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.......

I recognize your user id, I believe, as someone who has posted here
for at least a few months.

I don't see a need to apologize for anything. If your comments that
included suggesting a letter rewrite haven't been censored due to a
idiosyncracy of the PFB dictating machine, you can't be faulted for
that.

I see that you make reference to a well written letter, and whether or
not it improves the chances that a letter will be taken more
seriously. You evidently arrived at PFB too late to take part in the
"all letters are taken equally seriously, no matter how much they
suck" lecture series. I wish I could provide you a link, but links to
other letters and posts are actively discouraged for certain members.
I also find I have no motivation whatsoever to spend time finding the
pertinent threads. This is simply an observation of my feelings, and
shouldn't be construed as a comment.

Another observation - perhaps the "interesting posting rules" and
whether they are applied evenly is related to the tension you feel you
notice among members. Personally, I found that when I stopped making
comments, the tension just melted right away. If you don't *make*
comments, they can't be deleted. And you don't get jealous when
someone else's comments *aren't* deleted. Nurse Cratchit's little
pills help, as well.

Does anyone know what is for dinner tomorrow? It is supposed to rain,
so we probably won't be allowed into the exercise yard...

But every time I saw comments that were equal to if not worse than
mine, I became angry at the unfairness, and even more angry at the
reason for the unfairness. Not to mention being angry about what has
happened to this site. And all for the sake of what? What exactly
has been gained by turning this site into a battleground?

I know that I've been told that there have been no changes to the
moderation policy, but I'm still not sure if that includes suggesting
that a letter be rewritten or made clearer. I have seen several
comments to that effect lately that were not removed. Are suggestions
on how to improve a letter now permitted?

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.