Please provide some feedback as to how you would prefer this matter to be handled.

I do think that requiring registration would help. But also when possible to move the posts to their own thread. Just a few months ago we had a situation like this and It Worked!

Keeping track of all the off topic posts would be a daunting task I think.

Seeing as Guest300 absolutely refuses to register perhaps requiring registration is the best defense for the board right now.

I agree. Requiring people to register to post would be a good place to start, especially since Guest 300 has a thing about registering and wants complete anonymity while speaking evil of many of us. More steps may have to be taken as well since this guy is likely to keep posting his nonsense whether he's responded to or not. But at least requiring registration would help.

Ah. One child acts badly and you punish everyone in the family and anyone who might be born into it, eh?

Guest300 is not that important. Plus, he is legitimately arguing with you. He just disagrees with you.

My question to you is why do you need more control to feel comfortable?

I have to say I think the lack of tolerance for opposing views of late is not good thing.

I don't think it's a lack of tolerance so much as keeping things in a decent and manageable order.

I ,as a moderator on another site ,have to deal with posts that are off topic many times.
Only so much is allowed before I warn and then remove or move to the proper thread the off topic posts.
Flaming is not tolerated but discussion is kept to topic with a little bit of wandering as long as it does not distract from the topic itself.

What's wrong with required registration?
In order to post on the site I am referencing one has to register.
No one's identity is known (except of course my own)
because any one can use a moniker instead of their name if they choose to do so which allows them to remain anonymous if that is their choice.

There has to be some restriction to avoid trashing of threads.
It's just sensible to do so.

Well, David, I actually consider myself a sensible person and I think a sensible person can disagree with you.

I think buying into "more control" for a bunch of people who got out of a "high control group" is not so great. I think the issue of wanting centralized control when there is conflict is not a good instinct for people coming from GGWO.

Maybe learning how to deal with conflict on one's own is better for people. I think it is.

Arguendo,
I can totally understand your feelings on that but to me it's like saying that no one should be required to obey rules.
The rules we are actually discussing have to do with respect and civility as well as being considerate of others by sticking to the topic at hand and not trashing threads.

I personally don't see any harm with required registration.
It prevents no one from reading.
It's sort of like filling out a job application.
Only the boss gets to see it.

The boss in this situation would be the administration team and their only consideration would be to keep simple order not to disclose any person's information.
The registrant would still be able to maintain anonymity with a personal moniker.

Hey,
if someone wanted to they could open a specific thread just for ranting.
I'm sure that would easily stay on topic. :lol:

And yes a sensible person can disagree with me on anything as you have demonstrated in the kind of fashion that is civil and respectful.

Guest300 is infuriating, hard-headed, and totally consumed by GGWO. I think there is no better poster child for the things that are wrong at GGWO than Guest300. I have pointed out Guest300's posts to friends in order to explain the GGWO thought process. Most have been shocked. Here's a guy that will proudly write that he would "cover" a child molester rather than get the authorities involved. If that's not a warning to stay away from GGWO, I don't know what is.

I believe Guest300 serves a huge purpose as a "good example of a bad example".

KEEP DISCUSS GGWO FREE!

Leave the off topic and troll posts where they are. If the administrator or the moderators are inclined to, they can mark such posts with a warning in large red letters:

TROLL POST

or

OFF TOPIC

Sooner or later the perpetrator may get the message.

I thought about it for a while and eventually came down on the side of do nothing.

If a post is really truly over the line, it already gets edited. If it's just boorish, then in my opinion we'd essentially be asking Administrator to remove the consequences, sight unseen, of posters' poor decision-making. I think it's a corollary of "actions have consequences" that if you discredit yourself by posting something off-base, that you should have to live with it.

I think the site is more helpful when there are people from GGWO posting and not just people who've left. I personally think that it'd be polite of repeat posters to register, and it's not a big deal to start a new email account for registration purposes that can't be easily traced back to you, if you want to remain anonymous. On the other hand, if I felt "those people who post there are infected" then I might have qualms about "being unequally yoked" by registering.

