Category: Zone BBS Suggestions and Feedback
Here's what needs to be done with the Zone! For one thing it needs to be cleaned up! First of all 18 should be the age in which you can join. The language should be cleaned up! People shouldn't be able to attack you out of the blue. People should be made to read the terms of service!
Hope sweety I agree with all the stuff you said. if I was a CL sweety I would have disabled the accounts of all the known trouble makers and they know who they are.
Ok, we've heard what you think needs to be done. Now try to support your positions with reason.
Personally my answer to you is this: if you don't like it here, go somewhere else. Believe me, no one's stopping you. If you like the site but don't like the company, then do some work and learn how to code. Write yourself a website. While I think certain people around here can be more than a bit annoying, the freedom of speech here is something I do appreciate. Also, a good number of the people here are below 18. (I was when I joined.) Why did you pick 18? I mean we have a limit of 14, as required by law here in the US. A lot of us here in other topics have expressed the view that it's not age that matters, but intelligence and maturity (a view with which I personally agree.) So in conclusion please support your stance with reasons, take some other action, or stop your bitching.
Ok. the zone has to follow capa. that means you have to be 13 or over to join. if you not over 13 you have to have a legal guardian send an email to the site admin giving the user permition to access the site.
as for the language.
what's wrong with a little fuck shit bitch?
but seriously I've been on a certain site and they manage to block out bad words for people that don't like them. I don't know if this could be done but under my acount there should be a block out profanity checkbox for people that don't like it or for the sake of younger users.
Thank you.
Thank you Chris. Miah you're just like the rest! First of all you're insulting me! I'm a straight a student! The reasons were given! Miah you're not going to make me leave! Others have tried! Free speech on the Zone that's a joke! My bf and I stand up for our selves! We get muzzeled by a cl! When others can put us down all they want! Austin as a Christian I don't like the language! Yes they should have a way to block it in your account! What was the name of that other site?
How was Miah's post insulting? And what does being a straight A student have to do with anything? Cleaning up the language is not practical. People will swear. It's a fact of life. The admins can't run around putting asterisks wherever they see four letter words. And expecting people not to use the language, like I said, is just not practical. As for an age limit, this was discussed a while ago on the boards. Firstly, if you're worried about kids who are under eighteen seeing content that they supposedly shouldn't see... Well, if they don't see it here, they'll see it somewhere else. Young people are notoriously resourceful. Plus, cutting off the age at eighteen underminds the intelligence of a lot of the younger members of the zone. You're shutting out the ideas of a whole demographic of people. As for people being mean and bashing others, that's not exclusive to the zone. Get two people together, one will eventually start to dominate over the other. Get a group of people together, group dynamics will start to form, and there's inevitably someone (or more than one someones) who will be treated poorly by the group. Is it right? No. But that's human sociology for you. You can't just say, People should be nice! And expect it to happen.
it's on legend of the green dragon hope.
Hope isn't it you who admitted to everyone you didn't know the terms of service and thus part why you got banned. They have the terms of service on every page and they encourage you to read it already. Start looking at yourself before pointing at others. check that bitch. lol
lol. if you don't like something, ignore it. we're not just going to stop saying what we want, just because someone does not like it.
While I may not care for some of the language zoners use, I don't have to read those particular posts or comments. The site has enough built-in "filters" in terms of the ability to use the ignore feature, turning off public and private qn's etc. Further, As you learn that an individual may use language, or express views you don't necessarilly agree with, you can be your own filter. In short, I guess I'm saying do what you do in real life when you find something objectionable.
Lou
Go freedom of speach!
I'm not going to ramble on about this too much as what I feel on the subject has already been said, however:
If someone doesn't like something about the site, there is one simple explaination. Leave. The freedom of speach aspect of the zone is one of the reasons I like coming here, because everyone can just be themselves and don't need to pussy foot around others. It's not a case of respect for others, that works both ways. If people want to sware or have discussions of a sexual nature or whatever, you should respect their choice to do so, in the same way that they should respect your decision not to participate. Either don't read, or turn off PQN's, or leave. Simple as. Full stop.
