Posted by Chuck Tribolet on July 31, 2002 at 08:07:09:
In Reply to: Conduct on this board. posted by Dave on July 30, 2002 at 21:00:44:
I don't consider this board (OR scubdivernet.com) to
be a particularly friendly place. I think there are
two underlying reasons:
1. People are not required to post their real names
and real e-mail addresses. They can and do hide
behind the anonymity of the internet to behave
in a manner very unlike their behavior in real
life.
2. Posts are deleted, not posters. There's no
punishment for misbehavior other than having
your misbehavior erased. There is zero risk
to misbehaving, so why not misbehave.
I moderate ba_diving@yahoogroups.com. YG enforces the
use of real IDs, I enforce the use of real names.
I've made it clear up front that if you misbehave,
you will be punished. First by being moderated
(I, or one of the other moderators have to
approve your posts before they get posted), then
by banning. Severe misbehavior (spam) is
punished by instant banning. Over the last two
years, I've had to moderate two or three people,
and ban maybe a dozen (all but two for spam).
Misbehavior includes abuseive language on and off
the list and the use of sockpuppets. Members are
welcome post off the wall ideas (and we do get a
few) and get rational (or at least the try to be
rational) answers. Posters are expected to disagree
without being disagreable.
This has grown ba_diving to 571 subscribed members,
and some unknown number of lurkers,
making it about the largest regional SCUBA group on
yahoogroups.
Chuck