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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

Whether your are a long standing forum member or whether you have just registered today, it's a good idea to read and review the rules below so that you have a very good idea of what to expect when you come to Pacers Digest.

A quick note to new members: Your posts will not immediately show up when you make them. An administrator has to approve at least your first post before the forum software will later upgrade your account to the status of a fully-registered member. This usually happens within a couple of hours or so after your post(s) is/are approved, so you may need to be a little patient at first.

Why do we do this? So that it's more difficult for spammers (be they human or robot) to post, and so users who are banned cannot immediately re-register and start dousing people with verbal flames.

Below are the rules of Pacers Digest. After you have read them, you will have a very good sense of where we are coming from, what we expect, what we don't want to see, and how we react to things.

Rule #1

Pacers Digest is intended to be a place to discuss basketball without having to deal with the kinds of behaviors or attitudes that distract people from sticking with the discussion of the topics at hand. These unwanted distractions can come in many forms, and admittedly it can sometimes be tricky to pin down each and every kind that can rear its ugly head, but we feel that the following examples and explanations cover at least a good portion of that ground and should at least give people a pretty good idea of the kinds of things we actively discourage:

"Anyone who __________ is a liar / a fool / an idiot / a blind homer / has their head buried in the sand / a blind hater / doesn't know basketball / doesn't watch the games"

"People with intelligence will agree with me when I say that __________"

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

"I can't wait to hear something from PosterX when he/she sees that **insert a given incident or current event that will have probably upset or disappointed PosterX here**"

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

"I'm going to take a moment to point and / laugh at PosterX / GroupOfPeopleY who thought / believed *insert though/belief here*"

"Remember when PosterX said OldCommentY that no longer looks good? "

In general, if a comment goes from purely on topic to something 'ad hominem' (personal jabs, personal shots, attacks, flames, however you want to call it, towards a person, or a group of people, or a given city/state/country of people), those are most likely going to be found intolerable.

We also dissuade passive aggressive behavior. This can be various things, but common examples include statements that are basically meant to imply someone is either stupid or otherwise incapable of holding a rational conversation. This can include (but is not limited to) laughing at someone's conclusions rather than offering an honest rebuttal, asking people what game they were watching, or another common problem is Poster X will say "that player isn't that bad" and then Poster Y will say something akin to "LOL you think that player is good". We're not going to tolerate those kinds of comments out of respect for the community at large and for the sake of trying to just have an honest conversation.

Now, does the above cover absolutely every single kind of distraction that is unwanted? Probably not, but you should by now have a good idea of the general types of things we will be discouraging. The above examples are meant to give you a good feel for / idea of what we're looking for. If something new or different than the above happens to come along and results in the same problem (that being, any other attitude or behavior that ultimately distracts from actually just discussing the topic at hand, or that is otherwise disrespectful to other posters), we can and we will take action to curb this as well, so please don't take this to mean that if you managed to technically avoid saying something exactly like one of the above examples that you are then somehow off the hook.

That all having been said, our goal is to do so in a generally kind and respectful way, and that doesn't mean the moment we see something we don't like that somebody is going to be suspended or banned, either. It just means that at the very least we will probably say something about it, quite possibly snipping out the distracting parts of the post in question while leaving alone the parts that are actually just discussing the topics, and in the event of a repeating or excessive problem, then we will start issuing infractions to try to further discourage further repeat problems, and if it just never seems to improve, then finally suspensions or bans will come into play. We would prefer it never went that far, and most of the time for most of our posters, it won't ever have to.

A slip up every once and a while is pretty normal, but, again, when it becomes repetitive or excessive, something will be done. Something occasional is probably going to be let go (within reason), but when it starts to become habitual or otherwise a pattern, odds are very good that we will step in.

There's always a small minority that like to push people's buttons and/or test their own boundaries with regards to the administrators, and in the case of someone acting like that, please be aware that this is not a court of law, but a private website run by people who are simply trying to do the right thing as they see it. If we feel that you are a special case that needs to be dealt with in an exceptional way because your behavior isn't explicitly mirroring one of our above examples of what we generally discourage, we can and we will take atypical action to prevent this from continuing if you are not cooperative with us.

