POLICY CHANGES - IMPORTANT!

[Steve]

In an attempt to curb the downward spiral of this forum, I am implementing the following policy change:

1) Posting personal attacks and/or flames (publically).
     a. First offense: Banned from posting for one week.
     b. Second offense: Banned completely for one week.
     c. Third offense: Banned permanently.

Generally, a personal attack is committed when a person substitutes abusive remarks for evidence when examining another person's claims or comments. It is considered a personal attack when a person starts referencing a supposed flaw or weakness in an individual's personality, beliefs, lifestyle, convictions or principles, and uses it as a debate tactic or as a means of avoiding discussion of the relevance or truthfulness the person's statement. It works on the reasoning that, by discrediting the source of a logical argument, namely the person making it, the argument itself can be weakened.

Flaming is the act of sending or posting messages that are deliberately hostile and insulting, usually in the social context of a discussion board on the Internet. Such messages are called flames, and are sometimes posted in response to flamebait. Flamers usually call their flames justified personal attacks.

See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_attack
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaming

[Steve]

In addition, the following policy change is also being made:

2) Posting of knowingly false or misleading information.
     a) First offense: Banned from posting for one week.
     b) Second offense: Banned completely for one week.
     c) Third offense: Banned permanently.

[Steve]

ALSO, VERY IMPORTANT:

Since it is impossible for me (or the GMs) to be here 24/7 to police the forum, I ask the following of everyone:

If you witness a personal attack and/or flame, or if you witness someone posting false, deceptive, or misleading information, please click the "Report to moderator" link on the message in question (the link is located at the bottom/right of each message).

Action will be swift and decisive!

This forum is a family-oriented discussion area and not a bar room. Keep discussions lively and friendly.

[Steve]

Also, if you receive threatening or harassing messages via private message (or "bmail"), use the "Report to admin" link on the message in question so that I will be able to view the content. Thank you.

[long green crabber]

 and the master pulls us through another crisis. hail to the chief.  paul

[crabberjon]

I have faulted on some of these issues. I will make every effort not to get invloved in these again. I must admit the forum has been getting pretty rough around here. It will be nice to get back to the old ways. With all the useful info that gets posted we can easily lose it by being mean to everyone.

Now lets have some fun around here again.

[Steve]

These new policy changes will only succeed if we're self-policing... like a Neighborhood Watch program, troublemakers are ultimately driven out when members step up to the plate and take action. You take action by clicking the "Report to moderators" link on questionable public messages and the "Report to admin" link on harassing private messages.

I am also toying with the idea of enabling "Karma" on the forum. Karma would allow members to "rate" other members by the type of messages they post. If someone consistently posts negative or unproductive posts, that person's karma will go down. OTOH, a person who posts useful and productive information will see his/her karma rise.

Steve

[tattoo]

great Idea. will be good getting back to the good old forum. 

[Stevo]

Hopefully this new policy will restore the positive nature of the board! Although over the years we have had a few isolated incidents, lately they have been to often, and with no appearent gain to any of us. We have to work together to keep our community one we all enjoy!

Great job Steve, 100% behind your decision!

[masspi]

Steve,

Great to see this action.  I feel the Karma rating is a very good idea.  It will let the productive and informative posters separate the wheat from the chaff.

[KristieInPA]

These new policy changes will only succeed if we're self-policing... like a Neighborhood Watch program, troublemakers are ultimately driven out when members step up to the plate and take action. You take action by clicking the "Report to moderators" link on questionable public messages and the "Report to admin" link on harassing private messages.

I am also toying with the idea of enabling "Karma" on the forum. Karma would allow members to "rate" other members by the type of messages they post. If someone consistently posts negative or unproductive posts, that person's karma will go down. OTOH, a person who posts useful and productive information will see his/her karma rise.

Steve

Couldnt the karma ratings turn into a popularity contest, though?

[R D]

Thank you Steve, 

[Seanile]

Thank you Steve, 

Megadittos 

[jack1747]

Megadittos 

Yep me2. It is unreal how he has kept up with it... 

