2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Goodbye DU [View all]merrily
(45,251 posts)Let me get a technicality out of the way, just in case you are not aware. A hidden or a removed post happens because you said something a jury did not like. A locked thread happens because the thread breaks a forum rule, in which case, you can re-post in another forum, or is meta. The problem with locked threads is that the discussion can go on for hours before the lock. I wish they would just move the thread to the correct forum, but Skinner said that doesn't work well, either. I have no idea why a post about search algorithms would be offensive. If it was removed recently, you can appeal to Skinner.
Yes, DU is a board formed to help elect Democrats. Posters add value to a board, so I don't think a board owner has a "right" be wholly arbitrary about removing posts and banning. However, the terms of service are clear on the electing Democrats issue and we join knowing that. When things get very arbitrary, it's probably a partisan jury not caring enough about the board to try to do a fair job. We used to have a little more leeway in the Bernie Sanders Group, though it was trolled by alerters, but now, jurors don't know if a post has been posted in a group or not.
In the end, it's whether you enjoy posting here or not. If not, there are board that were not formed for the purpose of electing Democrats. This board has the best and fastest software I've used and the most posters. Also, nothing prevents you from posting on more than one board. You may be able to have everything you want in one day, just not all on the same board.
Best wishes, whatever you decide.