What has happened to Catholic Answers Forum?

[Titivillus]

Joe_5859:

It’s probably why the forum doesn’t seem so bad to me. When I see bad posts, I skim past them and it doesn’t move from short-term to long-term memory.

Following close behind you Joe.

:raising_hand_man: Me! :raising_hand_man: Me!
Take me too!

 

[tad]

I’m new here and I don’t find this to be bad place. True, there’s threads and people here that need to be avoided, but there’s a good number of solid, informed, engaged Catholics on this board who are a pleasure to be around.

Obviously, some stuff has gone down around here before, and some people still have a bit of a chip on their shoulder, but that’s easy enough to forgive and ignore. In a large way, internet forums are what you make of it.

 

[bmaz]

or hit reply under the post you want to reply to and a box will pop up. hit the bubble on the far upper left next to the B
and the entire post will show in the box and you can write your reply under that and then hit Reply.

I’ve got it! Thanks!

 

[LeafByNiggle]

The most significant change to this forum is not the web software (which is a big improvement of the old software). The most significant change is the removal of actual live moderators. They used to stop mean-spirited postings before they got out of hand. We had rules and were expected to follow them. For a while after the transition, people continued to follow those rules to some extent. But as it became more and more obvious that there were no consequences to bad behavior, and indeed that the old rules have actually been erased from the FAQs, the forum has declined in civility. I would gladly chip in a nominal monthly fee to reinstate the moderators. I was cited by them several times, and upon further reflection, I realized they were right. Bring back the moderators!

 

[Lormar]

"We had rules and were expected to follow them. For a while after the transition, people continued to follow those rules to some extent. But as it became more and more obvious that there were no consequences to bad behavior, and indeed that the old rules have actually been erased from the FAQs, the forum has declined in civility. "

The above, in a nutshell, is a significant part of what has caused our culture to tank. We had rules. We had morals. We were taught there was indeed a right and a wrong. Actions had consequences. So did words.

 

[Lormar]

The most significant change to this forum is not the web software (which is a big improvement of the old software). The most significant change is the removal of actual live moderators. They used to stop mean-spirited postings before they got out of hand. We had rules and were expected to follow them. For a while after the transition, people continued to follow those rules to some extent. But as it became more and more obvious that there were no consequences to bad behavior, and indeed that the old rules have actually been erased from the FAQs, the forum has declined in civility. I would gladly chip in a nominal monthly fee to reinstate the moderators. I was cited by them several times, and upon further reflection, I realized they were right. Bring back the moderators!

Niggle, if this develops further ( chipping in by members so we can get mods back), please PM me. I am not often here and, when I am, don’t look around much and might miss any thread you would start about this.

 

[bmaz]

Another problem is that site feedback doesn’t seem to get any attention from the moderators. (Btw, this thread should really be in “Site Feedback”. Can you change it, @bmaz?)
[/quote]

I would, but I don’t know how!

 

[bmaz]

"We had rules and were expected to follow them. For a while after the transition, people continued to follow those rules to some extent. But as it became more and more obvious that there were no consequences to bad behavior, and indeed that the old rules have actually been erased from the FAQs, the forum has declined in civility. "

The above, in a nutshell, is a significant part of what has caused our culture to tank. We had rules. We had morals. We were taught there was indeed a right and a wrong. Actions had consequences. So did words.

I agree, I feel like Catholic Answers is now moving toward becoming something akin to Twitter, not nearly as bad, but I see some answers that I sound similar to things I would see on Twitter. Have people lost the ability to disagree with people without being unkind?

 

[Lormar]

Lormar:

"We had rules and were expected to follow them. For a while after the transition, people continued to follow those rules to some extent. But as it became more and more obvious that there were no consequences to bad behavior, and indeed that the old rules have actually been erased from the FAQs, the forum has declined in civility. "

The above, in a nutshell, is a significant part of what has caused our culture to tank. We had rules. We had morals. We were taught there was indeed a right and a wrong. Actions had consequences. So did words.

I agree, I feel like Catholic Answers is now moving toward becoming something akin to Twitter, not nearly as bad, but I see some answers that I sound similar to things I would see on Twitter. Have people lost the ability to disagree with people without being unkind?

Just this morning I was wondering what has caused so many to have trash mouth. Must everyone use crude language? When did we become so crass? Was it when we lost the sense of shame?

So much talk today about dignity, but I see very little of it.

