Message to BF.net users regarding member behavior and banning - August 2018 - PLEASE READ

[reillymcshane]

Dear BF.net users,

 

I am sorry to say that we have had a record number of complaints - and bans - over the past couple of months. In particular, the last few weeks have been troubling. Far too many threads are degenerating into flame wars, discussions hijacked, and a constant barrage of negativity.

 

Sadly, we have also received too many messages from users letting us know that they are done with the site because of the increasingly toxic environment.

 

One of the hallmarks of this space over the years has been to promote a civil and open discussion for Brewer fans. That fails when we are overwhelmed by trolls and childish behavior. Decency and common sense are being lost because we have a growing number of posters who:

 

- Complain, complain and complain some more about whatever subjects (or other posters) are bothering them.

- Attack other members, often times repeatedly, often times for the slightest reasons or offenses (real or perceived). And often times just because it has become habit.

- Use sarcasm and snide comments to attack and belittle other posters. It's childish. It's offensive. It only makes people angry, and causes the discussion to go sideways.

 

As noted, we have seen this behavior increase of late. And it's not just new people (a common perception), but many long time posters who are part of this problem.

 

Be warned, we will continue the banning of offenders. We don't care if you've been a member for 15 years or 15 days - we are tired of the childish behavior.

 

Here's some things people should consider going forward:

 

- The most productive posts on the forum tend to be those that focus on sharing an idea, observation, or opinion that broaden or advance the discussion without directly attacking another individual’s post.

- You don't have to get in the last word every time. Say your peace and move on.

- Block posters you feel aren't worth your time.

- Use sarcasm with care. And try and avoid it when criticizing someone or someone else's opinions. It just makes you look like a jerk, and can cause people to get into fights because they feel they have been insulted.

- Want to complain? Go ahead, but move on when done. You don't have say the same stuff over and over.

- Walk away for a spell if you have to. The world will not end if you think someone on the Internet is wrong. Give it a break.

- Be adults. Be treated like you'd want to be treated.

 

Again, we are going to keep banning people who cause problems.

 

Typically, we will warn users, or give them a short ban if there is a problem. Repeated problems people will eventually be permanently banned.

 

Please know that we don't take banning lightly. And we realize that not all situations are created equally. We discuss all disciplinary actions. We will generally err on the side of leniency, but know that our patience is running short with many posters.

 

Feel free to PM any mod if you have any questions.

 

Thank you.

 

Your Moderators

[3and2Fastball]

Fantastic! Thank you!!!! Yet another reason why Brewerfan.net will remain the very best place on the Internet for Brewers talk & info.

 

I remember when I joined this site 11 or 12 years ago or so, back in the days when Bill Hall was superman and we wondered if Ben Sheets would ever win a Cy Young. I quickly realized I was in over my head a bit, because other posters had so much more Brewers knowledge than I did. I was put in my place many times, but it was done with facts & insight, never with put downs or insults. It didn't take long before the veterans here recognized that I was a genuine Brewers fan who happened to be a bit opinionated. I've been here ever since. The civility that is the undercurrent of what has been built here is indeed one of the greatest aspects of this place, I absolutely applaud the efforts to make sure it remains.

[markedman5]

Appreciate the effort to keep this site up to the old standard.

 

Thanks

[phnxcrew]

Fantastic! Thank you!!!! Yet another reason why Brewerfan.net will remain the very best place on the Internet for Brewers talk & info.

 

I remember when I joined this site 11 or 12 years ago or so, back in the days when Bill Hall was superman and we wondered if Ben Sheets would ever win a Cy Young. I quickly realized I was in over my head a bit, because other posters had so much more Brewers knowledge than I did. I was put in my place many times, but it was done with facts & insight, never with put downs or insults. It didn't take long before the veterans here recognized that I was a genuine Brewers fan who happened to be a bit opinionated. I've been here ever since. The civility that is the undercurrent of what has been built here is indeed one of the greatest aspects of this place, I absolutely applaud the efforts to make sure it remains.

 

I believe I joined the day bill hall walked us off two days in a row. A homer and a suicide squeeze. Those days were so much more simple.

[Ennder]

I have been guilty of the snide comment part somewhat and I personally even left the board twice now because of how almost gleefully negative so many posters are. Constructive negativity I'm fine with but a lot of posters go way beyond that. I recently put 6 posters on ignore and I have to say the boards are wonderful without having to see those particular posts, I would strongly suggest you go along with the suggestion to just block some people that really bother you. It makes all the difference in the world.

