Liverpool FC Forum

[Bad Bob]

Recently there has been a call for modest reforms and greater transparency in the administrative functioning of this board.  Whilst we strongly refute the suggestion of moderator bias that accompanied some calls for reform, we acknowledge that the time has come to revisit the forum rules and regulations.  So, after conducting a thorough review of the established system and examining the input made by numerous members, we have come up with some revisions and clarifications to the existing forum rules.  These new guidelines supplement rather than replace the forum rules previously set out by Johnnymac1979 and they are designed to give all members a clearer sense of how the board will be moderated from this point forward.  Over the next couple of weeks we urge everyone to take a careful look at the guidelines outlined below, which will take effect on August 1, 2009.  Please note that the new guidelines will be strongly enforced after the first of the month and members should be prepared to adapt their posting habits accordingly.

In order to start everyone on an even footing, a general card amnesty will also be implemented on August 1st.  With the exception of members permanently banned, all members serving suspensions or with cards on their record will have the slate wiped clean.  It is our hope that the amnesty provides the forum with a fresh start.  With two weeks to run until the amnesty takes effect, however, some members might be tempted to cause a bit of mischief before the slate is wiped clean.  But be warned that the moderators will not tolerate an upturn in abuse or other infractions ahead of the amnesty and we reserve the right to deny amnesty to any poster attempting to cause trouble during this transition period.





REVISED FORUM GUIDELINES


Fundamental Operating Principle

Forum members are reminded that this board is a meeting ground for those interested in engaging discussion concerning Liverpool Football Club, football in general and matters of interest unfolding in the wider world.  In effect, we are an online community drawing on a diverse international membership and, like any community, ours functions best when its members take care to respect other members. As Johnnymac79 has previously said, all members have the right to express their opinions without fear of being bashed or flamed.  They also have the right to offer good firm opinions and to debate strongly.   Disagreement, of course, is part and parcel of any community—particularly one devoted to passionate discussion about the club and sport we love.  Yet, disagreement need not and should not prevent members from showing respect to their fellow community members.  Self-moderation is the key to a successful board.  If everyone keeps this in mind, flame wars can be averted and the board can fulfill its role as a first-rate online meeting ground.


Basic Offenses

Unfortunately, the principle of respect is occasionally overlooked by some members, requiring the intervention of the moderators. There are several infractions that inhibit the smooth functioning of the board and that will not be tolerated by the moderators:

• Persistent insults and abuse directed toward other members or the moderators (see below)
• Persistent baiting or winding up of other members
• Persistent bickering between members in ways that threaten to derail a thread
• Persistent attempts to get other members carded, suspended or banned
• Persistent use of language that could be construed as prejudiced or intolerant toward other races, nationalities, religions, genders, sexual orientations etc.
• Persistent spamming of threads (see below)
• The posting of a Private Message (PM) without the consent of the PM’s author (But note that unacceptably abusive or inappropriate PMs can and should be forwarded to the mods)

Each of these infractions is, potentially, a cardable offense but it is the exclusive responsibility of the moderators to make such a determination. Members should make the moderators aware of potential infractions that may have been overlooked but they should not seek to otherwise influence the moderating process.


A Word About Abuse

Not surprisingly, determining what constitutes unacceptable abuse has long been one of the most challenging aspects of moderating this forum. Everyone has a different definition of abuse and a different notion about how much abuse is tolerable on the board. In order to establish some basic common understanding, however, we offer these guidelines:

• Calling someone a c*nt/pr*ck/tw*t/a*shole or similar is abuse and will lead to alerts and cards
• Telling someone to f*ck off aggressively and/or repeatedly is also abuse and will likewise lead to alerts and cards
• Marginally more leeway will be given if the remarks are obviously intended and taken to be more of a joke than a proper flaming (That is to say that the perceived intent is more crucial than the words spoken)
• BUT the written word is notoriously easy to misinterpret and members bear full responsibility if their intended jokes are misconstrued and warnings need to be issued 
• Volume of abuse also matters to a certain extent: a one-off flash of anger might be allowed to slide while a series of low-grade digs might bring cards if they clog up threads or if the member in question has shown a pattern of abuse

In determining what counts as abuse the moderators will attempt to strike an appropriate balance between permitting passionate expression and upholding a sense of board decorum and mutual respect. As ever, self-moderation is the best way to ensure that abuse is kept in check.


