A ban-free environment

You know, I'm thinking about dropping the whole idea of banning someone from this site. The whole idea just makes me feel kind of dirty like I am some kind of micro-God and can banish someone with the wave of my magic wand. And I guess it makes me see a hint of old "you know who" when I look in the mirror. Who the heck am I to tell someone that they can't read what someone else wants to post here? Shouldn't that be at the reader's own discretion?

I would still keep the warning system in place, but it would be just as a nudge to people to let them know when they have stepped over the line on something, and also a guide to other people to see how a person handles themselves following set rules. But the banning level would be dropped.

Chaos? The end of civilization as we know it? The forums filled with garbage from people who SHOULD be banned?

Not hardly.

Each person has the capability of effectively banning a person from their view on this site. Check this out, if you haven't already:

The Ignore List

See? You personally can block absolutely anyone you want from having their messages posted on threads you read. So in effect, you can ban who the heck you want to, and I can stay out of the middle of it.

But this is a two edged sword, of course. There is always the possibility that a person on your Ignore List may very well say something you may want to hear, if you knew it was being said. And of course, it could get pretty lonely in here if everyone had everyone else on their own ignore list. But I guess it is possible to do, if you are so inclined.

And it takes the responsibility of knowing who to ban and when exactly it needs to be done and puts it squarely on YOUR shoulders.

So, what do you think?

Thats not a bad idea in the least ... this way when the ones that we know to be bad are talked about they can just shove there feet further down there throat. and that would IMO make the board alot more credible in the fact that no one can say well john doe isnt here to defend himself so its not fair .But you being the ADMIN still have full rein in locking down the hatches on a thread that gets on a head on collison with a train . so i would say to let the wolves out of there cage and let them do what they do best regardless or not if there banned does it really stop what they do best ?If there going to do people wrong they can do it just as well with there words in print where they cant erase them that has been proved here before ! so i say "RELEASE THE HOUNDS" lol im sure what ever you decide will be the right choice

Oddly enough... I think that the point system that has been put into place is more than fair and more than appropriate.

It might sound a bit odd, since I'm pretty sure that I'm the user with the highest warning level who wasn't an obvious troublemaking "Emergency Lockout" troll and the most likely candidate for incrimental, multiple offense style banning if it ever comes down to it BUT...

As much as I personally don't mind strong language, I also believe that there is a vast Silent Majority (In middle America?) who do potentially take offense...

Biggoted or hate speech really has no place on these boards.

The full name rule would become virtually unenforceable unless you and Ken are going to invest MUCH more time than you already have into moderating the boards and deleting posts and threads at the first offense.

The same goes for inappropriate forum posting, inappropriate title terms and shotgun/spamming advertising in the classifieds sections.

There already exists a forum that is essentially lawless on a few of it's boards... The Reptile Room over at Novogate has the war room forums. Are they a lot of fun? Sure. Are they mature and reasonable discussions about business related topics? Not even close (they weren't intended to be). Despite the somewhat vocal objections of a few people who find the current system cutting off any toes that move up to that line, I believe... have no hard evidence really, but I *believe* that the majority of fauna posters are more than content to obey the very few, very simple rules that have been set forth to maintain the attitude required for the goal the BOI and Fauna have set out to accomplish.

Sometimes it seems as if an idea has more support than it does because a few lonely sociopaths (I think we all know who I mean here) are frothing at the mouth and drooling all over themselves to spout off their ideas (meaning "critiscism because things didn't go their way")... Don't let the ravings of an unproductive minority deter you from the path you have chosen.

I'd like to throw in there that I don't consider Alan and his response to be the ravings of the deranged, I just wonder if it's really the right decision to cave in to the Gubitzs, Adam Blocks, Gilbert Thompsons, "Roger Jolly"s, Upstate Exotics and other individuals who see the world as win or lose... and their history here as losing. They are not presenting reasonable critiscism or suggestion, they're just being noisy because their own mistakes came and bit them in the... Business reputation.

