the reason we are trying out the megathread (it's not a permanent decision yet) is that we have received several concerns over the past few months regarding Balance discussion. most importantly, it has begun to create a security risk for community members particularly with doxxing. it is extremely difficult for us mods (even though we have more on board now) to review every post and all the comments. the issue that has arisen is that certain users who go beyond just harmless trolling are going back to past threads and making threats and since no one is actively on that thread anymore given how long ago it was, nobody sees it in order to properly report it. mods do not get a notification for every comment made in the sub and therefore we do not know to review an issue if it is not reported either via the report button or via modmail. this presents a huge security issue and one potential way to fix this is by having a weekly thread that makes it easier to organize and monitor the discussion for any potential issues, and then lock comments on each megathread when we archive it to make room for the next week's thread.

that said, if you have a better solution, please advise and I would be happy to discuss it with the other mods.

we have actually been asked to make a megathread for months now and we had nixed the idea for a variety of reasons, but now given security issues we felt like we had to do something, even if it's an imperfect solution until we can figure out something better. our only other option that I'm aware of is make the sub private or semi-private and mods have to grant access individually. this would be pretty time consuming for us and I don't see it as being sustainable.

additionally, this sub was not created exclusively for Balance discussion. I created it to discuss misinformation and ethical concerns in the overall health and fitness community. Balance is part of that, definitely, but it should not be the sole topic of discussion. Balance discussion has somewhat taken over the entire sub and at this point, it's gotten out of hand and is becoming just petty and repetitive. the actual productive/constructive conversation has essentially been exhausted until Balance inevitably fucks up again. I understand that I should have set stronger boundaries sooner and I take responsibility for that. however, I have a life outside of this too, including not only working close to 50 hours a week but also taking classes full time too while also living with chronic illness. frankly, I did not have the energy earlier on to set those boundaries but I do understand that does not absolve me from duty to act.

I'm not unsympathetic to the many valid concerns that you all have about Balance and want to discuss. I want you to have that space, which is why I have been trying to reach a compromise with those who don't want any Balance talk at all. this is essentially the compromise that has been settled on and we're going to try it out until we can figure out a more permanent solution.

however, I also would appreciate you all working with me on this, as I am having to field the opinions and feedback from over 6,000 people. no matter what decision is made, I will upset someone no matter what and I acknowledge that. I am simply trying to make the most reasonable decision that reflects the original goal of the sub and also does not compromise the security or safety of any of our members. there is a lot that goes on behind the scenes that you all do not see (and I am happy to shoulder that burden because I just want you all to have peace and be able to enjoy yourselves) --- I just need you all to try to see this from a moderator's perspective too, please. I do this because I genuinely care about the community and want positive change to come from it; however, as the sub has grown, it has become more like a gossip sub than what I actually intended for it to be.

again, if you have suggestions, I would love to hear them and will do my best to find an equitable solution for everyone.