A ban-free environment

fueds between a few certain people i wont mention names because i think it is obvious.

You aren't talking about me are you? Haaaa, no I know you were.


I think some people, like myself have a hard time with aspects of the BOI. Many of you lucky ones don't and maybe don't get why the others do. For myself, the BOI has taught me more about people and myself then anything else.


I think people learn, it's easy to get mixed up trying to stick up for yourself. Understanding the other person is key and that part of the BOI I have a hard time with. I rush to post and almost never read what I'm saying twice. Because of this not only do my posts have too many errors but they're all emotion.


I personally have a hard time walking away knowing that even if I don't stick up for myself I'm still okay and it doesn't make what the other person said true. Something I've started to learn, and while slow, still learned.


Rich, I think letting Neil back was a good thing. He's a good guy and I think has learned from the past. Some never do but I think he has, and I have as well. Sometimes you all may doubt that but time tells no lies.


Here's what I would do.

1) Give 24 hours bans! I think that's fine and would be a good idea, if you feel somebody is being too emotional ban them for 24 hours.

2) I don't know if this is possible but give a punishment like 20 good posts in the forums helping with new herpers questions.

3) Limit BOI posts to something, limits force people to use what they say wisely, you have no limits. eBay feedback is the way it is for a reason, and it works very well. It forces people to make and get to the point. Nobody reads posts as long as mine is now anyway so keep posts to say 1000-5000 words or to a number of posts you allow each user to have in any one thread.


The draw is and always will be the BOI, emotions are here to stay but do what you can to keep them down when you can.

keep posts to say 1000-5000 words or to a number of posts you allow each user to have in any one thread.

Please don't.

Well, okay I'm wordy too, I wouldn't like it but thought it should be mentioned.

I think a wise option may be to give people a BOI time out. That's where the BS is and that's what you should give time outs from.

Yes, I like the idea of a timeout, but it will take a certain change in attitude about how it is administered. The warning point system is good for reminders and a record visible to the person being warned as well as people seeing what sort of infractions the warned person has inflicted upon him or her self. But I think I will not be using it much as the direct yardstick of giving someone a "timeout".

For one thing, when two or more people get into a heated discussion and it becomes apparent that they all need to be taking a break from it, then I have to start assessing warning points to each of them, and heaven forbid if one person gets more points than the other. So I believe the timeout will have to be pretty much spontaneous, or at least after a suitable warning has been issued within the thread. Perhaps the warning of an impending timeout ban should be in the warning system itself, to be kept on record, as should the temporary ban itself. The warning system could be a very effective means of providing a visual record of someone's actions on this site.

Except in an emergency situation where I have to shut someone down NOW, I do not want the warning point system to automatically trigger a ban based on accumulated points. Or do I?

This is going to take some thought on my part. But you know, sometimes this site is a really big pain in the rear for me.
Just the fact that I have to have a warning system in place to try to keep people acting like adults is rather depressing.

I have been very busy of late and pre-occupied so I did not vote, didn't even see it as a matter of fact. I have voted on some. Had I had to to be looking and did see it I would not have said any of the three, but stated more of a "time out" so to speak. IMO there has to be rules and there has to be consequences. I think a "time out" would be good as it would give people time to think, with no access at all, zip, for like, say, two weeks. Or one thru four weeks depending on the severity of the rules. With that being said and with out full banning perhaps the points should be less than tweny five. Perhaps ten.
Just throwing out my opinion and ideas



I just cut and paste to continue here

You do have some good points of the warning points vs. the immediate "time out" and I can only imagine the the frustration of this site at times. I am making some webstites and it is very frustrating at times, so your position has to be a huge pain.
Perhaps, as and idea only, as I am sure there are a lot of people who would like to help on this site, you could appoint, not moderators per se' but "time out umpire" or "referee". People who you have seen to be fair yet firm and could possibly take time slots of "donation time"????
Just throwing things out here.

Webslave ,

I have a guy writing me a system for points on my forum. i have advised him id like it to be sort of a "self governing system"
To the point i as the admin can asess points where deemed fit. after a certain number of points are assesed the time out would go into effect to that person.To lessen the personal interaction on my part hes going to incorporate that when points are assesed to a individual that a auto repson email goes out to the person who is warned , after he is warned a second violation would incorporate the point beining assesed to that person then the auto respond will alert them of the violation and the point.As the admin i would have control to set how many points will be allowed before the get the time out.I would also have the ability to after set the length of the time out applied to a person. so say you get your first time out for say 24 hrs , then the second will be 48hrs this would all be preset limits by the admin as to how long each timeout period would be and would keep track of the timeouts given to any person and there lengths.

i think that esp with in the relms of your site with the volume of people and potentially explosive attitudes that can flare very fast would be something to look into as a self governing system i know you have expressed that you do not have the time to spend here to "babysit people" and be the parent figure for them nor should you have to. It can be very consuming for you to ramble through tons of threads each day to see whos being bad when you have a ton more stuff to do.Ithink also assigning someone or more then one to act as "Hall monitors" for theforums would be a good idea. If you didnt want to give them permission to they could atleast act as a go between for you and these boards by letting them be able to give out warnings to people that with in a thread have the potential or have already exploded into something that should not be . While they could either post with in the thread as a "first warning to the people that have got out of hand to either cool out or they risk being pointed. and have theat moderator then forward you the thread , page and person/s involved in the warning .If then at that point they do not adhere to the warning they could be locked out of that thread versus the entire thread being locked ? not sure if that is feasable or not to lock out a indivdual user overthe entire locking of the thread... just some thing i have been lookingto have incorperated in to my forums and i have it mainly to thank from my time here . to be able to see what could possibly be a alterntive to a all out ban of a user . i would also suggest that people have a warning given to them for taking a thread off course of the orginal topic with that you could also have a potential moderator have the access to be able to warn them or those who are driving a topic off its intended course to either stay on track or start there own thread to continue there debates.If that wasnt enough that Mod could then have the authority to move the threads into a topicical discussion of its own to advert many pages og garbage not realivant to the topic. I think and i will admit i have probably done some of this myself as well as id say anyone who posts can be guilty of that.But when as in the Neil Gubitz Guud guy thread it took such a train wreck effect it just makes anyone reading it to have to go through way to many un-needed reads to get out of it what they need
just some thought of some one whos just getting there legs wet in doing what you do and have done .. not sure if it would be practical or even something you would want here but just thoughts ?

Well now, after a few hours of no responses I am getting the picture of your frustration at times.
Perhaps it is only the BOI.

I guess you can all stop voting now. It's a moot point.

How about you leave the site wide open and just charge for the rope. At $.50 a foot it sounds like it would be the VERY economically viable