the zone is a much better place than it used to be before the terms and conditions wereimplemented, and i speak from experience, as I was a cl in the bad old days, *smile* What you are seeing is what I see on the street every day, the language, fuck shit, etc isthere all the ime, group dinamics operate, and you will see those who seem not to be within the main group. I am such, I believe, but I know this, and don't bitch about it. I have those who wil talk to me, those who won't, and those wo read my profile and understand why I do what I do. i understand there might be younger users on the zone, but there are safeguards in place I think.
lol. get over it, or don't come on here
I have been here only a brief time so I can't compare the past with the present as how Polar Bear is doing and yet can agree that yes here is a good place to learn first hand about group dynamics. I like that the various personalities of each of us can shine through though sometimes dark clouds overshadow and understanding is not always easy.. then at those times there is more the opportunity for personal learning to take place but there is a need to desire to learn and to get beyond held prejudices.
~*Thunderous MidNight*~
yes, and if you don't want to talk to a certain user, you don't have to. just ignore them
If you have such a problem that you can't walk away from the zone then you need mental help.
Personally the only thing that i don't like on the zone is the ability to post gossip anonimously. I never understood the point for that. So far nobody posted anything about me but if they did i would want to find out who they are. I can understand the anonimous feature in the help me topick or in the love topick but if anyone want to post gossip they should be brave to say who they are or not post at all. But appart from that the zone is good and i didn't have any trouble with it. I don't think users will attack somebody out of the blue. If you stay away from the attacking and bashing then it will stay away from you as well. It is as simple as that.
I totally agree with Amanda ( Poster 6)
hope. i do agree with you to a extent!, the muzzle thing does need to go! I have seen many occasions where a zoner is made fun of as soon as they log in. and that person goes off about it, and is the one muzzled or even banned! I think they should stick with the policy of put them on ignore. The cl's shouldn't have to baby sit. which leads me to you. if you don't like the language and talk of people on here, the ignore feature is your friend. Just because you don't care for it, doesn't mean all the other users is going to talk just the way you want them too. what you find offensive others may not and vise versa! It's easy for us to sit back and say the way the zone should be ran. When it comes down to it, were not the ones going through all the crap, trying to keep the zone going! They sure as hell can't please thousands of users! So as i said before, the ignore feature is your friend! So instead of complaining, USE IT!!!!!!
Once in a while I turn quik notes on just to see what the conversation is and if I feel like jumping in but most of the time it's something inappropriate. I use to have them on but.
Wouldn't you all love some official input on this rampant subject then people? Probably not but you're going to get it anyway.
I'll take your points in order Hope starting with the question of a higher age limit. Firstly, as has already been pointed out above, the current age is set at 13 because that brings the site inline with current US law. It is something that could be changed, something indeed that the staff have considered but really, and make of this what you will, when you actually start to think about the users that you label trouble, you'll actually find that the majority, if not all, are over the age of eighteen so making such a change would have little practical benefit. In short greater age doesn't always equate to greater levels of maturity, however you choose to quantify such a thing anyway.
I think that your ideas about language do have some merit. I liked Sir DJ Austin Razor's follow on suggestion about possibly having a check box so that you could block profane words, however such an implementation could only go so far. That is to say that it would be possible to change the word (fuck) to (F**k), but you couldn't remove the meaning behind the word so if somebody were to make the statement, (I love to fuck), even if the word fuck were altered the intent wouldn't be and I suspect that when you talk of cleaning up the site, you refer as much to the content of conversations as the words used to express their meaning so all things considered, and again I'll refer you to things that have already been said in this topic, you really need to use the ignore feature instead of complaining because complaining isn't likely to get you very far.
As to your point about people not being able to attack a person out of the blue I can really say only this. We have always stated that we're nobodies parents on this site. If users wish to start arguments with other users then that's their business. As a follow on to that I will just say that the muzzle feature is something that is currently under review as you made reference to it in a later post. The idea behind it is to give people a chance to cool off after arguments however, I can't say with any degree of certainty that it is a feature that will remain on the site. I'm sorry I can't say more on this subject at this time but it is something that has yet to be completely worked out at a staff level so at this time, it would be inappropriate for me to say anymore than I already have done.
