Change to the rules to improve the atmosphere

[Stuart Wright]

As with all organisations, managing growth is one of the major issues facing us at the AV Forums.
We need to address how to ensure new members feel welcome amongst so many veterans.
To tackle the issue of perceived friendliness, I want to set out a new direction for the forums with regard to manners.
We have always had a code of good conduct where we expect people to be respectful to other members. A very few people have found this rather strict in comparison to other forums and have struggled to fit in. However, we do not base our policy on what other forums do but rather what we feel will be acceptable to the wider audience.
Our audience is generally more mature than at a lot of other forums. Most people here do not want to have to witness nasty, petty bickering in arguments which repeat themselves with predictable regularity.
We are acutely aware that if we do not try harder to maintain a welcoming atmosphere at the AV Forums then new members will find it difficult to join in the community and existing members will become so disenchanted that they will not return.

So we are tightening up our rules with regard to acceptable conduct.
Put simply - members should not post anything which they wouldn't say face to face. That is going to be our approximate benchmark.
If negative or personal comments are made which we consider are likely to inflame an argument, and/or which would be rude if spoken in person, we will consider applying some kind of warning.

We are asking forum members to report all posts they consider to be unfriendly.

I am expecting a little backlash to this new directive, but let’s face it - it is not in our interests to impose rules which stifle discourse. Exchange of information is what these forums are fundamentally about, and at the core of our rules is common sense.

Hopefully AV Forums members will work with us to maintain the friendliest and most informative and entertaining of communities.

[neilneil]

Being frendly is the cornerstone of a sucessfull and welcoming forum in my opinion. I would guess that 95% of new active members are lurkers first. If someone drops in as a guest and sees a clique (sp?) group of aggressive people then they are likely to pass us by to our loss.
I would also guess that more than 99% of people here are considerate in there posts even when they don't agree with your point of view. This is backed up by consistant and fair moderating.
That is the kind forum that we should present and I believe that mostly we do.
Thanks to all for a great forum to date and long may it continue to grow.

Cheers

-Neil

[JagoPlasma]

i see no problems with these forums whatsoever. i always feel welcome and among my peers whenever i post.

this site is a damn site friendlier than others i look in on. other forums like a certain windows site begining with the letter N has a very rude atmosphere where anything you say that isnt "in" with the community or borderline breach of rules(or seemingly that way) results in 20 pages of flaming. and is why im signed upto here and not there.

its very thoughtful of the msg on the front page reminding me that i havent posted in a few weeks too

if we had a dedicated new site here at the avforums id drop N and possibly the reg straight away (if the IT dept didnt start blocking avforums that is )

[Stuart Wright]

Originally Posted by JagoPlasma

if we had a dedicated new site here at the avforums id drop N and possibly the reg straight away (if the IT dept didnt start blocking avforums that is )

Dedicated to what?

[PoochJD]

Morning Stuart,

Originally Posted by Stuart Wright

Put simply - members should not post anything which they wouldn't say face to face. That is going to be our approximate benchmark.

As much as I agree with you, and don't have a problem with this new amendment to the AV Forum Codes Of Conduct, you may find that this new regulation doesn't make any difference. There are plenty of things I might say to someone, in a face-to-face conversation, that may not be appropriate for a forum, and vice-versa.

With regards to arguments, and/or heated or passionate debates, I don't think that the barometer of what should or shouldn't be said in the forums, being that if you'd say it to someone's face, then that's okay, and if not, then it isn't is going to work.

I understand what you mean, and I certainly see what you're trying to say, but I think a more appropriate ruling change might be: "Members should not say anything, they wouldn't say in front of family". This way, you're impressing upon members to keep things relatively clean, and not get too angry, bitchy, or heated.

Just my 2p's worth....


Pooch

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by PoochJD

I understand what you mean, and I certainly see what you're trying to say, but I think a more appropriate ruling change might be: "Members should not say anything, they wouldn't say in front of family". This way, you're impressing upon members to keep things relatively clean, and not get too angry, bitchy, or heated.

And then you'd get someone along saying that he talks like that in front of his family. I think that everyone reading Stuart's note will be fully aware of what he means

[robfjonesuk]

I think this is a very good idea. On more than one occasion I have posted what I thought to be a good post only for someone to attack it as it doesn't agree with me (altho the vast majority of people on her are great).

[TEDDYBASS]

I tend to agree with pooch in that the 'face to face' benchmark may be a little too strict and may stifle some quite reasonable but forthright opinions.
Perhaps the guiding rule should be more along the lines of 'treat everyone as if you may bump into them at some time'

[Xusia Of Delos]

I don't like restrictive rules, but these new guidelines are fair and frankly needed.

There have been several threads recently that have descended into more than just general blokeyness. They have been crass, and demeaning to women and not the sort or material I think these boards should be associated with.

These boards themselves by their very nature can incur the stereo type of AV anoraks. Recent threads have unfortunately compounded that. Don't let a few foolish postings tarnish the reputation that has been built up.

Intelligent debate and even heated and controversial discussion should always be tempered with civility, maturity, and deference.

As my Dad always says, engage the brain before openeing the mouth.

[CFC1]

I welcome this initiative!

[mjn]

Originally Posted by Stuart Wright

So we are tightening up our rules with regard to acceptable conduct.
Put simply - members should not post anything which they wouldn't say face to face. That is going to be our approximate benchmark.

Thats going to be very difficult to enforce. I've met some very vocal / cheeky people in my time and think nothing of saying things, i wouldn't even type.

[mason]

It is welcomed be me also

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by mjn

Thats going to be very difficult to enforce. I've met some very vocal / cheeky people in my time and think nothing of saying things, i wouldn't even type.

I assume that as the enforcement will be down to the moderators the benchmark will be what the individual moderator feels is acceptable and hopefully we don't have any that fit the bill you described.

[breadbun]

I can honestly say that AV Forums are the most friendly and welcoming forums I have ever been associated with, and thats in over 10 years or more of forum/bulletin board use. Its always good to have a reminder of what is deemed appropriate though, and in this case, what has been suggested sounds fair enough to me.

I have been recommending these forums to anyone I know that wants good, friendly, unbiased discussion carried out in a civilised manner. Long may ot continue.

[JagoPlasma]

Originally Posted by Stuart Wright

Dedicated to what?

sorry typo

"dedicated news site"

yes I know this is a forum, but it could be so much more if you had a proper dedicated news front page

just an idea