Removing and Locking Out Threads

LisaLouHoo · Apr 14, 2011

Let me see if I understand...

Someone voices their displeasure with a carrier by name and their thread is removed or locked out.

I noticed one thread is completely gone where an EO member was expressing their disappointment in a certain named carrier (toldyaso toldyaso toldyaso); another thread about lack of pay from a named carrier has been locked out (once again: toldyaso toldyaso toldyaso).

Yet let the certain EO clicque ignorantly attack one who is "not of their own" and the moderators turn a blind eye. This hasn't happened to just me, either, it goes on frequently around here.

While I do not agree with naming carriers in public based on ethics (that is what PMs are for), I wonder if the First Amendment Right doesn't apply on EO if a paid advertiser is being called on the carpet?

If the poster is being libelous, that is understandable...but if they are speaking from firsthand experience, then what is the big deal? It may be morally reprehensible to name names, but if it happened and can be proven, then it's fair game.

Like my great grandma said: "If you don't want anyone knowing what you do, then you'd better not do it"

"Bruises fade and bones will mend-but a psyche can be ruined FOREVER" : LisaLouHoo, c. 2008

chefdennis · Apr 14, 2011

Lisa wrote:

I wonder if the First Amendment Right doesn't apply on EO if a paid advertiser is being called on the carpet?

Well 1st, 1st ammendment rights protect your right of free speech against the Govenment, not against everyone in the country, people are sued very say for something they may say about another person...slander, defamation of charater are just 2 that come to mind..

EO is a privately owned forum. The owner sets the rules and there are no is no "freedom of speech" or freedom to write or state whatever one wants on a privately owned internet forum....we are here and allowed to use this forum at the "whim" of the owner....he could even charge if he wanted to..

BillChaffey · Apr 14, 2011

Various posts get locked from time to time. Some times not soon enough in my humble opinion.

If your referring to the derogatory? posts by Mr. Jerry-Jones they are both still available for reading if not both for any more comments.

LisaLouHoo · Apr 14, 2011

chefdennis said:
Lisa wrote:

we are here and allowed to use this forum at the "whim" of the owner....he could even charge if he wanted to..

If it's true, and can be proven, it is not slander or libel. The wording has to be chosen carefully to avoid defamation of character, which is why some of us don't use names of carriers when we publicly post...but I am amazed, amused, and at times appalled by EO moderators allowing members to viciously attack other members in posts...

Be nice to the carriers. Not to one another.

Puts a whole new spin on the word "community".

"Bruises fade and bones will mend-but a psyche can be ruined FOREVER" : LisaLouHoo, c. 2008

OntarioVanMan · Apr 14, 2011

It is not a perfect world and ya can't please everyone all the time over every issue....
Those threads were asked and answered. The mods were correct to end it. Nothing good could have come from letting it go on....

dieseldiva · Apr 14, 2011

I think moderators get "stale" if kept too long. Perhaps rotating those responsibilities to some of the other members would shake things up a bit and give the others a chance to participate. When you think of how long this forum has been here and how many changes in moderators have been made, it's pretty lopsided.

I don't see a lot of "moderating" going on, it's usually the admin team that take care of things and that puts a burden on them, they DO have other things that they need to do. I don't know why this is unless the mods get tired of being *****ed at for some of the decisions they've made....it's like OVM said, you really can't please all of the people all the time.

Some (not all) don't even post anymore, we don't even know they're here....now THAT'S stale!

Just my two pennies in the pond but I think it's time for the admin team to shake things up.....let some of these newer people try their luck.

LisaLouHoo · Apr 14, 2011

OntarioVanMan said:
It is not a perfect world and ya can't please everyone all the time over every issue....
Those threads were asked and answered. The mods were correct to end it. Nothing good could have come from letting it go on....

Yet they allow personal attack threads to continue unfettered...interesting...

