ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS

Tell us how to make the site a better place, and we'll pretend the idea was ours all along.....

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Bench
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ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS

Post by Bench » Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:18 pm

Abuse, backbiting, infighting and threatening behaviour...


There has been a growing theme of abuse, backbiting, petty insults, threats, inflighting and (in some cases) trolling on these boards over recent weeks and months.

Maybe these negative characteristics are a product of the (apparent) plight of our beloved Bolton Wanderers and our diminishing league position? Maybe not. Either way it doesn't really matter. It is going to stop. End of. And I'll tell you why.....

TW was set up in an effort to provide a stimulating website and forum for fellow fans of the Whites could debate and argue the issues that they held dear. It is this underlying theme that has allowed us to become as big as we are as quickly as we have (in less than three years). We don't partake in text speak as on Rivals and we're not as heavily modded as 606 or other smaller independant websites. We have a front page that has regular fresh articles and match reports that are regularly penned by our own members. We DON'T have any advertising or sponsors - and so the only really invested interests on this site are those of the people who run it.

The aforementioned abuse, backbiting, threats and tit-for-tat insults are threatening to destroy all this hard work. Seriously. The older members are a little tired of it and have either reduced their posting or stopped altogether and it's certainly driving away newer members or less frequent posters. This hurts us in two ways :

1. it's usually the older members who contribute both new articles and good topics / counter arguments for informed debate and the forms;

2. The next 'newbie' may be writing an article or match report.

I'll give you a for instance. This was recently posted by Rated R Superstar:
Rated R Superstar wrote:*OFF TOPIC NOTE* I haven't posted in a while because of issues with my computer, but on coming back to this board I was surprised at the amount of arguing going on. Debate is good as long as at the end of it all we're all still friends with the common bond that is Bolton Wanderers. It's not necessary that everyone agrees all of the time, afterall debate is what internet forums are about. But I, like many others registered here because TW is one of the few message boards, (football or otherwise) that isn't filled with text-speak and mindless abuse from morons who act all tough from behind a keyboard.
This is why we're stepping in. We were hoping that things would calm down and that the various personalities who wage their little fueds would either grow up or get bored. As this hasn't happened, we're left with little choice - other than to see TW crash and burn. Modding will be stepped up over the coming weeks and any posts that contain abuse or threatening langauge will be deleted. We'll be adding another mod to the rosters in the next week or so to assist. Repeated offenders will be warned and then given a months ban to cool off.

THIS IS NOT AN ATTACK ON FREE SPEECH. It is about allowing differing opinions to be aired and when there is disagreement, that reasoned cases are put. If you still don't agree - walk away and say 'fair do's'. Its not rocket science.

Even Commie, who could start an argument in a phonebox, recognises the difference between debating and debasing:
Commie wrote:I'm all for disagrement (understatement!!) and differing views on the club we ALL support but let's all open our minds as to the views of each other even if you then shoot them down with facts or question them rationally. Don't dismiss them out of hand.
Smarties have answers.....

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Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:38 pm

Well said that man - we're all BWFC fans, we're all reasonably intelligent and discussion's much better than dissin'.

:pissed:

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Re: ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS

Post by communistworkethic » Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:45 pm

Bench wrote:
Even Commie, who could start an argument in a phonebox, recognises the difference between debating and debasing:
No I couldn't!!

Now who's throwing the insults around??????

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Post by David Lee's Hair » Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:47 pm

here here to that bench
Professionalism, the last refuge of the talentless

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Post by TANGODANCER » Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:57 pm

:pray: :pray:
Si Deus pro nobis, quis contra nos?

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Post by Montreal Wanderer » Tue Apr 24, 2007 1:35 pm

Sounds good to me and cases are usually fairly clearcut. However, we have to be able to distinguish between unpleasantness and attempts at humour (perhaps Mr. Green and wink can be useful here). For example, is someone threatening to use the back of his hand a genuine threat or humour? I must confess I found that sort of posing more humourous than anything else.

PS. Bench, I read this after my post regarding junk mail which you can ignore. :oops:
"If you cannot answer a man's argument, all it not lost; you can still call him vile names. " Elbert Hubbard.

