Rule Change (New Staff Power)

[Joods]

[quote='Tiberius' pid='1171090' dateline='1452634456']

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Staff will discuss issues with certain members when they arise, and if we feel like a member is becoming a candidate for getting banned like this, we will reach out to them and ask them to consider changing their behavior. If they ignore us or continue their behavior despite our warnings, we will move to a vote on a ban.

Staff will ultimately decide on whether a temporary or permanent ban is required, which is why we didn't specify which type. If we feel a member would benefit from a week ban, we will give them that. If we feel that they nothing is going to change their behavior, and they haven't given us any reason to believe they will, we will use a permanent ban.

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[emjay]

I think it would be a good idea if the member being considered under this rule was informed of it before it took effect and given a period of time to change their behaviour... with perhaps another vote afterwards. That way it would be responsibility of the member in question whether they got banned, because if they genuinely tried to change, the second vote would probably reflect it, and it would also feel a lot fairer for them.

I'm not a staff member but I imagine that if a person is being disruptive enough to warrant the consideration of the nuclear option by the staff that they have probably already had some warnings or interactions with the staff indicating that such an action is a possibility if their behavior doesn't change.

The staff here are not a bunch of lawless renegades out to ban everyone they don't like.

I know they're not. They're very very professional and impartial, and I admire them all very much for that. I think the staff here are great and I know they wouldn't use this rule unless absolutely necessary.

[Mystic]

So you guys finally found a way to get rid of me. *smiles*

[emjay]

"Nuclear Launch Detected"

[Clueless Morgan]

I know they're not. They're very very professional and impartial, and I admire them all very much for that. I think the staff here are great and I know they wouldn't use this rule unless absolutely necessary.

I didn't mean to imply that's what you thought I was just sharing my own thoughts and why I don't share some of the concerns that others have expressed. I've been apart of groups and forums where mods overstep their authority for petty personal reasons and I have yet to see anything of the sort here.

[Catholic_Lady]

Love you too, Judi! 

[Catholic_Lady]

dbl post

[emjay]

I know they're not. They're very very professional and impartial, and I admire them all very much for that. I think the staff here are great and I know they wouldn't use this rule unless absolutely necessary.

I didn't mean to imply that's what you thought I was just sharing my own thoughts and why I don't share some of the concerns that others have expressed. I've been apart of groups and forums where mods overstep their authority for petty personal reasons and I have yet to see anything of the sort here.

No problem This is the first forum I've been a long term member of so I have no basis for comparison but I continue to be very very impressed by everything I've seen here, and see no reason to ever leave this site. And like you I've never seen anything even approaching pettiness from the mods, who have shown nothing but remarkable patience and impartiality at all times and in all situations as far as I can see

[Jenny A]

Conservative or not, it has been stated that staff now have the ability to ban someone for not breaking any rules.

The way I'm interpreting this new staff ability is that users who chronically come just short of breaking the rules should be able to have disciplinary action enacted upon them.  They might not technically be breaking a rule but they (as I read the rules) are breaking the spirit of the rules, and flirting with breaking rules over and over can be just as damaging to a forum as full-on breaking them.

It may even be worse because the user can remain active and continue to poison the community while always being just shy of committing a bannable infraction, while someone who joins, runs rampant for a few days or weeks and gets banned is more of an easily forgotten flash in the pan.

I trust that the mods are discerning enough to use their new powers wisely.

We hope so. But there is a worry, which is why a single descenting vote is all that's necessary to derail the nuclear option.

[Jenny A]

So you guys finally found a way to get rid of me. *smiles*

I think in the unlikely event such a thing were proposed, there would be a number of votes to save you.