We are going to be much more aggressive in policing the tone of the conversation. And we'll be much less forgiving about imposing bans for stepping over the line. Personal insults will no longer be tolerated -- we will delete any post which contains an insult, or which is insulting, regardless if it's toward a specific other user or an unspecified set of users. Calling User X a "jerk" will get your post deleted. Calling anyone who enjoyed Film Y an "idiot" will get your post deleted.
And our new moderation policy will not be limited to simply insulting words. Any post which means to derail a conversation will also be moderated. If you contribute to a thread, for example, only to say how stupid you think that thread is, your post will get deleted.
- First Infraction - Warning
Second Infraction - One Week Ban
Third Infraction - One Month Ban
Fourth Infraction - Permanent Ban
Spam - Immediate, Permanent Ban
Egregious Infraction - Immediate, Permanent Ban
Basically, we're going to be moderating anything that we feel is in bad faith. If you disagree with someone, do so respectfully. That's all there is to it. The "line" of civil conduct is probably impossible to clearly define, but that doesn't mean we won't know when it's been crossed. Notifications will be sent from a noreply address, and we won't consider appeals. If you're not sure whether something you're about to post will run afoul of our policies, then don't post it. Or better yet, find a way to post it in a respectful manner.
As before, posts which are deemed racist, homophobic, misogynist or similarly offensive will be deleted. We are going to be more strict about this, too.
For the great majority of you, those who simply want to engage your fellow film freaks in conversation, nothing will change. Or perhaps, everything will. We're hoping that by moderating more forcefully, Criticker's forums will once again become a fun place to exchange ideas, and hear differing opinions.