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The Rules of Pacers Digest

Hello everyone,

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

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

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

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

Rule #1

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

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

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

"Only stupid people think / believe / do ___________"

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

"He/she is just delusional"

"This thread is stupid / worthless / embarrassing"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rule #2

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

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

The right places to do so are:

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

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

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

Rule #3

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

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

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

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

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

Rule #4

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

Rule #5

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

An example:

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

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

Rule #6

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

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

Rule #7

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

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

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

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

Rule #8

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

Rule #9

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

Rule #10

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

Rule #11

Do not advertise anything without talking about it with the administrators first. This includes advertising with your signature, with your avatar, through private messaging, and/or by making a thread or post.
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IndyStar > Jackson will speak his mind

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  • #1

    IndyStar > Jackson will speak his mind

    (From the mouthpiece)

    Listen up! Pacers newcomer Jackson will speak his mind

    By Mark Montieth
    mark.montieth@indystar.com
    October 19, 2004

    The loudest voice in the Indiana Pacers' locker room following their win at Memphis on Saturday belonged to the new guy who looks like he has been around forever.

    Stephen Jackson, dressing in the cubicle next to Reggie Miller's, listened as Miller joked with rookies about their upcoming talent show in the annual FanJam at Conseco Fieldhouse. He listened to the rookies playfully challenge some of Miller's warnings, then joined in the exchange.

    "Hey, this is Reggie Miller speaking!" he shouted with mock anger. "You don't ask him any questions; you just do what he tells you!"

    For Jackson, that was a typical lighthearted moment following what has been a typical heavy-duty performance. The swingman acquired from Atlanta in a July trade for Al Harrington has shown a knack for causing commotion. So far most of it has been desirable, which fans can see for themselves tonight when he makes his preseason home debut as a Pacer against Minnesota.

    Jackson has averaged 18 points on 54 percent shooting in the first two preseason games, displaying a varied offensive game that fits and motivates coach Rick Carlisle's shift toward a more open and balanced offense.

    His explosive skills were on display in a 21/2-minute spurt early in the second quarter of Saturday's victory at Memphis when he scored on four consecutive possessions. He started with a driving left-handed layup off a crossover dribble, then followed with a 3-pointer behind Scot Pollard's screen, added two free throws after drawing a foul while driving hard off a pick to his left, and hit another 3-pointer off a deflected pass.

    Jackson is susceptible to rushing shots, and he has just 26 more assists than turnovers in his four NBA seasons. But his energetic, emotional nature could have great value for the Pacers.

    "One thing you wouldn't call Steve Jackson is bashful," Carlisle said. "To this point he's made his presence here completely about raising the level of practices and winning. He just wants to win so bad. That's a great quality to have in a new player in our situation."

    Jackson fits with the Pacers on many levels. He grew accustomed to winning when he started on San Antonio's championship team two seasons ago, so after a year of exile in a 28-win season in Atlanta, he is thrilled to be back with a contending team. He also is in sync with the team's leaders. He knew Jermaine O'Neal and Ron Artest, and he has bonded quickly with Miller.

    Jackson is playing for his fourth NBA team, and was in training camp or a summer league with several NBA teams while trying to make the jump from high school. He's played for two CBA teams and a few teams in other countries, too. By now he's well-versed at finding a niche, although it seems to come naturally.

    "That's just his personality," Artest said. "He's a good guy."

    Jackson has done more than fit in, however. He leads a team prayer before games and hasn't held back words or actions in any environment.

    "That's just me," he said. "I don't bite my tongue. I go out and play with a lot of passion and I try to spread that passion to my teammates."

    Jackson promised at his introductory news conference in July to be "the biggest jerk in the locker room if we're losing." His bravado, and the ability to back it up that he displayed in San Antonio by hitting clutch shots in the playoffs, should be a welcome addition on a team that couldn't match Detroit's boldness in the Eastern Conference finals last season.

