Asher is banned

[Tingkai]

Re: Asher is banned

Originally posted by Ming
Asher has been banned for breaking the rules repeatedly. He will be released when he convinces us that he will play by the rules... He made that promise that he would as he was posting PM's at another site, which is also against the rules. He has proven repeatedly that he has no interest in following the rules.

So you're banning him forever?

Or is there some ritual that you expect him to perform to convince you that he'll play by the rules?

[Zopperoni]

Originally posted by notyoueither
I agree we need to be more welcoming, and old farts who think bullying is a good idea should be made to feel less welcome.

Screw that, the OT has its own culture. I don't want any more of that happy, friendly crap like in the on-topic forums.

[Kuciwalker]

Re: Re: Asher is banned

Originally posted by Tingkai
So you're banning him forever?

Or is there some ritual that you expect him to perform to convince you that he'll play by the rules?

I can think of a couple

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by Koyaanisqatsi
What's the reasoning behind the whole 'read, respond, or be restricted' technique, anyway?

The one time I recieved one of these PMs was when I innocently posted a "what happened to thread X?" that had just been deleted for what seemed to me as no good reason. I was disappointed as I had spent some time crafting some posts that got exterminated unfairly, imo.

So now I know that asking such questions openly is against the rules, but I did find the tone to be unnecessarily harsh under the circumstances.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by rah
People that break the rules all the time get treated more harshly than those that do it once in a blue moon.
DEAL WITH IT.

I don't see why people who break the rules all the time, or push them to breaking point as a matter of policy, should complain about this.

[Cort Haus]

Originally posted by lord of the mark
yeah, PIF, OTOH, has 23 rules, and on the OT, has additional rules including

WTF is PIF?

[Imran Siddiqui]

Paradox?

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Cort Haus


The one time I recieved one of these PMs was when I innocently posted a "what happened to thread X?" that had just been deleted for what seemed to me as no good reason. I was disappointed as I had spent some time crafting some posts that got exterminated unfairly, imo.

So now I know that asking such questions openly is against the rules, but I did find the tone to be unnecessarily harsh under the circumstances.

I know the one you are refering to as well. Related to the same incident I received a harshly toned PM for starting an offending thread, when, in fact, I hadn't started any threads.

I think the 'Read, respond or be restricted' template approach can be replaced with something better, because a lot of the time a polite request to refrain is all that is needed as most people are reasonable. It's when everyone gets lumped into one big flogging pen of communal guilts and sins of the father that it irks people into becoming belligerent.

I must say that I really like Grandpa Troll's approach when he's seen things that need to be moderated. Measured and polite, usually garnering an apology from the 'offender'.

[Sirotnikov]

Originally posted by notyoueither
It's not just the dance. It's the abuse.

I agree we need to be more welcoming, and old farts who think bullying is a good idea should be made to feel less welcome.

W00T!! Look at the newbie!!!

I have joined a whole year and a half before him!!!

[PLATO]

I agree. I believe there is much room for a different approach in the Mod PM department.

This is what I posted earlier:

B. Where I see the PM problem with the Mods is (and please take this constructively!) is the tone that is used in PMs. I believe that you can be firm without name calling or being confrontational. A simple statement of the rule broken, the penalty, and what is needed to be back. There is no reason for ongoing discussion unless the offending poster actually has a point to discuss. A nice out of jail {debt paid to society kind of thng) at release would be a good touch. Firm and Civil moderation will run no one off.

Ming responded with this:

While I agree in theory...
I have been threatened
My family has been threatened
I've had a hate site set up against me
People threatened to contact my employer to see if they could get me fired
My computer has been hacked, and thank god I have better protection now, because the attacks continue
And some people usually start their PM's with **** you...

I've released many posters after having a "real discussion with them"... the problem is, many posters don't want a real discussion... to them, we are wrong and they are right, even when the facts say otherwise.

Remember, we are contacting people who have broken the rules... we are not doing it to be sociable.

It is easy to see why a mod would start out harshly after having to endure this kind of abuse. It is asking a lot for them to move beyond that and adopt a different way. Nevertheless, I maintain that it would pay huge benefits with the membership and would be well worth the effort.

[Ming]

It is asking too much for members to not start off their typical PM to a mod after an action has been taken with **** off

[Dauphin]

PLATO, I can understand it and can sympathise (I've said it in PMs to mods), but I see no reason why it should be used as excuse to take it out on people who had absolutely nothing to do with said acts.

I wouldn't be happy if a cop pulled a gun on me as he was giving me a a parking ticket just because someone else had shot at him on some other occasion.

[PLATO]

Originally posted by Ming
It is asking too much for members to not start off their typical PM to a mod after an action has been taken with **** off

Some folks are just asshats...no doubt.

However, you can never lose taking the moral high ground.

A calm and firm style may just disarm their vehemence anyway...and if it doesn't, then so what? Ban 'em and wait. They will eithier modify their tone or find a place to post where they can be that way.

Dauphin, I am not saying it is an excuse...just a reason. One that while understandable to an extent, is one I strongly disagree with.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by Ming
It is asking too much for members to not start off their typical PM to a mod after an action has been taken with **** off

If you are getting that response to a polite request, then you probably don't need to be worried about being polite in response to the said PM.

[Ming]

I'm actually pretty civil to people when it is clear that they may not have known a rule... or it's a first time thing... or in other specific situations. But also remember that in every case, somebody has broken the rules... so by their own actions, they have dissed the site and the rules.