Further to the recent arguments on these boards, the management of the rewind has been forced to take extremely regrettable action against the first members who refused to accept the boards rules about respect for other members.
For the last time, the rules are very simple:
Respect the other members of the board and their opinions at all times. No personal statements or observations about other members that could be regarded as less than complementary. Simple. -That encompasses all manners violations, posting of inappropriate stuff etc.
Failure to adhere to this rule -a basic concept of civilised human interaction will result in suspensions and/or account limitations or even terminations.
From now on, if you're rude on these boards, there will be action taken. People will, at times, consider this unfair. So be it. If you're rude, you're gone. End of story. Sadly, we're not able to be interested in excuses, conspiracy theories, in-depth investigations or whatever. We don't have the time. We do this for fun -believe it or not- and we are not a corporation who has fleets of people working at desks moderating 24/7.
...If you are a member who has found themsleves unable to access the boards, then contact us for explanations and resolution.
If someone posts something you find offensive then use the "report this post" feature and we will look at it. Do not attempt to fight back if goaded by other users. The management are very well aware that we have schoolyard cliques operating on here whose sole, sad entertainment is to goad other members. Well, from now on they have no place to go except out of the door if they practice here...
Finally, thanks to everyone for your support. The management appreciate you all without preference of favor. We hate this type of action, but certain factions have clearly left us no choice.
Nick. -Webmaster, fast-rewind.com
[ 15. September 2006, 06:18: Message edited by: Nick ]
Posted by Jabeen (Member # 244) on :
Oh here we go again with the martyr moderators. It's not that hard to see where the pile slinging got started, Nick! You have a clear ste of rules where people agreed to before signing on. One of the parts states:
"You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this BB to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative of any law."
What does being "rude" mean? Rude is not a term. It is too vague. Paul was rude the way he said he didn't like Halloween but that does not constitute a ban because he was well within his rights (not to mention he is a god moderator and his words are the end all be all apparently). What one person finds to be rude may not be for someone else, tehre is no way to decipher that on an internet message board where we cannot see one another and not hear our tone or facial expressions to decipher this. It's very simple how, you have a clear set of agreements right up there that tells you how to do it. It's a no brainer! You don't have to moderate 24/7 to know how to do this. Just read the posts! Backtrack, strat from the beginning of the threads and READ. You guys keep saying "we're going to get tougher now, we're going to get tougher now...." Damn! It's not about being tougher it's about being smarter. So be smart already!
People have violated THESE terms of agreements by being harrassing, hateful abusive and personal. People have also violated these terms by retaliating and only THEY are being made an example out of rather then ones who start the whole fiasco? You have a site so that means YOU have the responsibility about the goings on and that means EVERYTHING and knowing EVERYTHING that happened before you dispense out punishments or rewards. Isn't it strange how many threads got deleted by a certain "mderator" before the FOUNDER could have a look at how this all started? Probably would not have done any good because the founder is so dense anyway that he wouldn't be able to see what happened even if it was staring him in the face! The truth is, if you ban one person, you have to ban EVERYONE who violated the same rules. You cannot just do that to one person. You also cannot say that this is only the moderator's business and no one else's. Doesn't work like that. You have a public hosted site, then the public has every right to question your angles if they deem it iffy, which it is. That simple. So go ahead. Ban me already. In fact, I beg you to. I expect you to be capable of nothing more.
Posted by P.S It's Paul... (Member # 1022) on :
Actually Jabeen, no. No on many points.
First of all, this site is paid for by Nick, and hosted on a paid-for server. So although it's 'public' in so much as anyone can see it, it's no more a 'public' website than the New York Times, the BBC, or any other way more 'commercial' site you care to name. The editorial, administrative, and forum policies are down to Nick, and those he chooses, to identify and apply as they see fit. The way the rules are written, applied, and actioned IS the sole business of the owners of the site - namely Nick. The rules that are applied, in the way they are aplied, is exactly the way Nick has asked for them to be done. He's asked me to do this, and also asked Devo to do likewise. Posting here implies acceptance of the rules and the way they are applied, and also that the actions of the staff of Fast Rewind are final. As I've said to others - if you can't accept that, then there are plenty other web sites that may be run the way you prefer, or you can make your owen and write your own rules. Nobody is here against their will - you're free to leave any time you like.
You've said yourself that 'rude' is subjective. True. However, that's why we have a 'Report post' link on all posted messages - so that if someone feels that a post has violated any rules, they use the reporting functionality rather than fire off yet another imflammatory remark. However, a lot of people couldn't, or wouldn't, do that. As such, some people have been warned, others have certain rights taken away, some posts have been deleted, and as a last resort, we can and will ban people.
I can also read between the lines, and know exactly where you are coming from in your post. And yes, if we were to apply the rules (OUR rules) as you are suggesting we do and have done over the last few days - yes, you'd be subject to action, probably the ban you are craving.