We’re a mess.

 

[oldgraymare2]

Another problem is that site feedback doesn’t seem to get any attention from the moderators. (Btw, this thread should really be in “Site Feedback”. Can you change it, @bmaz?)

I would, but I don’t know how!
[/quote]

I do believe that you can edit our own posts and threads and can also move them for a period of time after we first create them, so I’ve heard.

For how long of a time period, I don’t know.

Look at the pencil icon at the top of your title at the top of your thread. Click on that, and you should see what’s called a drop down menu list.

You’ll see a pencil icon next to your thread title if you’re able to move it.

You would have to contact a Mod. to have it moved now at this point in time.

Otherwise, you can click on a forum title list of where you should be able to move your thread to, if that ability is still available to you.

To set it, click on the little blue check mark that you see underneath the option that you want. That will set the forum option for you.

 

[Lormar]

With the new format we lost the moderators who had been a force for civility on the old forum.

We also lost a lot of long-time members and their wisdom.

This format seems to bring out the worst in a lot of people.

Agreed on all three counts.

The internet as a whole brings out the worst in a lot of people. It’s a good tool for research, but I don’t think that its existence has made us better human beings.

 

[Irishmom2]

Well I never thought I would agree with you, but I do.

 

[Mi_Rose]

It is the wild west out there.

 

[Lormar]

Well I never thought I would agree with you, but I do.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[Roguish]

I would, but I don’t know how!

Yeah, I think there’s a time limit on how long you can change the thread’s title and category after you create it. You can probably only change it in the first hour or so. Anyway that’s fine, we’ll keep it "casual’

 

[Roguish]

We were taught there was indeed a right and a wrong. Actions had consequences. So did words.

I think the internet is in part to blame for this. Prior to the internet, the world had no communication media that allowed you to interact with others anonymously. Now, it’s completely normal to spend much of your time talking to people you’ll never meet. Offending them has very few consequences, unlike offending real-life acquaintances. Consider for example colleagues at work: who would dare brazenly voice dissent toward colleagues, knowing that he would have to continue working with them for years to come? For most people, no matter how hard they disagree with colleagues, they take care to remain civilized, because the consequences of being uncivil, or just overly assertive, are just too severe. And I’m not just talking about getting fired. I’m talking about a sense of decorum, about embarassment for being overly angry or for asserting your opinion too strongly, or about being snarky, that kind of thing. With communication on an internet platform that isn’t the case. People feel much less restrained, for they know they’re talking to people who can have no impact on their day-to-day lives.

 

[Lormar]

Lormar:

We were taught there was indeed a right and a wrong. Actions had consequences. So did words.

I think the internet is in part to blame for this. Prior to the internet, the world had no communication media that allowed you to interact with others anonymously. Now, it’s completely normal to spend much of your time talking to people you’ll never meet. Offending them has very few consequences, unlike offending real-life acquaintances. Consider for example colleagues at work: who would dare brazenly voice dissent toward colleagues, knowing that he would have to continue working with them for years to come? For most people, no matter how hard they disagree with colleagues, they take care to remain civilized, because the consequences of being uncivil, or just overly assertive, are just too severe. And I’m not just talking about getting fired. I’m talking about a sense of decorum, about embarassment for being overly angry or for asserting your opinion too strongly, or about being snarky, that kind of thing. With communication on an internet platform that isn’t the case. People feel much less restrained, for they know they’re talking to people who can have no impact on their day-to-day lives.

That and being taught in schools there is no right or wrong. Everything is relative.

 

[Cruciferi]

For most people, no matter how hard they disagree with colleagues, they take care to remain civilized, because the consequences of being uncivil, or just overly assertive, are just too severe. And I’m not just talking about getting fired. I’m talking about a sense of decorum, about embarassment for being overly angry or for asserting your opinion too strongly, or about being snarky, that kind of thing.

You wouldn’t like working at my place. I work with rough and abrasive men. They don’t hesitate to say anything.

 

[yankeesouth]

It’s not a bad place. I think this forum surpasses the old one now that previously unallowed Catholic news sources are allowed to counteract the liberal agenda. Accusations of uncharitable and meaness might really just be a matter of ‘doesn’t agree with me’.

 

[Mtatum1958]

I agree. Additionally some people are more blunt and to the point than others. They can come across as abrasive or some. Some are also more interested in being right than in the discussion.