Should someone be banned from the boards?

Actually, the best way to not scare away newbies is to not attack them like Geekor did in those posts. I've been here since the beginning, too, and I've seen many such personal attacks by veterans on newbies and group outsiders. As with those posts above, other veterans ignored those abusive posts or even supported them. The moderator did nothing in each case, as well.

If we are to all successfully monitor ourselves, we need to check all rude and abusive posts, even those by our friends and/or keeper-league mates. If we don't, we're not a community; we're a group of cliques preying on newbies and outsiders. We also have to make clear what we mean by "rude," "contentious," or "abusive." People can't just randomly define the terms to suit themselves as they criticize others.

However, no veterans, including Geekor's keeper-league friends, monitored Geekor's attacks on newbies...and that was shameful. So, I'm skeptical people will monitor their friends' posts. if they don't, self-monitoring will just be another source of contention, and newbies will stay away.


P.s. Baseball can be beautiful, pastoral, and even tragic. LIke these boards, however, it never is (nor can be) reality-free.

It's really simple. If you wouldn't like it said to you then you probably shouldn't be saying it to others - no matter if they are a "newbie" or anyone else.

Use constructive criticism, if necessary:

Constructive criticism is the process of offering valid and well-reasoned opinions about the work of others, usually involving both positive and negative comments, in a friendly manner rather than an oppositional one. The purpose of constructive criticism is to improve the outcome.

This message board does have a forum rules section but it does seem to lack some things like the meaning of trolling:

Trolling is an act of intentional disruption. Someone who is trolling is generally looking to cause problems in the community by doing things like posting content that may be entirely false, knowingly posting content that will upset others, being intentionally hostile or rude towards others, using veiled insults to provoke others into flaming, and so on. Trolling is disruptive, unnecessary, and just plain not appreciated.

You forgot that trolling is also:

posting inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the deliberate intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.

I agree with you, Wavy on your "Golden Rule" and anti-trolling outlook. That's why I admonished you on your rude, unnecessary troll post about the Greatest Players lists I made:

Sorry but I've been away for a while but what's the significance of these song lists? They are almost as exciting as the 'Randomizer' or 'paging' threads. Has this turned into the Off Topic section?

This post of yours was rude, extraneous, and off-topic, and its criticism wasn't "constructive." if you're going to post about etiquette and troll posts, you do need to show etiquette and avoid making troll posts yourself. That criticism was constructive.


P.s. I posted Geekor's posts as examples of hostile/troll posts. Considering your avowed concern about troll posts, I'm very surprised you said nothing about them.

Sorry strether! Didn't realize that one was bothering you. It was my failed attempt at trying to be sarcastic in a light hearted manner. I don't think I have a reputation for doing that all of the time, though.

I don't know (or care) where these examples with Geekor were found and I don't even know how long ago they were posted. But, I will say that I've been here for almost a month and haven't seen any flame wars that Geekor has been involved in.

Go Giants!

Don't be silly, Gravy. Clumsy impoliteness annoys me, but it never bothers me. I pointed out your banal troll post to point out your glaring hypocrisy. The fact you made one in your first month means your reputation isn't as sterling as you think. Don't worry, though, reputations--true or false--are irrelevant in judging hostile, abusive, or trolling posts.
Posts are either hostile, abusive, and/or trolling...or they're not. So, you're good for awhile...

Also, those posts of Geekor's were posted on this forum within the last year. If you truly care about etiquette--which I doubt at this point--you would have commented on their abusive nature as something to avoid. Don't worry, though, many vets turned a blind eye to Geekor's (and other vets') hostile posts. They still do. That's part of the reason the community needs help.

So, Wavy, if you want to improve your reputation, try making less hypocritical posts about etiquette and more about baseball and SOM. If somebody's post bothers you, confront them about it directly. Don't let it fester beneath your skin.

P.s. Definitely, Go Giants.

It was my failed attempt at trying to be sarcastic in a light hearted manner. I don't think I have a reputation for doing that all of the time, though.

You have to be careful about using humor, especially sarcasm as most will just not get it and some are looking for something to contend about. By the way how is it you only show 40 something posts? I could swear I have seen you around a lot more than that.

Humor is great, as is sarcasm among friends or familiar posters; we need more of it. However, there was nothing to "get" in Gravy's off-topic, potentially inflammatory post. He didn't like some threads that were doing him no harm. Instead of constructively addressing them on those threads, he extraneously made a rude, disparaging troll comment on an un-related one. "Humor" doesn't negate rude disparagement; it can just veil it...as it veils insults.

He also wasn't being sarcastic, since his statement and snide "eye-roll" didn't counter his actual sentiments. So, it wasn't a "failed attempt at sarcasm." It was a non-sarcastic attempt at off-topic derision, eye-roll and all. As I said above, such posts tend to negate the poster's claims to care about etiquette.

Finally, Gravy, please share with the forum your previous ID. I would love to see if we've played before; I had no idea I was playing among so many other Giants fans...

You have to be careful about using humor, especially sarcasm as most will just not get it and some are looking for something to contend about. By the way how is it you only show 40 something posts? I could swear I have seen you around a lot more than that.

I pretty much stopped playing when Strat-O-Matic left TSN mainly because I found other interests. I think it's been about 2 years since the move?

There were plenty of flame wars on the old site but I don't remember seeing as much anger and sensitivity as I seen here in the past month.

while your thinking up your favorite skiffle song of all time I believe you can find Jimmy Page doing one on you tube from the late 50's
and if anyone can appreciate music its the great emcee wavygravy!

Skiffle is way before my time, Gene. You've posted twice now about it; so, I'm sure you'd post an excellent list about it. I posted about music from the 70's-00's. If that was too esoteric for you, PM me; I'd gladly give you some recommendations. You did come on the 00's list and liked my recommendations there:

Amy Winehouse
Ryan Adams
Wilco
The White Stripes
TV on the Radio
The Lumineers
The Black Keys
The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Lana Del Rey
Adele
Bright Eyes/Conor Oberst

GREAT LIST, Love Amy....May I suggest Devil Makes 3 and Murder by Death?

I shamefully left off Aimee Mann, but it happens.

So, Gravy is a big music fan. That's good to know. If so, he can productively share his music knowledge on the lists or by "emceeing" on threads of his own. The only music comment he's made so far is negatively carping at existing music discussion. Considering the music knowledge you claim he has, I assume he'll be more productive in the future...