Alerts, Cards, Suspensions and Bans

Members who show a limited capacity to self-moderate will face an escalating series of sanctions:

• Members who commit any of the above listed infractions will first be alerted by a moderator to stop the unwanted behaviour and/or edit the offending comments
• Failure to comply will result in a warning ‘card’ being issued
• Each subsequent infraction will result in an additional card, up to a maximum of five
• Once a member has accumulated five cards his/her posting privileges will be suspended
• In the case of a first offense, the suspension will last for one month
• A second accumulation of five cards will lead to a two-month suspension
• Reaching five cards for a third time will result in a permanent ban
• Temporarily suspended members who return to the forum under an alias before their suspension has been served will have their suspension doubled for a first offense and will be permanently banned for a subsequent offense

Note: these guidelines do not apply in the case of the serious offenses listed below


Card Removal

• Each card issued will stand for one month, assuming no further cards were issued over the course of the month
• If a member accumulates additional cards in the course of the month, any time served on the original card is wiped out and the month clock starts again
• Time will be served on each card sequentially rather than simultaneously, even if multiple cards were received on the same day (for example, if a member is given two cards on September 1st good behaviour will permit one card to be wiped out on October 1st and the second to be wiped out on November 1st)
• It is the responsibility of the carded member to petition the relevant moderator for card removal after the month has been served
• Similarly, it is the responsibility of a suspended member to petition the mods for reinstatement after a one-month or two-month suspension has been served
• Members returning from suspension will be placed on two cards, which will be rescinded after two months of good behaviour


Serious Offenses

Certain offenses are more serious than garden variety abuse etc. and will be dealt with swiftly and decisively by the moderators. The following offenses will not be tolerated:

• Overt and spiteful xenophobic, sexist, homophobic or racist remarks
• Insults directed at another poster’s family members
• Insults that mock another poster’s illnesses or personal setbacks
• Threats of violence or hardship directed at another poster in ‘real life’
• Derogatory remarks concerning the Hillsborough or Hysel tragedies
• The posting of images or links that are indecent/pornographic, graphically violent/disturbing or otherwise in very poor taste (the ‘NSFW’ test)

Offensive posts will be deleted and the members responsible for them will be immediately suspended and may face a permanent ban. In addition, supporters of other clubs, members of other football forums and general trolls who join this forum for the purpose of winding up our members face an immediate and permanent ban. Note, however, that supporters of other teams are welcome provided that they are here to engage in football discussion and/or a bit of light hearted and good natured banter. Permanently banned members who return to the forum under an alias will have all known accounts deleted and will have their IP address blocked.


An Important Caveat

In order to fulfill their duties to the best of their abilities, the moderators reserve the right to depart from the above guidelines as special circumstances dictate. However, such deviations will be rare and explanations will be provided to the relevant poster(s).


Moderating Decisions

Decisions made by the moderating team are done in good faith, with the best interests of the board as a whole at heart and in as even-handed a way as possible.  In light of past difficulties, however, please make note of the following policies:

• Should a member wish to inquire about a decision made by a moderator, they are invited to PM the moderator(s) in question to discuss the issue
• Aggressive or abusive inquiries, however, will not be tolerated and will result in a card
• Responses to inquiries will be reserved for those members directly affected by the decision

Extensive public discussions of moderating decisions will be discouraged. In the past, such discussions have served little purpose other than to derail threads, rehash old grievances and rekindle dormant flame wars. Members are reminded that this board exists first and foremost to discuss football and to share interesting perspectives on the wider world; persistent forum politicking advances neither of these aims and will be shut down. However, broader discussion about the functioning of the forum is acceptable when it is put forward in good faith and when it is not tied to a particular moderating decision.


Spamming

Excessive, repeated or otherwise disruptive spamming of the forum will not be tolerated. Spamming includes, but is not limited to:
• Off-topic posts in a particular thread
• Excessive use of one-line posts, smileys or images, disrupting the flow of threads
• The creation of new threads for topics already being discussed
• The bumping of old threads and polls without adding relevant new comments
• Posts that advertise products, services or other websites
• Posts that seek to sell match tickets for profit (touting)
• Posts or threads that focus excessive attention on board politics in order to air personal grievances (i.e. axe-grinding posts/threads)

The moderators reserve the right to delete spam posts, lock or delete spam threads and issue warnings and cards to members guilty of excessive spamming.


Avatars and Signatures

Members should use discretion in choosing their avatars and signatures and should note the following:

• Offensive or ‘NSFW’ (not safe for work ) avatars and sigs are not allowed
• Avatars and signatures specifically designed to insult or wind-up fellow members are also forbidden
• Links to third party websites are not allowed in member signatures and/or in posts if they are obviously advertisements
• There is no limit to signature size although forum etiquette suggests that they should be no larger than approximately 700 x 200 pixels (if horizontal scroll bars appear on the browser as a result of a sig, it’s too big)

Members will be asked to remove offensive or abusive avatars and sigs and failure to comply promptly will result in cards and ultimately a suspension of posting privileges.


