The Problem With BigFooty

[The Hitman]

It's posters like Mocca that made this place great, and it's posters like Mr. Ripper, Mocca, and TigerTank leaving and now Docker_Brat being banned which have turned this site to crud.

People don't hop on to read Bluesbabe666 and Blues Angel et al flooding the General Board with crap thread after crap thread. They log on to see the funny and smart people battle wits, and maybe take the people who are too precious and take them down a peg or two.

Protecting the people like Bluesbabe666 and is protecting people who will be the death of this site - and booting those who get people to read the boards is something that will lead to that eventual death. Rid yourself of the top of the food chain and the bacteria below will grow and spread and destroy.

We've already lost arguably the smartest and funniest poster on these boards due to over-moderation and protecting posters who contribute nothing but dribble on the General Board.

I'd walk, but I love the music and soccer boards too much, and there are still a couple of people I need to keep in contact with (Shinners, Carlos, etc.).

Hawthorn supporters are lucky because we have HHQ (which re-opened on NYE - have a looksie, it's grouse), but most other clubs don't have a great board like us. It's a shame that the 'Roos, Weagles, and Doggies don't have a great club board, and it's the only reason I don't wish ths site when down the plug hole.

This site is designed for adults. A little bit of sexual innuendo or a touch of urine extracting will always happen. There is a major difference between having a sense of humour, and being too bloody precious, and at the moment this site is being utterly ruined by the latter.

Maybe the moderators look at the number of people using the site and decide if the site is succeeding by that, but the quality of the posting is how you tell. For Docker_Brat to be banned for minor abnormalities, and to allow the most annoying, immature, and innane posts to continue is a travesty.

I love the concept of BigFooty, and I like the site. But I used to love the site. You can't dictate to grown men and women how to post. They're not children. To make the boards so sterile of wit and humour is a mistake. But hey, I'll just read more about Tap Water and Blues Angel wishing us goodbye for the weekend because she doesn't have home net access. Well whoopee! The reason these sorry excuses for threads thrive is because the posters all talk to each other in the post, stroking each others ego and talking just utter crap. Go read these threads. You think they're better than what Mocca used to post?

This is a suggestions board, so here's a suggestion. Loosen up. Or else the only thing that will be tightening is the noose that will hang this site, and that would be a crying shame.

The Hitman

 

[mandy]

Hip Hip Hooray!

Well said Brett.

 

[66MunsterT]

Originally posted by The Hitman
It's posters like Mocca that made this place great, and it's posters like Mr. Ripper, Mocca, and TigerTank leaving and now Docker_Brat being banned which have turned this site to crud.

People don't hop on to read Bluesbabe666 and Blues Angel et al flooding the General Board with crap thread after crap thread. They log on to see the funny and smart people battle wits, and maybe take the people who are too precious and take them down a peg or two.

Protecting the people like Bluesbabe666 and is protecting people who will be the death of this site - and booting those who get people to read the boards is something that will lead to that eventual death. Rid yourself of the top of the food chain and the bacteria below will grow and spread and destroy.

We've already lost arguably the smartest and funniest poster on these boards due to over-moderation and protecting posters who contribute nothing but dribble on the General Board.

I'd walk, but I love the music and soccer boards too much, and there are still a couple of people I need to keep in contact with (Shinners, Carlos, etc.).

Hawthorn supporters are lucky because we have HHQ (which re-opened on NYE - have a looksie, it's grouse), but most other clubs don't have a great board like us. It's a shame that the 'Roos, Weagles, and Doggies don't have a great club board, and it's the only reason I don't wish ths site when down the plug hole.

This site is designed for adults. A little bit of sexual innuendo or a touch of urine extracting will always happen. There is a major difference between having a sense of humour, and being too bloody precious, and at the moment this site is being utterly ruined by the latter.

Maybe the moderators look at the number of people using the site and decide if the site is succeeding by that, but the quality of the posting is how you tell. For Docker_Brat to be banned for minor abnormalities, and to allow the most annoying, immature, and innane posts to continue is a travesty.

