Suggestions for Forum

flashback · Post by **flashback** » Mon Apr 14, 2003 5:05 pm

I would like to know any suggestions or ammendment to the forum & it's rules that you would like to see considered.I posted 1 to Keith earlier about instead of a outright ban giving a person a 1week ban so they could see what they would be missing.I remember the old saying that you don't know what you got till it's gone.He has said he would consider it & we do need to remember he's the 1 that pays to have the forum.So don't go to crazy with your suggestions. Remember he has not said anything about using any of them nor have I talked to him about posting this topic.I'm doing this for some personal feedback.

SydsMadcapGirl · Post by **SydsMadcapGirl** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 5:40 am

I think your suggestion was a good one. ONLY because I truly believe RPITI realizes the error of his ways...mainly, needing to chill a bit. He seemed pretty upset by getting banned...and you're right....you DON'T know what you have until you lose it.

I love this forum. I think the comraderie here is excellent. Different points of view, but everyone respects one another. Situations arise, but get resolved. I have already made some friends on this board, and I really like the people here. I really couldn't think of any other suggestions, but really, that one is a good one...but we all also need to realize that Keith knows how he wants things to be, and ultimately what is his decision is what stands. We've all known him to be a very cool, very fair person.....

David Smith · Post by **David Smith** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 11:01 am

I to was speaking to RPITI on line (using msn messenger, something all of you should get) and he does now regret his actions. Ok, so there's not much of a reason to let him back, he broke every rules we had on several occasions, but i guess if we had the week ban he may have stopped there.

Told him a lot of you miss his presense, i assure you he says hello to you.

Yeah the forum is great 'cause of the variety of people here, we got young people (Tommy and me) older people (Drafsak and Greatful Pink) and students so this is Pink Floyd from age groups. I mean, if we were all students where would the fun in that be? Great variety of people, and great people, each and every one of us here.

One last thing i would like to suggest about the actual site, the homepage is just an advert for the dvd really and not particularly pink floyd. Just my opinion here but if you have time maybe chuck a prism or 2 in there.

Post by **Keith Jordan** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 11:57 am

David Smith wrote:One last thing i would like to suggest about the actual site, the homepage is just an advert for the dvd really and not particularly pink floyd. Just my opinion here but if you have time maybe chuck a prism or 2 in there.

True. Not too nice. The site has to pay for itself though.

Those ads have nearly expired so they shouldn't be there for too much longer. Any suggestions as to what it will be replaced with.

BTW, I am still thinking about the 1 week ban rule.

Feeling Very Pink · Post by **Feeling Very Pink** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 1:18 pm

kjnpf wrote:BTW, I am still thinking about the 1 week ban rule.

Why the sad face?

Post by **Keith Jordan** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 1:53 pm

Feeling Very Pink wrote:
kjnpf wrote:BTW, I am still thinking about the 1 week ban rule.
Why the sad face?

I am guessing Keith didn't mean to use that emoticon but a

instead.

David Smith · Post by **David Smith** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 2:24 pm

I'd replace the ads with something a bit more pink floydish, like a white wall or a flying pig or something. Maybe their could be spaces in the wall with links to the sections of the site

Maybe the ads could be pop up things.

grateful pink · Post by **grateful pink** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 2:34 pm

The pop up thing is a good idea except that anti pop-up software is so prevelant that I am not sure how much longer they will be viable and will, therefore, bring income to the site. It costs money to run, I am sure.

If we could only get the band back together! Then we could have new Pink Floyd ads up there all the time!

Post by **Keith Jordan** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 2:44 pm

I finished uni last week and have my finals startiung in about 3 weeks. After that, a job so I can pay for the site without the need for advertising to subsidise it.

Pugs on the Wing · Post by **Pugs on the Wing** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 4:56 pm

I like this suggestion.

I also like the fact that Keith is considering the one-week ban.

I understand the whole "I pay for my site...you don't" concept. I am a webmaster myself and hate it when someone starts telling me what's wrong with my sites and what my content should/should not be. The difference, however, is that my sites are my sites, no one else's. Once you put up a message board and start getting a community involvement the dynamic changes. You are still the master of your domain, but how you run it now has to be subjected somewhat to those involved in your community. Some person (I am talking from my experiences a couple years ago which has absolutely nothing in this world to do with Pink Floyd or music at all...just so you know) while asking for "community involvement" ran his "community website" like Saddam Hussein and anyone who deviated slightly or asked the wrong question or tried to state their position which was opposed to the webmaster, was removed permanently and banned, not to mention demonized by said webmaster and his little yes-men/yes-women. He'd throw temper tantrums and use the same, tired excuse "This is MY website, I can do what I want...waaaah!" True, he paid for it, but without his contributors, his community, he had NO content. Of course he had an endless supply of content from those that were always willing to kiss his butt, but pretty soon, that corner of the web started to see what a webnazi he was, as he systematically eliminated people for some minor "infraction." I think his whole community page thing folded about a year or so later.

I was actually rather proud of myself for getting banned from his site.

But I must say it was rather painful when it happened.

I do not know the reasons RPITI was banned here, but I do know that the polls he was posting did seem to rub Keith the wrong way. I did not see the beginnings of a Rog v. Dave fight at all in his polls, but that was just me. So it made me wonder, are any of us safe? Would I be next?

This is the most intelligent PF forum on the web that I have found, and I told Keith that the first day I joined. Personally, I think it was RPITI's contribution, his well-worded arguments that made me want to join. Here was also a forum where you wouldn't get shot down (as much as on other boards) for saying Roger was your favorite member of PF. But I had to rethink that as of a few days ago. Did I really want to be part of a forum where I have to watch my own words so carefully? Do I want to potentially relive the pain I went through two years ago with my webnazi incident?

