Help Us Clean up the ALIPAC Forums

[ALIPAC]

ALIPAC Forum Folks,

Over the last few days we have lost a few people that quit during debates that got overheated. I've also had to personally remove users for conduct that is not appropriate for ALIPAC supporters.

On top of that, our moderators have had to modify and remove posts by several regular users that have been over the top with their anger, rants, and language. All in all there were plenty of people at fault for this deterioration in our discussions.

This makes our job at ALIPAC, which involves a lot of other features than this web forum, very difficult.

I've said it several times and I will say it again... these boards are not a place for people to rant and rage and feel better after venting.

These boards are for the exchange of information, ideas, and views.
These boards are for citizen activists that are willing to work in many ways to fight illegal immigration.

All of us want these forums to allow as much freedom as possible, but in the anonymous world of Internet posts some have forgotten why we are all here and that each other user is a person that deserves respect even when we disagree.

I'm asking our moderators that are kind enough to take the time to manage these forums to be very vigilant over the next few weeks.

I ask all of our supporters to please do all that you can to adhere to the rules, keep people focused on our mission, and help us create a place that an American that is just now learning of our national crisis would feel comfortible participating in.

Everyone needs to keep cool, calm, and collected.

Thank you,

William

[AuntB]

Thanks, William, we need to be reminded of this often.

[Defens]

William, I have seen on many other discussion boards a "report" button on each posting. You can not report a posting which violates the rules without entering your user ID and password, this prevents malicious reporting and a waste of the moderators time. When the posting is sent, it goes to a moderator for review. This method works well on even eBays discussion boards, which can quickly become a free for all. Just a thought.

[Brian503a]

William, I have seen on many other discussion boards a "report" button on each posting. You can not report a posting which violates the rules without entering your user ID and password, this prevents malicious reporting and a waste of the moderators time. When the posting is sent, it goes to a moderator for review. This method works well on even eBays discussion boards, which can quickly become a free for all. Just a thought.

Another forum I regularly visit has that feature. It makes it quick and easy to contact a moderator when you see a discussion or post that is questionable. I think it is a better system than trying to send a PM to a moderator. Besides not everyone on the forum may know who all the mods are, or which one is around at the time of a flair up. Making it easier for forum members to contact a mod would be a benefit to everyone. It would be a great idea if you could add that function to the discussion boards. I know there were a few times I was looking for a "report post" button here on Alipac.

[ALIPAC]

Thanks for the great suggestions. We will look into that.

W

[greyparrot]

Duly noted....and thanks for the heads up.

[BobC]

This forum is most civil I've ever been on. I will certainly abide by the rules and watch my huffy-puffiness, but this forum is incredibly civil by forum standards. Good GOD go into some True Crime forums or political forums or even Motown Forums--I had a Militant Michael Jackson fan threaten to stab me to death with a dull butter knife!! Talk about over-the-top!!!

I think people here are remakably well-behaved.

[WillieB]

It's the trickle down theory or at least that's what I've been told. It starts at the top -- and flows down.

In any discussion, it's only natural for things to get heated. If there are certain specific rules, say like in a bar, post them. Like, in a restaurant: no shoes, no shirt, no service. Or no cussin', no gamblin', no fightin', etc. Lay it on the line and there should be no problems. Expecting anyone to read between the lines or gray areas never works.

Except on TV when it is NOT a reality show. That is one thing we have learned from watching reality TV. No gray areas, no screw up.

But you cannot put a group of people together with a bunch of different views from a bunch of different areas and say "Ya'll play pretty now" and expect that to always be the rule of thumb. That's just not natural.

Hope for the best. Expect the worse. Then deal with whatever happens the best way you can. Most people will play well with others -- especially when threatened. Unfortunately, that's not the best way to get the best out of the people on the forums.

But it will get people to play nice.

[BobC]

I plan to rise above the pettiness in a most Ghandi-like manner. If anyone needs spiritual guidance, feel free to contact me.