FORUM RULES!!! (OLD THREAD FROM 2001)

[MadJack]

We have 3 simple rules that will have to be enforced. I'm sorry that people can't get along without it, but that's how it is.

1) NO BASHING, FLAMING, OR PERSONAL ATTACKS.

This applies to the handicapping forums. People that are nice enough to come here and share their plays, analysis, systems and tidbits of local information, don't deserve to be attacked or made fun of if they lose. If you bash, flame or attack another member, your post will be deleted. If you have 3 posts that are deleted, you will be banned from posting at madjacks.

If you have a beef with another member, take it to another site, take it up in email or use the chatroom. MY HOUSE WILL NOT BE TRASHED, PERIOD!!

2) OFF TOPIC POSTS WILL BE MOVED TO THE GENERAL FORUM

This isn't a big deal, but the in season sports forums get a lot of action and some good posts get buried on the 2nd and 3rd pages of those forum's. Posts like "yeah! I won", "hey joe, email me", "the sixer's suck", etc. will be moved to the general forum. Let's get the 'quailty' of posts back to where it was before.

3) NO ADVERTISING!

We have a 'no advertising' policy. I didn't spend thousands of dollars promoting this site so some schmo can come in and get free advertising. I spent the money, let them spend the money too. Sears doesn't promote Wal-mart and I don't promote my competitors. What's so hard to understand about that?

We have some paying advertisors that have the privilege of posting the link to their site and can promote themselves all they want. That's the ONLY exception.

Also, if you post your email address, it will be edited out. Some guys that posted their email address in the past wish they never did. You won't believe the crap that you start receiving. If you want someone's email address, email me and I'll see if I can get it for you.

There are 4 people that monitor this forum throughout the day. If you have a problem with any post that was edited or deleted, you can email me about it. I'll return your email no later than the next day, but usually within an hour or two.

thanks!

jack@madjacksports.com

 

[gsp]

Jack, you might consider posting this on all your forums so no one misses it.

 

[Nolan Dalla]

I am pleased to see MadJack take steps to establish ground rules for posting on this forum. I'm sure MadJack would have prefered for this forum to remain totally open to all points of view. I'm sure that he would have prefered to allow the forum to remain unedited and unmonitored. But after seeing the consequences, that seems a Utopian concept. The negatives far outweigh the positives, when we see the results of such "freedom of expression."

The need to monitor and edit posts arises from one thing -- the growth of this forum. I have been priviledged to be a part of MadJacks for only about 8 months now, but my exposure to new ideas and information here has been immesaureable. I'm sure I speak for others when I say that I find it terribly annoying to have to weed through dozens of useless comments to find useful caveats about games and lines. It's become analogous to digging for diamonds in a a coal mine. This problem has gotten worse in recent months, it seems. Again -- this is the result of the growth of this site, which has brought in a greater percentage of casual bettors and ego-driven lurkers intent on using this forum for their own entertainment purposes. I suspect there are even some rival sites and gambling professionals here who are intent on destroying what MadJack and his followers have built (more on the conspiracy theories another time).

I respect the "veterans" at MadJacks (For the record -- I am not in that club, yet). I respect the concept that MadJack and others envisioned when they were a tight-knit group of sports bettors who broke down every game with stats and thorough analysis that enabled the gambler to make up his/her mind about each game by using the information that was posted in the forum. These veterans have seen changes that we have not seen -- more posts, people coming and going, and a lot of chest-beating. There is still a great amount of material which is useful (look at IE's posts, for instance -- one of many great contributors). But the gems of wisdom have been diluted by a lot of personality clashes, rants, and useless, time-consuming information.

The analogy I see here is similar to what I saw happening to the poker newsgroup "RGP." When I first began monitoring that forum in 1994, I found a small group of brilliant minds sharing some of the best information that could be found abut the game. Anywhere. I mean, it was amazing. There were probably no more than about 500 people involved at that time. There were a few quacks, of course, but every post was readable and useful in some way. Now, if you go to the RGP forum, 9 out of 10 posts are totally useless. It's pretty much a waste of time. Sure, there are probably 20,000 -- 30,000 readers there now, but QUANTITY does not mean QUALITY. INevitably, that sort of dilusion will happen here as well.

I realize my attitude is an elitist one. I do not mean to imply that a newcomer does not have something to contribute here. In some ways, we all have something to contribute, even if it's a weather report, or something as simple as cutting and pasting an injury report.

