New General NBA Forum Policy Questions Thread

[Howard Mass]

RealGM Users,

This is one of two threads we have set up where users can ask questions about the new General NBA Forum Policy that will take effect on Tuesday September 4 at 12:01 AM.

Please ask any questions that you may have and myself along with The General NBA Forum Moderators will answer them.

[Howard Mass]

The main points of the new policy are as follows with NO EXCEPTIONS

1st Violation= Warning
2nd Violation= Read-Only Access To General NBA Forum
3rd Violation= Complete General NBA Forum Ban

All violations will also come with a 12-hour Suspension so the user can cool down and be informed of the violation before posting further.

Everyone will start with Zero General NBA Forum warnings on September 4 and warnings will not count as a warning for any other forums.

Note:

- RealGM Three-day and Seven-Day Suspensions and Full Bans could apply depending on how many warnings a user has or how severe the violation was.

- The Following Violations will immediately result in Read-Only Access or a Complete General NBA Forum Ban

Racist, Insensitive and inappropriate Remarks
Personal Attacking A User(s) or Moderator(s)
Excessively Violating Forum Rules

Other Reforms To Improve The Forum

New User Waiting Period Restriction (Read-Only Access) Extended from 30 to 100 Days

Users who use Gifs or Pictures to bait users or derail discussion will be warned and could lose the right to post Pics and Gifs on the forum.

No Provoking Signatures or Avatars- If a user insists on having one that does this and does not want to take it down, Moderators have the right to request to have you get Read-Only Access.

Revokation of Ability To Start Threads- Users must look to see if there is already a thread for a particular topic before starting one. In cases of a breaking story and multiples threads are made within a few mins, that will be excused. Moderators have the right to lock those topics with a link to the appropriate thread to post in if there are multiple topics on the subject or ones that belong on another forum.

Should a thread be locked and a user ignore A Moderator's action and make a new one, they will lose their priviledge to start threads on the General NBA Forum and be given a warning. If users ignore the warnings, openly complains about it on the forum instead of in private or call out Moderators, they automatically get at least a read-only ban.

Users who lose the ability to start threads will be able to appeal to have this reinstated just like they would appeal a Read-Only Ban.

How Read-Only Access Works

When a user gets Read-Only access, it means they can only read topics on the General NBA Forum and cannot post

In order for a user to regain full access, they will have to write a PM request to Howard Mass which will be reviewed by a committee that will consist of Howard Mass and some General NBA Forum Moderators.

In the request, the user must prove that they understand the violation they committed and explain how they plan to conduct themselves on the forum if given back full access.

Note: If any user with Read-Only Access gets another user to post their thoughts on any thread. That user will automatically get a full General NBA Forum ban and the user who assisted will receive a warning or Read-Only Access themselves depending on where they are on the three-strike scale.

It is possible that we will ask you follow up questions.

Myself and The Committee would then vote on the request. All requests will be decided on within 60 days.

If a majority approve, the user will be given back full access with the understanding the next warning is a full General NBA Forum Board Ban.

If a request is denied, the user will be able to appeal again in 60 days provided they have no other violations during this period anywhere on RealGM. If they do, the appeal date will be 60 days since the last violation occured outside of 60 days.

Other Notes

Many times users complain that they got in trouble while someone else did not. Myself and The General NBA Moderators put in a lot of effort to give everyone equal justice but sometimes we do not get everyone or the user has less warnings and is not eligible for a suspension. We handle discipline privately and will not comment on what the other user(s) got.

If you have an issue use the report function, don't insult the poster, don't complain to a mod when you get a warning for insulting a poster, just report it and we will deal with it.

Each user needs to only worry about their own actions.

Users who currently are Board Banned from our General NBA Forum have the right to reply and request read-only access but their appeal dates to attempt to regain full access are the same as before.

[albo23]

About time the General Discussion forum gets cleaned up. I'm all for this move and I hope the moderators back up these changes with swift action when/if a poster breaks them; I think that is the most important factor to this. Without the moderators to enforce the new rules, they are useless.

[dexterfan10]

Should add trolling.

[Howard Mass]

albo23: The Moderators are very committed to enforcing these new rules. I am happy you like the new policy.

dexterfan10: To where? It is already in the TOS.

Trolling will be heavily enforced.

[smith2373]

Can you elaborate on the pics/gif's rule?

Are you saying you'll be warned for posting a GIF or pic outside of the pic/gif thread or are you just talking about posting gif/pics like the "You mad?" or "Haters gonna hate" or "Didn't read LOL" ones to get a rise out of someone?

[Howard Mass]

smith2373,

The later.

We are putting the stop to the U Mad and others that derail discussion.

Everything in the pic/gif should be ok for that thread outside of the obvious like sexually explicit ones, etc.

Please let me know if I answered your question.

[eliasrapp98]

How late does a thread have to be to make another. For instance 4 months ago f someone made a Jrue Hollidy stat prediction thread, that I didn't know about and I make another today, will I be striked?

[smith2373]

smith2373,

The later.

We are putting the stop to the U Mad and others that derail discussion.

Everything in the pic/gif should be ok for that thread outside of the obvious like sexually explicit ones, etc.

Please let me know if I answered your question.

Yeah you answered it, thanks.

[Howard Mass]

eliasrapp98: Very good question.

In this circumstance, the Moderators would take this as the user not knowing there was another thread.

The rule is mostly for users who consistently do this intentionally. The Moderators will be careful about how this is policed.

smith2373: Sounds good and glad I could answer your question.

[eliasrapp98]

eliasrapp98: Very good question.

In this circumstance, the Moderators would take this as the user not knowing there was another thread.

The rule is mostly for users who consistently do this intentionally. The Moderators will be careful about how this is policed.

smith2373: Sounds good and glad I could answer your question.

Ok. Thank you. Also what about critisism such as, "God this is a terrible trade for the Sixers..."? Is that still allowed?

[m23uza1hem36]

eliasrapp98: Very good question.

In this circumstance, the Moderators would take this as the user not knowing there was another thread.

The rule is mostly for users who consistently do this intentionally. The Moderators will be careful about how this is policed.

smith2373: Sounds good and glad I could answer your question.

Ok. Thank you. Also what about critisism such as, "God this is a terrible trade for the Sixers..."? Is that still allowed?

I'm sure it would be. That would just be an honest opinion.

[Morten Jensen]

Ok. Thank you. Also what about critisism such as, "God this is a terrible trade for the Sixers..."? Is that still allowed?

Absolutely.

This new policy is not going to censor people. It's going to promote debate. So yes, it is absolutely okay to criticize trades and teams. As long as it's done in a sober tone and isn't indirectly calling out fans.

Example:

"Wow, the Magic really messed up that trade. They got basically nothing in return. Here's what I think they should have done . . ."

That kind of post is commended.

While this:

"LOL @ Magic fans who has to live with garbage now!"

Is straight trolling.

[Howard Mass]

I agree. That would be fine unless someone constantly beat the drum with negativity and derailed discussion.

Constructive criticism is the best criticism.

Please keep the questions coming.

[DanTown8587]

Hopefully I never have to find out, but is there a time frame on when your strikes end (if ever)? Meaning if I get the 1st warning in January then I'm fine for a year, does it "erase"? Felt it was a question worth having you guys answer OTR

Secondly, is there a way to be more diligent about moving player comparisons? I feel that General NBA has a tendency to turn into Kobe v Lebron, leBron v Rose, Rose v Paul, etc.