In the close to four years I've been coming to this board, I can't remember the number of new members who have arrived, given a big sigh of relief, and said how happy they were to get to a cycling board that was civil and informative. I may not remember, but it's a big number! That is the marketspace for this Forum: civil and informative. And jeez, how hard is it to be civil? If you can't bring yourself to act like you would in real life, just pretend that the other posters are in fist distance, how hard is that?

Having seen boards across the continuum, I put this forum in the lightly moderated camp. Dictators? Feh!

Civil and informative: I think Joe and company have done a great job.

It's simple.

If you don't like the rules, leave. If you can live with the rules, stay.

Same goes if you have a problem with the moderators.

Where are the rules? I looked around the site and couldn't find them. When I did a search, I found this sticky, but I can ONLY get it through a search. I can't get it by clicking through your homepage.

I appreciate the way you keep the forum clean while also allowing a full discussion, but could you make the rules easier to find?

LOL! I was just thinking the same thing! :D

Rules are here, under FAQ or "Need Help?". I would humbly suggest to Joe that perhaps having a link to the rules -- or often referred to as Acceptable User Policy -- at the bottom of each page (as is often done at many sites). That makes it easier for each person. In addition, When you join you actually agree to an AUP for here, do you not? The question is how many actually read the AUP?

When it comes down to it, it's really a question of proper "netiquette" and courtesy to others. *MEH* I'm old fashioned Internet. :D :rolleyes:

Your Constitutional 1st Amendment right to free speech does not apply at private forums. Most such forums have you agree to their rules of conduct before you can post. I like to rant as much as the next psycho, but if you go off deal with being "banned". Or, try again under an assumed name...hee...hee...

My take:

This is a nice place. I've recently found it, and am enjoying it so far.

I think it could be better, though, with stricter enforcement of the rules, especially with respect to off-topic posts, and attacks/slams. I think the mods are doing a pretty good job, and seem to respond well when an offending post is reported, but perhaps there simply aren't enough of them. I offer my observations only as constructive input, not meant at all to be a critical.

Please send me a PM when you are allowed to post again so I can find another site to visit. This is one of the few sites I visit that a person can post a message and get civilized responses.

think of a message board or chat channel as a house. You dont go into someone's house and kick their dog, insult the guests, and poo on the kitchen counter....that will get you kicked out of a house, and possibly beaten up...on the internet all they can do is ban you, and report you to your ISP if your being very abusive.

Just remeber...kitchen counters are not to poo on...maybe a trash can if some punk is having sex in the bathroom and is taking too long....but not the counter bro.


BTW, this is all abstract...I'm bored out of my gourd right now, and being cryptic is about the only way i can keep myself from messing around with matches, mmkay ;)

Or, put another way, you can say whatever you want, but there is no law requiring someone to publish it...

The thing that no one has mentioned.......is the "report" link.

Most actions taken by moderators are due to other members reporting someone is breaking the guidelines. I feel what makes these forums as wonderful as they are, is the fact that we "self police" and have respect for one another.

We (I'm a Mod) can't read/view every thread. When we see blatant misconduct we will delete/edit/remove and usually send a PM to the offending user. Usually, someone will report it and then we perform our duties. If the violation happens again and again then a warning is issued, after 3 warnings, you're otta here! We use banning as a last resort. Joe is great about allowing expression of different thoughts and ideas. Just be respectful to one another. That's it!

We (as Mods again) are pretty tolerable and lienient about many things and will let things fly. Debate is good, name-calling is bad!

I've seen other forums become so chaotic that it's a flame-war just by logging in. Joe and we mods do our best to keep things civil.

L8R

It's clear to me that BikeForums.net is a kakistocracy ;)

Me like being here. The bikers here are friendly, knowledgeable, and patient.

I didn't think it had Mods for several months.

I had one mod PM me asking for sexual favors, I don't think that's appropriate without dinner first.

Hey wait a minute, I mentioned burritos didn't I?