Forum Leaders

Spiderman

Administrator
Staff member
turgy22: That was pretty much Isty's argument.

However, if it's not formalized somewhere, the general rule has been that unless they're actively cussing someone out or posting spam, we let it be. If "we" (meaning the majority) ban everyone who disagrees with our opinion, then a) this would be a boring forum and b) it becomes more a dictatorship, that if you don't agree with us, then you're not welcome.

The threads after 9/11 were VERY heated and lots of personal attacks went on, but no one was banned.

Yeah, it's disrespectful and insensitive to post something rude in a grieving thread but let's face it, there's rude people all over. And if someone wants to display it on the board, then everyone who reads it knows what type of person he is and chooses whether or not to deal with him in the future. Like Mooseman says, put him on the Ignore List if you have to.

And a determined person can get around a banning anyway....
 
O

orgg

Guest
9/11 was a time where things were said by everyone. That should be an exception, not a rule.

I've started another 'Rid of Houts' thread. I expect to be argued down, but I would kick him out now if I could.
 

turgy22

Nothing Special
Mooseman said:
LOL ....... You'd wait that long??????
After crapping, that pet would know what a football feels like going through the uprights on a fieldgoal attempt.......

If everyone would put the house troll on their ignore list and just ridicule him for posting at all, he would not get to upset anyone and would post less and less.
Since the whole ignore/ban debate, the HT has posted very little, it's only when others read his posts and comment on the content that he continues to post.

I for one never read anything he writes and I doubt many do, anywhere.

If a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it, does anyone care if it made a sound?
I think you're contradicting yourself here.

Using my "bad dog" analogy, you say that you'd make sure the problem was taken care of, but then you say that it's everyone's duty to actively ignore the problem. I agree that, as posters, ignoring the problem is the best we can do, but I still think the moderators have a responsibility to maintain the civility of this forum. It's their house and they have the ability to get rid of the dog.

We're just guests in the house. Some guests can ignore the problem and carry on, but a lot of other guests are going to get a whiff of what's going on and excuse themselves from the premises. It's a damn shame that a great poster like Istanbul took off for just that reason. What happens when new members get baited into and frustrated by the pointless arguments? Should we send an email to all new members saying, "Oh, by the way, don't forget to add so-and-so to your ignore list. Otherwise you won't want to stick around here."?

Getting rid of problem posters not only helps keep discussions respectful and civilized, but it also saves a lot of time for the new members. On another board I visit, one long-time member insists on posting everything in all capitals. He's been around for a while, so the mods allow it. But every time someone new comes on, they just think he's an ******* who likes to shout all the time, leading the thread to diverge into a "what is this guy's problem" discussion and completely leaving the original topic. It's very annoying and distracting. I wish the mods would just say, "write like a normal person or we're going to have to suspend you."

Spiderman said:
That was pretty much Isty's argument.

However, if it's not formalized somewhere, the general rule has been that unless they're actively cussing someone out or posting spam, we let it be. If "we" (meaning the majority) ban everyone who disagrees with our opinion, then a) this would be a boring forum and b) it becomes more a dictatorship, that if you don't agree with us, then you're not welcome.

The threads after 9/11 were VERY heated and lots of personal attacks went on, but no one was banned.

Yeah, it's disrespectful and insensitive to post something rude in a grieving thread but let's face it, there's rude people all over. And if someone wants to display it on the board, then everyone who reads it knows what type of person he is and chooses whether or not to deal with him in the future. Like Mooseman says, put him on the Ignore List if you have to.

And a determined person can get around a banning anyway....
This isn't about dissenting opinions. It's about personal attacks and intentional aggravation. When a person constantly stops by and tells you how crappy your organization is and how the world would be a better place without it and consistently stirs up trouble to the point that people are leaving, don't you think maybe they really don't want to be a part of it anyway?

I wasn't around here right after 9/11, but I believe that would be an extraneous circumstance. I don't know what was said, but if people were throwing around personal attacks and being extremely distasteful, maybe they did need a suspension. Take some time off. Cool down a bit. Come back in a couple weeks and we'll see if we can be normal people again.

