Suggestion Discipline

[SC_Hoaty]

The TOS currently discuss 2 types of penalties for folks who infract the rules. These are the 5 day ban and the permanent ban.

On another, non-scuba-related, forum that I recently joined, they have a different system. There are points associated with various infractions, and they expire after a stated amount of time. Too many points in too short a time earns you a temporary ban. The number of points determines the length of the ban.

If this is of interest to the mods and advisors, I can provide the details.

 

[ScubaSteve]

To a degree I think you are correct, but think about football. You don't get 5 yards for being offside at one field, and 15 yards and loss of down for the same thing at another field.

But put it in terms of ScubaBoard......saying something about a person would be interpreted as varying in degree of severity by the various MODs. One would say it is wrong but not worth more than 2 points. Another might say it is true (perhaps the point was true - "Yes but he wears flip flops so......lol") so it is worth nothing and another might have a flip flop phobia claiming the maximum number of points. It is always going to be subjective. It is impossible to remove that. In terms of football refs, they are known to make bad judgement calls where everybody swears the player was holding but the ref does not call it......

Plus, the ability to assign "points" prior to any penalty puts more teeth into the pre-ban process. Warnings are free, but an official sanction of 2 points, lasting 6 months, lets the user know how close he is to the 5 day vacation.

It also allows the user to abuse things as much as his points will allow. The user knows they cannot be banned unless they reach that goal so act out until you get close.....just playing devil's advocate on this point.

It's not perfect, but might be an improvement.

I think we would end up with same but different.

 

[rhwestfall]

It does little, but simply defining the person even more.... Look, I work in the Public Sector under a collective bargaining agreement (didn't always). There are people here (lifers) who litterally know when reprimands become no longer a matter. They do stuff, wait the time out for the incident to be expired per the contract, and do stuff again. Why? Because they can again.....

 

[SC_Hoaty]

Maybe some examples might help, Steve

Here are a few:

We have a bonus program here at @@@, you can earn vacations by points, or by the number of trips you make!

Points based vacations:
5 Points - 3 Days
7 Points - 7 Days
10 Points - 10 Days
12 Points - 2 Weeks
14 Points - Permanent

Trip based vacations (a/k/a Infractions):
3 Infractions - 3 Days
5 Infractions - 7 Days
7 Infractions - 10 Days
8 Infractions - 2 Weeks
9 Infractions - Permanent

And

Site Troll
Points: 1
Lasts: 3 Months


Signature Rule Violation
Points: 1
Lasts: 2 Months


Insulted Other Member(s)
Points: 2
Lasts: 12 Months


Inappropriate Language
Points: 2
Lasts: 12 Months

That is a partial list, by the way.

---------- Post Merged at 03:08 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 03:06 PM ----------

And to explain that "Signature rule violation" - here is the policy

3. Signatures . Please do not post overly large or obnoxious signatures. Users are here to read the content, not to be annoyed by your signature. Do not use your signature to post "for sale" items and links to "for sale" items or @@@ Classified ads. Using your signature to post political slogans, sexual, racial or religious content is not allowed.

 

[Insta-Gator]

So, are attempts at humor (snarkey, glib, obtuse, sarcastic) point worthy? Some people just didn't get Lenny Bruce.

Using old fumble thumbs via Tapatalk 2

 

[ScubaSteve]

Examples don't help at all because for that system to work, you have to define everything and define it to every degree of severity (I doubt there are two people that will define a site troll the same). Also, if undefined, it is free. If anything subjective is defined on the fly and punished on the fly because it was not well defined, then you result in what ScubaBoard has (an attempt to list the rules and regulations and also an attempt to explain how the rules will be enforced).

 

[SC_Hoaty]

Examples don't help at all because for that system to work, you have to define everything and define it to every degree of severity (I doubt there are two people that will define a site troll the same). Also, if undefined, it is free. If anything subjective is defined on the fly and punished on the fly because it was not well defined, then you result in what ScubaBoard has (an attempt to list the rules and regulations and also an attempt to explain how the rules will be enforced).

I understand that no two folks would define a site troll the same, but with it being a 1 point, 3 month violation, a user would have a few warnings before a vacation surprises them. Note 3 infractions (in the case of site trolling, within 3 months since that is the exipration period in the first infraction) would also get you some time off.

Right now, one straw can break the camel's back - and you may not even realize the camel is overloaded.

 

[lowviz]

I think that you are missing something more fundamental. Malice.

Most of what we are talking about is just getting spanked for goofing off a bit. Don't need to make Pete hire an accountant for that. Goof off a bit and expect to take a hit. Become a serious nuisance to this community and "Bye".

 

[SC_Hoaty]

So, are attempts at humor (snarkey, glib, obtuse, sarcastic) point worthy? Some people just didn't get Lenny Bruce.

Using old fumble thumbs via Tapatalk 2

The way I read it, as long as you don't insult other users, use bad language, or make racial comments, you are not infracting their rules. They also are less tolerant of religious and political discussion - which SB likes to keep in the pub. The real question is, if SB were to change to a system like this, would SB allow or penalize the comments you are asking about.

It is just a different tool, and SB would adapt it to their purposes, if they choose to use it.

 

[ScubaSteve]

The way I read it, as long as you don't insult other users, use bad language, or make racial comments, you are not infracting their rules. They also are less tolerant of religious and political discussion - which SB likes to keep in the pub. The real question is, if SB were to change to a system like this, would SB allow or penalize the comments you are asking about.

It is just a different tool, and SB would adapt it to their purposes, if they choose to use it.

We come back to my point....subjectivity. You need to interpret the words that are typed in order to fit them in a category. Each person will interpret them differently. Most of us have been misinterpreted on the board at one time or another. I have seen some of my "jokes" taken and treated as insults. Often times they are innocent but misinterpreted.

 

[HowardE]

This option is already available, and has been for a few years now. We've just chosen not to use it.

We rarely ban anyone except spammers. When someone is banned, usually it's because they've been warned several times.

*edit*


I just noticed this thread is in reference to a specific incident, which I wasn't commenting on.

This response is general statement on the forum capabilities and the "infraction" system that is part of vBulletin .