Way to Russia Talk Lounge

WayToRussia · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:10 pm Post subject: NEW STRICT RULES ON THE FORUM

Dear Way to Russia Talk Lounge members!

We've been monitoring the forum for a few weeks now, preferring not to get involved in discussions and allow it to be a totally community-driven forum to support travelers to Russia.

However, we noticed that the forum is being dominated by a few frequent posters who often hijack the topics and instigate flaming.

So we decided to intervene and start banning the users who break the rules of the forum and make it a less useful place.

For a starter, we banned Fire_Goddess and vitalsigns (even though he's not so frequent anymore). A couple of others might be banned in the next days too.

We will also start deleting all threads / discussions that are not relevant.

There will also be other improvements introduced during the next days.

If you have any other suggestions, please, send me a PM.

Dmitry

Way to Russia Guides Director

overseas_expat · VIP Joined: 11 Jan 2005 Posts: 619 Location: Moscow

It's about time.

surfguy · Lounge Wizard Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 6996

mediashark · Moderator Joined: 04 Nov 2004 Posts: 1601

alternatively, you could...

-delete the Talk Lounge section since it's for chatting on non-Russia related topics

-get a bigger team of mods who will read through every single topic. I'm afraid I do not have time for that anymore.

-set up a separate forum for chats, completely separate from WTR Talk Lounge but hosted on the same server. The two can be linked but will have different themes. Users will have to re-register on the new forum. I guess I can offer the server space on my site but I'm not really good with running things from a programming perspective.

Daria · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:37 pm Post subject:

WhatsGoingOn · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 9:41 pm Post subject:

Yeah banning Fire_Goddess really solves the problem on the forum. Laughing

krasatulya · VIP Joined: 29 May 2005 Posts: 577

I think the best way to accomodate people to having access to a place where they can talk about whatever, while at the same time not cluttering up various other folders and threads, is to possibly bring back the "Non Relevant" folder.

It seemed like things were usually contained to that folder.

mediashark · Moderator Joined: 04 Nov 2004 Posts: 1601

Not Relevant brought on a lot of instances of real abuse and attacks. It hasn't been seen after it was deleted.

the reason why doing without NR worked was that at that time I and the few other mods actually had time to moderate Talk Lounge. And when NR was gone it was a lot easier.

Talk Lounge now serves as a NR forum, but aside from me, whom now I don't have any more time, it is not being moderated closely. I no longer have access to the computer for as much time of the day as I used to.

WTR needs to balance its resources and see whether it can keep up with whatever solutions it came up with. It couldn't keep up with having Not Relevant, and seems now it cannot keep up with Talk Lounge either.''

If there is a new forum it is not meant to stay clean but WTR has to be clean. More like a friends-only forum. The idea was just to let the regulars continue their chats there. As trolly as they seem they must somehow enjoy the interaction but WTR may not be the best place for it.

surfguy · Lounge Wizard Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 6996

well...as I stated Fire G was reacting against the abuse that Nikir and Spice were dishing out to Jojo...whom by the way would tell me all the time on the phone that she was sick of thier shit. And of course as you know Daria since you talk to her on the phone too as does Fire G...that this made jojo mad. And so Fire G was sticking up for her. And it's funny because fire G ask one of the moderators to lock that one particular thread...and I also asked Media shark to do the same...only it was locked before she could. Yes banning Fire G was not appropriate at all. She knew she was being a bit extreme and expected to be banned...but too she wanted to make her point. And she honestly felt that the "russians" none of you all were coming t defend jojo. But the last statement by nikir that supposedly broke the camel's back...wasn't offensive...not to jojo and I didn't think it was. And I will be the first one to get into Nikir...although in rational discussions and those pertaining to Russia...I often agree with him and with Spice. Gen P got things going...but only with regards to where I was concerned that stemmed only because I couldn't fully translate...and I felt that if I was going to be subject of discussion at least give me the benefit of knowing what was being said...Which what Gen P was saying was nothing bad at all. Bottom line is miscommunication can create huge problems and misunderstandings Anyways...some times a nip in the but is needed to cool things off. And actually fire G can attest I had a conversation with her telling her to cool it...and she did mellow out. All the strikes she was posting was her way of saying to Spice that...once again he was posting a durogatory or negative comment. From my experience here...there was only one person who should have been banned and that was Xela...because he made personal death threats towards 2 of us...that we could only believe to be serious. Here in the USA people go to jail for posting such things. Fire G's antics here are no worse than anyone else's including myself. But as I have said...I post responses to the abuse that is given. Now then for those of us who are here regularly...we know that we are decent people...or we wouldn't exchange e-mails and phone numbers and we wouldn't chat either. We would make plans for visits...and we certainly wouldn't trust our real identities with one another. Fire G has trusted her identity to a couple of us. Daria you have too...Krastulya has...Media Shark has...Jojo has...I have...Darth Vader has...I think BCBUD has...and probably some others. Well except Vitals. And as far as other users...Spice or Nikir...well if they are left out...gee wonder why! Bottom line is this it is not necessary to ban fire g...and she is no more an example than the rest of us. WTR can do as they wish as it's thier site. But I think bringing the not relevant read back is good! The fact is...there is a need and a place for it...and it is wanted...we've all proved that...and have asked for it

surfguy · Lounge Wizard Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 6996

