Some ground rules

This message board has grown a fair amount in the last year and we’re happy about that, but there comes a time when we need to make it better.

It’s possible to debate basketball without hating everyone else. It’s possible to disagree without someone without attacking them personally and calling them an idiot. Things spiraled a bit out of control over the last couple days here and we need to check things.

Please just think before you post. Be courteous and reasonable and realize that sometimes its okay to agree to disagree. Don’t attack people personally, hurl insults, etc.

Just putting this out there now and if you think it’s a warning about you, then it probably is. Let’s clean it up around here and try to have some good discussion. The season is less than two months away.

a necessary move and one that’s already paying off

I think it’s unfair to G to talk about it after the fact. Most of us have been guilty of having negative overtures at some point, myself included. The guy brought a lot of valuable information to the board that I personally appreciated. Could he have approached things better, sure, but the same can be said for a good number of us. Wish him well, and think we should just drop it and focus on being more cordial to one another.

There is definitely room for public disagreement, but it doesn’t have to be in a rude manner, one way or the other.

You’ve come a long way, MattD, and I for one appreciate it.

Holy crap guestavo got banned? What was the last straw? In relation to this thread, I think we’re a little irritated about football, I know I am, and that’s gotten my mood sour recently. I think the conduct will improve as basketball season nears.

Don’t really care much about disagreements, just think it’s in the best interest for all of us to play nice at this point, myself included. I’d like to think we’re all in this together (G as well) despite our philosophical differences

Good call, MattD, no need to open that up. I think most of us who have read most of your posts know what you think is the real problem. You’d probably get a lot of disagreements, probably including me.

Speaking on behalf of myself, I do not insult anyone. The term “disparaging” is very subjective by nature. While I do think I am relatively knowledgable about basketball in general, I have never claimed to be superior to anyone in that regard. I keep my debates, critiques and disagreements restricted to basketball and refrain from personal attacks. Im not going to get into what my perception of what the “true problem” is because it wil just open up a can that is better left closed, but as you mentioned tolerance is the key…

Let’s face it…the personally disparaging comments come overwhelmingly from a few posters, and everyone knows who they are. The ones who think that their basketball knowledge is vastly superior to that of all other humans, and who cannot tolerate disagreement or dissent from their Wisdom. Address the problem at its source, and the board will improve noticeably. Don’t let certain posters trade a lot of input for the right to insult people freely.

Agree with most of the opinions being expressed. I love U of M basketball and hoops and some of the info posted through the board but it’s gotten to the point of having to sift through so much negative comments and name calling to get to it. A lack of commentary on my part has been largely due to your not allowed to question or disagree with certain posters on here without the thread becoming a never ending circle of comments that make it sound like children arguing. All that does it make it harder to get to the real information.

How were we alerted to who was banned and what for? Who will we not be seeing and for how long?

Completely agree Geoff, and while I certainly appreciated all of the content he provided for the board (and I’m sure this was a factor Dylan had to weigh heavily before banning him), he was just becoming a detriment to the site. I didn’t necessarily disagree with his opinions, but it became obvious that he was just looking for someone to argue with. Civility is important.

Can the offending posts be deleted rather than an entire thread. I have not resorted to name calling, but maybe I've said something else that you find objectionable. When the entire thread is deep sixed, it's hard to know.
Generally this is what we try to do, but I went to lunch and that whole thread blew up. Wasn't even worth digging through.

@guestavo brought a lot of information to the board (tweets, article links, etc). And obviously some STRONG opinions. It definitely seemed like he’s just been trolling lately - no matter what anyone wrote, he not only replied but disagreed

Well said Dylan, hopefully we can all get back to just talking hoops again. I don’t post all that much, but I decided several weeks ago that I would refrain from posting much until a certain action was taken. I really enjoy the blog and the forum but I don’t have it in me to exchange ideas with a poster that is just there to belittle others and boast and brag about their perceived level of knowledge. I am far from the only one that felt that way about the banned poster. I sincerely believe the decorum you are calling for will be easier to achieve and sustain if the action you took today remains permanent. Just a suggestion, take it for what it’s worth. Again, great work on the site…looking forward to good discussions going forward.

I admittedly haven’t always done the best job moderating things around here, will try to do a better job as the season gets closer.

Can the offending posts be deleted rather than an entire thread. I have not resorted to name calling, but maybe I’ve said something else that you find objectionable. When the entire thread is deep sixed, it’s hard to know.

Love this site, but it’s been tough to stay involved when you continually have to read personally disparaging remarks that are demeaning and uncalled for. No matter what your level of BB knowledge, does “your” opinion need to be constantly challenged and ridiculed? Stuff like “illiterate jackas”, “stupid idiot”, and “you have no reading comprehension” are turning off a good bunch of fans of M basketball that frequent this site.