What is allowed in general chat?

"We" in this context was the Moderator Team and PU management.

I totally agree. Many 'clubs' simply would not exist or survive if restricted to the subject matter that they were founded on. Sensitive and contentious subjects like religion and politics aside, it is more often the comments and discussions on a wider range of subjects that actually helps provide balance and pull the community together by enabling a greater understanding of people's interests. Such discussion can often help put members' photography into context too. After all isn't the very essence of photography its ability to convey ideas and stimulate thought and discussion?

What? No football? No cars?

Threads about Mrs G.Harrison don't seem to be a problem though.

Thank you for reporting the thread, which will be removed if it offends you as it is clearly off topic. It would have been removed anyway if it had started to be a second Pointless Thread.

It doesn't offend at all, that's the problem.

If it didn't offend you why mention it?

If you have a problem, please PM.

Perhaps to highlight the seemingly arbitrary way in which threads are moderated, followed by the mandatory "we don't discuss moderation in public" statement?

There's nothing arbitrary, but we can waste our time discussing rules or we could get on with the more useful and constructive pursuit of photography.

Personally I have more time for the latter. Constructive comments are always welcome.

Many PU members disagree John. Perhaps we just see things differently, or you just haven't noticed. Either way, "we are not amused".

What I do see Peter, is that a very few people sepnd most of their time posting non-specific grumbles and it would be more constructive to send a PM about something specific, with a link, so it can actually be looked at.

There has been an attempt to clarify a couple of points recently by explaining more thoroughly our Pentax-only stance and by defining the sort of thing that General Chat is for. It seems you don't like that either, but if you are confused or doubtful about any particular point then please PM and ask.

We try to be as flexible as possible whilst remaining within our brief, so perhaps what you see as arbitrary is actually just being a bit relaxed about General Chat and not trying to be excessively restrictive. The judgement of that will vary from moderrfator to moderator and from thread to thread, depending upon its content. We read them first before anything is done and intervention is actually quite rare. Most people seem to have the idea.

PM = hidden from public view, a post in a thread is viewable by all. Personally, I prefer to keep things open.

A suggestion:- Change the name of the "General Chat" forum, because it clearly isn't meant for, what is globally understood to be, general chat.

Call it "General Pentax only Chat" or some such thing or get rid of it altogether.

I can answer those points

1) PM. Private messages are private and are used where moderatoion is needed to give anyone involved a chance to sort out a problem discretely and without embarrassment. Most situations never become public and the individuals have no fear of returning to the forum if they wish, all forgiven and forgotten. Regardless of the provocation and the fact that not everyone plays fair with this, it will not change.

2) General Chat subtitle has already been changed to clarify. Please check it out.

3) Same answer as 2) but in addition the Terms and Conditions have been modified for some time to make the framework clearer. It has been mentioned already.

Perhaps it would indicate a more considered approach generally, if the Terms and Conditions were also updated so that they didn't still say that the last time they were updated was 14/09/2009.

Thank you Chris, I'll pass along the message to the appropriate department.