Poll: New forum rules - Yay or Nay?

[Canadamus Prime]

I find it rather unfair that there's absolutely no way to clear your record. Everybody slips up now and then. I'm usually the first to advocate harsh punishment for infractions, but this is ridiculous. With harsh punishments should come rewards for good behavior. So if you've not committed any infractions for a certain amount of time, your 'forum heath meter' should go back down.

Nobody should be able to slip up 8 times and being given more chances. If anyone can't learn how to be respectful and follow our rules after what is pretty much 8 infractions, they shouldn't be here.

Not even if the infractions are upwards of 6 months to year apart? Maybe even 2 years or more? 'Cause clearly if that's the case, that's not a person who's out to cause trouble; that's a person who just got a little carried away one day.

 

[Alade]

Don't have a problem with them.

 

[Jodah]

I've not read them yet and will likely put an edit to this but judging by what I have read within this thread they seem a bit too harsh. Punishing people for misdeeds is fine but there should be some sort of timer on warnings. IE if you don't incur any further warnings within a six month period you get a clean slate.

Edit : Yeah, pretty much as I said in the main post. If someone makes a few mistakes early on in their Escapist career should they really be punished for it three years down the road?

 

[Fayathon]

I have no idea why this place has such strict rules against "trolling". A little smack talk can be good for a community.

Trolling can and usually does spiral out of control incredibly quickly, the moderation (I would imagine) has absolutely no interest in dealing with the mess if they don't have to.

 

[Darks63]

As long as it doesnt become like wrestlezone where you have to post a damn thesis in order to not have your post considered low content im fine with them.

 

[keideki]

Honestly the solution to this is quite simple. Don't make offensive or jerky posts. I wish these sorts of rules were not needed, but they are, so the simple solution is be nice. It is not too hard.

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

I have a problem with the fact that the "forum health bar" doesn't fall if you've behaved yourself for a while. Otherwise I think that that system is a nice way to show how close you are to certain punishments.

I also don't like how warnings are permanent now. I've gotten two warnings so far and both times I made sure to tread a bit more carefully afterwards so as not to receive just punishment. Now though they are permanent and I've got a bit of a problem with that because one I don't feel was justified (the other I can understand, I felt like I may have been pushing the line when I posted). I made a satirical post which was taken by enough people at face value and so received a warning (they thought it was sexist and it would have been- had I been serious). I didn't appeal against it at the time because, hey, it's just a warning, I'll just try to avoid making satirical posts that require a bit of thought to read. Now though it's permanent and I feel like that's a bit unfair.

I'm also a bit worried about some of the things you can get punished for, but I'm hoping that the mods aren't too draconian about it and look at the context of the post as well rather than just the content.

 

[Lawyer105]

... Well... it showed me that I had two infractions, apparently. I remember one...

I'm torn. It sort of gets rid of the idea of "redemption". The least they could do is implement a health pack or regenerating health system.

I wonder if this isn't a clever plan to start implementing "redemption credits" or something as part of the PubClub in order to boost subscription numbers.....

 

[Soods]

I don't think these new rules were really needed, these are probably the friendliest forums in the webz. But better safe than sorry, right?

 

[zyzzyx]

I have no idea why this place has such strict rules against "trolling". A little smack talk can be good for a community.

Trolling can and usually does spiral out of control incredibly quickly, the moderation (I would imagine) has absolutely no interest in dealing with the mess if they don't have to.

I said "smack talk", not full on trolling. That's where it differs. If regular smack talk turns into full frontal trolling, then sure, ban away.

 

[zyzzyx]

[edit] Uurgh... double post... and had to reaccept the "new rules" again as well.

Any chance a mod could delete this?

How about the ability to delete your own posts?

 

[icame]

I think that the permanent ban for infractions over large periods of time is harsh, other then that I don't see much of a problem with it.

 

[Macgyvercas]

I like the idea of a forum health bar, since it can help warn you how much danger you are in at a glance, but I do agree that the strikes should come of over time if you have no infractions, Think something along the lines of points coming off your driver's license (I think the rate is one every six months, but I could be wrong).

But then that raises the issue what if people are dicks and only behave long enough to get the strikes taken away before going back to being a dick again. There needs to be a way to monitor that, and as far as I can discern, that would not be easy (of course, as I'm not a mod, I'm just speculating).

In reality, though, I just try to keep my nose clean and my temper under control, and so far, it's worked.

*Shines Neo Badge*

 

[Baneat]

Inspection!

*Does the health refill over time?*

 

[Black Phoenix]

And the advice forum needs to die in a fire

I may regret asking this, but... why? I seem to remember reading somewhere in one topic that some commotion blew up when it was brought in (I don't think i was around at the time, I'm sure it's been there since I've been a member), but I don't see the problem Then again, maybe I'm just being thick again...

OT: Can't say I have any problem with the new rules personally I can see where people are coming from though on the permanent warning level thing. I'm such a lurker anyway, it's not likely to end up affecting me much, if at all...

*crosses fingers*

 

[Jfswift]

It can always be changed if it proves not useful. I think it's not a bad idea though, it'll make sure there aren't any troublemakers on here.

 

[ZiggyE]

The punishment system seems a little whack. I've only ever received two 'infractions'. One was a warning, the other was a 3 day suspension. And my 'health bar' is on yellow, for 'probation'.