Behind the scenes, the FBG staff has discussed possibly shutting down the PSF forum for good, possibly shutting it down for a week or a month, possibly just asking people to play nicely and see if it sticks this time, possibly doing some other things.
Nothing has been decided yet. Joe has other things to do today. Before any official decision is made, I am going to set a new policy on a trial basis to see how it works out.
I'm not going to pin this thread initially because I think people often skip over the section for pinned threads. I'll pin it once it slides to page two.
Here are the rules:
1. If you want to discuss the moderation publicly, do it in
the moderation thread. If you do it in a thread about infrastructure, you'll be banned for a week.
2. If you want to offer other posters tips on how they should or shouldn't be posting in this subforum, do it in the
saving the PSF thread. If you do it in a thread about occupational licensing reform, you will be suspended for a week.
3. You may also use this thread to discuss moderation or good or bad posting habits.
4. You will be suspended for telling other posters "Don't" or anything similar. (PM them if you are sincerely trying to be helpful.)
5. You will be suspended for telling other posters that their posts are what's wrong with this forum.
6. You will be suspended for saying that somebody else started it.
7. You will be suspended for reminding others about these rules. (Again, send a PM if you are sincerely trying to help.)
8. You will also be suspended for doing all the normal suspension-worthy things like name-calling, etc.
9. You will be suspended.
10. It will no doubt be very unfair.
11. Moderators are exempt from these rules (except no. 8).
What to do if you're suspended:
Take a week off. Go for a walk. Read a book. Start a journal. I understand that gardening can be quite pleasant.
It's not the end of the world if you're suspended. Think of it as us shutting down the forum for a week to see how things go, except that we're shutting it down one poster at a time on a rolling basis instead of doing everybody
en masse all at once.
What not to do if you're suspended:
Don't make or use an alias account. Don't come back and complain about your suspension in threads not designated for that topic. Don't urge that a dozen other people should also be suspended because what they did was worse, or because they started it.