I love the concept of BigFooty, and I like the site. But I used to love the site. You can't dictate to grown men and women how to post. They're not children. To make the boards so sterile of wit and humour is a mistake. But hey, I'll just read more about Tap Water and Blues Angel wishing us goodbye for the weekend because she doesn't have home net access. Well whoopee! The reason these sorry excuses for threads thrive is because the posters all talk to each other in the post, stroking each others ego and talking just utter crap. Go read these threads. You think they're better than what Mocca used to post?

This is a suggestions board, so here's a suggestion. Loosen up. Or else the only thing that will be tightening is the noose that will hang this site, and that would be a crying shame.

The Hitman

I agree to that Hitman, spot on and a great Post.
Cheers,
The Munster.

 

[JUBJUB]

Originally posted by The Hitman
It's posters like Mocca that made this place great, and it's posters like Mr. Ripper, Mocca, and TigerTank leaving and now Docker_Brat being banned which have turned this site to crud.

People don't hop on to read Bluesbabe666 and Blues Angel et al flooding the General Board with crap thread after crap thread. They log on to see the funny and smart people battle wits, and maybe take the people who are too precious and take them down a peg or two.

well said Hitman.

Bluesbabe & Blues Angel post absolute crap,like telling us they won't be online over the weekend [ THANK GOD !!!!!!!!!!!!]

They should post their crap on the Carlton site or set up a 'Chicks & Horny Teens Board'.

 

[Frodo]

I don't know the situation with Docker_Brat but I really can't see the point in banning anyone on a website where it is pureley a matter of re-registering under another name. The banning also causes antagonism and attacks on the site result.
I have said it before and will say it again. Proper moderation of every board is the only way to minimise problems. Every post must be read with problem posts deleted and polite reasons why pm'd to the poster. It will re-inforce the rules and most people will accept reason. Of course some will be problematic still but there is nothing a site like this can do about it other than introduce membership fees, and that would kill the site.
There are plenty of people prepared to share the moderator load and make this possible.

 

[lioness]

Originally posted by The Hitman
It's posters like Mocca that made this place great, and it's posters like Mr. Ripper, Mocca, and TigerTank leaving and now Docker_Brat being banned which have turned this site to crud.

This site is designed for adults. A little bit of sexual innuendo or a touch of urine extracting will always happen. There is a major difference between having a sense of humour, and being too bloody precious, and at the moment this site is being utterly ruined by the latter.

For Docker_Brat to be banned for minor abnormalities, and to allow the most annoying, immature, and innane posts to continue is a travesty.

This is a suggestions board, so here's a suggestion. Loosen up. Or else the only thing that will be tightening is the noose that will hang this site, and that would be a crying shame.

Apologies Brett for chopping your post, but I absolutely agree with these points. We've lost a LOT of great characters, and I have to say that Docker_Brat's posting is a big part of the reason I still come here. I mean sometimes with ANY of us things get a little out of hand, but for the most part DB's posts were for pure amusement, and I'm happy to publicly express my total confusion and disappointment at his banning.

I don't feel I am in a position to comment too much about all the rubbish threads, having been guilty of similar things myself once upon a time, but just look at the general board now, most people don't even bother going there now. Taking the post counts off that board was a brilliant idea, but what happens now that it's full of trash again?

 

[Danni]

And for the benefit of those who haven't read a similar topic on the General Board.

Docker_brat has not been booted from Bigfooty. He has however had his ability to post on the General Boards removed. And that will remain so for at least the next 2 weeks, if not permanently.

It is an unfortunate, but real situation, that many members of Bigfooty now attack authors of posts instead of debating the topic of a post. That is the biggest problem.

Also that people are more concerned at how others are behaving than taking responsibility for what they post themselves. The number of people who make other Bigfooty posters the butt of their jokes, or enjoy having diggs at others then cry "But I was only joking" is enormous. And of course all the 'off site' stuff that has happened between posters, that ends up on Bigfooty and demands that the mods do something about it, even tho it hasn't happened here.

I am trying to put together a few ideas to send to the powers that be over the next couple of weeks that will include stuff like the 'subscription only' section? or maybe dissecting some of the boards by age group? Or even member based boards for those that only come here to discuss footy and don't want to see the rest of the junk? One idea that seems to be firming in popularity is restricting hotmail and yahoo and a couple of other free-email addresses, so that multiple nicknames can be easily knocked out.