However, this post is inteneded to reiterate Jack's guidelines and is a plea for common sense to prevail. We have a VERY GOOD thing going here, my freinds. I know that as this site grows and gets more of a following, there inevitably will be challenges ahead. I respectfully ask that the personal vendetas and nonsense be taken elsewhere. It does not belong here. If you disline someone, take it elsewhere. I encourage Jack to remove the rants, and take out the political threads, as well. That stuff has no business here. This site should be about sharing information and making money vis-a-vis sports betting. Any post that does not meet that objective should summarily be removed and dismissed.

-- Nolan Dalla

 

[redsfann]

Well said, Nollan. I have no idea what it takes to be considered a "veteran" of Jack's great site-- I can tell you I have been around long enough to have gone through several server and other changes-- going on 3 years now this summer...
And, yes, you are quite correct when you speak of the beginings of this great place-- there was just a handful of us exchanging information to beat the man as often as we could. While I think its great that Jack has built this place into what it is today-- I also miss the feeling of this place when it was smaller. I felt as I knew everyone personally-- even though I had never met anyone face to face-- and I counted these people as friends for the same reason. I don't get that from here anymore, and it is frustrating to wade through all the crap that is here at times to find what I am looking for.
That is main reason as to why I don't tend to post much anymore. I am all in favor of any editing, censoring or deleting of anything that is deemed to be not in the best interests of Madjack's. This is NOT a political forum, it is NOT a whining forum, nor is it a place to flame each other.
This place is meant to be a GAMBLING INFORMATION site-- period, end of story. And I am all for deleting anything that gets in the way of us accomplishing that idea that Jack and others had when they first set this place up.
Thanks for letting me rant, now please delete this.......

 

[MadJack]

All the rules do is help to show the new people how we all work together around here. The regs already know how things go and what we all expect.

Since there are SO MANY new people in the last few months, I'm just going to have to monitor the forums more closely and educate them on how things operate around here.

I have nothing against the new people at all. They just don't know how you guys like things and how we have been operating for the last few years.

The people that come with an agenda and those that come to disrupt the forums will be shown the door much more quickly than they have in the past.

So, nothing has really changed except my commitment to you guys to have a friendly place to share sports betting information with each other.

thanks!

 

[scrubbo]

AMEN JACK!!!!! This is not a quick fix gambling site. Its a learning center for wannabe and real handicappers. If your coming to this site to get yourself out of a gambling debt you might as well check into gamblers anonymous.

 

[djv]

Nolan, you I believe are correct. I have said a couple of times. There are those who just hate a nice free site such as this. Do I need to say anything else?

 

[Dudley Stew]

MadJack,

Those rules are a good start to promote unity and togetherness, and you should be commended for being such a good leader.

However, I have many other ideas as well. Some of which I have emailed you about. I can feel your mojo, but we need to kick it up another notch. Please get back to me as soon as possible regarding rearranging the entire site to better enable peace to rule.

As we saw during last nights ugly display, we have work to do.

We don't want the RATT song to be our forums philosophy - "round and round, what comes around goes around".

Dud, your bud.

 

[snoozing]

Good rules but there will have to be more in the future because growth is painful. I have been involved in taking 2 companies public and understand growing pains. Sent you an email readdressing my concerns about why I feel strongly about folks posting their records. I can accept the point that other may feel differently and I realized that, major efforts would be made to shut me up. Thanks for the site and hope to be a contibuting member here for a long time. Will try not to cause to much trouble in the future.

Thanks,
Bill

------------------
Its not about succeeding, its about handling success.

 

[Gatorbait]

Dudley Stew....I luv that song man. Just saw em' live actually. RATT N ROLL

sorry man, I had dewey, not Dudley

[This message has been edited by Gatorbait (edited 04-11-2001).]

 

[Dudley Stew]

Mr. Gatorbait,

I have to agree with you, RATT is one of the best bands of all time. I like to listen to them when I make love. The only problem is that sometimes it pumps me up so much that my partner ends up going through the headboard. That's not good for relations.


RATT AND ROLL!!

 

[fletcher]

DS thought you would listen to kitaro or medwyn goodall, great music to relax to.

 

[ferdville]

While I don't often agree with Redsfann, must give credit where due and I have to support him here. Well said. Keep up the great work, Jack.

 

[Dudley Stew]

Originally posted by fletcher:
DS thought you would listen to kitaro or medwyn goodall, great music to relax to.

Fletcher,

I'm not really that familiar with oriental music, but I will make sure to check it out.

Thanks!

Dud

 

[fletcher]

its new age music.

 

[hedgehog]

just thought I would post something from the last page and a reminder at that...

 

[vinnie]

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