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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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NBADraft.net Draft Preview: Power Forwards

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  • NBADraft.net Draft Preview: Power Forwards

    NBA Draft Preview: Power Forwards
    http://www.nbadraft.net/draftbuzz063.asp

    By Aran Smith
    6/20/06
    Draft Buzz
    This draft buzz focuses on the top power forwards available for the draft.

    1. Tyrus Thomas 6-8 217 PF LSU Fr. -- Tops the list based on potential. Thomas is a 3/4 energy forward with as much upside as anyone in this draft. The Bulls are rumored to be very high on him, but he had to cut a recent workout short due to a stomach ache. Will it cost him? Maybe. Thomas is expected to work out again for Chicago before the draft. That workout could determine his fate in the draft. Regardless, Thomas is one of the elite prospects available and though he may not challenge for the ROY award, he has a tremendous combination of innate intensity and athleticism.

    2. Andrea Bargnani 6-11 240 PF Italy 1985 -- Bargnani's a possibility to go first to Toronto if they decide to hold onto the pick. He doesn't exactly fill a need for the team, but with the first pick, drafting the (perceived) top overall talent makes more sense than filling a need. There are a number of elements at play which could factor into whether Bryan Colangelo takes Bargnani first. First, Chris Bosh has agreed to sign a contract extension which means there is no mystery about his future with the team. Second, will a team offer enough to make trading away the first pick worthwhile? Third, Bargnani's Benetton Treviso team is currently playing in the Italian Championships. Bargnani has been playing very well through the first three games, the series is 2-1 in favor of Benetton, so his play over the remainder of the series will be big. And lastly, should Dirk Nowitzki lead Dallas past Miami to their first championship, taking a less visible International player with the first pick won't be as tough a sell to fans.

    3. Shelden Williams 6-9 258 PF/C Duke Sr. -- Williams brings the versatility to defend centers as well as power forwards. His offensive game is a bit mechanical, but he has an effective post game that should make him a solid pro. The rumored Shelden to Atlanta deal appears legit after Williams cancelled workouts with other teams in the lottery, and numerous sources are saying this promise appears likely. While this is viewed as a safe pick, in reality it's a gutless pick. Shelden is not a top 5 prospect for this draft. He might be a top 5-10 player right now, but his potential is far lower than a number of players in the draft. And while Shelden will be very solid right away, he's a short term solution to a long term problem. He's not the difference maker that they need to help them become a contender.

    4.Cedric Simmons 6-9 223 PF NC St. So. -- Ced lacks any real offensive game, however his tremendous length will make him a terrific defender and rebounder, and he shows enough shooting touch that he should be able to develop a consistent mid range and interior offensive game. Some of his productivity got diminished by the conservative NC State system. He showed flashes of tremendous potential with a developing hook shot and some scouts are higher on him than Patrick O'Bryant.

    5. Josh Boone 6-10 237 PF UConn Jr. -- Boone had a miserable season after it appeared he was destined to become a lottery pick. He struggled with consistency, especially from the free throw line and it took a toll on his confidence. He retains some intrigue due to his size, speed and athleticism, however he lacks the touch on his shot to become a real offensive threat. Boone has no guarantee in the first round and it's possible he could slip, but it appears likely a team such as New York or Dallas will grab him if he isn't taken earlier in the first round.

    6. Joel Freeland 6-11 225 PF England 1987 -- Cor blimey! Basketball talent in England? Freeland is the biggest sleeper in the draft. How big a sleeper? The NBA accidently left his name off the early entry list, and virtually every international scout that showed up for the Treviso camp was unfamiliar with him. Zzzzzzzzzzz. NBADraft.net scouted him in January, and he has been on the radar for the past 9 or so months. At 19 years of age, Freeland has quickly developed into one of the top overall European prospects. He's got an American style of game with excellent athleticism and aggressiveness. He's still a few years away from being able to contribute, due to experience, but could be taken similar to Ian Mahinmi, last year, as a player to keep stashed in Europe for a year or two before hopping the pond. With one of the biggest agents in the business, Arn Tellum, Look for Freeland to find a spot in the end of the first round, or the early second round at worst. Brilliant!

    7. Kevin Pittsnogle 6-10 255 PF West Virginia Sr. -- Pittsnogle improved considerably in his senior season working hard in the off-season on his conditioning and diet and it made him a much more mobile bigman. He made a great decision to return to school, and had a great senior season. Pittsnogle opted not to play in Orlando after playing at the Chicago predraft camp a year before. He brings deadly outside shooting ability which will force bigmen to move out away from the basket. Look for Pittsnogle to go somewhere in the early second round with an outside chance at the end of the first.