Finally to your point about people being forced to read the terms of service. You have to realize that making such a bold sweeping statement is one heck of a lot easier than it would ever be to enforce. How exactly could we ever make people read something? As was pointed out by Damia in post 8, you yourself admitted that you hadn't read the terms of service in spite of the fact that we display the TOS page to every user when they sign up, and make them check a box confirming that the rules have been read. I mean there really is nothing more that we can do than that and as I say, you yourself have very aptly demonstrated how easily even those precautions can be gotten round. The reality is that we can't force people to read the terms of service. We can only give that option and trust that people will. Of course we're well aware that many don't, however those people only have themselves to blame if they then inadvertently breach those rules.
In an ideal World we'd all hold hands regularly, have nothing but praise for each other all the time and would willingly give our last sip of water to our fellow Zoner that they may feel just a little less thirsty, but sadly we don't live in an ideal World. Far from it in fact and that's just how it is. We do attempt to run things in such a way as may make as many people happy as possible but of course, you'll never make everybody happy. I think though if you sit back and ask yourself if this really is such a bad place, you'll come to the conclusion that it isn't. If it were, why come back?
Dan.
I guessI'd like to make a few point and try to make them applicable rather than (if you don't like it, go away)
Firstly internet chat is just a whole new area of human communication, there is anonymity and you get people from much more varied demographics than you would in an ordinary group or any physical location (ok this might not true for laces like NYC but for most ot the world it does definitely ring true). Also there is anonymity and additionally talking to someone is different when you don't have to be in their vicinity and you can express yourself over keyboard typing. Many people have actually benefitted from this as the many successful Zone couples that have met each other and gone out as a result of this site, I dare bet partly because so many different types of people come on here and the fact talking about one's feelings may be much easier when one only has to type.
What you appear to be asking for is to limit this community to a certain demographic or people who comply with certain standards of yours, i.e. maturity religious beliefs, behavior etc. Whereas this could be done for targetted communities and especially with a physicl location this is neitherdoable nor desireable in a virtual chat room, at least this one that has often stated and lives by the philosophy that it will not make unnecessary character judgement or baby sitting. You can either change this by gtting to know or invite enough people from your demographic group so that you enjoy coming on here or, of course, try and create another site with different objectives.
Of cours there are lots of personal attacks on here but I think firstly people take this site way too seriously, ssecondly I think often people tend ot misinterpreted words on a screen when there is intended context or meaning behind them .. it is hard to convey such a meaning with the letters alone, especially with Jaws or any synthetic voice and thirdly I think user often tend to needlessly attack each other.
Basically if there are improvements to let those who do not feel comfortable with the on going behavior patterns on the zone being developed, that's fine.
But lastly, you do show some of the characteristic you so criticize in others, you did not read the terms when you signed up, I have seen you encourage personal attacks on at least one user because that user had said something you did not like, it wasn't you attacking the person but you encouraged the person who did to continue. So, just remember, often one is guilty of the things one criticizes others for and improvements begin at home.
cheers
-B
The zone is like an alcoholic abusive boyfriend, you know there bad for you but you keep on coming back.
this is why I will always swear by IRC servers and think we were better off with accessible chat. There you could be your own channel opporator if you didn't like the content and in your chan rules had to be followed that you put forth. If they weren't you could ban or kick from your own chan. Hope this might be an idea for you. I know you do not attend school right now. Use an accessible irc cliant and make your own channel adn your own rules. It's too bad you aren't reading this.
Dan aka Eternity you asked me not to leave and now you're telling me to leave! Jared though I don't agree with your first post I agree with your last one! B I haven't attacked a user on here! I didn't encourage someone to do it either! I may have done it without thinking about what I was doing! I have been rude to only 3 people on here and 2 of them had it coming! They are former friends of mine! Shae thanks for your support! Kev told me only loosers use the ignore button! Guess I just wanted to fit in with everybody! Dan the cl who used the muzzle on my bf and I wouldn't listen to what I had to say! Plus this person left it longer than what is usually considered normal colling off time! It was left on until another cl fixed it for us the next day! It should be removed! I went to www.eyes2eyes.com and I found it quite boring!
