Forum Rules & Enforcement Completely Re-vamped and updated.

[ExCopInPhilly]

I agree with the rules, but like Rule said, we are adults and there are some situations where a well placed expletive is necessary. I also am not sure how I feel about people policing my language. I tend to curse at situations, rather than people though. Please take that into consideration when you are policing language.

[ChamberedRound]

Hey guys, just wanted to take a minute and try to answer some of questions/comments posted:

Perhaps there should be a rule about cross-posting the same message to multiple subforums?

Outside of the infractions already listed, some additional suggestions were made by the admins/mods that are currently being discussed. Those suggestions are:

- Trojan Horse or Shadow Posting, i.e. KNOWINGLY posting in lieu of someone who's been banned.

- Cross-posting the same thead to multiple forums

- Posting duplicates

These haven't been decided on yet, but they were suggested. Given recent events Dan felt it best to deploy the infraction system prior to reviewing these, but we'll be sure to keep everyone informed if any infractions are changed/added.

I think i can live with the rules. how will we know if we have received points toward a ban? will it show up in e-mail, in our usercp?

An email is sent to your registered email address when an infraction is issued. I believe there's a way to view infractions in your profile, but I can't find it as of yet. I'll send an update if I find out more about this.

Oh sure, I get unbanned just as new rules that will have me rebanned nearly instantly are implemented.

+1!!!!!!!!!!

Welcome back Aran.

IMHO (not the official position of PAFOA) if people had behaved without being asshats, it might not have come to this...

Everything looks fine to me except for the profanity rule -- I don't like that at all.

The are some situations and circumstances that require a well-placed expletive -- and attempting to satisfy those situations with softer or rewritten language cheapens the intent and feeling behind the post. I've always considered PAFOA as one of the best places on the net to rant/rave about firearms/gun rights/ etc. Those topics hold a lot of emotion for me -- and sometimes they require profanity.

Online dialog has no conveyance of emotion. No tone of voice, no facial expression, no body language. Profanity can substitute for that, and it allows people to convey the real meaning underlying a post. Absent profanity, some posts fall flat.

Everyone here is an adult. We have all heard the "bad" words a million times. And with rare exception we all use them. Some of us more than others. Except for when I'm on the record in court, I'm renowned for being foul mouthed (even among lawyers, who make marines look like rank amateurs when it comes to profanity -- trust me on this one: until you've heard a 75 year old attorney who looks and sounds like your grandmother call you a "f---ing c---sucker," at the top of her lungs in front of a federal judge and just as the court reporter switches off her stenography machine and tape recorder you haven't heard profanity).

Really, honestly: Are there any delicate flowers here that are going to wilt at the prospect of a well-placed f-bomb?

Re-read the rules, Rule. There's nothing wrong with a well-placed expletive, there never has been. All we're asking is that you keep it out of the thread titles and don't use profanity excessively.

Dan, I totally see the need for this new rule system. However it's really sad we do need it. I think the old rules were VERY well written. It's a shame they weren't good enough.

The rules really aren't all that different. But instead of the admins/mods manually issuing warnings via PM and manually banning, we issue an infraction, and the points system takes care of the rest. The goal with the infraction/point system is to make the criteria for temp and perm banning less subjective; there's a well-defined set of infractions, a well-defined set of points/duration for each infraction, and a well-defined set of thresholds at which bans are issued. Note that we can still swing the banhammer outside of these rules in extreme circumstances, but we're hoping the need for this will be minimal.

2 questions, 2 comments...

Will I be informed of what i did wrong if i ever get points, or god forbid, banned???

Sometimes I post a good deal i see on computer related products (very rarely), Will that get me banned??? It's not like I make $ on anything, I just like sharing cash saving items to those of us who are not so well off or like saving $$$.

pending the answer to those questions, I like what I see with the new rules.

Again, emails are sent out when infractions are issued. And there's nothing wrong with posting threads like you describe above to the Lounge.

