I’m not a moderator and I don’t play one on TV. I’m frustrated that we (and I include myself) are screwing up and ignoring essential rules of this community. We are ignoring our own generally understood rules and failing in respecting the forum and each other. Three threads are locked on the first page of the Lounge. One closely parallels a lock from yesterday, and for the same reason. This shouldn’t happen. It’s insulting that we care so little for this space that we can’t manage to pay attention and get the simple things right. Our indifference imposes additional burdens on those who provide us with this forum and who make it a great place to hang and discuss. We generally benefit from not having a “Rules Page” that everyone must read. It’s far better to have the organic, cultural experience that operates here.

Thus:

My take on a brief review of the written, unwritten and cultural rules, as set forth in the apocryphal, unwritten, non-existent Waiver, headings of the sub-forums, and as otherwise posted and developed by Para and the moderators, and understood by the greater community.

Hard Rules: These tend to be in stickies, in bold at the top of the sub-forums. A classic is “Please refrain from putting profanity in your thread titles” in the “What’s Your Deal” sub-forum. It’s simple, straightforward, easy to understand, and still gets missed. Another classic is “If your item for sale is listed on another board and you are not a dealer, do not post your item here”. Again, not hard to follow, but routinely broken. You pretty much don’t even need to open those threads and read the first post. The gist is clear from the title. This is consistent with what Arc’s dictum that “A good thread title tells you both the subject of a thread and why it is being posted” encouraging us to not do click bait titles. Read, learn, cogitate, understand, adopt and sin no more.

Unwritten Rules: These are rules understood from Para’s bannings, moderations, smackdowns, and comments, or inferred from edits and thread locks. They include such well known strictures as:

Don’t Comment on Someone’s Appearance. Particularly in the negative. I.e., with respect to Michael Moore or Hillary Clinton, you can criticize their opinions, actions, behavior, demeanor, and general existence without commenting on their appearance.

Avoid the Needlessly Disgusting and Infuriating. This is a discussion forum. It isn’t a discussion to post a gruesome news story about depraved conduct to then have everyone and their brother fill up the next three pages with “I agree, people suck, and that asshole should be drawn and quartered”. In addition, this stuff just gins up outrage without fostering discussion. We all have enough outrage.

Don’t Post Mass Shootings or Hyped Events. It’s not a race to see who can get the “Breaking News” up first. Facts matter, and opinions without facts are like assholes… (everyone has one, most stink, no one wants to see yours, etc.).

Don’t Post Conspiracy Theories. Just don’t. Not only are conspiracy theories by their very nature fact free, fact agnostic, or fact distortions, they cheapen the discussion on the board and draw internet searches to the board that don’t help our discussion or our cause. We are, at our core, a firearms forum. Firearms folk don’t need to be associated with crackpot bullshit.

Don’t Promote Crackpot Bullshit. Enough said.

Don’t Crap On, or Comment About, a Member’s Wife or Kids. If someone asks for guidance on an issue, fair game. Otherwise, off limits.

Cultural or Common Sense Rules Those rules that we the members should abide by to keep this place the environment that we want it to be.

Read Before You Post. Oy.

Quote Sensibly. It's a discussion forum. Assume members have read what came before. Only quote what you need to quote to make your point, not endless rounds of posts. Oh, and please quote pictures a lot. That helps. Alex Morgan needs the exercise.

JibJabs. Yes, they happen. But on the same page? Sometimes right next to each other? Search works. Not real well, but it does work, as does "site:sigforum.com SEARCH TERM" on Google where SEARCH TERM is the information you want to know.

Casual Cruelty. Respect each other. A member got moderated for a week for posting something needlessly cruel to the OP in a recent thread. You don’t have to agree with everyone on here; you don’t even have to like them, but please don’t be mean.

Don’t Troll the Members. Mild ribbing, yeah, we all have that coming. One of the best is the ongoing gag about our member who can help you pick killer rims for your minivan.

Semi-Naked Women. Really? We have women on the board, and would benefit from more. They don’t need to see us drooling. It’s a big internet out there. Google works. Hubba hubba. I wonder if Alex Morgan is tired of jumping yet. Energetic young lady there…

Sexist or Racist Remarks. Very rare, but they happen. We have lost a female member local to me due to some, and well, see immediately preceding comment.

If You Post, Say Something. Don’t be the SigForum equivalent of “hehe, I just farted…” on Facebook.