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Post by blurred » Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:32 pm

Who's the new mod?

If you're after a pinker, fluffier, more friendly TW then my money's on Gertie :D

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Post by Montreal Wanderer » Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:47 pm

blurred wrote:Who's the new mod?

If you're after a pinker, fluffier, more friendly TW then my money's on Gertie :D
She's far too nice to be a mod! Not sure that came out right, as the bishop said to the actress
"If you cannot answer a man's argument, all it not lost; you can still call him vile names. " Elbert Hubbard.

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Re: ATTENTION ALL MEMBERS

Post by boltonboris » Tue Apr 24, 2007 2:53 pm

communistworkethic wrote:
Bench wrote:
Even Commie, who could start an argument in a phonebox, recognises the difference between debating and debasing:
No I couldn't!!

Now who's throwing the insults around??????
Yeah you could :whack:

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Post by Henrik's fan club » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:06 pm

Even Commie, who could start an argument in a phonebox, recognises the difference between debating and debasing
Yeah, right :lol:
Who needs Henry when we've got Henrik?

Free the T-W two!

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Post by Bench » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:12 pm

Henrik's fan club wrote:
Even Commie, who could start an argument in a phonebox, recognises the difference between debating and debasing
Yeah, right :lol:
Right with the spirit of things there, Henrik. Well done.
Smarties have answers.....

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Post by communistworkethic » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:20 pm

blurred wrote:Who's the new mod?

If you're after a pinker, fluffier, more friendly TW then my money's on Gertie :D
No it's the limp wristed pansy - SOTWA

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Post by Montreal Wanderer » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:25 pm

communistworkethic wrote:
blurred wrote:Who's the new mod?

If you're after a pinker, fluffier, more friendly TW then my money's on Gertie :D
No it's the limp wristed pansy - SOTWA
No, he already is a mod (with a nasty habit of deleting my better posts!). :wink:
"If you cannot answer a man's argument, all it not lost; you can still call him vile names. " Elbert Hubbard.

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Post by Dave Sutton's barnet » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:29 pm

Montreal Wanderer wrote:
communistworkethic wrote:
blurred wrote:Who's the new mod?

If you're after a pinker, fluffier, more friendly TW then my money's on Gertie :D
No it's the limp wristed pansy - SOTWA
No, he already is a mod (with a nasty habit of deleting my better posts!). :wink:
MoD, surely?

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Post by CrazyHorse » Tue Apr 24, 2007 3:30 pm

Dave Sutton's barnet wrote:
Montreal Wanderer wrote:
communistworkethic wrote:
blurred wrote:Who's the new mod?

If you're after a pinker, fluffier, more friendly TW then my money's on Gertie :D
No it's the limp wristed pansy - SOTWA
No, he already is a mod (with a nasty habit of deleting my better posts!). :wink:
MoD, surely?
I see what you did there! :D




Actually, I just wanted one more quote where SOTWA is called a limp wristed pansy
Businesswoman of the year.

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Post by enfieldwhite » Tue Apr 24, 2007 5:01 pm

Hearty round of applause for that sentence Mr Chairman. :pray:
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Post by Soldier_Of_The_White_Army » Tue Apr 24, 2007 5:53 pm

communistworkethic wrote:
blurred wrote:Who's the new mod?

If you're after a pinker, fluffier, more friendly TW then my money's on Gertie :D
No it's the limp wristed pansy - SOTWA
Aye, so tell me 'Marathon Man'

Is it safe?
YOU CLIMB OBSTACLES LIKE OLD PEOPLE FXCK!!!!!!!!!!!

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Post by communistworkethic » Tue Apr 24, 2007 8:11 pm

is what safe?

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Post by Son of Jardel » Tue Apr 24, 2007 11:24 pm

Have I ever told u how much I love u Bench, Chairman sir? :mrgreen:

Arselicker, me??

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Post by Zulus Thousand of em » Wed Apr 25, 2007 9:02 am

Spot on, Bench!

(Also - I've never understood why, if someone takes exception to another member's comments, that they don't take up the argument by PM.) The vast majority of members are not interested in the row anyway.
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