The Rules: Official Discussion & Debate

what are you going to ask?

''do you agree that the forum should be squeaky clean, with no discussion of questionable or overtly adult topics.''

i don't think that would lead to an objective poll

Would a poll matter though, if JR just wanna do his thing?

How about:

"should this place be more democratic?"

Options:

1. Power to the people!

2. Rejoice in the power of the mighty Joyrex!

no, but it would just be interesting to find out how many members agree with his thing is all. as i said, currently the only content this site has is members. and downloads of live sets, if they are still up.

the downloads are maybe the best thing about this site, now or at any time. huge thanks for hosting those as i listen to lots of live sets all the time.

you can't address the problem with a poll unless you can at least come up with a neutral question.

  On 5/9/2013 at 9:19 PM, eugene said:

i think we should create an international union of disappointed watmmers and threaten to collectively move to theo's forum unless the rules are relaxed, Lain C could organize this i bet.

It's been attempted, but unless you have people willing to maintain some semblance of order, it will fall apart - despite your not agreeing with the way I've run things here, I think the fact this forum has been going for 14+ years is a testament to that, whether you want to accept it or not. Plus, most of you have no idea how much work is involved in keeping a forum running, let alone a full site - one of the many reasons I haven't gotten a full site up and running all this time.

  On 5/9/2013 at 11:55 PM, messiaen said:

I stay because i dont know where else to chat shit to people, but watmm used to be hilarious and enjoyable, and is now an enormous amount worse. the members change etc, but if you want to try something interesting joyrex, why not just do a simple poll and find out how many of your members (which is the only content this site has) agree with it. cos i think almost everyone that makes this place what it is will disagree with not being able to joke about stupid shit.

 

 

im not even saying unban NSFW imagery, its fine that the pictures need to be cleanish, but censoring actual discussion? its just shit as fuck.

I'm a bit torn over this - yes, I feel I have been too heavy-handed on certain things, but please understand it's because too many times in the past, it's led to a marginalization of the rules, and then we're back to NSFW-land, with everything. I've rethought my position on this, and plan on taking a lighter approach to the removal of potentially volatile things, and see where (if anywhere) they go - if they don't get out of hand, then I have no issue with them.

  On 5/10/2013 at 1:14 AM, Adjective said:

JR you have a way of saying things that makes it seem as though you see yourself as above the community that's gathered here, rather than a part of it.

 

I mostly come here for the musicians and visual artists that share here, and I worry when some of the most interesting members of that scene get lost to the rules.

Oh, please - I don't see myself as above any of you - I've always been one of you, sharing the same interests, music, etc. - just because I want things to be a bit more mature here so we're not viewed as a laughing stock and my role as "captain of the ship" as it were doesn't make me superior to any of you. I think a part of it too is my age - I'll be 40 this year, and I have a different perspective and outlook on things than many of you who are significantly younger than I am - that's not a slight against youth, but there are differences in how some of us view and approach things.

  On 5/10/2013 at 1:20 AM, gmanyo said:

JR how many featured artists have you banned

LOL, I'm sure I've banned Richard on more than one occasion.

  On 5/10/2013 at 1:47 AM, luke viia said:

 

  On 5/10/2013 at 12:31 AM, Joyrex said:

 

I changed your avatar for that very reason - there's no reason to "protest" the banning of a member as all it does is incite others to act out, frankly creating more headaches for me.

 

 

Your headaches are coming from the fact that you banned a member no one wanted to see banned over a rule that no one thinks should be enforced. Banning avatars related to that isn't going to squash anyone's dissent, it's just going to give you more headaches.

 

Again, Fred was not banned because of the thread - I banned him as through our private discussion it became apparent he wasn't willing to abide by the rules, and rather than have a long drawn out battle where he defiantly behaves and creates problems on the forum, I decided it was better to ban him and avoid that, for both our sakes - I had hoped his return was genuine, but he still strongly disagrees with my views, and that was why he left to begin with - he really should have stayed away and not come back if his views hadn't changed.

  On 5/10/2013 at 8:12 AM, goDel said:

So, this looks indeed like a pissing against the wind contest.

