Letter to the Community regarding Off Topic Forum behavior spilling over into Immmigration and Regional Forums

[Captain Ewok 1,857]

All-

I have noticed a recent trend of members bringing certain behaviors that are acceptable in the Off Topic forum into immigration and regional forums. I just wanted to take a minute to reiterate that any "extra wiggle room" we grant in the Off Topic area is for the most part limited to this forum as when it spills over, it can have a negative impact on the greater community where such behavior is not expected nor appropriate.

The New Member Guide to VisaJourney actually says,

I want to take a moment and welcome you as a new member to VisaJourney. You will find that this community was designed from the ground up to be a friendly and welcoming environment so that you can relax and help discover your path through all the immigration issues ahead.

Specifically I want to stress the importance of preserving the "welcoming" environment that both new and legacy members appreciate when it comes to the immigration and regional forums. This environment has recently been challenged to a degree by a growing tendency for increased sarcasm or other behavior common to the Off Topic forum, to spill over into other areas. While members can expect this in the Off Topic area, I want to remind everyone that in most cases this is not appropriate behavior in other forums where people may be afraid to post as a result. This is unfortunate for us all as it diminishes the ability for VisaJourney to be the most helpful and welcoming environment possible.

So, what can we do? I would like to ask both new and legacy members to consider their discussion "tone" in forums outside of the Off Topic forum. Ask yourself, "Does my post discourage people from participating?.. Am I encouraging an open and accepting discussion or can my post possibly hamper the welcoming environment that is so important to people stuck in the immigration maze?" These type of questions are important as they really demonstrate the values that VisaJourney is all about.

To this end, I want to also focus on the Moderation Team at VisaJourney. Specifically,

Kathryn41

KimandRuss

Krikit

RonMay (Regional Forums)

William33

These members volunteer their time (and lots of it) to make VisaJourney the best it possibly can be. They have no desire to hinder anyone's enjoyment or "go mod crazy". The goal is simple, make VisaJourney the best it can be and continue to make it a welcoming and productive environment for everyone. If you feel that they make mistakes, then sure -- we all do. But please try and respect that they have their best intentions in mind and attempt follow the Terms of Service as closely as possible when addressing issues. Additionally, I will in conjunction continue to do my best to help on issues that I am able to, including issues that they are not able to address themselves. When needed I act as the final "buck stops here". I would ask that you consider these items and respect that they are trying to help. Trying to "skirt" the mods or "push the limits" makes all of our jobs hard because while we want to be fair, it is certainly a drain on our personal lifes when we have to "research" issues across mutiple topics to see if someone is trying to be "sneaky" and determine any trends. I expect to take on this burden myself, but it is certanly unfair for the moderators when they have to dig deep into their personal times with their families to do this.

Finally, in conclusion, I have asked the Moderation Team to join me in helping to remind members about certain activities and behavior outside of Off Topic. Again, while certain wiggle room exists in Off Topic, other areas like the immigration and regions forums are not the place for this. I have directed the moderators to give initial warnings to remind members, but if required to issue formal 4-hour suspensions to emphasize the importance of containing certain behaviors only to Off Topic. People that purposefully push these limits after being warned may find longer suspensions if required. The goal is not to punsh people but simply that I believe we need to remind everyone of how important it is to keep VisaJourney as welcoming and helpful as possible. There is plenty of area in Off Topic to "get wild" and heck, even the periodic "spurts" in the immigration and regional areas is "OK". I just want to prevent any "trends" that over time would not be in the best interest of the entire community .

Thank you for taking the time to read this and I welcome your feedback!

-Ewok

[TayRivers 4]

It is good to see this growing issue being addressed...

Thank you Captain Ewok

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Fair and reasonable.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

B) Got it.

[Amby 490]

so...no more monkey spank photos then?

[The_Dude 1,142]

so...no more monkey spank photos then?

Or monkey ####### photos.

At least not in the regional/immigration forums.

[Chica Yeyé 41]

so...no more monkey spank photos then?

Or monkey ####### photos.

At least not in the regional/immigration forums.

how about sheep photos?

[HAL 9000 96]

Yeah... I think we could all seriously do some more growing up and remind ourselves of why we're on VJ.

[EstebanTrabajos 7]

cheers!

[mawilson 2,133]

As long as MENA infighting doesn't spill over into Off Topic

[Welshcookie 17]

so...no more monkey spank photos then?

Or monkey ####### photos.

At least not in the regional/immigration forums.

how about sheep photos?

I keep my sheep well trained within fences of OT....I can offer my expert training to brother Scandal though

[HAL 9000 96]

Crosslink to an idea that may help keep trolls out of OT and the mods not too busy busting trolls. and

How much of this can be automated applied to other parts of the site depends on what the Capt. decides is acceptable for the site.

[SMOKE 1,426]

legacy member

nice, i've been looking for a new custom title.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Crosslink to an idea that may help keep trolls out of OT and the mods not too busy busting trolls. and

How much of this can be automated applied to other parts of the site depends on what the Capt. decides is acceptable for the site.

I don't know...most of the trolling in OT is done by legacy members.

[Nagishkaw 510]