Just trying to understand some things

[pancakeman157]

I'm a long-time lurker here and I read through the user agreement and the rules this morning and I have a few questions.

When you sass, backtalk or otherwise give them hell, you make an already difficult job even less enjoyable. So, instead of that, we're going to remove you from the site. If you can't be polite, leave.

I'm glad this isn't true of the police. This also comes down to an issue of intent. Because this is a primarily text-based format, you can't imply what the other party says beyond the text. How easy would it be for the mods to misunderstand my words as sass or backtalking? They should be held to a higher standard of tolerance if that's the case.

Making negative comments about the item or the price
Pointing out where the knife can be had for less

Last I understood, a For Sale forum was capitalistic. If you can find a better deal, you're a fool to not go with that. And if there is a better deal, as a seller you should be aware of that and sell at the same price or lower. Why do you think Walmart is still in business? Always low prices always.

if you've been warned in the past not to do something, chances are if you do it again you'll receive an infraction or be banned.

So by making the same mistake twice I could be banned? A bit harsh, IMO.

SECTION 2 - Rules for Selling / Trading / Offering Services:
Use common sense - Be 100% sure you are ready to go before you do anything. This means:

Sellers - Be 100% sure that you want to sell the item and are satisfied with the selling price
Provide an honest and detailed description.
Provide as many photos as possible, in the best lighting possible.
When in doubt, be pessimistic with your descriptions.
Be specific with all details of payment and delivery. Ship promptly, ship with insurance unless the buyer specifies otherwise.
Do not sell defective products, or attempt to hide defects
If you have a gold or higher membership you may list currently active threads in your signature. Keep it simple & clean - no giant billboards please.

As best I can tell, this doesn't always happen. Is there simply no punishment and thus not moderated? Or do you let the market determine if it will sell if they don't post pictures or descriptions?

 

[powernoodle]

I'm glad this isn't true of the police.

Out in the real world, you have constitutional rights. When you are using someone else's server - for free - Thomas Jefferson doesn't care about your rights. The guy paying for the server gets to make the rules.

You are right that sometimes its hard to tell someone's intent from mere typed words on a screen. You just have to take that into account when posting, and maybe throw in a smiley at the right time.

as a seller you should be aware of that

Send them an email or PM. I've done that a few times, to let a seller know that a big online vendor is selling the same knife for less. But the rule is just there to prevent someone from cr@pping in someone else's sales thread. Sellers and buyers can decide for themselves whether to consummate an exchange without having a third party butting in an saying "its not worth that much".

<< smiley face

 

[yablanowitz]

1) The police deal with the public in an open environment. This is Spark's living room. His house, his rules. The mods are tolerant, but they are experienced enough to know backtalk and sass when they read it.

2) Knowing where you can buy a given item for less does not give you the right to advertise it here. Neither does it grant you the right to crap in someone else's sales thread.

3) Once you've been warned, doing the same thing again isn't a mistake.

4) There aren't any exchange cops if that's what you are asking. Every sale is a deal between the people involved. You've been here long enough to know how picky those people are. That's why I don't sell knives, what I consider good isn't the same as what others consider good.

 

[Morrow]

I'm a long-time lurker here and I read through the user agreement and the rules this morning and I have a few questions.

I'm glad this isn't true of the police. This also comes down to an issue of intent. Because this is a primarily text-based format, you can't imply what the other party says beyond the text. How easy would it be for the mods to misunderstand my words as sass or backtalking? They should be held to a higher standard of tolerance if that's the case.

If someone receives an infraction for "mod sass," they worked pretty hard to get it. You don't see what goes on behind the scenes when the mods deal with issues. The mods here are extremely tolerant.

Last I understood, a For Sale forum was capitalistic. If you can find a better deal, you're a fool to not go with that. And if there is a better deal, as a seller you should be aware of that and sell at the same price or lower. Why do you think Walmart is still in business? Always low prices always.

You should buy what you like and for whatever price you find acceptable. What isn't acceptable is when someone takes it upon themselves to give their opinion about the seller's asking price. If you think the price is too high, move along. It is nobody's business as to why the seller decided on the price. If it is too high, it's likely to remain unsold. The seller can always lower the price later.

So by making the same mistake twice I could be banned? A bit harsh, IMO.

Unlikely but possible depending on the infraction type. If you first received a warning for chatting in sales thread, then received an infraction for a second offense you would have 10 points that expire in 12 months. It takes an accumulation of 50 active points to get banned. Now there are certain infractions that will get you banned right away like major spamming or major trolling but I don't think this is the activity you were referring to.

As best I can tell, this doesn't always happen. Is there simply no punishment and thus not moderated? Or do you let the market determine if it will sell if they don't post pictures or descriptions?

We don't have enough mods to review every post that is made here. It is simply an impossible task. We depend on reported posts in most cases. If you see rule violations, we would appreciate you using the report button so a mod can take care of the issue.

My responses are in blue.

 

[pancakeman157]

Excellent responses. And you are right that I don't know a lot of the behind-the-scenes and I'm probably thankful that I don't. I do appreciate the responses, and the courtesy.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

We also have a failsafe on warnings/infractions. If you disagree with the action taken, you can post here in Tech Support, or perhaps better, PM or email the moderator with an explanation of what you meant. More often than not, we will reverse an infraction and reduce it to a warning or just drop it altogether. I've noticed even the new mods are quick to go along with this if your story makes any kind of sense.

But believe me, Sassin' the Mods can be oh so very obvious.
Here's one that surprised even me, it was so vitriolic and the mod involved is a real good guy.

Apelt

You are the problems well known knifemakers leave shoptalk. You are jealous of the success and notoriety of other makers who are far more competent and famous then you are. You have made yourself a little nitch as "Hall monitor" on the forum because it gives you some source of satisfaction to laud you authority over others. You attack Ed Fowler in Blade magazine because of this jealousy, you bitch and complain of other makers posting pictures of their works in the gallery and custom areas claiming they are self promoting. You are jealous and frustrated that many up and coming knifemakers are becoming well known while you are essentially ignored by the majority of the knife community.


You call names and throw temper tantrums on the forum exposing what a envious and jealous geek you are. You want to be the "answer man" on the forum and even show what a jealous fool you are when you bitch and complain about a new maker giving an answer ....even if it is correct. But of course you have been a geek your entire life haven't you? You have always been the hall monitor and tattletale during your life.


You are a man bitch.


You are such a manbitch and a jealous piece of shit that it was you... who approached Spark to start enforcing the picture rule in shop talk. You jealous geek just can not stand that all these makers are making better knives then you and selling more as well as being better known and respected then you in the knife community. You are know as a bitch and because of this you use your hall monitor powers to use your authority over other knifemakers.


Sure you can blame Spark for the rule but we all know it was you who brought it up and want it enforced because you can not stand to see how much better other makers are then you.


These makers actually make their blades and not just buy them from Jantz and put a handle on them like you....what a joke.


Knifeamaker leave shoptalk because of you and your big mouth and your toadies who pile on good men to tear them down due to jealousy.


You are ruining shop talk and chasing away other maker so you can be the last man standing for newbies to look up to..... You are a piece of shit.


You are not well respected in the knifemaking community because of your man bitch attitude. You are a insecure little nerd who relishes having authority over other good men so you can tear them down on your own turf.


Oh and BTW if you are going to be the "Go to guy" on shop talk then at least post the pictures you say you are going to. You are famous for always saying you are going to post pictures later and you never do.... what an asshole.


So fuck off Apelt......you have always been a little bitch and always will be.


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Sent using Hushmail. Of course.

 

[pancakeman157]

Esav, that certainly gives me a better understanding.