Threats=Bans

[Kirk Gittings]

All,

It only took two days as a moderator before I received my first abusive, foul mouthed email that contained a personal threat. It is fine to argue your case strongly but abusive language and threats cross the line. As a result of this incident, and after consulting with my fellow moderators, I have decided on a 0 tolerance policy for threats, whether made on or off the forum. Now, I understand that anger can cause one to make poor choices in the moment, so in this case the ban will be only for 30 days. Similar behavior in the future, on or off the forum will incur more severe responses. Be warned all.

This job does not compensate me well enough to put up with such nonsense.

Thanks all,

[Vick Vickery]

Only two days? Somehow, with the mostly laid-back attitude of most of the participants of this forum, I'm supprised it happened so fast! I have found most of the folks around here to be pretty nice most of the time (with one or two exceptions like guys threatening to sue over their supposed inventions ) and almost almost helpful in a non-abusive way.

I think 30 days suspention for a threat is a very soft response.

[domenico Foschi]

Threats should be dealt with absolute ban.
Someone called and insulted me sometime ago over the phone, but of course he never revealed his identity, in line with his disturbed behavior.
I know he is a forum member, but I could never find out exactly who he was,... only a suspicion.
Well, Kirk, sometime not being liked is a badge of honor.

[Anupam]

How depressing does one's life have to be to get caught up this much in an online photo forum?

[Ole Tjugen]

You are too kind Kirk, 30 days suspension is far too kind!

[Mike Boden]

I don't understand why anyone would threaten you. For what? Being a moderator? What could you possibly have said or done to warrant this? It's absolutely ridiculous. My vote is for a total ban.

[David A. Goldfarb]

One attraction of moderating an international internet forum is that you sometimes learn interesting multicultural curses.

[BarryS]

As a moderator on a very large forum, I would strongly recommend unceremoniously bouncing anyone making a personal threat--immediately and permanently. To do otherwise is only encouraging bad behavior.

[lenser]

Perhaps this would be a good reason to require more details on personal information. I would love to see at least the member's state as a requirement on the Public Profile, if not the city (just so we can know whether we are close enough to pick up an offered item or to participate in a workshop).

For membership, perhaps detailed contact information (which would be held in total confidentiality) of both street address and phone numbers that would be verified before allowing total membership, would be a deterrent to this kind of non-sense.

Even on Ebay, by going through a simple search process, you can find out all of this information on a member.

There is no excuse for this kind of behavior. To allow it to exist because the jerk can hide behind his anonymity is asking for more. If such a threat seems real, having that info could allow it to be reported and dealt with. It's unfortunate to have to deal with this kind of thing (and I'm as socially liberal as they come and hate to see it required), but six people died in a Kentucky factory yesterday because of one pissed off idiot and his girl friend who didn't report the threat to the police.

Just my two cents, but maybe its one thing to think about.

Tim

[Jim Galli]

wow, bummer. Seems idiotic. 30 days is very modest.