Rule Clarification

[fishbum]

One of the basic rules of this site is...
If you have a problem with a business or a person contact them first.
Do NOT come on the board and air your gripes without talking to the business or person first.
From now on any post that ASKS a question about a business or person without talking to the business or person first will be deleted.
(If I feel that the purpose of the question is to cause embarrassment or harm)

I hope this will clarify my stance on some previous posts.
I will now publicly apologize for being the South End of a North bound mammal when I called Redneckshadrap a Horses Rear End. I was wrong to do and and humbly beg his forgiveness. It was inappropriate and stupid on my part. It also violated the rules.

Jim Dicken

[mhall]

I have no problems with what you have stated in your post. However it seems that some on this site can air their opinions while others get spanked for doing so. I also got your e-mail, thanks for squaring me away. We've all said enough now, so let's just let it go.

[JimDicken]

I try to be fair, but I will admit I do have certain biases. One is taking care of people who promote fishing. NO ONE I have ever met was ever totally fair. Each of us has our favorite things and people. We know them, and trust them. Some times we need to trust each other.
I try to stay out of things on the board. I have not deleted posts until this week for a long time. (Yep thats right I very seldom actually even read anything here any more.. Its not me all the time when it gets deleted. I decided I should not because I take things personally when they are not meant to be personal.)
On the other hand.. sometimes the rules can be interpretted to strictly. This board is for fishing, yet we do not delete posts asking for prayers for family. These are not fishing posts.. but I believe they are fishing related while others may not...
I think we all need to realize, that this board is NOT the end of the world.. if rules are stretched it is not necessarily bad. However things that can harm business or people should be dealt with seperately and in person before they come here.. this is just a place to talk fishing. Maybe occasionally to alert us to serious problems in the fishing community.
Jim

[Dave Stewart]

Here is how I see it as a moderator. The rules for the discussion boards are written down for everyone to read. Some of the rules very cut and dried and leave no room for interpretation. Some of the rules as is the case with most rules that cover broad areas are open to interpretation and thus people that post on here or moderators that moderate the board can both see things differently about these rules from time to time. It is human nature. If an incident happens that brings up the need for a rule change then the rules as posted on this site need to be updated to reflect this change and notice of the change needs to be posted here on the boards one time and locked.

[MsgMills]

I agree with every ones opinion, look at it from someone else's eyes that make a post here on the fishin board. Yes the most traffic is here on this board, so it's reasonable for someone like myself to want to make a short post about say a boat for sale at a great low price, or maybe someone out there is or has been looking for something, but just can't find it and all of a sudden it pops up on this web site for sale...The boat board isn't viewed by hardly anyone except someone looking for a boat of some kind... But maybe if the value and item is unbelievably cheap or too good to pass up then at least the info will be seen by twice the viewers here on this page... I for one must admit I didn't read the rules of the web site when I signed up...My mistake, but I have learned from my mistake and have done my posting right since then. I know it creates more work for the moderators to lock threads and posts from members who make the wrong posts on each discussion board. Just put yourself in someones shoes who is trying to sell something and just might really need the money for this item... There are tough times for some people out there in this big old world...

[Grumpy]

I think that this rule should apply when posters are accusing people of CHEATING, that have not been PROVEN to be cheaters, example: all the posts about "XXXXXXX Cheaters". The previous posts never said: "The people ACCUSED of cheating at XXXXXXX" they always said XXXXXX Cheaters. I totally agree with what Dave Stewart said in the previous post: "an internet fishing discussion board is not the place to be trying to get legal information about a pending court case."

There was another post yesterday (since deleted) about the winners of a tournament. The comment was: "They cheated. I heard that . . ." In my opinion "I heard" is not proof of anything and such accusations should never be allowed on this board, even if someone does post their name, address and phone number. If someone has been proven to be a cheater, the the proof should be cited along with the comment.

I don't like cheaters any more that anyone else does but I get tired of seeing ACCUSATIONS WITHOUT ANY PROOF coming up over and over and over and over again on this board.

That is my opinion,

Grumpy