Again, I think we need guidelines. Not unspoken rules, but actual written formal rules for posting in this forum. If people can't abide by them, they're not welcome here. There is, in fact, a point between dictatorship and anarchy that can be reached.
 
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DarthFerret

Guest
Whereas I agree with Spiderman on the whole, I also feel that the intentional comments to incite/ridicule, can hurt the forum in one way that nobody has mentioned yet (unless of course, I missed it somewhere). That way is the people viewing the threads here that are not members yet (But wil hopefully see thier way clear to joining!). If they are turned away from this forum because they see a disrespectful set of postings, then we have just lost a potential stimulous for the entire board.

Now, the ultimate question here with out any hem-hawing is should HOUTS be banned.

At this time, I say no, merely because there is no guideline code of conduct set to encompass his posting. If members feel that the comments and posts made are beyond reasonable (as I do) then there should be some debate on making a "rule" against that type of post, so that if it occurs again that person is aware (as long as the take the time to read the code of conduct as is thier responsibility) of a violation and knows the full reason why he/she is being banned.
 

Mooseman

Isengar Tussle
turgy22 said:
I think you're contradicting yourself here.
Actually, the "bad dog" comment was just trying to be funny and if its my house then I rule, unless my wife is home..... (see more bad humor)

The ignore suggestion is for the non-mods.

It's the mods house and they make/enforce the rules. I have no problem with that. If I don't like it anymore, I can just find somewhere else to spend my time.

Now, I was unaware that anyone left over the House Troll. If that is the case, then I would support a suspension and if further transgressions occured, then a banning. But, remember that banning someone may not stop them......
 
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DarthFerret

Guest
And at this time, I would like to propose to the active moderators, that a set of guidelines for general conduct be put into effect for the entire message board, excepting the Flaming Thread in Off Topic. The wording of this guideline will be a bit touchy, and I do not have the gift of gab (suave of typing, whatever) for it. It should be made clear that a personal attack on another member be not tolerated. Debating and offering of differing opinions does not fall under this category. Since this is the internet, and a very impersonal setting, it should be made clear that all personal attacks will result in a membership being revoked and that user's IP number banned from the forum.

I know this is not the best way to write this, but the general concept should be clear!
 

turgy22

Nothing Special
DarthFerret said:
And at this time, I would like to propose to the active moderators, that a set of guidelines for general conduct be put into effect for the entire message board, excepting the Flaming Thread in Off Topic. The wording of this guideline will be a bit touchy, and I do not have the gift of gab (suave of typing, whatever) for it. It should be made clear that a personal attack on another member be not tolerated. Debating and offering of differing opinions does not fall under this category. Since this is the internet, and a very impersonal setting, it should be made clear that all personal attacks will result in a membership being revoked and that user's IP number banned from the forum.

I know this is not the best way to write this, but the general concept should be clear!
Here, here! If we actually go ahead and draft some "official" posting rules, I'd suggest looking at some of the other boards on the net and picking and choosing what suits our membership.

There's a Flaming Thread. I was thinking the Battle Arena would be the only place to suspend the guidelines, but if there's a specific thread, then all the more power to the flamers.
 
H

HOUTS

Guest
I find you all amusing.

Honestly, I do.
And, I consider you all my little trolls. Kind of like my own Ant Farm-SIM's anology.

Ban me, hate me, love me, whatever....
I've lost respect for the mindless drool that goes on here. As stated previous-YES, this website is going down the drain. But its been there for a while.

Keep complaining, or don't. I...DO...NOT...CARE.

I say what I want, how I want, when I want.
Unfortunately for you, you actually care about. I DO NOT.
Keep your little elite family nice and tight.

(Profanity Removed)

;)

HOUTS
 
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DarthFerret

Guest
Well, HOUTS, you ask us to speak intelligently. Here goes....

If, as you say, you truly think that this message board is going down the drain, then why do you continue to show up? Could it be that you are really that desperate to hang on to a lost cause?

If you truly have lost respect for this forum, then why do we still hear from you (see what you type, whatever)? Last time I checked, when a person loses respect for something, it either 1: becomes his possesion (not sure even you could believe that one) or 2: fails to be important enough to even keep in mind at all.

