Site Etiquette: A Few Timely Words

A short piece on how to conduct yourself when you are on this website – not that I should even have to be typing this in the first place but well, here we are…

I’m not the first person running a website, YouTube channel, Facebook group or any other forum to post this sort of thing but I thought it necessary to snip a few buds, pull a few weeds and focus, as Spring is here, on a gamut of other gardening/behavioural metaphors.

Most of the people who use, interact and converse on this website are frankly, lovely people. It wouldn’t be a stretch to describe the tone of this site akin to being a member of a ‘family’. And I’m not talking Corleone, either. The comments posted here are mostly positive, proactive, they look to aid and assist others and there’s a general tone of Pickwickian good cheer, you might say.

For 99% of the time, this website can be seen as a welcome oasis from the trials and tribulations of social media. A rather draining and tiresome place, in broad terms, I have to say. The reason I bother with social media in the first place is that again, there are some lovely people there. And its well worth seeking them out. Whether they be on Facebook and Instagram, YouTube, Twitter and Tumblr, etc. Even so, social media needs careful monitoring to maintain that friendly atmosphere. Anyone who’s seen the 4,500 rules on my Facebook Group will get a rough idea of the work involved.

You can see where this is going, can’t you?

I don’t want to have to start posting similar rules on this site. We are all mature and level-headed adults (well, most of us are) so I really shouldn’t have to. And the prompt for this statement? Maybe it’s a reflection of the stresses and strains presently swilling around the world. Maybe I’m seeing an outlet here, people blowing off steam perhaps, commenters looking to relieve their own personal stresses by using this site as a sort of digital punch bag, maybe? Hey, maybe it’s a reflection of the increasing audience this site is enjoying? I’ve no idea.

This attitude won’t get you very far.

Whatever the reason, I have noticed a recent surge in troll-like behaviour on this site. It’s the sort of behaviour I have no time for and it’s the sort of behaviour that will be treated with zero tolerance. You probably won’t have seen any evidence here because I tend to sort it out before it becomes a big problem. Even so, I will not tolerate it. Troll behaviour – any troll behaviour – will trigger and instant ban.

Do I have to post this? Really?

Call me old fashioned, maybe it’s how I was brought up as a child, but I expect everyone on this site to be polite and well mannered. If you’re not? You’re out.

Think again…take a deep breath…count to 10…whatever works for you

If you’re not sure how to behave then firstly – why? – and secondly, consider this. Imagine a stranger has just been invited into your home. How would you expect them to behave in such an environment? On such an occasion? If a stranger was invited into my home and then became instantly aggressive, accusatory, badgering, all-guns blazing, over emotional, angry, irate and enraged then I would pick him up by his collar and the rear of his trousers and I’d throw him out.

A typical Audiophile Man member, contemplating his next site post

That’s what will happen here, on this site.

To reiterate and to repeat, most of the good people I deal with on this site need not heed the above. They can happily ignore this diatribe. But the above, I’m afraid, needs to be studied carefully by a select few. If you are one of those, please reconsider your words, take a deep breath, walk away and post your message when you are in a kinder frame of mind. I’m happy to reply and debate but I will not deal with trolls. In any way, in any form of any variant or type. None.

Thank you for your attention.

Image Credits
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