The future of the rugby forum

[RDW]

First topic message reminder :

Folks,

For those who do not already know, Hero (the original founder of the forum) is stepping down from running the site and I am taking over from him. The first big announcement is that I’ve up-rated the rugby moderating team, with George Carlin stepping up to rugby Administrator and new mods Biggee, London Tiger and maestagmafia created. There will be an Irish/Northern Irish mod to come but they haven’t opened their PM yet asking if they want to do it!

I’m keen to get people’s opinions on the site, good or bad, and to hear ideas on how we can make the site better. I would appreciate if this doesn’t just become a moan about mods – once again worth reminding that we are all volunteers who try to do our best in our spare time. Hopefully adding more moderators will help complaints be resolved more quickly. Ultimately though if all posters treat each other with respect and act with maturity we wouldn’t have any modding to do!

So I’ll leave this as an open forum to raise any points you want to raise and hopefully we can get some ideas.

Finally, I would appreciate if you could follow our new Twitter account – we used to have one but the password for it is long gone! https://twitter.com/606v2R if you could give a retweet as well that would be super.

Cheers,

RDW (Ross)

[mikey_dragon]

The rugby forum is a mess. Moderators are either jumping on posters they don’t agree with (deleting comments and closing threads) or just ignoring problems, not taking promised action.

Sounds like the English are getting moderated,finally. Maybe we’ll see a load of them driven off the site like numerous welsh posters were due to the lack of moderation

Pal Joey, always did wonder why you’re black, as opposed to green or blue?

[Pal Joey]

Mikey, that's one of the mods (JuliusHMarx) having fun with certain posters. He makes up those badges and you're stuck with it whether you like it or not. I personally find the "wizard of oz" one embarrassing... good intentions maybe... but a bit of a half-baked cliche, imo. I'm not a wizard at all!

There's also DolphinZiggler "Flipper", superflyweight "I fought the law" and several others.
So be careful - you might wake up one day with a new scarlet coloured badge and nickname... like "Red Lizard Man" or something.  

I've changed my forum name a few times too... Linebreaker, Loaded Dog... now this one.
It's a reference to the 1940 Broadway play and the 1957 film staring Frank Sinatra. Joey Evans was the name of the nightclub owner.

[mikey_dragon]

Ah the Loaded Dog, you’re an Aussie right? Thought your name would be Immortan Joe by now...

[Pal Joey]

Yes. There's only 3 posters in Australia (maybe 4 or 5?) but alfie and dolphin are English. Boomerang is based in Sydney too I believe.

Good one.
Maybe "Immortan Joe's Shadow" (tilted rusty red steel text) on a gold/yellow/wattle background or something?

Jules... if you're up for the creative challenge?

[Cyril]

Mikey, it’s not good that any posters get driven from a forum. Yes, we lost some good Welsh posters (a lot of good posters from different nationalities, to be fair). There doesn’t seem to be a lot of feedback about problems raised by posters.

[RDW]

Cyril there's been a lot of work behind the scenes and speaking to posters individually. If you click on page 1 you'll also see me responding to a number of queries (including one to you).

We've added a few new moderators and it has definitely been helping. Moderating on here is a bit of a dark art as you're often dammed if you do and dammed if you don't - I'm sure there's been a few teething problems while our new team work out the best ways to do things but I definitely think it has been productive bringing more mods on and they're doing a good job. Most moderating on here is not done publicly - just because you don't see something doesn't mean it hasn't happened. A prime example being people complaining their post has been removed - they are unknown to the fact that other posts have been removed too without them noticing.

A final thing to say is that it gets frustrating when people direct criticism to the mods for threads that are locked/red penned etc, ignoring that fact that if people posted in a positive manner in the first place we wouldn't have to do that. That isn't a comment aimed at you, it's a general observation from several posts over the 6N period.

[Cyril]

Fair enough, RDW. I think you know my views about one moderator in particular, but time will tell on that one.

Any chance the PM system can implemented in the mobile version? Seems a major flaw in the system when mods say that have sent you a message. I realise this isn’t in your control, but worth asking.

Sorry to be a moaner (and I realise i’m Sometimes a difficult poster on here)

[Guest]

Fair enough, RDW. I think you know my views about one moderator in particular, but time will tell on that one.

Any chance the PM system can implemented in the mobile version? Seems a major flaw in the system when mods say that have sent you a message. I realise this isn’t in your control, but worth asking.

Sorry to be a moaner (and I realise i’m Sometimes a difficult poster on here)

[Cyril]

Oracle, i’m Not sure what that face means? Sorry, I can’t quote either! Another thing on the mobile site

[mikey_dragon]

Fair enough, RDW. I think you know my views about one moderator in particular, but time will tell on that one.

