Moderation: merging + splitting topics

[n-So]

agreed this place is the best!

[bushel]

Speaking as a heavy reader, I much prefer more granular, specific threads to the megathread approach.

[alanza]

I actually prefer the huge topics a lot of the time, weirdly? the collected history of the forum’s thoughts about the topic are almost always worth a deep trawl

[jasonw22]

I actually prefer the huge topics a lot of the time, weirdly? the collected history of the forum’s thoughts about the topic are almost always worth a deep trawl

Works better for some threads than others. Which is kind of the point. Applying a one-size-fits-all approach is ham-handed. Some threads need to be tightly focused and granular. Others are more of a continuous narrative. Observing the difference is key to graceful moderation.

Respect to mods! It’s a hard job.

[Heath]

I started a thread a little while back about experimental guitarists and their approaches, but then it got moved to guitar heroes, which to me was more about general influences than processes and effectively killed my topic (which was starting to turn into a discussion) dead in it’s tracks.

[ofentropy]

Backed. Wanted to make a thread asking people about their favorite software synths, particularly with grids, and experiences and comparisons, but haven’t made it because I was worried it’d just get merged with the favorite plug ins thread and not much would come of it. I understand trying to avoid redundancy but it can also feel confusing about where that line will be drawn.

[abalone]

speaking for/to myself…'the more communication, the better

[xenus_dad]

I can’t speak to the specific threads that triggered this post, but I like the approach of merging/filling better than the typical Muff Wiggler “use the search function n00b” response to almost all new threads. The relative freedom to merge and split topics here feels like it gives room for new users to ask questions naively and for longer term users who know the landscape to move things as appropriate.

[xenus_dad]

Maybe mods considering moving a post can ask the OP with the suggested destination? Not as like a RULE or CoC thing, but just a courtesy guideline, subject to human error but a step in the right direction?

[alanza]

I do wanna be mindful of that at least doubling the length of time spent moderating each instance

[xenus_dad]

True. Really it should be a human judgement thing, not a rule. Some posts really obviously should be merged elsewhere, some less so.

It might also be a terrible idea! I am not an experienced forum moderating in this or any community.

[papernoise]

I’m glad for the feedback here because merging/splitting topics is usually a complicated decision to take and it’s not always clear how it should best be done.
But I agree talking to the people involved is usually a good idea.

[scanner_darkly]

yeah, as i said in the OP, often a merge is justified and makes obvious sense (“which reverb should i get?” getting merged into the reverb thread, for instance).

for those cases where it’s less obvious i think contacting before a merge would really benefit the forum. i’m very cognizant of the fact it could mean mods having to spend more time, but it might also save time if a merge has to be reverted. another point to consider - when somebody posts a new topic, they might save some thoughts for a later discussion, which could move it in a different direction (same applies to categories too), so a first post might not necessarily reflect the overall topic. a conversation would clear this as well.

more importantly though, not everybody is comfortable contacting the mods. which means (as is evidenced in this thread) that some people might not feel like posting or contributing to a discussion anymore. i think we all feel strongly about lines being one of the most welcoming online communities. i’d hate to think that some people would not feel that way, and instead of expressing it they would just withdraw quietly.

[Leverkusen]

If someone feels the need to, anonymously, merge/delete threads and move posts, would it be at least possible to notify the concerned member if there is not enough time to bother about asking beforehand? Honestly, wouldn’t this just be polite and respectful behavior to other people? Yes, I think it would.

Coming back and not finding the post you might have put some work in last night leaves a very unpleasant and discouraging feeling. It certainly would not if there was a quick note by ‘someone’ saying something like: “Look, I thought your topic would be better placed here for that reason - what do you think?”

EDIT: Also, how about some kind of hint in the newly allotted thread that the moved post was not intentionally meant to fit in its context in the first place? You are doing strange things to communication.

[rklem]

First and foremost: This is the best forum about music, art, technology and lots of other important topics I know. So kudos to the moderators: seems like they’re doing a great job!

I agree with @scanner_darkly though that sometimes merging topics makes them too broad. For instance there’s New to monome and modular: ask questions here – but I think separate threads for “New to monome” and “New to modular” would make more sense. I can imagine that lots of monome users would be interested in answering monome specific questions, but don’t have the time to read all general “New to modular” questions.

I also agree that notifying the OP when their topic was merged would be helpful. It also happened to me when I was quite new to this forum, and my first thought was “Oh, what happened to my post? Did I do something wrong? Did I violate any rules I wasn’t aware of…?”

[terje]

Not wanting to pile on here but here’s a good example of exactly what you are talking about:

Ornament and Crime

Yeah, I tend to see it as a separate module and that would give it more visibility (and perhaps that was the intention behind @chysn’s post, it can certainly be read that way). As one of the original o_C devs I’d also be a bit adrift without muffwiggler (even if development has slowed, except for a few things in the pipeline). I’ve been lurking here but - for lack of better phrasing - it’s not entirely my scene.

New topic started about Hemispheres, likely merged into the Ornament and Crime thread and the author, a new user, ending up confused about what happened.

[alanza]

Just wanted to say cheers to @papernoise’s moderation in the “Just Buy a Computer” thread. I know it’s likely much more work to operate that way, so I don’t expect it every time, but I appreciate it.

[papernoise]

thanks! Glad to hear this!
Personally I’m glad to get some feedback about these matters (both critique and praise), because it’s not always that easy to imagine how you’d perceive something from the other side. Meaning that if you do topic moderation you tend to have much more overview about what’s going on, your focus is more on the general thing, and maybe less on the particular. While when you’re actively engaged in a discussion you might have more focus on the particular.
Not sure it makes any sense, but I guess the bottom line is: we’re sometimes still learning. At least I can say that I am.

[petesasqwax]

Yeah, I agree and as I’d missed the original thread I really appreciate the link being made so that I can read previous thoughts community members have had

[abalone]

right on, more communication the better