"Bruises fade and bones will mend-but a psyche can be ruined FOREVER" : LisaLouHoo, c. 2008

jerry-jones · Apr 14, 2011

im curious to know what i said that was derogatory what that i didnt get paid ,,, did i say he was an a@@hole ????? did i call him a fata##???? did i insult him in any way???? the answer to that is no i didnt ..... i might have hurt his feeling and his so called how can i word this ummmm associates maybe their feeling...... what i said i havent got paid and as of today i still havent ..... the people that say i insulted him how did i???? i didnt ....so dont sit there bill chaffy and say i insulted him ... i named him by name and as of today f-y-i i still havent got paid....... i did it i thought i was making people aware that im having trouble getting paid and maybe untill this certain someone gets his stuff together stay away ..... but no i get called names ..... troll ..... loser .... and a few more things im sure it was his associates saying these things and then theyu close my post but i understand ... site is privatly owned and its their rules but when i did it i actually thought i was helping others to stay away ... lets say i didnt name him everyone would be asking well what company is this jerry - jones ???? plz tell me im wrong that no one would ask what company this was that i was refering to.....think about it people if there is a company out there thats having problems paying their drivers dont you want to know about it????? why are people posting all the time im thinking about going to this company anyone know or heard of them????? and one last thing i want to say i never said the whole time i was getting insulted by his friends and getting called names that he was a bad guy i only said i havent got paid and as of today its been more than 4 weeks ok bill i had a right to name him and as for this i dont agree for them to not let us name and post our feelings especially when i can prove what i said so to answer your question i agree with you post your feelings and they shouldnt remove or close the threads .............. sorry for all the misspellings and i know i dont use the right quatations that i should but spelling was never my strong suit

davekc · Apr 14, 2011

Darn. And just when we thought everyone was happy.
On the serious side. Posts that involve personal problems between a carrier and driver just don't work.
One doesn't know who is right or wrong and if you allow one, then you allow others and before too long, we would be investigating every complaint. That isn't a function of the site. Just as carriers can't come on here and start attacking drivers.
As for arguments between members, some of it gets heated in the political forum and other spots from time to time but you monitor it the best you can. Certainly no exact science to it.
I should add, that some issues with the name calling and what not are handled with the member directly. It is seldom a follow up post is rendered to the other members with regards to what action is taken.
Hope that explanation helps.

LDB · Apr 14, 2011

There are two sides to every story and somewhere between the two sides is the core of the matter. As Dave said, those things don't work because both sides only see their side and the core is never reached. Also, just because you don't see things being done visibly for all to see doesn't mean warnings aren't being given and appropriate actions taken. That doesn't belong in open forum and prudent people aren't going to talk about it but keep it private as it should be. Things may not be perfect and likely never will be but as forums go this is one of the best of the best.

purgoose10 · Apr 14, 2011

Out of hundreds of Expediters, why is it that I only see one person not getting paid?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

LisaLouHoo · Apr 14, 2011

purgoose10 said:
Out of hundreds of Expediters, why is it that I only see one person not getting paid?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Trust me, there are more than just a couple or six. Personal conversations in Laredo truckstops will verify that...and it isn't just one company. There are many expediters awaiting their next run that don't know about EO, so you wouldn't read their stories.

It doesn't appear to be an industry-wide plague, but it happens more often than it should.

"Bruises fade and bones will mend-but a psyche can be ruined FOREVER" : LisaLouHoo, c. 2008

pjjjjj · Apr 14, 2011

EO does a great job of providing a forum where expediters can learn from one another, share experiences, compare carriers, provide a pretty darn good education for newbies, etc.

Drivers talk about whatever comes up, including how they may have been or felt stung for this or that by their carrier or owner. In this case, perhaps it is more between carrier and carrier..... or something, because these people who have complained are not 'signed on' with the carrier in question.

How can it be fair for a carrier to brag loudly in EO posts as if it were fact about how great his company's rates are, to the point of even insulting other carriers' rates, and looking down on the drivers who carry loads for less - and then it not be fair for the people who actually run the carrier's loads to ask, 'where's the money'? Might this not be relevant information for at least some of the other members on here?

There is a serious conflict in allowing carriers as advertisers on a forum full of expediters, IMHO. I guess EO makes the hard decisions on who they are really serving here. Is it a forum for expediters to share real information, all of it? Or is it somewhere they can only talk freely if it doesn't involve negative information about an advertiser? Unfortunately EO is THAT good, that calling a carrier out in public on here can actually obtain affirmative action for the complainer. That is quite a compliment to EO, so why squash it when legitimate complaints are raised?

It's the publisher's age old balancing act between 'news'/editorial, and the adverti$ing department, trying not to prostitute the publication while still keeping advertisers happy. For all the complaining about political correctness that goes on in the soapbox, there's sure a lot of it going on when a member wants to share negative information about a carrier advertiser.

