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I'd like to first echo what Joseph_Lubnan said. I also like the forum and would like to thank the team for making it available to us.

Originally Posted by Lallous

First of all, I apologize for any hasty action I may have taken,

Accepted, but what about ignoring repeated private messages (the staff constantly tells us that we should get in touch with them privately if we have an issue) for 4 months?

Posts and threads that add value often take time to write. Deleting them and ignoring requests for explanation is disrespectful of members' time and effort. By doing that you are discouraging people who take the time to think and research what they are going to post and encouraging those who have knee-jerk reactions.

Originally Posted by Lallous

but the thing is not about not answering your concerns as much as it is not drifting the thread. I didn’t want to get involved in the political decisions made behind the forum but rather stick to some technical moderation policies, as the first one, neither me and much less you have a say about it. This policy is here to stay no matter if it would cost us some members; which by the way make you wonder the added value of some members when their sole participation is in these auto-flagellation threads when they are not related anyhow to FPM and even if they are, there is no ‘official’ members to reply them back.

When you joined the forum, you agreed to a set rules which are only an interface for something bigger which is promoting and protecting FPM's interests. You may consider it censorship; I would rather call it gatekeeping. Difference is huge. Gatekeeping is practiced in every media outlet. Nothing forbids to you to have your own blog if you want to talk about some topics or to get any other information you may lack elsewhere. You make it sound as if this forum is extremely repressive which isn’t the case as your whole concern is about a single thread that got deleted 4 months ago;

Again, it's funny that you should ask for additional contributions from members but adopt an authoritarian know-it-all and this-policy-is-here-to-stay-you-can-leave-if-you-don't-like-it attitude.

Originally Posted by Lallous

well let’s give you a reason why it got deleted.

It took 4 months, a whole new thread which by chance addressed the subject, a couple "hasty actions", but we got it! Thanks champ!

Originally Posted by Lallous

You see there is a notice made sticky since June 2008. 2009 Parliamentary Elections - FPM and the Forum (Extremely important)
The thread in question was published next day by some yellow journalists under the label “massadir 3aouniyeh”. Sorry, notwithstanding it may unplease some members, but this type of threads doesn’t help much on a public forum. We won’t give our opponents extra reasons to attack us. That’s only a part of the reason because you could add to that how the thread was getting emotional and people attacking each other personally which is a major one too.

Those who are desperate enough to attack FPM using a thread in the online forum as their source will attack FPM no matter what. If they can't get it from an online forum, they will get it off a cereal box or something. Instead of being in reacting mode, and giving in to the intimidation of these yellow journalists as you call them, you should be encouraging free speech and not bowing down to this kind of pressure. Enno ija wa7ad zatt 7ake kif ma ken in the newspapers, so your reaction is to censor members of this forum??

This type of thread is exactly what this forum needs. Your opponents will attack you wether they have reasons or not (you should know this by now). As for the getting emotional and personal attacks excuse, I agree with what Abou Sandal said: short of blatant insults (and we can get into the detail of what that is exactly), everything should be allowed.

Originally Posted by Lallous

Thanks for stating the obvious. You answer your own reply.

This is not obvious at all, and it was not a question. Evidently, if you delete the words "there is a fundamental choice to be made", then it looks like a question, which it isn't. The forum cannot be both a propaganda tool and a place for openly discussing ideas: the two are mutually exclusive by design. It has had periods of openness, where we could discuss pretty much anything, but the rest of the time, particularly very early and recently, it's been like it is right now.

If you agree that it should be a propaganda tool, then there is no point for asking for members' contributions. Just keep on censoring free speech more and more, and you will only have left those who praise FPM no matter what, with the occasional alternative views, as well as those who reply with one-liners (they don't invest much time and effort in their posts so they don't care if you delete them). Much like what you have right now. If you think it should not be a propaganda tool, then needless to say a change of approach is essential.

Originally Posted by Lallous

N.B. : I won't answer any furthr reply on this subject. I already said more then what's needed.

Suit yourself.

On a side note, I agree with DA: scrap the rules, keep moderators' interactions at a minimum, keep the forum liberal (everything goes except heavy insults), and threads should be started right away.