[siowner00]

Sounds like a very fair rule.
It's a shame that it has to be implemented but things will settle down after everyone is catching some crab.

[crabberjon]

I am also toying with the idea of enabling "Karma" on the forum. Karma would allow members to "rate" other members by the type of messages they post. If someone consistently posts negative or unproductive posts, that person's karma will go down. OTOH, a person who posts useful and productive information will see his/her karma rise.

Steve

How do you know if your ratings have been selected good or bad? Like mine says 1 was it good or bad? And how do you police people who may use personal feelings to rate you, giving you a bad karma?

[Mad Crabber]

Steve and brother crabbers,

I am back after a 2 year hiatus. To be honest when I logged on, I was surprised the way this forum changed. I hope we can make this site a cool place to hang out after a long day once again. Most folks here seem like great guys and we all like the crabs!

I'm looking forward to shooting the breeze with you guys.

Steve, I had a problem logging on and so I created a new username (fogwarning) and I even posted a few times under that name. For those guys who PMed me, thanks for your help, I got my problem straighten out. Please feel free to delete my fogwarning username if you like. the Mad Crabber (not to be confused with Mad Crab) is back!   

Bill

[crabbin bull]

Keep up the great work Steve,things will be back to normal in no time

[horsefly]

Lots of much needed KUDOS for Steve and the other Mods. Now that the whip has been cracked maybe some that have left will give the forum another chance (or those who were thinking of leaving)

[luke at uscoach]

Hi Steve & Folks:

Thank you for the moderation! on this Wonderful Board!!

I Assist on Boards within the Converted Coach Community and it is just amazing how they seem to go down, as a few seem to think they are the only ones who know anything!!

The problem is, that kind of attitude and Board Tone scares away folks who have a legitimate question or perhaps, and more importantly, have an answer, other than the few folks who seem to know it ALL!!!!!

As I see it, we are ALL HERE to learn and to hopefully help, based upon our experience, and that is the American Way, as far this this 64 year old understands life in this Wonderful Country!!!

Let's  Live, Love and be Happy, as Lord knows there are a bunch of Beasts out there, and maybe right here, who would love to disrupt this Society!!!!!!

And if you don't believe it, does anyone remember 9-11-01 in New York City, at the Pentagon, and in Western, Pa.?  Why Not and by the way Where are all of the American Flags that we saw for a couple of months?  I still FLY mine every day.

Please let us forget personalities, who has the most posts, and just work together, play together, but most importantly Help each other Every Day.

This Life is Very Short, and when we pass on we will be remembered for the Good we did, the Help we gave, the Friends we made, and that folks will be our Legacy!!!!!

That's my 2 cents on this topic!!!

Happy & SAFE!! Crabbin' to ALL!!!

LUKE at US COACH

[long green crabber]

you are a wise man.   lgc

[Mad Crabber]

In deed - and we still fly our flag everyday as well. Funny how fast people forget...

[KristieInPA]

How do you know if your ratings have been selected good or bad? Like mine says 1 was it good or bad? And how do you police people who may use personal feelings to rate you, giving you a bad karma?

I was wondering the same thing!!!!

[horsefly]

Who and how do you score others karma, is there a button??? What happens if you hit bad karma??? I have good karma and try to pass it down the line but no crabs come up? Just playing, seriously though what happens then if ya do get negative or really postive karma??? I think it probably should have been left off and allow the Mods to make corrections or give out warnings. We all can't be 100% postive attitude all the time.

[Steve]

Who and how do you score others karma, is there a button??? What happens if you hit bad karma??? I have good karma and try to pass it down the line but no crabs come up? Just playing, seriously though what happens then if ya do get negative or really postive karma??? I think it probably should have been left off and allow the Mods to make corrections or give out warnings. We all can't be 100% postive attitude all the time.

I had a little permissions issue with Karma... should be fixed now. It should be self-evident now. Let's run with the Karma thing for a while and see if it's useful. If not, I'll turn it off.

Steve

P.S. Thanks for the words of encouragement, everyone! I think we all want this place to be THE authority on blue crabs on the Internet. And I'm not going to play babysitter anymore. People need to act like adults or they're outta here. Period.