As far as moderators, I think the members themselves do a pretty fine job of calling out the trolls, drive-bys, spammers, rule-breakers, double identities, know-it-all-newbies, and drivers who come here crying when it's really themselves who are to blame. DieselDiva had an interesting suggestion to shake it up a bit.

It's actually interesting sometimes when you watch a member's active participation change when he becomes a moderator. Moderators don't have to all think the same way, they only need to moderate. They should still be able to have their own opinions, even if they're not popular amongst the admin team.

LisaLouHoo · Apr 15, 2011

pjjjjj said:
How can it be fair for a carrier to brag loudly in EO posts as if it were fact about how great his company's rates are, to the point of even insulting other carriers' rates, and looking down on the drivers who carry loads for less - and then it not be fair for the people who actually run the carrier's loads to ask, 'where's the money'? Might this not be relevant information for at least some of the other members on here?

There is a serious conflict in allowing carriers as advertisers on a forum full of expediters, IMHO. I guess EO makes the hard decisions on who they are really serving here. Is it a forum for expediters to share real information, all of it? Or is it somewhere they can only talk freely if it doesn't involve negative information about an advertiser? Unfortunately EO is THAT good, that calling a carrier out in public on here can actually obtain affirmative action for the complainer. That is quite a compliment to EO, so why squash it when legitimate complaints are raised?

It's the publisher's age old balancing act between 'news'/editorial, and the adverti$ing department, trying not to prostitute the publication while still keeping advertisers happy. For all the complaining about political correctness that goes on in the soapbox, there's sure a lot of it going on when a member wants to share negative information about a carrier advertiser.

Exactly....I did try to warn folks about certain blowhard carriers about a month ago, a service I felt was helpful, but all I got was jumped on, insulted, denigrated. EO moderators did not intervene. Not that I needed them to, but to see what they allow to stay and what they deem goes is perplexing. Maybe if I was a paying advertiser? Or could it have been they were enjoying and endorsing some of the politically incorrect misogyny being bandied about?

I received more than a dozen PMs from people who got what I was saying and agreed with me, but didn't want to be cyberbullied.

Maybe the moderators can explain why they allow the uncalled for insults between members but yet squash a viable complaint against a carrier....

It's beginning to look like an undesirable profession with some of the member to member squabbling; all the deletion and suspension of threads to make carriers look like the second coming won't make up for the member battles.

Of course, there could be those with the agenda of scaring people away from expediting so they can have more of the pie for themselves.

"Bruises fade and bones will mend-but a psyche can be ruined FOREVER" : LisaLouHoo, c. 2008

OntarioVanMan · Apr 15, 2011

Some aren't gifted with knack for writing or just type without thinking about whether the statement is an insult... and what does constitute an insult?

IE: That is a stupid idea?.....or....
you are stupid for thinking that way?

or as Brisco said the other day..." some of us are ignorant" Did he mean me?

Just yesterday someone said to me in a thread.." are you nuts?"

If i were an overly sensitive person I'd be looking for therapy for my hurt feelings.

Ragman · Apr 15, 2011

OntarioVanMan said:
Some aren't gifted with knack for writing or just type without thinking about whether the statement is an insult... and what does constitute an insult?

IE: That is a stupid idea?.....or....
you are stupid for thinking that way?

or as Brisco said the other day..." some of us are ignorant" Did he mean me? I don't care...

I"m not as think as you dumb I am.

Brisco · Apr 15, 2011

OntarioVanMan said:
Some aren't gifted with knack for writing or just type without thinking about whether the statement is an insult... and what does constitute an insult?

.....or as Brisco said the other day..." some of us are ignorant" Did he mean me?

Hey........don't get me involved in this!

I never said "some of you are ignorant", I simply said that a certain post, or maybe a couple of posts, were ignorant. If I used the term you quoted, it'd been like I resulted in name-calling in my post, of which I did not.

I learned a long time ago that "time-outs" aren't worth the hassle. So I just address the POST as I see it now and not the POSTER.

But....in referrence to the misquote you quoted on my quote, a driver that admits to having a pooping in pants problem while driving and expecting a nurse to clean up his behind for free WAS an ignorant post. As far as the poster himself, well....he's made a couple of more ignorant posts since. So, I'll just let his ignorance dictate what I actually think of that poster and just let it go from there.

See........one can express thoughts and opinions without resulting in name calling. You just gotta learn how to do it.