Amnesty?

[Donny Brook]

I've noticed in the time I've been visiting these forums that activity has diminished quite a bit. When I use the search function it produces old threads with lots of rapid and diverse conversations which don't seem to be the case much anymore. I also notice a lot of banned users were active participants, but of course are not anymore.

So, I wonder, what would TPTB at SJG think of the idea of an amnesty for banned users in hopes of rejuvenating the forums?

[Armin]

I think that's a terrible idea, and I don't think the Powers that Be will consider it, either.

Forums across the Internet are dying because the younger folks don't seem to like them. Discord seems more their thing (or TIkTok).

People are banned for good reasons. Those reasons are still valid.

If you want more rapid and diverse conversations here, go recruit new people with diverse views and free time. Good luck.

[43Supporter]

Originally Posted by Armin

Discord seems more their thing (or TIkTok).

I'm Old, and I prefer Discord -- to quote Freddie Mercury: "I don't have no time for no monkey business", and Discord allows me much more freedom to deal with the monkeys and their business. .;)

Not to denigrate the Mods around here, tho' -- they are *very* effective at "taking out the trash".

[Aleph]

People who have been banned have been banned for reasons. If they were regular users who participated in the forums (and not just spammers) then they racked up enough infractions over time of repeated abuses of the rules.

We don't have any interest in a large scale removal of bans for people that proved themselves unable to abide by the rules of the forums in the first place.

[RyanW]

Originally Posted by Aleph

People who have been banned have been banned for reasons. If they were regular users who participated in the forums (and not just spammers) then they racked up enough infractions over time of repeated abuses of the rules.

Yep. They are much more strict with people who show up just to be jerks than with people who are active and valuable participants who act like jerks from time to time.

You can bet that someone banned after a few thousand posts was a persistent problem that didn't seem to be improving. Or had a meltdown and did something the powers that be deem unforgivable.

[Farmer]

I think there a natural ebbs and flows, too. When Kromm is more active, you tend to see more people commenting or discussing those topics, for example. There are other regulars who also bring about greater engagement when they post or respond.

We also lost Mook, who has a great contributor, and it's been summer in the northern hemisphere and the first for 3 years without so much impact from COVID, so we can expect that many folks might just have been busy with other things.

Little sparks of topics still light up and can draw a few pages of replies, so whilst it's been quieter (and I've noticed it, too), I suspect it will just continue the ups and downs, even if it's trended a little down overall.

As to those who have been banned. I would think that if they approached SJG in a genuine way and apologised for whatever infraction led to their ban, they might meet with a reasonable reception, perhaps a probation, but just unbanning them seems unlikely to curate the desired improved behaviour. Aleph sort of leaves this window open in his reply saying SJG is not interested in "large scale removal". I don't know if that was intentional or not, but given SJG has typically been a very reasonable company with lots of reasonable people, it strikes me as likely they'd at least talk to someone who showed contrition and a desire to follow the rules if they asked to come back.

[Qoltar]

I used to post more often because I was running a very active GURPS campaign - back in 2003 to 2008. Then that group 'drifted', one of the players wanted to run a D&D thing (it didn't go well)

Next I posted again while running a GURPS Star Trek group in 2009 to 2013 - then that gtroup ended because of my participation in a stage play (the Klingon Christmas Carol)

Over the past year I started posting again because I had a new campaign start in May of 2022. Then on New Years Day of this year my most loyal player over the years died of cancer.
The group, all friends with her, decided that w
she would want us to keep playing ...so we started gaming again in March.

I think a lot of folks are srt of like me - they post or start a thread when they have agroup of friends who are actively gaming.

The reason forum traffic may have slowed down is I think a response to pandemic in 2020 to 2022 - not a lot of 'in-person' gaming was going on. This forum is mostly built o0n talking about in person gaming with a group.

-Ed C.

[namada]

Originally Posted by Farmer

As to those who have been banned. I would think that if they approached SJG in a genuine way and apologized for whatever infraction led to their ban, they might meet with a reasonable reception
...
...
given SJG has typically been a very reasonable company with lots of reasonable people, it strikes me as likely they'd at least talk to someone who showed contrition and a desire to follow the rules if they asked to come back.

As someone that was banned & asked to be allowed back in, and was allowed back (again, thanks SJG folks involved in that,) I feel like I'm in the perfect position to affirm this bit of wisdom.

I was a complete jerk to Andrew Hackard & Bill Stoddard, most likely others that I don't remember as well, for which I was rightfully banned. It was well after I was a complete jerk to both of those guys, in fact. I just got to the point where I was basically begging to be banned due to being a total jerk.

Work on the issues that got you banned in the first place. Approach SJG & ask for a lifting of your ban & you'll likely be granted a chance. I was.

Personally, with me, it was that my depression meds stopped working, which makes me act like the stereotypical internet troll. Only while online though, I guess because of anonymity - honestly, not sure about that. Unfortunately, this tends to happen to me every 5 years or so, on average. So it will likely happen again and there's simply nothing I can do to stop that because I don't notice the change in my behavior, I have to rely on others telling me I've changed & it's an intense uphill battle once the trollishness has set in for folks to reach the reasonable me.

Btw, I've been meaning to publicly apologize to anyone that I acted like a jerk to in the past, especially Bill Stoddard. Unfortunately, Andrew is no longer with us, otherwise I'd be publicly apologizing to him right now as well. I was such a jerk to both of those guys before I got banned that a ban obviously needed to happen, in hindsight. The only thing I can think to do to mitigate that past jerkiness is to say I respect so much of what those guys have written for GURPS in the past & I genuinely love so much of their GURPS work. Sorry to any folks that I was a jerk to.

**Btw, I'm not really involved with anything that SJG makes other than GURPS, just so that's not an issue to bring up in response to this post**

[jason taylor]

Combatmedic was fun and I would like him back but no opinion otherwise.

[sjard]

<Moderator>
Since we've had the official answer from staff, there's no need for further discussion. As such, closing the thread.
Thank you.
</Moderator>