Community improvements? Membership? A discussion

[souffle]

In following my manta of 'if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all' (thank you to Thumper's mum for that you sensible bunny ) I have so far only watched this thread with interest. I would like to thank ad36 for the last post which really did make me feel better

The way I see it is that HamsterCentral is a big family. When you are part of a family you don't choose your family members. You accept who comes along as belonging. In a family we always have the elders who have more experience of life and the younger ones who are nurtured and learn. As they learn and prove themselves they gain respect from old and young. Most families have rules and boundaries that the members are aware of and respect. Within the family there will always be new relationships and newcomers as people find partners and friends but they fit in and work out relationships within the family. There will always be all sorts of characters, temperaments and ages and the crux is that the family all has to work together to maintain a happy balance. Sometimes someone goes off track, like the teenager gets into drugs, someone has medical problems or someone becomes an alcoholic for example, but in a good family they will not be rejected, they will be helped and everyone will try and rally round to overcome their difficulties. These situations will always cause tension and worry within the group but the goal is always to help and accept and to try and understand. There will be good times and bad times. There will be things that the family do that not everyone wants to take part in, like granny may not want to go off piste skiing or bungee jumping, so everyone should not need to feel they have to do everything and not feel bad for not doing it. If a fight breaks out normally one of the elders will step in or sometimes they leave the battlers to sort it out themselves as they feel that a lesson will be learnt.
So I think that the 'forum family' ambiance is in the hands of our members. You are what makes it the place it is, a happy, safe place that people love to be a part of. You need to work at it, yes, and if you cannot feel happy here then I hope you can find enjoyment as part of another family more suited to your temperament though no doubt this one will miss your unique character as any family does when a member departs

Follow snugglehams guidance and there should be no-one getting into difficulties. Please be a little patient as there is not always a mod around but we do try and deal with things as soon as we can

[BatKat]

There has been many postive statements made on this subject and thanks to both Snuggleham & Souffle for their sensible points on this sometimes difficult subject.

All i would like to say is Please read and re read your posts before submitting them, many times i have read my posts and thought oh maybe i shouldn't say that and reworded it before posting. We are all different and see things differently but we are all able to accept help and advise from other members.It's true you can't always judge what another member may think but we are a big family and i have only good things to say about the treatment i have received from HC. From experience we can all learn to understand others viewpoints even if we disagree. Don't get personal, it's will always end in tears.

[SnuggleHam]

I think Souffle sums it up wonderfully! While us mods are here to help people with questions and complaints. The largest part of what makes this forum great are the users (the family). Its the community members who really are the ones responsible for making sure the atmosphere remains healthy. I think if each of us remembered that as we went about our daily/weekly postings back and forth, this place would retain that good old loving feeling it had when it was a bit smaller. Perhaps a hamster central "pledge or code" is in order, something for people to stand by in addition to the rules

[babyboos]

Here here and well done Snuggleham for a well thought out post which I think mirrors the feeling of the moderating team.
If anyone ever, EVER, has any concerns they can get in touch with us - we are here for you so please use us

[suga]

Its all about change i think, lots of new friends and a fabulous new layout. As long as we all treat each other the way we would want to be treated and show kindness and respect to each other as we would to our personal families, we should rub along just fine.

thanks everyone for interesting discussions and the opportunity for everyone to continue to share and learn from each other.

sugax

[Mollz Mum]

Thank you Snuggleham and Souffle for your lovely posts and opinions.

I think that we all agree, what we were really asking for was a little respect and understanding of each other's opinions.

I too feel that I can come on here and ask any question I want, without being ridiculed or beratted - and I know that I will receive some sensible and useful advice.

Let's all follow the rules, think about what we post and make sure that what we are submitting is positive and helpful.
If we feel that these rules are not being followed, then use the recommended suggestions and talk to the mods.

I think that this post sums it up for all of us:

Originally Posted by ad36

This forum has run successfully and strongly up until now, so come on HAMSTER CENTRAL USERS pull together, show respect and keep this forum as it should be, Hamster Owners , novice or experienced, sharing the fun of keeping HAMSTERS

Here, here.

[Gust0o]

Snuggle and co. - a challenge, if you will!

It would seem that we have an issue; and one that is evidenced, as witness the many posts to this effect at the beginning of this thread.

However, the contention is that we have the current framework to handle such issues.

Which begs the obvious question: then why do people believe that we have an issue?

Sorry, I am being a little cheeky with this - but such is my nature, as people who know me will testify to

What, concretely, have we suggested we might do? We've admitted that HC is a family, composed of many varied and diverse individuals - some with respect higher on the agenda than others. Perhaps, as Snuggle has said, some need a kick in the behind?

Is this a commitment? Are we going to be more visible in pushing the respect agenda? Or is it business as usual?

I don't think anyone on here would have the ego to claim that HC is perfect. However, I do feel we're being more accepting of the situation than I might have liked - but perhaps, as Souffle notes, it's time for some of us to move on if we've grown beyond HC. I'm just pained to note that this will likely include many of the people who've made HC what is for me.

