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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"

"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

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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

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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:

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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

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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

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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).

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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.

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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.

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Rule #10

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Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

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  • #16
    Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

    Originally posted by Fool
    go all the way and turn it back to Matlock.
    Who is this Matlock? Can he rebound? Will Pollard and Gill work for him at RealGM?

    -Bball
    Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

    ------

    "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

    -John Wooden

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

      If you want to see the jumpshot become important again let the bigs campout under the net. The only problem is it will take years for the jumpshot to come back, or heavy drafting from Europe.

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

        Originally posted by Fool
        Indeed.

        And regardless, the issue at bar is how "entertaining" the game is. I'm willing to bet the few sadists who would thoroughly enjoy that public humiliation would be out weighted by the rest of the country who would either leave the stadium or turn the channel. Neither group however, would be standing to applaud the freedom of choice in the defensive rules allowed by the NBA during that game.
        True enough. And the GM will respond by drafting players who can actually shoot. Players will respond by actually working on mid-range jumpers during the summer.

        Short term pain, but long term gain.

        I'm not saying I want the NBA to turn into a "jump shooting only" league. I'm just saying that there is no excuse for a team not having enough shooters to break a zone.
        You're caught up in the Internet / you think it's such a great asset / but you're wrong, wrong, wrong
        All that fiber optic gear / still cannot take away the fear / like an island song

        - Jimmy Buffett

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        • #19
          Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

          Originally posted by Fool
          I don't think any of the ideas are particularly good and I definately don't agree that they are "guaranteed to make the league more lovable".

          1) I don't care about the canned noise. Keep it or lose it, is fine with me. I don't see anyone not going to the game or not watching because the "wah wah" sound is played after Shaq knuckleballs a free throw. If this effects anyone its the die-hards who won't like it to a high enough degree to matter (and they are already die-hards) and the casual customer who will enjoy it enough for it to effect any kind of economic issues.

          2)Illegal defense calls slow the game down? There are what, 2 illegal defense calls a game /per team at most? They don't even shoot on the first one so its just a quick side out. There's never an illegal defense call in transition or on a break (physically impossible). Go watch a team that can't hit an outside jumper and tell me that allowing their opponent to camp all 5 guys in the lane would "speed up" the game and make it more "watchable".

          3) Yes, more time dribbled away per possession equals ratings bonanza! How do 6 extra seconds eliminate bad shots? You mean no one will be caught with a defender in his face and his team standing around at the end of 30 seconds? I just watched the Lakers waste about 65 seconds in one possession as they threw up three contested fuglies after the Lakers collect not one but two offensive rebounds in the middle of OT Jazz game on TNT. 30 seconds isn't magical (nor 24, UB).

          4) Maybe some of you old-timers might yearn for the Red, White, and Blue bouncer but I am reminded of one thing by that ball ... that this is the 80 year anniversary of the Harlem Globtrotters. That ball would be the "glow puck" of basketball. The NBA has the least amount of equipment and the biggest projectile in all the major sports. If you can't see it, call the nurse to wheel your hospital bed closer to the the telly or just go all the way and turn it back to Matlock.

          5) 60 games. Its a fine idea for making the product better on any given night (less or no back-to-backs) but how does this draw the crowds? That family of four who used to only afford one game only to pick the back-end of a back-to-back (way to go dad) can now only watch one quarter a piece since they can't afford more than one ticket which they have to rotate between themselves as the rest of the nuclear fam listen to the radio broadcast from the gas station down the street since even the parking price is increased in the paradise that is the 60 game season.

          I refused to attend games for several years because the P's used those awful rce car noises during the games. I have been to several since and at least that is gone but the airplane and DEFENSE chant dirve me bonkers. BTW, yes I did let mgmnt know that I wasn't attending for that specific reason.
          Ever notice how friendly folks are at a shootin' range??.

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          • #20
            Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

            I stopped reading this after I read Montieth wanting less strict defensive rules in the NBA, and in the next item he SUGGESTS A LONGER SHOT CLOCK SO TEAMS WILL HAVE AN EASIER TIME SCORING!

            It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

            Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
            Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
            NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

            Comment


            • #21
              Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

              Originally posted by Kstat
              I stopped reading this after I read Montieth wanting less strict defensive rules in the NBA, and in the next item he SUGGESTS A LONGER SHOT CLOCK SO TEAMS WILL HAVE AN EASIER TIME SCORING!
              Heh, I was thinking the same thing when re-reading the article. Give the defense more lenience, then force them to instill it for an extra 6 seconds.

