WCN Rules and Policies: A Reminder

[Will Lavender]

Hello all,

It has been discussed on the mod forum a few times over the last month that we may need to remind members of our forum policies. Those policies are the same as we had on the old WCN, and in fact they go all the way back to the original WCF. Many of you have been around through the changes on the various boards but our mission remains the same: Comment as if you were actually standing in front of these players and coaches.

Also, if you want to criticize, then please do so within the realm of good taste. Fly-bys and bashing are against board rules. We allow some harshness toward coaches, but when it comes to the players we cannot let that stand. If you get into this thing where you're performing verbal takedowns of players, then you will be edited. That goes against everything we stand for at WCN and it simply doesn't foster good discussion.

If you have any questions or concerns, please PM one of the admins or mods. This board is so small at this point that we should be able to openly discuss these issues. If you have anything you'd like us to do to make the board better, please let us know that, too. Even though we've shrunk over the years, this board means a lot to the people who use it and moderate it every day. We still have a very good core of posters and I would hate to lose any one of you over a misunderstanding.

Thank you for being a part of WCN and Go Cats,

Will

[GOCAT15]

Good reminder, too many people don't realize these are just kids and its ridiculous how harsh people can be.

[Wonderstruck]

Thank you for this. I've been visiting less and less because of the player bashing. There's just no room for it here, IMO.

Again, thank you mods.

[JFCats22]

Hello all,

It has been discussed on the mod forum a few times over the last month that we may need to remind members of our forum policies. Those policies are the same as we had on the old WCN, and in fact they go all the way back to the original WCF. Many of you have been around through the changes on the various boards but our mission remains the same: Comment as if you were actually standing in front of these players and coaches.

Also, if you want to criticize, then please do so within the realm of good taste. Fly-bys and bashing are against board rules. We allow some harshness toward coaches, but when it comes to the players we cannot let that stand. If you get into this thing where you're performing verbal takedowns of players, then you will be edited. That goes against everything we stand for at WCN and it simply doesn't foster good discussion.

If you have any questions or concerns, please PM one of the admins or mods. This board is so small at this point that we should be able to openly discuss these issues. If you have anything you'd like us to do to make the board better, please let us know that, too. Even though we've shrunk over the years, this board means a lot to the people who use it and moderate it every day. We still have a very good core of posters and I would hate to lose any one of you over a misunderstanding.

Thank you for being a part of WCN and Go Cats,

Will

I get it, to a point. I know I can be harsh and critical. But for posts to get moderated over words like "dumb" "sucks" "stupid" etc...is quite petty.

Also, just going to say, this is the exact reason so many have left. I still communicate with a lot of the old posters on Facebook and via email and they all say the moderation just got too silly. This place used to be the best out there...it's gone downhill in a big way with all the people who have left.

I've been part of this going back 15 years to the old WCF, it's sad watching it dwindle to just about nothing now.

[Will Lavender]

I get it, to a point. I know I can be harsh and critical. But for posts to get moderated over words like "dumb" "sucks" "stupid" etc...is quite petty.

Also, just going to say, this is the exact reason so many have left. I still communicate with a lot of the old posters on Facebook and via email and they all say the moderation just got too silly. This place used to be the best out there...it's gone downhill in a big way with all the people who have left.

I've been part of this going back 15 years to the old WCF, it's sad watching it dwindle to just about nothing now.

Well, the downhill slide on WCN started years and years ago and happened for various reasons. We've been talking about dwindling membership for literally years, going back into the Tubby era. So I would disagree with you that an over-moderation is a reason for the decline. There are many reasons, probably, but I don't think the mods here are that heavy-handed.

Nor do we really touch much of anything. We all see what's moderated as it goes through; since ISIS hacked us I can think of maybe a handful of posts that have been touched total since that time. No reason to. Most of the time we run pretty smoothly.

But there's a difference between our mission and what the people at Rivals do. Even when WCN had a lot more members there was a difference. It's a matter of what your membership wants, and I think the members want a clean, family-oriented board. To do that you have to at least moderate a little.

The bigger boards are hardly moderated at all. Just two weeks ago I saw a discussion on the other board that ended with two members threatening to meet each other out in a parking lot. That can be "entertaining" in a sad sort of way, but it's not what we want at WCN.

And that's an extreme example, but it can be a slippery slope. You have to moderate a little or things could slide. We just can't put up with players being thrown under the bus*. That's not how Mel did things and that's not right on a mostly anonymous message board.

* However, we can criticize players for their performance. But there's a line. I think most of us knows when that line's been crossed.

