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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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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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Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

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  • #1

    Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

    Mike interviews Lance....and it's positive

    Stephenson tries to grow on court, off
    'There are too many temptations' in New York, so guard trains in Indy
    Aug 3, 2011 | Comments

    Written by
    Mike Wells

    WHITESTOWN, Ind. -- Lance Stephenson took off up the court with the ball. He dribbled between his legs, then behind his back before swishing a 17-foot jump shot.

    Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird and coach Frank Vogel weren't off to the side watching during a workout last week. The only Pacers items inside the church gymnasium were the practice T-shirt and shorts Stephenson wore alongside other NBA and college players.

    The second-year guard doesn't have the Pacers coaching staff pushing him through workouts because the NBA's lockout forbids teams from talking to players. Players aren't permitted to use team facilities, either.

    Bird referred to Stephenson as the team's "best player" in June and there's a lot of optimism about the prospect of Stephenson maturing on and off the court during what could be a longer offseason.

    But the 20-year-old who had just one season of college basketball at Cincinnati is also one of the players team officials worry about the most during the lockout because all lines of communication are cut off.

    "It's very hard not being able to talk to those guys," Stephenson said during his most extensive interview since joining the Pacers in June 2010. "I like to keep in contact with everybody so I can show them how hard I'm working to be one of the best players on the team and help the team win."

    Stephenson is spending most of the summer in Indianapolis to ensure he doesn't let down Bird.

    He's not living in New York because, as he put it, "there are too many temptations to hang out and get off track back at home. It's all about basketball while living here."

    Stephenson was involved in a legal issue in Brooklyn, N.Y., last summer. Prosecutors said he pushed his girlfriend down a flight of stairs during an early morning argument. The case was dismissed earlier this year.

    Before the July 1 lockout, Stephenson worked out with assistant coach Dan Burke at Conseco Fieldhouse on a regular basis and has since been training at Ed Schilling's basketball academy, doing strength and conditioning work at St. Vincent Sports Performance and playing in the Pro Am Summer League at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

    "Everybody thinks I'm immature, but I'm going to prove that's not me," Stephenson said. "I like when somebody puts pressure on me. I take that as a motivation."

    Attitude adjustment
    Many affiliated with the Pacers organization agree with Bird in saying Stephenson is near the top of the roster talent-wise.

    But Stephenson learned last season that there's more to being a successful pro than dribbling a ball and making midrange jump shots.

    He didn't handle constructive criticism from his teammates well. He'd counter their comments -- some helpful, others sarcastic -- by being standoffish.

    "I took it as they were trying to pick on a rookie and making me do all the little stuff," Stephenson said. "They made me do extra stuff to pick on me. I didn't want to do stuff like taking Gatorade to the bus, and I used to tell them that. Coming from New York, you learn not to take any mess."

    It was that same attitude that cost Stephenson playing time in the playoffs.

    He was demoted to the fourth point guard on the roster after he violated team rules in early April.

    Stephenson missed an opportunity to play against the Chicago Bulls in their first-round series because starting point guard Darren Collison sprained his ankle.

    Stephenson wouldn't disclose what he did but said his teammates tried to warn him before he got into trouble.

    "That could have been the moment where everybody could've felt how they feel about me now," Stephenson said. "I didn't take it as my teammates were trying to help me until the end of the season. That's when I figured out they were trying to help me. I had mistakes -- I have to learn from it and get better at it."

    Going forward
    Stephenson's agent is trying to negotiate an overseas contract for his client.

    Agent Al Ebanks wants Stephenson to get experience because his NBA resume consists of a mere 114 minutes in 12 games.

    "Going overseas is important based on the fact that there's no end in sight to the lockout," Ebanks said. "Lance wants to stay in shape. The holdup is that we're working on a clause that the minute the lockout is lifted, he can go back to the NBA. He's worked his entire life to play in the NBA."

    Stephenson will continue to work out in Indianapolis if he doesn't get an overseas deal.

    "The biggest thing with him is trying to improve his handles so he can become more of a true point guard," Schilling said. "I think he can be a solid scoring guard, but in order for him to have more of an impact, I think it has to be as a point guard because his size (6-5, 210) and strength can allow him to be special there."

    The Pacers expect Stephenson to compete for a rotation spot in a backcourt that has Collison, Paul George, A.J. Price, George Hill and Brandon Rush.

