Most of you can prob guess I am new by how many posts I have. What is this ratings thing we all have under our names?

Basically, the ratings are a way let the membership police itself. Since there's only one moderator here (Cliff Pennock, who is the board owner), there's no way he can keep up with all of the problems that may crop up on a board as active as this one. So each member can rate people, either positive, negative, or neutral. Not rating someone is the same as neutral. If you acquire a certain percentage of negative votes, your ratings bar will begin to turn red, then with more negs it will flash, and if you keep acquiring negs you'll be banned. The idea is "behave yourself, or you'll be voted off".

Best bet is to not worry about the ratings bar. It doesn't show until you get 50 ratings (neg or positive), and as long as you're more or less polite in your postings, you'll be fine. And try to stay out of the pissing matches and ongoing feuds, of which there are more than a few.

I don't agree with the ratings system in lieu of added moderators given the size and activity on this board. But that's the system that Cliff put in place, and it is obviously his decision what he does with his board. The rating system works to an extent, so it's not all bad.

edit: almost forgot, welcome to the board!

[This message has been edited by GT86 (edited 11-17-2007).]

never seen this on any other board. weird. I guess dont' disagree with people then as soon as you join, or you can be banned by those same members?

quote Originally posted by N2weeks: never seen this on any other board. weird. I guess dont' disagree with people then as soon as you join, or you can be banned by those same members?

Well, there are sacred cows on this board, just like any other. But you need a pretty high percentage of negs to get banned, I wouldn't worry about it. Most people here don't bother rating anyone unless you post something that's really over the top. And each member only has one vote, so you really would have to piss a lot of people off.

Word of warning, stay out of the Off Topic section, or at least just lurk there until you get the feel for it. There are a few members who feel it is their job to police that forum, and will try to drive you off if they decide you don't fit their view of who belongs here. Sounds silly, I know, but the Off Topic section historically is where most of the conflicts start. I'm not going to name names, you'll be able to tell pretty quickly who the self-appointed police are.

[This message has been edited by GT86 (edited 11-18-2007).]

So is the "N2weeks" your bet on how long it takes you to get banned?

There's been tons of discussion on the rating system - both for and against. The one thing carved in stone is, the system will not go away. Cliff has said that repeatedly.

Has anyone noticed that like 95% of the new members who profess that they are new here & also question the ratings system in their early posts turn out to be previously banned members?

Archie

go check out the stock fiero vs stock civic thread LOL. N2weeks is more than likely a previously banned member


p.s. h22's suck LOL

------------------
ARCHIES JUNK IS FASTER THAN SHAUNNA'S JUNK

[This message has been edited by FIEROPHREK (edited 11-18-2007).]

Thanks for everyones replies

I don't know who the new guy is nor do I care. Before everyone starts on the "previously banned member" bandwagon I have given him a positive rating to help him along. I hope others do too. As long as he isn't misbehaving there is no need to start negging him because of unfounded suspicions.

quote Originally posted by avengador1: I don't know who the new guy is nor do I care. Before everyone starts on the "previously banned member" bandwagon I have given him a positive rating to help him along. I hope others do too. As long as he isn't misbehaving there is no need to start negging him because of unfounded suspicions.

Go read the Honda thread before you rate him.
So which one of your RFT buddies is he?

looks like someone started talking crap, then found out about the rating system and is now trying to make nicey nice.

quote Originally posted by FIEROPHREK: p.s. h22's suck LOL

A word of warning....

I'd have all green if I didn't express my political views in the OT section

No one has any concrete proof that he is from RFT. He is a newbie as far as I am concerned and I don't give a crap if he is from RFT or Mars as long as he behaves. How about a link to this Honda thread you mention? Not all of us have time to waste reading all the new threads that are posted. If he is an RFT member that snuck back in, Cliff will know and ban him right away. I suspect this isn't the case.
There are too many people here who are ban happy and don't give new people a chance. It's too bad you guys can be so paranoid at times. Neg me if you want for my opinion, it won't mean a thing or put a dent in my ratings. You all know what I say is the truth about the way new members get treated if they stick their necks out or are a little controversial. You also know that they will get banned eventually if they really are a nuisance. I'm just saying that it isn't time to light the torches and to grab the pitchforks yet. Some people here are just to anxious to do this.

[This message has been edited by avengador1 (edited 11-18-2007).]

https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum1/HTML/068199.html

i smell douche
and its not comming from me

[This message has been edited by $Rich$ (edited 11-18-2007).]

PWN3D

Pwned! He got banned eh? Well, when you come to a fiero forum, and bash fieros, and also argue a honda civic vs a fiero, well, time to say goodnight and goodbye cause you would have a bunch of gun wielding fiero lovers after you for pissin us off! Glad he got banned, hard to argue power curves and torque ratings vs honda ricer idiots

All I asked is if anyone had noticed that most new members who profess that they are new here & complain about the ratings system turn out to be previously banned members.

Archie

Can't cliff check IP adresses? I know people can change or have replicating ones or ones that change every minute but its possible to catch a few.

quote Originally posted by avengador1: If he is an RFT member that snuck back in, Cliff will know and ban him right away. I suspect this isn't the case. There are too many people here who are ban happy and don't give new people a chance.

I'm sorry, but that's certifiable BS. There are between 100-300 new sign ups every month. And this guy is the first in a few thousand members that gets banned by the rating system. That kinda tells me how "ban happy" the "people here" really are.

quote It's too bad you guys can be so paranoid at times. Neg me if you want for my opinion, it won't mean a thing or put a dent in my ratings. You all know what I say is the truth about the way new members get treated if they stick their necks out or are a little controversial.

Apparently members here have the uncanny ability to "spot the troll". When I woke up this morning, I got a message somebody was speed-banned and as I always do, I go check out the person who was. Let me just say you don't have to worry some innocent bystander was banned here. Nobody jumped the bandwagon, nobody has been paranoid. And to not give this person any more satisfaction, I'll close the thread.

But, kudos to all for catching something/body the (registration) software didn't.