Suggestion Box

[Another new name Sue]

I think that's an inappropriate request.  QVC is doing a great job of controlling the worst posts.  It's a shopping channel forum, and it's amazing that QVC has allowed all the different topics and also monitor.  I would guess that some in management regret that it was ever started.  Other major retailers allow reviews but do not have forums.

[lucymo]

If I start a thread everyone is welcome to post on it.  I don't like how some people turn mean but you just can't be thin skinned if you want to participate in forums.  We all have different opinions and I learn something new every day from someone on here. I enjoy reading a lot of views and thankfully, the good people out number the 'trolls'.  Just enjoy the good and pass on the ones that you don't like.

[Serenity-Now]

I personally do not have a problem with people disagreeing, just being pushy, mean-spirited bullies who ruin the party for everybody except themselves.  I don't like seeing people like that getting the upper hand every time, just because they can.  There are opinions I don't agree with, but I don't jump on the other person or get ugly about it, or at least I try not to be that way.  I also don't intentionally create a post simply to throw ugliness into the thread, which we see many do.  Trolls seem to have a strange type of psyche that makes them want to upset people, for no other reason than because it makes them feel powerful in some way.  Maybe it is like that old saying, "Misery loves company." 

But I don't see a way to keep them away.  I belonged to a wonderful forum once, that was owned by a woman who was kind & fair, and she made sure any internet trolls were given a chance, but if they proved 'who' they were by repeated ugly behavior, they were kicked out.  The forum had many people, and it was lovely the way everyone talked to each other.  We were kind, thoughtful, supportive to one another.  I was very sad when the list owner died, and the whole list fell apart.  The owner had to spend an awful lot of time to keep the riff-raff out, and nobody else was able to pull it off like she did.  It was many years ago now, but it remains as the one single time I enjoyed being a part of a forum of equally nice, kind people without any trolls or snipers in the bunch.  

I know someone will say something snotty about that, and try to discolor it from what it was, or what I am saying.  But I was there, and none of us were part of an 'In-crowd" or anything like that.  We just treated each other with kindness & fairness, even if we didn't agree with each other.  I think that is all the OP is asking for, and I agree that it would be wonderful...but it is very difficult to achieve, and not likely to happen in a forum run by a for-profit business such as QVC.  Mean-spirited riff-raff also have wallets, you see. 

[lucymo]

We can always get another can of this.  :-)

[lucymo]

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@SerenityNowMyndi wrote:

I personally do not have a problem with people disagreeing, just being pushy, mean-spirited bullies who ruin the party for everybody except themselves.  I don't like seeing people like that getting the upper hand every time, just because they can.  There are opinions I don't agree with, but I don't jump on the other person or get ugly about it, or at least I try not to be that way.  I also don't intentionally create a post simply to throw ugliness into the thread, which we see many do.  Trolls seem to have a strange type of psyche that makes them want to upset people, for no other reason than because it makes them feel powerful in some way.  Maybe it is like that old saying, "Misery loves company." 

But I don't see a way to keep them away.  I belonged to a wonderful forum once, that was owned by a woman who was kind & fair, and she made sure any internet trolls were given a chance, but if they proved 'who' they were by repeated ugly behavior, they were kicked out.  The forum had many people, and it was lovely the way everyone talked to each other.  We were kind, thoughtful, supportive to one another.  I was very sad when the list owner died, and the whole list fell apart.  The owner had to spend an awful lot of time to keep the riff-raff out, and nobody else was able to pull it off like she did.  It was many years ago now, but it remains as the one single time I enjoyed being a part of a forum of equally nice, kind people without any trolls or snipers in the bunch.  

I know someone will say something snotty about that, and try to discolor it from what it was, or what I am saying.  But I was there, and none of us were part of an 'In-crowd" or anything like that.  We just treated each other with kindness & fairness, even if we didn't agree with each other.  I think that is all the OP is asking for, and I agree that it would be wonderful...but it is very difficult to achieve, and not likely to happen in a forum run by a for-profit business such as QVC.  Mean-spirited riff-raff also have wallets, you see. 

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@Serenity-Now  Good post.  Nothing there to warrant a nasty reply that I see.

[Serenity-Now]

@lucymo, great idea, let's get a case of it!  And this will help us identify them by their actions:

[Moonchilde]

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@scotnovel wrote:

It really isn't "your" thread.  It is QVC's. If you want control over who posts and what they post then you can start your own blog somewhere else and set the rules for posting.  I don't like everything that I see posted and I know some people don't like everythng that I post.  However, I would not want QVC to give control to the person starting a thread. I like to see a variety of opinions on a subject because, for one reason, I might learn something. 

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EXACTLY. It's a public forum run by QVC. I

just because someone starts a thread, it isn't "theirs." They have no proprietary "control" over it - thank heaven.

The alternative would be a forum where every single post (including the first in a thread) is read and evaluated before the post is "allowed" to be seen.  Sounds delightful...NOT. And not to mention, QVC would need to hire a dozen more moderators to police every post. Not for long, though, because the forums would be utterly dead within a month.

Reminds me of a poster on Amazon forums who created a thread that she felt she "owned" and could control exactly what was and was not allowed to be said there, and just who could and could not post in it, and breaking Amazon forum rules in addition. Posts like "Go away - we don't want you here!" and "Shoo you bad person you, we don't like you!" (paraphrased, but not by much)

It was hilarious.

[Serenity-Now]

I dunno, @Moonchilde; it seems to me that QVC is very meticulous to follow certain rules that they allow people to post ref giving reviews of their products; so obviously they have the ability to put a few key word triggers in place to at the very least delay a post if it has red flag words or if the poster has gotten flagged themselves for being an obvious troll.

I don't think all forms of censorship are bad, just like I don't think that all children should be allowed to watch R or XXX-rated movies.  I'm very thankful those rules are in place as a guide.  IMHO, the best system would be if we could each individually sign up for whatever type of forum we prefer...if people wanted a free-for-all, no holds barred, say whatever you want even if you want to tell other people to kill themselves because you hate them so much--they could go to Forum 'Back Alley: Haters Allowed.'  For those who want to stop the worst of the haters from having free rein, there could be Forum 'Main Street; Proceed With Caution.'  Then for the sensitive souls who are extra emotionally vulnerable because they are going through an especially trying time in their lives, such as trying to survive cancer treatment, or they just lost a loved one, or any reason whatsoever...they could elect to be in the 'Sweetness & Life' Forum.  It would be nice if we could decide how we want to proceed, ourselves; & how much we care to subject ourselves to, without having to leave or stay away most of the time if we are feeling especially vulnerable for awhile. That means the haters won, while the kind-hearted have to hide away from something they would otherwise appreciate being a part of--and that's hardly appropriate or fair.

Just as we shouldn't have a forum that is just for the sensitive souls, we shouldn't have a forum that only subjects us all to haters 24/7, either.  It is too abusive & can cause terrible harm.  Such as the sensitive person I knew who committed suicide after a hater crushed her already wilting spirit.  Enough with letting hateful people always have the floor.  They are not harmless.  Just ask my friend the night she took her life. Which is why I'm bothering to speak on this subject, when I'd rather avoid it with a 10-foot pole.  I think of her, and I can't.  I need to stand up and say something, since she can't anymore.

There needs to be a few rules to keep people from being obscene or hateful, without letting the censorship become a policing thing.  Finding that fine line is a challenge, and I think QVC has taken steps to at least make it more bearable in their forums, by ommitting the most incendiary ones.  That's progress, at least!

I haven't sat here & carefully thought through every single word I typed, so if I missed something glaringly obvious that I will later smack my own forehead over, please forgive me.