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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"

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"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.

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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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Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

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  • #1

    Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

    Potential "X-factor" Stephenson begins NBA journey
    Feb. 28, 2011

    There is a long road to travel and many lessons to be learned but at least the journey has begun for Lance Stephenson.

    The talented second-round pick made his NBA debut Sunday in the Pacers' 110-108 overtime loss to Phoenix, playing 4 minutes, 17 seconds before heading to the bench gasping for air.

    "I need to get in better shape," Stephenson said. "I've got to get in game shape. I'm in practice shape right now."

    Coach Frank Vogel has decided to begin Stephenson's initiation process with small steps.

    "He’s getting his feet wet," Vogel said. "We’ll bring him along slow. You’ll probably see more of what we did (Sunday) till we start getting more comfortable and then we’ll decide whether next game he may play (shooting guard). … Just where we are at, just take it as it goes.

    "We’ve felt all along that he can help us, that he is going to be a heck of a player, a heck of a talent. We think during this playoff stretch and in the playoffs he could be a bit of an X-factor, a sizable point guard like that or even what he could do at the two. We just thought it was his time."

    At 6-5, 220 pounds, Stephenson has the size and strength of a shooting guard but the quickness and creativity of a point guard. Ultimately he could offer the Pacers an important option off the bench when they need to match up against bigger backcourts or when they need instant offense.

    Big talent, however, doesn't always translate to big productivity in the NBA. Stephenson must show a grasp of the offense and a commitment to improving his defense.

    "He competes really hard, like any rookie," said Vogel. "He's still picking up rotations. There hasn't been a lot of practice time since training camp so it's going to be a work in progress. He's familiar with everything we do it's just a matter of getting the reps.

    "What he's got to gain is the cohesiveness with his teammates and the speed of the NBA game, which he's used to."

    Stephenson made it clear that, after waiting 57 games for the chance to play at all, he's ready for whatever role Vogel envisions.

    "Whenever coach wants me to play," he said, "I'm going to be happy with the minutes he gives me."

    When Stephenson scored his first NBA points in a pair of free throws with 11:17 left in the first quarter, his family threw confetti in the air to mark the occasion.

    The Pacers hope it was just the beginning of many more good times to come.
    http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/blog_brunner.html


    By Conrad Brunner
    FOXSportsIndiana.com
    Feb. 28, 2011

    INDIANAPOLIS, IN – Lance Stephenson may well become the team's third guard of the future. For the present, however, A.J. Price is handling the role quite nicely.

    Stephenson made his NBA debut Sunday, playing 4 minutes, 17 seconds in a 110-108 overtime loss to Phoenix. But Price was the Indiana Pacers' most important player, playing the final 20 minutes and guiding the team through a pair of comebacks before falling short at the finish.

    Indiana trailed 82-67 late in the third quarter but Price engineered a 19-7 run, scoring 11 of the points – including three 3-pointers – to get the home team back in the game. He finished with 18 points, five rebounds and an assist in just under 25 minutes.

    "A.J. Price is good enough to be a starter in this league," said Coach Frank Vogel. "I’m never surprised when he gives us a lift and I’ll always stay with a guy that’s red hot. And he was."

    Price had been mired in a shooting slump, going 0-of-12 from the 3-point line and 7-of-31 overall in the previous four games, but a midnight shooting session at Conseco Fieldhouse Saturday helped get his game realigned.

    He made 4-of-6 from the arc against the Suns.

    “My job is to come in, give energy and (Sunday) was to make (Steve) Nash work hard on both ends of the floor," said Price. "He’s a great player. I just wanted to come in and change tempo, try to play at a fast pace and do what I've been doing all year."

    A second-round pick in 2009, Price watched as 2010 second-rounder Stephenson made his first appearance with 2:10 left in the first quarter. He wound up totaling a little more than four minutes of playing time.

    Because of Stephenson's size (6-5, 220) and athleticism, Vogel envisions him as a potential difference-maker down the stretch if he can quickly become accustomed to the speed of the NBA game at both ends of the floor.

    "We're going to have sort of a process of getting his feet wet and getting him comfortable," Vogel said. "He's our third point guard and we don't want to get in a situation where he hasn't played all year and we need him. We also think he could be an X-factor for us down the stretch."

    Stephenson said he is ready for "any role coach wants me to play," but he first must work on his conditioning. He was gasping for breath when removed from the game early in the second quarter.

    "I need to get in better shape," he said. "I've got to get in game shape. I'm in practice shape right now."

    From now on, he'll get that opportunity.
    http://www.foxsportsmidwest.com/02/2...53&feedID=3904

    My favorite parts have been bolded.

    I am excited about Lance Stephenson as I was there to see him play. He's got very deceptive quickness and he has the strength of a linebacker.

    AJ Price is a very good defender. I love watching AJ play when he's on. He's a "True point." His play is crucial to our success. Before TJ Ford was holding us back, and now our back up point guard spot is a positive instead of a negative.
    ...
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

    What does "red hot" mean?

    Is Vogel implying that someone could go on a "hot streak"?

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

      Originally posted by BlueNGold View Post
      What does "red hot" mean?

      Is Vogel implying that someone could go on a "hot streak"?
      ya on fire or playing well

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

        Interesting about what Vogel said about Lance being an X-Factor. Wonder if that means eventually this year he'll be play about 20 MPG sometimes?

        Comment

        • #5
          Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

          Originally posted by pacer4ever View Post
          ya on fire or playing well
          He's teasing flox.