The options are all out there, plus many more, so if you do have some ideas, please send them to me via pm or email but make sure you give some info too. Sending 'make a 'teenagers' board isn't any big help, remember to add your ideas on why it would be good, how it could work, what sort of stuff you would expect it would be used for etc.

Cheers
Danni

 

[Macca19]

Originally posted by Danni
Docker_brat has not been booted from Bigfooty. He has however had his ability to post on the General Boards removed. And that will remain so for at least the next 2 weeks, if not permanently.

Can we ask why?

or maybe dissecting some of the boards by age group?

How on earth will that work when there is no way on truly knowing how old someone is here. Im 21. But people that havent met me dont know that for sure. I could be 14, or i could be 46 to them. If there are age restrictions on some boards, then what is stopping say RichmondFan#1 or X_Box or other posters that are under 18 from making a new alias and putting their age as 18 or 23 or something?? Its not difficult to lie about your age here.

I dont think there is any possible way for an age restricted board system to truly work. Unless it is an unders board.

Or even member based boards for those that only come here to discuss footy and don't want to see the rest of the junk?

If people dont want to see the rest of the junk then why not just tell them to read the football only boards?? Noone forces people to read any thread at all. If someone wants to read a thread, it is solely up to them to click on the thread name and open it up. If the thread turns out to be junk then exit the thread, 10 seconds is wasted and people can move on with their lives.

If people think that the general talk board and subsequent general boards are junk then tell them to grow up and not read them and move on!!!

One idea that seems to be firming in popularity is restricting hotmail and yahoo and a couple of other free-email addresses, so that multiple nicknames can be easily knocked out.

Now this is the best idea ive ever read to improve this site!! Getting rid of free email addresses would remove all the morons that have 10 different aliases for *cough* comedic value and would ensure that if someone DOES get banned then they stay that way and they dont just simply go and create a new user name every 5 days.

 

[Frodo]

Get rid of the hotmail / yahoo addresses and bigfooty will lose lots of members.
Focus should be on how to 'keep' members rather than how to ban them permanently.
I agree with you about people attacking each other rather than debating. It's bad. But we live in a country where our own politicians do exactly that. If we can't engender reasonable debate in parliament as a nation how can a forum like bigfooty be expected to be better? Children are raised to think that a personal attack is a normal part of debating.

 

[TheMase]

Originally posted by Danni


It is an unfortunate, but real situation, that many members of Bigfooty now attack authors of posts instead of debating the topic of a post. That is the biggest problem.

\
Agree 100%

 

[JMAC5]

You see what you have to do is abuse someone, use personal attacks but if you put a smiley at the end, it's not a problem

 

[BomberGal]

Originally posted by Danni
One idea that seems to be firming in popularity is restricting hotmail and yahoo and a couple of other free-email addresses, so that multiple nicknames can be easily knocked out.

And for those of us that do have hotmail addresses? We can't all buy addresses.

I disagree with a part of Hitman's post. We don't come here to see individual, personal battles. We come here to discuss issues. The problem as I see it is that people have lost the original concept of this board. I've been here a couple of years now, and I remember when bigfooty used to be good. We had people who dribbled, but all in all it was a good place. It wasn't until it started becoming personal and people being 'snipers' that this place really turned feral.

 

[Stealth bomber]

We don't come here to see individual, personal battles. We come here to discuss issues.

Amen to that.

I think you can have the latter without having it turn into the former, though some would disagree.

Do we need to establish a sniping board?

 

[ScouseCat]

BigFooty used to be a great site where people could visit and discuss worthwhile topics and have a bit of fun along the way without being personally attacked all the time, but alas that is no longer the case and that is a huge shame.

I have also considered leaving this site but like Brett, I too like boards such as the Soccer Board, Geelong Board, Cricket Board and AFL Board and along with some great friends I've made from here are the main reasons I remain an active contributor to this site on those boards only.

Personally I hardly give General "crap" Board the time of day anymore... it's just not worth even going there as I'm not interested on reading or posting in topics of a personal nature.

I'm not sure what you can do about this situation though... I just try to ignore such posts but it is becomming harder with more "crap" being posted these days.

