Abusing of features

[Sugaree]

This was caused, yet again by one person who abused it, so we all used it. It happened with the diary announcements, and it also happened with the profile messages.

It's not fair on the majority of us who don't abuse it.

Those who abuse it should lose it, not all of us.

I was just reading this in the "Rep." thread from Heather. Andy brings up a great point.

I think we should take away any type of privilage that only single members abuse. If one person abuses the system then it gets taken away from all of us. I don't find that fair as everyone else is paying for one person(s) mistake.

I'm making a poll for this to see the majority who think this should happen. There must be some type of feature on vB that allows the staff to take away certain systems to just one single user(s).

[iJack]

I think they can. Actually, i know they can.

[Bobby]

No. The administration shouldn't have to get picky about this stuff. This is really silly.

[Oblivion]

Personally I believe in single punishment instead of group punishment because it seems more fair.

[Sugaree]

I don't think so. There were many members who were able to use the Visitor Message system that didn't do anything wrong. But, one member(s) goes ahead and abuses it and then we all lose it.

We shouldn't be paying for the mistakes of others.

[The Batman]

They aren't features they're privileges. You abuse them you lose them. It's sad that when one person messes up that the entire group has to suffer but still it's not like your entitled to it. They chose to give it to us and if you can't handle it they can choose to take it away. It's not even like they are suppose to give us these things, so just be glad with the things you do have and stop complaining about the stuff you don't.

[Maverick]

Not to be mean, but no member is entitled to anything we offer you. You aren't entitled a membership either. You are only allowed to have what we offer you and if that doesn't satisfy you there are either three choices - accept it, find another forum that suits your needs, or post a feedback suggestion thread about something this is a certain way and why it should be another certain way.

But you can't simply assume things. One member didn't abuse visitor messages but a lot of them did.

Please note that its always a last resort to remove something. We remove it when we see no reasonable alternative. So you can assume when something is removed, its been carefully thought out and approved by all senior staff members (6 people).

This is a teen help board. All we have to offer you at minimum is a place to seek help and you can guarantee that will always be available. Anything else is extra. But at the same time we do like to offer you new feature (such as blogging) so we always aren't out to remove things.

[shikachunin]

I think VT should only ban/temporarily remove one person from a certain feature(i.e. voting in polls, using the chatbox, etc.), because everyone else is being punished for something that we did NOT do! that seems pretty unfair to me!

[-Silence]

And life is unfair. Everything here is a privilege.
I really think people just need to deal.

[MoveAlong]

kay. so, 1,
I think we should take away any type of privilage that only single members abuse. If one person abuses the system then it gets taken away from all of us. I don't find that fair as everyone else is paying for one person(s) mistake.

This confuses me because you said that we should take away things and then you say that doing that isn't fair. I think you forgot a "not" in there or something because I don't understand what you're saying.

and 2, this doesn't happen all the time. Usually, many people abuse everybody's privilages, and that's why they get taken away. Such as the diary announcement thing. That guy with the anime diary wasn't the only one to use up tons of announcements. Uranus used two announcements; one for his rules, and one for his welcome. Other members with 500+ faces and lower have used the announcements to say nothing more than a few sentences or advertise sites. And lastly, a 1000+ member has often used announcements for another bad reason.

what else has been taken away? I can't think of anything else.

[Antares]

Oh stop the complaining.
People(s) do stuff that is not beneficial to the community. In all fairness the administration looks at these problems and changes them. The administration doesn't look at one certain person and says "Well such and such did this and we hate this person so were gonna take if from everyone". They think "This problem has started and it is not going to stop so we need to take this away."

They are not out to get you. They are here to help you and to run the forums so we can have a smooth community. These are privlidges from joining the community. You don't have a right to blame people because they "abused" it and now no one has it. It was a well thought decision. You should be thinking the people that you think "abused" these systems for making the administration aware of these flaws and issues.

