Talk to the Moderators

When I originally came here, I was a bit more proactive about clamping down on some behaviors. On most forums in my experience that is the usual mode of operation for moderators, to close threads, warn people, etc... before the "fights" begin. However, Clay has developed a more open cultural style here, which is one of the things that I personally love about this forum. In that spirit, I've been much more reactive for the past year - year and a half.

There are issues with both styles of oversight. As with most things, the optimal place is somewhere in the middle of being totally draconian about things, and being uncaring. None of us are perfect, and this is your forum just as much as it is mine or HGM's. We may have a small amount of additional responsibility, but ultimately we're just users like the rest of you.

So, with all of the above in mind, I'd like to invite everyone to post some feedback. I can't promise that everything you suggest will be taken on, but I will at least read what you have to say. I'm looking forward to reading some constructive feedback.
Thanks!

As HoustonGM said here: http://www.sportsmogul.com/vbulletin...3&postcount=24

there are no set rules about someone being banned and when(or if) they can come back. I hope you guys can look into creating guidelines to go by, like "3 strikes and out" or something else.

Why, though?

In that same thread, metsguy said that he has been banned 5 different times, and he is still around. Obviously some people aren't fazzed by these short term bans and continue to cause problems. In the current state, there really is no real punishment. A one day ban? That won't teach a lesson.

I agree that after a certain amount of 1 day bans, the person will not take any punishment seriously. Metsguy will continue with his nonsense b/c he thinks the worst that will happen is a 1 day break from the forum.

However, he'd be allowed to make a new account anyways, so I suppose it doesn't matter one way or the other

Well... IP ban's are a possibility. We'd need to discuss it with Dee and Clay of course, but it's not out of the question.

What I'm hearing here is a desire for increased... control, I guess. That's certainly a possibility, and is actually something that I've been slowly turning to anyway. It would be a mistake to think that it will be limited to only a few member's behavior though, which is the primary purpose behind this thread. I'd like to encourage a wider discussion to take place.

All this bickering doesn't bother me (the other forum I frequent is far worse), but I can tell you that if real bans aren't possible, then there is zero reason for any posters to halt whatever activity is getting them in trouble to begin with

I can't help but agree here...

Guidelines for bans, posted so forum members know what to expect, would actually be good and would probably reduce some of the major conflicts here. I don't want to see draconian law but bringing some sense to the recent madness around here would be helpful. I would definitely make these ip bans as well though. I don't think they even need to be worked up to perm. bans either. just make all bans a mandatory 1 week and things will cool down quickly.

Ohms, the only thing I suggest is quit moving threads from between, sports games, OILF, Ejections and sports talk.

They are all junk forums...

from moderator to moderator, and user to user :)

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Originally Posted by RickD

Guidelines for bans, posted so forum members know what to expect, would actually be good and would probably reduce some of the major conflicts here. I don't want to see draconian law but bringing some sense to the recent madness around here would be helpful. I would definitely make these ip bans as well though. I don't think they even need to be worked up to perm. bans either. just make all bans a mandatory 1 week and things will cool down quickly.

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Agreed. If it's someone's first time being nailed for something, then maybe a day or a weekend is fine. When it's someone aiming to complete their half dozen ban mark, it stops being effective at all. As for perma-bans, HOPEFULLY it never comes to that...ideally those would only be used for something insanely stupid (e.g. "Hey guys, here's some links to my favorite kiddie porn sites!").

My only problem with that is defining it in written form. You all (hopefully) know how once things are written out they tend to become more narrow and inflexible. Doing it all "by feel" may not be quite as fair, but it's less forceful as well.

Spam is obvious, and has been a policy for a long time. I would have a tough time defining exactly why a few people recently received a one day ban, though. It's like the famous statement regarding pornography: I know it when I see it. I think that we all do, for the most part. How would you write it, though?

Ohms: there are some dictionary-style definitions out there. Ultimately it's a judgment call, and that's fine, because really, online, forums are better run by "benevolent dictators". If the style becomes something you can't deal with, you just leave; if the forum can't deal with you, you get banned. "If this set of moderators agree that what you posted is pornographic, then it is," is a perfectly valid way to deal with such a problem.

Something does need to be done though....the way things are tracking now it is not healthy for the community.

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Originally Posted by RickD

Something does need to be done though....the way things are tracking now it is not healthy for the community.

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I have a suggestion. You use a baseball like system, since it is a Baseball game's forum. You have 3 strikes, each strike= 1 Day ban. If you use up all three strikes, you get an out, which is a week long ban. Then the system restarts. If you get 3 outs, your inning is over, and the mods can decide whether to perma ban or not. This is just a suggestion. However, I feel that really, things don't seem much, if any, worse then when I arrived here. If anything they have gotten better IMO, with the decline of post padding threads almost completely, the semi-removal of post counts, and such. I think even metsguy has gotten a bit better, sort of(maybe?). Sure, there are some rough patches, but nothing can ever be perfect. That is my opinion.