Members complaints...

[KimmiKat]

Ever have members complain about how you run your mboard. I had a couple PM me recently saying they like another mboard better and the we have too many rules, etc. I had on PM today I almost felt like shutting the bloody board down and get out of the mboard business.

What's sad it's a free membership and most members have access to many "toys" on the board that other's charge a premium for. What's your take on it?

[writespeak]

I'd get into a discussion with these members. If they think you have too many rules, which rules do they think should be dropped? Then, in a friendly, conversational tone, talk about what would happen if you didn't have those rules. Ask for their opinions. Those members might suddenly become quiet when they realize that all the rules serve a useful purpose.

OTOH, you might get some useful feedback out of the experience.

Either way, you'll find out if these members just want to complain and not have any limitations or if they want to help make the forum better.

Lois

[Jan]

I think all forums have their share of complaining members. They are usually fine with the rules until they themselves get dinged. On the other side of the coin, there are some forums with few rules that lose members because of the seeming lack of control over certain members.

[KimmiKat]

Actually we did a few months ago. 70% of the membership like the place that it is alread is. But maybe it's time to revisit that.

The one who sent me the PM that got me upset said he did not like not being able to cuss, have really large avatars and limits on the signatures. What's odd he's been on the board for ages and now is saying that. It's the way he worded his PM that got my goat. I'm about to send him on his way...

The other board he "loves" has basically no rules, no warning system, sigs the size of the Sears tower and all that. The rules on my board are pretty basic, mainly to CYA. I used the rules on WHT and a couple of other mboards for a guide and went from there. I also have the warning system in place (in fact vB's new infraction system since I'm using 3.6) and he's the only one that spoke out against it.

Thanks for your and the Mouse's input.

I'd get into a discussion with these members. If they think you have too many rules, which rules do they think should be dropped? Then, in a friendly, conversational tone, talk about what would happen if you didn't have those rules. Ask for their opinions. Those members might suddenly become quiet when they realize that all the rules serve a useful purpose.

OTOH, you might get some useful feedback out of the experience.

Either way, you'll find out if these members just want to complain and not have any limitations or if they want to help make the forum better.

Lois

[writespeak]

The one who sent me the PM that got me upset said he did not like not being able to cuss, have really large avatars and limits on the signatures.

If he were allowed to cuss, then everyone else would be allowed to too. Where would you draw the line? Only 3 swear words per post? Are some swear words OK and others not OK? How would the ambience be different if members didn't show consideration for others by keeping their language polite and clean?

I'm sure you know the answers. Maybe this member needs to think about it. :)

Too-large avatars and signatures are distracting and can take away from what the forum is about. And every forum has its own flavour. At a forum I recently joined, I bolded my one-line sig without giving it much thought, and then I noticed that it looked out of place at that low-key forum. I removed the bold although there were no sig rules at all that I saw.

In some forums, large avatars and sigs may be more appropriate. But not in every forum.

I'm about to send him on his way...

You could suggest that he might be happier where what he's looking for fits with the tone of the forum. :angel:

The other board he "loves" has basically no rules, no warning system, sigs the size of the Sears tower and all that.

And probably a lot of people are turned off by the forum because people are rude to each other and the avatars and sigs dwarf the content. But if some people like that kind of forum, they can have it. :)

Lois

[writespeak]

What's odd he's been on the board for ages and now is saying that.

I can understand that. If he's been spending time at another forum and it appeals to him, he can't help comparing.

I'm involved in an unmoderated newsgroup where most people are polite and helpful. But increasingly in the past year or so, we've had posters who have caused a lot of problems. I used to think unmoderated groups were the way to go. But after getting to know the tools that forums offer and seeing how good moderation can make a forum so much better, I can't help wishing that we had the ability to ban those trolls.

Your member's perspective has changed too. But maybe it'll change back when he gets enough of unmoderated rude, trollish behaviour.

It's the way he worded his PM that got my goat.

:grouphug: I know how you feel.

Lois

[Lurker]

The one who sent me the PM that got me upset said he did not like not being able to cuss, have really large avatars and limits on the signatures. What's odd he's been on the board for ages and now is saying that. It's the way he worded his PM that got my goat. I'm about to send him on his way...
Maybe you should ask this long time member why he/she has the sudden urge to cuss, have large sigs and avatars when he/she was quite content before? Doesn't make sense to me :crazy:

Maybe there's a skateboard park nearby where he can do his cussing :P

[SoftWareRevue]

I might be tempted to reply with something like, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I wasn't aware that we had guidelines we need to follow here. Rules suck. Therefore I will be shutting the board down. Effective July 11th, there will be no rules. There will be no board. What was I thnking?"

