I've had an idea.. or stolen one at least.

[Charity]

OK here it is for your perusal.
A lot of threads get locked due to one or two posters getting out of hand, so my (stolen) idea is: instead of locking some poor schmoo's shiny thread how about just banning folk from the thread, they do it in other forums, obviously it isn't possible to stop them posting in a thread, but if someones making a pigs ear out of a silk purse (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=99142) could the local mod not just tell them to stay heck out of the thread or get an infraction, letting the folk whom want to continue the discussion?

I dunno if you guys will like this idea, but I thought it worthy of a mention, as it just adds to the mods arsenal.

[Shhalahr Windrider]

From my vantage point, the mods develop quite the backlog with stuff that can actually be enforced through the software. I don't think that thing can work out. It's likely to lead to many more complaints of unequal treatment as the mods have to juggle their responsibilities across all sorts of different threads.

[Charity]

Well I figure if the mod goes in and posts X is banned from this thread, he's going to have to had gone in and posted anyhow, then if X posts again and folk find it annoying they will report X's post. I don't see it as being a lot more work for them mod fella's, I guess those that get topic banned would have to exercise a bit of self control... might even do us them some good.

[Dallas-Dakota]

Well I figure if the mod goes in and posts X is banned from this thread, he's going to have to had gone in and posted anyhow, then if X posts again and folk find it annoying they will report X's post. I don't see it as being a lot more work for them mod fella's, I guess those that get topic banned would have to exercise a bit of self control... might even do us them some good.
If my knowledge of software is correct, our forum software couldn't easily or even with some work do that, if it were possible(as I'm saying this out of my head) it would most likely take a lot of work.

[Jack Squat]

If my knowledge of software is correct, our forum software couldn't easily or even with some work do that, if it were possible(as I'm saying this out of my head) it would most likely take a lot of work.

I don't think Charity is actually suggesting literally banning them from threads, more of saying "X needs to stop posting here". Then if the person continues, people report it, and the person gets dealt with. No extra software needed, but the real question is if it's worth it.

[AKA_Bait]

Honestly, isn't this what scrubbing posts and infracting people is really for? Not every thread I've been on where someone gets scrubbed or infracted is locked if the thread seems to be on balance ok. In terms of it being a judgment call on locking the whole thread vs. punishing some posters involved and leaving it open, this seems to be a judgment call that the mods already make. In the case where a thread was locked but you feel like there was a good discussion going on, you can always PM a mod saying that and asking that you be allowed to open a new thread on the same topic without the flameybaggage of the previous incarnation.

A Mod posting in a thread that 'so-and-so is banned from this thread' seems to be against the spirit that mods here use. Infractions aren't discussed publically and even when a thread is locked the individuals responsible aren't singled out by the mods in their explanatory locking post.

Really, as it is, if someone gets scrubbed/infracted on a given thread they should know that they either should

a) stop posting in the thread
b) post in accordance with the forum rules from that point forward

or they are going to get in even more trouble and potentially get banned from GitP as a whole. I don't see how telling someone 'you are banned from this thread' publically will really make any difference in their subsequent behavior.

[Roland St. Jude]

Charity,

We have that arrow in the quiver already. We use it occasionally and privately.

Forum Rules (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/announcement.php?a=1)

Asking Users not to Post to a Specific Thread
If a Moderator comes to the conclusion that a particular poster or group of posters is consistently causing problems in a specific thread and that otherwise the thread does not violate forum rules, the Moderator may ask those posters not to make any further posts to that thread. This will almost always occur when the user has already been warned (or received an Infraction) once for their behavior in a thread, and will most likely be accompanied by an Infraction.


...In terms of it being a judgment call on locking the whole thread vs. punishing some posters involved and leaving it open, this seems to be a judgment call that the mods already make. In the case where a thread was locked but you feel like there was a good discussion going on, you can always PM a mod saying that and asking that you be allowed to open a new thread on the same topic without the flameybaggage of the previous incarnation....

That is correct. It's a judgment call about whether the thread can be salvaged, whether we have the time to do the (sometimes very heavy) scrubbing necessary to salvage it, and whether it's likely to go right back to the crapper after we spend time and effort fixing it. We do entertain requests to restart a thread. I frequently work with OPs on how to restart their thread in a way that is less likely to go wrong, and I often monitor or even post in those threads early to forestall or cut short problems.

The thread Charity linked is a good example. Anyone who has been reading the Gaming board for any length of time, I think, could see immediately what was going to go wrong with that thread and that the trouble was going to overwhelm the content in short order. It'll be back with a clear warning in the OP to avoid the same problems, and I'll be monitoring it in the early stages to make sure it stays on track.

[Bayar]

Well, it is understandable why monk threads or references to the Joker build would attract flame wars...

[Charity]

Ooops, well shows what a good idea it was then RSJ... I wonder if it wouldn't be less work for you guys to just make them public, not exactly naming and shaming but it would serve as a reminder to those on the boarderline to rein it in a bit also.

Bait, we they don't all have the same self control that you exhibit, it is often wise for folk to walk away from a thread, but too tempting to return and dig up the hatchet when someone posts the same old thing that rubbed them up the wrong way last time... a little reminder can serve to keep the more fiery temperaments on the rails.