Hey, thanks for asking about this.

My understanding is that we post or message the person directly with the ThereIsHelp link in situations when someone seems danger of committing or idealizing suicide. The most recent question wasn't explicitly either of those, so it falls in a gray area and looking at it, I think it's ok to leave it up since people are commenting about why it's not a good idea.

Being more liberal about posting the link is a good idea, so I'm mentioning it in the mod Slack to get everyone on the same page. Thanks for the suggestion!

One deleted: no debate, just answers, please.

One comment removed, there's no need to call OP's curiosity bigoted. Also, Ask MetaFilter comments should address the main question being asked.

At the Election Committee's request, am closing up this thread. If people have any questions or concerns, they can post in the "Reminder of end of campaign period" thread.

Several comments removed by commenter's request

IMDB link updated!

pro-tip: If you send a message now, it will have been done...

Good point, I scheduled an email to remind me to send one in two days. Thanks!

Closing this thread because the Campaign Period has ended. Voting is scheduled to begin on Oct 1, per the Election Timeline. Thank you to the candidates and to everyone that posted questions to them.

Closing this thread because the Campaign Period has ended. Voting is scheduled to begin on Oct 1, per the Election Timeline. Thank you to the candidates and to everyone that posted questions to them.

Closing this thread because the Campaign Period has ended. Voting is scheduled to begin on Oct 1, per the Election Timeline. Thank you to the candidates and to everyone that posted questions to them.

Closing this thread because the Campaign Period has ended. Voting is scheduled to begin on Oct 1, per the Election Timeline. Thank you to the candidates and to everyone that posted questions to them.

Closing this thread because the Campaign Period has ended. Voting is scheduled to begin on Oct 1, per the Election Timeline. Thank you to the candidates and to everyone that posted questions to them.

Closing this thread because the Campaign Period has ended. Voting is scheduled to begin on Oct 1, per the Election Timeline. Thank you to the candidates and to everyone that posted questions to them.

Closing this thread because the Campaign Period has ended. Voting is scheduled to begin on Oct 1, per the Election Timeline. Thank you to the candidates and to everyone that posted questions to them.

Closing this thread because the Campaign Period has ended. Voting is scheduled to begin on Oct 1, per the Election Timeline. Thank you to the candidates and to everyone that posted questions to them.

Closing this thread because the Campaign Period has ended. Voting is scheduled to begin on Oct 1, per the Election Timeline. Thank you to the candidates and to everyone that posted questions to them.

Closing this thread because the Campaign Period has ended. Voting is scheduled to begin on Oct 1, per the Election Timeline. Thank you to the candidates and to everyone that posted questions to them.

Closing this thread because the Campaign Period has ended. Voting is scheduled to begin on Oct 1, per the Election Timeline. Thank you to the candidates and to everyone that posted questions to them.

Thyme is off for a couple of days, I'll drop a note to them when they're back on Sunday.

plagued out moggies: "Like, here’s a simple, specific question: has loup been actively managing the BIPOC board minutes situation? If yes, how do they think they’re doing? If no, why not?"

I do not know and they're off for the weekend, so the soonest you could get an answer to that is probably around Monday afternoon.

For folks who want to minimize their presence on the site, here's what frimble suggested when we were talking about it the other day:

* Checking in your MetaFilter preferences that "Minimal Profile for non-members" is turned
* Reviewing what platforms are in "Also On" because they appear here https://www.metafilter.com/contribute/socialexplorer.mefi (only available to logged-in members, but regardless) ]

It's also worth noting that a Twitter/X account was trying to get right wing social media to attack the site by screenshotting some of the charlie kirk thread. Please remember that the web is very public and there are some ugly corners of that want to hur

mediareport: "Can you please point me to the mod comment noting that Brandon's mod-announced deadline for the BIPOC minutes to be posted by the end of August would not be met?"

There wasn't one, will keep that in mind for the future.

plagued out moggies: "So, in all honesty: who’s running the ship, mods?"

Same as it's been for a while, loup oversees the mods and we keep them in the, um, loop, of what we're working.

One comment deleted. Please avoid starting an argument with the OP, Ask MetaFilter comments should address the main question being asked.

One deleted: poster’s request.

Changed 25 to 23 in post and deleted first comment at the user's request.

phunniemee: "Are you going to remove all the comments linking to florals for not answering the question?"

No, because there's a bit of subjectiveness involved in this question and the answers.

chasles: "I agree, seems an easy change. "

Minor note, the About page isn't editable by the mods, it'll have to go through frimble, to edit on the back end. Not a big deal, just a heads up.

One comment removed for threadshitting and getting snarky with commenters, which goes against the Content Policy in Ask MetaFilter.

Also, you can't just decide it's ok to heckle commenters, that goes against the general MetaFilter guidelines about being considerate and respectful

One comment removed for posting in the wrong thread.

One deleted. Reminder that making insensitive jokes using a group's language are not welcome and will be deleted.

