"Bill's House Bill's Rules" Topic

Direct from the FAQ on Blocking:

But as the sign in the diner says, "I reserve the right to refuse service to anyone."

Bill's House Bill's Rules

This has been confirmed by the actions of the last couple of days. I don't really have a horse in the race when it comes to the OFM. I've met him and gamed with him. Sure he can be an ass, but that's not the point.

He has politely (and not so politely), asked Bill to refrain from all of the silly OFM posts. Bill has decided not to do so, as he does not believe they are personal attacks are not bullying. If I have learned anything in this life, you cannot change someones belief's.

Bill's House Bill's Rules

There was a series of Poll Suggestions about Bill that possibly crossed the line, but were not too different than others that have gone through. Apparently, they have been yanked (Even one that questioned priorities over fixing the news feeds vs. moderating certain users)

Bill's House Bill's Rules

So, let's all leave Bill alone, so that we can get the 497 News stories that are backed up on the queue…

I was wondering where those poll suggestions got off to.

well, maybe the same judgement will be exercised when poll suggestions pop up in the future about Mr. X, Y & Z.

That would be a good thing.

Hopefully we can get back to just talking about gaming now.
I know, I know.

So, let's all leave Bill alone, so that we can get the 497 News stories that are backed up on the queue…

No-one's been stopping him.

well, maybe the same judgement will be exercised when poll suggestions pop up in the future about Mr. X, Y & Z.

Don't count on it: see "Bill's House, Bill's Rules" above.

Expecting fair play, respect, or even common sense is foolishness.

Might just be me…but I would think that extending the analogy a little bit further might be appropriate.

It is Bill's House.

However, for each of you guys with the "Supporting Member" icons – you guys are tenants. Tenants have rights even though they do not own the house. You can not change the locks on them without justification. You can not throw them out because you feel like it. When a person signs up as a supporting member they are becoming a virtual tenant of "Bill's House" for the duration of their membership – it is their lease.

Now, for those of us (like me) who are just squatters – we don't have those rights (give it time though…see Young v Facebook). We are subject to Bill's whims with no recourse or standing.

"Hopefully we can get back to just talking about gaming now." What a nice thought. "Bill's House, Bill's rules" is fine by me. He's done an excellent job so far and rightly gets far more respect than his detractors.

Enough poll dancing already. I don't even open the polls that are not gaming related. Well, not very often: I DID open the Frazetta one. But that was sort of gaming related, since many of his pics have been turned into gaming miniatures or have inspired gaming miniatures….

Agreed. Those imbecilic polls have caused as much or more ill will than the CA boards ever did, and the prizes just draw more people to read them than ever commented on politics or religion. If you won't stop them, move them off to TMP Plus where at least their exposure will be minimized and shift the prizes to something constructive. Voting on a poll does not deserve a reward. Submitting a useful news article (he said wryly) or a workbench piece or something positive would be a much better reason for a handout.

I am interested strictly in wargaming and figures,in other people's collections and paintjobs ,in wargames related news and advices.I don't care for other people opinions of the Tea Party,European Left and BradAngelina's breast. The net and the world around us is full of the second rate egos with the third rate opinions.That is one of the biggest tragedies of today's society:everybody has an attitude ,everybody has an opinion.Even worse:everybody has a need to express it.I thought that we do play and paint lead in order to escape from the rubish half baked world around,but we started to bring that world here.I would like everybody to shut the up already and get on with the business.

The X, Y, Z Affair was over 200 years ago.

Those imbecilic polls

Hear, hear! I have had the polls and the "talk about polls" board blocked on my TMP ever since they came back from the 6-month moratorium, and yet crap continues to spill over from the polls into "mainstream" TMP. As BWS says, *way* more spillover than we ever got from the CA board. I was glad to see the CA board discontinued, and I'd be equally happy to see the polls discontinued.

There was a series of Poll Suggestions about Bill that possibly crossed the line, but were not too different than others that have gone through. Apparently, they have been yanked (Even one that questioned priorities over fixing the news feeds vs. moderating certain users)

You mean the ones mocking my religion, questioning my sexuality, and so forth? Personal attacks have never been allowed on TMP.

If you won't stop them, move them off to TMP Plus…

Can't move a poll to a forum.

You mean the ones mocking my religion, questioning my sexuality, and so forth?

Well, I can see that my decision to block the polls was more than justified. Sounds like it was just an open sewer for some TMPers to play in.

The TMP is breaking into civil war and its very sad to see.

You mean the ones mocking my religion, questioning my sexuality, and so forth?

What about the legitimate one by the same poster regarding prioritization of feature fixes, versus member moderation?

Personal attacks have never been allowed on TMP.

Unless you deem that to be "Good clean fun" even when the subject of the polls has deemed them to be a personal attack on the focus of the "barb?"

Your House your Rules

Bill's House Bill's Rules

But if it's a mad house, what then…?

EDIT:
Account locking seems like a bit of an over-reaction on the part of the so-called "editor"…

What about the legitimate one by the same poster regarding prioritization of feature fixes, versus member moderation?