          Comment

          • #6
            Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

            I'd really like to see Lance get the bulk of Inferno's minutes....I honestly don't mind if we "sink" with the youngsters...even at the cost of losing ground in the Playoffs. IMHO...the remaining 2 months should be used to evaluate our talent.
            Ash from Army of Darkness: Good...Bad...I'm the guy with the gun.

            Comment

            • #7
              Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

              Somewhere in a dark corner DC is getting nervous
              Sittin on top of the world!

              Comment

              • #8
                Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

                Originally posted by 90'sNBARocked View Post
                Somewhere in a dark corner DC is getting nervous
                You know what, there's been some rumbling about DC losing confidence if he's not finishing the game, and perhaps not being a team player, demanding a trade so he can start (WTF, I seriously doubt a rookie has that much weight.)....

                but yesterday, him and Price walked off the court together, his arm around Price's shoulders.

                I think he was okay with Price closing, and I don't think we have an issue.

                Ironic, being that I'm such a Price fan, how it seems like I've been sticking up for Darren more than just about anyone.

                Comment

                • #9
                  Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

                  DC had better focus on improving his game and keep his attitude in check. He's not that good right now and may be headed to TJ-land before he reaches 25. The main thing is that he needs to involve his team mates much more and start directing the offense rather than darting around launching shots.

                  Quite frankly, he's lucky to be starting on this team. IF there is a drop-off with AJ, it is not a significant one. They both call their own number and bring about the same value to the team.

                  Comment

                  • #10
                    Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

                    DC is gonna get better and improve to be a better PG.

                    He passed the ball more last season and got more assists.

                    His defense will improve with his speed and good hands to pick the ball for steals.

                    He does well and it makes the team better when he slows down the offense and passes the ball for good looks rather than driving towards the hoop and settling like TJ.

                    I'm happy we actually have a good PG rotation for the future.
                    Last edited by Trophy; 02-28-2011, 10:24 PM.

                    Comment

                    • #11
                      Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

                      Originally posted by Sookie View Post
                      You know what, there's been some rumbling about DC losing confidence if he's not finishing the game, and perhaps not being a team player, demanding a trade so he can start (WTF, I seriously doubt a rookie has that much weight.)....

                      but yesterday, him and Price walked off the court together, his arm around Price's shoulders.

                      I think he was okay with Price closing, and I don't think we have an issue.

                      Ironic, being that I'm such a Price fan, how it seems like I've been sticking up for Darren more than just about anyone.
                      Sookie

                      Hands down AJ almost won the game for us against Phoenix, He played better than DC, has a better outside shot, plays better D, and less turnovers

                      I know we might disagree but I think DC runs the offense a little better.

                      AJ has more heart than DC though
                      Sittin on top of the world!

                      Comment

                      • #12
                        Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

                        Originally posted by 90'sNBARocked View Post
                        Sookie

                        Hands down AJ almost won the game for us against Phoenix, He played better than DC, has a better outside shot, plays better D, and less turnovers

                        I know we might disagree but I think DC runs the offense a little better.

                        AJ has more heart than DC though
                        DC actually didn't have a bad game.

                        AJ was just on fire and got us back into the game with all his shots.

                        I wouldn't say one guy plays with more heart than the other.

                        DC is a solid PG when he's not struggling and passes the ball more for good shots rather than take bad ones.

                        He runs the offense well when he slows it down and he's more comfortable too. That's what Vogel wants.

                        Comment

                        • #13
                          Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

                          Originally posted by 90'sNBARocked View Post
                          AJ has more heart than DC though
                          c'mon man.. how can you measure DC or AJ's "heart." DC plays b**** out too. remember the dunks he has had on fast break layups.

                          questioning a mans heart is a serious offense

                          anyone consider that DC may be hitting a wall. in many ways DC is still a rook or only now has played a full season. 37 games last year (about the same as a college season); 50+ this season.

                          Comment

                          • #14
                            Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

                            Originally posted by PacersPride View Post
                            c'mon man.. how can you measure DC or AJ's "heart." DC plays b**** out too. remember the dunks he has had on fast break layups.

                            questioning a mans heart is a serious offense

                            anyone consider that DC may be hitting a wall. in many ways DC is still a rook or only now has played a full season. 37 games last year (about the same as a college season); 50+ this season.

                            That's what I question too.

                            Honestly, we've got two good, but young point guards. We're lucky that when one seems to not play that well, the other tends to pick it up. But they're both going to go through their growing pains and rough spots.

                            Did anyone ever think that, just maybe, it's easier for a natural scorer like DC to be more effective if stays aggressive and looks for his shot first? It's a hard position to learn, and players tend to gravitate to what they do best. That doesn't mean they can't learn to do other things. Give him some time. Give them both some time.

                            I don't know how you measure "heart" AJ's got a lot of it, I know that. Most guys would have quit at this point, with what he's been through. That doesn't mean DC doesn't have a lot of heart. In fact, I think that guy is all effort. That's why, despite the fact that the type of PG he is, isn't my preference, I'll stick up for him. (And cause..I know what a shot hog PG looks like, and trust me, these two ain't it.) I think he's a young guy that'll learn from his mistakes and improve.
                            Last edited by Sookie; 02-28-2011, 11:46 PM.

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Re: Two articles by Conrad Brunner about Lance Stephenson and AJ Price

                              u guys no exactly what I mean by heart

                              DC has a way of acting like a brat at times, AJ has had a lot more to endure , while DC was basically handed the starting PG position from day 1
                              Sittin on top of the world!

                              Comment

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