[Maverick]

Also just a heads up to everyone we're also going to take away the feature of posting. Its been abused by many so it has to be taken away. ;) :P

[iJack]

Also just a heads up to everyone we're also going to take away the feature of posting. Its been abused by many so it has to be taken away. ;) :P
We can still talk in the social groups, oh, oops.:whoops:

[Antares]

Also just a heads up to everyone we're also going to take away the feature of posting. Its been abused by many so it has to be taken away. ;) :P

ZOMG! Thank god its about time :P
lol jk

[Falk 'Ace' Flyer]

Does it really matter that you can't see where the rep came from? If someone wanted you to know that badly, be it for thanks or whatever, they'd leave their name. As long as we can post new and reply to threads, I don't see what the problem is.

[Antares]

Does it really matter that you can't see where the rep came from? If someone wanted you to know that badly, be it for thanks or whatever, they'd leave their name. As long as we can post new and reply to threads, I don't see what the problem is.

The fact is that there IS no problem ;)

[MoveAlong]

Does it really matter that you can't see where the rep came from? If someone wanted you to know that badly, be it for thanks or whatever, they'd leave their name. As long as we can post new and reply to threads, I don't see what the problem is.

Well I can see how it would be nice to know who appreciates what you post, and its just err when you can get back at someone who subtracted rep from you. But I think people should be grateful that we get so much.

[The Batman]

Well I can see how it would be nice to know who appreciates what you post, and its just err when you can get back at someone who subtracted rep from you. But I think people should be grateful that we get so much.
That's the problem some people aren't grateful I think we should have a day where all of our privileges are taken which includes diaries, blogs, social groups, post faces, custom titles, and even editing our own posts. Do that and lets see who complains when you can't see who gave you rep.

[Serenity]

As wonderful an idea as that is, I'd rather we didn't have a full-out revolt :roll:

Everyone just needs to chill out. Like seriously, I promise you- scouts honor- that the staff works only to make this site the best it can be for all the members here. If everyone would just accept that fact and a) stop blowing up over every single change, b) stop assuming we're just a bunch of blithering idiots who don't put any real consideration into our decisions, I think we'll all be a loooot happier. Seriously. We never make decisions like this on a whim- there are always very reasonable explanations for what we do, none of which include some vendetta against individual members that are taken out on the general population.

[ssgliberty]

i dont think its fair unless at least 10-20 people disobey the rulz but its the admins choice

As wonderful an idea as that is, I'd rather we didn't have a full-out revolt :roll:

Everyone just needs to chill out. Like seriously, I promise you- scouts honor- that the staff works only to make this site the best it can be for all the members here. If everyone would just accept that fact and a) stop blowing up over every single change, b) stop assuming we're just a bunch of blithering idiots who don't put any real consideration into our decisions, I think we'll all be a loooot happier. Seriously. We never make decisions like this on a whim- there are always very reasonable explanations for what we do, none of which include some vendetta against individual members that are taken out on the general population.

i dont think your idiots i think its not fair but its not my decision now is it but i agree over every change we shouldent bragg

[theOperaGhost]

I think group punishment is the best, myself...that's how everything I've ever been in has worked...like sports...if you get detention, everyone runs for it..

[Mzor203]

On one level I think yes, single punishment may be better, as it's more fair, but another thing is that when you start to see problems, it usually is an indicator of things to come.

[stotty]

Also once something is gone, it's gone. You can look at the past and say that was a dissapointment to lose that privledge but don't stay for ages crying over spilt milk (saying). Look to the future and there should be new features coming. The admins are doing an awesome job...
PS: I think it is best for a whole group to be punished as it warns everyone that if something is abused it gets removed!!!

[Requin]

I have a headache from reading this topic. People's arguments have gone so back and forth it's confusing to know what they actually want.
To be quite honest, I think Valerie has got it spot on and no one should argue with that. She's right, this site is a privelage and if some people abuse it then it should be got rid off.
I agree aswell that only the people who did it should get banned from it. But one thing leads to another, more people would end up doing it and then, the people banned would end up in a revolt. I beleive this happened at one time in VT's history, and we don't want that to happen again.

The Staff members are staff members for a reason, there not power crazed idiots who like to boss people about for a living (well maybe some of them do, jk! :-)).
So whatever they do, i think you should follow them and agree with it. Otherwise it creates more hassle and ends up with posts like this and makes me write a fat essay on it, see what you've done now? Agree with the staff members, follow them on there decisions, and life is much easier.
*And breathe*

[theOperaGhost]

I think group punishment is the best, myself...that's how everything I've ever been in has worked...like sports...if you get detention, everyone runs for it..