Also please be aware that you will not be given a pass simply by claiming that you were 'only joking,' because quite honestly, when someone really is just joking, for one thing most people tend to pick up on the joke, including the person or group that is the target of the joke, and for another thing, in the event where an honest joke gets taken seriously and it upsets or angers someone, the person who is truly 'only joking' will quite commonly go out of his / her way to apologize and will try to mend fences. People who are dishonest about their statements being 'jokes' do not do so, and in turn that becomes a clear sign of what is really going on. It's nothing new.

In any case, quite frankly, the overall quality and health of the entire forum's community is more important than any one troublesome user will ever be, regardless of exactly how a problem is exhibiting itself, and if it comes down to us having to make a choice between you versus the greater health and happiness of the entire community, the community of this forum will win every time.

Lastly, there are also some posters, who are generally great contributors and do not otherwise cause any problems, who sometimes feel it's their place to provoke or to otherwise 'mess with' that small minority of people described in the last paragraph, and while we possibly might understand why you might feel you WANT to do something like that, the truth is we can't actually tolerate that kind of behavior from you any more than we can tolerate the behavior from them. So if we feel that you are trying to provoke those other posters into doing or saying something that will get themselves into trouble, then we will start to view you as a problem as well, because of the same reason as before: The overall health of the forum comes first, and trying to stir the pot with someone like that doesn't help, it just makes it worse. Some will simply disagree with this philosophy, but if so, then so be it because ultimately we have to do what we think is best so long as it's up to us.

If you see a problem that we haven't addressed, the best and most appropriate course for a forum member to take here is to look over to the left of the post in question. See underneath that poster's name, avatar, and other info, down where there's a little triangle with an exclamation point (!) in it? Click that. That allows you to report the post to the admins so we can definitely notice it and give it a look to see what we feel we should do about it. Beyond that, obviously it's human nature sometimes to want to speak up to the poster in question who has bothered you, but we would ask that you try to refrain from doing so because quite often what happens is two or more posters all start going back and forth about the original offending post, and suddenly the entire thread is off topic or otherwise derailed. So while the urge to police it yourself is understandable, it's best to just report it to us and let us handle it. Thank you!

All of the above is going to be subject to a case by case basis, but generally and broadly speaking, this should give everyone a pretty good idea of how things will typically / most often be handled.

Rule #2

If the actions of an administrator inspire you to make a comment, criticism, or express a concern about it, there is a wrong place and a couple of right places to do so.

The wrong place is to do so in the original thread in which the administrator took action. For example, if a post gets an infraction, or a post gets deleted, or a comment within a larger post gets clipped out, in a thread discussing Paul George, the wrong thing to do is to distract from the discussion of Paul George by adding your off topic thoughts on what the administrator did.

The right places to do so are:

A) Start a thread about the specific incident you want to talk about on the Feedback board. This way you are able to express yourself in an area that doesn't throw another thread off topic, and this way others can add their two cents as well if they wish, and additionally if there's something that needs to be said by the administrators, that is where they will respond to it.

B) Send a private message to the administrators, and they can respond to you that way.

If this is done the wrong way, those comments will be deleted, and if it's a repeating problem then it may also receive an infraction as well.

Rule #3

If a poster is bothering you, and an administrator has not or will not deal with that poster to the extent that you would prefer, you have a powerful tool at your disposal, one that has recently been upgraded and is now better than ever: The ability to ignore a user.

When you ignore a user, you will unfortunately still see some hints of their existence (nothing we can do about that), however, it does the following key things:

A) Any post they make will be completely invisible as you scroll through a thread.

B) The new addition to this feature: If someone QUOTES a user you are ignoring, you do not have to read who it was, or what that poster said, unless you go out of your way to click on a link to find out who it is and what they said.

To utilize this feature, from any page on Pacers Digest, scroll to the top of the page, look to the top right where it says 'Settings' and click that. From the settings page, look to the left side of the page where it says 'My Settings', and look down from there until you see 'Edit Ignore List' and click that. From here, it will say 'Add a Member to Your List...' Beneath that, click in the text box to the right of 'User Name', type in or copy & paste the username of the poster you are ignoring, and once their name is in the box, look over to the far right and click the 'Okay' button. All done!