Fucking Christians!!!......
okay.
first, do you always need to end your sentence with an exclamation!. secondly, you need to make up your mind!. you've said on here, that you want to leave, and you want your acount disabled, but if that's the case why do you still log in!. as scott said, (and this is where i wish i had quicknote history) just don't log in, and you will get the same result of having your acount disabled!. you didon't break any of the rules, and as scott said, even if you did, he wouldn't disable you because he knows that's what you want to achieve!. so...now, you have 2 options really. iver stay, and stop trying to say you want to leave, or leave, and just forget about the zone!. it's up to you, and i know this is going to sound harsh, but i really do not care what you decide to do. as i said, if you want to leave, don't log in!. you don't need your acount disabled!. okay...i'm done
Ha, I thought I was the only one who noticed the exclamation points. I feel less crazy now...
lol. easy thing to notice
shh nobody tell amanda that she's really barking mad.
what a bloody stupid topic. i don't need to say any more, apart from i think this is the stupidest topic that's ever been posted here.
yeah k, what a time waster!
we should stop posting to this topic, we're giving her attention
hmmm, I don't kno what to say, really. Everyone else has covered it nicely. While I understand where your coming from Hope, I honestly can't say anything that hasn't been said already. I'm not out to atack anyone, I just think that trying to clean up the zone the way your thinking is imposible. I mean, we can't rid the world of people who use language or express views the way some on here do, that'd be like locking your pets away and not letting them out to get exercise or fresh air. Only it'd be people, not animals. Like a poster said already, the ignore feature is your friend, and it's not for loosers! it's there for you to ignore people who you don't like or are anoying you. I myself have been the target of people's un-nice language and gossip, but I'm still here. If I had have left the first time it happened, I'd be long gone, and my "atackers", would have thought they had won. I don't kno how many times I've told you or Chris even, to not say anything to fuel the fire when people start atacking you in publics. It's what they want, and, [sorry if this is starting to sound mean], by doing that, your giving them what they want. They want you to doubt yourself, and if they're arguing with you about your relationship, that to. Unfortunetly, this sight has people from all walks of life, and that means all different sets of values. okay, loosing my train of thought now. so if anyone sees it, let me kno, or run with it, please? lol
lol liz. just left the station and is heading for texas. lol. but yeah, liz is rite. you can't expect everyone here to act exactly how you want
put it this way, if we were all the same, and we all got along, life would be boring
Oh crap! can't it head towards Canada? *runs after the train* lol,
*iternity changes the train's root, okay....next stop canada
*iternity stops the train, and waits for liz to board. k....are you coming?
hope, i picked up on something in your last post on here that i felt the need to ramble about. you said that someone told you that the ignore feature is for losers and that you just want to fit in with everyone. first off, i use the ignore feature when necessary and i definitely don't see myself as a loser. second, you are wanting to fit in with everyone. well that just isn't possible. i consider myself a pretty easy going person who gets along with most in the world, but i know i will never get along or fit in with everyone. that is part of life that you just need to accept now so not to cause yourself anymore heart ache over it. be friends with those that you do fit in with. be civil with those you don't. that is the easiest way to make things easy around here.
also, the comment about the muzzling struck me as odd. you said that it was left on longer than normal. i've only seen one other instance where the muzzle has been used on someone and it was on for a lot longer than a day. in my opinion, we have pretty fair and great cl's and admins on here. they did have to go through a pretty in depth application from what i've seen. so while you may not think it was a fair amount of time, they are just doing their job.
look at it as like getting a detention in school. if you really look it, you at first may not think it is fair, but that is just an authority figure doing their job and correcting an unwanted behavior.
but ok i'll stop my rambling for now. just try to calm down and not let the people that say the mean things get to you. i mean really they are just random people on a website. they don't have any reall effect in your life. so don't let it get to you.
kind of lame, but the saying from childhood popped into my head. "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" try to remember that also.
Nicely put.
Fallen_angel what's wrong with being a Christian? Liz I can be outspoken sometimes! When I get upset I say the first thing that comes to my mind! I know it's wrong! Kay I'm glad you think my topic is stupid! I've seen some worse than mine! If you thought that you should've kept it to your self! Yeah Pipi thanks for your post! Liz enjoy the stop in Canada!
um, ah, yeah, okay. The train thing was just to lighten things up.
