Flagging as a tool to silence differences.

Wow, for real. People have been jerks lately.

Hi Amy,

Yes they have. It seems to be across the board too. Liberal, conservative, religious, not religious enough... you name it.

Its stupid. Its like some people just have nothing better to do. I'm sorry if you have been a victim of this ridiculousness, I just ignore it and keep doing what I do best, and that's share and write. Anbody who is that shallow will get what's coming to them, so let's not worry :) but I understand the need to vent, that's what social networking is for lol!

(((hugs))) Amy!

Right back at ya, Sue!

Pretty generous of you Sue; kind of like giving your tormentor the finger.-Norman

Now is that a good thing a bad thing?

There are many angry people living in denial and victimhood, thus, if you don't agree with them, then, it's a payback for having the presence of mind to share information. Go figure.

I agree Linda. My post I have been asked for and I have emailed a copy to people that requested to see it.

So, once it is flagged, does that mean people can't see it or comment? How does it work?

It takes 3 or 4 flags I believe and then it becomes invisible to everyone but you. Some people hear about it from Gather, then people like myself, hear absolutely nothing.

Thanks Sue. Ultimately mine were removed...

Well Linda, you will be able to save them at this site. I may not see things the way you do, but I like hearing your perspective and sometimes you make me think harder than I want too!

Thanks Sue.

You"re Welcome!

let me know more about your site please

Will do Sandi, have you been flagged?

Great idea.

*adds Marilyn to list*

There is no reason to flag an article, unless you feel someone is being personally attacked of course. If you don't like the article, don't read it and leave it alone.

I agree Kris, the site though is not to take away from Gather, but to make the work (and I have seen too many well thought out articles disappear lately) that people have done still accessable to the people that want to read it. When and if Gather allows an article to be viewed, then the author can update their article with any posts they received while under review.

Sue that's too bad, everyone should be able to write what they want, most members will flag their own appropriately when necessary.

Again Kris, I could not agree more with you. So I am hoping that the sting people feel at being flagged can be diffused if they know their work is perserved.

It is sad when someone has put time into writing an article and then because of a few, there article vanishes. I agree with you, it would help to know that. Very good point Sue!

You will be invited to the site Kris!

RK, the site wont be for attacking people. Once we, as a group, decide on a name I will set it up and invites will be sent out. Each person will have their area to store articles. They will also have the right to delete comments that they see fit.

That might upset you, RK. There will be people there you don't agree with but you will have to leave them alone and vice versa.

Good for you Sue to be proactive in setting this group up!

how would I know if my post has been flagged? would I get an email?
~~~

Well normally you will see a Red Box with a statement that it has been flagged by the community for what ever reason the flagger chose.

Best way to tell is spotlight an article, then view what is spotlighted under the public view of your profile. Your personally view page will still show the article. Your public page wont.

There will be huge red writing above the post with something like, "Flagged by the community for......." then it will have some lame arse reasoning behind it.

OOOO Tiffany, love that icon!

Those are the most frustrating, did you hear from Gather? My feelingis that Gather has been flooded with the flagging lately.

Great idea.

Flagging is out of control here lately

Totally agree.

People who flag articles clearly don't have enough to do. They are bullies who feel they have the right to force their opinion on everyone else. If I don't like an article, and there are plenty of them, I simply move on. Why can't these people do the same thing? The answer is simple. They lack the brain power to push a button on their keyboard. I have been on gather for several years and have seen these jerks come and go. Mostly I wish they would go. Instead of starting your site, Sue, why not start a site for them. We can push them off into a corral and let them do as they please. Some people would complain if you hung them with a new rope.

(((hug))) Paidra! If you knew who they were, giving them a site and a few punching bags would be wonderful... alas, they are anonymous.

RK I had to remove your post. You don't know who is doing the flagging and I can not have unfounded accusations posted here.

Please, respect my wishes on this matter.

Apology accepted :)

I haven't flagged anything yet
-- I just ignore it if I don't like what it says
-- I figure that flagging is for hate speech or something like that , something really outrageous
~~~

That is what the flagging is for. That is not what it is being used for.

This is exactly why I spend much, much less time here on Gather these days........awhile back, now get this.....somebody flagged me for a RECIPE.......YES, one little ole recipe....can you believe it?! I was flabberghasted and then got very upset.........I tell ya, I was ready to quit Gather right then and there.....I thought good grief, if somebody goes to that extreme, then what's to be next?
Yes, I WAS flagged for one lousy recipe........I am still disgusted about it!