Title updated, thank you for reporting it.

One deleted. Poster’s request

One deleted for noise.

One deleted. Comment posted in wrong thread.

NotLost, give it about an hour, there's a small speed bump to prevent spamming.

mygraycatbongo, stop derailing this thread as it violates the Content Policy and you've been asked to knock it off previously. If you continue to post comments in here, a temporary ban will be issued. One comment has been removed. Edit: Changed mind and issued a 24 hr ban, as the member hasn't listened to previous requests.

mygraycatbongo: "That take is so fucked up I can't even go down there." Hey mygracatbongo, that sounds like a good idea to avoid derailing this thread, so please move on, as sciatrix has and allow others to talk about the thread's subject. Two comments have been removed.

One comment removed at the member’s request.

One comment removed at user’s request.

One deleted at poster's request: wrong thread. EDIT: And two more, because they too reported having posted here by mistake somehow. No problem: one was of minimal substance, the other's author I have MeMailed their text for reposting elsewhere (if they so desire). Apologies for the inconvenience either way. The server gremlins seems happy though -- no clue why that happened to several of you. Let us know if you can't post in future somehow? Thanks!

One comment removed at user's request.

Couple of comments removed for not answering the question and instead making jokes. That violates the Content Policy for AskMe.

One deleted. Poster's request.

adrienneleigh: "....there's at least one person stalking this thread and screencapping it to make threatening posts on Twitter." The board was made aware of that at the same time you were, adrienneleigh, and has reached out to the member for clarification. In the meantime, that comment has been removed.

nobody_truncates: "i guess our duty as commenters on metafilter.com is to remember to renounce security by obscurity, assume the couchfucker's pie-in-the-sky doxxing dragnet is actually real, and make ourselves clear:" This entire comment has been removed for the moment while I talk it over with other mods and the current board. The comment was by one member, who was drawing a line in the sand not only for themselves, but tof the entire site as what could and would be said Charlie Kirk. That's a personal choice and as I see it, pending talking with other mods and the current board, not the sort of comment we should just leave up at the moment. nobody_truncates and other members, please refrain from these types of comments until we can decide as a site if and how we wish to host them, and if so, how to handle potential demands that we remove such comments. In the meantime such comments will be removed. Thanks for everyone's patience as we figure things out.

subdee: "marker -> market, sorry I'm on my lunch break..." Fixed!

One deleted. Poster's request.

One deleted: poster's request.

Hid the countdown timer behind the details tag, just click the arrow if you want to see the time left

Comment replying to the deleted comments removed as requested.

A few comments against the guidelines removed. Please do not call other users trolls. But more importantly: Speak for yourself, not others: Let's avoid downplaying the importance of race, specially in a thread about Black representation. As the guidelines say, avoid speaking on behalf of other people and discussing their experience like an academic topic; invite them to speak for themselves instead!

One comment deleted. Please avoid arguing with other people's answers, ask MetaFilter comments should address the main question being asked.

No comments deleted but let's avoid picking a fight with specific members. This is a personal subject where everybody has a different lived experience so, please allow others to express themselves.

Added 99_'s candidate statement to their post.

Added 99_'s candidate statement

One deleted. Double comment.

Two comments made by DeepSeaHaggis have been removed and the user placed on an indefinite ban. The comments celebrated Kirk's death and also advocated for the death of Kirk's family and friends. That violates several parts of the Content Policy and possibly laws, so we're skipping warnings in this instance and going straight to a ban. It's only indefinite due to a single moderator being on duty and making the decision, I'll confer with the other moderators over the next couple of days about whether the ban should be permanent (I firmly think it should be, but it's best if there's agreement for permanent bans). If folks wish to discuss this action further, please make a post in MetaTalk or you can ask the Moderation Oversight Committee to review this mod action.

infinitewindow: "what happened to Lemkin? Fuuuuuck"

His account was suspended after trollish behavior regarding AI/LLM posts. We communicated to him that certain behavior regarding AI/LLM posts and arguments needed to stop in order for his account to be reinstated.

phunniemee: "Well, posts to the blue require a link. I assume that the link that has apparently been removed (used to be we changed those to example.com, guess that changed) had something more obvious in it."

Yeah, the usual procedure is as phunniemee described, change the url of a spammy link to example.com. But in this case, the link was just raw unlinked html (https://metafilter.com as opposed to metafilter). So removing that unlinked html text removed any indication of where the link was.

In those situations in the future, we'll leave a note indicating the html/link was removed

Here's a link to the Election Timeline MetaTalk post, which outlines and gives dates for the various steps in the election process.

AlSweigart: "Sorry, I didn't notice the headline got cut: "AI-generated 'minister' appointed to tackle corruption" would fit." This has been done!

automatronic: "Did they actually pay $5, or just make up a really good story?"

They actually did pay $5!

