Encouraging a productive and friendly environment

[maddiedog]

I've gotten a couple of PMs about posts in the forum having hateful or mean undertones lately. I have noticed the frequency and intensity of them increasing as well, and want to stop this behavior immediately.

This is a systemic problem. Many of you regular posters make jokes about homosexuals, liberals, conservatives, etc entirely casually. It might feel like a joke to you when you're typing it, but many who lurk or view the forum without registering may be deeply offended and not participate in the forum as a result.

This is unacceptable conduct on an international forum and scares away users. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and opinions, and if you disagree, you should do so respectfully. As a specific example, laughing at users for being members of varmit forum or blaming liberals for anything in general is entirely unacceptable, and both of those just occurred in the thread I most recently posted in.

To stop this problem before it gets worse, I will not hesitate to drop the banhammer on you if you:
- make racial jokes
- make sexist jokes
- mock any user for their political, religious, sexual, etc. beliefs
- rant about whether or not firearms are okay
- directly insult a country or the people from it

I will typically warn users before banning, but will immediately and irrevokably ban you if your conduct is downright unacceptable. Continuous, minor offenses could result in a temporary ban. Please send me a PM about ANY inflammatory post and I will address them accordingly. If only a small portion of the post is inflammatory, I will edit out the offending section and leave the rest. You will be notified if your posts are modified.


Entirely unrelated, I also have lately had more than double the usual work with spam posts. Please DO NOT REPLY TO SPAM POSTS. PM me a link to them, and I'll nuke them immediately. Replying draws attention to spam, and encourages more of it.


I wish this post was more lighthearted, but the above issue is serious and there is nothing fun or fluffy to say about it. Please take it to heart, and be good to one another.

[Steph]

@maddiedog - Glad to see you on your own forum! Hope you and your Family have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[dasshreddar]

Totally agree... there are two individuals that really bring this forum down(in my opinion).

[JohnL]

Merry Christmas maddiedog and thanks for a brilliant forum.

Your latest comments are most welcome.

[you you]

Totally agree... there are two individuals that really bring this forum down(in my opinion).

If this is me, and it could be. Pm me and I'll tone it down

[WhiteNoise]

Good on You Boss

Beware of the BanHammer!
It's really easy to behave, and so much nicer to be kind. Peace & Love will follow.

Think b4 typing. Re-read before sending. Edit if necessary. TaDah!
xxOxx

[MikeP]

I hope I have not offended anyone. I am new to this forum stuff. My first one. I have to say you all are really awesome in the information and the passion that you share. It brings a diverse group of folks together with a common interest. Looking forward to the spring and lots of good chat and pictures. Merry Christmas you all and Happy New Year!!!!

[homie]

I hope I have not offended anyone. I am new to this forum stuff. My first one. I have to say you all are really awesome in the information and the passion that you share. It brings a diverse group of folks together with a common interest. Looking forward to the spring and lots of good chat and pictures. Merry Christmas you all and Happy New Year!!!!

LOL its not you Mikey... MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Just contribute something useful to the viewers and if you're a putz it's their loss if they live in a perfect PC world. As for me I live in the real world among all nationalities who often don't care too much for each other and I wish I could delete a few off my block but that's not reality either. Life goes on and a putz is a putz and an old putz isn't likely to change LOL

[MikeP]

Ahh, you make me feel at home! thanks!

[maddiedog]

it's their loss if they live in a perfect PC world. As for me I live in the real world among all nationalities who often don't care too much for each other and I wish I could delete a few off my block but that's not reality either. Life goes on and a putz is a putz and an old putz isn't likely to change LOL

This isn't a matter to "LOL" over. Read what you're saying, you sound extremely insensitive, possibly arrogant. Be more polite, you're one of the users this post is warning.

I don't care if nationalities elsewhere don't get along. They'll get along here, and that is that. This is a community forum, but I'm the generally-benevolent overlord. I make the rules at the end of the day whether you like it or not.



I think this is a good article: https://hbr.org/2014/02/how-to-say-this ... -cultures/. It isn't 100% relevant to the situation at hand, but is a good example of how sarcasm or phrasing can be interpreted entirely differently depending on your culture. When in doubt, compliment others sincerely if you appreciate them, or if you disagree, do so respectfully without ANY reference to politics or beliefs.

[you you]

it's their loss if they live in a perfect PC world. As for me I live in the real world among all nationalities who often don't care too much for each other and I wish I could delete a few off my block but that's not reality either. Life goes on and a putz is a putz and an old putz isn't likely to change LOL

This isn't a matter to "LOL" over. Read what you're saying, you sound extremely insensitive, possibly arrogant. Be more polite, you're one of the users this post is warning.

I don't care if nationalities elsewhere don't get along. They'll get along here, and that is that. This is a community forum, but I'm the generally-benevolent overlord. I make the rules at the end of the day whether you like it or not.



