A word about The Rules/Infraction System

[hhmoore]

The "rules" used to be posted prominently in the TOS, but can currently be found in the thread entitled Rules for Posting on the BOI <-- REQUIRED READING!! (updated 12/21/07) , which can be found at
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8880.
The infraction system (including warnings) is one of the ways we make sure the rules are followed. I will include the list of infractions, with their description, so the information is easily found (*I removed Warning system abuse for this post, as that system has been eliminated).

Actual or implied threats to another member - 5 points.
Threats in public are an indication of someone who just is not welcome on my site. Although this warning will be used as needed, more often then not, a severe case of threats will simply result in the person making the threats being fined and suspended immediately.

Maliciously destructive off topic posting - 3 points
New warning added on 12/21/07. I'm about as tired of the rampantly destructive derailing of threads by malicious off topic posting as anyone else here. I've been trying to figure out a good black and white definition to help the mods to enforce a rule to end this sort of nonsense, but such a definition has not been forthcoming. So, I am using a definition that is as best I can come up with, and leave it to the mods to interpret where, when, and against whom it is best applied.

Antagonism Towards Moderators - 3 points.
Moderators are here to moderate. That means they may ask you to calm down or tone it down. Turning your sights on them just makes a bad situation even worse, so please don't make their (and mine) job harder.

Racist / Prejudicial Remarks - 4 points.
Pretty self explanatory. No one really likes to see this sort of thing and this site is no exception. This is another warning event that that you need to take heed of. Generally a second offense will mean a suspension.

Profanity - 2 points.
This is a publicly accessible message board, so please post accordingly. Note that if you say something like "You sh!thead!!", then look for the profanity notice in your emailbox. Sometimes it is the thought that counts in situations like this. I know this seems like a pretty lightweight penalty, but quite honestly, this is an adult oriented website so I am de-emphasizing such usage here.

Overly abusive towards another member - 2 points
Especially within the BOI, things will oftentimes get overheated in a discussion. Although it is permissible to let your true feelings show with your emotions in high gear, there has to be some limits if you happen to go ballistic and your posting reflects this unstable state of mind. Civility is NOT required, but but refraining from becoming a complete and totally flaming jackass is.

Posting BOI topics in other forums - 1 point
Please keep all BOI type threads and posts ONLY within the BOI. That makes it much easier for someone to find the information you may be trying to report.

Failure to post FULL NAME in BOI - 1 point
FULL NAMES are required for each post you make on the BOI. Failure to comply with this rule will subject your post to the probabilty of being deleted.

Failure to provide SUBJECT name in topic line - 1 point
The topic line needs to tell a reader what the topic is about. Stuff like "PLEASE READ THIS!" had better have a real good reason for me not to delete it.

Anonymous third party quotation - 1 point
Saying something like "my buddy says you are a thief" is a third party quotation. There is no ownership to the accusation being made. Not allowed here. Let you buddy come in here and say it, otherwise it needs to remain unsaid.

Inappropriate advertising or spamming - 1 point
Someone may get carried away with their promotional zeal for their business and begin posting advertising within discussion forums or posting the same identical ad in many different forums. Sorry, this is just a bit abusive of the readership here, and is strongly discouraged.

 

[DAND]

Has an updated listing of warning points been made? It seems the naming of infractions have changed as well as their assessed points. Also which expire and which don't, how many get you a vacation, etc...

 

[hhmoore]

The new and modified infractions are fairly recent...being made very shortly after Rich made a number of posts regarding the interpersonal sniping & his intent to tighten the reins a bit.
The new/updated items:

Title............................................................Points
Borderline abusive towards another member............1
Destructive off topic posting................................3
Personal attack on another member.......................4
Antagonism towards moderators............................5

All of the listed infractions will expire. Most expire after a year, but a few of the "lesser" offenses only last a month (ie, inappropriate advertising, no subject name in BOI title). Of course, that is the standardized list....there is also the option to create custom infractions, which I have done on occasion. With a custom infraction, the moderator designates the number of points and the expiration period (these can be made permanent).

The automatic bans kick in preset levels: 10 pts is 3 days, 20 pts is a month, 30 pts is a year.
A moderator can also opt to ban a member via the infraction system. If a 3 day ban is selected, 10 points are added to the users total. (In that instance, those points will expire at the end of the ban...since they were essentially attached to the ban, not accumulated.) The exception to that is if a member has enough points that the selected ban brings his/her total to 30...the system views them as permanently banned.

We can still ban people "the old fashioned way", but that involves a number of extra steps...and it usually isn't worth the trouble.

 

[DAND]

What about the earned vacations? How many strikes before you are out so to speak? And are there different vacation periods?

 

[hhmoore]

Same levels: 10 pts gets you 3 days, 20 pts gets you a month, 30 pts and its over.
Those are the only ones available, unless we go into the administrative panel (there are almost 20 durations to choose from there , which is one of the reasons I would go that route vs using the infraction system)
I said it USUALLY wasnt worth the trouble, not that it didn't happen

 

[R. Eventide]

I was looking for a place to say THANK YOU for "tightening the reins," especially with regards to the BOI. I was disgusted to find that most of the personal attacks are not actually done by the "bad guys."

Though, I admit, it does make choosing whom to buy from a whole lot easier.

Again, thank you!

 

[C.J. Vogler]

How to get back to green??

So I got an infraction over a month ago or so and was wondering how long that stays on? Also I was in a bit of a heated discussion today with a couple members and my karma dropped badly and was wondering what I had to do to get the green. I was an unknown quantity when it started and then it dropped in the red within just a couple post. Any help would be appreciated Harold. Thanks, Chris.