Comments opened, pulposus

Comments opened, phunniemee

Comments opened, Previous username Jacen

Comments opened, 99_

Comments opened, Kybard

Comments opened, jimw

Comments opened, Joakim Ziegler

Comments opened, creatrixtiara (formerly divabat)

Comments opened, DarlingBri

Comments opened, chasles

Comments opened, adrienneleigh

Comments open, main thread

GeckoDundee: "The "deep fear" link is borked. Maybe intended to be this one?" Link fixed!

intermod: "I'll ask mods to add "newyork" as a tag."

Done!

To me it sounds like someone realizes that they created more of problem for themselves than they intended and are now asking for the discussion to move on without them. Seeing at they've cited fears of harassment, it would be totally fine to do that. There's no need to demand that they must participate, nor that we focus on them.

Finally, it's important to note that harassment of another member is strictly forbidden and anyone experiencing should let the mods know and we'll deal with it.

The Pluto Gangsta: "Brandon, as long as you're here do you want to comment on why, when other comments were modded out of that thread, the mod didn't name the poster even when they quoted the comment, but you decided to reproduce not only my comment but to put me on blast specifically? Kinda feel like you put a target on my back there."

There are 5 official mod comments in that thread (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), 4 of them by me, 3 of which use the MeFi Quote feature to name who made the comments. You are not specifically being called out, it's just a function of being on the internet and the convenience of using MeFiQuote.

Otherwise, am going to leave the mod comment as is and request that everyone avoid bringing up The Pluto Gangsta anymore in this thread. It's not a command, just a request on their behalf.

About larger questions:
Mods should moderate comments and situations as they normally do on the site, with little regard as whether a person is a board member or not. There are probably hypotheticals where board status might matter, but I view that more as sending a message with advice or about some site history, but that's about it. Moderation should proceed as on escalating scale that starts with talking and requests and only moving on to ban if nothing else works. Definitely worth considering how to work out a such a situation if things go that way. But having to go that route will be a rare thing is my guess. Still worth considering ahead of time, IMO.

the north sea: "I am pretty nervous about posting this"

Thank you so much for taking the time and making the effort. You points are non-American thoughts 💭 and necessary for the community to be reminded of.

i used to be someone else: "just want a little more clarity on this mod decision

Removed a comment saying "The only good nazi is a dead nazi" because site's Content Policy discourages calls for violence.

Sure, the full comment was "He was a nazi. The only good nazi is a dead nazi." That comment was in reference Charlie Kirk and went a little over the line, in terms of advocating for his death. I should have made that clearer in the deletion note.

warriorqueen: "I can't express strongly enough my appreciation for the committee members who have stuck through that, but I personally have found that really wearying - to a degree that I know I am not leading it right and am a bit jumpy."

Thank you and all the members of the MOC for the work y'all have done.

FInally, candidate statements will be live in in the A.M. of Friday, September 12, starting after midnight. It'll probably take an hour or two to post and link everything, but it's happening!

Made this a Rewatch by OP’s request!

darkstar: "Arg. That first para should end “…behavior may warrant moderation.”"

Fixed!

The Pluto Gangsta: "Why is a candidate for the board being allowed to drag this thread into a bunch of derails? Is it because they're a board candidate? Is that why they're getting the kid gloves treatment?" Hey, this is major derail, so we've removed the comment. But here's a few notes about the concerns that you've posted, emailed, and left flag notes about: To wit: Candidate statements for 2025 Board election of the MetaFilter Community Foundation (MeFiCoFo), will be posted on this Friday, Sept 12 in the a.m. (ET). You (and anyone else) are encouraged to bring up this concern with the candidate at that time. Otherwise, the flags on their comments in this thread have been reviewed and found to be ok in the context of a larger discussion about political violence. For here you're welcome to take this MetaTalk or file a request for review with the Moderation Oversight Committee . Otherwise please refrain from continuing this derail as it may cause further comment removals and/or requests that you leave this thread.

mecran01: "Kirk was sitting on a chair when he was shot. My wife and I had just left the parking lot at UVU when we saw the UVU police screaming down the road on the north side of campus. Thanks for sharing that with us mecran01 and glad that everything is ok with your family.

Removed a comment saying "The only good nazi is a dead nazi" because site's Content Policy discourages calls for violence.

HearHere: "^ mods, can you please italicize the top portion of the above comment (missed edit window)"

Original comment edited, comment requesting change removed.

cooker girl: "At least he died doing what he loved: Demonizing transgender people. posted by chasing at 5:23 PM on September 10 Fixed that for you." chasing: "> cooker girl Thanks for the correction. Didn't realize the other spelling was considered offensive and obviously wasn't intended that way. (If a mod wants to edit my other post or something, go for it.)" These two comments have been removed after cleaning up the original comment to change 'transgendered people' to 'transgender people'

One deleted. Let's keep this thread on topic please and refrain from making sweeping generalizations about populations of people doing horrific things/violence against children. Thanks.

One deleted, user's request.

Yup, definitely Newsfilter.

Okay, added the threshold to the post text.