I support Gus in his "challenge". What can we do to manage this? As with any functional (or indeed, dysfunctional) family, there will always be some people who "act out" or break the rules. Surely we need to find a way of dealing with this that is made clear to members in advance so that they fully understand what is expected from them and the consequences of breaking those rules/guidelines?

However, I think its important to strike a balance between being respectful and being sycophantic. We all have different standards and ideas concerning what constitues a "heated debate". I must admit to having been a little surprised by a few people's comments lately that certain threads were getting a little too upsetting (the long haired wheel debate, for example). Its made me very cautious about writing anything now (its taken me 12 hours to finally decide to express my opinion here) as I'm apprehensive that some people may take a disagreement as being rude or upsetting. Obviously that's up to the individual(s) concerned, and perhaps I'm used to more "direct" discussions but there is a risk that no-one will dare disagree for fear of upsetting people.

I'm afraid that I don't have any of the answers....only questions and maybe some food for thought,

[SnuggleHam]

Sorry Folks, I am feeling extremely distressed right now, I am going to lock this thread until I can wrap my head around it.

[SnuggleHam]

Okay, Well I've thought it over and have come up with some guide lines as to what disruptions are likely to take place on the forum and what punishments will be received by those who don't abide by the rules. Many expressed wanting a system for the forum to deal with "problem users" and this is what I have come up with, and this is my official decision to the matter. This thread will also be posted globally, so it will be seen on all forum topics and in your user control panel.

Hamster Central Complaints vs Action Policy.

Hamster Central follows a “three strikes you're out” rule for general misconduct on the forum. We like to offer people ample chance to improve after they are made aware of their faults within the community. We would prefer to work with “troublesome” users in correcting their ways and offering constructive advice on how to do so. To make things fair on how the administration deals with misconduct on a case to case basis we have hashed out what community offenses are likely to occur and what punishment those offenses will receive. Common mistakes will be given the three strikes rules, but more serious cases may lead to an immediate temporary ban, or permanent ban from the site.


Complaints:
Hamster Central moderators and administrators are the only members who take user complaints. These complaints are recorded and documented and discussed privately to reach an agreement on how a case should be handled. Each user who has a complaint made against them will be contacted by either a moderator or administrator alerting them to the problem. For minor cases, the “three strikes” rule applies. If the misconduct is not resolved, on the third violation that user will be banned. This means each user receives two warnings, then a ban. (Note: numerous complaints on one subject matter coming up within the same time frame is counted as one general complaint in regards to one issue. However after that user has received a first warning and more complaints are made because there were no improvements, that would count as a second strike)

Poor forum conduct:
Use of offensive language.
Posting of objectionable material.
Hijacking threads (taking the focus away from the authors personal/original intention)
Changing the subject in threads and causing it to go off track.

These actions will generally result in warnings to start. Three strikes and you're out. If you are reported for these offenses too many times and receive two warnings, you will be banned on the third.

Disrespect towards other peoples views:
Being rude and/or unconstructive on a regular basis in posts.
Being disrespectful to a fellow forum member.
Acting insensitively for example -causing others to feel like bad people, belittling other members.

These actions will generally result in warnings to start. Three strikes and you're out. If you are reported for these offenses too many times and have received two warnings, you will be banned on the third. However, some of these offenses can become serious quickly. Depending on the situation, it's possible a temporary or permanent ban will happen without warning.

Harassment:
To disturb a forum member or community persistently, be it publicly or in PM(private message)
This offense is likely to be treated as “one strike and you're out”. Harassment will be taken seriously.
One warning should be ample for the offender to reflect on the problem and to improve their behavior. Could result in private messaging privileges to be revoked.

Slander of another user(s): Going out of one's way to purposefully tarnish another user's reputation through the forum, be it publicly or via PM (private message) We do not tolerate this childish behavior of backstabbing and slander. Depending on the severity, a warning in addition to private messaging privileges to be revoked.In serious cases an immediate ban will be imposed.


Slander of a website or business: Going out of one's way to purposefully tarnish another website or related businesses reputation through the forum, be it publicly or via PM (private message) Depending on the severity, a warning in addition to private messaging privileges to be revoked. Or an immediate ban.

To Submit a Complaint.

We really don't want people to be afraid about posting their thoughts on Hamster Central. This topic is really about respect, common courtesy and good manners. However, if you find yourself being continuously upset or offended over another users actions here on the forum we encourage you submit a complaint. Your name will not be brought up in any official warnings to the member in question.

If you hesitate then there may be a chance the persons actions can get out of hand without a moderators or administrator knowing. Chances are someone may have reported the person already. When we received multiple complaints on a single users it is a stronger indicator that their actions are a serious matter in that they are jeopardizing the familial and friendly atmosphere we try and maintain.

We encourage users to politely and respectfully try and work out their own problems if its possible to do so without it ruining the experience for other members on the forum.

If a problem member has done things in the past but were never reported we can only treat their first official complaint as their first offense. We don't wish to turn the users of Hamster Central into a bunch of tattle-tails, but if you notice a common trend in a user behavior that upsets a large majority of people on a regular basis, please report it.

See template below for submitting reports.

Name of user in question:

Summary of problem:

Include thread thinks pertaining to the issue:

Include copies of any private messages between individuals (if needed):