Respect Other Member’s Time and Expertise. We lost a good member because he got no rest here from the constant requests for his professional knowledge.

Final Thoughts
There is a degree of anonymity here, but we are not wholly unknown to one another, and our reputations in this community are attached to our usernames. Value reputation as an asset, and cultivate it. I have posted some unhelpful and angry stuff lately. I have resolved to do better.

Please feel free to add your thoughts as to how we keep this house clean. I’m sure I’ve missed a few.

I certainly don’t intend to step on Para’s toes with this post, and I apologize if I am out of line. I am not playing junior moderator or attempting to usurp anyone’s official role. I also don’t intend to call out any member for anything they have posted. God knows, I’ve violated some rules around here, and might be violating some right now. I want to remind us as members to be cognizant of, and sensitive to, the organization, culture and sense of propriety that makes this place so helpful and informative.

If we respect this community, Para, the mods and each other, all this stuff simply falls into place. I have been thinking of writing this post for over three months. I hope it is well received in the spirit in which it is offered.

Peace.

A

ETA: A couple of good additional points.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ArtieS,

Well said!

quote:

Respect Other Member’s Time and Expertise. We lost a good member because he got no rest here from the constant requests for his professional knowledge.

To add to this:

It doesn't appear to just be the constant requests but it also seems like it was the know-it-alls who spent 2 minutes Googling something and then questioning his professional judgment (different than researching and asking an intelligent question).

Some rules/laws are written in blood (e.g. national electric code) and posting without expertise could lead to another member's injury/death. We have knowledgeable professionals from every walk of life and it's best to wait for them to post instead of posting some half-assed DIY approach some YouTuber with 500 views made a video about.

---

Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

Oh shut up, can’t you?

Seriously, though, it was along these lines that I began the Moment of Zen threads many years ago. People just seemed to be really going out of their way to be petty and argumentative. About EVERYTHING .

quote:

Originally posted by clubleaf206:

People just seemed to be really going out of their way to be petty and argumentative.

I DO NOT!

I remember you writing about that a while back. As I recall, part of the driving reason was the angst and anger around the 44th president. I think you started MOZ before I joined the Forum.

I think Para banned political threads for a while back then, too, because members lost their minds for a while. He gradually lifted the restrictions after sanity returned.

Right on, Artie

Thinking that covers most of them save for the multiple posts on the same topic and not providing links or pics to an active auction. Also not naming the lesser forum that you read something else from.

I've copied and pasted from a service manual printed by the manufacturer and told I was wrong a few times, so that doesn't happen anymore.

That being said, this is an awesome forum and the moderators here are the best!

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by clubleaf206:

People just seemed to be really going out of their way to be petty and argumentative.

I DO NOT!

My thread on some recent MH370 findings was locked, and at first I didn't know why. Then it dawned on me how it did look like a conspiracy theory post. In complete honesty, I wasn't thinking in those terms, in fact I expected one of our resident pilot experts to explain how errors in the cargo manifest happen all the time, and don't necessarily point to something nefarious. Oh well, live and learn.

I agree with Artie. That said, this is still the best forum on the intergoogle. I have dumped everything else and only post on here now. Lurk on some of the other forums and you will be amazed.
It will be the equivalent of an electronic Junior High.

“Cut it out Eddie, or I’ll poke ya.” Wally

quote:

Originally posted by kkina:
My thread on some recent MH370 findings was locked, and at first I didn't know why. Then it dawned on me how it did look like a conspiracy theory post. In complete honesty, I wasn't thinking in those terms, in fact I expected one of our resident pilot experts to explain how errors in the cargo manifest happen all the time, and don't necessarily point to something nefarious. Oh well, live and learn.

I figured it was locked because we already have that long thread about the incident to post in.

Good post.

I'll add:

Include links & citations when sharing an article or column.

Don't interject politics into an apolitical thread.

Thanks for the reminder Arties. Worth bringing up occasionally.

quote:

Originally posted by jimb888:
Thanks for the reminder Arties. Worth bringing up occasionally.

Yes - thanks Artie. 16+ years here and it's still the best (and pretty much only) place I visit consistently on the interwebthingy.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:

with respect to Michael Moore or Hillary Clinton,

Can't apply to me because I have no respect for either.

Here’s another suggested guideline for posting:

What would Jim Allen do? Damn I miss that guy.

Link to original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQR3uDQEVl0