Forum Rules & Guidelines

The context

Following the large 'Death of the forums' thread that was hotly discussed a week ago, Chedburn stated that he was willing to make changes to the forums after outrage over shitposters. In his pinned comment, linked here, he asked for feedback and ideas on what changes could be made. There was a lot of feedback following this, but this suggestion isn't about the specific changes to be made, though I did make my own opinions known here and here. 

After Chedburn made his comment, that was the last we heard from him on the matter, and I fear that as the thread loses traction and no indication that anything is being done with all the feedback, no changes will be made. With this thread, I hope to at least put some changes on the to-do list.

Since the creation of that thread, there have been several more created with users expressing their dissatisfaction with the way that the forums are both used and moderated. 

As someone who cares very much about the state of the forums, I suggested, as Chedburn did, that new rules and guidelines be made for the forums. A new tab should be made to the rules page, expanding greatly on the social aspect, with what is and isn't allowed on the forums. Right now, clicking the help button at the top of Torn when on the forums links to the forum rules and guidelines on the official Torn wiki, but these rules should be updated, expanded, and written out personally by the community manager - Chedburn. 

I believe these rules are in need of updating and expanding upon following all of the comments and feedback given on the thread I linked at the start of this suggestion. Particularly the spamming/trolling and flaming ones. Were the 'flaming' rule actually enforced as it is written, there would probably be no one left on the forums. 

 

The suggestion

This suggestion comes in two parts.

Firstly, I propose that, these forum rules and guidelines be rewritten, and then added to the rules page instead of just the wiki where they are less likely to be seen.

Secondly, with these new and updated forum rules and guidelines, staff should then be once again be allowed moderate the forums, delete spam, and enforce these new rules and guidelines, whatever you, Chedburn, ultimately decide to make them, using the feedback you've been given. Give them the ability to delete posts within a thread that derail the conversation. This part of the suggestion alone would be effective and could be done with zero effort on the part of the developers. 

Thanks for reading. If you agree with the thread, please click like on it, because reaching 100 up votes is the only way to guarantee an update/response from Ched on the matter.

R+, great content, and I agree completely!

I read it and I liked it R+

Nothing will happen...

All he needs to do is give the staff their powers back, that's why he employs them... [:sick:]

Giving staff their powers back is also a part of the suggestion :)

#Kayla4Staff



Get the trend going! :)

#Kayla4Staff

What's the point of being staff if your hands are tied... [:sick:]

I see you weren't around when the old stricter forum rules were in place. People barely posted, GD would go days without new posts in it(the longest I saw was 5 days). You had to be very careful about what you said, if you were warring another faction smack talk in the forums that could offend the other factions members wasn't allowed. The rules were very subjective, two people could post the same thing and based on their relationship with the staff member or how lenient the staff member was one could be banned and the other could have nothing happen.

That's odd as you weren't here either... [:sick:]

This guy got fired from staff for abusing his power

AND the staff need to work as a team, be on the same page, and support each other's decisions. Nothing makes staff and mods look weaker, than when one makes a decision only to have it reversed a day later by another mod.

Again, you weren't playing. You'd rage quit years before... [:sick:]

And you got a short forum ban for being a piece of shit, so let's not start spouting off who did what.

I've never had a forum ban in my life

SAVE THE FORUMS!

F-R-E-E-D-O-M !!!!!!!!!!

I don't spend enough time on the forums to know what you're talking about from last week, much less care about it. But if it was that big of a deal, wouldn't I have heard about it even without reading the forums regularly? Have you seen the VIP forums?

This is all kind of irrelevant. The parts of the forum that need to be alive, are, and the rest can chill in the outhouse where it belongs, and it's not really hurting anyone against their will. Those who participate do so by choice. Let the shitposters shitpost, and then downvote them appropriately.

Bump