Open letter to FDers

[Darren]

Can I make suggestion?

Lock this thread, it's far outlived its usefulness, and degenerated into name-calling, gossip, and piling-on.

Start another thread on PM/Spam alert suggestions.

I have two: Most of the "Comments" sections at the MSM websites have a "Report as Spam" or "Notify Admin" button, so if you spot spam, you can immediately alert the site admin or moderators.

Or else, if you decide to bring back PM's, include a template that reads something like the following: "It appears that the following thread [insert URL here] is spam."

WRT to PM's, no one should assume they are sealed court documents or something. I could care less who reads my PM's. The vast majority read something like this: "Hey Styky, somebody's trying to sell me Viagra on the Poll Results thread. Just thought you'd like to know."

I'd also like to extend a vote of thanks to the moderators on this site. You volunteer your time and expertise for a largely thankless task, play nursemaids to a lot of crybabies, and do so in an exemplary fashion. This is a terrific site because of your efforts.

And Connie, you have WAAAAAAAY more patience than I do. If I ran this site, poster would get two strikes. The first time they pissed me off they'd get a warning. Second time, out ya go. Permanently.

Honestly people, grow up.

BTW, how does one apply to be a moderator, anyway?

[WestViking]

BTW, how does one apply to be a moderator, anyway?

Thank you for your suggetions. As far as I know moderators are invited to take on the task if they are willing.

[RedDog]

For what it's worth I really miss the PM feature already. Even more so than the former edit feature.

[virgey]

I've been giving this some thought, and maybe we should develop terms of service for the PM function that people can agree to and then they can use the service.

My biggest issue is that people like PTL are making accusations that we read PMs and it puts us in a difficult spot. There is no reasonable way to make the software store those messages in encrypted form.

Perhaps, if users were to agree that they know that messages are stored in the database in unencrypted form and that they disappear if they delete them...that kind of thing? Open for suggestions here.

We don't mind providing the PM service for people, but, if you don't trust us to stay out of your business, we don't want you to use it. It's not fun going to the trouble to provide a free service for people, and having those people accuse us of misusing it.

I have no knowledge of what this issue is about. I only became aware that there was a problem when I clicked on this thread and read the contents.

As to the ability of you being able to read peoples PM's, I personally have absolutely no issue or problem with you being able to do so. Maybe if people had to agree that they would not attempt any legal action as a condition of being able to use the PM function, I think would be the only effective way to solve the problem for everybody.

[virgey]

FD has been a pain in the ass of the enemies of freedom, justice and democracy, in short, damned lying lieberals. It cannot be allowed to disintegrate as that is what the enemy of decency and all that is good wants.

Inner wars are to be expected in any circumstance and this war that I missed seeemd to be among a few specific posters. If Yoda took a shot at rd then I would expect alll the years of the cowardly attacks Yoda suffered would be more than enough reason for Yoda to act as he did. One cannot take a shot and not expect to get fired back at. That is a given of course but I suggest that if there are to be any real serious fights that there be a flame room shut off from all except regular posters so there are no outsiders in the fray or privy to what is going on. Anyone who wants trouble could go there and meet whoever obliged to have it out in a setting semi private from outsiders. It would let off a lot of steam and be out of the public view.

Yoda and RedDog were after each other and we were not interfering. We were trying very hard to hear both sides. Nobody was banned for fighting. The banning took place because people vandalized a fundraising thread to the point where it had to be shut down.

I don't care if people want to fight around here, but when they start doing things that hurt the site or hurt us, I don't think we have an obligation to let them do it. I don't think a temporary ban was an unreasonable consequence for killing a fundraiser and giving our enemies something to laugh at us about. We are in a realworld war here. The last thing we need is "friends" shooting us in the back while we stand between them and the tyrants.

I agree with you completely Connie.

[Edward Kennedy]

We need a hard code now, that is, zero tolerance for out of line insults from anyone, myself included. That would translate into a two week suspension for first offence, a month for the second and a year ban for the third.

It would lend civility to all here and result in a site that would attract more people of quality/intelligence.

I am serious, funny I have to say this.

[Freedom Onion]

We need a hard code now, that is, zero tolerance for out of line insults from anyone, myself included. That would translate into a two week suspension for first offence, a month for the second and a year ban for the third.

It would lend civility to all here and result in a site that would attract more people of quality/intelligence.

I am serious, funny I have to say this.

2 weeks seems a bit steep for first offense, I think a week would suffice. Otherwise I don't disagree with that policy. My earlier suggestion a few pages ago was a "toned down" version but I also wouldn't have a problem with the zero tolerance method either, since I don't expect I will fall afoul of the rules.

[Connie Fournier]

Iw ould rather have less rules than more. I already raised four kids...being responsible for disciplining 10,000 adults has little appeal to me!

[J.B. Stone]

Iw ould rather have less rules than more. I already raised four kids...being responsible for disciplining 10,000 adults has little appeal to me!

You just need a bigger whip.

[bennyf]

Now there's a mental image.

[Mark Fournier]

One that scares me!

[Edward Kennedy]

One that scares me!

...dominatrix?

[fourhorses]

We need a hard code now, that is, zero tolerance for out of line insults from anyone, myself included. That would translate into a two week suspension for first offence, a month for the second and a year ban for the third.

It would lend civility to all here and result in a site that would attract more people of quality/intelligence.

I am serious, funny I have to say this.

I was on another web forum / chat site relating to the current middle east issue and there was a lot of flaming going on - mostly religious-ethnic - political type wars. The mods used a system similar to what EK describes above - first offense was a very short term - like a day or so to cool out



FFT

[backhoe]

We need a hard code now, that is, zero tolerance for out of line insults from anyone, myself included. That would translate into a two week suspension for first offence, a month for the second and a year ban for the third.

It would lend civility to all here and result in a site that would attract more people of quality/intelligence.

I am serious, funny I have to say this.

I was on another web forum / chat site relating to the current middle east issue and there was a lot of flaming going on - mostly religious-ethnic - political type wars. The mods used a system similar to what EK describes above - first offense was a very short term - like a day or so to cool out



FFT

Yeah, I think you need a shorter cooling off period for first or minor offenses.

[WestViking]

Iw ould rather have less rules than more. I already raised four kids...being responsible for disciplining 10,000 adults has little appeal to me!

I am against any form of 'time outs' for infractions of rules. I do not want the administrative nightmare of imposing a 'time out' and then setting a calendar to remove the temporary ban.

Considering our history. I suggest that a 'time out' will elicit as many or more posts telling us why we should not have banned "Hammerhandle" and what a fine specimen he is.

I don't mind a little pain, but not unless I can see measurable gain; I do not think a 'time out' will teach an adult anything. It is obvious that some people can attain chronological adulthood without learning the basic elements of how to successfully interact with other people. Other self-made types work at being a pain in the butt.