[Please Read!] The Forum in 2011

sNarah

Thank you all for your feedback in the Forum 2011 thread, either by posting on thread or by PM.

Here is a review of the suggested feedback and some implementations, which you may have seen already!

• Name change for the digital darkroom to The workshop, and trying to allow it to be a place to discuss the following (and therefore - hopefully - become a bigger and more used forum):

- Processing
- Gear
- Lights/strobist/studio set up
- Developing (digital/film)
- Shot set ups etc

• In regards to selling and suppliers:

- There will not be a selling thread introduced as Adverts for instance offers a good service for this. If you are selling your gear, you are allowed though to mention this in your sig for instance and link it to where you are selling it.

- Suppliers who are advertising their services will remain to be removed as per the Boards.ie charter. However, we will remain lenient towards regular users trying to help out when done in a subtle matter. We would also recommend that those suppliers post their details in the services offered thread and reply with a link to that post when needed.

• A lot of you feel that the Photographic Expeditions subforum is incorrectly named and therefore missing out on things. The forum include events, exhibitions, the photo book, trips etc. It has now been renamed to suit all the above.

• Amnesty for banned users: banned users can defend their case by PM or though the Dispute Resolution Thread. Current users can also PM us when they feel somebody deserves a second chance. We can't guarantee anything but do take everything into consideration. For the record: some permabanned users have been reinstated into the forum after appeal(s).

• Photo of the week: reinstated (thanks Cabansail)

• Announcements are now being used more often (thanks AnCathDubh) when interesting photo related events are happening. If you find anything deserves a shout out, PM one of us.

• C&C Prefix : due to the new Boards Search, C&C thread are searchable. When we see a thread for C&C that misses this prefix, the mod team will add it!
  

Thank you all again, and remember, if there are any issues or things you would like to change, you know where to find us. Also, don't forget, we miss a lot of things as we don't live online all the time (huzzah), so report a post if it's bothering you. We will never disclose who reported a post, and they can also be used to point out something to us that needs reviewing. So not just spam! Also, PM us if ever you feel you want to discuss something, no matter how small or trivial.

Please start using the subforums more

nilhg

All seems well thought out and logical to me, well done to all concerned.

magicbastarder

sNarah wrote: »

Please start using the subforums more

it's pure laziness on my part, but i *rarely* visit the subforums.

CabanSail

magicbastarder wrote: »

it's pure laziness on my part, but i *rarely* visit the subforums.

We know We talk about you in them all the time.



On a more serious note. We will start to move items in the main forum across now as we see them. So if you have posted a gear related thread it will probably be in The Workshop soon. This, along with the Sticky Gear Advice thread should free up the main forum now for discussion about images.

Tallon

Right, this is by far one of the best forums on Boards!

You listen to suggestion, and act on them.

Un-ban permabanned users

Get involved in all discussions without 'acting' like overpowered mods

Make the place fun with POTW and Photo walks

Thanks to everyone who has made the last year in here very enjoyable for me

charybdis

What is the rationale behind un-banning perma-banned users?

Were perma-bans issued in error? Were the perma-banned users not given repeated temporary bans before being perma-banned?

I doubt they were issued in error and I doubt anyone was perma-banned lightly, so I don't really understand the reasons for a blanket repeal of existing perma-bans and what makes the unbanned users more likely to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner this time as opposed to any of their other temporary bans.

Tallon

charybdis wrote: »

what makes the unbanned users more likely to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner this time as opposed to any of their other temporary bans.

Maturity?

Cakes.

charybdis wrote: »

What is the rationale behind un-banning perma-banned users?

Were perma-bans issued in error? Were the perma-banned users not given repeated temporary bans before being perma-banned?

I doubt they were issued in error and I doubt anyone was perma-banned lightly, so I don't really understand the reasons for a blanket repeal of existing perma-bans and what makes the unbanned users more likely to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner this time as opposed to any of their other temporary bans.

Same thing as saying what makes a murderer not murder again when they're let out of prison.

charybdis

Tallon wrote: »

Maturity?

Which has now been bestowed upon them during this period of absence as opposed to any of the other temporary bans?

Cakesofrice wrote: »

Same thing as saying what makes a murderer not murder again when they're let out of prison.

Aside from the false equivalence, what do you think "makes a murderer not murder again when they're let out of prison"?

Cakes.

The time they have been away from society, or in this case the time they have not been allowed to post here, hopefully those who are banned see that what they said was wrong and won't do it again, if they do ban them.

5uspect

Yay for my Workshop idea!

I'm a little sceptical about the amnesty too. Sure it's great to be forgiving to misbehaving users but some of the permabanned users had plenty of oppertunities to adjust their behaviour and simply didn't bother.

I would like to see a zero tolerance approach taken on anyone reinstated. They've had plenty of warnings already and their presences can often make this usually great forum tedious.

charybdis

Cakesofrice wrote: »

The time they have been away from society, or in this case the time they have not been allowed to post here, hopefully those who are banned see that what they said was wrong and won't do it again, if they do ban them.