              Comment


              • #22
                Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

                The red white and blue ball is a nostalgic ABA symbol, but the idea of using it TODAY is beyond stupid. Who the heck wants to watch that ugly thing bounce around the court in hi-def?

                Maybe the Badger was trying to play to his ABA audience.

                It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

                Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
                Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
                NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

                  Originally posted by Kstat
                  The red white and blue ball is a nostalgic ABA symbol, but the idea of using it TODAY is beyond stupid. Who the heck wants to watch that ugly thing bounce around the court in hi-def?
                  I still think team-oriented balls could be sharp. You already see them in stores from time to time, and it would add an element of variety to every game.

                  Comment


                  • #24
                    Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

                    It would make it look like a circus act.

                    That's like using red baseballs during red sox games, or blue footballs suring colts games. It's a gimmick and the NBA already has too many of them.

                    It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

                    Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
                    Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
                    NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

                      Originally posted by Kstat
                      It would make it look like a circus act.

                      That's like using red baseballs during red sox games, or blue footballs suring colts games. It's a gimmick and the NBA already has too many of them.
                      True... This is much less gimmicky!

                      Let's make the goals automatically adjustable in diameter and the leading team's goal would continually shrink to make it more difficult for them to blow out the opposition. This would keep the scores closer. Maybe the trailing team's goal would get even bigger as long as they trailed.

                      And Detroit would always have to play with a smaller than regulation goal because... well... just because!



                      -Bball
                      Nuntius was right for a while. I was wrong for a while. But ultimately I was right and Frank Vogel has been let go.

                      ------

                      "A player who makes a team great is more valuable than a great player. Losing yourself in the group, for the good of the group, that’s teamwork."

                      -John Wooden

                      Comment


                      • #26
                        Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

                        I like the game how it is right now.... thank you.
                        You, Never? Did the Kenosha Kid?

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

                          Originally posted by SoupIsGood
                          I like the game how it is right now.... thank you.
                          I agree.
                          ...Still "flying casual"
                          @roaminggnome74

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                          • #28
                            Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

                            Kstat - you must be a lot older than I thought. Those were the same arguments years ago. That aside, I wouldn't at all mind the ABA ball. It's much easier to follow and it's always been interesting to be able to watch the rotation of the ball on shots and passes.
                            The best exercise of the human heart is reaching down and picking someone else up.

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                            • #29
                              Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

                              I'll admit that it's a neat thing to be able to follow the different rotations of each shot, but that's doubly outweighed by the fact it looks like something out of the harlem globetrotters.

                              It wasn't about being the team everyone loved, it was about beating the teams everyone else loved.

                              Division Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
                              Conference Champions 1955, 1956, 1988, 2005
                              NBA Champions 1989, 1990, 2004

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: Montieths got some ideas to share with us....

                                I think the NBA today is already too "entertaining" (if that's possible).

                                The focus of the game today is the highlight reel. The dunks, the moves, the "in your face", the "owned him", the shakes, the bakes, and the "handles". The "no-look" passes, the "alley-hoops", and the "off-the-glass-alley-hoop".

                                It's one thing if it's for the benefit of the team, if the "move" is unexpected and gives you an edge, game-wise. It's another thing when this becomes the goal of the game.

                                I think the largest problem of the NBA today is the difference in salaries of the stars, and the rest of the players. If you get $70 mil for 6 years in a shi++y team like Atlanta, why should you ever care about winning, losing, entertainment, or anything, for that sake?? You just made SEVENTY-MILLION-DOLLARS. It's absurd. The players union is way too strong. There are 100 Joe Johnsons out there who aren't getting the chance.

                                "NBA-rejects" like Anthony Parker, that Singleton guy from the Clippers, Ben Wallace before the trade to Detroit, and so many others who are just as capable but don't get the chance just cause "there's no room under the cap", "the position is already full for the next 4 years", and mainly "we're just too conservative to take chances right now" - even from the scrubs of the league. It's outrageous!

                                The league is getting "snobby" and stuck-up. The game of basketball is long forgotten, and maybe team-USA should get their *** kicked another few more times so they start paying attention.

                                You want to be entertaining? Start playing basketball. Not kiddie-ball, or street-hoops or And1 challenges. Play hard, aggressive, unselfish, and loads of team spirit. That's what draws the fans - not the casual "in your face", or even a game-winner with 0.4 seconds on the clock.

                                I had to vent that... it's been on me for a few years now...

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