Monkey Man
Super Moderator
Thankfully, for the benefit and enjoyment of almost everyone, the owner has agreed to allow OTC to have another run.
This time there'll be more diligence in vetting objectionable behaviour in an effort to recreate a fun, happy place to hang out.
He's also agreed to the creation of multiple sub-forums that will help keep things organised in categories such as hobbies, cooking, TV /Movies, sport, automotive stuff and so on. With any luck we should have most bases covered with this approach. No firm date for these additions is available at this time but I hope to see them soon.
Remember - the most-important rule is to not disrespect the mods.
EDIT 1:
The new sub-forums are up-and-running! Hover your pointer over the titles to see the descriptions.
If you find a post or thread of yours is deleted, don't take it personally or to-heart; such actions will be taken with the forum and owner's best interests and wishes in-mind, so IOW, for the greater good. It'll be all about creating a fun, happy atmosphere for all to enjoy. If you choose to continually act like a dick with obvious intentions of spoiling the fun for all others, you'll receive fair warning and incrementally-longer bans, so there's that...
Let's hope that we can make this work for the vast majority of folks who'd appreciate the option of an engaging place to hang out with like-minded peers between "serious" gear posting.
Three cheers for Nicolas; without him none of this would be possible.
Have fun, guys!
EDIT 2:
Someone ignored the guideline, "If you choose to continually act like a dick with obvious intentions of spoiling the fun for others, you'll receive fair warning and incrementally-longer bans".
Even after warnings and a temp ban he continued to make threats and test the mods' patience. Let this be a real-world example of the fact that the intention to create a fun and happy place is sincere.
Update:
It happened two more times after he created new accounts and fell back into his posting M.O. after a few days. Repeating the same mistakes over-and-over will not yield a different result from the mods.
EDIT 3:
A clarification, stated elsewhere or at least demonstrated through the bannings of the past 7 months:
Grade-1 / Nazi-stye racism, porn and physical threats are insta-ban material. A day or two, then 3 or more, then permanent.
Use of other members' real names and / or pictures sans express permission is verboten.
As of 2023-07-12 members will be punished for ad-hominem attacks of a sexual or overly-abusive nature.
EDIT 4:
I was asked about threads' being moved from one sub-forum to another the other day, so sharing my response here in the hope it will help:
If it's a "WTF moment" / surprising / ridiculous or whatever it's preferable to place it here brother (referring to "I Saw the Strangest Thing").
As the subtitle for "General" says:
"If it doesn't belong in another category, post it here". IOW, "General" is intended to be the last resort.
It's just a matter of maintaining some sort of order that allows browsing for a given subject, or in the case of this thread, emotional effect, to happen more-easily. OTC used to be a shambles - one large jumbled-up area that made browsing a headache.
Nobody's gonna get into trouble for not categorising something properly and indeed, much of the time stuff slips through the net or is consciously "let through to the keeper" (Aussie term based on cricket), but generally-speaking if it appears in "General" and would obviously fit better elsewhere it's moved.
If you've already responded in or subscribed to a thread and it's later moved, the appropriate sub-forum and thread will be highlighted if any new posts are added, so it won't just disappear into the ether, so to speak.
This time there'll be more diligence in vetting objectionable behaviour in an effort to recreate a fun, happy place to hang out.
He's also agreed to the creation of multiple sub-forums that will help keep things organised in categories such as hobbies, cooking, TV /Movies, sport, automotive stuff and so on. With any luck we should have most bases covered with this approach. No firm date for these additions is available at this time but I hope to see them soon.
Remember - the most-important rule is to not disrespect the mods.
EDIT 1:
The new sub-forums are up-and-running! Hover your pointer over the titles to see the descriptions.
If you find a post or thread of yours is deleted, don't take it personally or to-heart; such actions will be taken with the forum and owner's best interests and wishes in-mind, so IOW, for the greater good. It'll be all about creating a fun, happy atmosphere for all to enjoy. If you choose to continually act like a dick with obvious intentions of spoiling the fun for all others, you'll receive fair warning and incrementally-longer bans, so there's that...
Let's hope that we can make this work for the vast majority of folks who'd appreciate the option of an engaging place to hang out with like-minded peers between "serious" gear posting.
Three cheers for Nicolas; without him none of this would be possible.
Have fun, guys!
EDIT 2:
Someone ignored the guideline, "If you choose to continually act like a dick with obvious intentions of spoiling the fun for others, you'll receive fair warning and incrementally-longer bans".
Even after warnings and a temp ban he continued to make threats and test the mods' patience. Let this be a real-world example of the fact that the intention to create a fun and happy place is sincere.
Update:
It happened two more times after he created new accounts and fell back into his posting M.O. after a few days. Repeating the same mistakes over-and-over will not yield a different result from the mods.
EDIT 3:
A clarification, stated elsewhere or at least demonstrated through the bannings of the past 7 months:
Grade-1 / Nazi-stye racism, porn and physical threats are insta-ban material. A day or two, then 3 or more, then permanent.
Use of other members' real names and / or pictures sans express permission is verboten.
As of 2023-07-12 members will be punished for ad-hominem attacks of a sexual or overly-abusive nature.
EDIT 4:
I was asked about threads' being moved from one sub-forum to another the other day, so sharing my response here in the hope it will help:
If it's a "WTF moment" / surprising / ridiculous or whatever it's preferable to place it here brother (referring to "I Saw the Strangest Thing").
As the subtitle for "General" says:
"If it doesn't belong in another category, post it here". IOW, "General" is intended to be the last resort.
It's just a matter of maintaining some sort of order that allows browsing for a given subject, or in the case of this thread, emotional effect, to happen more-easily. OTC used to be a shambles - one large jumbled-up area that made browsing a headache.
Nobody's gonna get into trouble for not categorising something properly and indeed, much of the time stuff slips through the net or is consciously "let through to the keeper" (Aussie term based on cricket), but generally-speaking if it appears in "General" and would obviously fit better elsewhere it's moved.
If you've already responded in or subscribed to a thread and it's later moved, the appropriate sub-forum and thread will be highlighted if any new posts are added, so it won't just disappear into the ether, so to speak.
BTW Are boobs allowed now?
