STARTING NEW POSTS

Yeah. Like placing ads and actually contributing to the board with more than just comments on the BOI.

Shawn,

Maybe a few quotes are in order:

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well spam_ i think spam_ if someone chooses to post their spam_comments where they choose spam_ spam_is up to that person spam_
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Sorry, but that does not apply here. spam_This is MY site and it is not run by a democratic vote, by a committee, or by any other means than by what I believe is best to do. spam_There is no constitution that binds me to how I must run this site. spam_If you are inclined to think of such things in terms of types of goverments, then please think of this as being a benign dictatorship. spam_I will try to do what is best for everyone, but right or wrong, what I do is answerable to no one else but myself. spam_I sometimes ask for opinions, but I certainly am not bound to do what any majority may wish for me to do. spam_There is no law of nature that says a majority cannot be wrong and sometimes I need to trust my own judgement.

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i know for a fact spam_as spam_kim said spam_i wont be reading a post spam_that has 20 pages spam_on it spam_just to post my dealings spam_with someone spam_ cause we all know it wont be read
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Oh really? spam_Take a look at the thread about the break-in at Neil Gubitz's place. spam_Notice the number of VIEWS that thread has? spam_This directly contradicts what you are claiming. spam_People are interested in seeing what a discussion is all about if it is well traveled and responded to by a lot of people. spam_That is human nature. spam_Walk into a herp show and walk down an aisle. spam_Which table are you most likely to walk over to first, one of the ones with no body standing in front of them, or the ones that are three deep with people trying to get to the table?

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well spam_i dont remember seeing anywhere that they all had to be on the same post spam_
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As for my rules, this is PLAINLY stated in the 'rules for posting on the BOI' that can be seen by clicking on the help button at the top of the screen:

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Please utilize the SEARCH function as much as possible before starting a new thread. spam_In many instances, it is much better to continue an existing thread rather than starting a new one in order to preserve continuity about a person. spam_Anyone abusing this common courtesy request by posting an excessive number of new threads will have their threads deleted as deemed appropriate.
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Guess you didn't look very hard, now did you?

We once had a situation in a previous version of the BOI where a certain person insisted that all of his customers post a GOOD GUY post on the BOI in a separate thread. spam_The rule I posted was in response to this sort of activity. spam_And this was even before I was using a message board system that allowed added messages to a thread to cause the thread to percolate back up to the top of the page.

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Ritchie u know i have nuthing against you spam_and i know u have nuthing against spam_me
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My name is not 'Ritchie'. spam_I would think this would have been evident if you have spent any time on this forum or even paid attention to the email I sent you before you decided to take this issue and make it public here. spam_So a discussion via email wasn't good enough for you? spam_What's your point about putting it here?

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but spam_forcing people to post their comments spam_on 1 post spam_isnt spam_ in my opinion spam_ spam_any kind of freedom spam_
and it seems to me it defeats the purpose spam_
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How so? spam_You are saying that it is a blow to freedom of speech because I have decided it is best for all involved to try to keep all messages pertaining to a particular person or business in one separate thread where they can ALL be found and read with searching through multiple threads? spam_It may just be my personal opinion, but I know that if I did a search on you and found 50 different threads, I'll be darned if I would be inclined to read them all. spam_I would probably read the first few threads and then form my opinions about you from them. spam_It is MUCH easier to just continue reading through a thread, message after message, then to jump back to the listing of threads and then begin a new one you want to read. spam_Try it sometime and see what I mean.

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as long as all the rules have been followed ritchie spam_you dont have to go through and delete anything spam_ spam_so in fact unless they dont add their name theres no reason for it to be deleted spam_... spam_
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The FULL NAME rule is not the only rule here. spam_And to be honest, I don't feel the need to post rules about things I hope are just plain common sense. spam_A violation of common sense is just as much grounds for me to delete a message or a thread as a direct violation of the rules. spam_And I also am not obligated to explain to anyone why I deleted their message. spam_Often times I will go through many threads and delete quite a few messages and entire threads that, in my opinion, needed to be deleted. spam_I certainly do NOT take notes about them in case I will be interrogated later by anyone concerning my decisions. spam_If I delete a thread or a message, then I did so because I felt it was best to do, for whatever reason I used at the time I decided to press the delete button.

