Dunce corner...

[eben]

Poll running....

[Ron&Gill]

You forgot an option: none of the above.

Eben, HOW to moderate is not the point, WHEN to moderate is the point.

[sarel.wagner]

Eben,

With all due respect, there are a few items missing like none, leave it alone, sent a PM (same effort involved), post up a message, join in the debate and have fun, OP to post request to stop if he wants to.

We all have our own views, and all like to express those and that is good. That is also part of the reson for having a forum and joining one.
Consider this my last post on this subject.

Rgrds. PS: Oh my vote goes to None.

[eben]

You forgot an option: none of the above.

Eben, HOW to moderate is not the point, WHEN to moderate is the point.

Then again, that is not the question I asked. Your question is answered by forum members' recent posts. It's up to the mods & myself to try and judge so that it falls in with those wishes without devaluing the forum(remember the forum pays for itself, just about these days). I made a mistake splitting that for sale thread. I don't think I made a mistake stopping inflammatory purpose posts that were purely for that reason.

If moderation is required, how do you think it should be done is the question.
Sending PM's to users asking them to measure or reconsider their words is not something that I want to do.

[sarel.wagner]

I made a typo here: same instead of some,

Eben,

With all due respect, there are a few items missing like none, leave it alone, sent a PM (some effort involved), post up a message, join in the debate and have fun, OP to post request to stop if he wants to.

We all have our own views, and all like to express those and that is good. That is also part of the reson for having a forum and joining one.
Consider this my last post on this subject.

Rgrds. PS: Oh my vote goes to None.

That is the point here, it must be some effort to moderate, that will naturally limit moderators to over moderate and force their views on us.

Rgrds

[Ron&Gill]

Eben, I remember I posted something quite innocent one time and the OP took offence. TonyZ approached me and asked me to remove or modify. It did two things, it caused me to delete the offending post and it made me think why the OP found it offensive. That prevented recurrence.

Look, you will always find ar$eholes that just want to cause sh1t, but when you enter a public space like a forum, you needs to be prepared for that and accept it. One thing you cannot do is moderate posts which are contrary to your views (and I am not saying you do, or did!!). Members should also not be so over-sensitive.

I think a part of the problem is hijacking, and I am probably one of the worst offenders. I'll change that.

The point is, had the export debate stayed in an export debate thread, it would be OK and you don't need to read it if you don't want to, and newbies can be directed to add their points of view there, and sh!t stirrers can be invited to rather post their inflamatory remarks there about cars going overseas over there. And I can have my say about people using the exchange rate as an excuse being utter rubbish, etc, and all the while you don't have to read it...

It's not unlike the seatcover section discussion we had. Keep it in the seat cover section. For all kinds of civilized reasons. That was a good outcome, I thought.

[Muderick]

Shiiiiiiite ........my 5c worth!!!

Against better judgement, this is my opinion, and its in no way intended to offend any one person.

Unfortunately, on this and any other forum or social space, there are, and always will be people who would post, without any motivation or fear of reprisal, matters that can be deemed confrontational, bigottous, racial, anti religious, anti culture tolerant, sexist (like some women would say of the seat cover section, and if you dont agree, wait till someone posts a pic of your daughter, wife mother...) etc etc etc.... Until then, yes, I still sneek a peak when Im not at work. All the former intolerances and those not mentioned can be broken down even further as you well might know.

There have been times where all of us have been guilty of one or more of the above. Some think it, some say it, some post it, and some keep it hidden inside of them...

The only one that really matters here is when any of us are guilty of posting it on the forum, without thinking that it would offend someone, worse even when they just dont give a damn or are to stupid to know the difference. Many of us have seen or read posts on this forum that we perhaps did not agree with, and simply turned a blind eye to it. This does not make us less guilty than the oaf who posted it.

Point that Im trying to make here in short is that; the past few months there has been more shite and politics on this forum, and this has tinged the entire forum with the same. ACVWSA Joe public probably says to himself: "Lets check the forum for what shit is going down, and then the for sale sections or the events, or seat cover sections....!!"

To be very honest, the forum has been lacking anything really really ACVW interesting of late....

This obviously excludes some guys who know who they are, who regularly post items of interest, VW related pics, VW history, spotted cars etc etc...but Is this really enough. Like someone said the other day... there are really only a handful of contributors on this forum, and the rest are only visitors and post adders... Honest!!

Maybe we should all try to post something interesting a minimum of once a week. Only once...and the forum will soon be abuzz with new and interesting posts. Simply keep it clean, and non everything, and all will be fine. If you are simply posting shit to stir, fcukoff to the kitchen and stir your pap / porridge / maize meal.

Lets not create more sections of intolearances on the forum. If any of us cannot play to common courtesy rules, let alone those of the forum, our posts should just be removed or locked. Why do we need to be reminded that we crossed the line. When last I checked, most of us were adults of full faculty. If you wonder if the post will offend someone, it probably will. If you still post it, be prepared to at least be apologetic if it still offends... otherwise dont post. Period.