Rule #4

Regarding infractions, currently they carry a value of one point each, and that point will expire in 31 days. If at any point a poster is carrying three points at the same time, that poster will be suspended until the oldest of the three points expires.

Rule #5

When you share or paste content or articles from another website, you must include the URL/link back to where you found it, who wrote it, and what website it's from. Said content will be removed if this doesn't happen.

An example:

If I copy and paste an article from the Indianapolis Star website, I would post something like this:

http://www.linktothearticlegoeshere.com/article
Title of the Article
Author's Name
Indianapolis Star

Rule #6

We cannot tolerate illegal videos on Pacers Digest. This means do not share any links to them, do not mention any websites that host them or link to them, do not describe how to find them in any way, and do not ask about them. Posts doing anything of the sort will be removed, the offenders will be contacted privately, and if the problem becomes habitual, you will be suspended, and if it still persists, you will probably be banned.

The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

Rule #7

Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

It may or may not go without saying, but this goes for threads and posts as well, particularly when it's not made on the off-topic board (Market Square).

We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

Rule #9

Generally speaking, we try to be a "PG-13" rated board, and we don't want to see sexual content or similarly suggestive content. Vulgarity is a more muddled issue, though again we prefer things to lean more towards "PG-13" than "R". If we feel things have gone too far, we will step in.

Rule #10

We like small signatures, not big signatures. The bigger the signature, the more likely it is an annoying or distracting signature.

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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Houston Chronicle: Steve Francis seeks stability in life, game

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  • Houston Chronicle: Steve Francis seeks stability in life, game

    http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/4162738.html

    Francis seeks stability in life, game
    The player once called 'Stevie Franchise' has matured


    By JONATHAN FEIGEN
    Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

    Steve Francis was back at Westside Tennis Club, sweating his way around the old Rockets practice court he had for so long called home.

    He checked out the photos of Westside regulars, laughing at how young Nick Van Exel looked back then. That morning, he had studied a DVD of his first playoff game, the 2004 last-second loss to the Lakers. He wore Rockets workout shorts.

    He was home, or at least comfortable in this familiar place and in his own skin. But he was different, too.

    This was where Francis was once "Franchise." He was a young star back then, three times an All-Star, glowing with possibilities. He had lived the life, enjoyed the adulation and made mountains of money. He rolled happily through those first steps of his NBA career.

    But now, perhaps because he had stepped back into the setting of his former life, how much he had changed seemed most obvious.

    With his career at its nadir, he seemed most content. In the place it once all seemed to come easily, Francis seemed to finally understand that it will be difficult. Where he had been the model of youthful potential and exuberance — with occasional irresponsibility — he seemed to finally have matured.

    "My daughter just turned 1," Francis said. "I'm getting ready for my wedding coming up (on Sunday). I'm 29 now. I think it helps to have that type of stability. I think it helps ... knowing I'm going to go home every night to see my family. And in basketball, it helps me stay focused."


    Working with Lucas
    Age might be a close relative to maturity, but they are not twins. Along with optimism, offseasons bring good intentions not always realized when players return to work. But as he sat and chatted easily — something he never had the patience for a few years ago — it did not sound to be just talk.

    "He's different, different, different," said John Lucas, who has been working with Francis this summer. "He's changed. I've seen the maturity click in. I've seen a different passion for basketball. He's not a young colt learning his way anymore. These next four years will be the prime years of his basketball career."

    Francis has moved from the promise of a sensational, young star guard with the Rockets to a brief honeymoon and breakup with the Orlando Magic and finally to the cesspool of the New York Knicks' spectacularly dreadful season.

    The Rockets had locked him up to the largest contract allowed, unwilling to take a chance on letting him get away. With the Knicks, he has been held as a $14 million (next season) example of a horribly bloated, underachieving roster. He has gone from All-Star to only occasional starter.