I am undecided. I personally can't stand censorship. My husband contributes to my online journal. A while back he wrote something so scathing that I knew it would (unintentionally) offend a friend of ours. I could've chose to censor him and remove his post, but I chose to keep it, even if the outcome would be that our friend never spoke to us again. As it turned out, they communicated with eachother and everything is hunky dory. I feel that can be the way with many things that are censored on the web. I am glad that I chose not to censor. Stiffling his very empassioned words would've made it worse in the long run.

In NEM's last topic he stated that the Tony Blair/Satanist post offended him, but that it was not censored. The thing is, each and every one of us could find something offensive in *something*. When I first joined, I found the constant "Roger is Ugly" bashing to be offensive to me (this is where....I came in), but to me the Tony Blair/Satanist post was nothing more than ridiculously misinformed and conspiratorially silly, just stupid, not offensive. See, where do we draw the line? Whose offense do we pander to? Do we eliminate posts because they offend? Because they're stupid? Because they're foul? Constant misspelled words offend me, sad but true (it's my inner pig). Where do we draw the line? And what about when a post offends some people, but others gain some understanding from it? I saw the "Which Roger/Dave song he wrote solely by himself is your fave" nothing more than an innocuous question along the lines of many similar polls of little consequence.

It's a tough line to walk, that grey line between black and white, what is ban-worthy and what stays in. I don't envy making those decisions myself. All I can do is hope that those in charge realize the effect banning people have on the community as a whole. If I wanted a nice afternoon tea, I'd go someplace else. If I want lively debates about my favorite band, I came here. I hope I still can in the future...there's already enough nice afternoon tea on the web that my bladder is bursting.

flashback · Post by **flashback** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 4:59 pm

Keith,the ads don't bother me a bit & if they help you with cost all the better.It's not like it dominate the site anyhow.

Post by **Keith Jordan** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 5:10 pm

That is an interesting post Mother. Some interesting points.

It is my site and I do pay for it but I didn't put it on the internet just so I could look at it. I don't mind paying for it if it adds enjoyment to peoples lives. I am a sociable and broad minded person and I doubt anybody on this forum could really offend or shock me too much. By OUR forum is not an extension of my personality. What is one perceived from my screen as been offeisive may not be so to somebody else. What the rules are about, basically, is general manners.

I prefer the Waters-led era of Floyd for all sorts of reasons. The no Waters Vs Gilmour rule is to stop people just blurting out Ohh, I hate Gilmour, he is this, he is that or that Roger Waters is this and that. Perhaps he is but that sort of posting is an example of bad manners. This is an international forum but we can still get a consensus on what good manners are surly? I believe, from memory, that ALL the forum rules are "mechanisms" to make the forum be able to be as self suffuciant, dynamic and as "real" as possible. A few months ago, I posted an illustration about you forum users as being like people in a room. People will walk around and talk with each other. But in reality, peopel generally have manners and moderate their own behaviour. I want people to state their opinions but just stick to the rules. Have manners, respect and good tact when dealing with your posts. You all do have responsibility in our community here.

I certainly do not hink that THIS IS MY SITE AND YOU WILL ALL DO AS YOU ARE TOLD!! I think this site is my property but our community. What good would it be me answering my own posts?!?!

But censorship is necessary in my opinion to keep order and civility. But anyway, the show must go on (with four part harmonies)!!

Pugs on the Wing · Post by **Pugs on the Wing** » Tue Apr 15, 2003 5:20 pm

flashback wrote:Keith,the ads don't bother me a bit & if they help you with cost all the better.It's not like it dominate the site anyhow.

They don't bother me either! I think anyone with a modicum of sense will realize that advertising or sale of some product is really the only way to sustain a website which has a large resource requirement such in a message board. It's one thing to pay $8.95 for a domain name and host it for a small amount somewhere when it's just a personal site, it's another thing entirely when your site is more resource-intensive and costs more per month.

BTW, the webnazi I referred to in my prev. post was totally anti-advertising/anti commercial to a point it was like his white whale he was trying to kill.

I say advertise if you need to!

SydsMadcapGirl · Post by **SydsMadcapGirl** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 5:54 am

First a quick thing to Mother: I like your sites. LOL. Just saying so because you had mentioned being annoyed when people were nitpicking at your sites.

Now, Keith: One of the main reasons I came over to this forum was because there was no Gilmour or Waters bashing. I really enjoy Laughing Madcaps, for the most part, but the Gilmour and Waters bashing was just a bit too harsh and overplayed even, even if I HAD felt the same way. It's one thing to state an opinion, it's another to continuously shove it down people's throats. So I completely understand why you have rules...situations can get completely out of control and someone is always going to be pissed off. Getting a bunch of people together with different views can get ugly...there always have to be rules in place.

For instance, my current living situation. I now live with 5 other adults and 2 children (1 of them being my own), and when I first moved in here, the people who lived there thought I would be annoyed by all the rules they have in place. We have different designated chores, have house meetings fairly often, have rules regarding times the internet is turned on, etc. etc. etc., but let me tell you, it works! In the 2 years that these people have all lived together so far, they've only had one actual fight. So even though it may seem overbearing to have so many little rules, it helps us to all coexist VERY peacefully, and even still be friends, not just roommates.

So...that being said...I really, really, really enjoy this board. And the rules are there to make sure that everyone, well, coexists peacefully (not to be repetitive here), even though we don't live together, LOL. That's my point of view.

Post by **Keith Jordan** » Wed Apr 16, 2003 12:07 pm

Thanks Desarae/SydsMadcapGirl!!! The rules do exist to make this a happy and safe place for all and I am learning all the time.