-1s in the transaction forum you get banned from PMs and Classifieds

[Fenway]

Nothing

Say you ban somone or they get alot of negative's. What's stopping them from comming back using a different user name?

 

[WHITE_WOLFE]

Nothing

I thought you could ban by IP.

 

[Fenway]

I can... but that's not going to stop anyone from coming back if they really want to.

I thought you could ban by IP.

 

[techres]

Personally, one -1 should be an embarrassment, public as it is, but not a ban. Encouragement should be given for the parties to work with a Mod to come to a -0 place over the deal.

But not yet a ban.

A second -1 in less than 6 months/year and no more classifieds for you.

In both cases Mods will need to be ready to be arbiters as that will be required if forum use is tied to feedback.

As in all things, really bad cases are for the mods to decide, period.

In the end, though, it is just going to be as good a place as the majority make it. The -1's serve both as a warning about individuals, but also as case examples of how not to let a situation get screwed up.

Public shame. Just like the stocks & pillories of old.

 

[Hiram2005]

???

Not to be a smart*** but what do we do about a business that gets a -1 or 12? Do we ban people from going there to shop? Just wondering as we can't ban the business.

 

[indyjoe]

I thought you could ban by IP.

Many problems with banning IP. Those on cable modems or DSL have different IPs every couple weeks or sooner. Dial-up you get a different IP almost every time you dial in. Or you ban their home IP and they just log on at work. The difficulty is if you ban someones IP and it changes, but now a legit user wants to access the site and the happen to now "own" one of the banned IPs. Very possible if both are users of the same ISP.

 

[paddling_man]

The "-1s" I've read have seemed to mostly be communication/etiquette problems. We all have problems with communication/etiquette from time to time - some more than others - and the blame for the breakdown can sometimes (often?) be shared by both parties to some degree. When the dialogue is conducted mostly through a keyboard, the nuance of conversational cues are lost (we try with emoticons) and misunderstandings occur.

I find that after spending some "real" time with folks in person (Blade Show in Atlanta or Knob Creek for Bladeforums posters, etc) that I'm less sensitive to their keyboard ramblings because I understand their personality a bit more. Maybe 1 out of 50 I'm more reactionary to because I've learned in person, "Yes, they really are pricks - it's not just that they type that way." I try to reserve permanent judgment of folks personality until there is a meeting in real life - occasionally that is difficult thing to do.

I would suggest that if a GB&U report is indicating theft - BY ALL MEANS - ban that sucker or at least make a "Hall of Shame" sticky and don't ban 'em so everyone knows who they are when posting. Keep your friends close and the dishonest crooks closer. The removal of PMs is a great idea too.

If someone strings another along or is a FTF no-show, I would just let the "-1" be their scarlet letter of shame on TGB&U and leave it at that. The dog-piling that typically occurs on any forum's GB&U tends to be all the ostracism a poster requires. Unless, of course, a particular person's post count and online personae sways the opinion in the wrong direction and the "innocent" in the transaction gets the blame. Let 'em present their case, public opinion will be formed and folks will decide which one of 'em to deal with in the future (or either??) I've seen many on BFC, not here, that after hearing both sides of the argument, I wouldn't deal with either in the future. Unrealistic expectations on both sides and volatile personalities.

Public stonings can actually be a learning experience for some folks and they may improve their future interaction. Though maturity and chronology are not always related on a linear scale, there are some young folks on every forum and in life who are still sorta learning the ropes. 'Course, some folks will never learn to behave and others will learn to simply stay away from them.

I get just as frustrated with those whom their exuberance motivates them to effectively be shills for their favorite shop/brand/etc.. I find that as deceptive and dishonorable as some of the reports I've seen in TGB&U.