Coach_McGuirk
14 Sep 2004, 10:47 AM
Guys, it has come to my attention that the board is getting a bit out of hand lately. This is the busiest forum on BigSoccer, and since Arsenal apparently are the Oakland Raiders of the Prem (hated by quite a few), we get our fair share of trolling, inflamatory threads, etc. Rick, Andy, and I try our best to be "easygoing" mods and sort things out behind the scenes through PM's and what not. In the entire time I have been modding only one yellow/red card has been given out by an Arsenal board mod, and that was for a SERIOUS violation of the TOS. We'd like to keep it that way, and get the board back to what it has always been about: discussing Arsenal. Sometimes it's serious, and often times we do joke with each other, but we have a pretty tight-knit community here. What is disturbing is that many long time posters do not post here anymore, or do so very infrequently, simply because we are getting away from what this is supposed to be about.
I'd like to ask for everyone's help in getting the board shaped up again. Here's what I need from you guys:
1. Don't Feed The Trolls: there are a few who come in quite a bit. You don't need me to name them because you already know who they are. If someone's trolling, just point out that we don't appreciate it. I'm as guilty as anyone about "winding 'em up", so I'll make an extra effort to just delete the stupid posts and we can get on with the discussion.
2. Keep the Petty Bitching to a Minimum: Just like a real family, our "Arsenal Family" has spats every now and then, personality clashes, and just plain loathing. Let's keep it "behind closed doors". Send 'em a PM to tell them they're full of crap, don't derail the thread with it.
3. Don't Troll Other Boards: We troll, and they troll right back. Pretty self explanatory. Don't give 'em any ammo.
4. Give Newbies and Posters from other Clubs a Chance: Some newbies post a few times and then stop because they get ridiculed for their lack of knowledge. For the most part, our regulars do a fantastic job in welcoming the new guys (and gals), but sometimes we get a little full of ourselves. Again, I myself need to work on that, so this isn't directed at anyone in particular. Remember: we were all newbies once (except Ian, who I believe was posting on BigSoccer before it officially opened for business), so let's give the new folks a chance. I'm going to sticky a "Newbies" thread so they can get welcomed properly and have a thread where they can ask those questions they might not ask otherwise. Also, just because a guy supports ManU, Chelski, or any one of a number of our rival clubs, does not mean that they automatically are full of it. There are some very knowledgeable guys who support our arch-rivals. Many of them post well thought out and resonable opinions, so let's try and encourage discussion instead of saying "(Fill In the Blank) Scum"!
Guys, this isn't a lecture. I am as guilty as anyone of the "heinous crimes" listed above. Basically, I want to try and get the forum back in a form where some of our old regulars can come in and talk about Arsenal again without having to wade through pages and pages of crap threads.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions on what we can do to make the place better, by all means post 'em right here.
Now we will return to our regularly scheduled footy discussions.
I'd like to ask for everyone's help in getting the board shaped up again. Here's what I need from you guys:
1. Don't Feed The Trolls: there are a few who come in quite a bit. You don't need me to name them because you already know who they are. If someone's trolling, just point out that we don't appreciate it. I'm as guilty as anyone about "winding 'em up", so I'll make an extra effort to just delete the stupid posts and we can get on with the discussion.
2. Keep the Petty Bitching to a Minimum: Just like a real family, our "Arsenal Family" has spats every now and then, personality clashes, and just plain loathing. Let's keep it "behind closed doors". Send 'em a PM to tell them they're full of crap, don't derail the thread with it.
3. Don't Troll Other Boards: We troll, and they troll right back. Pretty self explanatory. Don't give 'em any ammo.
4. Give Newbies and Posters from other Clubs a Chance: Some newbies post a few times and then stop because they get ridiculed for their lack of knowledge. For the most part, our regulars do a fantastic job in welcoming the new guys (and gals), but sometimes we get a little full of ourselves. Again, I myself need to work on that, so this isn't directed at anyone in particular. Remember: we were all newbies once (except Ian, who I believe was posting on BigSoccer before it officially opened for business), so let's give the new folks a chance. I'm going to sticky a "Newbies" thread so they can get welcomed properly and have a thread where they can ask those questions they might not ask otherwise. Also, just because a guy supports ManU, Chelski, or any one of a number of our rival clubs, does not mean that they automatically are full of it. There are some very knowledgeable guys who support our arch-rivals. Many of them post well thought out and resonable opinions, so let's try and encourage discussion instead of saying "(Fill In the Blank) Scum"!
Guys, this isn't a lecture. I am as guilty as anyone of the "heinous crimes" listed above. Basically, I want to try and get the forum back in a form where some of our old regulars can come in and talk about Arsenal again without having to wade through pages and pages of crap threads.
If anyone has any ideas or suggestions on what we can do to make the place better, by all means post 'em right here.
Now we will return to our regularly scheduled footy discussions.