Well . . . tempted. :angel:

You've already got some sound advice. Talk with him and ask the questions. :)

[KimmiKat]

I like your reply! :evilb: I'd be tempted to tell him that! :D

I might be tempted to reply with something like, "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I wasn't aware that we had guidelines we need to follow here. Rules suck. Therefore I will be shutting the board down. Effective July 11th, there will be no rules. There will be no board. What was I thnking?"

Well . . . tempted. :angel:

You've already got some sound advice. Talk with him and ask the questions. :)

[KimmiKat]

There's an sub-forum on my mboard that you can cuss in, but it's limited to there only. It's mostly political and religion talk there and we know how those get heated fast.

If he were allowed to cuss, then everyone else would be allowed to too. Where would you draw the line? Only 3 swear words per post? Are some swear words OK and others not OK? How would the ambience be different if members didn't show consideration for others by keeping their language polite and clean?

I'm sure you know the answers. Maybe this member needs to think about it. :)

As for avatars, I allow fair sized ones, but the other board he likes, the avatars can be up 300x300. The funny thing is about a week ago he mentioned on the other board he joined WHT and mentioned that the rules were to restrictive. I told him in that thread that WHT is a for-profit board and not a hobby one like mine. If he ever complains on WHT, SWR can use the reply he posted in this thread! :banana:

As for joining a new board, a while back I joined the OC Forums and put the usual sig until I realise other sigs were completely different, describing the type of machine they had, etc. I went back pronto (within 5 minutes of making the original sig) and changed it a description of my puter to follow with the guidelines.

Too-large avatars and signatures are distracting and can take away from what the forum is about. And every forum has its own flavour. At a forum I recently joined, I bolded my one-line sig without giving it much thought, and then I noticed that it looked out of place at that low-key forum. I removed the bold although there were no sig rules at all that I saw.

In some forums, large avatars and sigs may be more appropriate. But not in every forum.

You could suggest that he might be happier where what he's looking for fits with the tone of the forum. :angel:

And probably a lot of people are turned off by the forum because people are rude to each other and the avatars and sigs dwarf the content. But if some people like that kind of forum, they can have it. :)

Since he says he's happier over at the other forum, I may suggest he post there instead. His perspective has changed. He used to post photos of his motorcycle, including some that's been on the board forever and the other day he asked me to remove them.

Thanks for the group hug! :greenthum

I can understand that. If he's been spending time at another forum and it appeals to him, he can't help comparing.

I'm involved in an unmoderated newsgroup where most people are polite and helpful. But increasingly in the past year or so, we've had posters who have caused a lot of problems. I used to think unmoderated groups were the way to go. But after getting to know the tools that forums offer and seeing how good moderation can make a forum so much better, I can't help wishing that we had the ability to ban those trolls.

Your member's perspective has changed too. But maybe it'll change back when he gets enough of unmoderated rude, trollish behaviour.

:grouphug: I know how you feel.

Lois

I would suggest the park, but his member is over 60 and he might crash and burn and blame me! :pink:

Maybe you should ask this long time member why he/she has the sudden urge to cuss, have large sigs and avatars when he/she was quite content before? Doesn't make sense to me :crazy:

Maybe there's a skateboard park nearby where he can do his cussing :P

[SoftWareRevue]

... but his member is over 60 .../me doesn't ask and doesn't really want to know what the KimmiKat is talkin' about. :S

I joined the OC Forums ...Yeah. They have some heavy restrictions there. :armed:


If he ever complains on WHT ...But nobody complains there! :rofl:

[KimmiKat]

Anyway that member got banned.

/me doesn't ask and doesn't really want to know what the KimmiKat is talkin' about. :S

Yeah. They have some heavy restrictions there. :armed:


But nobody complains there! :rofl:

[writespeak]

Anyway that member got banned.

Why?

Lois

[Jan]

As for avatars, I allow fair sized ones, but the other board he likes, the avatars can be up 300x300..
Remind me not to visit that forum :pullhair:
I would suggest the park, but his member is over 60 and he might crash and burn and blame me! :pink:
But how old is he? :banana:

Maybe early senility set in and he's going through a second childhood :pink:

[KimmiKat]

Long story Lois. He kept questioning the mods on the board.

Why?

Lois