Well, most of my thoughts have already been covered by various posters, but I will hit on a few key points.
The language filter is something about which I have been bugging Clarity. With so much on his plate in terms of upgrading, this has understandably been a slow process in terms of certain amenities coming online. The language filter will be here soon, but there is still a basic problem with word choice that I see. Many posts contain excessive language that is truly not needed to get the point across. Are folks cursing because, simply put, they can? Not sure, but at times it derails conversation because folks sense an aggression in the post which is not always there. Personally, I try to avoid the "bombs" for this reason, but then again, I'm not offended when people use them either. However, as mentioned already, not everyone has been here since the beginning and does not "know" the posters or their various online personalities.
As for the racist/homophobic tones at times...it irks me. However, I do see some of it (most of it) as innocent ribbing. The Galindo/figure skater/etc stuff is lighthearted. However, it does get rough at times when folks decide to take it up a few notches. Nobody wants to be censored, but if the lighthearted material leads us down a path of perceived hateful tone, it should be avoided completely in my opinion. The issue of race or racial jokes do not sit well with me. We can say whatever we like about being "PC" but there is a line that does not need to be crossed and when you are dealing with a one-dimensional form of communication, that leads to miscommunication and poor perceptions. Certain words just send chills through me and, admittedly, the jokes concerning Tibor did not click the same way. It is time to step back in this area and realize we are giving a poor perception in this area.
The gang mentality is the most difficult obstacle here. Most of us feel some form of loyalty to this site and its direction. That leads to many posters defending what they see as the better traits of this place. Whether it be discussion level, repetitive posts/threads, or out of line commentary, posters jump with good intentions in mind, but do fail to realize how the situation is being handled in the eyes of a newer member. Ideally, new posters would observe and learn the ways of the site before jumping in, but that is not going to happen 99% of the time. Which leads to my final point...
PMs are a wonderful tool. I would hope that everyone who has ever PMd a mod or admin has had their concern handled or at least discussed to their satisfaction. I would honestly say 80% of the mod duties are handled via PM. Recruiting rules, aggressive personal posts, etc are usually handled privately to give the poster a chance to rectify the issue without having to go to the warning system. Sometimes it works...sometimes people make their intentions very clear and must be removed. However, I would hope that every member knows they can PM any mod or admin about any issue and we will certainly try to ease the concern. To everyone who reports bad posts, keep it up as it is impossible for us to see every post.
Everyone knows what is acceptable and what is not...behaving badly because you can is not a good reason and is certainly not good for BP. We are blessed to have someone like Clarity who built this place and turned over the reins to each one of us. Just keep that in mind when you post and try to make this place better in some way. After all, this place was founded as a community experience...which does mean that EVERY member has a responsibility to contribute to the growth of BP.
