Nobody is looking to ban anyone. Offenders eventually effectively ban themselves. Some are lousy at playing the little game of staying just within what is acceptable and some are very good. Most posters don't even play the game.
Offending is breaking. Bending isn't breaking. If I was doing 43 in a 40mph road, would I get a speeding ticket? No, because I'm close to the limit, I've not exceeded it.
If the users in question continuously breaches or bends then its natural for mods to keep an eye on him. I don't know why this transgression in particular caused the bans but i assume it was the straw that broke the camels back. It just seems to me that the mods usually good attitude and way of officiating has been completely forgotten over a single matter and they have been painted as (sometimes literally) oppressive lunatics out to destroy free willed upstarts.
Right, but that's all that has been said. What are these previous breaches? Or at least how many have there been? Most people left posting here don't appear to know what these breaches were so they can't have been obvious offences. The situation is also awkward because it begs a wider question. Dan and Joe have expressed quite negative opinions about the club this summer - opinions I tend to agree with - and sometimes the responses (to those two and to other posters who aren't thinking positively about the club) have been pretty personal. Less about the point being discussed and more about the mental state of the poster expressing the negative opinion. There's been the usual nonsense about people being drama queens and bed wetters plus less obviously provocative stuff suggesting the only reasonable position to take on an issue is a positive one or that posters who aren't happy with the board are somehow like spoiled children with entitlement issues. I just can't see how repeatedly insulting people is less serious than jokingly insulting someone you know well and are obviously friends with (I can't comment on what else Joe or Dan may have done because I don't know what it was). It almost seems there's a desire for the forum to be some sort of ultra-positive tea party with all posters agreeing with each other while complimenting Koeman on his lovely trousers and excellent press conferences and politely commiserating with each other over the latest defensive error by Yoshida. On top of that the impression has clearly been given to some that certain individuals, mainly those with negative opinions, get shorter shrift from the mods than those with positive opinions. I'm not totally convinced that's true but I think that's where some people are. Took a while to write this. I see the discussion has moved on a bit and some of this has already been said. Oh well.
It feels as if both sides are trying to save face, yet as an internet forum we shall never encounter each other? Everyone comes on here for enjoyment and to discuss a shared interest, and its clear that without regular posters (Joe, Dan, DTLW, Schad, RK, FLT), the forums enjoyment level has diminished significantly. As a infrequent poster, yet a daily browser, I find this forum to be thoroughly enjoyable and a perfect way to discuss my sporting interest with others of the same ilk, yet both sides seem to be unable to resolve their differences, meaning we cannot return to what was a great board. One of the great facts about this board is the diversity of the posters; a range of people post on here and, although some may not appreciate certain styles of posting, I feel this makes the forum all the better as there are such a wide range of posters that debates and conversations flow to no end. I personally did not see what Joe or Dan did wrong and really enjoy their contributions, as well as miss the contributions of others such as DTLW/FLT/Schad/RK. However, I also greatly appreciate the hard work that the mods put into the forum and also greatly enjoy their contributions - even though I may feel that Joe and Dan were hastily banned, I also feel the mods are spot on with their running of the board. I am not trying to pick a side of this incident, just appealing to Joe and Dan to begin again to post; although morally both sides may feel wronged, maybe an apology from both groups could resolve things? (Even if just to say sorry we may have been perceived to be out of line). In the long run this incident will have been forgotten, however if we lose the quality of this board then that will remain in the memory. Is saving face so crucial that we are willing to sacrifice what was a ****ing brilliant board? I for one am appealing for normality to resume, and just hope that both sides can see that it is having a detrimental effect on this board. I apologise to either side if you feel I was taking a side - this was in no way my intention, and I really want us all to be able to go back to discussing football issues; no matter what goes on in out daily lives, this forum is always one consistency for us all, and we are on the brink of losing what was the perfect place to discuss Southampton FC. Although some may perceive this to be slightly over dramatised (as no doubt Pie! will point out), I think everyone wants normal service to be resumed.
A good post so even though the discussion has moved into a different area it definitely merits a response. The whole insulting thing is one I've noticed too and think its disgraceful that some posters can't hold a discussion without getting personal or petty about it. I think the reason that those pessimistic posts stand out is because they were the less popular (in a numerical sense) and therefor stand out more. If 6 users argue against 1 then those 6 sort of blend together as your reading them whereas the singular persons posts (and the poster) are scrutinized more due to being the odd one out. I can't argue about what users have or havent received as punishment for various breaches all i'm trying to dispel is that it was some kind of vendetta against a specific few for not sharing the mods POV. Sorry that took a while too...i'm still really hung over.
You took the trouble and deserve some sort of response. There is a weakness in the moderation of this forum. We simply can't show you the evidence because we can't record it within the forum. I use a private little note of one of my computers, but I moderate from upto 4 or more, and I can't keep it all updated. When I was mod on TSW we used to have a PM Inbox that could save 50,000 entries [no, I'm not kidding]. It meant that we could send PM's to each other to note and record instances. Here we have 50 boxes. They last about 2-3 days, maybe a week if we're lucky, before they are full. I have said this is a pathetic amount of space many times before, but of course nobody takes any notice because they don't realise the value they have or the use we can put them to. We won't be allocated the necessary space to record instances, so you have to take our word for it when we have to ban people. We talk about it a lot to make sure we are being right and fair. Popularity has nothing to do with it and should have nothing to do with it. These things are not done on a whim or a spur of the moment. Personally, I would respect all this noise and withdrawal going on if it wasn't a couple of forum mates being banned [ban was over Friday 8am, by the way], but someone far from popular. Of course, posters wouldn't bat an eyelid. In fact they'd be cheering.
TSS, surely you can see that the way this has divided the forum has had detrimental effects on the quality? Would it not be best for everyone's sake for Dan and Joe to get the chance to voice their issues with a mod, so that everyone can understand both sides? I'm sure Dan and Joe would be more than willing to speak of their issues, while you and the other mods could justify the ban? Meaning everyone could finally see the issue, and we could all move on?
No, sorry TSS, this isn't to do with popularity and I personally would be equally annoyed if a ban was handed out to someone who I didn't like for what are the perceived reasons here. The fact you are presuming that those complaining wouldn't bat an eyelid, or would even 'cheer' is actually quite insulting in itself. The only ban I applauded was that of Duckhunter as he was repeatedly sexist. I would have applauded a ban of North London for his use of the N word, but you let that slide (at least initially). Any poster banned for what constitutes a bit of silliness, no matter their position in the forum, I'd object to. And publicly.
They can. I don't think there's anything stopping them from posting anymore..the ban is over but they have not returned
Dan and Joe are at perfect liberty to discuss their issues with a mod or all the mods. They have been able to since 8 am this morning. We don't hold grudges. They are welcome back. Most people take their pissy little bans on the chin and get over it. If they want to stay away that's entirely up to them. I know they are frequent posters, but 48 hours isn't exactly forever. They've personally added to that by, what 17 hours..?
Granted they can reply, but maybe a mod could invite them to speak of their grievances, without the risk of offending or another argument? A specified thread where both sides could freely issue their displeasures without fear of repercussions or animosity from other users.
So you're the exception. Or one of them. There has been the odd poster who quietly went shall we say. Nobody batted an eyelid.
Apologies TSS, maybe didn't word that correctly - a specified thread where both sides can freely issue their grievances without repercussions, so we can once and for all move on?
