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[Saracen999]

Actually, no.
Well, that's the intended purpose, but some forums are actually more like dictatorships. The better ones are, anyway. The worse ones are closer to playground cliques with senority, and thus the higher rank of opinion, usually based on post count, time as a member, or simply knowing the admin staff in real life.

Hexus is a shining example of the direct opposite, incidentally, which is why we love it here.


So far.
But I'm sure you have several arch-nemeses that are simply biding their time, cackling to themselves, and/or forming the finger-pyramid of evil contemplation as they plot your downfall via elaborate schemes.
Meanwhile, you should probably still look out for any minor, but still formiddable, forumites... particularly any that you may have busted during your first month as a Rookie. Those are usually the ones that come back to haunt you first, although the upside is that, being minor offenders, you will usually spot them coming.

If all else fails, you can just call Batman to deal with it. That's what Commissioner Gordon does when his similar background resurfaces, right?

Dictatorships is a harsh word, but there's an element of truth to it. We had (and have) some fairly strict rules, but always for a reason. That reason might be legal, or it might be to do with the kind of environment we wanted, or something else and we couldn't always (for legal reasons) even always explain why.

One thing you can't do is is create an environment that suits everybody. For instance, some people .... let's call 'em free spirits .... never saw a rule they didn't want to challenge, or outright break. Then you have a clash of cultures, and either they turn this place into their version of what it should be, or after a few chances, we have to crack down. And we weren't about to let this turn into a free for all. At that point, conflict is pretty much inevitable, and if some really are such free spirits that they can't or won't cope with abiding by rules .... they're better off among other free spirits. I've certainly briefly joined, then left, some forums that, for my taste, as too ..... ummm .... free.

As for lurkers looking for a chance, and treating that seriously for a moment, if that's so I'd suggest they need to get a life. But if they get too .... creative ... I suspect the mod team would step in, and if not, that's what ignore-lists are for.

Thing is, having now more or less retired, I find less and less I need computers for. Or rather, that I need net-connected computers for. Hexus is one of the very few things I need a net-connection for at all, and most of what I need I can do with unconnected machines. And now that I'm just a member, I can log in or not as I wish, and if ended up dumping the internet entirely, well, more time for the things in life that really matter like family and making the best use of the dwindling years (I hope) left.

So even if those lurkers actually managed to drive me off Hexus .... they might be doing me a favour, if they're sad enough to really care enough to bother. That'd be ironic, wouldn't it?

[Ttaskmaster]

Dictatorships is a harsh word, but there's an element of truth to it. We had (and have) some fairly strict rules, but always for a reason.

I was specifically not talking about HEXUS with that assertion...

[Disturbedguy]

Wow. This guy really think someone gives a poop about what he has to say

Surprisingly this isn't the first time this....person...has posted such drivel in reply to Saracen and others -

https://forums.hexus.net/hexus-news/...ml#post4089464

https://forums.hexus.net/hexus-news/...ml#post4075385

Surprised they haven't been pulled by an admin / mod yet.

[Ttaskmaster]

Surprisingly this isn't the first time this....person...has posted such drivel in reply to Saracen and others

Where's the Wasteland when you need it most...?

[Saracen999]

I was specifically not talking about HEXUS with that assertion...

Oh, I know. Sorry, didn't mean to imply that you did.

What I was getting at is that despite you not asserting that, it is an assertion thoat's been made on oand off several times.... along with mods being called Nazi's .... usually by someone that knew and broke the rules, and objectex to facing the conseauences.

What I was getting at is that it's partly true - it has to be if you want to avoid a free-for-all. It's probably true of all, or nearly all, forums except the free-for-all.

Probably the best I've seen as not being quite a free for all and certainly not a dictatodship is TPR - Phoenix Rising - though to be fair I don't really drop in often enough to have a clear impression of how it's progressed over time. I ought to go more, they're a good bunch.


But most forums have to enforce some sort of rule-set to avoid being anarchic, probably even TPR. And as soon as you do, someone will call you a Nazi and the site a dictatorship. As most sites aren't crowd-funded with elected mod-team, I guess it's ultimately a case of 'he who pays the piper calls the tune'. So to that extent, it's true - the bill payer has ultimate control over the site.

Here, DR takrs a very light hand, but the admins are there to do it for him. Kinda.

[Saracen999]

....

Surprised they haven't been pulled by an admin / mod yet.

Without breaching any confidences, because if it has been discuzsed I just don't remember it, but I can think of a couple of reasons, hypothetically, why that might be the case -

1) Nobody noticed it, and it wasn't reported, or

2) A philosophy known as "Don't feed the trolls".

But since I don't remember it, it can only be hypothetical.

[Disturbedguy]

Without breaching any confidences, because if it has been discuzsed I just don't remember it, but I can think of a couple of reasons, hypothetically, why that might be the case -

1) Nobody noticed it, and it wasn't reported, or

2) A philosophy known as "Don't feed the trolls".

But since I don't remember it, it can only be hypothetical.

Yeah, it wasn't a dig at any mods / admins, past or present. More that Hexus mods / admins are usually quite quick to shut people like that down

[Saracen999]

Yeah, it wasn't a dig at any mods / admins, past or present. More that Hexus mods / admins are usually quite quick to shut people like that down

Oh sure, DG, and it didn't look like a dig, to me. But one reason we were so fast is we
lot a lot of help from members. It's much more likely to be spotted if reported, but yeah, the team are pretty good at catching things anyway.

[peterb]

Oh sure, DG, and it didn't look like a dig, to me. But one reason we were so fast is we
lot a lot of help from members. It's much more likely to be spotted if reported, but yeah, the team are pretty good at catching things anyway.

Very true - we can't be on the boards 24/7 so - as we have often said before - we rely on members of the community in bringing things to our attention. We may not always act on them, but we do look at them.

Personally I try to provide some feedback to the reporter, if its something I have taken some action on although sometimes (if Im out and about for example) that might not happen!

[Ttaskmaster]

I guess it's ultimately a case of 'he who pays the piper calls the tune'. So to that extent, it's true - the bill payer has ultimate control over the site.

But it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune, then the piper will lead us to reason...

Then a new day will dawn, for those who stand long, and the forests will echo with laughter!