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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.

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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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Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

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  • Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

    Thought You`d all find this interesting

    http://www.nbadraft.net/park002.asp


    By David Park
    9/14/05


    With the NBA season roughly a month and a half away, here's a look at what to look for from the rookie class in my first installment of Top 10 Rookies, Preseason Edition. Enjoy.

    Chris Paul
    Photo: Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE/Getty Images

    1) PG Chris Paul - New Orleans Hornets

    Sure, the Hornets will most likely be one of the league's doormats and right back in the lottery again next season, but they now have a a young playmaker to build around for the future. Add in a healthy Jamal Magloire and an improving SG in J.R. Smith and you have some real building blocks. Plus with the addition of European sharpshooter Arvydas Macijauskas, look for Chris Paul to put up some quality numbers, especially with Speedy Claxton as the only other playmaker on this team and Dan Dickau in Boston. Look for Paul to really take advantage of this great opportunity.

    2) PG Deron Williams - Utah Jazz

    Andrei Kirilenko should start the season in full health, Carlos Boozer should be more comfortable with his new teammates; all the pieces are in place for Deron Williams to have a stellar rookie season. Williams has never been a statistical beast but look for the Jazz to improve drastically from last season in the winning column. Williams is hard nosed, plays great defense and will create easier scoring opportunities for everyone else on the floor. Though Williams has the pressure of creating his own legacy in the shadow of the great John Stockton, look for Williams to instantly make the Jazz an improved team.

    3) PG Sarunas Jasikevicius - Indiana Pacers

    This former Terrapin and two-time MVP in Europe should be an instant contributor to the Pacers this season. He is a seasoned professional, and being technically a rookie in the NBA, he should benefit from being on a loaded Pacers team. They will also be getting Ron Artest back from his season-long suspension and a picked up another solid rookie in Danny Granger. The Pacers will sorely miss Reggie Miller's leadership and 3-point shooting, but look for Jasikevicius to team up with Jamal Tinsley to form one of the best PG rotations in the league and to help compensate for Reggie's 3-point shooting. His stats maybe not jump out at you this season but look for Jasikevicius to be an integral part of Indiana's success this season. He's just a winner.

    4) SG Rashad McCants - Minnesota Timberwolves


    Okay we all know you can't figure this guy out but lets be honest, neither have most defenders. When he's focused he is a deadly scorer that coaches must account for. The Timberwolves are welcoming seven new players and the shooting guard position is wide open due to the departures of Latrell Sprewell and Fred Hoiberg. McCants will have every chance to win the starting job at shooting guard and even if he does not start, there is no reason why he should not be playing at least 25 minutes per game this season. Look for McCants to put up solid offensive numbers and if he can improve on his defense, look for him to become the starter in Minnesota for many seasons to come.

    5) PF Ike Diogu - Golden State Warriors

    Diogu should be great for the Warriors. Troy Murphy and Adonal Foyle are both very active on the boards but Diogu will bring an added tenacity of the boards that the Warriors' frontline has lacked. Diogu does not need the ball to score and with Baron Davis, Jason Richardson and Mike Dunleavy already entrenched in their positions; he will be welcomed with open arms so they can freely jack up jumpers knowing they have a great offensive rebounder down low. The Warriors finished last season very strong and look for them to pick up where they left off last season with Diogu getting a healthy share of minutes.

    6) PF Charlie Villanueva - Toronto Raptors

    The most highly criticized lottery pick is ready to cook some crow for everyone. After flirting with the NBA after high school, one of the best things to happen to Villanueva was to get labeled as a second round pick by scouts after his private workout he had with eventual first round pick Ndudi Ebi. Villanueva decided to go to college and work on his game under Jim Calhoun. Villanueva has always had incredible talent both inside and on the perimeter, he just needed some seasoning in college and some frontcourt studs (Okafor, Josh Boone, Rudy Gay) to push him in practice and to receive some solid coaching. On a struggling Raptors team, playing time should be there in abundance for Charlie despite playing the same position as the team's centerpiece: Chris Bosh. Both players versatility should allow for plenty of minutes for Charlie with a big lineup on the floor, or with Bosh playing center as he has in past years.

    7) PF Sean May - Charlotte Bobcats


    The reigning NCAA Final Four's most outstanding player did not miss a step this summer as he led the Rocky Mountain Revue in scoring and rebounding in willing the Bobcats to a league-best 4-2 record. Some scouts still feel he is not athletic and long enough to be a legitimate post threat in the NBA, but he is winning over critics with every performance. He has also made good on his promise to get in better shape and slim down for the upcoming season according to recent reports out of Charlotte. Combined with Emeka Okafor's shot blocking and rebounding tenacity, look for these two to help Charlotte improve on their 18 win season. He's expected to be back at full strength once the season begins following recent arthroscopic surgery on his knee.

