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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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The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

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  • The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

    By the end of the year our government is hoping to get everyone who receives service connected disability payments on direct deposit. Hoping is their word but they also discuss that people who don't sign up will get a pay card and it will charge for transactions. This truly sucks for me because I will usually hold back a little for any tool or other purchases now that all of my check will be going straight to the bank account and I will have to give up getting a few small purchases I do every month. I have always preferred the check myself for that reason. Now I will have to show the actual price of stuff and my wife will be seeing that. She does the same with her part-time work of delivering phone books. I had to do direct deposit with my new part-time job as well, and that is ok with me there. Being in the business that I am of buying, rebuilding and selling engines sometimes I might have to dip into my cash reserve to get better quality parts to make extra money and make the engine easier to sell. I always pay it back afterward. I can see the wife freaking out a little bit if I had to dip into our account a couple hundred bucks to make a profit of 500$ extra on an engine. Hopefully in the next few months I will get the approval for my VA grant and have an actual shop where I will have that cash reserve to not touch that personal cash. I guess I am just an old fart who prefers to see the check in my hand.

  • #2
    Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

    set up the account and "designate" it as a business account or tell your wife that's what it is and then USE it that way. No guilt no lying. As soon as the check is deposited write a check to the wifes account and deposit the requisite amount keeping back what you need for business expense.
    Ever notice how friendly folks are at a shootin' range??.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

      That does sound like a good plan, I need to establish a business account anyway, especially now that things are starting to take off.

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      • #4
        Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

        Better to be honest and upfront with money than not...something I've learned over the years...

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        • #5
          Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

          I like your ideas, it also may lessen the sticker shock for tools, parts and supplies if it were a totally different account. She is not familiar with the prices for good quality tools, parts and everything else it takes to operate a business. I have been working with her on advertising and she is ok with business cards and a few other things. I am still working on her with things like magnetic signs for the truck and operating a website. I think the VA grant will help with that stuff too.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

            Originally posted by jeffg-body View Post
            I like your ideas, it also may lessen the sticker shock for tools, parts and supplies if it were a totally different account. She is not familiar with the prices for good quality tools, parts and everything else it takes to operate a business. I have been working with her on advertising and she is ok with business cards and a few other things. I am still working on her with things like magnetic signs for the truck and operating a website. I think the VA grant will help with that stuff too.
            It's a VA grant not an SBA one? I'm not familiar with those...but I got turned down for an SBA loan (I wasn't hiring enough people...like, none)
            Ever notice how friendly folks are at a shootin' range??.

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

              You sound like you know about your buisness/hobby and you know your wife. I understand the shock of a high withdraw from your personal account.

              I think that what Geezer suggested is perfect. It is upfront and it allows you to spare your wife from seeing those paper trails to the strip club.....I mean withdraws for engines.

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

                Please pardon me for saying so, but it sounds like this is more of a problem of communication about money between a couple than it is about the government trying to institute cost effective policies. You could definitely just setup a business account if you want to continue on with not explaining things - banks will be happy to assist you with that process.

                My wife and I have multiple budgets worked out (personal and business) and we both understand them and work within them. I can't remember the last time either of us had to justify a particular purchase to the other or the last time we had a fight about money even though finances have been tight for the last couple of years. It took some doing to hammer it out in the beginning (we each have "regular" jobs and also self-employment, so that included explaining the parameters of our work to one another), but it has been soooo worth it.

                I wish you good luck with your business, whatever you decide to do!
                "Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better." - Albert Camus

                "Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." - Voltaire

                "Everyone's values are defined by what they will tolerate when it is done to others." - William Greider

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                • #9
                  Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

                  Not an issue for me. My wife knows what I make and vice versa. Helps us plan our our bills so we can budget for a home that we want to buy soon.

                  I love direct deposit. I hate going to the bank. Every time I want to go to the bank they are closed. ***** them!
                  First time in a long time, I've been happy with the team that was constructed, and now they struggle. I blame the coach.

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                  • #10
                    Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

                    Originally posted by Sparhawk View Post
                    Not an issue for me. My wife knows what I make and vice versa. Helps us plan our our bills so we can budget for a home that we want to buy soon.

                    I love direct deposit. I hate going to the bank. Every time I want to go to the bank they are closed. ***** them!
                    Me too. I've been carrying around a growing number of checks for weeks now and I never seem to get there in time. If everyone started paying me in bank transfers tomorrow I'd be a happy clam.
                    "Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better." - Albert Camus

                    "Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." - Voltaire

                    "Everyone's values are defined by what they will tolerate when it is done to others." - William Greider

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

                      Originally posted by gummy View Post
                      Me too. I've been carrying around a growing number of checks for weeks now and I never seem to get there in time. If everyone started paying me in bank transfers tomorrow I'd be a happy clam.
                      If you have Chase or PNC you can deposit checks with your smart phone, up to $5k per month. No trip to the bank at all. With PNC your account has to be one of their "Virtual Wallet" accounts.
                      Last edited by travmil; 04-30-2012, 07:31 PM.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

                        Our credit union does deposit by phone as well, so you may check your bank to see if they have an app for that.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

                          As does M-I Bank and my Credit Union.

                          Actually, my credit union allows you to scan it in to a computer and email it to them. That's shaky IMPO.
                          Ever notice how friendly folks are at a shootin' range??.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

                            Originally posted by travmil View Post
                            If you have Chase or PNC you can deposit checks with your smart phone, up to $5k per month. No trip to the bank at all. With PNC your account has to be one of their "Virtual Wallet" accounts.
                            Interesting! I do have Chase - thanks!
                            "Freedom is nothing else but a chance to be better." - Albert Camus

                            "Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." - Voltaire

                            "Everyone's values are defined by what they will tolerate when it is done to others." - William Greider

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: The Government Is Forcing Me To Get Direct Deposit

                              Originally posted by indygeezer View Post
                              It's a VA grant not an SBA one? I'm not familiar with those...but I got turned down for an SBA loan (I wasn't hiring enough people...like, none)
                              Yeah the VA has a program called Chapter 31 for vocational rehabilitation for Veterans who have service connected disabilities and some kind of barrier to work full-time. Most people end up going back to school or having the counselors help find another job that they can do. I was their first person to make it past having SCORE review my business plan and they really didn't know what to do. After some research they sent my business plan to a professor at Notre Dame and he was supposed to review it and contact me if there were any problems. It was supposed to be a three week thing but it has been five now and we have gotten no feedback yet. The local VA can offer up to 25,000 to help buy equipment, tools, supplies and parts inventory. The only things they can't help is with rent or lease, buying property or utilities. I started this journey in September when I was laid off from my job. It is a great program for any disabled vet to go into. The self employment option is used so rarely that they didn't know what to do, but they figured it out and finally the wheels are going. If disabled vets could just go through the VA website they have a lot of good opportunities for people to improve their lives. I am also doing a weight loss program there called MOVE. I meet monthly with the nutritionist and we set a goal of how many pounds to lose. They also have a gym that people can go to 3 times a week but they need to see their doctor there and they have to get a prescription to be able to use the gym. The VA has a lot of stuff people don't know about that is good.

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