He couldn't resist throwing in a personal attack there, too.

Unless you deem that to be "Good clean fun" even when the subject of the polls has deemed them to be a personal attack on the focus of the "barb?"

Yes. For instance, this current poll – TMP link – is just not a personal attack.

In a vaccuum, no, in context of that being one of half a dozen similar Poll Suggestions on the same day about the same person, who complained about them at that time. I would think so, but you have ruled (and demonstrated) that it isn't…

it is pretty bloody silly and its timing is obviously very bloody provocative..if it is so innocent then why then all the trouble ? proof of the pudding is usually in the eating and this is a pretty heavy and indigestible pudding, for all the cook says it's not…

I'll go with "B.H.B.R." and leave it at that. And if people don't like it, they can go play at someone elses house. TIG

The Editor:

Can't move a poll to a forum.

Maybe not the Poll itself, but what about the Poll Suggestions Board? Couldn't it go to TMP Plus?

it is pretty bloody silly and its timing is obviously very bloody provocative..if it is so innocent then why then all the trouble ? proof of the pudding is usually in the eating and this is a pretty heavy and indigestible pudding, for all the cook says it's not…

Rather a silly line of argument, isn't it? The internet seems to be the ultimate disproof of "where there's smoke, there must be fire"

but what about the Poll Suggestions Board? Couldn't it go to TMP Plus?

But most of the polls are about wargaming. And splitting it into two boards (for wargaming and non-wargaming boards) seems like extra work to moderate, and more likely to encourage more non-wargaming polls than we have now.

defensive is fine by me..

In a post a while back I made a comment about what a horrible sight it would be to see Bill in fishnet stockings and a little black dress.
It was in among a lot of posts on the Lounge in which members were, in good humour, teasing each other. I was also subject to some teasing in the same thread.

The comment was intended in, and apparently taken in, good humour as nothing was done about it. It was just one of many in a silly light hearted thread.

But repetitive specific posts to the Polls board about ONE person are not in that category. That is singling out an individual for harassment, especially if, after taking a few in good humour, he request that they stop.

They should have been stopped. They should have been deleted. There has been a lot of stuff deleted in the past 24 hours. One can only wonder why the Polls that offended the OFM could not have also been deleted.

Hmmm… So questioning the OFM's sexuality with a poorly masked double entendre, via the use of a homophone, is acceptable, whereas darthfozzywig's poll question crossed the line. It seems to be a double standard to me.

Ken

But repetitive specific posts to the Polls board about ONE person are not in that category. That is singling out an individual for harassment, especially if, after taking a few in good humour, he request that they stop.

They should have been stopped. They should have been deleted.

I'm amazed at how eager you are to support censorship, Mal. And what a low threshold you put on 'harassment'.

I made a comment about what a horrible sight it would be to see Bill in fishnet stockings and a little black dress.

So, by your logic, I should have DHd you for that comment? Really?

So questioning the OFM's sexuality with a poorly masked double entendre, via the use of a homophone, is acceptable…

I mostly use cell phones.

I'm amazed at how eager you are to support censorship, Mal. And what a low threshold you put on 'harassment'.

Frankly….I dont support censorship. But since it is one of the tools you control I merely think it should we used evenly.

So, by your logic, I should have DHd you for that comment? Really?

Of course not. I was merely trying to illustrate that one off comments when everyone is goofing around in the Lounge are quite a different matter to continued harassment of an individual. Had I said those things while not part of the context in which they were said I would expect to be blocked or dawghoused. Had I continued to repeat them without such a context I would say anything that happened would be my own fault.

The POLLS were not in that context and once it became plain they were upsetting the target they should have been stopped.

Its quite simple.

Macrocephalic baboon.

'nuff said.

I'll be honest, I don't care. And I don't see the people who left as a loss. One insisted on insulting the editor everychance he got referring to him as 'Dear editor' a thinly veiled refrence to the Dear Leader title of the old communist states. The other was nasty and snarky everytime someone asked a question he thought was beneath him. So, I don't care.

Ditto.

Where does poking fun at someone cross the line? When they find if offensive? Sometimes we all cross the line. But when we do we all should come hat in hand and say "I stepped over the line and I am sorry" not continue childlike behavior and defend a point of view that is off base.
VR
James Mattes

Account locking seems like a bit of an over-reaction on the part of the so-called "editor"…

I don't mind criticism, but to go so far as to call me insane – which is what you did – is not something I'm willing to tolerate. That's why your account got Locked. Come on, what did you expect?

The POLLS were not in that context and once it became plain they were upsetting the target they should have been stopped. Its quite simple.

It's never that simple, and it's quite obvious that you've never moderated a forum before, Mal. Forum moderation needs to be done on the basis of objective judgments, not on the basis of how much someone claims to have been upset. Practically ALL forum complaints involve someone whose feelings have been hurt, but that doesn't mean their complaint is valid.

I do wish his account hadn't been locked though, editor.

I wish it hadn't come down to that, too, but I don't see that John left me much choice after his final rant.