In the San Antonio Forums over the last week a battle has been waged by CK1942 and members of the community to try to announce as well as talk about the Hallow Ween Party that they were having..
In the fallout a lot of threads started by a number of members were locked.
Nothing new has been going on that has not been going on for years......
I would like to see a discussion of just what the intent of the rule is because it has been used to close some threads not remotely intended by the owners In My Opinion.....
One was a thread started by a Provider that mentioned a party at a bar that she was going to and said others not doing anything should come by.
The rule is getting interpreted by some in such a fashion that mentioning you are going to a movie... to a coffee shop.... a concert......... etc.... could result in your thread being locked with a "Violation of Rule #30"
Some Mods are much faster on the trigger than others.....
Here is the Guideline.......
#30 - ECCIE does not, in any way, sponsor or represent social events, meet and greets, or similar activities. On occasion, events may be announced here by our members, however, ECCIE is not associated with or responsible for such events. We are not involved with any related aspects, such as guest selection, screening, or hosting. Should members of our volunteer staff choose to participate in such an event, it should be understood that their personal involvement is of their own choice and responsibility, and in no way connected to their duties here on staff. If you are the host of one of these events, we will allow for ONE "announcement" post to inform the membership, which will be immediately locked to prevent further public discussions regarding the event.
Here is MY interpretation and please weigh in.... Maybe the Owners Admins will as well because there is a crapload of threads that could be locked by the overzealous enforcement of the "rule"/guideline.....
#30 - ECCIE does not, in any way, sponsor or represent social events, meet and greets, or similar activities.
Pretty Simple here.... ECCIE as an entity does not want to be thought of as the Sponsor.... This is no different than if I post something to the school blog where by 5yo stepson goes to school... It is a pretty typical disclaimer.
On occasion, events may be announced here by our members, however, ECCIE is not associated with or responsible for such events.
Ok... They restate exactly what the first sentence is about... They go on to tell us as members that ECCIE is in no way responsible for anything that happens at these events....
We are not involved with any related aspects, such as guest selection, screening, or hosting.
Additional clarification that should you or I attend an event that the people around us at the event are there through some process that ECCIE was not a part of..... Don't think for a moment that the person you are talking to is safe simply because he is a member....
Should members of our volunteer staff choose to participate in such an event, it should be understood that their personal involvement is of their own choice and responsibility, and in no way connected to their duties here on staff.
I read this as a subtle warning to staff.... local Mods.... that it's OK to go but do not lend their name to the event or let it be implied anywhere that ECCIE as an entity is attending the event as a result of their presence....
If you are the host of one of these events, we will allow for ONE "announcement" post to inform the membership, which will be immediately locked to prevent further public discussions regarding the event.
Here is the meat of the rule/guideline....
Who does it apply to? THE HOST OF ONE OF THE EVENTS.......As a Host of an event here in Austin I am allowed to make a post announcing it and that post is then to be locked to prevent further public discussion of the event.....
There is NO guidance from the Owners/Admin TO the community as to whether anyone else that is NOT the Host of an event is allowed to talk about anything or not...
Should a Provider that is going to a party have her thread locked because she asks another lady what she is wearing TO the party? It's happening....
Is the Spirit of the Guideline to shut down parties?
I don't think so... I have met Admins as well as the owners of this board at mine and I know they have attended others.....
I think the Owners and Admins try to let the membership and the communities police themselves on this matter looking simply to distance the ECCIE name from the events themselves.....
The same way my church newsletter distances themselves from my garage sale when I buy an ad in their newsletter.
I think the rule is being taken to extremes by some with agendas........ I did that myself this last week as I watched Mokoa close thread after thread in the San Antonio Forums and saw the membership openly defy him with thread after new thread being opened......
It got to the point where a Provider mentioning a Toga Party at a San Antonio Bar had her thread locked...It was not remotely an event being promoted.. She was not the host and ther was no discussion of what was going on there..... Other threads having nothing to do with the party were locked when members asked each other of they were going..... How many Strip club forums have an announcement by a member that he is going to the club, does anyone want to join him.... or a discussion about some great promotion a club is running....
General conversation about an event is NOT necessarily promotion of the event.....
IMO opinion the intent is to prevent people from running events and promoting them non stop up to the day of the event creating a bit too much exposure and blurring the lines as to what is promoted by ECCIE vs what is promoted by us......
Maybe I am wrong......
But the same fervor that is being put into this issue can be easily applied to other guidelines........ especially in regards to what constitutes an ad.... and all those ads disguised as Sig lines that all the ladies use...... Reading through the guidelines here there are other areas where, taken to extremes..... a lot could change.....
Personally I think this whole mess is personal..... I think there is a group of people, upset, bitter, what not, that have an issue with CK and created an Agenda to pursue this and now others are caught up in the crossfire....
A lot can be done to create strife and turmoil on the board in the spirit of "Guidelines"....