I don’t post in politics anymore. I posted on sled dogs and the Catholic church investigation. And what is grooming. I can’t imagine that shot down the forum, but if it did, I would like to know.
ANYone?
Yes, I am quoting myself, but someone made a really good point about grooming and mentoring and I wanted to ask a question about deciphering intent between the two. I don’t think that is off base.
What has happened here?
1 Like
Per the Moderator
The OT forum is taking a break due to some recent posting behavior, as this forum is not horse-related and has been commanding the most resources to manage.
I don’t know the specific topics as many of them I don’t read but one can look at the topics that are near the top and figure they might be among the potential problematic threads.
I get that it is frustrating for COTH to have to spend the majority of resources moderating a forum that isn’t specifically horse related.
I am hopeful OT will re-open with people better able to self-edit…
I have enjoyed having all the political commentary in a single topic but I suspect there may have been some stepping outside the lines even there 
6 Likes
Dang!
For me OT is a resource for non-horse stuff like recipes, Life issues & stuff I just like to bounce off other COTHers without involving anything horse.
I wish members would restrict any sort of social commentary to the Political forum & leave OT to tamer non-volatile issues
ETA: do Mods warn posters skating on thin ice?
7 Likes
I am seriously bummed, as I learn SO much from the political posts. The only other forum I know of to discuss same is over on city data, but I don’t find the discussions as interesting or find such a broad base of knowledge there.
9 Likes
A life lesson in self-moderation.
21 Likes
I imagine nothing specific happened other than the relentless dripdripdrip of naked insults and political posts masquerading as general ones, all of which made the forum excessively high maintenance. RIP Off Topic forum, and thanks to COTH and the mods for allowing us to have it as long as we did!
12 Likes
This exactly.
5 Likes
I’m just sad about Kim loosing her “support” here. As a matter of fact it’s making me tear up a little :sigh:!
2 Likes
I was also very sad to learn about the closing of the OT forum (well, actually very upset). To me it was a very unique forum composed of people (mostly female) that I had come to know and really respect. It (the political thread) gave me many different points of view and really helped me to understand the whole political situation far better than I could have on my own. As far as outrageous remarks, I always thought that this particular thread managed to remain for the most part pretty tame, especially compared to other more volatile threads among the other forums.
Most of the other discussion websites that I’ve browsed in are much more male oriented and tend to be heavy on a male’s point of view–which can be radically different than a female’s. I’ll really miss the majority of the posters there and their insights–and those that I don’t agree with I’ve managed to happily ignore or skim over their posts. I never at any time thought that this particular thread was volatile or radically controversial.
I also enjoyed some of the other postings on the OT forum.
I really wish that the PTB will reconsider this and reopen the forum. As far as traffic to the site, I’m sure that mine will change to a glance here and there maybe once or twice a day as opposed to the three–maybe four or more times that I had been using.
Thank you for allowing us to have the thread. Please reconsider your decision. The single thread worked fine for the most part.
13 Likes
Pfft. The moderators don’t “have to” spend the majority of resources on Off Topic. They choose to babysit what is un-baby-sittable. It’s a design flaw not a manpower problem.
I began to severely self-moderate so as not to contribute to the nastiness (as did many other folks). Look where our self-restraint got us.
I think they should reconsider the decision as well.
I’m a horsewoman. There are other forums for me to visit, but this was my preferred one. It isn’t now.
19 Likes
problem is, I think, not enough people self-moderated enough. The majority of us showing self restraint is fantastic, but all it takes is a a couple of others to wipe out the thread/forum. (I had a feeling once the IQs started being insult fodder something like this would happen as the last straw. )
I am really sad about the loss, as - like you - this was my preferred place, but not now. Will continue to zip thru the other areas of the board, but will be a dalliance rather than an addiction for me. 
cry::sadsmile:
16 Likes
I stayed right out of OT as I m on COTH for horses, not politics or personal life advice or recipes.
However the observation that this had evolved into a current events and politics chatroom that was dominated by women and comfortable to women is interesting and makes it more significant.
I didn’t realize it was that important to so many people.
6 Likes
Kim’s post is now in Riders With Health Issues 
Kudos to Mod 1 for allowing all of us to continue to take care of Kim :encouragement:
11 Likes
You are probably right. OT is most likely un-baby-sitable since it would appear some percentage of posters struggle with the ability to self-moderate and bite their respective tongues.
Rather than allow OT to run rampant and perhaps give a bad name to COTH (which is, after all a horse-oriented magazine and website), just shut it down. Design flaw addressed.
7 Likes
it seemed very tame of late. I must have missed something big.
7 Likes
Oh Yay! Thank You!
2 Likes
Same here. I don’t post in it anymore and rarely read. But went through some pages and really could not see what kerfuffle was.
So glad Kim’s thread moved.
There are numerous special interest forums with ot forums. Coth doesn’t get a crown for that. They don’t babysit them.
5 Likes
Well, I am going to miss it. I might just flounce off and never return :winkgrin: . Seriously not happy about it, but whatever. I’ll adjust.
5 Likes
@Moderator 1
Can you address any of this please.
As to speaking unkindly, I and others have seen worse in the horse forums. Dressage, HJ, and sport horse breeding come to mind.
7 Likes
