[Archived] Has this community lost its community spirit?

[bigbrandjohn]

Just read some of the banter on possible signings. Abbey "you owe me a keyboard, and the autopsy crack from another poster. The humor is still there. Thats the richness of being a fan on this board. Passion and gallows humor.

We have been through a lot. Luckily misery loves company and now we have QPR and Newcastle to join our ranks. Truth is I feel better about where we are at the moment. An honest no nonsense Blackburn man through and through as our manager. Sensible decisions being made about ins and outs. A better backroom staff coming in that looks solid and "a good mix of youth and experience." A solid championship team that could there at the end. No big promises and not a Singh to be seen. We even have a spiffy new kit that will be worth 10 points.

Lets keep the choice humour and respect differences of opinion however cack they may seem. As for Nicko, just remember we were hanging on his every eleven o clock post not so long ago. It's all part of the game.

Right I am off for a Bells Hopslam. A rather citrusy little number measuring 10% on the richter scale.

[Al]

Are you saying that somebody who is not known to anybody on here, could not join.

Precisely. Not without being interviewed by a mod.

[ABBEY]

Interviews ? Is this real or real comment?

[Rover_Shaun]

Next thing will be saying those who don't go to games have no place commenting on Rovers

[Guest Norbert]

Are you saying that somebody who is not known to anybody on here, could not join.

Precisely. Not without being interviewed by a mod.

Would such an interview be over the phone, Skype or similar? Or in person? Would the interviewee have to wear their sunday best and do a short test based on the team of the 1928/29 season?

None of you 'know' me, or some of the more distant members, so would we have to undergo an interview, or would it just be for future members?

And there I was thinking this was a messageboard. You're all the Illuminati all along.

[West Yorks Rover]

Would such an interview be over the phone, Skype or similar? Or in person? Would the interviewee have to wear their sunday best and do a short test based on the team of the 1928/29 season?

None of you 'know' me, or some of the more distant members, so would we have to undergo an interview, or would it just be for future members?

And there I was thinking this was a messageboard. You're all the Illuminati all along.

No you would have to fly to Pune, like everyone else.

[Guest Norbert]

Would the potential member have to call Glenn 'Madame'?

[Glenn]

No change there then

[Salgado Is A Hero]

This whole interview idea is pretty stupid and embarrassing if you ask me.

I mean it's not like people could just pretend to be nice is it?

It would probably put a good few people off, some of which could have been decent posters.

This board is still much better than a lot of other forums. There's barely any stupid picture things/memes/whatever for a start.

There's the standard amount of WUMs/Clowns but that's what the ignore feature is for. It's when people quote them, they become an issue. Something I'll happily admit to doing myself but still.

It's just unfortunate that some of the more intelligent members have pretty bad flaws. Whether it's just occasionally speaking utter tripe, being a part of the grammar police, or seemingly being more concerned with point scoring than having an actual debate. Or being overly negative, then occasionally overly positive.

But the number of good posters outweigh the bad, no question. And things like the podcasts, monthly reviews and match reports certainly put this forum above most others.

[Tom]

I think we should expand the interview idea and have X factor style auditions

Seriously though some forums do have a requirement of needing to be referred by a couple of members who have to vouch for them but I don't think we need to go to those extremes here

[Al]

I think we should expand the interview idea and have X factor style auditions

Seriously though some forums do have a requirement of needing to be referred by a couple of members who have to vouch for them but I don't think we need to go to those extremes here

OK then. Just carry on admitting the sort of dross we have been discussing.

[Tom]

OK then. Just carry on admitting the sort of dross we have been discussing.

Al, I hold no sway in that regard I was just voicing my own opinion, for what it's worth I said earlier I beleive a probation period for new members with a zero tolerance policy would be beneficial

[Glenn]

One thing to keep in mind is that the only resource we're really short of is TIME. We keep drafting in more volunteers to help, but few stick around and soon drift off to doing nowt. Back when we used to check every new member wasn't an obvious spammer or banned member beofre they could post (about a 5 second process per user) we'd still sometimes have a 5 week backlog of new user apps, so personal interviews is something that's jut not going to fly (we still get 20-30 new users a day).

[Steve Kean's Hypnotoad]

Would we need a CV for this interview? I worry about potential members who've come straight out of facebook at 16 and have no messageboard experience, what are their prospects? Maybe an apprenticeship could be created where a current member helps new members write posts.

[Rover_Shaun]

I'm sure the board will pick up when the season starts Al. In whatever direction the teams fortunes take

[ABBEY]

Al what about a uni degree ...ooops im banned.

[Glenn]

Having just spent the last hours catching-up on e-mint (a moderator / community manager mailing list often home to some weird and wacky ideas to improve and police forums) I'm genuinely unsure if that's serious or not. I certainly know some sites that would consider it!

[dave birch]

Why not just leave it at zero tolerance.

Give them the guidelines, and if they step over them then post deleted, instant ban.

No ifs, no buts, no second chances.

[Rover_Shaun]

Two questions

At what level would 'zero tolerance' be set?

And is it Madame Glenn or Madame Pegden?

[dave birch]

errrmmm, "0"

Everyone should be treated in the same way.

I know Abbey, but there are special rules for you and Gord!

[PAFELL]

I think we should expand the interview idea and have X factor style auditions

Seriously though some forums do have a requirement of needing to be referred by a couple of members who have to vouch for them but I don't think we need to go to those extremes here

So if a rovers fans wanted to join who is living abroad - not known to anybody on here - they would not be able as nobody could refer / vouch them. Seems a tad extreme to me.

[ABBEY]

errrmmm, "0"

Everyone should be treated in the same way.

I know Abbey, but there are special rules for you and Gord!

Special rules ? I bet me n Gord are high up on the banning league.

[Rover_Shaun]

errrmmm, "0"

Everyone should be treated in the same way.

I know Abbey, but there are special rules for you and Gord!

Let me put it another way. Is the tolerance set at proper abuse like calling someone a **** or just set at a silly wishy washy soft lad level like calling someone an idiot?

[Ricky]

This is where moderation becomes amusing.

Abbey feels that we are overly harsh on him and others feel we let him get away with too much.

This is one of the thing that we do genuinely struggle with. I think we could really do with a really simple set of posting guidelines. Think the current ones are a bit lengthy.

[Rover_Shaun]

That's what I am getting at. Surely a zero tolerance approach may mean the board will be left with just few non-banned members if the tolerance bar is set to a stupidly low level. After all most of us are idiots at one time or another and need telling.