Ok, I was tired last night when I posted this, so let me clarify my post.

I really believe in teamwork, and even though this really isn't a team, it kind of is. So, the way I see it, it's like in sports...one person gets detention and everyone has to run extra for it. That one person let down the team. Group punishment is effective for the most part, maybe not fair, but effective.

HOWEVER, I realize now that group punishment doesn't really work that well online. Some people would purposely abuse things to get them taken away from everyone. Because, even though the other members wouldn't like that person, it doesn't really matter. On a sports team, you don't get detention, because everyone will be pissed at you. You just don't do it.

I now realize that there is quite a difference in this topic when it comes to real life and online. Group punishment works in real life, not online.

[Underground_Network]

If it truly was something that ONE user did, and ONE user only, and no other users were even tempted to do what said user did, then single punishment would be a good idea. But, if we focus in on the case of 'abuse of the rep system' I can understand group punishment. I know multiple people who have abused the rep system by giving negative rep right back to someone that gave them negative rep. I've even done it at least once. Sometimes we get angry, and we do something that we can't take back no matter how much we regret it, and we get punished for it. Big deal, its not like you're paying for this site. VT owes you nothing. You don't 'deserve' everything you have on here, you're simply provided with it. If those who provide you with what you have decide to no longer prove you with something, tough luck.

[Serenity]

Seriously, you guys are blowing this ridiculously out of proportion.

Rep comments are anonymous.

The reputation system is still intact, you just can't see who left the comments. And that fact is currently under debate anyway. Everyone just chill out and stop turning this into the debate of the century. I mean really, there are PLENTY of other things that are much more deserving of this kind of attention.

[DarkWingedAngel]

i think it is not fair that everyone looses something because only afew people did the wrong thing but seriousley it is no big deal ya so what we lost one thing the admins might give it back over time or we might get new things
NO BIGGIE

[Falk 'Ace' Flyer]

Yeah, now I kinda wish I could see who rep'd me.

[Kiros]

Well, let's take a look at this... If you knew who gave you good reputation, wouldn't you like to look at some of their posts and give them good reputation for one of their posts? The same goes for bad reputation. Whether it's malicious or not, it would still be unconscious abuse of the reputation system.

[Antares]

Oh get over it.
People seriously.
The ability to see who gave you rep got taken away.
If you have a problem PM an admin and they will do their god-like duty! A few mins later you should be able to get it cleared or answered etc.
Thats pretty simple.
Obviously it is not exactly smart if people could see it because then we will have "Revenge Rep" and thats not nice.
Last, I don't think it would be smart if people with higher post counts be able to see them because post counts mean nothing. Just because you have 5,000 posts doesn't mean you have the maturity and VT knowledge to have these type of features.

[MoveAlong]

Well, let's take a look at this... If you knew who gave you good reputation, wouldn't you like to look at some of their posts and give them good reputation for one of their posts? The same goes for bad reputation. Whether it's malicious or not, it would still be unconscious abuse of the reputation system.
That's true.
Oh get over it.
People seriously.
The ability to see who gave you rep got taken away.
If you have a problem PM an admin and they will do their god-like duty! A few mins later you should be able to get it cleared or answered etc.
Thats pretty simple.
Obviously it is not exactly smart if people could see it because then we will have "Revenge Rep" and thats not nice.
Last, I don't think it would be smart if people with higher post counts be able to see them because post counts mean nothing. Just because you have 5,000 posts doesn't mean you have the maturity and VT knowledge to have these type of features.

That's also true. You guys should listen to ur anus!

...just had to

[Antares]

That's also true. You guys should listen to ur anus!

...just had to

LOL! I understand, sometimes it is hard for me to resist too :P

[Falk 'Ace' Flyer]

You guys do know I was being facetious, right?

[MoveAlong]

You guys do know I was being facetious, right?

If you really were, you did a bad job of it.

[Antares]

If you really were, you did a bad job of it.

I agree...:rolleyes:

[Oblivion]

If you really were, you did a bad job of it.
I agree...:rolleyes:

After looking it up and understanding its meaning, I must say I agree also :P

Also, I will say group punishment is affective, just not very fair.