[JFCats22]

Well, the downhill slide on WCN started years and years ago and happened for various reasons. We've been talking about dwindling membership for literally years, going back into the Tubby era. So I would disagree with you that an over-moderation is a reason for the decline. There are many reasons, probably, but I don't think the mods here are that heavy-handed.

Nor do we really touch much of anything. We all see what's moderated as it goes through; since ISIS hacked us I can think of maybe a handful of posts that have been touched total since that time. No reason to. Most of the time we run pretty smoothly.

But there's a difference between our mission and what the people at Rivals do. Even when WCN had a lot more members there was a difference. It's a matter of what your membership wants, and I think the members want a clean, family-oriented board. To do that you have to at least moderate a little.

The bigger boards are hardly moderated at all. Just two weeks ago I saw a discussion on the other board that ended with two members threatening to meet each other out in a parking lot. That can be "entertaining" in a sad sort of way, but it's not what we want at WCN.

And that's an extreme example, but it can be a slippery slope. You have to moderate a little or things could slide. We just can't put up with players being thrown under the bus*. That's not how Mel did things and that's not right on a mostly anonymous message board.

* However, we can criticize players for their performance. But there's a line. I think most of us knows when that line's been crossed.

Oh, I agree it's not like Rivals nor should it be. That place is a nightmare...almost ruins the legitimate/good posters that they do have

[Downes Van Zandt]

I get it, to a point. I know I can be harsh and critical. But for posts to get moderated over words like "dumb" "sucks" "stupid" etc...is quite petty.

Also, just going to say, this is the exact reason so many have left. I still communicate with a lot of the old posters on Facebook and via email and they all say the moderation just got too silly. This place used to be the best out there...it's gone downhill in a big way with all the people who have left.

I've been part of this going back 15 years to the old WCF, it's sad watching it dwindle to just about nothing now.

If you're still in touch with a lot of old members, see if you can get some of them to come back around. We love the members we have, but it'd be great to see the community grow.

[TrueblueCATfan]

there were a lot of good people from the old WCF...sure wish some of them would come back

[samsdad]

I'd especially like for Blue Heretic and Rainman to come back.

[justford]

What was the ladies name that used to post on here and used
all the time in her post?

[Will Lavender]

What was the ladies name that used to post on here and used
all the time in her post?

Poodoo. I believe she's been asked to come back many times.

[justford]

Yes that was her name. Thanks

[teamchemistry15]

And just why was the OP edited, Mr. Lavender?????

I have been a member for ten years. I have obviously noticed the decrease in members, especially after getting hacked by ISIS, but it is still the one website I get on every single day. Multiple times per day at that. I have never had any issues with the mods here and have always thought you have done a wonderful job keeping away the nonsense. I don't come here to argue, slam my keyboard, get upset, or to be degraded. I come here for good conversation about anything and everything, not just UK. That is exactly what I get here. I know from time to time we get on each other's nerves and let our emotions get the best of us. We are all human. But if someone allows our mods to run them off because they can't use their favorite four letter word or belittle student athletes they have never met I say let them go because those kind of replies bring nothing productive to the table.

I remember the day Patrick Patterson committed and how until the 2012 championship that was the most members there were on the board at one time. We certainly have had a decline in the involvement and I have no idea why. There are rarely issues that aren't immediately solved. This is a good place for information and conversation not only about our Wildcats, but current events, politics, movies, etc. Thank you to the mods and admins for keeping this site at a premium level.

[Will Lavender]

I hate ISIS mostly because they're murdering tyrants, but I have to admit that I have a little more hate for them because of what they did to Wildcatnation.

For the longest time I thought it couldn't have really been ISIS. Probably a weird copycat or something. But it probably was. I mean they even got Montgomery Inn in Cincinnati, those monsters.

[Westtncat]

I don't believe it was ISIS. I mean I don't KNOW that but seems like its not their style.

I have been a moderator for other sites, have turned down the opportunity to be a mod many times since then. I am a terrible mod because I really don't care. I am a member of another board (not UK related) where there are a few basic rules about cursing, racist remarks etc but basically whatever you say will stand without edit. Its actually not as bad as you might think. Like I said there are basic rules so total control isn't lost but minor things are left to stand. A member can delete their own post but mods generally do not. This is great when someone acts like an idiot and you can just leave it there for the world to see.

That being said I don't think that would work here because our post are always person related not really that much topic related. When you talk about other people you probably need to watch it a little closer. I think the mods do a good job here. I had a thread deleted the other day, I basically just shrug my shoulders and move on. Nothing here is that big of a deal.