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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"

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

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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.

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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:

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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.

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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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Hoopsworld early power rankings

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  • Hoopsworld early power rankings

    http://www.hoopsworld.com/Story.asp?story_id=9710

    Ranking the Eastern Conference

    By: Jessica Camerato Last Updated: 8/7/08 1:58 PM ET | 9528 times read



    Adjust font size:The Boston Celtics returned the NBA Championship to the Eastern Conference and this summer teams are making moves to keep it there. HOOPSWORLD takes a look at the power rankings in the East with its current rosters.

    1. Boston Celtics: NBA Championships merit top seeds in preseason rankings. The Celtics are returning their entire starting lineup and even though they have to overcome the departure of James Posey, the Big Three should still be enough to keep near the top of the standings. Not to mention, the young Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins are coming back even tougher and more experienced after winning it all.

    2. Cleveland Cavaliers: There is only one thing that makes the Cavaliers the second-best team in the East: LeBron James. Simply put, Bron Bron is one of the top-5 players in the NBA. Put almost any group of players beside him (see their championship run from two years ago) and James' team would succeed. With that being said, it doesn't hurt that the offensive (Delonte West, Wally Sczerbiak) and defensive (Ben Wallace) talent acquired in last season's late trade will have some more time to get acclimated to playing with King James.

    3. Detroit Pistons: GM Joe Dumars declared there were "no sacred cows" on the Pistons after they were bounced by the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals and speculation flew of them dismantling their veteran core. It will be up Michael Curry, recently hired as head coach, to get this group of former champions to play up to their potential, but the biggest question is whether these veterans have another title in them.

    4. Philadelphia 76ers: Many counted the 76ers out before the start of last season only to find the fiery running team making a legitimate run at the postseason. With Elton Brand in Philadelphia the question is no longer if they will make the playoffs, but what seed they will earn. If the 76ers can bring Andre Iguodala back -- which head coach Mo Cheeks is confident they will do -- this team is poised to make one of the biggest turnarounds in the league next season.

    5. Toronto Raptors: The Raptors needed another rebounder and got one of the most proven big men in the league. If he can stay healthy, the duo of Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh could be one of the most dominating frontcourt duos in the East. Jose Calderon also gives the Raptors consistency (and impeccable ball handling) as their only starting point guard. They may not be the most experienced group as a whole, but this tandem of talent should be enough to get the Raptors out of the first round of the playoffs.

    6. Orlando Magic: Rashard Lewis was supposed to help Dwight Howard lead the Magic on a deep postseason run. That didn't happen. The Magic fell short in the playoffs and have done little to spark hope for a championship next season. They will need more than Mickael Pietrus off the bench to make up for their thin backcourt, which boasts a mediocre point guard in Jameer Nelson and the rarely-used-but-never-traded J.J. Redick. Howard's shoulders are not big enough to carry this team.

    7. Washington Wizards: Who would have thought that the Wizards would have a better record last season without Agent Zero? Arenas will be looking to make up for lost time, but it's questionable whether the Wizards will be better with him in the lineup. Even though Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler are good enough to make any team a contender, the jury is out on Arenas' ability to lead a team to the playoffs and beyond.

    8. Indiana Pacers: Watch out for this season's version of the Atlanta Hawks. The Pacers have been discounted from playoff talks since the days of Ron Artest but they finally have the pieces they need to contend. Combine the emerging Danny Granger and recently acquired T.J. Ford with veterans Jeff Foster, Mike Dunleavy Jr., and Troy Murphy, and the Pacers have a lineup that could be good enough to grab the eighth seed in the East.

    9. Miami Heat: After the disaster that was last season, the Miami Heat have nowhere to go but up. They acquired Shawn Marion shortly before the trading deadline and used the number two pick in the Draft to select Michael Beasley. Add a healthy Dwyane Wade to the mix and you've got a formidable trio. However, they're not winning a title with Mark Blount as their center, let alone making the playoffs. Ditto for whatever inexperienced player will take the reigns at point guard. The Heat certainly have enough pieces to flight for the postseason, but they need to shore up those two weaknesses before they can recapture their championship-winning ways.

    10. Atlanta Hawks: Was last season's playoff run a flash in the pan? While the Hawks are returning their playoff-experienced starting lineup (including Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and Rookie of the Year candidate Al Horford), they lost their one bench player who could make a legitimate impact in Josh Childress. 37 wins may have been enough before but it's a different story in the East now.

    11. Charlotte Bobcats: The Bobcats are one of the more frustrating teams in the East. They have the talent but injuries, inconsistencies, and poor coaching decisions have plummeted them to the bottom of the standings. This season Larry Brown will crack the whip on Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor, and Raymond Felton, but can he maximize the potential of a thin bench? Even though the Bobcats will be better, they are not going to replicate Michael Jordan's greatness any time soon.

    12. Chicago Bulls: The Bulls are heading into next season the same way they finished last season– in disarray. They still have to sort out what to do with their backcourt, which includes an overpaid/underachieving point guard (Kirk Hinrich), a top pick who disappointed in summer league play (Derrick Rose), and a shooting guard who is in contractual purgatory (Ben Gordon). There are also question marks surrounding the reliability of the oft-injured Larry Hughes and the potential of summer league flop Joakim Noah. Things may not be as Rose-y in Chicago as fans had hoped.

    13. Milwaukee Bucks: With the failed Yi Jianlian experiment in the past, the Bucks are hoping to contend with the veteran duo of Richard Jefferson and Michael Redd. Jefferson is an upgrade but that does not answer glaring questions in the roster. What are the Bucks doing with four point guards? Can Charlie Villanueva be a reliable starter (more importantly, are the Bucks going to keep him around next season)? The trade may have helped but it isn't sending them to the playoffs next season.

