Standardised Charters?

Lenny Lovett

Would it be a good idea to standardise the charters? I ask because we have situations where in the same category different forums have opposing rules in their charters. Breaching the charters results in a ban. Keeping up with the different charters in different (but similar) fora can be confusing.

Insect Overlord

Most of the Charters are already based on site-wide rules.
No spam, no porn, no personal abuse, no text speak, no encouraging/facilitating illegal activities, and the colloquially appropriate "don't be a dick" rule.
When using a new forum, it helps to lurk for a while first. That way you can get a feel for the general tone/atmosphere of that forum. Understanding the group dynamic of each forum, when combined with the basic rules above, is the best way to get involved.

There are certain situations where different rules have had to be introduced to ensure the success of different forums. These rules are tailored to be effective in those places, and would not work at all in others. There's no way standardising every single Charter to include all of those rules would work across the whole site.

Tom Dunne

Not a hope.

Would the charter in BGRH (which I mod) work in the non-drinkers forum? Would the After Hours charter work in Personal Issues? Would the Thunderdome charter work in Humanities?

Each forum is its own mini-community, what works in one community may not be appropriate in another. Yes, they are all based on the same common ideas that are relevant across the site (as Insect Overlord points out), but as for having a common charter, it simply wouldn't work.

Lenny Lovett

Fair enough Tom but what about similar forums in the same category. For example Television and Radio. On Televison's charter they actively encourage posters to post news articles related to TV to encourage debate. On radio they barely tolerate them but only on a sticky at the top which a fraction of posters/viewers read. Does that make sense? If so how?

Tom Dunne

Lenny Lovett wrote: »

Fair enough Tom but what about similar forums in the same category. For example Television and Radio.

To be honest, that's up to the local mods to decide. I wouldn't dare stick my nose in there. Nor would I dictate to any mod how to run their forum.

I still would be of the opinion that different forums (even slightly different), different charters.

Lenny Lovett wrote: »

On Televison's charter they actively encourage posters to post news articles related to TV to encourage debate. On radio they barely tolerate them but only on a sticky at the top which a fraction of posters/viewers read. Does that make sense? If so how?

I don't frequent either forum (despite what my username might suggest ), but what makes sense in one forum may not make sense in another. What does and does not make sense is decided upon by the majority in the respective forums.

So saying what goes in TV should also apply in Radio is not really true. If, however, the mods and users decide it should, well then it is up to them to change the charters as they see fit.

Lenny Lovett

Tom Dunne wrote: »

To be honest, that's up to the local mods to decide.

What does and does not make sense is decided upon by the majority in the respective forums.

So saying what goes in TV should also apply in Radio is not really true. If, however, the mods and users decide it should, well then it is up to them to change the charters as they see fit.

So you say that the mods decide. Then you say the majority decide. They don't. You were correct first time. The mods decide. The users don't have a say.

Tom Dunne

Lenny Lovett wrote: »

So you say that the mods decide. Then you say the majority decide. They don't. You were correct first time. The mods decide. The users don't have a say.

You know what? You are just impossible to deal with.

There is just no reasoning with you, is there?

Perhaps Boards.ie isn't for you.

Let me put it to you in terms you might understand - this is a privately owned website, run by volunteers. If you don't like the way we do things around here, go find yourself another discussion forum.

It's not perfect, I know too well there are problems and all of us are doing our best to rectify them. But your incessant moaning about the radio forum, your incessant whining about RTE salaries, your incessant PM'ing is wearing very thin at this stage.

So, I'm going to say it as I see it, right here in Feedback for all to see - cop on, stop moaning or go away.

Your call.