so quickly after their inception?
    I suspect it is to do with some people not liking criticism of the Philippine Government. Doesn't bode too well for a democratic forum.
    I agree it is a mystery. While I think the editor is usually admirably 'hands off' (and note how I carefully kiss up to the editor!) once a conversation goes on for awhile they tend to shut it down. I was once told it was because of 'complaints' which seems ridiculous - anytime people have an argument, there are going to be complaints.

    I did get a kick out of PDLM - who usually goes out of his way to be obnoxious and offensive (and who, by the way, I support in that because I don't think you can have a good forum if you simply wallow in political correctness) - requesting that the thread be shut down because he didn't personally agree with where things were going - I thought that was funny.

    I wasn't taking part in the more virulent HK vs Philippine discussion but that doesn't mean that we need Big Brother to step in and end the discussion - that satisfies no one.

    My message to the editors would be that they should never shut down a thread unless it is clearly taking a violent or racist turn - and even then, it is better to use spot deletions as a tool. I don't think there is any reason to shut down a thread just because it gets contentious.
    Last edited by Freetrader; 30-08-2010 at 11:01 AM.
    Gatts and HKITperson like this.

  4. #4

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    The threads do get very heated with lots of personal insults flying around. I guess the mods of geoexpat have a responsibility to keep a lid on things.


  5. #5

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    It's called a point of diminishing returns. There's been several threads discussing this at large with more than 10 pages of comments so people have had their say and more. When a discussion goes round and round and people start calling each other names, it's time for someone to stop the nonsense and it keeps the board nice and tidy. This is not a democracy and I'm glad it isn't. I think this forum is extremely well moderated and even if I don't always agree with the decisions, I support the excellent work done by the administrators.


  6. #6

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    Agreed with Gilles

    It starts to get repetitive and the point scoring against each other gets a bit tiring after a while.


  7. #7

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    My only gripe was that one was closed just as I was posting. Although I agree some threads need to be closed as sometimes they can take an unpleasant turn. And, IMO, if someone resorts to name calling, it means they've lost the argument.


  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by HKITperson:
    Could someone explain why threads relating to the bus hijacking are closed down so quickly after their inception?
    I suspect it is to do with some people not liking criticism of the Philippine Government. Doesn't bode too well for a democratic forum.
    The forums are not a democracy.
    Think of it like China - they Admins can do what they like.

    I think everyone got their say.
    As gilleshk says, it is a point of diminishing returns.

    If you still want to say something, there are plenty of Facebook discussions and there was the rally/protest yesterday that you could have went to voice your opinions.

  9. #9

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    The Filipina girls in black on p.2 of SCMP with placards and bowed heads seem to carry the whole weight of this fiasco on their shoulders. Their deference is disturbingly reminiscent of public humiliations in darker times.


  10. #10

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    I for one fully support our unseen editorial overlords!


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