Future of the footy forum

[PaulP]

Banning is an extreme.
It usually takes place after a number of indiscretions
I do understand folks won't always agree with a ban or suspension but it's also important to understand that unless you're watching here 24/7 you wont always get the full picture of why a ban has been imposed.

We've lost some really good contributors and some of them have been quite sad.... but often it's because they've got a "bee in their bonnet" about a coach or player and just refused to let it go infiltrating threads across the forums despite constant warnings. There comes a point where a line must be drawn and the consequences applied.

You wont normally be banned for a critical opinion...it's how you express it that will get you in  strife.

Calling a Carlton player a dog is unacceptable.

Going into a voting thread and making a silly response is disruptive and unhelpful.

Derogatory comments about a player after he suffers a season ending injury, like we're lucky it happened...wont earn you points.

Posts like that will always draw an understandable negative personal response and disrupt the forum. Those type of posts will earn you a holiday.
Be critical by all means, but if you are... keep it on topic and attack the players skills, attitude etc... but don't disparage them on a personal level.

There's 2 things about this forum of which I am quite certain :
1. The mods are even and fair in their treatment of posters : they don't target, victimize, or single out anyone arbitrarily
2. despite the belief of some folks, there is not and never has been a requirement (tacit or otherwise) that posts on here must toe the party line. As lods says, feel free to agree or disagree with any topic, just be sensible how you do it. Expression is the key.