Nick has outlined above exactly what's happening on HIS website now - so this is your warning - public. You have become the first to get a suspension under the new rules. For information, that means your posting rights have been revoked, although you can still read the boards. No Private messages, nothing other than read-only. After that, it's up to you. If you want to stay, and will agree to abide by the rules, you can do. If not - it's been nice knowing you.
Paul
Update: After sending an unamiguously rude, indignant, selfish and laughably threatening email to me, the suspension is now, deservedly, a ban. -Nick
[ 17. September 2006, 10:36: Message edited by: Nick ]
Posted by Devolution (Member # 1731) on :
Dear Members of the Board,
I have been a coach of many different sports for a long time. As a coach, you have assistants and while they don't have all the say in what goes on, their word is in fact, important. Being a moderator isn't easy, I have had to stop threads, delete threads, protect people from being lashed at and mostly just be aware of what goes on so I can take action. While at one time I was posting like crazy, the time it takes to review certain posts does take away from what Paul, Nick and I like to do. This is in fact our team. You are all players on our team, and Nick in the coach. I hope this makes sense to you. The same way you might play a sport because you love it, you come here because you love it.
Individually, all of you are great people, I have gotten to know many of you, and vice versa. The problem lies in team play. It's knowing your teammates, and knowing who you can or can't mess around with. Many people here take jokes to the core. They bring their problems to the board, and make people uneasy. If Paul busts my chops, I bust back, but it was knowing when to end a joke. It saddens me to see arguing, but I'm not one to say that people can and will disagree.
This leads me to what coaches have to do. As a coach sometimes you have to cut team players, sometimes because they aren't good (which isn't the case here) sometimes because they are being foul (sometimes the case) and some rare times you have to throw people off a that are already on because they ruin the way the team runs. And while some of these people can be valuable contributors to the team and your success, it is knowing that the things that are bad can ruin a team that is otherwise fine.
As a teacher do you throw out every kid in class because they are fighting? Maybe the first time, but good teachers, which there are some on this board, know that usually if there is "that one kid" not in class then the class is so much more easy to control.
This my friends is this the whole thing. Paul, Nick and myself don't want problems, and honestly we would rather deal with people putting up illegal pics than bickering. Understand that it wasn't a one day decision. It wasn't something that just happened. It was something that was built up.
Call us evil, call us wrong, call us stupid, call us rude. At the end of the day, we are still the moderators. We keep the peace, and we know when things need to be taken care of. Whether the whole "Team" likes it or not.
Your East Coast Moderator.
Eric Wright (Devo)
Posted by Ali_with_an_i (Member # 27) on :
Ok I have a question. If you are banned can you still see the site? Is it just the message board that is off limits? Also, if you are suspended, do you have a chance at ever posting again? This is all a bit confusing to me, and I guess I had questions not just a question.
Posted by P.S It's Paul... (Member # 1022) on :
Banning relates to the message boards - there is no requirement to register in order to view the Movie reviews on the main site. However, they wil not be allowed back onto the message boards.
Suspensions are initially for a limited period (depending on how serious the cause, usually for a fortnight or so). After that, it's up to the member to accept the rules of the site again. If they can't do that, or if they continue to break the rules, they are gone for good.
Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jabeen: <SNIP>...People have also violated these terms by retaliating and only THEY are being made an example out of rather then ones who start the whole fiasco?
I drew a line and asked nicely that people please no longer post personal or rude remarks about other members. The people who crossed that line did so regardless -perhaps for historical reasons, but that's not the point. Am I supposed to spend days (or weeks?) searching through old posts so that anyone whose ever said anything even remotely personal gets a ban? Thats why we draw a line, make new laws and act on them. Not just on this website, but in all civilised society...
quote:Originally posted by Jabeen: You have a site so that means YOU have the responsibility about the goings on and that means EVERYTHING and knowing EVERYTHING that happened before you dispense out punishments or rewards.
I have no responsility to any member that cannot rise above making petty personal remarks to other members. Especially when they are clearly proving that they cannot behave any better than the others that they are criticising. Life's too short to waste on people with no manners.
quote:Originally posted by Jabeen: Probably would not have done any good because the founder is so dense anyway that he wouldn't be able to see what happened even if it was staring him in the face!
Point proven...
Posted by Alex In Wonderland (Member # 4912) on :
It's all gone awfully quiet... We need 10cc's of fun STAT
Posted by TresFoxy (Member # 542) on :
May I just say that I am amazed by the immaturity I have seen occur on this site. During the summers I do not have a computer. I only have access to a computer when I am back at my university. I have to come back to this site being in shambles and many of my beloved friends banned over very petty issues.
I would say that most of the members and now I must say former members here are adults due to the sheer fact that they must be over the age of 18 to even remember the 80's.
As adults we should know that we should not be offened by another person when they call us a "silly poo poo head".