 

[Fred]

Originally posted by BomberGal
And for those of us that do have hotmail addresses? We can't all buy addresses.

I disagree with a part of Hitman's post. We don't come here to see individual, personal battles. We come here to discuss issues. The problem as I see it is that people have lost the original concept of this board. I've been here a couple of years now, and I remember when bigfooty used to be good. We had people who dribbled, but all in all it was a good place. It wasn't until it started becoming personal and people being 'snipers' that this place really turned feral.

Quite right. It's the posters that make this site and set the tone, not bluey or the mods. The regular posters are an ever changing group though, as some leave for all sorts of reasons and new ones join up. Sometimes the newbies are serious posters and other times they aint.
If everybody looked at their own contribution instead of putting the blame on other posters, we might just get somewhere.

Posting just to have a meaningless snipe at someone achieves and contributes nothing.

 

[ScouseCat]

Originally posted by Fred
Posting just to have a meaningless snipe at someone achieves and contributes nothing.

You're absolutely right there Fred.... the only thing it does is feed their fragile egos at the expense of other posters having to read that crap and therefore reduces the overall quality of this site.

 

[Mr Eagle]

Originally posted by BomberGal
And for those of us that do have hotmail addresses? We can't all buy addresses.

The very fact that you are on the Net suggests you should have access to a proper email account. And given how much email is sent to BF posters on average (basically s.f.a.) I really don't think any regular user of that account would begrudge you its use for this purpose.

 

[BomberGal]

Originally posted by Mr Eagle
The very fact that you are on the Net suggests you should have access to a proper email account. And given how much email is sent to BF posters on average (basically s.f.a.) I really don't think any regular user of that account would begrudge you its use for this purpose.

So if you were going to ban hotmail addresses, would I be able to switch that address (it's actually my dad's) to being my default one? Without having to sign up again?

 

[Mr Eagle]

Originally posted by BomberGal
So if you were going to ban hotmail addresses, would I be able to switch that address (it's actually my dad's) to being my default one? Without having to sign up again?

You can edit your email address in the user control panel right this very second!

 

[Diego]

I agree on most that has been said and I know I have been posting crap in the past 3 weeks.

My 2 cents:
But I don't think banning Hotmail, Yahoo etc would solve anything. A serial troller is one who knows how to operate boards etc. I can find 50 sites in 5 minutes that offer free email addys.

But its true, if you have a internet connection then you should have a default email addy. There shouldnt really be any reason for just having a hotmail account unless your travelling.

 

[Sydneyfan]

Originally posted by Stealth bomber

Do we need to establish a sniping board?

That could well be the answer. Maybe tighten the moderation and rules of each board (no sniping, no personal attacks, etc.) except for one board designated as an 'Enter at your own risk', 'Anything goes' board where there's still moderation to prevent overly malicious, personal attacks or derogatory attacks but it's a lighter rein. So, people who post of that board know full well than the moderation is more laxed than on the other boards. This 'anything goes board' could also only be available to members 6 months after they register (if that's possible) or fully fledged members so you aren't getting trolls and snipers but instead have a board in which you can get away with more risque or urine extracting posts without as much moderation.

I guess BigFooty is like any social grouping, throw a group of strangers together and initially the conversation will be civil and polite as people are still getting to know each other. But, after a while, many know each other, have their friends and adversaries and start engaging in personal attacks occassionally. This seems to be going on at BigFooty currently and unfortunately to a degree it's not curable but can be prevented somewhat.

I think it's up to the people who enjoy this site and have contributed to this site over the years to keep coming along, even if the site is lagging in useful discussion at times. The site will surely deteriorate if all the knowledgeable, intelligent posters decide to go elsewhere, and that will be the real shame. the other solution is to simply not respond to inane posts and let them wither a slow death. It seems to go in cycles (probably the lunar cycle!) but at the moment there's seems to be more crud than usual, some of which I've no doubt contributed to!

What I like about this site is that it is basically a microcosm of Australian society where you can read many different views on any topic under the sun, it be a great shame to see that go and I fear that if more regular posters start leaving, it may well go.