There are so many knowledgable guys on this forum from just about every field of interest, its unbelievable. I know of bankers, lawyers, doctors, engineers, IT and tech guys, mechanics, butchers, bakers and brilliant tool makers. Point here is that we all are skilled at what we do, and all have input on this forum. Eben cant run this site without us as South Africans, but also wont do so without us (I think). Almost in closing, we also need to consider the image we portray to others. Sometimes we come accross as a bunch of just about everything already mentioned above. Unfortunate part is that the entire forum and all its members are painted with the same brush. If you have hardcore views on anything or everything, its you right to have those views. When we impose them here, without consideration to others, things become problematic.

Lastly, just yesterday it was mentioned that at least the ACVWSA forum is not like our local clubs with all the politics, regulations, and bitching and moaning... The reality of it all is that it has become JUST LIKE our local clubs, only on a National and International level. Come on guys, lets change this now, and for good?

I hope this post is read and understood in the way I intended for it to come accross. If not, I apologise.

Da big guy from CT
Muds

[Pine]

Shiiiiiiite ........my 5c worth!!!

We actually only asked 'a penny for your thoughts' - so much for inflation?

[Muderick]

Im sure its way past R2's worth by now...

[Goosebeak]

Dang, work drags me away for a couple of weeks, and World War III breaks out on the forum?


Eben, personal experience has taught me that there must be a uniform, strict policy on what is posted, and what is not allowed, and action taken must be decisive, quick, and non-negotiable.
Sh1t-stirrers will always exist. If one individual stirs all the time, just ban them. Simple.
Heck, if one individual stirs enough to p1ss more than just the occasional individual off, then ban them anyway. You don't need the hassle of an individual who is capable of making very good contributions but who uses that as a pretext to stir sh1t. It's just not worth it. Such individuals will destroy your website - and laugh at you for allowing them to do so.

Sex, religion, and politics:- keep them locked away in (a) separate section(s). There are plenty of forums/sites catering for whatever fetish/taste/prejudice anybody could possibly ever dream up - why allow them to taint your website with it?

My personal recipe is: Ban the stirrers and delete their posts. Any off-topic/distasteful threads, hide them away where only people who WANT to see that cr@p can see it.

if you have to ask just one question to make a decision such as you are obviously battling with, then try this: Is this posting relevant and valuable to this forum?

[Ron&Gill]

Never mind...

[vader]

Got to agree with Ron here and some others. Just like the Seatcover section if you find it offensives blablabla don't go there! Im so bored with the whole exporter threads that I never click on it anymore. Just like if there is crap on TV I have the CHOICE not to waist my time watching it and to do something else with my time. If you have started reading a thread and it does not sit well with you close it and move on. Or if you really have to voice your concerns do so in an informative constructive manner. But just cause a member doesn't like a topic doesn't mean you have the right to remove it for these mother Grundy's as it might have some benefit to another member. Sometimes the sh1tstirers add some colour/different points of view to dull topics, you cant just BAN these people because then you would only have Eben, I cant think of anyone else, Oh wait i can!!! Dawie as members... EVERYONE stirs a bit of sh1t now and again even TonyZ, Pine and Fig. Some more than others (me I never do)but they make acvwsa what it is an OPEN FORUM!!! Not a Sunday School class....

Example in point...

Sex, religion, and politics:- keep them locked away in (a) separate section(s). There are plenty of forums/sites catering for whatever fetish/taste/prejudice anybody could possibly ever dream up - why allow them to taint your website with it?

You have put forward your point of view which I don't agree with and I find your statement offensive and think that you are stirring sh1t among the members who enjoy the Seatcover section so by your reasoning you should be BANNED from the forum for stirring sh1t... Hmmmm??? Its a double edged sword....

[retrovan]

I would go with the majority, that all posts should be moved if in the incorrect place, Have also asked offending postings, guys to consider others by means of PM, and they have re-edited it, have also myself been asked to edit which I do with pleasure.
Should you start deleting, or removing, it makes the whole thread obsolete.
Should a Guy want to con someone for their hard earned cash, Why should he not be warned.
If a posting is found to be offensive, without taste, slanderous, censor it by blacking out the effective words, send him an PM, this will keep the thread alive, and serve as warning for others.
Eben, Add more options to your poll Please.


Herman

[eben]

I'm so glad you guys can't agree... that means I don't have to do anything

[splitbusahollic]

To be very honest, the forum has been lacking anything really really ACVW interesting of late....

agreed 100%
Why do we come here ?
'cause we want to interact, learn something new about our beloved vw's, talk aircooled and give or add something to a cause we all enjoy.....and this is lacking big time on this forum.

no one can be held responsible for any one Else's actions.
for instance....i have never met Blitskrieg..every time he posts something there are some members that GUN HIM FLAT-OUT.....now if he is persona nongrata...then why is he still here ??? should these guys not just ignore each other or make peace ?
things like this gives this forum a sour taste......just used that as an example...no offense intended to parties involved....and if you feel offended, feel free to pm me !

keep it interesting.....keep it VW, cut the crap.

we should be better than the ozzy forum...but sadly enough we are not....just an group of old bickering bored men.....
FIX THIS.....it's up to us all to make this place a great place to pass time on.
i want to spend more time here than on any other forum.....but it's difficult
for what it's worth.
there is nothing to vote about....Eben...just pm the shit stirrers with a written warning and by the 3rd one ban them. done.