Oh Nora, I am so sorry that happened. (((hugs)))

A recipe was flagged, OMG No Way...wow.

I ask Jack E. if he was a Christian or a Muslim and he deletes all my post. He makes a post bashing the Jews and I question him about it and BAM. We do have some babies on-board at Gather.

Scott, can we keep peoples' names out of this? I am letting your post stand since I have seen that.

This though is about perserving articles. You are more than welcome to save your comments at the site, but you should have a deleted posts area here.

I was getting deletes and that's the same as flags but on a personal level. And I am a strait shooter. If some one is being an idiot, rest assured I will use the name. That's the way I roll. Ok? I thought the article was about flagging.

It is. Sending you an email on something Scott.

Wow you got all that from my reply. Just relax. it's just a little forum and I'm not even going to call you a drama Queen. Just relax.

I don't flag...it is juvenile..I do disagree from time to time, but only if I am willing to put my name behind it.

That's is the way it should be Karen. No one agrees on every single thing. Call it part of the human condition.

Sounds like the Obama White House. I'll just bet Anita Dunn has something to do with it.

I should not read your post when drinking anything... fluids in nose hurt!

I will put my 2 cents in here also. To Me: Flagging is a waste of time, and my time is more valuable than that.

I Agree!

Thank-You for the Post.

You're welcome!

Hi Sue, the only time I agree with flagging is when they are putting someones name in it and really trashing them... This has been done alot on here... even though it is against the TOS.... and yes, they do gang up on some of these articles and take it over... by the time they are done, these comments are mostly calling each other names, it has nothing to do with the article...It puts me in the mind of playtime at the zoo....
Anyway, I am in Sue.. I think this is a good idea...

Vickey, you're a doll (((hug))).

Thanks Sue, and I promise to be good... lol

but, but, but... Then who can I spank??????

Sue
I volunteer LOL

I betcha we can find a good ole lib to spank...lol

I have some very good lib friends... They already have rosey cheeks!

Sue, love this answer...lol

LOL, they feel you should join them!

I haven't really noticed a lot of flagging lately. There was a rush of flagging activity when Gather changed the rules and suggested members do the policing of the site, especially with regard to copyright infringement. There were long diatribes on what copyright infringement meant and ultimately it came down to an author has to make the accusation and have willingness to pursue the infringer. Blatant copyright infringement, like if I claimed to have written something that was actually written by Poe, etc., is fairly obvious. But viewing material on another site, similar to Gather, does not prove copyright infringement because people use different names and icons, plus there are alters, or sock puppets.

I'd prefer to work within the guidelines Gather has set up, however, since they are guidelines, they tend to be subjective, if not slightly esoteric. My understanding is that anybody who habitually incorrectly flags a post, particularly for mischievous reasons, will be booted. I've seen it happen AND I've seen it not happen.

That being said, your idea of an alternative Gather universe gets my support as long as the posts on there have been flagged and the flag is unreasonable. It's a different matter if someone is writing an article about specific people, naming them, and then using the rest of their mental capacity to think up every imaginable name, names that are not even remotely related to sweetness, gentleness, kindness and a real swell person, to call them.

So, that being said,

maybe we can make a Gather alternate alternate universe for the real juicy gossip! And you didn't hear that from me. :P

*spanks Cathi*

Copyright is something everyone must follow. As I have said repeatedly, leave the name calling at the door.

This is about saving flagged articles. We may have to discuss what would constitute the different flags. Again that is something I hope the group can discuss and decide on If not then I will have to play bad guy if there is something truly distasteful as in hate speech, copyright infringement, articles that are meant to start a fight.

LOL we could have an area for gossip. My first goal will be to invite the people interested and set them up with their own area. They will have the right to decide about that area. I will be overseeing things but I suspect the majority here wont need any baby sitting.

If people are interested in a group area to talk, then we can do that.

I wish I was more awake this am!!!

Of course everyone must follow copyright rules, but flagging for copyright infringement is a different matter and difficult to prove.

And, doo-doo head, I didn't call names! But now I did. :P

*Sends Cathi to the corner to study the big red shoes*

LOL Never said you did call names, just expressing my own concerns with your concerns.

We still need to decide on a name here folks!

LOL,Cathi are you saying we should name it doodooheadsofgather?

What about Flagged, or the Society of the Flagged?

I will come back with more ideas... now I need to run!

Spanking me? Sending me to the corner to study the Big Red Shoes?


Fighting Ugly Censorship Knuckleheads:
Your Overture's Unwelcome!

Or you could just use the initials. ;)

Starting laughing...

