- Joined
- 6 September 2008
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- 69
It's always a tough call. There is definitely a real culture shift occurring in Australia and I think that shutting down people for expressing extreme, minority or unpopular views is always a difficult decision to make. I'm never sure what is worse, censorship or allowing views that some find offensive to be posted. I'd be interested in what the ASF community thinks about this issue. Where should the line be drawn?
I'm not OK with people advocating violence or deliberately promoting hateful ideologies... but some discussions are difficult to have and some issues are difficult to face. But do we have the discussions, or sweep them under the carpet?
I would prefer that people adopt a nuanced rather than a black and white approach to issues, but I can't insist upon it. ASF is a microcosm of Australia and there are those from all points on the political spectrum here. Some voices are moderate and some less so. But that is nothing more than a reflection of the wider community.
The big question is, at what point does something become unacceptable? I struggle with this idea and tend not to take a heavy handed approach unless things really get out of control.
Joe
The reality is that many people don't want to be part of a website that is as openly xenophobic as much of the "chat" in general chat. Posters in general chat are entitled to their views and you're entitled to give them a platform to air those views, but I think you need to accept that it puts many people off this forum; many people who actually add a lot to the stock part of Aussie Stock Forums.
The quality of share/trading/investing discussion on this forum is very good, but it's a shame that some of more erudite posters are leaving/have left because of general chat.
It really comes down to whether this is a politics or stock forum.
Joe
The reality is that many people don't want to be part of a website that is as openly xenophobic as much of the "chat" in general chat. Posters in general chat are entitled to their views and you're entitled to give them a platform to air those views, but I think you need to accept that it puts many people off this forum; many people who actually add a lot to the stock part of Aussie Stock Forums.
The quality of share/trading/investing discussion on this forum is very good, but it's a shame that some of more erudite posters are leaving/have left because of general chat.
It really comes down to whether this is a politics or stock forum.
Managing Aussie Stock Forums is an extremely challenging task, made even more difficult by the strong growth ASF has experienced in recent times. Although we have a Code of Conduct it is still very difficult to get some members to abide by the site rules. This, slightly tongue-in-cheek list of commandments details the areas which create the most management problems for the moderators and myself.
If everyone abided by the following five commandments, ASF would become a more effective resource and a far more pleasant place for everyone to visit. There would also be far less work for the moderators and I to do, so please do everything you can to assist us in creating a friendly and constructive atmosphere here. Don't forget that the moderators are all volunteers who give their time to help maintain this community, so please always treat them with the appropriate respect... which leads me to the first commandment:
1. Thou shalt treat other ASF members with respect.
In short that means no insults, name calling or personal attacks. It also means do not deliberately provoke others. We will no longer be allowing inflammatory threads that are intended solely to provoke and divide the ASF community. If you are starting a thread on a controversial topic please ensure that you frame the discussion in a constructive way. A little pot stirring is fine, but any post that directly insults another ASF member or encourages hatred of or vilifies a particular group of people will be removed and an infraction will be issued.
Those who continually demonstrate that they are unable to treat others respectfully or who persist in provoking others will have their ASF account permanently suspended.
2. Thou shalt not ramp.
Ramping is the single largest problem ASF faces and it is the one we continue to struggle with on a daily basis. So exactly what is a "ramp" or "downramp"?
If you make an assertion in a post in a stock thread, it must be substantiated. It can be backed up with analysis, additional information or reasonable extrapolation. For example, if you make the claim that a company is undervalued, you must support that claim by presenting reasons for your point of view. Just saying that you believe it to be undervalued is not enough.
The most common ramping related "sins" we encounter are:
- Posting price targets or assigning arbitrary valuations with no accompanying analysis.
- Posting unsourced rumours from other stock forums or blogs. Rumours from the mainstream broadcast or print media are allowed as long as the source is identified.
- Posting information sourced from elsewhere without citing (or linking to) the original source material.
- People claiming to have unnamed "contacts" who are supplying them with information not available to the market.
- Posts with no meaningful content. If you are going to post in a stock thread, please ensure you have something of value to contribute.