I think this is a good article: https://hbr.org/2014/02/how-to-say-this ... -cultures/. It isn't 100% relevant to the situation at hand, but is a good example of how sarcasm or phrasing can be interpreted entirely differently depending on your culture. When in doubt, compliment others sincerely if you appreciate them, or if you disagree, do so respectfully without ANY reference to politics or beliefs.

Hate to cut across you Maddie becuase you are a spot on moderator but I'm tolerant 90% of the time and intolerant the other 10%. Probably mostly against North americans, so much to go on, sorry that must really get on your tits. However I do really like Homie although I probaly disagree with most/everything of what he says, can't we have a virtual pint or ten and talk bollocks within certain boundaries

Which you can set. As benevolent overlord....

[homie]

Oh no... now I'm a goner for sure

[you you]

Oh no... now I'm a goner for sure

Get yer coat..

[Alibally]

There should be a special section of the forum called fight club or something were you need to get a password for and then you can verbally abuse each other with freedom.
Wait ... Maybe a bad idea.

[SECoda]

I think this software offers a Chat option too.

[Steph]

There should be a special section of the forum called fight club or something were you need to get a password for and then you can verbally abuse each other with freedom.
Wait ... Maybe a bad idea.

The thing I like about this concept is freedom of speech! When I was called a Loon for talking about sporting a pistol while riding I didn't consider it abusive or offensive. but, rather someone's personal take on the matter. You you's and GN2's culture may be different then mine. But I still love them both And the same goes for Homie and SECoda

I'm not an expert regarding the responsibilities of being a forum keeper. Maddiedog appears to be with the burden of walking a fine line and we have to do the same.

[Alibally]

There should be a special section of the forum called fight club or something were you need to get a password for and then you can verbally abuse each other with freedom.
Wait ... Maybe a bad idea.

The thing I like about this concept is freedom of speech! When I was called a Loon for talking about sporting a pistol while riding I didn't consider it abusive or offensive. but, rather someone's personal take on the matter. You you's and GN2's culture may be different then mine. But I still love them both And the same goes for Homie and SECoda

I'm not an expert regarding the responsibilities of being a forum keeper. Maddiedog appears to be with the burden of walking a fine line and we have to do the same.

It's a fine line right enough.

Keeping to the threads topic and not going off in a tangent is key . I personally think the off topic section should be used to talk about your hobbies if you want as long as it's subject is in the title so someone can read it if interested. Its like watching a film or tv program all the way through and them writing to complain it was offensive. If it's something your not into then don't look at it.

Forum moderation is always going to be difficult and there will be problems, especially in world where cultures differ so much but most people mean well on here with a little but of sarcasm thrown into mix. It's all about being tolerant.

[homie]

macwav.jpg

Just put up a homie poll... I don't care to be where most are offended and I will sign myself to lurker if too many haters vote me off. There are non pc-PCX forums or there is always Ruckus chat. Maybe a Honda PCX American pig forum will popup someday for me to contribute to the decline of politically correctness because... it has to stop.

Yes that's the ticket post a silence homie or not poll do it now and get on with it and then vote on your new banner

[SECoda]

Vote early vote often? Homie - your in my favorite poster category.

I ran a bulletin board and then a forum for work and it is a pain in the butt so I refrain from making any significant comments because I don't want to run another one. That said the best forum I am currently is for airguns and is really global with folks representing every country imaginable from Russia to New Zealand, China to South America, and even Iraq, Kuwait, Dubai, etc..... There is virtually no moderation and several world wars have been fought on it as no topic is considered verboten except criticizing or going after the owner. That said there is universal understanding and acceptance like I have never seen before on any forum and it becomes self-policing although plenty of folks occasionally get offended. Most survive and the forum has the best technical expertise available on bullpup airguns in the world. These forums are basically whatever the owner wants to have and reflects their desires. It isn't really a democracy. There is always plenty of room for more forums.

P.S. Be wary of finger pointers and whistle-blowers as they are often the real trouble-makers.

[homie]

Maybe we could get a more specific list of what people are finding offensive. There's nothing in my message box from any member complaining about anything so it must all go to admin. I cant remember anyone giving a heated argument over pictures or videos on the board except youyou and now HE confesses to liking it. Maybe its an under current of long time members who just watch and report things they don't like based on the founding days of this forum LOL. If we don't know who you are or what you're pissed off about plus if its a cultural divide on top of that then its egg shells the new guys walk forever.

PM the person you have issue and if I ever get one of these it would be very easy to explain, apologize or avoid next time. Bugging admin is putting him in an impossible position of systematically removing members of certain opinions. If you won't speak out publically or privately but only with admin and he does begin removing people from secret complaints then you eventually get back to where you were... where ever that was.