*** THIS PAGE IS CLOSED UNTIL I'M SATISFIED THIS POST HAS BEEN READ ***
I've been a user here for close to 6 years.
I've been a mod off-and-on for close to 4 years.
This thread pre-dates my arrival.
THIS one thread, is the single biggest cause of ongoing work in the entire forum.
It generates reports 10x greater than any other.
Every time a mod gets a report, it is 'required' to be read. Action may or may not be taken afterwards, but listen to me when I say this ... EVERY report gets read and once you make one, it's available to ALL mods. Before making any determination, we take multiple factors into account. Context of post, previous behaviour history, the likelyhood of creating a flame-war if it's allowed to continue ... etc, etc, etc.
Over the course of the last 2 years, we've noted an escalation in reports from this ONE thread, largely due to the actions of ONE user.
I don not speak for all mods when I say this, but personally I'm so f*cking fed-up with seeing reported posts, if I had my way I'd close the thread forever.
But ... clearly, that's not an outcome the majority of sane users want, and you could make the argument it'll create more work in the long run.
So let's look at our options ...
(a) Ban/infract/punish the user : A quick look at the users last 100 posts dating back one month shows only 5% related to this thread. One one hand, there are warnings that can be issued for content within, but given the lax nature of policing swear-filters, infractions seem an overkill. On the other hand, this idea that the user in question is a constant troll is not accurate. The reality is, they just seem to be when it comes to this ONE thread.
(b) Close the thread : This is a last-choice option. We have other similar threads for other teams. It we close this, it stands to reason it'll just get re-opened later on by someone "new", and we can't argue that closing ALL football teams super-threads is justifiable given issues only seem to occur in one out of many similar threads. A grossly unfair option we're not willing to take. (For the record, I support Nottingham Forest, so now allegiances exist here protecting any one club's thread)
Which leaves just one final option ...
(c) ONGOING MONITORING : Given the user in questions recent history and their 'change of spots', so to speak ...
- The user in question will be instructed NEVER to visit the thread again. Given their recent decisions and the nature of ongoing reports, "zero tolerance" now applies and they are simply not welcome in it.
- The user in question will also be instructed that any breach of this rule will result in an immediate one-week ban, over and beyond the normal infractions process. Politeness is no excuse. Intentions are irrelevant. The equation has been reduced to it's simplest elements ... STAY THE F*CK OUT ... FOREVER ! .... We can view who is in which thread at any given time. If this users name appears in the visitors list, "BAM !", insta-ban on the grounds they are an ignorant douche who can't listen to simply instructions.
- A requirement will be placed on all active fans in this thread to take ownership of it moving forward ... DO NOT mention the user in questions name, or post anything that will potentially result in them making a response. If you never mention them again, and pretend they vanished, they can't come running in here to defend themselves from any perceived attack, because it simply wont exist. If you see the user in question in here again, REPORT "IT" and nothing else !
In summary .... IT ENDS TODAY, GENTLEMEN !!!
If we chose to, we could wipe out 75% of mods ongoing workload with a few quick clicks of a mouse. Time spent on issues like this means less time enjoying LOL's, talking about the Bulldogs and interacting with the dozens of funny bastards that frequent here. It erodes your ability to 'enjoy' the forum, and why ? ... Because a couple of idiots can't control their impulses.
At the end of the day, we don't care about your thread, and we could certainly do without the ongoing work.
But contrary to popular belief, we ARE more-than-reasonable people. It stands to reason if other football teams fans get to have a super-thread, so should this team, and the actions of a few unhinged loose cannons shouldn't result in the wholesale closure of it.
PS : Thumb this post (any colour, I don't care), and when the count gets to 12, I'll re-open this thread.