I don't really have anything to add to this topic, I just wished to jump to my own defense. Hope in post 25 you refer to me as the community leader who muzzled your boyfriend and then wouldn't listen to anything that you had to say. Neither thing is true. I have never muzzled any user on this site and therefore never had any conversation with you about him being muzzled. I realize that probably nobody else cares about this but I wish the record to show that I don't unnecessarily muzzle users and I do listen to complaints.
Dan.
There's really nothing else to say. Everyone else has covered it all. Ignore feature, leave if you're not satisfied with this site, grow up, et cetera. Well, I'm not sure if 'grow up' was actually mentioned, but if it wasn't, it should've been.
And I could be wrong, but I think that when Hope referred to the CL who muzzled her boyfriend and such and so forth, she wasn't actually saying that about Dan, but directing it to him as a response to the bit about muzzling in his earlier post. I think she just didn't punctuate it. As Dan said, not that it really matters, but ...
why the hell should i keep my opinions to myself? if i think something is stupid, i'll bloody well say so okay? yeah sure iternity, i'll come to canada, i have my aunt and uncle out there.
too right Kay. Freedom of speach is something I feel extremely strong about, and I've just had another insident directed at me, where 2 zoners, who shall remain nameless, tried to reprimand me for saying something totally inocent and perfectly acceptable. I'm fucking fed up of people thinking they can tell others what they can and can't do and say. For goodness sake, interfere in something else, and leave me, and the other 3000 zoners alone.
Sorry Kay I thought you meant it to me! I'm used to others calling me stupid! Like teachers! The thing is that I'm a straight a student! Sure say what you want you have no effect on me! I know you didn't mean me personally! It felt that way to me! If you can say what you want with no respect for others, than so can I! Even though it is wrong! Dan I know it isn't you. I just don't want to name the cl who did it to me. Chelsea I'm grown up. I guess I'm over sensitive. Andy you told me to drop it and so I did. I was supporting another Christian when this person said it's impolite to talk about someone who isn't here to defend themselves.
While you did drop it once I asked you to Hope, you did get involved with something that totally didn't involve you in the first place, which insidentally, was nothing anyway. It was someone interfering with something that totally didn't involve them and they miss understood the point of the conversation I was having, and you jumped in to add your 2 sence. There was absolutely no need for the person I mentioned to need to defend themselves, it's not like I was insulting them, and if you and the other "christian" knew the whole story you might actually understand that! In fact, insulting this person is probably the last thing I'd ever do. jeez! rofl! If people keep out of business that doesn't involve them then this place would be far more enjoyable, christian, or not. I have no problem with you or any other Christian or whatever, but please, keep your own opinions, beliefs and thoughts to yourself when things don't involve you and then maybe we'd avoid any of these stupid miss understandings and petty arguements. I'm done on the matter. It's so insignificant, I've already waisted enough time explaining myself which actually, I totally didn't need to do anyway because I've done nothing wrong. lol.
What is with all this christian stuff? Is the use of the word christian a shield or catch all for any mistakes or anything taken out of context? I hate to change the topic, but come on put the christian stuff to bed already. One can have his or her belief's and that ok but when one's belief's are used to protect the stupidity of one's actions that is a troubleing use of one's belief structure to say the least. No one says I am a woman so this is why I do this, or I am a man so this is why I do that. And if they did, would we stand for that?
Off the soap box,
Nem
Wow, in post 42 there was actually a question mark at the end instead of an exclamation mark.. I don't know if that's promising, but I did think it was worth bringing to peoples' attention.
You can be a straight A student and be a total asshole, and not have any idea how the hell to find your way out of a paper bag. Booksmarts can only take you so far. A lot of the most important lessons in college, anyway, are learned from outside the classroom or a text book. I speak from 4.5 years of experience.
I guess the bottom line is just get over yourself, learn that not everyone is going to get along 100% of the time, you won't always agree with others, but if what they're doing doesn't affect you whatsoever in the least, don't worry about it, and rather than complaining about anything and everything, do something to change it.
As for cursing, sometimes it brings the point across better or actually helps you alleviate stress, at least that's been my experience.
as someone else has said, stop bringing on this christian bullshit, and learn to respect that people are people, no matter what their religious beliefs are.