 

[Frodo]

As i remember, the general board was created solely for the purpose to get the non footy threads of the main AFL board. I think it has succeeded. Like many other posters to this thread I don't use the general board. It serves it's purpose though IMO and harms none.

Hotmail etc preserves anonimity. And I think that is important. This site has been hacked and having your true isp email address is license for personal attacks that are far more serious than words in a thread. So bombergal, for instance, how would you like to upset someone in a bigfooty thread and have them hack your Dads computer in revenge? At present they can't do that with your hotmail address!!!!

And what about those that use internet cafe's. They're gone.

It is also true that hotmail and yahoo are the most popular of hundreds of email addresses available in a couple of minutes. Who is going to regulate that? Because the ones that moderators are infatuated with banning will no doubt be the most creative in defeating the objective. Result being that genuine hotmail and yahoo members are given pain whilst those that moderators ban get a new game to play, and enjoy it.

 

[Danni]

Originally posted by Frodo
As i remember, the general board was created solely for the purpose to get the non footy threads of the main AFL board. I think it has succeeded. Like many other posters to this thread I don't use the general board. It serves it's purpose though IMO and harms none.

Hotmail etc preserves anonimity. And I think that is important. This site has been hacked and having your true isp email address is license for personal attacks that are far more serious than words in a thread. So bombergal, for instance, how would you like to upset someone in a bigfooty thread and have them hack your Dads computer in revenge? At present they can't do that with your hotmail address!!!!

And what about those that use internet cafe's. They're gone.

It is also true that hotmail and yahoo are the most popular of hundreds of email addresses available in a couple of minutes. Who is going to regulate that? Because the ones that moderators are infatuated with banning will no doubt be the most creative in defeating the objective. Result being that genuine hotmail and yahoo members are given pain whilst those that moderators ban get a new game to play, and enjoy it.

Frodo, fair enough you want to comment, but please do so with correct information, not supposition.

It was infact Bigsoccer that was infiltrated, and by all accounts, it was not even actually just them, but their host, which happens to be Bigfooty's host as well (seeing as Bigsoccer virtually pays for Bigfooty's existance). And even then, no ones personal credit card info (on bigsoccer) or at the least their email info on bigfooty was under threat, nor were the the ISP details, or the IP address details, it was the 'admin' forum and the database that suffered, not the users, except their personal inconvenience in not being able to access the site.

EVERY post had the chance to be saved, but at the same time it would have meant the site being offline for a minimum of 7 days, instead of the 36 hours it was off.

IT was better to get back online asap and start again than try and save a months worth of posts that included drivel that has already been repeated.

 

[Frodo]

Originally posted by Danni
Frodo, fair enough you want to comment, but please do so with correct information, not supposition.

It was infact Bigsoccer that was infiltrated, and by all accounts, it was not even actually just them, but their host, which happens to be Bigfooty's host as well (seeing as Bigsoccer virtually pays for Bigfooty's existance). And even then, no ones personal credit card info (on bigsoccer) or at the least their email info on bigfooty was under threat, nor were the the ISP details, or the IP address details, it was the 'admin' forum and the database that suffered, not the users, except their personal inconvenience in not being able to access the site.

EVERY post had the chance to be saved, but at the same time it would have meant the site being offline for a minimum of 7 days, instead of the 36 hours it was off.

IT was better to get back online asap and start again than try and save a months worth of posts that included drivel that has already been repeated.

Maybe so, Danni, but not the point. And I was correct. If bigsoccer was hacked and it affected bigfooty then indeed bigfooty was hacked too by asscociation. If the water mains in your street are blown up you can't blame the fact that no water comes out of your tap on something else!!!

The point is that it is possible to hack bigfooty, get those personal details and from the details find a members pc and hack that too.

The fact that this didn't happen does not prove it can't in the future. Or are you saying that it would be impossible........guaranteed personaly?

 

[Mr Eagle]

Originally posted by Frodo
The point is that it is possible to hack bigfooty, get those personal details and from the details find a members pc and hack that too.

And gee there are just hundreds of people champing at the bit to go and hack other users' PCs around these boards...

(not to mention that a Hotmail address can't hide the IP you post from, and that's far more useful to a hacker.)