Originally Posted by Nathraiben

@ysss: I've been one of the "people behind the rules" quite a couple of times, and I know that those rules are meant to be helpful. Really, I'm not questioning the current admins and moderators, I'm just trying to save them some headache in the future, for I've also seen fellow moderators totally ruining a community with me being unable to do anything because they were just "reinforcing the rules".

Thus, one last time I just have to stress this point: Keep the rules tight, but to a necessary minimum. Be strict with the trolls, but let the rest of the bunch keep their current freedom - they'll most probably use it responsibly, anyway.

(Btw, sorry for the offtopic, but I just wanted to say that I really love reading your posts, ysss. We almost always disagree - completely - but you tend do so in a sensible way. Thanks for constantly reminding me of how even online people can disagree without fighting!)

Originally Posted by linuxeventually

This policy reeks of "Zero Tolerance".

Originally Posted by Stskeeps

I'd like to join that choir, just look at Sygic and other companies engaging users on here, participating as parts of the community.

Originally Posted by Texrat

Please explain.

This is one of the most tolerant forums in which I've ever participated. The policy was crafted by very tolerant people who are just looking for a way to answer the many, many requests we've had for making policy clear and having a fair and consistent approach to people who are intolerant of the concept of community.

Originally Posted by Nathraiben

Oh, I totally missed this part of the rules.

Clarifications for that rule would be great, as there really are quite a lot of business advertisements that are actually helping this community.

For example, I would hate missing Secret Exit's next game just because they are no longer allowed to advertise on here.

And I even think that (at least to a point and strictly confined to the competitors forum) advertisements for alternative systems and devices should be allowed, as I really think the market (and thus the community) can only flourish when people are well informed about all the possible choices they have.

So it would be really nice to not ban advertisements in general. If we must have that rule at all, just please make it so that announcing (commercial) releases of Maemo software won't be breaking the rules.

Originally Posted by Nathraiben

Once a community grows large enough that the administrators run out of close buddies to assign as moderators, the zealots will automatically come.

Originally Posted by inidrog

In other words or shorter: A good community should have moderators using the rules sensible, and not use rules to express their feelings or support for friends or "homeboys". I hope i understand you correctly.

Originally Posted by Texrat

Moderator assignments have not been about "close buddies". In fact, we've had people volunteer and were seconded by others, as well as many who were nominated by community members.

If anything, the admin (Reggie) may well be pathologically opposed to a simple "hey buddy wanna be a mod?" approach, based on the history of that subject here (for a very long time we had ZERO moderators).

Originally Posted by ysss

@Nathraiben:
Yes, I can see that we want the exact same outcome in this case (sensible moderation), just with two polar concerns (mods use common sense to extend their reach outside of the core rule vs mods use common sense to exercise only the necessary parts of the extensive rules)

At any rate, we've put out our concerns out there and hopefully it gets some consideration..

Originally Posted by Flandry

[*]No Business Advertising
Creating threads, posts, or signatures that serve solely to promote your business (whatever that may be, personal blogs excluded) is not allowed. Referral links and viral marketing are also not allowed.