member etiquette and banning?

[mobile_bob]

there has been some discontent relating to the behavior of a newbie member
and his inability to remain civil as evidenced by his name calling and foul language.

normally my thinking would be to kick this guy to the curb and move on, however it appears he is capable of providing some comic relief...

the question becomes... does this comic relief offset the bad behavior?

maybe so?

seeing how i am one of a couple that he has directed his ire toward, i thought maybe i would step up and state that his behavior really does not bother me at all... he really would have to be a lot worse than he is now.

after all i have been called so much worse, i do have an evil exwife you know! 

so unless his behavior is upsetting other members i think we ought to let him run as far as he likes.

comments welcome

bob g

[mike90045]

 

It's been fun, wondering what the next round is going to be like.  I'm inclined to let it continue, and see what eventually happens.

[millman56]

Its amusing the way certain people say some really nasty things about others who don`t agree with their views, whilst hiding behind the safety of the keyboard.   I think the way forward is to massage Shiftys  bored out and ported ego and tell him how clever he is and how he should really stop swearing on this forum as it`s terribly naughty behavior for a grown up .
There is always room for a bit of playground name calling (if the other children and teachers don`t get upset)  and this is Shiftys forte.
Please don`t boot him off, he really does have a way with words.

Mark.

[millman56]

Damm I`ve fallen into the saying nasty things from behind a keyboard, trap,   sorry Shifty.

Mark.

[Horsepoor]

Dump / ban shit for brains. I come here for technical commentary not to wage battle. His vulgar comments are a distraction, any ideas he could possibly contribute are outweighed by his overwhelming ignorance. After all we already have a resident nut - Whilem.

[38ac]

Forums get ruined many ways, one of them  being  unchecked nastiness. In my opinion the best of forums  keep a tight rein on it but that is my personality. When a topic gets nasty I leave, when a site gets nasty I leave it too.  I haven't even looked at that thread since he lashed out at me.  Other's enjoy it and dive in cheerfully, their choice.

 The forum will have the personality of the moderator. If I were moderating I would,,,,,,

 but I am not. As long as it stays where I can avoid it, I will.

[honda lee]

I was not fallowing the tread that this nastiness  happened so I went back and read it and found it totally out of line.
I then went back and read his other post and found no other rants like this one so I made the comments about him being off his meds.
I say that only half joking the man obvusly has issues . I hope he gets some help!

[dieselgman]

I say, lose the chaff, keep the wheat! I do not spend my time here for amusement, and do not like a negative atmosphere. Civil behavior is the bare minimum I expect to see... period.

dieselgman

[Quinnf]

Reading the comments so far, it's interesting to see the pendulum swing.

You can count the eccentrics who have been banned for behaving in a similar manner on the fingers of an old carpenter's hand.  I'm recommend restating the ground rules, then if he, or anyone else, violates them, simply pull the account and let's move on.  No special dispensations.  

That having been said, remember Guyfawkes?  He was abusive and rude, opinionated and supremely arrogant, but I don't recall that he was ever foul*, and if you treated him with respect, he did the same to you.  I was never on the receiving end of his vitriol, though we went back and forth a few times.  Guy was frequently brilliant and insightful, occasionally wrong, but he was always entertaining, and on the whole, he added a lot of spice to the goings on around here.  And I, for one, really miss him.  

If one considers bending the rules to accommodate the contributions of individuals with "special" personalities, I think that decision must be made bearing in mind the benefit/detriment ratio of said individual.  

Quinn

* but he sure said "bollocks" a lot.  Don't know what it means, but it sounds bad.

[LowGear]

This is the first I saw this.  I'm so glad it's not me. 

In adult communities, much like playgrounds, simple straight discussion is all it takes to bring wayward members back towards the herd.

I come here for many reasons.  A morning review of how the world is turning, breaks from chores and advice from people that I suspect of being brain scientist or rocket surgeons and the rest of us that struggle with life's questions about alcohol (Glycol), mental illness (to buy or not to buy) and the meaning of life (no, not 42 but rather to finish a project).

Would someone please quote the offending message as I'm much too busy to do a search?  And I'll know what not to write about folks that are too dim to see my side of enlightened thought.

Casey 

[bschwartz]

Can we just put him in a room with Spencer and see what happens 

[ronmar]

Was there anything technically redeeming in ANY of his posts?  Didn't read to totally understand all that he wrote, but it seems that when questioned on facts/evidence, he just wanted to argue that he was right/a port expert, and the low speed drag issues(sub 1200 RPM) didn't make any difference.  Was he able to at any point provide any empiracle data to prove otherwise? 

This guy appears to have the personality type that says it is ok to let loose behind the keyboard.  IF we were face to face, he is probably the nicest guy you would ever meet, but without that face to face interaction and all the other channels of communication that accompany it, he is probably unable to communicate his thoughts without frustration which leads to the venting and personal attacks.

SO if he has nothing technically redeeming to offer, we are left with entertainment value.  Personally I have seen enough entertainment out of this guy so I would say eject him.  We will get plenty of entertainment out of the next one:) 

As always my .02

[buickanddeere]

  Line them up. Let them settle who can pee the farthest and get it over with. If I was lining them up it would be with a head wind, not a tail wind.

[guest18]

I would say it is time to end it.

Henry

[cujet]

I'm all for strict moderation, with multiple warnings, then the eventual ban. However, I do believe it must be done in a systematic and proper manner, with every chance given to make things right.

I was banned from a favorite forum, on my first offense. For posting a graph that was 100% true and accurate. It's just that somebody took offense to it and got me banned. No warning, no second chance. That's not right in my mind. I'm fairly easy going and generally like everybody. And I never attack others.