MrSpice · Lounge Wizard Joined: 14 Jul 2003 Posts: 3436

Let me put my 2 cents into this.

My own feeling is that WTR is a business and the most important goal for this business is to attract new members and new posters so to generate more income via providing visa, hotel booking and other services (plus, advertising via additional clicks). If removing some posters like Fire_G. helped to achieve that goal, then I would agree that this is a good decision. The main problem is that there have been very few people wanting to post on this forum. I don't think they were put off by the negativity and abuse or anything else, because there was very little of it here - overall, I mean. I understand that the owners of this site also want to conserve resources and limit unnecessary use of the bandwidth (not sure what kind of price plan they have on this site, and whether they pay more when more people post).

Maybe the owners can expland the scope of this site and have topics about travel to other countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Republics. For example, because no visa is required for US and EU citizens to visit Estonia, Latvia and Litva, those are very popular destinations. So if you add topics like "Estonia Travel" etc to the forum, it may as well show up on the Google search and attract new audiences.

surfguy · Lounge Wizard Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Posts: 6996

well I tend to agree with you spice...but lets go back to November...December...January when the site's forum was dead. 3 months of really no activity. Also since last May there have been minimal posters outside of us regulars. I've been going back through older threads/post...since before I got here...and low and behold not that many other users NS bout the same number of regular posters. So although the idea of we are preventing others from using or enjoying the site...not sure as to how accurate an assessment your's is. Yes WTR is a business...one which I have spent hundreds of dollars at. And I have found the service to have been excellent...and have stated so in numerous posts...so in my view that is the trade...if you want the referals...and you want the business ($$$$) and the advertising to increase it all...then don't bite the hand that feeds you. Fire G has a PM as do all of us...a true business person would confront problem in a manner where all persons/customers are satisefied. You...I...fire G. whoever...we are all a dime a dozen...we may be gone tomorrow...but in fact will we...there will be a replacement for sure...names change, avatars change, etc etc...but someone like each one of us will come along. It's a cycle...a rotation...all we have to do is to go back to a couple of years ago and read the posts or threads with Xela...and where he was threatened numerous times with being banned. Even BCBUD was told to cool it. But you know what...they may no longer be here...but the same issues are. If you want to solve the problem...change the attitudes here be creating a better environment...hence policing ourselves. Are we not the modirators? For instance...when ever those stupid soliciting threads show up for Nokia cell phones or Nike's...what's the best way to rid them...simply post new info in the threads or post more threads to make it so they don't show up as a recent post in the forum. We all perpetuate the hostility here by adding more to it. And if WTR wants to strictly be a business to make money...then by all means do so...then why not charge the users to be here...do away with a free forum or site. Of course we all know what would happen if that became the case. So what is the trade off? Have a forum for members...and who are we...we are the members. WTR has a responsibilty to it's members and visa versa...so what is the root of the problem pertaining to Fire G...the fact that WTR did not protect her from people like you...and yet they have protected you from her. Not really fair. Of course too I am not trying to single you out for many of us are equally guilty...lord knows I have dished out some very extremeful and negative responses in my posts. What I am getting at is the fact that all of this comes with the territory of having a forum...and the blame for any of us members being allowed to behave here on this site lies solely on the moderators and site admin. Media shark has already admitted to this. So then we are left to defend ourselves from each other...low and behold we all act the way we do and fire g and vitals are the first to go...well sort of. But I will say this you, nikir, bcbud, myself or anyone else...ruskii...crabman, Gen P, yes and some others...none of us have the right to agree with the decisions of this site's admin for kicking someone off of here. We all deserve to be kicked off just as much as anyone else who participated in this forum. And I will say this...if this was my business...all of us would either be here or be gone. But too I would be smart enough to realize not to bite the hand that feeds me

nikir · Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:14 am Post subject:

Good move Dmitrii! Let's get this back on track.

vox16 · WayToRussified Joined: 01 Jun 2006 Posts: 324

vox16 · WayToRussified Joined: 01 Jun 2006 Posts: 324