Status Update by JRMichler

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of "Status Update" threads within the forum, with participants sharing personal updates and commenting on the moderation of such posts. The scope includes community engagement, moderation practices, and anecdotal experiences related to forum content.

Discussion Character

  • Meta-discussion
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses frustration with "Status Update" threads being perceived as spam, sharing a personal update about their day and family.
  • Another participant questions the existence of problematic "Status Update" threads, noting they have not encountered them.
  • A different participant elaborates on the moderation process, indicating that spam posts are quickly dealt with and providing estimates of moderation actions taken daily.
  • Concerns are raised about unsafe acts discussed in the forum, specifically referencing a request for advice on building a home-based nuclear reactor, which some participants initially thought was a joke.
  • One participant recalls a story about a high school class that allegedly built a nuclear reactor, questioning its authenticity and referencing related urban legends.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not appear to reach a consensus regarding the prevalence or impact of "Status Update" threads, with some acknowledging their existence as problematic while others remain unaware of them. The discussion on unsafe acts also reflects differing perspectives on the seriousness of such inquiries.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention various moderation actions and community guidelines, indicating a complex environment where certain topics may lead to stricter moderation. The mention of urban legends suggests a potential lack of clarity on past events related to nuclear reactor discussions.

jrmichler
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Just ONCE, I wanted to see a post titled Status Update that was not a blatant, annoying spam post by a new member. So here it is.

Today was a good day here in Northern Wisconsin. Fall colors are here, no mosquitos, no deer flies, and mild temperature, so my morning run was unusually nice. Only two meetings today, and both went well. The deer that was road killed just down the road two weeks ago is now fully decomposed, so no more smell. Somebody has a spike buck skull for their collection. My apple tree had about 100 lbs of apples. The food pantry got 40 lbs, deer stole about 10 lbs, and I'm eating the rest. They are sweet, juicy, organic, and I have yet to see a worm in any of them. Retirement is treating me well.

My wife is feeling much better now that the skin is done peeling from her hands and feet. It seems that she is sensitive to South Carolina fire ant bites.
 
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I wasn't aware that "Status Update"-threads were a problem (or indeed even a thing) in there?

I mean, there's a lot of gratuitous stuff but I've never noticed these Status Updates you speak of.

Kudos on the predominantly good day though! :smile:
 
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sbrothy said:
I wasn't aware that "Status Update"-threads were a problem (or indeed even a thing) in there?
These spam posts get moderated so fast that most people never see them. The moderators have a special button that deletes the post and permanently bans the spammer. I have not counted, but a rough estimate is a dozen or so "status update" posts per week.

We have roughly 50 moderation actions per day. Most moderation actions involve moving a post to a more appropriate subforum, deleting or editing troublesome posts, fixing spelling mistakes in titles, editing titles to make them better reflect the content of the OP, etc. We occasionally are forced to warn people who violate the rules. Common violations that require post closing/deletion in addition to warning include perpetual motion, unfounded theories, and proposing unsafe acts.
 
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Ok, re unsafe acts, IIRC, someone was asking for advice for ,or a critique, to build a home-based nuclear reactor. I thought it was a joke, but it apparently wasn't. Surreal.
 
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WWGD said:
Ok, re unsafe acts, IIRC, someone was asking for advice for ,or a critique, to build a home-based nuclear reactor. I thought it was a joke, but it apparently wasn't. Surreal.
Par that with the “Test Driven Development” and “vibe” methodology and you have yourself a nightmare of truly epic proportions. One even The Corinthian (ref The Sandman by Neil Gaiman) would enjoy. :smile:
 
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WWGD said:
Ok, re unsafe acts, IIRC, someone was asking for advice for ,or a critique, to build a home-based nuclear reactor. I thought it was a joke, but it apparently wasn't. Surreal.
This reminds me BTW... wasn't there an American high school class that build one once which just missed the "fuel" and explosive components which was subsequently carted away by the Air Force? Or is that just an urban legend....?

EDIT: I may be thinking of David Hahn....

The A-Bomb Kid (Stanford)

EDIT2:

Or possibly Arkansas Teen Builds Nuclear Reactor in Garage

EDIT2.5: Sorry. That last one talks about a fusion reactor, which is clearly bunk.

EDIT3: Oh, and sorry for the unintentional thread-jacking.... I'll stop here.
 
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