General Posting Tips

• The most important rule to remember is to have a think before you post: read around at first, familiarise yourself with the forum, its rules, its customs, its do’s and don’ts before plunging in

The S*n
• Please refrain from posting quotes from, and links to, The S*n newspaper (if you don't know why, proceed directly to the portion of the forum devoted to Hillsborough and get reading!!!)
• Posting quotes from, and links to, The News of the World is also not advised, due to its close affiliation with The S*n

New Threads
• If you are thinking of starting a new thread you should first read some recent, already active threads to see if your point can be made in an existing thread
• If you still wish to start a new thread please take some time to think your point out and try to put a bit of effort into it
• Threads started with one sentence questions, with cut-and-paste news items or with points that do not offer an opinion or a suitable platform for debate will be deleted
• Threads should be made in the appropriate, relevant forum and off topic threads will be moved by the moderators to more appropriate forums
• In the event that multiple threads on the same topic appear, the moderators reserve the right to merge the two threads or to close one of the threads to keep discussion from fragmenting
• Which thread remains open will primarily depend on which appeared first and/or which is generating the most discussion
• The moderators urge posters not to take thread mergers or closures personally: keeping the board tidy and discussion focused is our primary concern

Quoting Other Posts
• Posters should try to avoid the ‘Russian Doll Effect’ that occurs when a large, unwieldy white box containing quotations from previous posts accumulates over a sequence of posts
• Posters who wish to refer to a single, previous post should quote only that post and should delete earlier posts from their response before posting it
• For clarification and assistance please contact a moderator or any board veteran

Crediting Sources
• When borrowing words and ideas from other members on this or other boards, it is considered good etiquette to give credit to the original author in your post
• When posting whole news items or excerpts from online media outlets please provide a link to the original article somewhere in your post


An Important Disclaimer

Please remember that the moderators and the board administrator are not responsible for any messages posted. We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of this message board. Any user who feels that a posted message is objectionable is encouraged to contact us immediately by the reporting links posted on every message. We have the ability to remove objectionable messages and we will make every effort to do so, within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary.

You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this message board to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law. You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you or by this message board.

The Liverpool FC Discussion Forum is a public system and as such the Liverpool FC Discussion Forum takes no responsibility for the views expressed in messages posted to any discussion.

Any views expressed are those of individuals, and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of Liverpool FC Discussion Forum.

Use of the Discussion Forum is to be in all respects in accordance with the Forum Rules and in using the Forum you agree to be bound by those Rules. 

Entire discussions will be removed only when they cease to be relevant.

Finally, enjoy the forum.

Thanks.

www.liverpoolfc-newkit.co.uk staff

[Number 9]

Fine by me..so I loose a card next month?
Cool!

[Lando_Griffin]

Good golly - do people actually call others c*nts, then?

The rotters.

[Number 9]

Good golly - do people actually call others c*nts, then?

The rotters.

Kunt!!

[bigmick]

Whoever's actually written all of that has obviously put a lot of time and effort into it, and they've done a good job I reckon. It wouldn't have been exactly my solution, but there are certainly bits in there which are better than the current system. Ultimately it is how the thing is administered of course which will determine whether or not it's a success. If those are the rules and they truly will be applied to everyone, then nobody can have any complaints.

[Bad Bob]

Apologies, late nighters, for infringing upon our new spamming rule and gumming up the New Posts board with all the Forum Rules.  It was a necessary one-off addition to each of the rules posts J-Mac stickied in all of our separate forums (except the now redundant Advanced Debate section and World Cup 2006 section    ).  Feel free to report me to a Mod.

[bigmick]

I should also say that I like the idea of everyone being given an amnesty as well. The only pity about the whoe thing is that rules weren't changed earlier, because some of the banned posters will no doubt read them and think that if these guidelines had have been in place at the time, they would never have gor banned in the first place. Hopefully now the rules are clarified, we won't any more posters.

[Number 9]

the "sexual orientations" bit?

Does that mean Im not allowed to call Judge a fuc'king faggot?

[GOAT]

Good golly - do people actually call others c*nts, then?

The rotters.

Keyboard gangsta here

Oh sh.it no please dont hurt me mate

[babu]

Dear Mods,

I think it would be a good idea to start a thread in the advance section and post the name and reason of a person that has been banned.

This would save so much time, discussion and pm's.

Not talking about cards, just bans

[Ciggy]

Who's spammed the forum 

[bigmick]

Babu's idea isn't too shabby either to tell the truth.

[Ciggy]

Dear Mods,

I think it would be a good idea to start a thread in the advance section and post the name and reason of a person that has been banned.

This would save so much time, discussion and pm's.

Not talking about cards, just bans

You dont need to be a rocket scientist to know the reason people get banned. Quite a few of the banned are extremly abusive in pms to the MODS for starters.

[Igor Zidane]

Just another point  i'd like to add . Any links or quotes that are posted from The S*n or The Notw ,should be followed by a warining then a card . Please mods can we start enforcing this ,as i'm sick of people disrespecting the 96 and there families .

[roberto green]

Just another point  i'd like to add . Any links or quotes that are posted from The S*n or The Notw ,should be followed by a warining then a card . Please mods can we start enforcing this ,as i'm sick of people disrespecting the 96 and there families .