 

[hhmoore]

So I got an infraction over a month ago or so and was wondering how long that stays on? Also I was in a bit of a heated discussion today with a couple members and my karma dropped badly and was wondering what I had to do to get the green. I was an unknown quantity when it started and then it dropped in the red within just a couple post. Any help would be appreciated Harold. Thanks, Chris.

I believe you were given a warning, not an infraction...at least that is what the record shows.

Karma is a different entity - that is peer driven. Karma increases slightly per 100 posts (unless that has been changed), and when people give you positive karma (your karma/reputation will go up in the amount of their karma power).

 

[C.J. Vogler]

So how people give karma to each other?

 

[Uroboros]

So how people give karma to each other?

The scales at the bottom of the poster's ID, click that, you'll have an option for pluses or minuses.

 

[C.J. Vogler]

Wow, I feel dumb. Thanks Erik. And thanks for not making me sound dumb for asking, like I did to Brian yesterday. ( Bad day for me yesterday )

 

[Uroboros]

Wow, I feel dumb. Thanks Erik. And thanks for not making me sound dumb for asking, like I did to Brian yesterday. ( Bad day for me yesterday )

We all have our days. Happens to me, I just try to stay away when I'm being toxic. Doesn't work all the time, but life goes on.

 

[hhmoore]

Things have been revised/updated...here is the current infraction list, and the associated points for each:

Anonymous third party quotation.........1pt
Inappropriate advertising or spamming..1pt
No FULL NAME in BOI post..................1pt
Subject name required in BOI topic line.1pt
Borderline abusive attitude.................2pt
Profanity.........................................2pt
Disruptive off topic posting.................3pt
Disruptive posting in classified ad.........3pt
Personal attack on another member......4pt
Actual or implied threats.....................6pt
Antagonism towards moderators...........6pt
Racist/Prejudicial Remarks...................6pt
Immediate 3 day ban........................12pt
1 month ban...................................24pt
Immediate PERMANENT ban................36pt

Of note is the change from destructive to disruptive off topic posting. This is because of the renewed goal of cutting out much of the crap that fills BOI threads. The reins are going to be pulled in somewhat gradually, but rest assured they are being pulled.
A formal infraction for disruptive posting in the classifieds has also been added. This isn't really a new thing, it just saves us the effort of having to create a custom infraction each time. Expect this to be used more readily, too. This, in conjunction with the extension of the full name rule to the classifieds, will hopefully improve things for both buyers and sellers.

A couple of the more more serious infractions have been bumped up a notch, as well.

 

[WebSlave]

Harald,

Thanks for posting this. I posting announcements in all the classifieds forums about the rules about using a FULL NAME as well as providing a valid LOCATION in the profile fields. This is effective immediately.

Everyone:
Please note that if anyone notes someone posting ads or replies in violation of the new rules mentioned above, please report it to the mods. Scammers will often use fake names, especially when they are outed on the BOI, so let's not give them any rocks to hide under while they are here. If a buyer wants you to ship to a different location, or to a different name then what they are using here, or if a seller wants you to send the money to a different name or different location, please consider that as raising a BIG RED FLAG. I'm not saying that there can't be legitimate reasons for doing that, but YOU need to make certain that YOU are doing the right thing. If you decide to use the tools we are giving you to build your own coffin, well, sorry about that, but that's all we can do for you. What you choose to do with those tools is completely up to you.

 

[WebSlave]

Also, please bear in mind that I am still tweaking these values, and changes are likely. The infractions will get more weight to them, and the penalties for activities detrimental to this site will become easier to be slapped with. Quite frankly, I am just getting really fed up with the personal bitch slapping I am seeing between members here over opinions and really petty issues. Even on the BOI. Labelling someone as a "bad guy" and making an opinion about their business practices is one thing, but flat out calling someone a "scumbag", "asshole", "jackass", or the like just is not conducive to a professional and mature atmosphere. So I want that to STOP.

The goal here is to gradually pull this site into shape, and allow people who want to change their posting MO the chance to do so before being banned. The purpose is not to ban members, it's to coerce them to change so this site can shake the nasty reputation it has gotten over the years from the nasty mannerisms that some have been inflicting on others. That WILL end here. PERMANENT bans will be used as necessary to make that happen.

I have had people complain that they haven't gotten enough warning before being given an infraction..... Well, infractions ARE warnings. They are the shots across your bow that your actions are not appropriate, nor are they welcome here. The shots are to get your attention that a shot is imminent, targeting below your water line to sink you out of here. Infractions are NOT the penalties, the BANS are. The infractions are warning you that something is amiss with the way you are acting here, so if you want to remain, then a change in your mannerisms in posting needs to change.

Yes, I know that some of the sharp tongued devils here are witty and entertaining with their backhand slaps at others, but that is not what this site, and specifically the BOI, are here for. The BOI will be of absolutely no use to anyone if it has no credibility and is not taken seriously as incentive for people to endeavor to do GOOD business.

So I'm asking for everyone's help with this. Not only in how you personally interface with others here, but to keep a sharp eye out and report those posts made by others they are being destructive to the goals mentioned above. Quite likely, if posts are not reported, then then will very likely never be seen by someone who can and will do something about them.

So please, help US to help YOU make this site better for everyone EXCEPT the bonafide bad guys.

 

[hhmoore]

Rich, looks like you posted while I was doing some housekeeping...
I thought that having 3 versions of the infractions in one thread might be a bit confusing, so I copied the initial post, the current version of the infractions, and Krystal's post into a new thread. I stuck that one, and turned this one loose (missing that you had posted while I was fussing).
I've copied your post into the newly stuck thread, so, barring any objections, I'm going to lock this to keep things focused on the current thread, which is at http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169831