> > Rick, I agree, 3 weeks is too much. Why not either 1 week > > for all offenses, or one week for the first and then 2 weeks > > thereafter? The first way would be easiest for you, as you > > wouldn't have to remember which "offense" the poster was > > on. Just a thought. > > > > I'm open to changing it. It's not hard for me to keep track > > of how many times people have gone over the limit. I just > > have a little note file in Outlook. I use the Outlook calendar > > to remind me when to restore someone's posting rights. I > > figured that as in the judicial system, chronic offenders > > need increasingly stronger deterrents. > > Yeah, and we know how well that's worked out...
With all due respect, one aspect of the "stronger deterrent" made all the difference in the world. That was when overposting was made a "bannable offense." Before that, a couple of the compulsive posters who were the reason the posting limit was created in the first place systematically tried to abuse the system. It was only when they realized that doing so would effectively cut off their drug supply for a week that they stopped consciously going over the limit. I don't have an opinion on what the "ban time" should be. It should be long enough that those who really miss posting when they aren't able to do it start to REALLY miss it. Part of me agrees with Rick, that a series of escalating ban times would be more of a deterrent. But another part of me realizes that at this point, after all we've gone through over this issue, when a regular here goes over the posting limit, they are already *beyond* being deterred. They're stuck in some compulsion, and have lost the *ability* to monitor the number of their posts. How many times they've posted this week just doesn't enter their minds, because they've Just Gotta Post...they're gone, thinking, "This thread or discussion or argument is too important and overshadowing to NOT post." So I don't know what will work best. The same people keep "fouling out," and the lengthening ban times don't seem to actually keep them from fouling out. Another forum I participate on sometimes had a situ- ation in recent months when one person started not only arguing incessantly and posting 10-20 times a day, but actually *abusing* people and saying he wanted them dead. Many wanted to ban him outright, but the moderator had another idea. He realized the guy's need to post, and just gave him his own board. He can read our boards, but can't post on any of them. On his board, he can post, and other people can read it and reply to him if they want. He posts there every day, sometimes 5-10 times a day. No one has ever replied. But he's still crazy as a loon, so that didn't work, either. Beats the hell outa me what can or should be done. I think the current system here on FFL is working as well as it can, and it has definitely improved the quality of life.
