Is this a rule violation?

Hey there,

I was hoping someone could walk me through my record here—basically, I'm just trying to figure out which rule I actually broke...

See, I replied to a post that was written in red text, and that’s what got me flagged with a strike.

Quote: crimsonsailor7 said:Hey everyone, it's really sweet of you all to jump in with so much advice, but honestly, please stop throwing around legal jargon and procedures when you aren't quite sure about them... it's better not to wave the Constitution or federal laws around if you don't know the fine print. Most things are already laid out in the thread, and if you just scrolled back a little, a lot of this would be clear already.

For now, those posts have been taken down, but after a warning comes the strikes.

Personally, I just don't get the point of a post like that... it feels a bit much.

Nobody was arguing in the thread, and nobody was being rude or insulting anyone. So why the threats of strikes?

Maybe people don't have a law degree, but at least they were trying to help each other out with advice based on their own life experiences, which is usually pretty helpful...

If "people who know nothing" aren't allowed to talk, and the "people who actually know stuff" clearly aren't posting, then we might as well just shut this whole section of the forum down. Using threats like that feels like an attempt to kill the very reason we're even here, which is:

An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages.

Looking at your post, it sounds like you think you've got the law down pat, but from what I've seen over the last week or so, your input hasn't really added anything to the conversation...

We don't really go back and forth on warnings like this... I’d really suggest taking a second to look over the community guidelines, which is honestly what everyone should do before they even think about joining the conversation here.

Since you haven't actually seen some of those posts, you can't really make a call on what's inside them... Some of them are just a total mess of random legal jargon thrown together without any rhyme or reason, and we just don't want anyone taking that stuff seriously and ending up in a massive headache because of it.

Nobody is trying to shut down any kind of debate, but there's a huge difference between an actual discussion and just dumping a bunch of nonsense all over the place.

Alright, here’s my take.

I'm guessing this is the rule causing all the friction:

11. Discussing moderation within specific threads is prohibited. For any inquiries regarding this, please use private messages or the designated sub-forum.

Based on how that's worded, would this be the right spot to post?

I just don't get why we can't have a discussion about it...

Why hand out warnings or bans for it?

Isn't the whole point of an online community to actually talk things through?

Why not let us help each other out with some advice...

Look, like I said before, nobody is out here trying to shut down the conversation, but that doesn't mean people can just say whatever random nonsense pops into their heads without thinking...
Giving out bad advice—and I mean seriously terrible, reckless advice—doesn't help anyone, and honestly, someone might actually take it to heart and end up in a massive hole because of it.
Bans are definitely on the table as a way to handle things, because sometimes just posting a warning or citing a rule isn't enough, especially since you can clearly see that not everyone bothers to actually read them...

I think I've made my point pretty clear 🙂

crimsonsailor7 said:Like I was saying—nobody is stopping anyone from talking—but that doesn't mean people can just say whatever random thing pops into their heads.
Giving out bad advice... and I mean really terrible advice... doesn't help anyone, and honestly, someone might actually take it seriously and end up in a total mess.
Warnings or bans are one way to handle things, because sometimes just posting a rule isn't enough. You see it all the time—not everyone actually bothers to read them.

I think I made myself pretty clear there 🙂

My whole philosophy is basically that everyone is responsible for themselves—you know, you can listen to whatever advice comes your way, but at the end of the day, you're the one making the call, and you're the only one who can own your choices. But hey, that's just me...

To be specific, I've gone looking for help and advice in all sorts of places, and most of what I've found came right from threads just like this one. And the answers? They mostly come from "regular" folks on the boards, just like us.

It would be such a shame if people stopped sharing stuff here just because they were afraid of getting banned.

Reading through your post again, I'm actually feeling a bit torn about whether those bans are fair, especially since bad info could lead someone straight into trouble. But again, I keep coming back to the idea that everyone decides their own path. So, yeah... 🤷

Harold Adams7, I really don't want to have to go over this for a third time 🙂 some posts just straight up don't belong in a discussion about a specific topic and they're gonna get nuked, and if someone's being particularly problematic, they'll end up with a formal strike on their record.

Being a moderator is a tough gig; I’m starting to realize that firsthand.
How do you strike that balance where you aren't unfairly targeting someone, yet you still ensure they actually get the facts they need?
Maybe, as a moderator, you could have just suggested they search through previous posts on the thread by some of those "unquestionably reliable" veterans here.
After all, how is anyone supposed to know who to trust if they aren't active on this forum?🤷
I actually stumbled upon this place by accident. I haven't made a single post on this entire site in seven years until now; I just saw a headline about "ABC subscription fees" on the front page and clicked. What followed is pretty much common knowledge—I was just trying to help. I know the red text wasn't directed at me personally, because as a legal layman, I wouldn't even know where to look for the statutes being cited, let alone quote them properly.
If I ever find myself in a situation like his, who am I supposed to believe here?
I ended up getting 10 points in all that chaos, but like I mentioned in our private message, I have no real complaints there. I simply didn't know what else to say, and since I wanted to vent my frustration, that's how my "controversial" post turned out.

all the best,
graniteotter6. 😁