Any chance the PM system can implemented in the mobile version? Seems a major flaw in the system when mods say that have sent you a message. I realise this isn’t in your control, but worth asking.

Sorry to be a moaner (and I realise i’m Sometimes a difficult poster on here)

Were you not banned for continued harassment of them, or am I wrong?

Use the web version. Mobile version is shocking to read as well as use.

Not difficult any more, seems your reintroduction worked .

[Cyril]

No Gareth, I wasn’t banned. The web version is awful for navigating.

[mikey_dragon]

Gareth? That's not what I heard

[Cyril]

You heard wrong then, Mr Powell.

[mikey_dragon]

So I get informed of the good news and you just happen to be gone from this place for like a year due to your wifi being down? Ya makes sense....

[quinsforever]

so....does that mean i should unblock MM?

[ObservatoryCrest]

RDW, please PM me. I can’t as yet (not sure how many posts I need).

Thanks in advance

[SecretFly]

Shush you other lads! I think we've stumbled on a secret plan to rule the world...... strange visitor wanting to PM already....... hmmmm.

[ObservatoryCrest]

RDW, I can’t reply to your PM. Not enough posts yet. Please see my post in ‘Hello Everyone’.

[mikey_dragon]

Hi Cyril. I did recently hear about your unfortunate incident, not sure what you did but you have my sympathies too. I can't recall reading any BS from you for a long time yet numerous other posters here are allowed to run around doing it every day on our threads. Feel free to PM me and I will look into it . And welcome back!

[TJ]

On moderation.  Never discuss moderation decisions  it just leads to more arguing.  For me this place needs two things.  More posters and less trolls.  there are still a couple of trolls on here that are allowed to continue their trolling unabated.  they put of posters including me.  I am here much less than I used to be because of the behaviour of this couple of posters.

[mikey_dragon]

[Cyril]

To be fair, TJ, you’re not unlike mikey on England threads. Just a heads up.

[TJ]

Ta Cyril.  I'd like to think I know the line between debate and trolling but I guess its in differnet place for different folk

Micky is one of the trolls driving folk away IMO - I have him blocked now as his continual accusations got wearing.  You can be very difficult as well cyril

and with that I am gone from this forum.  the trolls have won.  I'll pop back to read the scots threads but no more will I participate.

[Cyril]

Fair enough, TJ. Your choice.

[mikey_dragon]

TJ has been on welsh threads wumming and instigating fights between other posters on said threads, now he’s here displaying a holier than thou attitude; does anyone care if he leaves? Each of his posts always have a whinge-tone about them which is painful to read.

[Eejit]

TJ has been on welsh threads wumming and instigating fights between other posters on said threads, now he’s here displaying a holier than thou attitude; does anyone care if he leaves? Each of his posts always have a whinge-tone about them which is painful to read.

Bit unnecessary post there buddy. Seriously, no-one is this much of a xxxx without actively trying to be. Admit it, you're just having us on aren't you. You're probably a lovely bloke outside of this place but use this as somewhere to take out all your rage.

Try the gym mate. It works for me.

[BigGee]

It is probably worth pointing out at this point that this thread was put up in an attempt to get some constructive opinions about how the forum could be improved and made into a better place.

It seems to have degenerated a bit into a place where it seems safe to settle some old scores which is neither constructive nor healthy

Please can we bear that in mind and try to remember what the purpose of this thread actually was.

For what it is worth, I think it is always a great shame when any long standing poster leaves the forum, whatever their reasons for doing so and is not something anyone should be happy about

For the avoidance of doubt, this is a general point and aimed at no-one in particular

[mikey_dragon]

Eejit go and read the posts I’m referring to.

[LordDowlais]

It is probably worth pointing out at this point that this thread was put up in an attempt to get some constructive opinions about how the forum could be improved and made into a better place.

It seems to have degenerated a bit into a place where it seems safe to settle some old scores which is neither constructive nor healthy

Please can we bear that in mind and try to remember what the purpose of this thread actually was.

For what it is worth, I think it is always a great shame when any long standing poster leaves the forum, whatever their reasons for doing so and is not something anyone should be happy about

For the avoidance of doubt, this is a general point and aimed at no-one in particular

Well, then if this is the case, can I please point out, that ALL the moderators on this forum are not only turning a blind eye, but are taking part in obvious trolling when they are having a laugh on certain threads on the international section that are an obvious p!ss take.

Why is tighthead allowed to start threads like he has done to mock players like AWJ and the other one about England being the best . We know how they will end up, yet nothing is done.