Ramping is such an all pervasive problem that we require the assistance of all ASF members to assist us in keeping a lid on it. If you see a post that you believe to be a ramp (or downramp), please use the "Report a Post" feature to alert the moderators and me to it.
Some more detail on our ramping policy can be found here.
3. Thou shalt not ask for, nor offer, specific financial advice.
This means you are not permitted to ask others how to invest your funds, nor can anyone advise someone else how to invest theirs. You may not refer to a stock as a "buy" or a "sell" nor can you "recommend" a stock in any way.
4. Thou shalt not spam your product, service or website.
You are not permitted to post links to, or promote, your product, service or website in posts on the forums. However, you may put a simple link to it in your signature. No affiliate links, sales pitches or large font sizes please! Any links that the moderators or I feel is inappropriate will be promptly removed.
With the market looking bullish again the spammers, scammers and snake oil salesmen will be out in force attempting to spam their dodgy wares on ASF. Please report any spam posts as soon as you see them so we can stop these parasites in their tracks.
5. Think before thou posteth!
It is amazing how many people simply do not think before they post. Here are some things to consider before you click the "Submit" button.
- If you are about to start a thread, have you done a search to see whether another active thread on the same topic already exists?
- Are you starting your thread in the correct forum?
- Is your post on topic?
- Is the content of your post potentially defamatory or in violation of any law?
- Have you proofread your post for spelling and/or grammatical errors?
Aussie Stock Forums is not Speaker's Corner in London's Hyde Park, it is an online community with rules that are designed to make it an enjoyable and useful place for everyone, irrespective of age, gender, investment experience, religion or political affiliation. While we encourage robust debate on almost any topic, I ask that people respect the limits I have outlined above. Please do not look for loopholes or to continually ride that fine line between what is acceptable and what isn't. Posting at ASF is not a right and we reserve the right to deny access to (or remove the posts of) those who demonstrate that they are incapable of respecting the website rules.
Any community, online or otherwise, is only as good as the sum of those who inhabit it, so please do your part to make ASF the positive and friendly place it is capable of being!
If you have any further questions or would like additional clarification of any of the commandments listed above, feel free to post any questions in this thread and I will respond to them.
1. Thou shalt treat other ASF members with respect.
In short that means no insults, name calling or personal attacks. It also means do not deliberately provoke others. We will no longer be allowing inflammatory threads that are intended solely to provoke and divide the ASF community. If you are starting a thread on a controversial topic please ensure that you frame the discussion in a constructive way. A little pot stirring is fine, but any post that directly insults another ASF member or encourages hatred of or vilifies a particular group of people will be removed and an infraction will be issued.
Those who continually demonstrate that they are unable to treat others respectfully or who persist in provoking others will have their ASF account permanently suspended.
Do not call others stupid, insult them, or deliberately provoke them. It is not acceptable conduct here.
It is healthy to disagree with others. We all have differing views and beliefs,
but calling people names or insulting them creates a toxic atmosphere that makes this community an unpleasant place to be.
I agree. The general chat is quite toxic a lot of the time, and is the main reason I rarely go near it. I'm sure it's also very off putting for newcomers who are assessing whether they want to make ASF their home. The only silver lining to general chat is that I've now acquired a lot of new names for my ignore list based on how certain people attack others.Do not call others stupid, insult them, or deliberately provoke them. It is not acceptable conduct here.
It is healthy to disagree with others. We all have differing views and beliefs, but calling people names or insulting them creates a toxic atmosphere that makes this community an unpleasant place to be.
The benefits of ignoring the general chat forum cannot be overstated. Bliss.I'm doing this because I have noticed that it is not being respected by some in a number of threads in the General Chat forum.
I agree. The general chat is quite toxic a lot of the time, and is the main reason I rarely go near it. I'm sure it's also very off putting for newcomers who are assessing whether they want to make ASF their home. The only silver lining to general chat is that I've now acquired a lot of new names for my ignore list based on how certain people attack others.
I agree. The general chat is quite toxic a lot of the time, and is the main reason I rarely go near it. I'm sure it's also very off putting for newcomers who are assessing whether they want to make ASF their home.
The benefits of ignoring the general chat forum cannot be overstated. Bliss.
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