IRON-FISTED DRACONIAN FORUM POSTING RULES

[console]

February, 2009: Recent Changes to Forum Structure and Permissions

As of Feb, 2009 we've made a few tweaks to the forum configuration, in an attempt to separate signal from noise on the on-topic parts of the forum:

  - Reform School (a holding area where deleted posts go) is now read-only.  (But as before, you can choose to delete your posts from there, which permanently removes them.)

  - The View Recent Posts link no longer includes posts from Entropy Pool or General Smack Talk.

  - There is a new permissions group, similar to ShortBus, called SMACK TALK.  Members who are placed in the SMACK TALK group (for whatever duration) will only be able to post in the Entropy Pool and General Smack Talk boards.


IRON-FISTED DRACONIAN FORUM POSTING RULES

0. The moderators recognize that these are forums for an online gaming community, not the Manners & Etiquette forums.  It is understood that some participants actually enjoy flaming and trash talking each other.  It is also understood that some members do not wish to take part in said flaming or trash talking, or have varying thresholds of tolerance for such.  The moderators thus recognize it will be impossible to strike a balance that will please everyone.

1. On-topic vs. Off-topic Posts.  In general please try to stay on-topic except in the "Off-Topic Zone" of the forums.  Just make a best-effort.  It's hard to draw strict lines here -- for example, the "Quake Related Topics" section has a "Trouble Shooting" board, and discussions there are not always strictly quake-related (such as Internet Explorer Crashes), but I think that's fine.  If a moderator thinks a thread would be better in a different section, it's easy enough to move.

2. Flaming, Trolling, and Smack Talk.  There are currently two boards that are set aside for those who enjoy haranguing one another with caustic verbiage.  Flaming, trolling, and smack talk are generally allowed in the Entropy Pool and General Smack Talk boards, with the following caveat.  If a member who has no appreciable history of participating in smack talk or flaming is being trash talked and complains to the moderators, the moderators may remove the offending post or thread if the complaint is not judged to be frivolous.  Outside of the two designated smack talk boards, moderators are encouraged to proactively move or delete rude, trollish, or obnoxious posts to keep the noise level to a minimum on the rest of the boards.

3. How free is free speech here?  Within the limits described above, we generally encourage and foster freedom of speech on the forums.  However we do have a history of disallowing racist speech or hate speech.  Unfortunately this is very hard to define in writing what's OK and what's not.  If someone is showing genuine humor, or is being light and ironic, it might be fine.  If someone is acting like an a$$hole, probably not.

4. What if a member repeatedly continues posting flames or trolls or generally rude posts outside of the two smack talk boards?  The moderators may elect to place the member in the SMACK TALK permissions group for some duration, which will limit the member's posting ability to just the two smack talk boards.

5. What about the demo section?  I just "raped" this "n00b" and I want to post and gloat about how I "raped" this "n00b".  Answer: No comment. I guess the moderators will play it by ear based on whether we receive any complaints and/or the level of obnoxiousness involved.


[the above is a first draft... that's it so far]


Regards,

[[BTF]Jehar]

- The View Recent Posts link no longer includes posts from Entropy Pool or General Smack Talk.

 
Thank you!

[Whirlingdervish]

 

we need a giant one of these for this occasion: 

[Arm0r]

the majority has spoken! (all 4 of em) change is here, thanks obama 

[[BTF]Gator]

Actually, your opinion of minority and majority are upside down.  You have mistaken noise level for population count.  And it is a mislplaced understanding.  There is very, very little change here, save for the fact that if you want to read the inflamatory content, you will have to actually search it out rather then have it placed in your face whether you are interested in it or not.

 

[Arm0r]

There is very, very little change here, save for the fact that if you want to read the inflamatory content, you will have to actually search it out rather then have it placed in your face whether you are interested in it or not.

or post it myself thanks 


Hey....by the way, let's say I make a thread somewhere on the forum...and if someone gets flamed, and I have no problem with it (due to it being my thread and all) admins shouldn't have a right to move any post from my thread, correct?

[Whirlingdervish]

actually no armor, they'll trample on that right too, in the name of decency of course!

 


Here's a good question:

Where is this supposed majority of whiners who feel so strongly about this issue?

Where are they hiding?

Why don't they post now that they can do so without fear of being called a nasty name?


all I see in the newly minted kiddie section of the board is this topic posted by the admins, and crickets chirpin.

[jägermonsta]

Please define 'SMACK TALK' completely.

[Whirlingdervish]

while you're at it lets hear every one of the admins give us their definition of "GENERALLY RUDE POSTS"

I'd love to see the disparity.

 

[jägermonsta]

while you're at it lets hear every one of the admins give us their definition of "GENERALYY RUDE COMMENTS"

Yes please. Wouldn't want to break any of these new censorship rules! 

[Whirlingdervish]

Oh Oh!


Do we get to spam outside of our area too?

like so:

        
        
        
        
        


AND CAN WE SAY FUCK IN THE SHOUTBOX?!!


Do we have to tell PG rated jokes in the Jokes section too?!?!

[Arm0r]

while you're at it lets hear every one of the admins give us their definition of "GENERALYY RUDE COMMENTS"

Yes please. Wouldn't want to break any of these new censorship rules! 

careful Jager, next thing you know sarcasm will be outlawed!!! hide it!!!  we will horde our smack talk!!!

The prohibition is here!!! hide your bad wishes and borderline rude comments 

[jägermonsta]

Actually I'd honestly like to see what they consider 'Smack Talk'... If you get into a disagreement with somebody on a topic, that's 'Smack Talk'? The new rules are very vague and I'm sure they are for a reason.

[Whirlingdervish]

I hope you guys realize that now that you've decided to regulate people's ability to argue to this degree, you will be called upon incessantly to illuminate exactly what those regulations entail and you will be expected to constantly develop new ones for every situation that is slightly unclear.

good luck maintaining some level of consistency in your actions.

That's actually one of the things I'm most proud of the admins on here for doing, up until now, and with the advent of the super special censorship clause here, I wish you the best of luck when it comes to doing so in the future.

Hopefully the most easily offended of you wont feel the need to impose your personal values of decency on every other admin's action, and use the vague rules to push your personal agenda.

[[BTF]Dizzy]

Here's a good question:

Where is this supposed majority of whiners who feel so strongly about this issue?

Where are they hiding?

Why don't they post now that they can do so without fear of being called a nasty name?


all I see in the newly minted kiddie section of the board is this topic posted by the admins, and crickets chirpin.

the majority has spoken! (all 4 of em) change is here, thanks obama  

And here's a good question:

Where's the majority of whiners opposed to it?  

I count a grand total of  3 who are, despite being extremely vocal, hardly a majority.

Yet they demonstrate, in this exact thread, why some amount of moderation is necessary.