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#1 09-18-2009, 05:33 PM
WatchGeeks Staff Super Moderator New Geek
Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 19
Important site announcement - please read
We have noticed a disturbing trend, and while we do not enjoy making these tough administrative decisions, we feel that we must. Some of you know, and some of you may be shocked to know, that members here that we have long considered friends have taken to another forum and decided to talk behind our backs. Nasty things are being said not only about the WG website, but also about specific members here. Members that may consider themselves "friends" of those saying these things. We are referred to as "the demon site", "Kool-Aid forum" and other such unfriendly monikers. Disparaging comments about Owners, Admins and moderators as well as individual members. While of course many of those people have been banned from WG and in some cases most other watch forums, the disturbing part of this is that some of the nasty comments are coming from CURRENT & active WG members. This is where we feel that we might have to step in. In some cases these members now only come here for commerce. They frequent our buy/sell/trade areas, and add nothing whatsoever to our community otherwise. They sell here, then run back and talk about our membership and forum behind our backs. Referring to any WG member as "sheeple" and "idiots", and yes in some cases much worse. In some other cases, they do still post here. Not having the cajones to post their vile comments here, or ask questions to clear up their obvious misconceptions of us and our forum. One such member is even a past recipient of a multiple prizes from WG including WGOM, and has accepted gifted watches from the members he now ridicules elsewhere. Some only log in here to "spread the word" and bring people over "to the darkside" (as they refer to it). Providing misinformation such as claiming we have no free speech at WG. Claims of censorship. Claims that no one can talk about non-ShopNBC brands and so on. These claims, as we know, and as anyone can plainly see by reading through our forum are untrue. So we find ourselves in a quandary. We do not feel that it is up to us to police what anyone says on another forum. The problem is that the comments made there are coming back here to WG in various ways. Some have resulted in "trolls" that create new usernames to stir up trouble. Do we allow folks to openly trash our forum, trash our owners, and trash our members and still check back in here to sell watches, or collect free watches in our contests?
Do we ban them, only to see them claim their crown of martyrdom at the other forum "proving" how terrible the "demon site" really is? After much debate amongst the staff, we have found ourselves challenged by this because it seems that there is no right answer. We have worked hard since the inception of this site, to avoid forum wars, to prevent people from bashing other forums here at WG, and to prevent bashing of any members at other forums. Sadly the other forums do not share our desire to be respectful. They allow this to go on openly, and frequently. It is our belief that there is no "best option" so we have decided to place short-term, temporary bans on those doing this. Simply enough to send a message, and give them the option to stay or go. The short-term ban will be lifted in 30 days, and at that time each of those members are welcomed back here completely. Our hope is that they realize that feeding the constant negativity does no one any good. We also hope that this time off will make them realize that they would be leaving behind some terrific people in a wonderful community. Further, we will be limiting their access for a longer period of time to our buy/sell/trade areas to prevent them from capitalizing on those who they claim to detest. We feel that this is the only fair solution. We may be right, or we may be wrong, but this seems like the least invasive way to make the corrections needed to prevent any possible harm to our community. If the owners of the other forum(s) cannot keep their own house in order and prevent their members from bashing us as a whole, and individually, then we must unfortunately do it for them. We here at WG will continue to prevent callous remarks and topics about other forums and their members from being posted, and hopefully someday the respect and professionalism will be reciprocated. ========== Please note that the entire text of this message has been posted in the "Off Topic" section of the forum and if you'd like to discuss this issue, please do so in that post.