So the network's been having some major server trouble lately (and I'd like to stress that we're still not out of the woods, and that the site could go down again at any moment). And you know what? A big part of me is glad, because for the first time in several days, I haven't had to be a policeman. I hate being a policeman. And until recently, I'd never had to be one before. But lately things have started to get out of control, as a handful of people have exceeded the threshold at which the community can police itself. And that forces an angry Jeff to intervene when he really doesn't want to.
I'm not going to talk about regular comments or diaries right now. We can save that discussion for another time (hint: don't be an asshole, don't immediately take things off topic, and if you can't think of 75 words for a diary, don't post a diary). What I want to focus on today is conduct in game threads. I've heard from countless people over the years that the game threads are what really sucked them in, and the quality and fun are things I've tried to protect. But while the rules have always been lax, at some point this year people decided for whatever reason that anything goes, and that just isn't true. That isn't true at all.
I'm not going to make up a list of regulations, because some people are always going to look for loopholes. What I will say is this: use your God damn brain. Don't make threats, don't be a bigot, and don't be stupid. The whole idea behind Game Thread Emotion is that people should be allowed to express themselves however they like in times of extreme happiness or dejection, but GTE doesn't cover some of the things people have said recently. If you're saying something for the sole purpose of getting a reaction - and it's completely obvious when you do - don't say it. That's not the point. LL is a baseball blog, not a safe haven for shock jocks.
If you're smart enough to use the internet and register for a website, you're smart enough to know when you're crossing the line. I'm going to be patrolling a lot more vigilantly than I have in the past, so consider this your first and only warning. Offenders will be punished at my discretion, and the punishments won't be light. End of story.
Go Mariners.