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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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United States Politics

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  • #91
    Originally posted by shags View Post

    So basically once the official decision is given and overturns Roe, if a woman in a Red state like Indiana gets pregnant, she's going to have to carry that baby to term.

    Do you know if this decision will impact any other aspects of women's health?
    In theory. But, in practice, you could just go to IL or wherever it's still legal, no?
    I'd rather die standing up than live on my knees.

    -Emiliano Zapata

    Comment


    • #92
      Watch the Family on Netflix if you want to understand what talibangelicals want to do.



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

      Comment


      • #93
        Holcomb better nut up to the Indiana Taliban. You think the NCAA, Salesforce, Elanco, Cummins, Eli Lilly, and all the other big jobs corporations will sit back and applaud as the Republicans throw us back in time and make women 2nd class citizens? Its gonna get real dicey here Indiana soon, we'll be the Alabama of the North before you know it.
        You can't get champagne from a garden hose.

        Comment


        • #94
          Oh and lets just make sure we point out that the massive EGO of Ruth Bader Ginsberg refusing to retire when Obama was president is the first domino to fall that will lead to women in the United States of America having less rights than their Mothers and Grand Mothers. Freaking amazing turn of events there.
          You can't get champagne from a garden hose.

          Comment


          • #95
            Originally posted by graphic-er View Post
            Holcomb better nut up to the Indiana Taliban. You think the NCAA, Salesforce, Elanco, Cummins, Eli Lilly, and all the other big jobs corporations will sit back and applaud as the Republicans throw us back in time and make women 2nd class citizens? Its gonna get real dicey here Indiana soon, we'll be the Alabama of the North before you know it.
            I'm not sure it's entirely up to Holcomb. Even if Indiana passes a complete ban on abortion and Holcomb vetoes (which could happen), I believe the Republicans have enough votes to override the veto. You do make a good point about whether businesses will stay, but there's 25 to 27 states that will have some sort of ban, if not a complete one.

            Comment


            • #96
              Wheel chair Nazi’s sex tape just dropped, the cocaine orgies by the Christian party seem real.
              @WhatTheFFacts: Studies show that sarcasm enhances the ability of the human mind to solve complex problems!

              Comment


              • #98
                Most pro-lifers don't even know what they are fighting for as in they don't understand Roe V Wade, or they are just using a strawman argument.

                These two make really good points about late term abortions, every state can already ban them. Roe V Wade is about the right to privacy to have access to 1st trimester abortion with out government interference....ie 89% of all abortions. But the prolifers argue as if the the 89% are the same as the 2% late term.




                Whats the phrase? Tyranny in America will not come from a foreign invader, but disguised as righteousness from within? I think its finally happened.
                Last edited by graphic-er; 05-06-2022, 01:47 PM.
                You can't get champagne from a garden hose.

                Comment


                • I think it's time for another of my ranting and ravings against the Electoral College. I don't know what to do about it, or at least HOW you do something about it, but it is a terrible idea for modern times. We can argue whether it needed to exist in some form in the 1700's or 1800's... But once the country became 'connected', whether that be by train and telegraph, or planes and satellites, or by the internet- Its time has passed.

                  It creates false perceptions and false realities.

                  People think that land matters more than people. Or said better, don't realize that big swath of color on a map is land, NOT people.

                  We have a mobile population that can easily (in context) uproot for better opportunities. If their small community doesn't offer enough jobs, diversity of thought or diversity in general, they can move somewhere that does. But, that leaves 'land' in their place. They might travel easily but the power of their vote doesn't travel quite so easily.

                  The country's shift to the right, which is not really the country but instead a portion of the country, has led to this chasm where those on that rightward trend see the center has the far left now. And I guess it is... When you far on the right, even the center is a long ways left of you.

                  Red states and blue states shouldn't be a thing. The fact is, there are plenty of red votes in the bluest of states. And the other way too. But if you take your blue vote from a red state, your vote just dwindles even more in national importance. And, although it might've mattered little in your community, taking it away means it matters less. One less vote for the opposition party to overcome.

                  Trumpism, being the cancer it is, is a perfect play for communities and states that want to double-down on this trend. The more unattractive they can make their states to non-Trimpists, dems, and even RINOs, the more they send those people to places and states where their votes don't matter. Another blue vote in a blue state.

                  At one point, I thought the dems would figure this out (Electoral College), and through sheer numbers, game the system for themselves. But I'm having second thoughts. Through regressive and divisive politics it throws a wet blanket onto voters who believe their votes won't matter. And in many cases, sends them away to other places, leaving just one less progressive person in the voting pool. But it all has the opposite effect on those to the right. They feel empowered. They feel they are making a difference. The more they go to the right, the more of a difference they can make because it sends a mobile population away to somewhere more 'liberating'. They are 'owning the libs'. And the state they leaves gains more power because they have even less resistance.

                  People (numbers) matter less than land.

                  It's going to take something groundbreaking and innovative to break that trend.
                  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


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

                    Comment


                    • Originally posted by Bball View Post

                      People think that land matters more than people. Or said better, don't realize that big swath of color on a map is land, NOT people.

                      We have a mobile population that can easily (in context) uproot for better opportunities. If their small community doesn't offer enough jobs, diversity of thought or diversity in general, they can move somewhere that does. But, that leaves 'land' in their place. They might travel easily but the power of their vote doesn't travel quite so easily .
                      So I don't disagree with the EC issue and the silliness of it but the congressional districts do have a limitation to them. They have to be a population size of 760 K for each one. Meaning less rural people is less gerrymandering that splits up the political power of the vote. This is the reason that many district maps are not providing the same level of redness as they did in 2010. The rural county population decline is having a big problem for Republicans even if they hold many state houses.

                      Comment


                      • https://twitter.com/TheDailyShow/sta...71083043659776

                        "It's messed up that protesters showed up at Brett Kavanaugh's house on a Sunday morning. Do they not realize how hungover he must have been"

                        Comment


                        • Originally posted by Gamble1 View Post

                          So I don't disagree with the EC issue and the silliness of it but the congressional districts do have a limitation to them. They have to be a population size of 760 K for each one. Meaning less rural people is less gerrymandering that splits up the political power of the vote. This is the reason that many district maps are not providing the same level of redness as they did in 2010. The rural county population decline is having a big problem for Republicans even if they hold many state houses.
                          There's 3 kinds of rural population decline that I can think of:
                          Young people getting out.
                          Older people turning into snowbirds
                          Older people "aging out" (read: dying off and no younger people filling in behind them)
                          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


                          • So, we have all these problems going on and Congress is holding a hearing on UFOs.

                            Brilliant.

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