    "It went so fast, the first eight years," Francis said. "I've been through so much adversity in my life, it's another test to get back to the top."

    To get there, Francis has put his faith in a pair of former point guards, spending much of the summer with Lucas at Westside and trusting that new Knicks coach Isiah Thomas would make the pieces in his overstuffed backcourt fit.

    "Steve is as gifted an athlete as LeBron (James) or Kobe (Bryant), any of them," Lucas said. "Every year he doesn't make the All-Star Game is an embarrassment. We're trying to get him to slow down and see the game. I've really challenged him in front of his peers. He never answered back. He did the work. Normally, it would have been, 'I don't have to hear this (stuff) from Luke.' Now, he's just worked hard to put it all together."


    Sharing with Marbury
    In 24 games with the Knicks last season, Francis averaged just 10.8 points and 3.5 assists. But even before he was traded to his New York timeshare with Stephon Marbury, his averages of 16.2 points and 5.7 assists with the Magic had been the worst of his career.

    Having been given one season to turn around the Knicks, Thomas is in many ways betting his coaching career on making the mix of Marbury and Francis work.

    "I have to make sure I put him in a position in which he can be successful," Thomas said. "The way the game is played today, it is a guard's game. Guards have a tremendous advantage if they can put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. I don't think any player is a lot better at that than Steve. We have two of them."

    But Francis' success will largely be Francis' responsibility. If he struggles, the Knicks are loaded with players to take his minutes.

    "My whole goal is to get him back to the point he was as an All-Star," Thomas said. "He was one of the top 10 players in this league. I don't see any reason he can't get back there. What I spoke to him about is, 'Get your off-the-court game in line. Be a better person, a better teammate. Your talent and skills will speak for themselves.'

    "As a young player ... everything is going so fast. You're maturing. He has found balance in his life and on the court. When your life is not balanced you have those emotional outbursts or reasons to think things aren't going well for you. Steve now, at his age, has the opportunity to have great success."

    Francis believes he could be what he was. If he left New York, he said he could be a high-scoring, highlight-reel All-Star. But he has done that.

    "I could go some other place and be in the place I was here (in Houston)," Francis said. "We weren't winning, but I was scoring 25 points a game. But if I could be in a situation like I'm in now, with everybody doubting the players, the coach, that would drive me even more. If you can get those fans behind you and you're helping your team win, I'm content with that. At this point in my career, I've got to get some W's. I've got to start winning games."

    Francis said he does not regret his early, wayward years in the NBA, but neither does he blame the Rockets or Magic for the way his career has turned.

    He had been critical of Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy in the months after the trade, but would now only say he loved his time in Houston and considered his one playoff appearance the highlight of his career.

    The Magic were critical of Francis after his departure, with praise of his backcourt successors seeming to be barely veiled criticisms of his play. But Francis, who never had shied from an argument, said he noticed the criticism, but would not exchange fire.


    Holding his tongue
    "I have nothing but nice things to say about those guys," Francis said. "There has to be a scapegoat for everything. Back in the day, I would have said something back, but that won't get me anywhere. That won't help me win games.

    "I'm just mad I haven't won enough games. That's my greatest disappointment, to not be consistently in the playoffs like these other guys. I'm happy, but I'm not content. I want to get better, win more games, get my team in the playoffs more."

    Whether that is maturity that comes with age, humility that comes from relative failure or simply a line that comes with experience, Francis at least sounded changed.

    "He didn't want to go to Vancouver and got his way," Lucas said. "He came to the Rockets and had everything he wanted early. When he got traded, it was the first time he had a form of rejection. He has taken the last two years to come out of that. But being traded was the worst and best thing for him. He's different. Now, we just have to see how the season goes."

    jonathan.feigen@chron.com
    The poster "pacertom" since this forum began (and before!). I changed my name here to "Slick Pinkham" in honor of the imaginary player That Bobby "Slick" Leonard picked late in the 1971 ABA draft (true story!).

  • #2
    Re: Houston Chronicle: Steve Francis seeks stability in life, game

    I'm telling you guys, he's a changed player, and if we could get him for Tinsley, Jackson, and filler, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

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