Poll: New forum rules - Yay or Nay?

[cjbos81]

The rules do seem arbitrary sometimes.

If 100 people post something inappropriate then I post something equally inappropriate, why should I be punished for being the 101st? Is it simply that someone complained about my post?

If so, are there penalties for reporting vexatiously?

In my opinion, the only reasons someone should be banned are continual use of slurs, threats, vulgar sexual language or spamming.

 

[Canid117]

Correct me if I am wrong but the definition of the word probation implies that it is temporary observation for previous poor behavior.

 

[RikSharp]

Hilariously ironic as i just read an article on this very site explaining why EULA's are unfair and one sided, before being forced to read and agree to one before being able to comment about it.
well, i guess my forum contributions will go from sparse to none after this one.

for the poll, i vote Nay!
and despite having to type i agree, i do not agree, but could not complain without agreeing.

 

[Thundero13]

Well I actually didn't notice any changes until I saw this:
Piracy
Ad Blockers
Illegal Drugs in the United States
Illegal Acts in the United States
Pedophilia
Pornography
Sexist, Racist or Perverted Remarks
and that kind of suprised me, not bad rules just didn't expect it, and I don't think i've done any of these, not that clear on US law, and sorry if I ever made racist remarks, that was just me joking, so anyway, Yay!

Oh and you spelled p --->A<--- edophilia wrong.

 

[MinimanZombie]

Well I guess I can see what the new rules are

EDIT: Well the health bar thingiemabob does seem kinda harsh but I guess it enforces good behaviour.

 

[nukethetuna]

While I don't think the health meter system is going to be a problem for the majority of the users... I still feel like it could benefit from some sort of decay.

Maybe after being active for a certain number of months or making a certain number of posts, you gain back a tick?

Honestly I think a lot of people don't like having a blemish on their record! I've had a flawless behavioral record in school and in life, but my one warning on these forums is making me feel like a villain!!!

And I totally thought just posting a stream of Medusa Heads in the "What is the most evil enemy of all time" thread was a fitting description. They don't really need words.

Admittedly, I didn't read the rules before, but was:

Regardless of what some of our content creators may say, do or provoke within their videos or articles, this does not give members the ability to act in the same way. They are entertainers and if they brought their language or flaming into the forums, they would be held accountable, just as any other forum member of The Escapist would be.

in there before? Or was it added solely because of all the Jimquisition backlash.

 

[RedDeadFred]

To be honest I think it could help cut down on idiots. When they realize they'll be banned with they're next offence they will hopefully think before they post jerkish things.

Although the amount of people who actually read it is probably pretty low and the only people who actually read it (like myself) are people who actually take the rules seriously. Not saying that everyone who doesn't read them breaks them. I'm just saying the jerks the rules refer to probably don't read them.

Maybe this topic will raise awareness of it and make the jerks realize their situation.

 

[cthulhumythos]

i like it. mostly because i like to think i'm a nice person most of the time, and the lack probations reinforce this. now all i need to do is focus on not being an ass.

 

[Vrach]

Personally, i think the rules are just as good as usual, but the whole forum health meter thing sounds a little unfair. I mean, you can NEVER get strikes back? That sounds kinda impractical.

Let´s be hypothetical here: Let´s say a poster reaches the last zone before a ban, but decides he/she doesn´t like to be banned and stops acting like a twat. 9 months pass with plenty of posts and not a single infraction, but then, this poster makes one post that could be classified as offensive/jerkish etc. And they´re banned. I dunno. Just doesn´t sound fair to me.

Gotta agree, prizing new posters over long time ones seems a little stupid. If you had spent years here obviously you would have a greater chance of ruffling some feathers than someone who's new to the site. Not having any method for lowering those strikes seems like a really bad idea.

Especially considering how heavy handed mods tend to be. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a jerk-free environment as much as the next guy, but when you see warnings and suspensions going out for the tiniest offenses, you gotta ask yourself if those are really worth eventually permabanning someone for.

 

[Bobic]

does it really matter? just dont post anything negative regardless of the rule system. you should be a good person with or without being told to

You say that but a quick glance at your profile shows me that you've gotten two warnings within 2 months. It's not really about being a good person, it's quite easy to get a warning on this site. I've seen many people get put on probation for what I would consider to be nothing more than a joke, a funny one too. And if you're on this site for a few years they could really add up with their whole permanent nature.

 

[Twilight_guy]

Seems a bit harsh. I would think a way for penalties to gradually be removed over time would make the system a little less strict and a little more flexible, but I'm not in charge.

 

[mjc0961]

No, none of the mods do. Empty ones still show a grey bar.

I can understand SpinWhiz, but is this not unfair considering you're still general users?

I'm sure he has one. It's just not there for us to see, as he outranks us. And he can probably see all of ours and all of the other mod's meters, but the meters of the admins. And the admins can obviously see everyone's meters. That's my guess anyway.

 

[Actual]

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...

I may have been too harsh.

When it started it was almost nothing but trolls, making (probably) fictitious threads about high-school drama. or the attention seekers wanting to air their insipid problems. Because the staff knew it was going to be a problem area, they gave the forum mods carte blanche in that forum only to enforce the rules differently to the rest of the site which resulted in a number of unfair probations.

Plus it attracted whiny emotionally crippled attention seekers to the site so all you could see in the recent forum posts box was:

Sooo there's this girl.....
I want to date my best friend's boyfriend.
My cat is causing my girlfriend to leave me.
Forbidden love between a jock and a geek.
Soooo I want to date my boyfriend's best friend.
I think my best friend is cheating on her boyfriend.
Soooo I think my girlfriend is cheating on me with my best friend.

I've avoided it religiously because of that and just now poked my head in because of your question and it seems to have improved; there were only 3 whiny threads on the front page the rest was useful advice threads. So it may have improved since I last went in there.

The only remaining reason for it to go is that the mods still keep the practise of putting anyone who makes a joke there on probation. Saying that this place is to discuss people's serious problems and making light when someone is suffering will not be tolerated.

 

[Snotnarok]

Sooo now everyone can see how many screw ups they and others have had? That's ....kinda not alright. Shouldn't that be between you and the mods?

 

[DuplicateValue]

Yeah, I agree with the general consensus here - the system doesn't seem to allow for people that have changed their ways after an initial bad streak.

Though I suppose the mods would be able to recognise these situations and adjust the punishment accordingly.

Edit: And after checking my account, it appears to work in retrospect too. I haven't received a warning in over a little under a year, and yet I'm still at the limit apparently.

 

[Kadoodle]

This new system is a lot more intimidating. I don't like having a bar that holds a history of all my offenses, and one that is permanently affected. I make mistakes. I don't need more than a warning to set me in line, and I have great respect for mods that let me off easy with a warning when I'm being a twat. But this system is going to make me feel like a criminal. I vote nay.

 

[lolmynamewastaken]

trying to get the new rules to come up by posting, i'll edit in what i actually think after...