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Duke
Guest
How do you all run your webforums? Do you have strict rules or guidelines such as always keeping subjects on topic, no spam whatsoever, no goofing around or do you like to keep your forums loose?
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KlaasKoopman
Guest
I got a community board running on a dutch site. We keep it very very loose ( sometimes a bit to loose ) but this does increase the number of people posting! though I never tried creating a webmaster forum ( i do want it very very bad ) but i'm to scared that no one will join, and that it will not be good enough to be online 
I have a rugby forum, and we have a minimum number of forums within it.
welsh rugby
other nations
general stuff
pictures
We have word censors in operation to remove the most offensive words, but by and large we moderate with a quiet hand. We prefer to pm someone and ask them to alter their post if it is outside the guidelines. We do not tolerate spammers at all, they are removed and access turned off right out. But by and large we are loose. We will split a topic if it has drifted into a menaingfull tiopic in its own right. EG yesterday we were discussing a player and his new girlfriend (Charlotte church the singer) and someone posted an image. someone mad a comment and it became a caption contest, so we split it and moved itaway from the rugby and into the general.
I am with Paul here that the key to the success of a forum is for people to feel comfortable posting. If they see people getting smashed by Mods, or other members then they will never make a post.
welsh rugby
other nations
general stuff
pictures
We have word censors in operation to remove the most offensive words, but by and large we moderate with a quiet hand. We prefer to pm someone and ask them to alter their post if it is outside the guidelines. We do not tolerate spammers at all, they are removed and access turned off right out. But by and large we are loose. We will split a topic if it has drifted into a menaingfull tiopic in its own right. EG yesterday we were discussing a player and his new girlfriend (Charlotte church the singer) and someone posted an image. someone mad a comment and it became a caption contest, so we split it and moved itaway from the rugby and into the general.
I am with Paul here that the key to the success of a forum is for people to feel comfortable posting. If they see people getting smashed by Mods, or other members then they will never make a post.
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Duke
Guest
I was wondering because my forums are a free for all, you can pretty much post anything but it's to be in a context that won't be offensive to the eyes of an 8 year old girl. I also have word censors in place that also covers 133753@k terminology as well.
I also won't tolerate members bashing each other, debate, or questioning mod/admin authority.
Aside from that, pretty much everything goes.
I also won't tolerate members bashing each other, debate, or questioning mod/admin authority.
Aside from that, pretty much everything goes.
People like to know what is and isn't acceptable. Our other problem is that it is a rugby forum, and many of the members are posting under the influence of beer on a Saturday night after a game lol.
On the odd occasion we have had a flame war, we have instantly gone in and turned access off to all the parties involved. Of course we turn them back on after we have emailed them and read them the riot act. We do it on a softly softly way though by explaining that fights should be conducted in private, and that if they do not want to use the PM facility we will be happy to turn it off for them etc.
As soon as they are detached from the fight they calm down. You can then turn on access and no one is any the wiser to what has been said in private.
As soon as they are detached from the fight they calm down. You can then turn on access and no one is any the wiser to what has been said in private.
Are you serious Paul? I am nt being sarcastic or condescending here I am asking an honest question. Don't you think it will scare newbies off?
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Duke
Guest
Paul_KY said:
I do the same thing, plus I end the posts very quickly, warn all affected parties in public and then deal with the rest in PM's. I also add a closing comment to the thread where the problems were, then lock it and leave it there for everyone to see. In this manner, there is simply no question as to what you can and can't get away with on my sites.
I also copy all offensive material in my forums to admin forums where they can be discussed and policed by staff. We also have an admin area for individual member files with accompanying posts as evidence of their actions. I've worked far too many sites where everyone seems to forget what a jerk a person is because your relying on memory to police the person, I'd rather rely on evidence compiled over that users stay with my sites.
I found that this is the best way to ensure that everyone is aware of what they can and can't do and is far more effective than any FAQ written. People only go to FAQ's when they can't figure something out or find a feature, they rarely go there to see site posting guidelines, or so it's been my experience.
OWG,
I guess that's why I don't run forums. lol
I do know, one of the most successful forums/sites started during the dot.com bubble burst (f*ckedcompany.com), was/is extremely (EXTREMELY) lack on the moderation. It made the site's owner famous and rich. He even has a book, and now owns/runs Adbrite.com.
I guess I'm kinda like him in a sense that I like to go AGAINST the grain, not with the norm. The norm to me is, well, normal and I don't want to be, "normal". I want to be wildly successful. Ok, I'm going on a tangent.
Forum flaming, if kept in check (no personal info revealed, cursing heavily, etc.) IMHO wouldn't scare off a newbie. Heck, I join forums after lurking for days/weeks just to get in my two cents and kick it up a notch. But that's just me. Most don't know I'm smiling and at the same time flaming. lol
I guess that's why I don't run forums. lol
I do know, one of the most successful forums/sites started during the dot.com bubble burst (f*ckedcompany.com), was/is extremely (EXTREMELY) lack on the moderation. It made the site's owner famous and rich. He even has a book, and now owns/runs Adbrite.com.
I guess I'm kinda like him in a sense that I like to go AGAINST the grain, not with the norm. The norm to me is, well, normal and I don't want to be, "normal". I want to be wildly successful. Ok, I'm going on a tangent.
Forum flaming, if kept in check (no personal info revealed, cursing heavily, etc.) IMHO wouldn't scare off a newbie. Heck, I join forums after lurking for days/weeks just to get in my two cents and kick it up a notch. But that's just me. Most don't know I'm smiling and at the same time flaming. lol
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Duke
Guest
That depends on the context or theme of the site. If I had members flaming each other at Lifesupporters, I'd be better off to just shut the site down.
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Pentarix
Guest
Paul_KY said:
This is how I am, it's not something that would work with our site (Lifesupporters.com) but with Fragtard.com (one of my sites which is now on hiatus) things were prettly lax and that's how the guys like it.
btw I use to go to f*ckedcompany.com back when I was 15 I think? (1995) That place was awesome, haven't checked it out in years. What a great idea that place was.
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Duke
Guest
Paul_KY said:
Ya there ripe with controversy. It would likely be the same for pro-life/abortion forums, religious forums, and death penalty forums.
Wanna get people riled up, those are the sites to visit, assuming they even exist. I do know that discussing any of the above usually turns even the most civilized people into tyrants ready to fight to the death if their challenged too harshly.
Oh we have a politics forum, and ther is absolutely no moderation on THAT forum
The motto on the politics forum is 'think before you post, coz once it's out there, it is out there'.
The motto on the politics forum is 'think before you post, coz once it's out there, it is out there'.
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Duke
Guest
OMG, is it chaos?
Well Duk I often get pm's asking me to moderate a post, but I just repsond with a message teling them we dont edit posts once they are made. There is also no self edit button once it is posted, it is out there.
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