This is the interenet and most of us have never met any of these people who post here in person and probably never will. With that in mind it gives a poster anonimity. They can say what ever they want about another person whether it be nice or mean and not have to worry about seeing the impression on the face of the person they said it to. It gives people the ability to be as cruel as they want to be and have to feel bad about it one bit because there are no consequences to their actions. The police are not going to come beating on your door and arrest for calling someone a moron or picking on they because they like something different than they do. They only way can the interenet get you in trouble with the law is if you break the law. Calling someone a retard or whatever other nasty thing you might say to them is not going to cause any serious consequences. Unless you are threating bodily harm towards a person then the people you have called names have no recorse against you.
With that in mind... Reminder to everyone... THIS IS ONLY A WEBSITE NOT THE REAL WORLD!!!!
The Rewind is here for people's enjoyment.It is not here for people to play god with others lives.
Some people's enjoyment is being cruel to others it gives them a rush. That is their choice to be cruel. As for others it is the 80's that they may enjoy. Either way it is the memebers of this board that decide what they enjoy and not that of anyone else.
Again a note to the wise... THIS IS NOT THE REAL WORLD THIS IS A WEBSITE... TAKE WHAT PEOPLE SAY WITH A GRAIN OF SALT!
BE AN ADULT... BE MATURE... BE NICE...
[ 18. September 2006, 18:05: Message edited by: TresFoxy ]
Posted by Nick (Member # 404) on :
Just wanted to say Tres that I personally couldn't agree more with your post above...
You've managed to say everything very elegantly that I've very poorly attempted to cover in recent times. Its so hard when people are emailing you like you've murdered their family because their friend has been banned.
It IS only a website. And it was NEVER intended to be a membership, forum kind of place coz I've seen what happens to those that I've been members of in the past. No, it was only EVER meant to be just like an encyclopedia of 80s movies. A page for each.
I hate moderation. I hate arguments. I just want everyone to get on, but I guess thats naiive, so I wonder whether the boards should just be retired now?
Out of the 1.4 million hits a day to fast-rewind.com only a relatively SMALL (maybe 3% at most) percentage are the users of these boards. Most people come to fast-rewind to read about their favorite old movies --not to look at arguments on a message board.
In my previous posts, I alluded to the fact that I would be quite happy to see them go and it was just a lot of hassle for the mods and people posted things like "Oh, here we go again, the mods a playing martyr again..."
For those factions who sadly believe that --or that if these boards were closed it would be the end of the site, please understand that fast-rewind.com is not going anywhere except right ahead with plan "A" if these boards go. They genuinely were only ever opened for people who emailed and asked for them. I NEVER wanted them and I won't lose any sleep if they're gone.
However, I am FULLY aware that there is a vast body of mature, polite and kind users -many of which only come here to read and occasionally post. It's for the polite majority that I resist the urge to can it all.
Honestly folks, I've had emails that I would have expected if I was a doctor who killed a relative through malpractice!
People have said all sorts of crazy things, even vaguely threatening legal action etc etc. It's bizarre. Its only a messagboard!
The simple fact is that you certainly can't please all of the people all of the time and when people aren't pleased, then they get ugly
I KNOW that some of the moderators actions MAY on the surface seem a bit one-sided. God, I know that factions were goading others into rudeness, but I made a long post saying all this and saying that the NEXT people who were rude would get banned to show that we meant what we said about no more rudeness --and then the next people WERE banned -or suspended (or, in one case, both!) The suprising thing, for me is that the people who were rude NEXT were not the people that you would have expected. Whether they were goaded or not (and I've got a horrible feeling that they were mistakedly "reacting" to something that wasn't meant as goading at all ) They put us in the difficult position of having to "put up or shut up" --so we put up ...and this is where we find ourselves
Paul took the action and then I looked at what had happened. The problem for me started when, during my review of the facts, I was receiving the most unbelievably selfish, rude and obnoxious emails from certain parties either banned themselves or associated with banned members and there was no way I could "Un-ban" these people as a result after that -nor did I want to. Frankly they were so rude that I wouldn't want to share a messageboard with them and I'm sure you wouldn't too.
I just hope things settle down and people get back to the business of talking about movies or whatever.
I don't personally care what people talk about as long as its safe, polite, non-personal and legal.
Anyway, I'll shut up now and thanks again TresFoxy for a positive and sensible post on the subject. :-)
[ 19. September 2006, 04:33: Message edited by: Nick ]
Posted by Smayt Shatner (Member # 1500) on :
What we need are cakes and cookies, they always chill a situation out Posted by TresFoxy (Member # 542) on :
Thank you and your welcome Nick. I never mind being the voice of reason in a situation! Posted by maxwellhauser (Member # 4968) on :
All the people fighting should be thrown in detention. Then Bender can get his bag of goodies, and before long, everyone will be giggling merrily.
Posted by Earth Angel (Member # 3301) on :
OK.....so we're gonna play twister and do some breakdancin'.....ok...who brought the dog??? X
Posted by Chris the CandyFanMan (Member # 3197) on :
"Some moron brought a cougar to a party and it went berserk."
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