Locking of threads

Ballast_Plough · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 3:42 pm

I know there's a policy on locking threads about fatalities (don't understand why but hey, it's not my sandpit) but it amuses the way there seems to be a competition amongst some people to race on and make a post about asking moderators to lock a thread. Almost like in primary school when there was a competition to see who could sit the straightest and put their hand up first.

I'm sure moderators know the rules and that if they see an unlocked thread about a rail fatality, they'll contemplate locking it without anyone needing to prompt them...

My updated pics here - and the Forsayth Goods here!

"What know they of signalling, who only signalboxes know"!

Brendan McKenna
Member / Volunteer PBR, YVTR, past member of PRR, VGR!!!

hidden · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:14 pm

This thread is going nowhere, could a Mod please lock it.

"When one person suffers from a delusion, it is called insanity. When many people suffer from a delusion it is called Religion."
..........Robert M. Pirsig

mjja · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 4:16 pm

Well, we don't all read all the threads, so a quick heads-up is usually of value.

Some people might treat it as brown-nosing the boss, but we usually see through that sort of thing. "Hi teacher, I'm being good today teacher, have you noticed I haven't used a single swear word today? Hey teacher, Tommy said a swear word! He needs his mouth washed out with soap!" Get out of here kid.

Happy Gunzelling and remember, "Go by rail!"

Michael Angelico
President, Smart Passengers Inc
(My opinions are my own unless specifically stated.)

Ballast_Plough · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 5:06 pm

But the heads-up is contained within the thread!!!

Hidden - Laughing

My updated pics here - and the Forsayth Goods here!

"What know they of signalling, who only signalboxes know"!

Brendan McKenna
Member / Volunteer PBR, YVTR, past member of PRR, VGR!!!

mjja · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 8:13 pm

Yes, I have to agree that a heads-up in the thread it's about is pretty useless. A PM to a mod (until the dev team manage to get the ticket system working again) is the best way.

Happy Gunzelling and remember, "Go by rail!"

Michael Angelico
President, Smart Passengers Inc
(My opinions are my own unless specifically stated.)

Gwiwer · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:10 pm

And by way of explanation about the fatality policy ........

We have the policy to protect the interests of all who are a part of this community and not least the individual poster (who retains ownership of their comments) and admins of the site.

When a fatailty has occurred the matter must by law be investigated and due process take place to determine the facts, the cause and the blame. The matter comes under either the Coroner's Court and in many cases also a Criminal Court. Any event under the jurisdiction of a Court of Law is referred to as sub judice.

It is unlawful to make public any form of speculation or post any matters which might in any way interfere with or distort this process; any matter which is sub judice must not be discussed in any way which might affect the legal process in a public forum of any sort.

This includes you discussing the matter openly with your friends, family or workmates in a public place since your comments might be overheard by someone who can pass them to the media or influence a juror.

Quite apart from that it might also cause unnecessary (if inadvertant) distress to any person involved since rail and emergency services will have staff attending, some of whom will be directly involved and traumatised, and there will be at least one bereaved family somewhere.

The policy stands with good reason and frustrating though some might find it this is the best way we have of covering our posteriors and complying with the law.

It is perfectly in order to post a report of a fatal incident provided that is is just a factual report without further comment or specualtion and you then email or PM a moderator (in the absence of a working ticket system) with the link to the post and ask that it be locked.

Why MYKI? It isn't mine and it's not a key.

Ferroequinologist. BA Hons (Honourable Bachelor of Aquatarts

)
The wise yet mysterious Sir Gwiwer Greybeard

FieldShunt74 · Posted: Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:20 pm

Mods! Mods!

This thread should be moved to the Railpage Australia™ forum. Wink

Dodge10 · Posted: Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:01 am

fullofrubbish · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:33 pm

Without wanting to sound I value gunzelling/RP disucssions over human life, the annoyance I find with the locking and fatality problem is that you a lose a thread where you can talk about the rail implications of the incident - not actual specifics of the how the incident may have happened/ who is to blame.

Despite the tragedy of the incidents that from time to time occur, they can make for some interesting operational/service changes which is one area I enjoy discussing. I.e the normal tracks used are blocked, how can they get around it etc

Gwiwer · Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 7:07 pm

There is no objection to making general comments within our normal posting guidelines.

Thus you would be at liberty to post, for example, the diversionary route or alternative travel arrangements account a fatality at x without making any further reference to the incident itself.

What you are prevented by law from doing is posting something along the lines of "Trains are terminating at _____ because another driver has failed to stop in time and has been killed by a train ..... " since this presumes to apportion blame and is also your own subjective opinion.

It is also inappropriate to report an incident in speculative terms. Titles such as "Suicide at ____________ " would fall foul of our gidelines since it is not for you to determine that a suicide has taken place. "Incident at ..... ", "Fatality at ....." (if a fatality has been confimred already) or even "Possible fatality at ....." would be acceptable titles.

In terms of "rail implications" it is also legitiamte to discuss such things as level crossing safety in general terms and without reference to any specific incident. If you choose to do that just after a fatal incident please please be aware of the sensitivity which even general comments might arouse and consider whether it is the right time to open such a discussion.

Some of these things live long in the minds of those involved. I lost a friend many years ago in the UK when a train ran down an embankment; only five of the hundreds aboard lost their lives but I still cannot pass the spot without painful memories.

Why MYKI? It isn't mine and it's not a key.

Ferroequinologist. BA Hons (Honourable Bachelor of Aquatarts

)
The wise yet mysterious Sir Gwiwer Greybeard

Fireman Dave · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:18 am

Myrtone · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 9:19 am

Ballast_Plough · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:09 am

I wasn't so much querying why there was a policy. I fully know the background of what can and can't be printed. Unfortunately not everybody has a mature posting ability and in many ways you need to resort to the lowest common denominator to stop the pointless threads. What my point is was the way I find it amusing that some people want to be the first to jump onto a post bleating for it to be locked. A moderator knows when a post needs to be blocked without little Johnny racing up with his hand in the air!!!

My updated pics here - and the Forsayth Goods here!

"What know they of signalling, who only signalboxes know"!

Brendan McKenna
Member / Volunteer PBR, YVTR, past member of PRR, VGR!!!

FieldShunt74 · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 2:01 pm

David Peters · Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:19 pm

I really cannot see the need to lock any fatality thread here that can be written up and speculated in a newspaper, more people would read the paper than read what is on here. They can write to a paper and ask them to desist I suppose but the editor want's to sell papers not change one or two persons nappies!

What gets written on here would be closer to the truth than what is printed in any paper anyway. There is no law that say's you cannot discuss something, this is a basic right and is called freedom of speech or is Big Brother watching! It happen's everyday in the front bar of every hotel in Australia, even the Police go to hotels when they are off duty, and most would discuss this type of thing over a drink.

And before anyone tells me I am wrong, forget it, I have been in a pub with a lot of police officers in it and got involved in a discussion about an accident etc, they say the same as what we do on here, so what is really the big deal. I have even discussed crimes with judges that have heard the original case! Cool

National Railway Museum member.
The opinions expressed by my me in these posts is not the opinion of the N.R.M. and should not be construed as such.
Ferroequinologist and Microferroequinologist.
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