Hot take: nobody talks about how blind copy editors are to jargon in niche fields

I write fencing installation guides on a forum and kept getting my posts rejected for using terms like 'post spacing' and 'gravel backfill' as if they're obscure. Last week a mod told me to simplify it for 'general audiences' even though the thread was clearly for contractors. Has anyone else run into this where specific industry words get flagged as gibberish?

2 comments

2 Comments

aaron6771mo ago

Does it drive you nuts when mods treat 'gravel backfill' like it's some secret code word? I feel your pain, getting flagged for basic trade terms in a contractor thread is just bad moderation.

wood.john1mo ago

Saw a contractor on another forum mention the same thing happening to him with 'grading and drainage' getting flagged as suspicious. @aaron677 it sounds like some mods are just running on autopilot with keyword filters without actually reading the thread context. A gravel backfill in a construction thread is like talking about lumber in a framing forum, it's completely normal. Maybe the mods need to sit in on a few actual work conversations so they understand what words are just part of the job. Getting flagged for that stuff makes the whole moderation system feel broken and wastes everyone's time.