Personal abuse - not tolerated, users banned

[robf]

There has been an increasing amount of personal abuse on OVF recently. It is not tolerated - you should be attacking the argument and not the person and staying on topic.

 

We don't monitor the forum continuously but we are aware of certain members who continuously engage in abusing other members they dislike. This is not acceptable and is ruining this site for other people. If you do not get on with another user, use the Ignore option.

 

OVF will be retrospectively banning a number of users for a week to allow them to "cool off". This is a final warning, if on their return they continue then the ban will be made permanent.

 

- OVF Admin team

[mr.hobblesworth]

Firstly, I should state that in the past I have far too readily resorted to personal insults. I try not to nowadays and hardly post in the political threads as they are the ones where I found myself most tempted to round on certain posters.

 

What I would add though is, whilst personal insults generally let down the poster in question, the taunting, insidious, disingenuous and facetious posts from other members can be a huge contribuing factor. I guess these posts are nigh on impossible to censure but I find they have a far more negative impact on the forum than the more insulting comments. I realise that these posts don't breach any forum rules but it's getting to the point where I no longer feel like posting any more. When was the last time we had a decent heartfelt debate about anything Vale on here without one party trying to wilfully misinterpret or ridicule the argument rather than discuss it? It's the posting equivalent of smirking. Many (IMO) valid posts that I've left on here end up being reduced to stupid straw man arguments or debased to something far away from the original intent. Disappointment at the Chester cancellation becomes 'outrage', standing up for a player or manager is reinterpreted as 'being their love child' or even worse, whilst anyone criticising one of Norman's gaffes is painted as having some kind vendetta.

 

As I said, I think it's this rather than swearing that causes most harm to any decent threads on the forum; in fact, it may actually cause a lot of it. The fact that even Jacko had to resort to dropping an F-bomb in that awful Sentinel thread says a lot.

 

I do like OVF and genuinely appreciate all that Rob has done (and continues to do) but thought it might be worth mentioning.

[robf]

I know one reaction to my post may be - I've heard all this before but bear with me...

 

We are also in he process of adding an automated points-based system which will result in automatic user bans. This means that rather than one outrageous action resulting in a ban, if a user continuously insults and abuses others or disrupts threads then one they have been reported a certain number of times they will get a week's ban. If they continue, a month's ban and ultimately a permanent ban.

 

However, in addition to this I would urge you to use the IGNORE option (Go to Settings at the top and simply click on the Ignore option and add the username).

 

Also please bear with me as not everyone who is going to be banned has been yet.

[fairportnick]

I don't read the political threads on here , whats been happening ? In fact I have hardly posted at all recently but what about those with 2 usernames , a naughty and a nice in at least one case. Will both be banned?

[robf]

I don't read the political threads on here , whats been happening ? In fact I have hardly posted at all recently but what about those with 2 usernames , a naughty and a nice in at least one case. Will both be banned?

 

I check such things and bans apply to a person not usernames. So, if we see that someone has two usernames set up and one is banned then the other will be too as both belong to one banned person...

 

However, this is ONLY if I can prove it is the same person. I won't tell you what tools I use as that may help people trying to use two usernames but not all usernames that you may think are one person are necessarily that (at least as far as I can tell)...

[robf]

You will have to trust me on this but after I made a change to the banning system I think you will all see a lot more bans come into play now.

 

It's overdue but this is now an AUTOMATED system and bans are (obviously) automatically applied if rules are broken.

 

It's simple and fair - if you break the rules several times then a ban will kick in. So (I won't say exactly how many) after x number of strikes you are automatically banned by the system. The first time you will be banned for a week and then eventually it will progress to a permanent ban.

 

I think this will give people who persistently circumnavigate the rules a shock when then are banned and hopefully teach them that we are serious on cracking down on personal abuse and other rule breaking. As it is automated I hope that will put an end to any suggestion of Admin team bias or leniency.

 

Remember - this is a Port Vale forum and the forum is mainly there to discuss the football team. it is not there for personal squabbles and grievances. If you disagree attack the argument NOT the person.

[JOHNNYAITCH]

once they have been reported a certain number of times they will get a week's ban. If they continue, a month's ban and ultimately a permanent ban..

 

Reported X times or had reported posts deleted X times? if reported then someone could deliberately report someone they 'don't like' X times to get them banned

[robf]

Reported X times or had reported posts deleted X times? if reported then someone could deliberately report someone they 'don't like' X times to get them banned

 

Sorry, I meant reported and the report verified by Admin. People who deliberately abuse the system (i.e. make spurious reports) may find themselves given a ban.

[mr.hobblesworth]

I was wondering that too. Also, do 'reports' get deleted after a certain period or do they linger? Or are you not saying?

[Fosse69]

Reported X times or had reported posts deleted X times? if reported then someone could deliberately report someone they 'don't like' X times to get them banned

I think that will be a matter of judgement unless Rob has a trick up his sleeve?

[mr.hobblesworth]

Also, will posters be made aware if they have a 'report' against them?

[robf]

I was wondering that too. Also, do 'reports' get deleted after a certain period or do they linger? Or are you not saying?

 

No comment. Sorry, I am not giving too much more away about the system as it may prompt people to try and abuse it.

[robf]

Also, will posters be made aware if they have a 'report' against them?

 

Yes they will.

[robf]

I think that will be a matter of judgement unless Rob has a trick up his sleeve?

 

It will but it will simply judging if there was swearing/personal abuse etc in the post.

 

The ban element is no longer down to personal judgement of the Admin team member.

 

So, for instance, everyone who engages in personal abuse will be banned after a certain number of abuses of the system and banned for the same amount of time. Before it was down to the Admin team member's judgement as to how many abuses constituted a ban and how long the ban was for. Now the system decides, the Admin member's job is merely to see if the rules were broken.

[Tomo]

Hope this works, have to say that my enjoyment of using this forum lately has been ruined by the constant arguing between the same people. I regularly read other forums & it's actually refreshing getting away from it all.

 

I've never seen every single detail of a football club scrutinised so closely by fans before. On other forums, people seem far more casual & optimistic in their general approach to most topics.