[reillymcshane]

I would strongly suggest you go along with the suggestion to just block some people that really bother you. It makes all the difference in the world.

Thanks for the suggestion, Ennder.

 

It doesn't mean you won't ever see some of those people's posts (due to the fact you can quote them), but it can save a lot of angst to just ignore the troublesome people in your life.

[Ennder]

I would strongly suggest you go along with the suggestion to just block some people that really bother you. It makes all the difference in the world.

Thanks for the suggestion, Ennder.

 

It doesn't mean you won't ever see some of those people's posts (due to the fact you can quote them), but it can save a lot of angst to just ignore the troublesome people in your life.

 

Just so people who haven't done it before know, it still shows that the person you blocked posted and all it takes is one click of your mouse to show their post if you really need to see it for some reason.

[ClosetBrewerFan]

I applaud your efforts. Thank you. I have been checking in on this forum on a daily basis for nearly 20 years and it got so bad I was going to stop due to all the childish behavior. I agree with Ennder that once I started "blocking" a few of the bad apples it got easier to read. This has been a great site for so many years. I'm glad to see steps being taken to fix these problems. Thanks again.

[MadThinker88]

Since I can't add a thumbs up,

I applaud the sentiment & work of the mods here.

 

Wish I could take a few with me to another site...

[Cirilloing]

It's 2018... Can we get a tldr on this?

 

Can i assume it it says something like: People have been acting like dicks, dont be a dick?

[Lathund]

Good to hear, a short leash is the right way to go. People don't have some god-given right to post on a private message board. If their overall contribution to the board is negative, or even if it isn't but it includes a lot of personal attacks or other undesired behaviour, they have no business keeping their posting privileges. Because that is what it is, a privilege.

 

Actual toxicity aside, it seems like the overall quality of discussions has suffered too, but that's a harder issue to solve. A decrease in toxicity could help though, as it might bring some of the good and interesting posters back into the fold. Sadly there is a great deal of behaviour and posting that isn't toxic or trolling or abusive, but that still has a negative impact. This includes, but isn't limited to, a preference for points scoring rather than actual debate, disingenuous argumentation using strawmen or other rhetorical devices and so forth. Just simply the general theme of not being willing to engage, not being willing to see beyond ones own point of view, and all that comes with it. Not sure exactly what one can do about it, as it's obviously an issue that goes far beyond one baseball messageboard, just wanted to bring it up.

[cesser000]

This is good to hear. I've been reading this forum probably since 2003, but only recently did I actually sign up for an account. In the past month or so, I also started noticing a much more negative shift in the quality of the board posts, so much so that I haven't been visiting here much lately. Glad to know that it wasn't just me who felt this way.

 

I will say that I have quite a few posters on 'ignore', and yes, it works wonders

[MrTPlush]

It is probably a good time for everyone to step back and look at how their posting effects the board. Even moderators can get questionable at times in my opinion (sarcastic jabs and other non-direct light attacks). I'm not perfect, I have a post out of line here and there...it happens. Anyone who posts regularly on this site has a questionable post here and there.

 

I hope there can be a crackdown on the negativity around here. If I want that I will go outside or turn on the news. I get it from time to time (especially the IGT), but my gosh some of you sound like you need to see a sports fan therapist or something. No reason to post daily about how the Brewers "always fade" etc. and ruin the moods of others.

[reillymcshane]

 

I hope there can be a crackdown on the negativity around here.

This is a huge issue - especially in the IGTs. There is no need for people to flood the thread with every complaint and every negative thought that they have.

 

I mean, I'm seeing more and more people post negative stuff before it even happens - then are embolden when one of the ten stupid comments becomes reality.

 

This kind of thing is an issue. And we are asking for people to dial it back. We realize that the IGTs are a place to vent a bit - but when the vast majority of the thread is that kind of stuff, it makes it worthless. And to top it off, that kind of behavior tends to spill over into other threads.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

 

I hope there can be a crackdown on the negativity around here.

This is a huge issue - especially in the IGTs. There is no need for people to flood the thread with every complaint and every negative thought that they have.

