Commenting on Planetfeedback

This letter was not meant to be a complaint about the TOS or about the
current condition of PFB, and the Kitchen Table was the furthest
thing from my mind when I wrote the letter. I wasn't even sure if the
Kitchen Table still existed.

I simply wanted to know if there was a change in the TOS. This isn't
the first time I noticed discrepancies in the removal of comments.
Last time I made the mistake of posting my observations in a profile,
and we all know how that turned out. So this time I went directly to
the source.

But when all is said and done, it still leaves me wondering (as I said
in the letter) why some comments that clearly violate the TOS are not
removed while others are. I haven't really been given an explanation
other than informing me that all the comments are not read. I guess
I'll just have to accept that as the answer whether I think it's fair
or not.

I guess I haven't noticed some comments getting pulled but other
rule-breaking comments getting to stay. I rarely see any comment that
I think crosses the TOS line.

This site was much more fun when we could get away with murder. It
also could be very mean and inhospitable.

While the site isn't as fun (for me) as it used to be, it is more
professional. If I think an OP is being a complete tool, I have to be
an adult and find a respectful way to disagree, or I leave the letter
alone (usually the latter, since I don't like to edit myself).

But I don't think this site's responsibility includes providing me and
others with endless hours of entertainment. In fact, if someone were
to want to "buy" the site, I can see that if a buyer were to look a
sample of letters and responses at certains in this site's history,
they may not be interested once they saw some of the content
(including from me).

So, this question has been posted on this site for nine days now, and
PlantFeedback hasn't responded yet. Maybe they did so behind the
scenes, but considering the posting is in a public venue about the
very site it's on, a response here is appropriate.

This is not meant to be an insult in any way: I have never seen worse
Customer Service from any other organization. PlantFeedback is clearly
telling the people who bother to come to their site that they don't
care.

At least the average companies that do not care about Customer Service
send a canned reply.

Low rent.

i have noticed that some comments I thought would be pulled haven't
yet been touched. (i.e. related to grammar or pointing out where a
letter-writer may have broken the law)


but on the flip side i have seen comments that contain direct attacks
and name calling have been pulled.


maybe they've finally relaxed a little with how things are being
handled.

i think it has something to do with the way things got heated up very
quickly over the blog-moderation notice.

I have had comments deleted in the past. Usually they are ones where I
have politely suggested that the original poster rewrite the letter to
make it more readable. Simple things like punctuation, spelling, etc.


It was my understanding that when a comment is deleted that the
poster of the comment was supposed to be sent an email explaining why
it was deleted. I never received an explanation of why the comments
were deleted.

I agree with you Venice that lately it seems like comments of those
type and worse are being allowed. I have no problem with some of my
comments being deleted but all such similar comments should be deleted
as well. It should be fair and equal.

Oh Venice, here you go again.......

As one of the folks that recently posted a comment about rewriting a
letter that included calling the employees things like "idiots", I
apologize if I've offended anyone.

I am a casual poster here,(obviously, since I am just now seeing this
letter) and thought that constructive criticism was allowed.
Apparently, I am wrong. Although I fail to see how trying to help
someone realize that a well written letter will forward their
complaint more than a really bad letter can be construed as offensive.
If I failed to see this rule in the TOS then it is my fault.

I do have to offer my completely unsolicted opinion on another matter.
This site now has so many posting rules that a score card is needed,
and it's just not worth it.

Combine the interesting posting rules with the ever present tension
and sniping among members, this site has become hard to take
seriously. What a shame!

Somewhere along the line the inmates have taken over the asylum and
it's just not working. If I were Planetfeedback I'd close the whole
thing down, re-vamp things, and start over in rebuilding the site's
creditbility.

My question about emailing Greg was in response to the statement that
wondered if name calling, etc was now allowed, because Venice had seen
comments that were not removed. I don't get why anyone would rather
post a letter asking if it was Ok to call names rather than send an
email and alert Greg that there were comments that he missed. If they
were brought to his attention, and then left up, I might understand
why there would be confusion. If someone is speeding down the highway
- it is still illegal, even if they did not get caught.

And certainly, I, as well as other commenters, have suggested that
letter writers might benefit from talking to someone directly, rather
than letter writing. Usually I understand when Ops opt to communicate
via letter, rather than have a one on one in the store, however, in
this case the letter goes directly to the same person the email would
have gone to. I view it as an attempt to somehow make him or the
site look bad.

Certainly if there is that confusion it should be clarified, it does
not escape notice that the same few people keep harping on their
supposed confusion.

Hopefully that helps explain my thoughts a bit better.

It's logical to assume that Greg doesn't miss any comments. I know he
doesn't miss any of mine. So when I started seeing so many posts that
were left up for days, I actually thought something had changed but an
effort wasn't made to let everyone know. (Sorta like the way companies
downsize their products and hope no one will notice.) It wouldn't be
fair for some people to continue to weigh every word or not comment at
all while others may think the moderation policy was lifted or
modified, or perhaps being new to the site, don't even know it exists.


It's that simple. And I don't see it as harping on supposed confusion
at all nor was I looking to stir anything up or trying to make anyone
or anything look bad. And I didn't even write the letter right away.
I saw quite a number of violations before I finally decided to ask.

I've noticed the same thing where some comments are getting through
lately that wouldn't have a month or so ago. We are not here to do
Greg's moderation job for him just like don't do the police's job of
handing out speeding tickets.

Sorry that some of us keep harping on our "supposed confusion" but
just because you refuse to see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

Never fear Venice, the censor police at PFB are still out and still
working overtime.

My guess is...its just certain people who are being censored.

Venice, if there is a comment that you feel is inappropriate, why
wouldn't you simply shoot an email to Greg to delete it? What could
you possibly hope to accomplish by posting this letter? Really. I
don't for one minute believe that you honestly think that "comments
now allowed that include but are not limited to speculation,
name-calling, insults, letter critiquing, etc.?"

This letter really comes across as an attempt to stir the pot so to
speak. Have things been too calm? I have noticed a bunch of new
names lately - maybe they need to be sucked into the drama filled
whirlpool that was the TOS debate.

Hopefully Greg will respond so that everyone who participates in
commenting can have things be ever so much more clear than the TOS
makes them.

wow.