Like any of the (presumably) numerous times that anyone who is permabanned was issued a temporary ban and continued to offend?

magicbastarder

i'd be curious as to who would be candidates for a pardon.

Promac

Since a permaban only affects people who choose to believe they can't just open another account and post away, it's a nice way of saying - ok we can play nice - can you?

Lagnagoushee

Can we request that Adverts.ie provide a link to Boards.ie

charybdis

Promac wrote: »

Since a permaban only affects people who choose to believe they can't just open another account and post away, it's a nice way of saying - ok we can play nice - can you?

I might be wrong, but I believe boards.ie's policy is that a ban applies to individuals and not accounts. If someone is capable of opening a new account while not revealing themselves to be a previously banned individual or incurring further bans, then they are practically indistinguishable from a new member.

sNarah

First - about the amnesty appeal:
It was brought up by a few users in the original feedback thread so we thought it deserved a reply. Now, in general, we have very few permabans around here as they really are a last resort. Most of them also come from Admin level rather than from us.

About this amnesty - we're talking users that been permabanned from photography for a considerable amount of time (read: years). Things change. People change. Arguments are forgotten. Most of those users have appealed to us or the admins before and were not allowed back. However, sometimes persistence and a great desire to return works, and users are reinstated as a "normal user". Clean slate, perhaps a tad more monitoring than your average user but not really.

That's about it really...

Lagnagoushee wrote: »

Can we request that Adverts.ie provide a link to Boards.ie

Yeah, that is a bit annoying isn't it? But I see the link to Avderts in the Boards header is gone too. I would recommend addressing the issue here.

sNarah

charybdis wrote: »

I might be wrong, but I believe boards.ie's policy is that a ban applies to individuals and not accounts. If someone is capable of opening a new account while not revealing themselves to be a previously banned individual or incurring further bans, then they are practically indistinguishable from a new member.

We do have tools to compare users and usually nip that in the bud. Rereggin is against the T&C's and a siteban is applied immediately when noticed.

CabanSail

A Permban is a ban that does not automatically expire. It is unusual, but it can be overturned by appeal. We do not hand out bans here lightly as we are generally a forum of responsible adults and quite a cohesive community. When it gets to the level of a Permban it's very well justified.

In the case of a recent lifting of a Permban it has been a success so far. The person involved requested amnesty many times and compared themselves to Red Redding from Shawshank. Eventually it was decided that enough time had passed and the ban was lifted. The return has been a welcome success. This does not mean that every appeal will be upheld.

As for Re-reg's to overcome a ban. This site has some quite sophisticated methods to detect them and they earn the person who tries it a Siteban. You can have a read of those caught in the Prison forum.

Promac

If someone really wanted to re-reg it would be very easy to avoid detection with some basic computing skills. I'm not suggesting anyone do it and please don't PM me to ask how.

The point is that if someone is perma-banned they can easily make a new account if they want to post again but unbanning them first would be a nice olive branch. This is obviously not including anyone who's made a massive arse of themselves.

Tallon

Peoples posting styles are something you cannot mimic no matter what re-reg style you use

magicbastarder

was there ever a 'post your best of the last month' thread?
i think one of the problems with the random photo thread is that there's so much there.

and it's always interesting to see what people think of your photos vs. what you think - might be an idea to have a 'your best vs. your most popular' comparison thread once every month or two.

Tallon

Start it man

magicbastarder

is there a way you can search for your most thanked post?
edit; nevermind, found it.

magicbastarder

should i be let down that my most thanked posts appear to be for my smart comments rather than photos?

jpb1974

I believe in forgiveness... plus life is too short to be worrying about the shenanigans on an internet forum. People get sucked into the most ridiculous arguments and can't stand being wrong.

If you let "theposterbehindthebars" back and limited this person to 10 posts per day it would be punishment enough... they would go demented not being able to reply to every other post... then for every month of good behaviour their post allowance would increase by 1. Simples.

Besides... I'm not quite sure why anyone would plead for re-instatement... if you've been run and beg for forgiveness then you've no feckin pride in your dirty deeds.

@MB: I've laughed a few times at your smart posts... you can't beat a forum poster with a bit of character!

CabanSail

Now that the changes have been put in place for a few days I wonder what you think of the changes.

Have added a Poll to this thread, open for 3 days.

CabanSail

We would welcome feedback on the changes as well as a vote.

Promac

I like the idea of the workshop being where all the threads related to actual photographs and techniques should live - i.e. C&C or help with a project or processing or whatever. Anything technical really that people want to discuss or need help with.

That would free up the top level for general photography-related banter and would stop any C&C threads getting shoved off the front page.

5uspect

I like it, It all seems very tidy and I know where to took for certain threads.
It's nearly like the April fool's suggestion, but in a good way.