Here it is--the Mean Ol' Mod edition of the junk drawer.

We all love the Junk Drawer. It's a place to hang and post random off topicness that wouldn't otherwise fit around the site. 

A lot goes on in these threads that might not fly elsewhere on BE. Sabonis4Ever asked for leniency in the junk drawer, and I approved heartily with a rec, as did a few other members. However, we've got to realize that the line must be somewhere. It's hard to tell where sometimes, but I (and some fellow members/moderators) felt that yesterday's JD crossed that line, which ultimately led to its demise.


The junk drawer is one of the first things that visitors see when they come to Blazers' Edge, especially when rec'ed to the top of the Fanposts every day. There's no problem doing that, but it also means that the subjects have to stay in bounds. Talking about the things talked about in yesterday's thread (i.e. ideas for a Bachelor party) are completely fine--but when we get into details about what goes on at those parties and all that, pretty soon we end up crossing that line that's so ever-hard-to-find.

Yes, part of it might just be Portland culture, but there still is barrier, a wall that needs to be maintained. It's really not a good thing for Blazers Edge to spend an entire thread (or at least, half of one) talking about strip clubs, where the best ones are in town, and what goes on at them. There are other websites for that kind of stuff. Remember, we're trying to keep Blazers Edge accessible for fans of all ages and walks of life. A number of moderators and commenters discussed with me how uncomfortable it was to have a junk drawer that talked about what it did.

All in all, this is not a repromand nor is it a warning; it's simply a reminder that BE is to be held to the highest of standards; we're not an average blog, by any means. The community atmosphere around here is awesome; most of you all don't need anyone to say that even :-) 

In the week or so since mods have arrived, there have been relatively few issues to deal with. The level of conversation, which was already incredibly passionate, thoughtful, and worthwhile has seemingly increased to an even higher level, if that is possible. It's great to see people are arguing ideas instead of people, even passionately. That is wonderful to see.

There have been a few warnings here and there, but they've been relatively small in number and have been generally well-received.


We appreciate any flagging you guys do; it makes our life easy. Aside from some folks flagging for "lameness" or similar silliness, it has gone quite well having the community help us out. Keep it up!

As I mentioned in yesterday's junk drawer, hopefully you guys see as as protector cops rather than "traffic cops" who are looking to fill a quota of warnings and tickets. As Dave mentioned last week, moderators

"...are tasked with keeping community conversational standards fair and high, welcoming newcomers gracefully, and resolving any difficulties that may come our way creatively but authoritatively."

Obviously, that goes for everyone, not just for a select six people. We are ALL responsible for keeping conversation standards high, and you don't have to be a moderator to welcome a newbie to the fold.

Remember, the goal of the junk drawer (or any thread on Blazers Edge) is to bring something useful and worthwhile to the community--so whether it's here in the JD, out on the main page, or elsewhere in the sidebar, let's try to be posting for the benefit of more than just ourselves.

Anyway, just wanted to clear the air after deleting yesterday's junk. Now, onwards to today's junking!

If you have thoughts about the moderation of the site, feel free to email me or any of the other moderators; you can find our email addresses by scrolling to the bottom of the page. Dave's contact info is also there, if you feel the need to get a hold of him.

--Josh (prezofdeath@hotmail.com)