[BigGee]

Lord, do you remember the great Australian player John Eales, his nickname was nobody, deriving from Nobody is Perfect! That came from his own team mates.

Someone like AWJ, who has elevated himself to the point of all time greatness, is going to attract a bit of well earned humour about himself. It is actually a compliment to him that people can do that and I imagine that if he was to read this forum, he would likely find that quite funny himself, he really does seem to be that kind of a guy. There is nothing offensive on that thread, it is just good old fashioned humour.

This is an international forum at the end of the day and there is going to be ribbing and banter between the nations. Have you never watched an international in a pub or rugby club with fans from countries other than Wales, did you not do the same there?

It can be very easy to take offence but you don't always have to.

This forum would likely be a very dull and uninteresting place if no-one said anything than could not remotely be seen as taking the p#ss. We all have to be able to give it and take it, in real life as well as on a rugby forum.

[Scottrf]

100%. There's a difference between humour (whether you find it funny or not) and actively trying to antagonise and derail threads.

[RDW]

I would agree with Biggee that the AWJ thread has been in good humour - you can look for offence in any post and I can't see anything wrong with that thread.

I'm sure TightHEAD himself would freely admit he causes trouble on here at times but I don't think that's the case on that thread.

[mikey_dragon]

I thought the AWJ thread was in good humour too. What’s strange is that a poster who occasionally WUMs on here goes through a routine of wumming and following that up by complaining about trolls and threatening to leave like two comments later. It’s so cringeworthy, yet when I point it out i’m worse than Jiffy on a roll during a Wales-Scotland fixture . I see you might be willing to take action on that, it’s just a shame you didn’t do much regarding the constant wumming we see by English on all of the Wales threads in both the autumn and 6N. This is a feedback thread right?

[BigGee]

It is a feedback thread Mikey

However some recent comments on here, including some from yourself, could hardly be described as feedback.

As a moderator, I take on board your last comment.

As a poster, please think about some of the things that I have said about the nature of some of the posting on this thread.

[mikey_dragon]

I’ve seen a few personal attacks against myself go unpunished too. I hope i haven’t done the same but realise that I probably have sometimes without realising; so with that your feedback is also noted .

[rodders]

Did you report these personal attacks?

[mikey_dragon]

Occasionally I have done but sometimes they're done right under a mods nose, not sure why a report would be needed in that case. I also feel I was attacked a little bit on here (not by any mod) or maybe I'm being a little touchy.

[yappysnap]

A fair few people on here need to grow up. There's humor, and then there's acting like children, and unfortunately some posters from almost every country can't seem to separate the two.

Take a moment before you post and think about what you're writing. Try to not take offence at everything someone else says because you don't like that person, leave a thread and cool off if you need to and just grow up a little bit, there's more to life then getting incensed on an internet forum for rugby.

[LondonTiger]

A fair few people on here need to grow up. There's humor, and then there's acting like children, and unfortunately some posters from almost every country can't seem to separate the two.

Take a moment before you post and think about what you're writing. Try to not take offence at everything someone else says because you don't like that person, leave a thread and cool off if you need to and just grow up a little bit, there's more to life then getting incensed on an internet forum for rugby.

I am offended by this


I knew you were down in NZ now yappy, but only just seen that it is Christchurch. How is the mood in the city right now?

[SecretFly]

That seems to be one unlucky city. Anything that happens in New Zealand and the name Christchurch seems to pop up.

[No 7&1/2]

Why are threads closed without warning or explanation sometimes with bans?

[RiscaGame]

Locking a thread is fair enough. I don’t know why a thread has been unlocked, for a mod to comment and then the thread gets locked again.

[Cyril]

Some people like to get the last word in?

[No 7&1/2]

I'd concur. 2nd time it's happened.

[Cyril]

Nobody here.

[mikey_dragon]

If this is a feedback thread then I would just like to say that maestegmafia is doing a fine job! He's a great mod .

[Cyril]

Indeed. With Maesteg closing threads and Miaow filling in the gaps this forum truly is World Class.

Great times.

[No 7&1/2]

Yeah I'd like to request that mods explain the reasons for removal of posts please and not use their power to get the last word and then close threads and cut off conversations. Also if questioned or even joked about then have hissy fits resulting in bans.

[LordDowlais]

Posts are removed because they should be at times.

No 7&1/2, some of the stuff you wrote on the Israel Folau thread was just wrong, plain and simple.

[No 7&1/2]

As long as there is clear explanation I'm fine with mods doing what they need to. That's not been happening in some cases hence my suggestion.

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