    8) C Andrew Bogut - Milwaukee Bucks


    The overall number one pick in last year's draft will be the target of many opposing defenses, though the trio of Michael Redd, Bobby Simmons and Desmond Mason will get the lion's share of attention. Bogut played admirably for the Australian National team in the Olympics in 2004, yet I am not sold on Bogut being able to out play NBA competition on a nightly basis. However, Bogut should get plenty of opportunities to play this season and if he can adjust to the athleticism and overall physical nature of the NBA game, look for Bogut to be a consistent force for the Bucks for years to come.

    9) PF Fabricio Oberto - San Antonio Spurs


    Who is Fabricio Oberto you ask? Oberto has been playing basketball professionally for the last 12 years yet he is only 30 years old and has a lot left in his tank. He has been an integral contributor for the Argentinian national team along with NBA star Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs and lesser-known NBA players such as Carlos Defino of the Detroit Pistons and Andres Nocioni of the Chicago Bulls. These were the core players along with Luis Scola that took home the gold in the 2004 Olympics and though Oberto will be sharing minutes with Robert Horry off the bench for the Spurs. Oberto is a savvy and efficient big man who will provide great minutes off the bench for the Spurs as they attempt to repeat as NBA Champs.

    10) G Salim Stoudamire - Atlanta Hawks

    Scouts shied away from him due to fears about his attitude. But his senior year, he was a model citizen who won numerous games for Arizona. On the court, there are few as passionate as him, or as talented shooting the ball. He can improve upon his play making skills and play better defense, but he can fill up it, point blank. On an Atlanta team that needs all the help it can get, look for Stoudamire to contribute right away unlike Marvin Williams who will need some time until he becomes a regular contributor.
    -------------------
    Get rich, or die tryin`

  • #2
    Re: Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

    I don't know if I can take a guy seriously who says Charlie Villanueva is the 6th best rookie.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

      Where is our other main man Danny G??
      "Sometimes, when you look Andy in the eyes, you get a feeling somebody else is driving." -- David Letterman

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

        and Bogut 2 notches lower than Villanueva... these guys get paid to write these things?
        http://Twitter.com/dRealSource

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

          If this guy can make it as a Sports writer. I am so switching my major. Obviously you don't have to go to class. or know what you are talking about. Saras and Danny should both be on their in the 5 to 10 range.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

            Originally posted by rcarey
            I don't know if I can take a guy seriously who says Charlie Villanueva is the 6th best rookie.
            I agree completely. I think I'm going to hang myself if I have to keep reading about how good Villanueva is. Unless I am completely crazy and have absolutely zero evaluation skills, Villanueva is HORRIBLE and will be a HORRIBLE pro.

            One of the reasons I'm most anxious for the season to start is so that Villanueva can start playing and finally everyone will realize how BAD he is, and I won't have to keep reading people's ridiculous praises of this clown.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

              Marvin Williams didn't even make the list!

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

                Why do you think I'm going to college for sports journalism? It's his opinion, he's entitled to it.

                It's ridiculously wrong, but hey, it's his opinion.
                It's a new day for Pacers Basketball.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

                  Wow... This is insane.

                  I'd put the list like this:

                  1.) Chris Paul
                  2.) Andrew Bogut
                  3.) Marvin Williams
                  4.) Raymond Felton
                  5.) Saras
                  6.) Danny Granger
                  7.) Deron Williams
                  8.) Martell Webster
                  9.) Nate Robinson
                  10.) Rashad McCants

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

                    Originally posted by Roy Munson
                    I agree completely. I think I'm going to hang myself if I have to keep reading about how good Villanueva is. Unless I am completely crazy and have absolutely zero evaluation skills, Villanueva is HORRIBLE and will be a HORRIBLE pro.

                    One of the reasons I'm most anxious for the season to start is so that Villanueva can start playing and finally everyone will realize how BAD he is, and I won't have to keep reading people's ridiculous praises of this clown.

                    You're going to have to wait. He plays the same spot as Bosh. So unless Bosh gets hurt or in foul trouble CV is going to see very limited mins.
                    Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right.” ― Ricky Gervais.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Top 10 Rookies by NBAdraft.com

                      From the way this is written, I kinda think that he is ranking based on how much influence each rookie will have on his team this year.... Hence people like Villanueva, Sean May, Mccants, and Stoudemire are on the list... they will all potentially play large roles!
                      Here, everyone have a : on me

                      Comment

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