    His new teammates, meanwhile, have accepted him because he brings instant credibility. He has something they don't, a championship ring, and he has proven the sincerity of his intentions by willingly coming off the bench after starting the past two seasons.

    None of this surprises Pacers associate head coach Mike Brown, who nurtured Jackson's development when both were in San Antonio. Brown saw the same thing happen with the Spurs. There, Jackson earned respect, whether he was finding a niche with Tim Duncan and David Robinson or speaking out in an offseason pickup game.

    One of Brown's lasting memories is of watching Jackson in Houston, where the Spurs took players for summer games. If the complaining and trash-talking got out of hand, Jackson would grab the ball, stop the game and confront someone.

    "He'd say, 'Who are you talking to? Because if you're talking to me, we've got to get this straight,' " Brown recalled.

    "He's not afraid of anything."

    Call Star reporter Mark Montieth at (317) 444-6406.[/b]
    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
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: IndyStar > Jackson will speak his mind

    I'm happy we have got him, though the turnovers and how he would have "chemistry" with Ron when we have a "bad" game or a small losingstreak do bother me jus t a tiny little bit. But, I definitely like having him on our team and, yes, he won't shoot as good as he has so far in the preseason, but it's still shows we have better components to stretch the opposing defences.

    Regards,

    Mourning
    2012 PD ABA Fantasy Keeper League Champion, sports.ws

    2011 PD ABA Fantasy Keeper League Champion, sports.ws

    2006 PD ABA Fantasy League runner up, sports.ws

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: IndyStar > Jackson will speak his mind

      I'm thinking the opposite.

      I think, since Ron and Al were basically competing for the same position, and since JO and Al were so "close", that subtracting Al and replacing him with a guy that both JO and Ron like may go a long way in improving this team's previously-fragile chemistry.

      Now, I'm going to worry about how this team's chemistry would endure a losing streak until they prove to me that they can be unflappable in adversity, but as you all know, I have plenty of "issues" anyway...
      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

      • #4
        Re: IndyStar > Jackson will speak his mind



        I should have seen that one coming.
        [edit=72=1098216058][/edit]
        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

        • #5
          Re: IndyStar > Jackson will speak his mind

          Originally posted by btowncolt
          Just pretend Bill Cowher is coaching.........
          Ron just might really snap from constantly being spit on......


          PSN: MRat731 XBL: MRat0731

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: IndyStar > Jackson will speak his mind

            I'm liking the leadership ability Jackson is demonstrating. That is probably the main thing that was missing from last year's team. JO is still finding his way in the leadership area and Reggie has never been a real 'vocal' leader which may be what this group needed. To a man they seem to be rather laid back in their demeanor so when there is an issue it may not get dealt with right away, it's allowed to fester and becomes a bigger issue.
            "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results."
            - Benjamin Franklin

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: IndyStar > Jackson will speak his mind

              I've got to say that I am really encouraged by the fact that Jackson seems to be a "loudmouth" in the locker room. It's exactly what this team needs.

              Someone to get up on the guys when they are playing bad, someone to encourage and pump fists when we are playing great.

              Last years team was lacking that type of guy. Tinsley doesn't talk, reggie's a quiet leader, artest has passion and desire to win but I can see him being a distraction when losing, jermaine behind the scenes probably isn't that vocal of a guy when it comes to criticizing teammates.

              This years team needed someone like Mark Jackson. If you look at the old pacers team who do you think of all those guys was the leader? Had to be mark jackson. This year's squad it will be stephen jackson.

              Stephen jackson reminds me of that friend who is an in-your-face confrontational guy who everyone seems to hate. Everyone on his team tho will love him...He's gonna be the leader we need to go far this year. We're finally gettin everything in place to make a special run.

              I'm encouraged.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: IndyStar > Jackson will speak his mind

                Originally posted by collegeisfun
                Someone to get up on the guys when they are playing bad, someone to encourage and pump fists when we are playing great.




                Broadcasting Classic Rock Hits 24/7 SauceMaster Radio!!!!

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