The Soccer Forum

Handsome Bob

I have read the rules for the Soccer forum and I have to say I am dismayed with the criteria to be able to post in it.

I have got more than 50 posts. What I don't have is a month's membership under my belt.

I wish to cause no offence, but this membership rule is a joke. Am I meant to believe that this 'requirement' is to make sure there are no spammers in the Soccer Forum? I have read many posts from the soccer forum and I have seen ridiculous posts from so called 'experienced' members. If you check my history I am by no means a spammer and am quite intelligent in what I post.

So please, can someone explain themselves in regards to this month's membership requirement? In my opinion it achieves nothing. Would judging each poster's on their individual merit be a better system? I think so.

Mr Magnolia

It stops a [soccer] banned user signing up a new account bombarding boards with 50 crap posts and then applying for soccer access. Stick it out, it won't be long going round

6th

50 post is easy, it takes less than 2 hours. If someone wanted to spam it would take no time - having the 1 month rule would put off alot of spammers.

Now on to you because you believe you are a special case.

Why should the mods have to judge each case individually? The way it is works very well and modding can be time consuming enough as it is.

Just as a little warning to you when you are here a month and apply: The mods may take a while to grant you access (if they do at all) because they have real lives. Don't stomp your feet if/when that happens.

Handsome Bob

6th wrote: »

50 post is easy, it takes less than 2 hours. If someone wanted to spam it would take no time - having the 1 month rule would put off alot of spammers.

Now on to you because you believe you are a special case.

Why should the mods have to judge each case individually? The way it is works very well and modding can be time consuming enough as it is.

Just as a little warning to you when you are here a month and apply: The mods may take a while to grant you access (if they do at all) because they have real lives. Don't stomp your feet if/when that happens.

Well as a passionate fan, when I see what I feel are incredibly misleading posts about a situation I find it rough that I cannot reply to those incredibly misleading posts.

Don't worry 6th, I have a life myself. I just want access to that forum for the reason I mentioned just above. And as I said, I do not spam so I have invested by 113 posts in worthwhile replies.

gandalf

There the relaxed requirements you would have loved the previous ones that were in place

They are there for a good reason. Relax you will be in soon !

6th

LZ5by5 wrote: »

Well as a passionate fan, when I see what I feel are incredibly misleading posts about a situation I find it rough that I cannot reply to those incredibly misleading posts.

Sounds like you want to get in there and set a few things straight, so here are some more tips:

1: If you have a problem with a post report it. Getting into an argument might get you banned - even if you think you are in the right.

2: Don't get wound up by posts or other posters.

3: If you get angry and are about to post ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?"

smashey

LZ5by5 wrote: »

I have read the rules for the Soccer forum and I have to say I am dismayed with the criteria to be able to post in it.

I have got more than 50 posts. What I don't have is a month's membership under my belt.

I wish to cause no offence, but this membership rule is a joke. Am I meant to believe that this 'requirement' is to make sure there are no spammers in the Soccer Forum? I have read many posts from the soccer forum and I have seen ridiculous posts from so called 'experienced' members. If you check my history I am by no means a spammer and am quite intelligent in what I post.

So please, can someone explain themselves in regards to this month's membership requirement? In my opinion it achieves nothing. Would judging each poster's on their individual merit be a better system? I think so.

Meh. Wait a month and apply.

What's so important you have to get access now? What did you do before you joined boards?

Handsome Bob

6th wrote: »

Sounds like you want to get in there and set a few things straight, so here are some more tips:

1: If you have a problem with a post report it. Getting into an argument might get you banned - even if you think you are in the right.

2: Don't get wound up by posts or other posters.

3: If you get angry and are about to post ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?"

Argument as in? If you mean as in debating and if it descends into farce and personal insults then okay, I never do that.

I don't get angry.

Handsome Bob

smashey wrote: »

Meh. Wait a month and apply.

What did you do before you joined boards?

:rolleyes: 'The get a life' insult, how original. Some people have free time in the midst of studying/ working, you know, leisure time?:rolleyes:;)

6th

I didnt see an insult in smashey's post?

6th

So do you understand the need for the 1 month yet?

smashey

LZ5by5 wrote: »

:rolleyes: 'The get a life' insult, how original. Some people have free time in the midst of studying/ working, you know, leisure time?:rolleyes:;)

Where was the insult there?

You come on here raving about access to the soccer forum and questioning the rules. Well, guess what? The rules are there for a reason.

I'll repeat my questions. What's so important that you need access so urgently and can't possibly wait a month? Considering you only joined here recently, where did you post about soccer before coming to boards?

6th

smashey, do you not understand?! He see people giving mis-information!! Only he can save the Soccer Forum!!

Look at his post history too ..... man he loves the roll-eye smiley.

RoundyMooney

Where was the insult there, OP?

Soccer is one of the busiest forums on boards. I'd be the first one to campaign for more relaxed access rules (and have done), but the guys are obviously doing something right.

It's a month, deal with it, and you too can post away with the rest of them.

Handsome Bob

smashey wrote: »

Where was the insult there?

You come on here raving about access to the soccer forum and questioning the rules. Well, guess what? The rules are there for a reason.

I'll repeat my questions. What's so important that you need access so urgently and can't possibly wait a month? Considering you only joined here recently, where did you post about soccer before coming to boards?

I took your 'What did you do before these boards' as a jibe, my mistake. I am only a member of one other forum and it is not really football orientated. I joined boards.ie for broad discussion, including football, but then I found I gotta be a member for a month to have access to that forum.