You my friend have a beautiful way with words lol


The reason i had stated to let the banned wolves back in the wild is this .

For the ones who are banned well it is obvious to most of why there were banned ?

Now When people make a inquiry as to those people on the BOI and all they get are the rest of us explaining why not to do buisnes with that person/s or advising them against it as to there reptuation IE: of how they feel and there actions and how they respond to criticisim of conflict about them as doing buisness

By letting them have the right to respond to there accusers and when they respond there "demeanor" in that response will do two things in my opinion:[list=1][*]Show the person that had asked about them to see how this person/s handles them self under the gun of the peers whom have witnessed there wrong doings[*]or just validate what the other board memeber have warned the asker of [/list=1]

Also i think that if Webslave could somehow have it set up that a banned member/user that is allowed back into/onto the forums and Boi in a whole could possibly make it known in that persons signature/profile or when they post that that person/s have been banned in the past and for there conduct that got them banned ?

im not sure if that really came out the way my meager lil mind was thinking or not lol .

kind of like ( and not to compare them to ) but a sexual offender or such they have to list that they are a convicted what ever or no different then a felon if you have done something wrong in your past its of PUBLIC record to everyone around you..Now i can here whats going to come now lol what if that person has changed ?? well thats great if they have but they will have to work harder to Prove to the community as a whole that yes they have a record ... but they have changed there ways since then being convicted or what ever ? gee i hope i making even a little sense lol let me try this



Ok say the banned person username is this :

John Does Reptiles

when he makes a post in any forum he would be indentified in that post as such that follows >

John Does Reptiles
123 Nowhere Lane
Somewhere ST
Previously banned :Level 1 offense

Now if there was something set up like the points system
(like the points to explain what that offense was for )
then people that didnt knowwhy or what had happened before could be aware with out searching through yrs of threads to try and figure it out for themsleves ? i dont know maybe im being crazy and im sure webslave will think so ... lol ok im done rambling on

Damn..... over 6,300 members on this site and only eight (8) people have voted on this.

Maybe I need to just delete ALL of the forums and just have this whole site one great big humongous forum.

I'll name it The Board of Inquiry Plus

I haven't voted because I can't decide. I see points to favor both directions.
I don't think you should abandon all banning entirely, there will come a point that someone will need it.
I can see putting a hold on bannings except for extreme circumstances though, just keep the option open.
Either way you go I don't forsee you ever getting to the point of banishment to the level that would begin to compare with other havens of attempted total information control.
I hear there's going to be a book burning before long and the titles of all remaining herp books will end with "for dummies"

Rich Just let more people know about this!!

Ignore lists are used for those people who's messages you wish not to read. By adding someone to your ignore list, those messages posted by these individuals will be hidden when you read a thread.

You do a good job and the point system is very good and fair. I do think you need to do a better job of staying on it as it looks unfair when you see some things people have points for and others that get away with murder. I think many have the impression it's just so you can use the points to ban somebody if they're on your nerves. I don't know that's why you did it but I always assumed that.

Either way I support you even if you decide to ban me.

I think many have the impression it's just so you can use the points to ban somebody if they're on your nerves. I don't know that's why you did it but I always assumed that.

Wow
1. He made mutliple user names after being banned.
2. I ritchie Luna got a warning because of his $t^)id @$$

and he says it is unfair?

The guy who is back to his own tricks after being banned?

I voted for ban free.


only because ban free within reason is not available.
Some people do need to be banned. Someone somewhere in the future needs such actions taken against them.

Case in point Webslave, the guy can't even leave me alone in here. This is insane!

My post is meant to be productive, I was telling you how I felt about the point system.

Why don't you do this. Tell me I can't make comments towards him and he in turn can't towards me. It would be nice for somebody adult to step in and end this chishish crap as it's starting to not only be very uncalled for but all together annoying to many fauna users.