 

Sorry jr, but i'm a bit disappointed with your answers. Only things i've learned in the last pages is watmm gives you headaches and people questioning your ambitions are narrow-minded. The irony is, the rules have become narrow-minded. And luke was on the money in the headaches department.

 

It has become a squirrel hanging by the nut sack situation where the only outs are to keep hanging (giving you headaches, and just as important, gives people painful balls), or to build a new community. With all its uncertainties, this is beginning to look better and better, btw. It's better to create something new than to keep on pissing against the wind (if that nut sack ever got loose anyways).

 

Back to the drawing board. People interested in drawing boards and untying their nut sacks should PM me.

I'm sorry you see this as futile - I had hoped by keeping this as a place of sanctioned discussion, we could hash things out and come to a resolution everyone (as much as possible) are happy with. I still think it's possible.

So, as a further olive branch to the community, I am going to moderate my approach to things - I'm no longer going to 'nip things in the bud' as I did before, and let things develop, and see where they go and if they become an issue, and if they do, try and weed out the people causing the problem (like in the case of a borderline thread like Fred's gone horribly wrong). Overt sexual discussion is still against the rules, however - it's no different than posting a NSFW image if you have a thread with a title not suitable for public viewing. I am trusting that everyone does not abuse my offer or take advantage of it to ruin it for everyone else as some personal vendetta towards me.

I do care about this community - I wouldn't bother running this site for so long and pouring in all the time, effort, and money if I didn't - and I do feel bad when someone's banned, unless they invalidated their privilege to be a part of the community through their behaviour. I just want everyone to get along, have a good time, and share in each other's diversity and interests. That's what has made WATMM a great place to be (and why people still are here, for years and years), and will continue to be.

And regarding a poll - as mentioned, unless you can take a neutral approach towards the question, it won't be a fair representation of what people think here, as only those with a "horse in the race" would bother voting - everyone who thinks NSFW content should be allowed would of course vote towards that, and I would reckon the vast majority of people who wouldn't care either way and are comfortable with the rules as they are wouldn't bother voting, and only those who do not want any NSFW content would bother voting the other way.

''LOL, I'm sure I've banned Richard on more than one occasion.''

i was speaking about this to him the other weekend lol, he guess he browses on occasion because the first thing he asked when i said i was on watmm was what my username was, and gave off an air of amusement about the whole site. i tried to wheedle his username out of him but he was having none of it.

  On 5/10/2013 at 5:05 PM, messiaen said:

''LOL, I'm sure I've banned Richard on more than one occasion.''

 

 

 

i was speaking about this to him the other weekend lol, he guess he browses on occasion because the first thing he asked when i said i was on watmm was what my username was, and gave off an air of amusement about the whole site. i tried to wheedle his username out of him but he was having none of it.

Sean's is hilarious.

yeah, "Alcofribas" lol

jorex is aphex twin

  On 5/10/2013 at 6:19 PM, Alcofribas said:

yeah, "Alcofribas" lol

Is it Gaylord Sweetwood or whatever?

that name and avatar combo... holy..

that name is inappropriate and that user should be permabanned.

  On 5/10/2013 at 7:37 PM, autopilot said:

that name is inappropriate and that user should be permabanned.

You know, your attitude doesn't engender me to being more receptive to input... leading flies to honey, etc.

I am actually impressed overall with the way this thread turned out.

Same here. =)

lush

Sick!

Radical brah

I don't get why warning points are never removed. Its not like someone has been killed or so. Its a really negative way of seeing things. When you behave bad you receive warnings but when you do good / trying to improve the forum you receive nothing so why trying to improve things when nothing comes back?

Joyrex you like to call yourself papa but do you only educate your children by punishment? I think its the wrong way to go. People also need positive achievements besides their post count

  On 5/10/2013 at 7:44 PM, Joyrex said:

 

  On 5/10/2013 at 7:37 PM, autopilot said:

that name is inappropriate and that user should be permabanned.

You know, your attitude doesn't engender me to being more receptive to input... leading flies to honey, etc.

 

You show me flies that land on honey, and I can show you why poop threads are a necessary part of the circle of life.

How about an actual age-approved NSFW subforum called "The WATMM Ghetto", still with guidelines obviously - but more leeway.