Announcement

Collapse

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.
See more
See less

Vince Carter could also be another possibility

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
  • #16
    Re: Vince Carter could also be another possibility

    I just found this article: http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Toront...08/489969.html


    Is a divorce in the works?
    ROB BABCOCK SAYS VINCE CARTER ISN'T ON THE MARKET, BUT HE MAY WANT OUT
    By BILL HARRIS, TORONTO SUN
    June 8, 2004

    IT'S THE same question, over and over again. In speaking with various people during the past few days -- media members, NBA employees, team officials -- one query repeatedly has been posed to yours truly:

    "So, is Vince going to demand a trade?"

    Well, maybe.

    This isn't just about the snubbing of Carter's preferred general manager candidate, Julius (Dr. J) Erving. But Erving's peripheral candidacy has become a lightning rod for the disconnection between Carter and the Raptors.

    Some frustrated Raptors fans will react with incredulity. "Oh, to hell with Vince," they'll say. "He's just a big suck. And what has he done for us lately?"

    We understand those emotional responses. But while fans are free to react as explosively as they like, there is no room for emotion among the principals in this situation.

    STRUGGLING TEAM

    Both the Raptors hierarchy and the Carter camp need to have clear, sober, rational minds as they determine whether this marriage between a struggling NBA team and its best player is going to continue.

    New Raptors GM Rob Babcock, who was unveiled yesterday in Toronto, said that while no player in the NBA is untradeable, he currently has no intention of trading Carter.

    Be that as it may, Babcock was presented with a point-blank scenario: What if Carter contacts you, says he hopes you understand it's nothing personal, but he wants to be traded. How would Babcock respond?

    "Well, Vince is just not going to flat believe everything I say," Babcock said in a telephone interview. "But I would hope he would give me the opportunity to show him what my abilities are. I would hope he would be open-minded and not just shut it off.

    "I would ask Vince to take a look at who we hire as a coach, what we're going to demand of our players, what kind or organization we'll have. I am not going to surround myself with friends and yes-men. Hopefully he'll see we're not just blowing smoke, that we're going to put it into action."

    The thing is, a lot of water has passed under the bridge between Carter and the Raptors, water that really has nothing to do with Babcock or his hopes for the future.

    Carter has heard those kinds of earnest pledges before. Last summer, coach Kevin O'Neill was championed as a man of action, too, and we all know how that turned out.

    Then came the Erving fiasco of the past month. Rightly or wrongly, Carter feels he was led down the garden path when the Raptors paused to interview Erving twice. Carter has been left with the impression that the Raptors never had any intention of seriously considering Erving, and that the interviews amounted to throwing Carter a bone, patting him on the head and hoping he would quit barking.

    Carter has a lot on going on in his life right now. He's getting married in three weeks. But you can bet he's thinking very hard about whether he and the Raptors still are swimming in the same direction.

    One certainty is that Carter's love for Toronto is 100% genuine. In fact, if Carter didn't like the city and its fans so much, he might have demanded a trade three months ago, or six months ago, or a year ago. His issues are with the team.

    In many ways the Raptors are as frustrated with Carter as he is with them. Still, if Carter asks for a trade, undoubtedly the club and its supporters will react with hurt feelings.

    But it's kind of like getting dumped by your wife. You may be upset at the time, but looking back years later, you might be able to admit that the relationship had stalled and she just had the fortitude to broach the subject first.

    The marriage between Carter and the Raptors has grown rocky. Communication and trust have broken down.

    Remember, it takes two sides to make a romance work, but only one to break it up. Carter and the Raptors have to gaze into each other's eyes and ask themselves: Is this marriage worth saving?

    Comment

    • #17
      Re: Vince Carter could also be another possibility

      Hmmm... I thought their new GM was supposed to be DW? I know I read that on 'Piston's Digest' back in the Spring.
      Why do the things that we treasure most, slip away in time
      Till to the music we grow deaf, to God's beauty blind
      Why do the things that connect us slowly pull us apart?
      Till we fall away in our own darkness, a stranger to our own hearts
      And life itself, rushing over me
      Life itself, the wind in black elms,
      Life itself in your heart and in your eyes, I can't make it without you

      Comment

      • #18
        Re: Vince Carter could also be another possibility

        "He's just a big suck."
        Do you really say that in Canada? I like it, eh......
        PSN: MRat731 XBL: MRat0731

        Comment

        • #19
          Re: Vince Carter could also be another possibility

          ......... pretty good outside shooter, decent passer, still relatively young and all that........
          No argument with this, BUT you fail to mention defense.

          Don't bother, Carter doesn't play it. No place for him in a system like ours. On to the next trade idea.

          Comment

          • #20
            Re: Vince Carter could also be another possibility

            Yeah I can see RC changing his entire approach to basketball to accomodate Vincanity.
            Ever notice how friendly folks are at a shootin' range??.

            Comment

            • #21
              Re: Vince Carter could also be another possibility

              If the price were write I'd take Carter in a heartbeat. Harrington, Pollard, and 1st round pick would be about as much as I'd like to give up. I know Carter's game has declined, but at least he has the game. He took the Raps deep in the playoffs a few years ago. I think a change in atmosphere would change his game back to the old VC. As long as he passes his physical and it doesn't seem like he has any permanent or reoccurring injury, Take him. If he doesn't play D, bench him, like Carlisle did to Harrington

              Comment

              • #22
                Re: Vince Carter could also be another possibility

                "He's just a big suck."
                Do you really say that in Canada? I like it, eh......
                Hahaha - I guess that writer says it.
                We don't want to offend anyone

                Comment

                • #23
                  Re: Vince Carter could also be another possibility

                  http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Basketball...11/495286.html

                  This from Toronto

                  MISTAKE

                  This is Year 7 for Vince Carter if he makes it to the fall as a Raptor. And the team has won just one playoff series during that time. The best ball he played was four seasons ago. The best the team ever played was the playoff run it made without him three seasons back.

                  In the meantime, the Raptors have made the mistake of treating Carter, contractually and otherwise, as though he is one of the greats in basketball history. He is not a bad person, just not necessarily a strong one. And ownership, almost from the beginning, has worshipped this idol rather than worked with him.

                  Comment

                  • #24
                    Re: Vince Carter could also be another possibility

                    I like the phrase, "He's jsut a big suck". NO FREAKING WAY!
                    Ever notice how friendly folks are at a shootin' range??.

                    Comment

                    • #25
                      Re: Vince Carter could also be another possibility

                      Yup - there has been a lot of talk here lately of Vince requesting to be traded.

                      Comment

                      • #26
                        Re: Vince Carter could also be another possibility

                        If we can get him for Al and filler, I'm all for it. He may be highly overrated, but he fits a serious need and for Al and filler you have to look at it seriously.

                        Comment

                        Previous 1 2 template Next
                        Working...
                        X