    "I'm going to continue working hard, like every day is my last day so when the lockout is over, it's an easy transition back for me," Stephenson said. "Last year was a learning experience. Now I want to prove to the team that I'm physically and mentally ready to help us win games."

    http://www.indystar.com/article/2011...IndyStar.com|s



    It really seems Lance is maturing and finally understanding that the people around him are there to help him. I would probably be the happiest person here if he takes off next year. He definitely has the talent... he just needs to understand how to refine it and put his head on straight. Please prove us all wrong Lance... if you're reading this, Pacers' fans went thru Ron's shenanigans and really don't have time for any BS. If you make it thru the year without doing anything dumb and keep improving, Pacer fans will embrace you.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

    That was a good read Wells had me interested one of his better articles in awhile IMO.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

      Don't anybody take this the wrong way but talk is cheap, talk is easy.

      I hope that he backs up that talk with action and understands that this has to be a lifestyle change, not just a one time action that he will be able to drop once he gets a spot in the rotation.

      I do see the talent, unlike some I actually believe that if he could get a handle on his handles (ha, see how I did that) he could be a very good point guard and a point guard the likes of which we haven't seen in years (a point guard with actual size).

      But with Lance, much like David Harrison was, its not the basketball talent that is in question.


      Basketball isn't played with computers, spreadsheets, and simulations. ChicagoJ 4/21/13

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

        The huge thing to me was the acknowledgement that he handled being a teammate badly and recognized guys were trying to help him not just bust his chops. Hard to understand that when you grow up trying to not let people get over on you. Otherwise, I agree with Peck, proofs in the pudding.

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

          This dude is a gonna cause alot of troubles for the Pacers rotation next year, he is gonna blow up and cause a whole bunch of PT issues with the other guards.
          You can't get champagne from a garden hose.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

            ^Isn't that a good thing?!

            The Lance hate has become comical. Mike Wells, who used to despise Lance, made an article about his growth. How can there be any negativity out of it?

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

              Originally posted by BringJackBack View Post
              ^Isn't that a good thing?!

              The Lance hate has become comical. Mike Wells, who used to despise Lance, made an article about his growth. How can there be any negativity out of it?
              It was a joke. Forgot the green.

              I think last year was a huge transition for Lance, he was no longer the best player on a team. I'm sure through out his entire Amateur career he was the best player on his team and he was the one telling others what to do here and there. So for him to react so negatively towards the vet's guidance is pretty much expected for me. Honestly he is just like every 20 year old in the history of the world. Everyone at the age of 20 thinks they are a know it all and doesn't want to be helped by anyone, and most end up learning over time that you take all the help you can get.
              Last edited by graphic-er; 08-03-2011, 08:43 AM.
              You can't get champagne from a garden hose.

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

                Hahahahahahahaha! Good one, I love it, man.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

                  Cut him ..........
                  @WhatTheFFacts: Studies show that sarcasm enhances the ability of the human mind to solve complex problems!

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

                    I've said it before and I'll say it again... I think Lance is going to be really, really good. And I also think he's going to destroy this team.

                    Artest part deux.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

                      Originally posted by bphil View Post
                      I've said it before and I'll say it again... I think Lance is going to be really, really good. And I also think he's going to destroy this team.

                      Artest part deux.
                      That's a bit melodramatic, he is a 2nd rounder. He is cheap to get rid of.
                      You can't get champagne from a garden hose.

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

                        Originally posted by graphic-er View Post
                        That's a bit melodramatic, he is a 2nd rounder. He is cheap to get rid of.
                        Sure, unless he blossoms over the next few years, we sign him to a big contract, and then he loses his mind...

                        Again, Artest part deux.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

                          Originally posted by Peck View Post
                          I hope that he backs up that talk with action and understands that this has to be a lifestyle change, not just a one time action that he will be able to drop once he gets a spot in the rotation.
                          I think the action of staying in Indiana even with a lockout is a lot more than lip service. The things he has problems with aren't like drug issues, where you can get into trouble pretty much anywhere. They require party environment (which he seems to be staying away from), teammates and stress of season (which we won't see until the time comes), and an enabling posse (who don't seem to be here with him).

                          I'm encouraged by it, but thrice burned forever shy, as they say.
                          BillS

                          A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
                          Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

                            Originally posted by Peck View Post
                            Don't anybody take this the wrong way but talk is cheap, talk is easy.
                            I agre and time will tell, but

                            SO FAR, he seems to be real with his commitment

                            I worry much more about what will happen if Lance "gets it" and produces at a high rate on the court

                            Will he be able to stay humble, not get a big head , and remember what he had to overcome

                            or will he revert back to the pampered youth he once was?

                            Time will tell, but so far so good

                            and I can definitley relate to the temptations of going back to NYC, although S Jax, and Tins certainly found enough troubble to get into in Nap
                            Last edited by 90'sNBARocked; 08-03-2011, 09:40 AM.
                            Sittin on top of the world!

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: Stephenson tries to grow on court, off -Mike Wells

                              Not surprising. I already knew he was good

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