[er2006]

I am in complete agreement. There have been times when I,ve lost it . I will be more careful in the future .
This isyour brainchild and you and Doug have nurtured this foum , I do not wish to causeaproblem for any member or the founders .
Thanks fo allowing myself and others tohave a forum , especially the lounge.
Ed

[Holleta]

IMO (which is the only one that counts) it kind of sucks that it has to come to this and I think it is on the verge of over the top for an internet forum.

I don't plan on being a "point whore" (can I say that word?) but am curious as to the automatic method of point assignment. Is it keywords? How do you measure ass bustin' from personal attack etc? Seems very subjective to me and will result in the mods being busy fellas and many members feeling slighted.

[J8300]

I'd rather stay as far away from this as possible but want to suggest something that's really been eating at my puppet. EXCESSIVE POSTING!!!

Is there any way to crackdown on excessive posting? I'd be the last person to complain over a one-liner, off topic. But there's been a massive influx of people treating posts like the Flashchat. I guess I am just tired of reading through a multi-page post and for 2 solid pages it's like.

Tard1: Oh Noes! I hope Tard2 doesn't see this!!
Tard2: Hai. I got the PM's and wanted to add <insert something stupid here>
Tard3: OMFG +1+1+1
Tard1: I must spread it around before giving rep to Tard2 again.
Tard2: Lolz, it's ok.
Tard3: Don't worry Tard1, I got him for you.
Tard1: BTW, Tard1, Tard2 are you coming to the TardTown OC dinner on Tuesday?

If it's not obvious, I am just absolutely freaking sick of reading through excess posts (things covered in another thread, or should be covered in a thread or PM. Meaning, NOT FREAKING RELEVANT TO ANYONE READING IT and least of all, to the thread at hand)

/k, rants over.

+1 but I have to spread more first

[ExCopInPhilly]

Posting a similar thread should not be a infraction, if you are seeking the opinions of members on this. Sometimes, it is done by accident, and a person shouldn't be dinged for it. Remember the level of computer literacy, or basic literacy, for all of the members of the site isn't the sme, and Boolean searches produce different results based upon what they are given. Just my .02

[danp]

I think i can live with the rules. how will we know if we have received points toward a ban? will it show up in e-mail, in our usercp?

Anyone who receives an infraction will receive a private message and am email explaining it. I'm not sure if they will show up in the User CP but I will look into that.

[danp]

What are the forum rules when it comes to chat?

I've never really worried about FlashChat, I don't see it as a problem.

[danp]

i can see i will be banned in no time

LOL!
With all that said........I'm also thinkin' "Frig....if these rules are enforced TO THE proverbial 'T', even I will be racking up points!"

Gosh - I'm hoping that it's up to the Mods discretion as to what is a violation and what isn't - cuz then I may be safe.

I seriously doubt either of you will ever get infractions based on your post history here.

All of the infractions are discretionary but they are there so that infractions given have the same effect to all members across the board.

Pretty much every single one of the infractions we have is really pretty standard stuff for forums or general etiquette, there's nothing on that list that shouldn't be common sense in my opinion.

Don't worry too much guys.

[danp]

Everything looks fine to me except for the profanity rule -- I don't like that at all.

The are some situations and circumstances that require a well-placed expletive -- and attempting to satisfy those situations with softer or rewritten language cheapens the intent and feeling behind the post. I've always considered PAFOA as one of the best places on the net to rant/rave about firearms/gun rights/ etc. Those topics hold a lot of emotion for me -- and sometimes they require profanity. Really, honestly: Are there any delicate flowers here that are going to wilt at the prospect of a well-placed f-bomb?

The rules allow for this, perhaps I need to reword it. Profanity is fined and as you said well-placed expletives can really drive a point home.

What I don't want to see is something like "**CK YOU YOU G*DDA*MN MOTHERF*CKING A**HOLE, I HOPE YOU EAT SH*T AND DIE".

There's a line between well-placed expletives that add to one's point and looking like a Neanderthal who can't form a thought without swearing 10 times.

While I don't expect people to all act like saints here, I do want to hold the discussion up to a minimum standard of intelligence.