    8. Craig Smith 6-7 259 PF Boston College Sr. -- Smith was unable to play at the predraft camp due to a injured wrist, but he came in looking slimmer than he appeared during the season, which is a plus. He's a wide body with excellent basketball IQ and skills. Smith lacks great height, and his speed is below average, but he has deceptive athletic ability and will have a real shot to stick in the league.

    9. Leon Powe 6-7 240 PF California So. -- Powe has had one of the roughest roads getting to where he is today. He lacks ideal size but has the heart of a champion and the willingness to battle that so many more talented players lack. Powe is seen as a mid second round pick, who should find a place on an NBA team with his hustle and tremendous motor. The knee injuries in his past are a concern, but Powe had a solid injury free season, and appears to be past the injury problems.

    10. Eric Hicks 6-6 245 PF Cincinnati Sr. -- With a 7'1" wingspan, Hicks plays much bigger than his 6'6" height. Hicks has a warriors mentality and comes to play every night. His shoulders are rock solid and he's even added a consistent perimeter shot from the top of the key. Despite his lack of size, Hicks out-rebounds players bigger than himself with technique and desire. Look for Hicks to get taken in the mid to late second round and make a team in summer league with his hustle.

    Others:

    Kenny Adeleke 6-8 250 PF Hartford Sr. | James Augustine 6-9 227 PF Illinois Sr. | Brad Buckman 6-8 235 PF Texas Sr. | Terence Dials 6-9 253 PF Ohio St. Sr. | Torin Francis 6-10 247 PF Notre Dame Sr. | Taj Gray 6-8 235 PF Oklahoma Sr. | Matt Haryasz 6-10 230 PF Stanford Sr. | Alexander Johnson 6-9 230 PF FSU Jr. | Solomon Jones 6-10 230 PF/C South Florida Sr. | Marco Killingsworth 6-7 269 PF Ind. Sr. | Miguel Marriaga 6-9 200 PF Ven. 1984 | Pops Mensah-Bonsu 6-8 240 PF GW Sr. | Paul Millsap 6-7 258 PF Lou. Tech Jr. | Vladimir Veremeenko 6-10 235 PF Belarus 1984 | Yemi Nicholson 6-10 240 PF/C Denver Sr. | Justin Williams 6-8 211 PF Wyoming Sr.

    ++++++++++++++

    I don't see how they can rate those last 4-5 guys higher than a player like Alexander Johnson... maybe Augustine, too.
    "I'll always be a part of Donnie Walsh."
    -Ron Artest, Denver Post, 12.28.05

  • #2
    Re: NBADraft.net Draft Preview: Power Forwards

    Originally posted by blanket
    NBA Draft Preview: Power Forwards
    http://www.nbadraft.net/draftbuzz063.asp

    10. Eric Hicks 6-6 245 PF Cincinnati Sr. -- With a 7'1" wingspan, Hicks plays much bigger than his 6'6" height.
    How the hell does a 6-6 PF have a wingspan of a 7-1 footer? Geez....does his arms go all the way down to his ankles?
    Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: NBADraft.net Draft Preview: Power Forwards

      After the top 3, there is nobody I'd want at #17 or higher.

      Eric Hicks in round 2 or FA wouldn't be bad. I figure at worst he is Darvin Ham, and they indicated that he has some type of perimeter jumper too.
      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!).

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: NBADraft.net Draft Preview: Power Forwards

        Hilton Armstrong...although he is more of a PF/C.......would be pretty decent at the 17th pick....IF Carney or Brewer doesn't fall to the 17th pick and we really wanted to address our need for some backcourt help.
        Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: NBADraft.net Draft Preview: Power Forwards

          IF you want to spread the floor then get pittsnoggle with the
          2nd round pick. He would work well with our system and our guards would
          love the easy pentration.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: NBADraft.net Draft Preview: Power Forwards

            Originally posted by Gamble
            IF you want to spread the floor then get pittsnoggle with the
            2nd round pick. He would work well with our system and our guards would
            love the easy pentration.
            Pittsnogle would be an absolute steal if we could get him in the 2nd. Bigger, tougher, and a good outside shot to loosen things up for Jermaine. He would push Hulk immediately.

            The pg from Kentucky in the 1st and Pittsnogle in the 2nd and I'd be jumping up and down.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: NBADraft.net Draft Preview: Power Forwards

              Originally posted by CableKC
              Hilton Armstrong...although he is more of a PF/C.......would be pretty decent at the 17th pick....IF Carney or Brewer doesn't fall to the 17th pick and we really wanted to address our need for some backcourt help.
              That's my guy too.
              STARBURY

              08 and Beyond

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