Rockbox General > Rockbox General Discussion

Problems with the TOS

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zajacattack:
I really think that the TOS needs some heavy modifications. Many times on these forums I see people who need help, and all they get is yelling at from the mods for breaking the dumbest rules. This completely defeats the purpose of Rockbox. Rockbox should be free, open-source, and open to all. How can Rockbox be open to all when people are yelled at when all they want is help and/or to help? I think this drives many people away and ends up hurting more than helping.

Llorean:
Have you taken a moment to perhaps ask WHY we have the rules that we do?

Is there any single particular rule you think is dumb?

Or did you just want us to get rid of all the rules?

zajacattack:
OK, even though you, Llorean, like to be very sarcastic, I will answer you anyways.

Yes, I understand the need for rules. However, I do not understand why the mods must continually get mad when one might accidentally use internet slang (e.g. "thx"). Does that really matter so much as to deserve a scolding? Is it really taking away from the purpose? No, actually, the mods getting mad about that takes away more. Forum means "an assembly for the discussion of public matters" (Webster's New World Dictionary). How can we discuss when we are constantly hounded by the mods?

Also, I see many people ask a simple question if they want to help or have a theory about something. However, instead of gracefully explaining the answer or being open to it, the developers simply get angry because the person may be considered a newb and does not have as much experience as that developer.

All I'm saying is, the mods need to lighten up a little. If Rockbox is open to all, internet slang, incorrect grammar, and maybe some simpler (i.e. "newbie") questions need to be tolerated more rather than being shunned down upon by the mods.

Llorean:
"Thx" "u" etc are not acceptable for several reasons. We have blind users, and users to which English is not a native language. Many of them do not know if "thx" is a real English word that means something they don't know, or what. So we require that people use real English because honestly, you're typing. You can read over what you typed before you hit enter. They can't read your mind to know what the word means, but YOU can read what you typed before hitting enter and making sure it's a real word. So yes, it's important, because as you said, we try to be accessible to everyone, and to us that means "Everyone" rather than "Just the people who speak English and understand internet shorthand." As well, we can't simply say "Only 5% of your post or less can be shorthand", because the idea is to make it readable, and it's much easier to say "Don't do it at all" so the rule is not at all unclear than to say "Make sure a human being can guess what you mean" and have people saying "Well I can guess what that means" when a mod decides it is unclear enough. So, to be enforcable at all, it needs to be objective, and objectivity is possible because it is strictly prohibited.

Developers don't get angry "because someone is a newb." In fact, I'd challenge you to find me a post where a developer got angry at someone for simply being new, rather than for, for example, not reading the manual and/or searching before asking. There's a difference between "Being new", and "Willingly refusing to read documentation." Continually answering questions that are answered in the manual will just mean the forums are flooded with questions that keep search results from being useful. Telling people the first time they ask "You need to read the manual first" sends them to a place full of information, and insure that the next question they like is more likely to actually be something new (and thus, when answered, likely to be a record of useful information when someone else searches for that topic) rather than a flood of information that is already in the manual.

Basically, the idea behind the existing rules is to make the forums MORE useful, by ensuring as best as possible that the content in it is accessible, and not redundant.

Besides, as a user they AGREE to read the manual when registering for the forums. Is it really unreasonable to expect them to do so, when they told us they would?

Febs:

--- Quote from: zajacattack on November 27, 2007, 05:56:58 PM ---All I'm saying is, the mods need to lighten up a little. If Rockbox is open to all, internet slang, incorrect grammar, and maybe some simpler (i.e. "newbie") questions need to be tolerated more rather than being shunned down upon by the mods.

--- End quote ---

I'm generally open to constructive suggestions, and I believe as a general propositions that we could be more tolerant of new users, but you will never, ever convince me that there is any legitimate reason that we should allow internet slang.  

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