Thread drift is pretty close to inevitable. It's a matter of personal discipline to decide not to post off-topic on a thread. It's easy enough for one person to note that something's off-topic & offer to discuss it elsewhere. It's up to the next person who reads that thread to read through to the latest post on it & not comment on the off-topic stuff.

Hodeuon

I think we who post regularly should police ourselves and not post off-topic. I check all the threads that have added posts. If someone posts off-topic on one thread and some responds on the appropriate thread, I would definitely see it.

Although I voted for registration, I have thought a little more about the issue of control, and I must agree with arguendo, do nothing. We should not stiffel free speech, and actually welcome dissenting voices, less we become as they are. The they being THS/GG of course.

That would be TBS/GG.

You're probably right about doing nothing.
I have thought about this also.

The more that they come here the more easily it is to show others the mindset that we are exposing from they way they post and dictate to others.

Also the moderator has the power to move any post into it's proper topic thread without having to delete it if need be.
And if there's something posted that's just totally unacceptable it can be removed anyway.

Why not start a new topic on Conflict Resolution? I tried but couldn't.

If you have the stomach for G3, that's fine.
I needed a reason to stay away from this site anyway.
It's becoming more infuriating than helpful.

At the top of the page is a scrolling text box. If you wait for the entire thing to scroll, you'll eventually see:

Please be aware that spam attacks are continuing; therefore, it may be necessary to require registration to post in ALL areas. Guests may no longer begin topics.

So you must be a registered user in order to start a new topic. (Perverts were starting lots of porn related threads. Hasn't happened since they had to register to start a thread.)

I know of a sports message board that requires registration to post and does not allow members to start new threads until they have at least 50 posts.

That's interesting about the sports site although 50 posts sounds like a lot.
I'm not sure what needs to be done but a friend of mine who used to go to ggwo came over and read some of the recent threads and said "this would wear me out."

Personally, this is a thread about our experiences and insights into ggwo...while I agree G300 should be able to speak here, the threads that are devoted to his posts don't add much except to remind me of how grateful I am to have been led away.

Perhaps registration is a start in limiting some of the excesses. There is no reason why the board shouldn't have boundaries.

I did register too, a while ago, just don't always bother to log in.

I voted for the "Move", but I also recommend that only registered users can post. The registration is very easy and gives benefits such as the possibility to send personal mail via the forum.

The current system is a playground for trolls and troll-like guests. If the off-topic posting continues as it has for some time now it will repel the visitors that we would like to read the information and testimonies that are the most valuable part of the site. I believe that repelling these visitors is the ultimate goal of G300 and he has already had some success.

I was away only for a few days and almost could not recognize the site any more. It has become all G300 and the discussion on GGWO is on a sidetrack.

It is more and more the un-registered guests who keep responding to G300's aggravating posts. I believe most of the registered posters already recognize the name of the game and do not engage themselves into the completely useless crossing of blades with him. As an un-registered guest it is much easier to come and throw gasoline into the flames and disappear again without a trace.

My two Euro-cents (that is 3 cents in the US),
Pentti

Require registration to post & add the "ignore poster" feature.

How about requiring registration in the general discussion are like was done with Tacoma. The guest300 thread and other threads that are not really about GGWO including interesting threads like FHN can be moved to the Salon area where anyone can post. Someone who refuses to register can still freely participate in the Salon area and can even start relevant threads there if they desire.

"Oh yes, Dear?!? I'll have you know that the Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraint!!"

Prior restraint

Prior restraint refers to the government, not a private website.

Exactly. The Administrator opened this thread for suggestions and may or may or implement them.

Just wondering if there is any plan of action? I understand it is not such a simple decision. While certain posts are problematic or off topic...they still reveal "the issue" of ggwo...mainly the mentality that results from twisted doctrines that manipulate the hearers emotions and desire to be a good Christian.

I respect the fact the administrator, whoever they might be are not hastily taking action, in managing off topic posts.

Is it possible to require registration for a season to give things a "rest," and then open it up again later if it doesn't seem to benifit the site?

Many thanks for the opinions of everyone who chose to respond to this topic. Your replies were very helpful in determining what changes would most effective and beneficial to all concerned.