    14. New Jersey Nets: On paper, the Nets used to have one of the most talented trios in the league. But if Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, and Richard Jefferson couldn't get it done, what chance does a less talented trio of Yi, Carter, and Devin Harris have of breaking out of the East? The days of perennial playoff hopes are over in New Jersey.

    15. New York Knicks: There is a $20 million contract with Stephon Marbury's name on it looming over the Knicks. Nearly all of the Knicks (and their cap-busting salaries) are returning next season, with little improvement made this summer. Head coach Mike D'Antoni does not have a point guard who can execute his run-and-gun offense and there is no end in sight to the Starbury saga. Next season the Knicks could spend nearly $100 million to miss the playoffs again. Is it 2009 yet?
    Nice to see our Pacers at the 8th position. I totally agree with the 8 "playoffable" however I would question the mental health of the writer: Cleveland at 3rd???!!!???

  • #2
    Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

    2nd, actually.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

      Originally posted by LoneGranger33 View Post
      2nd, actually.
      oops, thanks! that's just even crazier...

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

        I think that's about right. According to his take on the Heat, they desperately need an experienced PG. Too bad one is not available
        Turn out the lights, this party's over!

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

          The Indiana Pacers: Good enough to grab the eighth seed in the East!

          As for the Cavs, they probably won't be good enough for 2nd during the regular season. Maybe, but it's kind of immaterial. But when LeBron turns into 5th gear for the playoffs, they are definitely the 2nd best team in the East. They were the team closest to beating the Celtics, anyways. They would have done so too if Pierce hadn't exploded for an unlikely 41.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

            Hmm...Tinsley, Williams and Rasho for Marion? That would shore up their two weaknesses...

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

              Originally posted by rexnom View Post
              Hmm...Tinsley, Williams and Rasho for Marion? That would shore up their two weaknesses...
              That would give them their veteran starting PG, cap relief they can use in 2010 and a young prospect also with an expiring. I don't really think he is a true PF, but GOD I love Marion's game!
              Turn out the lights, this party's over!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

                Raptors are way too high, Bucks are too low and never underestimate the value of larry Brown

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

                  Originally posted by Unclebuck View Post
                  Raptors are way too high, Bucks are too low and never underestimate the value of larry Brown
                  True. He squeezes every last drop out of his players. They may not survive the process, but he gets results. Until he decides to quit and the team has to agree to a buyout
                  Turn out the lights, this party's over!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

                    Originally posted by Unclebuck View Post
                    Raptors are way too high, Bucks are too low and never underestimate the value of larry Brown
                    The Larry Brown of 2008 isn't the Larry Brown of 1994. Hell, he's not even the Larry Brown of 2004. We can't just forget about NY, which is more comparable to his current situation than than when he took over any of his previous teams. I'll be interested to see how he does but I'm not holding my breath.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

                      The Bobcats have more talent than the Knicks did, methinks. I saw a couple Bobcats games last year, and it seems like their offensive plan was quite simple - and ****ty.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

                        Originally posted by 2minutes twowa View Post
                        That would give them their veteran starting PG, cap relief they can use in 2010 and a young prospect also with an expiring. I don't really think he is a true PF, but GOD I love Marion's game!
                        The only reason I don't want Marion is because I have no idea what it takes for that guy to be happy. He had it made in Phoenix. No more sulky vets please.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

                          Originally posted by Unclebuck View Post
                          Raptors are way too high, Bucks are too low and never underestimate the value of larry Brown
                          I should preface this that I think Larry Brown in the right situation is one of the best coaches on the planet, but he needs to be managed, so to speak.

                          If the team is healthy and if Larry Brown is in the right mindset, well for him whatever constitutes the right mindset, then I think he's one of the only coaches who is good for 10-15 more wins, on his own.

                          The other side is that this isn't a veteran team and he has very little patience, so if he is in Jordans office everyday trying to trade every player then he could be worth negative 10 wins.

                          Its a tough call right now. I think the only stop that he was terrible was NY and that was a mess period that had weak management.

                          I'd put Charlotte right at contending for the 8th spot.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

                            ford-jack-diener
                            dunleavy-rush-daniels
                            granger-graham
                            marion-murphy-baston-mcroberts
                            foster-hibbert

                            our bench would be suspect but damn that be a fun starting 5 to watch..because marion gets out on the break....and ford well he kind of gets in the open court fast enough

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Hoopsworld early power rankings

                              Originally posted by rexnom View Post
                              The Larry Brown of 2008 isn't the Larry Brown of 1994. Hell, he's not even the Larry Brown of 2004. We can't just forget about NY, which is more comparable to his current situation than than when he took over any of his previous teams. I'll be interested to see how he does but I'm not holding my breath.
                              I don't think you can underestimate how dire the situation really was in New York. I mean, last year in one game, I couldn't believe my eyes when Z-Randolph literally stopped playing defense to argue with a ref. All the while, Murph was sizing up a 3-pointer (Zach did look at him for a minute before turning back to argue with the ref). Larry has to share some blame, but that type of effort epitomized the state of the Knicks. Not to mention the offcourt and sideline nonsense they had to deal with. I think Charlotte just needs a taste of a winning culture, as they've been used to losing for awhile. The Bobcats at least give effort, and have way more usable talent than NY. If Larry can get them to commit to defense, they will be a dangerous team.

                              Comment

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