Brandon,
In one of your more recent posts, you state that you would like to see less of the name calling and arguing that has been going on lately. What I would like to know, is what do you expect? Why is it that a public weight loss board has decided to support a thread or topic realted to specific religious beliefs? Once that is acceptable, how then can you turn away any of the following possible threads: buddhist thread, atheist thread, satanist, wiccan, scientology, anti-Christian etc. etc. In addition, you then put yourself in the position of deciding what is "right" and "wrong" (by approving of one over another).
I honestly think that what is happening here, is that people are lashing out becuase they DO feel that some opinions/feelings/persuasions are favored over others on this board, SO the "policing" has gone awry.
It is SO easy these days to offend people ESPECially regarding faith and politics. Why don't you just set rules that apply to EVERYONE regarding these two topics? If people want to pray together, or debate societal woes, that can do it privately, by personal email. they do have a "reply all" button, don't they?
Otherwise, I don't see how you can continue to fairly monitor the beliefs and opinions of others. It's just impossible.
thanks for your consideration.

I don't have a problem with a religious thread PER SE as long as it is restricted to weight loss and fitness topics. That applies to any religion or special interest group. I simply don't visit the threads that are in boards or have titles that don't appeal to me.
HOWEVER, I DO object to threads and posts that go off-topic. There are a billion places on the Internet to discuss any topic under the sun. I don't think this board is the place for it, that's not why I come here. I know policing the boards for off-topic posts could be a full-time job, but the fact is that there ARE no rules essentially. These boards have been largely weight-loss related in the past just by consensus. As more and more people join the board every day, and more and more "old timers" drift away, the consensus may change. And, I don't think that's good.
I've been on the Internet for about 10 years now and I've seen some perfectly nice communities, originally devoted to a single topic, completely shut down due to spinning wildly off course.
If I ran the world, the board would have ...

• A clearly stated set of guidelines -- topic and behavior expectations.
  
• A clearly defined way of dealing with those who don't adhere to the above. This would include moving posts to appropriate areas when they get posted to the wrong board.
  
• A member-written FAQ that answers the questions that get asked over and over and over again. When someone asks one of the questions, users can point them to the FAQ.
  
• A reduction in the number of special-interest boards that get created. There's no point in having an entire Bride-to-Be board that has two threads, for example. It would be a good idea I think to have one generic "special interest" board that would contain threads for each group that has a low participation rate. Anybody could start a "Left-Handed Canadians for March" thread or whatever and the few people who want to participate can do so there.
  

Just as an example, the 3FatChicks.com forum is pretty rigourous about making sure posts are on topic, etc. Yes, they have religious and whatnot groups, but they are part of a general special interest board. AND, political discussions are ABSOLUTELY forbidden. There is a "general chatter" board for off-topic stuff (which I don't encourage here), but I like that arguments and the like seem to be restricted to various theories of weight loss and fitness rather than ad hominim attacks. At least from what I've seen -- it's a pretty big board!

All good points.
As a community (in addition to what funniegrrl posts), what rules do you think should or should not be included?
-Brandon

I would like to see a "3 strikes you're out" rule for those who continually attack other members. Nothing is worse than logging in looking for some support only to find bickering going on within the threads. If someone crosses the line, they should be "warned" the first time, "strongly warned the second time" and removed from the board the third time. This should not be interpreted to mean that people cannot express their opinions, but posts should be written from the first person viewpoint (I or My; not You or Your).
Just my own two cents. Thanks for asking for the input regardless of the outcome.

I've actually been pretty shocked lately at the number of post that have been cropping up that are antagonistic, and where people just can't behave like adults and walk away.
Since you’re asking, I’d add in something like:

• Remember that these discussions are "public" and meant for supportive and constructive exchanges. Treat the others on the thread as you would want them to treat you.
• Never forget that the person reading your post or chat comment is, indeed, a person, with feelings that can be hurt. On the other side of the coin, remember not to post "flame-bait." Be patient, apologize and move forward. Remember, we were all new to the Internet at one time.
• If you have posted a question/comment asking for points of view, opinions, ideas, support or feedback, please be prepared to read something with which you may not agree. A site like this involves many points of view, different cultures and personal circumstances. Do not reply with a flame. It is very easy to ignore what you don't agree with, or begin a healthy discussion involving different points of view. Give suggestions with kind consideration in mind. Choice of words is important.
• Please do not cross-post the same message in different threads or forums. Find the most appropriate forum or thread for your post and post only once.
• I seem to recall eons ago in the early stages of this message board there were more moderators. I’ve read very few posts by people with that tag, so I’m guessing they aren’t used as regularly. I think the message board community could benefit from bringing back moderators or hosts and hostesses who volunteer their time to watch over a couple specific threads.
• I also think something needs to be added that these posts are simply other members opinions and folks should always check with their JC consultant or physician (depending on the advice sought). Too many times people will act on advice received from the message board without giving regard to the source and the background of the advice given.
• Members claiming to be JC consultants should be verified before they can state that in their posts.

These last two I feel are liability issues in running this type of message board which in many instances involves people with health issues.
Thanks for listening.
BSQ