Hi Sue,

Excellent! I've got posts on here that only I can see-- flagging. Same thing - and I don't name people or link to them. My posts were about flagging!
Spread the words works - you can add me, but if we want to see a copy of something, as a suggestion, Google Docs also works, and it's free.

Please excuse my typing, on top of this week, I have eye drops in and things are rather blurry :-D

Mar~

Morning Mar!

I am willing to pay to have the ability for people to control their own sections. I am thinking about doing this on Yuku. It has the tools already in place to give each Author control of their work. Then my job will just be maintenance, LOL and the complaint dept. People will be expected to act as adults and leave the name calling at the door.

99% of you already do well. Until Gather can take charge of the flagging though... a solution is needed. I hope we can all work together! I expect that we can :)

Ok I need more coffee and my daily suduku!

Mar? Mar? Who's Mar? Did you know Mar's husband is the little known but much applauded crime figher, Super Fartman?

This dude really puts up a big stink about crime.

*is now banging head in desk*

add and on desk... any available space around desk...

LOL. I don't have a gang nor do I belong to one. Everyone has a right to their opinion even crazy people, even mean people and even trolls. LOL Maybe you could view flagging as a complitment instead of an insult. Someone thinks enough of you to flag your posts or someone is envious enough of you to flag your posts or the mean person could have picked on anyone but was so jealous of you they chose your posts to flag. LOL

Lee, nice thought, too bad it doesn't have anything to do with the loss of the articles that people want to read.

Oh, I forgot to add that I never flagged anyone...correction....I did flag one post a while back. Someone was threatening to kill someone and and lot of people were joining in the threats and for some reason I did not think this was a good thing to do. That's the only time I ever flagged a post. The post was soon removed as it should have been.

That, like copyright, is a good reason.

The only ones I have flagged, were for people spamming about their new great business opportunity. Make $1000's working from home

Do you tell the author that? I feel they could even email you if they feel something is inappropriate.

That is what I would do. Shoot them a private message about their article and discuss it first. I wouldn't willy nilly flag without talking to them first. There are people here that know if I think a comment they made on someone else's article is inappropriate, they get emailed first. Sometimes they fix it, sometimes they explain why and sometimes they ignore me :)

The way flagging is set up you are "Guilty until proven innocent"

So true, so true.

I have found that for the most people won't ensue a challenge. Once flagged, they feel it is permanent, and then move on to other things.

I haven't been flagged by anyone yet. I think a posting once was hit by an adult flag...but it was ok, because though I'm usually pretty careful, depending upon ones degree of acceptable, this could have been seen as 'ify'.

And I would rather be safe than sorry. Just because MY kids would be alright with it, didn't mean others would have been.

But SO FAR (knock on wood) the Hate Flaggers haven't hit my doorstep yet.

Actually one such person who I thought for sure would have (purely for vindictive reasons and NOT for valid reasons) seems to have disappeared from gather all together.?

I think I know who you are talking about, can I say let's hope?

Dana, I may not comment often on your articles, I do read them :) I hope you never get the 3 or 4 flags needed to have your articles evaporate.

Me too! Lets cross out fingers, or shoot them?
;)

Andy was talking this morning about a shooting range.

Bad Sue...*slaps both hands*

Am going to my corner now.

I am surprised about this whole subject.

1) I felt I could not write an article about it and do it justice.

2) I have to thank the one that asked me to do this and was supportive of my attempt. THANK YOU!

3) This is the really surprising thing. The number of people that emailed about it far exceeds the number of people that commented. I can't help but feel they emailed rather than commenting due to fear that their articles may also get flagged. That is something that people really need to think about.

I tried to comment an hour or so ago and it said I had to be friends before I could comment. I went ahead and commented and it went to e-mail. Maybe that is why other people are e-mailing. I can comment now though.

BB, the people have been on my friends list since week 1 when I joined. There has only been you and one other that went to email... I don't like censoring people, at the same time language used to flame or hurt someone I find intolerable.

I can fight (and I think I am really god at it!), but in the end does fighting actually improve a debate?

Haven't ever flagged even though I've stumbled on some aritcles that were 180 from my way of thinking. It is outrageous unless done for extreme prverse profanity.

Great idea that will "thumb a nose at" the perpetrators.

Hey Nora! Have any ideas for a name.

Invincible Engraver

I will be emailing the titles for a vote :)

Flaggers are draggers.

Let the light shine?

Freedom from Control?

AMEN!!!! I soooooooooooo agreee

Gather better do something or they'll be left with flaggers only.

don't know what to say I don't post much.