Global Banning of all customers on General Chat

[#1]

I think that the mods decision to BAN ALL CUSTOMERS AND MEMBERS from General Chat board is unacceptable.

There has been a few posters recently, that have "spoiled" the normally good relationships on General Chat... As a result, the mods have deemed fit to BAN EVERYONE from using General Chat for 48 hours. to give those involved time to cool down...

ERM>>...  surely the OFFENDERS should be banned,  ( as I was, for 30 days  many years ago ).

.. I don`t recall that BANNING EVERYONE was an option then, nor a necessity, and still is not a necessity today.

99.8 percent of the users of General Chat board, have not broken any of the forum rules, yet those same people have been banned from using the board, because of a few who have not heeded the mods warnings.

This state of affairs shows that the mods have lost their credibility, in "policing" and controlling those miscreants IN ACCORDANCE WITH the FORUM RULES..   Instead, they decide we should all be banned and suffer,

Is this the way this forum should be run  ?

[#2]

Sadly, as I have said to the mods, it's a cop out.

The easy unfair choice where everyone gets caught in the crossfire.

[#3]

I suppose we are all 'collateral damage'.  

[#4]

Personally I think the mods have done the right thing.

Why should PN put up with a lot of the stuff that goes on in the Chit Chat section - the internet is full of places people can sound off and chat or give their opinions on stuff, 

Not sure how much the Forum costs, but I am sure its not free, so having a facility that helps its customers is no doubt worth it, and better than a lot of other ISP similar forums.

Maybe everyone should be reminded and have a read of the Forum Rules and perhaps why it was set up?https://community.plus.net/t5/Community-Announcements/Forum-Rules/m-p/1167432#M8418

[#5]

@Mustrum   So.... you are quite happy to be BANNED for NOT BREAKING ANY FORUM RULE ?   and think that everyone else, who hasn`t broken any rules should also be happy about being BANNED with you..?

PN may supply the forum software, and the technical support for the forum but it was the mods that decided to BAN EVERYONE for NOT BREAKING ANY RULES...

Somehow . I feel that the rules of the forum are no longer legitimate or enforceble, due to this GLOBAL BAN on all members for the misdemeanors of a small minority.

Does this mean, that, in future.... when the mods can`t carry out their duties and ban the miscreants ( like they did to me ). that they can shut down the forum, and "save face" for not acting accordingly..

.

That kind of actions, by the mods, is similar to saying that because one or two persons take to the roads without licence or insurance  (i.e breaking the rules )...  the police ( i.e. our mods ). should be able to ban everyone else from the roads  ? 

Of course... you would be happy with that situation too, I suppose.

Will our members and customers,  have the same respect for the mods from this day forward, because of their action  ? ?

  I doubt it very much..

[#6]

Just not Cricket Old Boy

[#7]

I kind of agree with both arguments presented here - why should we all have to pay for the school-yard behaviour of a very small number (3?) of supposedly adults - one of which I am quite surprised at?

From the other side, having been a mod on a very much more troublesome forum many years ago, I can see that the short sharp shock tactic works.

Personally, I hope the main poop-stirrers get a lengthy ban when the board suspension is lifted - if they want to behave like spoiled brats, take their toys away.

[#8]

This is not exactly the end of the world! I do not frequent chat for the very reasons it appears to have been locked down. I suggest that it is not core to the purpose of this forum service.

Remember that the mods gift their time here. If there are many offenders them it’s quite possible that closing the board is more proficient than banning individual users ... which might have no granularity of control ... that is the individual ban mechanism is to the whole forum service.

[#9]

@Townman I agree with you that Chat is not the core purpose of the forum - far from it.

However, the fact that banning individual members removes their FORUM  access is something those individuals should have considered prior to behaving like unruly children - after all they are all adults and should be able to understand the consequences of their misbehaviour.

[#10]

I was surprised when I read the notice.

I appreciate what the mods do - don't get me wrong. But explain to me what global lockdown for 2 days going to achieve? 2 days pass and the posts subsequently reappear.

Besides, the mods should target the people of their concern - not take the easy scattergun approach of clicking an admin lock button on the forum for 2 days.

Massive waste of time in my opinion - shortly we'll have an ISP forum where all we can read about is speed faults.

[#11]

@Townman you have a very "thin" argument there, in favour of closing down General chat altogether... for someone who does not use it often this is of no consequence..

. but to many users, it is very useful, especially in the way of obtaining guidance and help for non plusnet matters,... such as how to fix a XXXX when it is broken.. or general good quality advice about things like gardening. 

your  statement....  "this is not the end of the world..... "

There is also the very vital "social aspect" of General Chat... some members may not be as mobile as yourself, and may not have someone who visits them every day, so General Chat is a "lifeline" to the outside world... they may not contribute personally, but they will be able to read the board, and gain some comfort of "belonging" to a community, in much the same way as listening to the local radio station and hearing about other things that are happening in their locale.

your statement.... If there are many offenders them it’s wuite possible that closing the board is more proficient than banning individual users ...

Shutting down that service to the whole community, because of a few individuals,  is not the same as what you are saying in the statement above, and  is penalising hundreds of  people without just cause.   As pointed out in my analagy to road use  

@jab1  said.....

kind of agree with both arguments presented here - why should we all have to pay for the school-yard behaviour of a very small number (3?) of supposedly adults - one of which I am quite surprised at?

Exactly the point I am raising here....   this is an extreme knee jerk reaction to a minority of peoples actions on General Chat.

From the other side, having been a mod on a very much more troublesome forum many years ago, I can see that the short sharp shock tactic works.

I am sure that you will agree that General Chat is not generally a "troublesome forum",... and if the mods had taken action with the offenders, by suspending them for a period of 7 to 30 days,  your "short sharp shock" would be applicable to the offenders and not to everyone else

Personally, I hope the main poop-stirrers get a lengthy ban when the board suspension is lifted - if they want to behave like spoiled brats, take their toys away.

Unfortunately, I doubt that will happen....

now that we have all been tarred with the same brush by the mods....

I agree with your response to @Townman post....

[#12]

This is one of the problems of a open forum

one bad apple arrives with the deliberate intention of being disruptive , i hope he/she has been banned

[#13]

Just be happy you've now got something new to whinge about....

[#14]

@rongtw  You can be certain that "he/she" has been banned...... as you have been banned as well.....

So have I...

and so has everyone else...

[#15]

---

@rongtw wrote:

This is one of the problems of a open forum

one bad apple arrives with the deliberate intention of being disruptive , i hope he/she has been banned

---

One bad Apple?

You're not entirely blameless and as for minivan and RobPN.

Any moderation better be applied fairly, to all of us concerned...