For my third point, a logical and totally unemotional state of being is akin to a socialist regime. It would be very easy to view your chosen personality on this forum to something that resembles Adolph Hitler, or if it may seem not so Holistic, the character Spock from the original Star Trek series. The failings of either example are plain for almost anyone of minute intelligence to see.

Therefore I will still maintain my petition to devise forum guidelines that all members with posting priveledges should adhere to.

I fully expect a rebuttal of some asinine type from you over this, and welcome the chance to match intelligent wits with a person of your qualities, (again I am refering to your chosen personality on this forum, which I am pretty sure does not reflect your true self, or you would surely be either incarcerated, or laid up in a medical facility, the object of multiple assault attempts).

You see, as you tried to claim in your opening statement, we are not all your little trolls, that lack intelligence. Otherwise would we be able to find the power switch on our computers?

I am awaiting an intelligent response (which I highly doubt I will recieve) from you.
 

Spiderman

Administrator
Staff member
turgy22 said:
This isn't about dissenting opinions. It's about personal attacks and intentional aggravation. When a person constantly stops by and tells you how crappy your organization is and how the world would be a better place without it and consistently stirs up trouble to the point that people are leaving, don't you think maybe they really don't want to be a part of it anyway?
The "problem" is is that it's NOT constant. We had a good several months lull before this week when HOUTS decided to check in again. And who knows why? Either he reads all of the threads, did a scan on his name to see if he was mentioned, or someone alerted him that his name popped up in this thread recently (let's blame KJ for that one! :) )

His last reply is a good example. It's how he typically replies. Is that worthy of banning someone?

His posts in the grieving thread are, I agree, out of line and will be removed, along with any other related posts so what remains is "on topic".

I think DarthFerret's draft of guidelines is good and we've been pretty much adhering to them; I've stopped several people in the Current Events threads in the past because they were getting to be personal attacks. But like I said, HOUTS typically replies like he just did. I guess it could be interpreted as a personal attack but it's really just... laughable and should just be ignored.

The concern about new members is a valid one. I would think that because we're one of the smaller Magic sites around though, that one person being obnoxious is better than x amount of people on any other Magic forums being obnoxious :) And no one new has actually been drawn into any posting, I don't believe...
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
HOUTS said:
I find you all amusing.

Honestly, I do.
And, I consider you all my little trolls. Kind of like my own Ant Farm-SIM's anology.

Ban me, hate me, love me, whatever....
I've lost respect for the mindless drool that goes on here. As stated previous-YES, this website is going down the drain. But its been there for a while.

Keep complaining, or don't. I...DO...NOT...CARE.

I say what I want, how I want, when I want.
Unfortunately for you, you actually care about. I DO NOT.
Keep your little elite family nice and tight.

(Profanity Removed)

;)

HOUTS
Yet another of the worst poems I've ever read. I never thought I'd say this, but...

Stick to trolling. You're better at it.
 
H

HOUTS

Guest
Mooseman
Registered User


Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Verona
Age: 44
Posts: 577<---------

Weird, I only hear Cellos when he speaks...
 
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DarthFerret

Guest
And yet he ignores the call to an intelligent conversation/debate?
 
G

Gizmo

Guest
To be honest if you don't ban somebody who behaves like he does, you deserve everything that you get. I wash my hands of you.
 
O

orgg

Guest
If every reply was insulting, but intelligent and half-witty, HOUTS would be CPA's "Baguy."

Entertaining, but harmless.

As is, this go round, I have deleted a dozen posts that were nothing but attacks upon others or the site in general. With that amount of derision, and past history, I say ban and block his assinine assaults.
 

Killer Joe

New member
He insults me alot but I wouldn't "ban" him from the site, I just put him on my personal "Banned" list known as the "Ignore List" :D

So I say, let him be the CPA's "Baguy", whatever THAT is. :p
 

Oversoul

The Tentacled One
The only guideline I would propose would be that people with usernames in all caps have their posts screened by Ransac.
 

Ransac

CPA Trash Man
I like this proposal!!!! I assume this this screening gives me the capability to alter their postings as well!!!!!

HOUTS said:
DWARVEN PONY RULES!!!!!!!!

Ransac, cpa trash man
 
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