IMPORTANT! - "Mark as Off-Topic" Feature

[Virgil Showlion]

After getting sick of the "darn you pumpers", "Mid thinks the sky is falling" backwash that occasionally infects this board, I have added a new feature.

In threads that you own (are the author of the OP), you will now see an option at the bottom of each post to "Mark Post as Off-Topic". If you click this, the post will be marked as such.

For anyone reading a thread: if one or more posts in the thread is marked as "off-topic", an option will appear at the top of the board (just below the MT apps) to "Hide Off-Topic Posts". If a reader clicks this, posts that are marked as "off-topic" will be totally hidden for ever and more until the reader chooses "Show Off-Topic Posts".

If you choose not to hide off-topic posts for a particular thread, you will still be able to see that the thread owner has marked them. Note that the thread owner can also choose not to view off-topic posts.

Hence, in case it isn't obvious: if somebody is dumping off-topic posts in your thread, mark their posts as such. You can then choose to hide them if you so desire. Other readers visiting your thread will still be able to read the marked posts unless they trust your judgment. If they do trust your judgment, they may also opt to hide off-topic posts. This way, you can both happily ignore the offending content.

You can mark and unmark any posts in your threads except your own posts, which you should delete if they are off-topic.

Note that this is not a substitute for the "Report to Mod" option. If a post is a physical attack, threat, etc. violating the forum-wide CoC, do report it.

This is a new feature with a fairly large codebase. Hence, any bugs you experience should be reported here.

This message will remain pinned for two days.

- Virgil (Mod)

^{_{offtopic-do-not-remove:fùZà}}

[Aman A.K.A. Ahamburger]

Nice work Virgil!

[midwesterner (banned)]

Virgil, have to hand it to you, this is great. Keep threads on topic, yet doesn't censor, just ignores those that distract from the thread. Great work, and think this is a good solution for thread trashing!

[verrip1]

Your explanation is too techno for me. I'm just a simple country boy.

Does it mean that I can designate two poster names and hide them unless I choose to read their crap?

Will you be issuing a tutorial to allow users to set appropriate settings with your new control structure?

[Virgil Showlion]

Verrip: to demonstrate, I have marked your post as off-topic.

At the top of the page, on the right, you will see "Hide Off-Topic Content". Click on it and witness the magic.

[Virgil Showlion]

Hm. It would appear that marking posts as off-topic unstickies the thread. Bug number #1 duly noted.

[Deleted]

Is this available only in MT? Because I could see this feature being useful across most of the forums... ;D

[Virgil Showlion]

I'm using MT as a guinea pig.

[texasredneck]

This is a great new feature. Thanks Virgil. Now lets find a way to stop some posters from starting multiple threads of mean or frivolous content.

[midwesterner (banned)]

Be careful with this feature. You are going to kill this board if you interfere with the interaction too much.

I don't think so, I think paid posters will leave, and we will get real investors joining us. What I do have a problem with, is posters being able to block off topic posts they just dislike. I think there should be an abuse clause in this, if a poster doesn't like someones market related opinion, then they should not be able to block it if it's topic related.

This feature is for off topic posts. It ruins threads, and take them in off direction. I like this feature, but we must not block posts that are market related even if we disagree.

Hence, off topic is off topic.

[Deleted]

So the OP gets to decide whether or not he/she wants the post marked as off topic?

This opens up so many possible problems i cant even begin to list them all

Someone doesnt like a rebuttal, they mark as off topic

Someone doesnt like a particular poster, they mark as off topic

It is a VERY slippery slope....

[Virgil Showlion]

Gdgyva: I know, which is why this is just an experiment for the moment. My hope is that the thread-owner/thread-viewer consensus will stop people from abusing the feature. Or "feature", as Traelin says.

[verrip1]

Lordy, Sweet Jesus! You're letting the inmates run the institution?

As Lurch would say, "Uggggghhhhh".

[Steady As She Goes]

So let me get this straight .... the 2 guys (Decoy and mid) who over the last YEAR PLUS, have been SCREAMING about CENSORSHIP and how SILENCING their views is illegal, unjust, immoral, or the like, NOW has the power to do THAT WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN SO VEHEMENTLY ARGUED AGAINST???

They've been BITCHING about anybody or everybody CENSORING them ... and now THEY are CENSORING anybody and everybody they choose!!!!!!!!!!!

All this time I thought they HATED and DESPISED CENSORSHIP ... when in reality THEY are FOR it and RELISH and USE IT to their ADVANTAGE.

Talk about being HYPOCRITICAL ...................

Incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Simply Incredible!!!!!!!!!!

[Virgil Showlion]

I have added an "Opt Out" feature. If you wish to go back to the pre-censorship days, I suggest that you click it.

This feature has the one and only purpose of stopping the endless stream of threads, PMs, etc., where people claim "I just can't ignore so-and-so."

My Obamaic reply to them now is: Yes you can.

[The Virginian]

Be careful with this feature. You are going to kill this board if you interfere with the interaction too much.

The board is already dying as it is! ( IMO) I have been with market talk since 2006 and never have I seen a few posters hijack the board as they have now! You can't even carry on a sensible conversation anymore unless it is managed by one of the Full Time Hijackers!
I'm not sure if you have the answer Virgil - but it is worth a shot.
I have been seriously considering abandoning Market Talk for the past couple of weeks now. I don't want too but who can carry on a conversation when some are making 100+ posts a day???

[verrip1]

"Talk about being HYPOCRITICAL ...................

Incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Simply Incredible!!!!!!!!!!"

Incredible, yes, but also totally predictable.

But it does create one potential positive outcome. There is no longer any reason for posters to reply to any of their threads.

[Steady As She Goes]

verrip1, there wasn't really a reason to reply in the first place

[Virgil Showlion]

Virginian, as I say, this gives people the opportunity to ignore "hijack" attempts. Verrip's and Steady's observations are also germane.

[itstippy]

Only the original thread starter - the "owner", has the power to mark posts as off-topic. Readers can toggle back and forth and get a feel for how the "owner" is managing the thread.

If Itstippy starts censoring legitimate posts on his thread because he doesn't like the viewpoint, readers will pick up on it. They'll stop following Itstippy's manipulated threads. Unless they just LOVE Itstippy's views and don't want to read any opposing thoughts.

I could see this working.