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maybe its just me spam_but spam_each person i deal with spam_ should get the spam_respect and spam_ notice spam_of haveing it posted on its own
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Sorry, but that is not how I want this forum to be structured. spam_And yes there are certainly instances where it has gotten away from the way I want it to be. spam_Mostly my fault because I cannot prowl along every moment of every day looking for things like this. spam_When a thread in violation gets a half dozen or so replies to it, then I feel that deleting everyone's typing along with the original posters message would not be in everyone's best interests. spam_But when I find them before they get many responses to them, they are deleted long before most people even see them.

You are certainly welcome to your opinion, but I would hope that the readers of this forum would be given the respect and consideration by your customers to NOT fill up the BOI with separate threads each and every time they have a dealing with you. &nbsp;I really don't care how much a person values the advertising value of multiple threads like that. &nbsp;That is not the purpose nor goal of the BOI.

I would advise you to make a point to inform them that such actions will not be welcome here. spam_I would also strongly urge you to resist suggesting to anyone that they do post here in your favor. spam_This is much the same as stacking the deck, and it may get the exact opposite result from what you would be hoping for.

Sorry if you disagree with me, but that is neither here nor there. spam_I have had my share of people disagree with me for one reason or another since I started the BOI, but so far it has not been large enough a number to make me start thinking that my basic structure and methods here are unsound.

Good points Webslave, and thanks again for a great service.

But I think the most important thing here, is that dwedeking has as much as ADMITTED that Lizard keepers are &nbsp;"simple" in comparison to snake keepers. &nbsp;<img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

FINALLY, the truth comes out! <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wow.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':0'>

JK! LMAO!

Tom Chambers
TC Reptile

Kim,

Quick question. Are you saying that people that post on the BOI but don't advertise on Fauna Classifieds somehow do not contribute here?

I don't think that's what you meant but it kinda came off that way. A person can make a great contribution to this site with no more than a SINGLE post on the BOI if it is valid information. Whether or not they advertise here has no bearing on their BOI posts and their relative "contribution" IMHO.

Tom Chambers
TC Reptile

Good points Webslave!

For everyone else, a little civics lesson from a Political Science Graduate student, if you don't mind <img src="http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>

First, the freedom of speech that we enjoy in this country is freedom from GOVERNMENTAL CONTROL of our speech. &nbsp;We do NOT have the right to be heard by other people. &nbsp;If a privately owned message board (read that as BOI) has rules that eliminates the type of speech in which you wish to engage, then it is your right to seek another board that supports you in your endeavors, but that first privately owned board DOES NOT have to yield to anyone's wishes but those of the owner (read that as Rich Z.)!

Second, the Constitution is in no danger from the BOI or any other such message board, because it only deals with the relationship between the government (all levels of it) and the citizens it governs. &nbsp;This is why you have to take civil complaints to an entirely different court system, which opperates undaer a separate system of rules than does the criminal justice system. &nbsp;One deals (primarily) with issues between private citizens, and the other with issues between the government and individual citizens.

Too often we hear people say, "Well, I have freedom of speech, so you can't stop me from saying 'X'." &nbsp;That's simply not true. &nbsp;The Government (usually) can't control our speech, but Rich Z. is under no such requirement to allow ANYONE to post here. &nbsp;He can control this site in any way he sees fit, and we can either like it or go elsewhere. &nbsp;It's kind of like people on the BOI saying, "In this country, you're innocent until proven guilty." &nbsp;Well, that's true in the court system where the government has that high standard of proof required before it will take away a person's property, freedom, or life, but individual citizens are not at all required to give such a presumption of innocence to an accused. &nbsp;After all, I am certain that OJ Simpson killed two people. &nbsp;He was found "not guilty" by the courts, so he didn't go to prison, but I don't have to play golf with him or introduce him to my daughter, because I have every right to find him guilty as all get out in my own mental courtroom.

Let's not get all hung up in citing Constitutional basis for ourselves anytime someone else says, does, or thinks something with which we don't agree. &nbsp;After all, the Constitution DOES protect us from the thought police in the government. &nbsp;So, we can probably handle ourselves among ourselves without dragging that fine document into every discussion about Rich's rules or every accusation about someones alleged bad dealings. &nbsp;Don't ya think?

Darin,
&nbsp; &nbsp; Of course I totally agree with you. I do not know how people got the impression that I was treading on their freedom of speech, but I am glad that webslave and others clarified the issue.



Torie Miller