"Beef" section

^Yeah tbh I was thinking that, but, beefing is part of any hip hop site. it's part of the attraction
there's a certain fun to be had exchanging disses etc. But i have implemented some new rules to limit it to productive beef
eg. settling problems
disses where two members are at least bringing productivity.
But i am still debating removal.

 

If that's happening - a refusal to respond to the mgmt, really, who told them 'enough' - I think you'll have to issue some temporary and extended suspensions. Never less than a week ... a few days doesn't mean anything to hard cases.

You can have a sliding scale, start with a week, next time is 3 months. Need to have it written in rules they can read so they know and aren't 'surprised.'

Get tough in a hip-hop manner. To the members: Using the forum means agreeing to the rules, responding to management. Live with it or leave it. Don't like it, tough beans, find another forum.

It is very hard to reel in after having let the line out. But it's the only way to get it under control. Otherwise just live with the status quo.

Good luck.

 

In all honesty, this sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

You'd be allowing the members of the community to "let it all out", so to speak, correct? With the proper management and moderation, I suppose that such a section could prove to be effective - allowing members to relieve themselves of such thoughts could prevent them from snapping elsewhere. On the other hand, you'd have a large crowd of members rudely cursing within a confined environment... not necessarily a good thing.

In order for a specialized section (like this) to work, you'll need a very strict set of rules and guidelines that are specific to this individual environment. In other words, the forum-wide rules would not apply; an individual Terms of Service agreement would have to be put into effect. Doing so would ensure that the ability to "vent" within this single section would not be transferred throughout the entirety of the community.

To be safe, I'd remove this section. Dealing with such banter and discussion could lead to issues in the future.

 

Not to mention the headaches that this section would probably cause to your staff members. Besides, just because everyone else is "jumping off of a bridge" (so to speak), doesn't mean that you should. Be the better man-- erm, board, and try to set a new standard. It's bad enough that so many brothers and sisters are on the news every day because some stupid shit started by our media and society put it in their heads that they should be hostile to others. We don't need this type of environment online, unless you have full-time staff actively helping these people resolve the issues. And even then, it should be handled privately.

IMHO, you should really leave this type of meat alone and trash it. At least for now.

 

Yeah that!!!!

Purely rhetorical ... Why do some members insist on trying to air inappropriate communications with each other through public posts? Argue with the mods "but how else would I ... ?" After vB went too all the trouble to code up this private message system? (Not to mention there is also such a thing as email.) It is too funny that a few members think that flaming away through forum posts is the only way to address a problem with another member. :doh:

 

They WANT to be seen getting in the last word.

 

Yep. They feel the need to have an "advantage" over the other members by making one last remark or smart comment. It's not appropriate, nor healthy.

 

just add an announcement that any thread in the beef section which has not been added to for a couple of days will be deleted. They can have their argument then and get it out of their system (PM's only allow 2 to argue. beef section allows a group) but as it is all going to be deleted nobody can really be seen to have won and it is all very pointless except for the heat of the moment. Sooner or later that fact sinks in.
Our "beef" section is by far the least used section on the board, the last post there being august 18th

 

Problem with that suggestion is that people will post in there just to post, so they can keep it alive.

 

In theory that could happen but in practice on our board they don't. Eventually the parties involved lose interest, realise there are new things to discuss or realise they look like prats trying to keep an old argument going. (Just one person cannot keep an argument going.)

Disagreement across the board is fine, this section is for silly arguments and a large percentage of our members don't bother to read it so posting in there nullifies the (correct) condition stated earlier where they want to be seen getting the last word.

 

I have to agree that having a "Beefing" section as part of a community is not going to turn out well in the long run. However, as has been pointed out, you don't have to pretend like people won't get into little fights along the way.

Using the PM system that Nick suggested is a good guideline. This also helps to protect the rest of the community from melting down around the fight. While it may sound good to "air the dirty laundry in public" who really wants to see it? I know if there was a bunch of bickering back and forth on this board I would grow tired of it quite quickly and cut my losses.

As you said some of the fights are part of the attraction maybe you can spin these arguments and get some great content out of them. If there is any substance to them (i.e. not the "your momma's so fat..." type of disses :lol perhaps you can ask the people involved to write 500-750 words about why they are right. Then post the two articles and ask your users to settle the fight by voting for the person that makes the best argument. Just a thought.

HTH,
RR