 

I mean, I'm seeing more and more people post negative stuff before it even happens - then are embolden when one of the ten stupid comments becomes reality.

 

This kind of thing is an issue. And we are asking for people to dial it back. We realize that the IGTs are a place to vent a bit - but when the vast majority of the thread is that kind of stuff, it makes it worthless. And to top it off, that kind of behavior tends to spill over into other threads.

 

To domino off that, I've found that the demonstrably negative posters are also some of the most combative if they are "called" on that negativity. I personally am guilty of escalating arguments with some of these posters, and that's on me. Because instead of backing down on the negativity, they typically ramp it up. It's made the IGTs almost unbearable at times.

 

All us us have vented something at some point. But the constant "sky is falling" or "same old Brewers" mentality lately around here has gotten quite thick. I do appreciate a few of our more pessimistic (or realist) posters, as they have often caused me to look at things from a different perspective. But constantly reading those negative thoughts definitely takes away from the overall enjoyment I get from reading this board. I'm very glad I'm not the only one who has noticed this trend, and thank you for looking to change the culture a bit.

[torts]

I wish every thread was as positive as the optimism thread

[FVBrewerFan]

Can we still be negative towards the Cardinals and everything they stand for?

[Warning Track Power]

I appreciate everything the Mods are doing. I have been here for over a decade and have never seen the type of negativity and backbiting recently displayed. This generally has been an outlet for me from everyday stresses to talk baseball and share ideas, even if they are outlandish or far-fetched. In the past these ideas may have been met with some skepticism and disagreements, but never with outright disrespect.

 

I love that we are attempting to get our forum back to what it originally was...an outlet for Brewer fanatics. Go Brewers!

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I wish every thread was as positive as the optimism thread

 

I love the optimism thread, if only as an escape from the sourness.

 

I remember at some point there being a "Pessimism Thread". Perhaps that might be a chance for the Debbie Downers to still get the negative things off their chest, without dragging down every other thread.

[reillymcshane]

Can we still be negative towards the Cardinals and everything they stand for?

Yes. Absolutely yes. I think it's in our bylaws.

[homer]

I wish every thread was as positive as the optimism thread

 

I love the optimism thread, if only as an escape from the sourness.

 

I remember at some point there being a "Pessimism Thread". Perhaps that might be a chance for the Debbie Downers to still get the negative things off their chest, without dragging down every other thread.

 

There definitely was a "vent thread" at one point in time.

[MrTPlush]

I wish every thread was as positive as the optimism thread

 

I love the optimism thread, if only as an escape from the sourness.

 

I remember at some point there being a "Pessimism Thread". Perhaps that might be a chance for the Debbie Downers to still get the negative things off their chest, without dragging down every other thread.

 

There definitely was a "vent thread" at one point in time.

 

It was maybe 2-3 years ago the negative thread was around. It was in response to being not having the ability to read the optimism thread without being negative towards someone's positivity.

 

I may remember wrong, but it was decided you couldn't go crazy and vent in the pessimism thread like the vent thread you are thinking of.

[82brewcrew82]

I wish every thread was as positive as the optimism thread

 

I love the optimism thread, if only as an escape from the sourness.

 

I remember at some point there being a "Pessimism Thread". Perhaps that might be a chance for the Debbie Downers to still get the negative things off their chest, without dragging down every other thread.

To be fair, I don't think this sort of statement is any more productive than most of the things that are being discussed. It can be, and often is, viewed as passive aggressive snark. I agree that things have gone too far and I certainly do not absolve myself of my role in that escalation but let's not pretend it doesn't rub both ways.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

I wish every thread was as positive as the optimism thread

 

I love the optimism thread, if only as an escape from the sourness.

 

I remember at some point there being a "Pessimism Thread". Perhaps that might be a chance for the Debbie Downers to still get the negative things off their chest, without dragging down every other thread.

To be fair, I don't think this sort of statement is any more productive than most of the things that are being discussed. It can be, and often is, viewed as passive aggressive snark. I agree that things have gone too far and I certainly do not absolve myself of my role in that escalation but let's not pretend it doesn't rub both ways.

 

You're right. That was perhaps a non-fair generalization. Sorry if you took it as an insult.

 

I still think a Vent Thread might not be a bad thing. Although I could see it running out of control, too.

[pacopete4]

Better communication can go a long ways. And that’s on all of us.