Forum rules: Your feedback needed

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rpm

rpm

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Hi folks

Over the last few weeks we received many complaints about trolling and other bad forum behaviour.

We have drawn up a summary of the forum rules. These are obviously not comprehensive or detailed (hence the term summary) – this is done to make it easy to read and to know what is acceptable and what is not.

Your feedback about these forum rules will be great. If you think something important should be added, please let us know.

Strict forum rules (infraction offense)

  • No spamming the forum, advertising or asking for money or goods (even for a good cause or charity)
  • No personal attacks, insulting other members or threats towards others
  • No racist posts or racial slurs
  • No encouraging of any illegal activities. It can be discussed, but not encouraged.
  • No posting of inappropriate or disturbing material (porn, lewd images, racist posts, etc)
  • No posts which constitutes defamation, harassment, or abuse

Encouraged activity (repeated warnings will result in infraction)

  • Respect other members and the moderators. They make the forums a great place
  • Be friendly to new members. Help them if needed.
  • Stay on topic. Derailing threads are frowned upon.
  • In debates, focus on the issue and never the member. Hence, play the ball, not the player.
  • Report spam. This helps the mods to keep the forum clean.
  • Swearing is not allowed, so please try to keep it clean.
 
biometrics

biometrics

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All good.

Though trolling and debating isn't clear cut. One mans troll is another mans debate.

I don't RBP people. If they upset me I engage or move on.

For example: how would you classify marine1?
 
Mike Hoxbig

Mike Hoxbig

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The trolling has been unbelievable of late, especially in the N&CA and Motoring sections.

@biometrics: marine1 isn't a troll, he just has a strong opinion about things. Haldex and saksakgp are examples of trolls, consistently ignoring anything they can't debate, posting one liners to get a reaction and derailing threads.
 
HapticSimian

HapticSimian

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Just a few general thoughts:
  1. I'd say stay loosely on topic; conversations do drift and strictly enforcing any 'don't derail' rule, from what I've seen on some forums, simply leads to broken and artificial discourse. Also, derailing threads is frowned upon. ;)
  2. Respect should be shown, yes, but respect can be lost & that loss will be apparent in conversation. Further, disrespect of ideas and ideals does not equate to disrespect of an individual.
  3. Levelling justified criticism at moderators should not result in automatic infractions. Yes, they keep order, but that's only half a step from abuse of power
 
satanboy

satanboy

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I just don't understand the swearing rule, you have to be over 18 to post here. My forum does not have a rule about swearing and guess what....hardly anybody does.

And I agree with Bio, it is difficult to tell the difference between trolling and debating, sometimes.
 
biometrics

biometrics

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satanboy said:
I just don't understand the swearing rule, you have to be over 18 to post here. My forum does not have a rule about swearing and guess what....hardly anybody does.

And I agree with Bio, it is difficult to tell the difference between trolling and debating, sometimes.
Click to expand...

But is it swearing if it's spelt wrong?
 
biometrics

biometrics

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And btw, this thread is useless unless it is enforced reading. Like on iOS where you have to read the new T&C when they change before you can buy an app.

Not that I read it but you get my point.
 
P

Pooky

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No posting of inappropriate or disturbing material (porn, lewd images, racist posts, etc)

^Under this can we also include violent imagery? In the past people have embedded images which are gory etc. and it's upsetting to see that.

In debates, focus on the issue and never the member. Hence, play the ball, not the player.

^Awesome. It's great to see when people debate stuff amicably without sarcasm, passive aggression etc. (and this happens a lot)

The other stuff I agree with too.
 
azbob

azbob

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Can it be made a rule that forumites learn to lighten the **** up?
 
MickeyD

MickeyD

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There should be a relaxation of certain "rules" (I prefer the term 'guidelines') for Off Topic threads.
 
B

binkybozo

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Pooky said:
No posting of inappropriate or disturbing material (porn, lewd images, racist posts, etc)

^Under this can we also include violent imagery? In the past people have embedded images which are gory etc. and it's upsetting to see that.

In debates, focus on the issue and never the member. Hence, play the ball, not the player.



^Awesome. It's great to see when people debate stuff amicably without sarcasm, passive aggression etc. (and this happens a lot)

The other stuff I agree with too.
Click to expand...

+1 on the gory images. Perhaps if posters would include a warning saying that the images are violent, gory etc.

Also agree on the "play the ball not the player" thing. Recently I have seen a few people calling other people names for posting their opinions on posts and I think it is rude and immature.
 
H

HavocXphere

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Messages
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If the semi-trolls stuck to off topic then that would be OK. Lately they've been everywhere.
 
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