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  • SnowJapan Admin

We want the Shout Box Chat Box to be a fun place where people can chat while they are on the Forums. It is, however, in a very visible position on the Forums - on every page - and everyone who visits these Forums, both members and non-members, can read what is being said in there.

 

For that reason we really do not want the Shout Box to become a place that attracts gutter-level humor, insults, swearing, offensive comments or bad-mouthing other readers (or companies). Here are the main guidelines that we have laid out.

 

- NO PERSONAL INSULTS;

- NO SWEARING;

- NO OFFENSIVE OR "GUTTER HUMOUR";

- NO BADMOUTHING ANY COMPANY OR ORGANISATION;

- NO DISCUSSION OF ANY BUSINESS SERVICES;

- NO ADVERTISING OR PROMOTION OF ANY KIND;

- NO LINKS

 

You can read more here on the Shout Box here:

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/showflat/Number/218296/page/1#Post218296

 

As we mentioned in the above linked thread, things that you can post in the main forums might not be suitable for the Shout Box.

 

In the last few days we have had a number of incidents on there where we had to delete numerous posts. Things were getting slightly out of hand. We are not trying to curtail fun - just doing our job in generally protecting the Forums. Apart from long-term members objecting to content, it also does not create a good impression of the Forums to first-time readers.

 

If we find a post objectional, we are able to delete certain posts, but we do not want to have to be constantly keeping an eye on the Shout Box which takes up more of our time. There are enough things for us to be doing (by that I mean working on the site in general).

 

Apart from deleting individual posts, there are only really two options available to us:

 

1) Turn off the Shout Box so that no-one can use it;

2) Ban members who go against the guidelines. (Please note that a ban from the Shout Box means a ban from the main forums as well - we cannot separate those settings).

 

We really do not want to do either of those. Ideally we do not want to have to keep a constant eye on what goes on in there.

 

So we would like to ask that if you are going to use the Shout Box then please keep within the guidelines that we have set out. Hopefully that way it can develop into an important and useful part of the Forums.

 

Just to be clear - we are NOT saying "don't have fun" or "don't post things that aren't related to winter sports" or "don't post anything silly". That's not what we are saying. We want it to be fun and useful. We are simply asking posters on there to keep it clean and within our guidelines.

 

Many thanks.

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  • SnowJapan Admin

I was sure I had turned it on earlier. Sorry!

 

(The original post by ausi ski bum was posted last night by the way)

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • SnowJapan Admin

No, it is not gone it is turned off.

 

As SJ1 said in a post the other day, if it starting to cause us a lot of trouble then we would rather it be turned off. But we don't want it off and it will be back, but we're going to rethink a few things.

 

We're not going to let just a few people spoil it for everyone. We're just going to have to deal with situations so that they don't affect everyone, but just the people causing the fuss (whether they have made 10 posts or 1000 on the forums).

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  • SnowJapan Admin

Yes we know it is fun.

 

But it is also visible and on every page of the forums (as has been said a few times before) - so we have our guidelines for a reason. Some members may not care about the overall image of these forums to newcomers and the general public, but we certainly do.

 

I think the answer is going to be to simply give out instant without-warning short-term bans to anyone going against the guidelines.

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  • SnowJapan Admin

The problem is that by "taking action" - even when we are effecticely pushed into it - it creates other issues (you know, like having to ban members who are generally not a problem and have posted 4000 messages on here).

 

But we're just going to have to be

 

REALLY CLEAR

 

that we're serious about our intention to uphold the guidelines.

 

The ideal situation is where people control themselves in there rather than make us have to make decisions we don't want to make.

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  • SnowJapan Admin

Thanks.

 

It's either "on" of "off" everywhere on the forums so doing that option isn't available to us, sunrise.

 

More mods is also not an option either (unless they come from members as volunteers) as we are way too busy already with more useful and productive things. SJ1 has made it quite clear that more resources are not going to be put into just policing that area. The solution will almost definitely be people being careful what they say in there with the prospect of getting a ban if you go against the guidelines. Quite simple and reasonable when you think about it!

 

\:\)

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