And yes 6th, I understand. I always understood, I guessed it had something to do about spamming. Still not fair for those of us you don't spam though.:( I use rolleye when it's neccessary 6th, which is alot on these boards.:)

RoundyMooney

The access hoops are not in place to prevent spamming, but as a result of massive infighting and bitching among the users there.

The forum was at one point closed as a result, and only reopened subject to stringent access rules, a watered down version of which are in place today.

6th

Once you get into the forum you'll reap the benefits of the access rules.

Handsome Bob

RoundyMooney wrote: »

The access hoops are not in place to prevent spamming, but as a result of massive infighting and bitching among the users there.

The forum was at one point closed as a result, and only reopened subject to stringent access rules, a watered down version of which are in place today.

In what sense? Heated debate? Or debate that descended into childish name calling?

RoundyMooney

A search here should clarify matters. The latter tbh.

hullaballoo

LZ5by5 wrote: »

In what sense? Heated debate? Or debate that descended into childish name calling?

Both, really. In fact, it's still ongoing. People tend to get so easily upset when others say things about their team/team managers/players. It's really a social phenomenon, but it doesn't mean that it's ok to break what are site-wide decency rules.

You even see neutral supporters getting dragged down. It's really quite amusing. That said, I'm a neutral supporter (in a loose sense) and I can still see myself being riled by some of the comments that are passed in that forum.

Sherifu

It's only a month now? Soccer mods are going soft. :pac: What's the big deal OP? Take up knitting.

DeVore

The reason for the one month wait is to have something "invested" in that account which might make them think twice before going off on an abusive rant against <insert-club-name>'s fans/manager/latest-signing.

In this way, they know that if they are banned it will be a month at least before they are able to try and sly back in.

Hope this is clear. Its non-negotiable too because its impossible to tell who IS and who ISN'T going to be a muppet. (nb: taking their word for it isnt a good option!)

DeV.

GuanYin

As a Soccer Mod (and the one who generally stamps your entry visa), I can tell you, I've gradually relaxed the rules for entry (to the dismay of some) to a point where you can actually sign up and get into the forum without having to become a known boards.ie community member first.

Soccer is tribal by nature. It is a LOT different to the rest of boards, because people enter with pre-emptive prejudices and axes to grind against other supporters. They don't know these people so sometimes, in the heat of debate, they will say and do things that are both inappropriate and outside of their normal character. I've been asked by many mods why the soccer forum turns normally reputable people into abusive muppets. I have no answer.

The rules are in place with the following rationale. 1 month is a reasonable time to contribute to a community, see what the atmosphere is like and get to know hoe the site works. Hopefully at that stage you will have invested enough to not want to have to sign up again to get access.

1 month is also enough time to post 50 posts (some people only have passing interests in other areas of this site) that aren't spam. I actually read peoples posts (well some of them anyway) and if it looks like they've spammed alot of 1-2 word posts and have alot of infractions, they don't get into soccer.

I know it is inconvenient, I know it isn't ideal, but it is better than what existed before (I'm told) and considering we still get alot of muppetry in soccer (although the general community are awesome as a whole - you get far more discussion and insight here than other soccer fora I read) I wouldn't like to mod it if we didn't have some form of security.

Handsome Bob

I hear what you are saying and I understand. But you are always going to get muppets in any forum bringing a thread down. It's just that I've never come across something like this in any forum. The other forum I am a part of, The Hype, moderators hand out warnings for abusive behaviour. And if they continue in that way they are banned. It's simple.

GuanYin

LZ5by5 wrote: »

I hear what you are saying and I understand. But you are always going to get muppets in any forum bringing a thread down. It's just that I've never come across something like this in any forum. The other forum I am a part of, The Hype, moderators hand out warnings for abusive behaviour. And if they continue in that way they are banned. It's simple.

It is simple.

However, it did, in the past, lead to users registering multiple accounts and using their extra accounts to abuse, troll, flame etc etc.

There was a banning a day, sometimes more. I often wonder how many boards accounts were borne from soccer muppetry.

Now we get a banning every couple of weeks, we have a community and for the most part, we have intelligent, insightful discussion.

Its a trade off, but we're the 3rd busiest forum on the site. Considering we're a private forum, we must be doing something right.

On the bright side, when you do apply, at least I know you've read the charter

Handsome Bob

That's good to know.:)

I thought though if you ban someone you are banning their IP, so they can't activate other accounts. Unless they are using different computers of course!:o

Rb

6th wrote: »

Sounds like you want to get in there and set a few things straight, so here are some more tips:

I agree, that's exactly what it sounds like which is certainly not a good sign

6th wrote:

2: Don't get wound up by posts or other posters.

3: If you get angry and are about to post ask yourself, "What would Jesus do?"

"Do as I say, not as I do"?:)

_blank_

PSI: Las Vegas wrote: »

for the most part, we have intelligent, insightful discussion.

Heh, funny.

Anyway, OP, there are two links in my sig, where it says "Dark Days Indeed"...see?

Click one of them, it'll bring you to a thread from the time the Soccer forum was actually closed as a result of complete muppetry.

The access rules in place work very well imo.

We've only had one muppet recently, and he's been banned

GuanYin

DesF wrote: »

We've only had one muppet recently, and he's been banned

He's not a muppet, he's just proud.

Handsome Bob

rb_ie wrote: »

I agree, that's exactly what it sounds like which is certainly not a good sign

When I make a point I get it across clearly and with reason, losing the head is the worst thing you can do when trying to make an argument. So, you would be wrong with this assumption.:)

6th

rb_ie wrote: »

I agree, that's exactly what it sounds like which is certainly not a good sign

I'll tell you whats not a good sign ..... rb_ie and 6th agreeing on something!