Community "Guidelines" — News — Off The Back — Daily Deals

Community "Guidelines"

Posted at Mon 04 May, at 10:00:00 in General By The Team

Alright, so on Friday there were a record 1300 comments posted in the community. It was a great day, pretty stunning, it’s pretty clear that we can’t read everything ourselves anymore so we want to lay out a few guidelines for comments for everyone’s benefit:

1. No posting for rank gaining purposes only. Don’t post a lot of low-quality comments in a short period of time in order to quickly gain rank.
2. No abusive or offensive comments. We don’t want any fights.
3. Keep your comments relevant. We’ve got Off Topic areas if you want to go nuts there though!

We’ve hand selected a tiny group OTB underground ninjas moderators. These are people we feel we trust and add a level of quality to the community.

If you post a comment which breaks the guidelines and a moderator sees it, it will “fade out” a little bit so it stands out less when reading the comments. The member who made the post will not get the usual rank boost for that comment – they’ll actually get a little taken away. This isn’t something that’s going to be happening all the time, most member’s won’t ever have a post demoted, only if you’re breaking the guidelines above.

The bottom line is we really enjoy your comments and the community is rocking so we want to make sure it doesn’t turn into a huge spam-fest for everyone’s enjoyment.

Keep rockin’
Over and out.

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Comments

Excellent idea. Can't wait to see it in action.

Mainwaring

Posted at 04 May 2009 11:16 AM

this is a great idea, like @mainwaring look forward to seeing it in action.

CarolB

Posted at 04 May 2009 12:33 PM

Yay!! That'll keep the quality strong and sweet (like my coffee) here in OTB!!

BrendaJoyce

Posted at 04 May 2009 12:45 PM

this is a great idea! thanks OTB

techgeek

Posted at 04 May 2009 12:51 PM

Guidelines, excellent, I had a little star disappear once when I made ops, but I was just learning the site. Forgiveness was quick though and my stars grew again. Thanks OTB, enjoying this site and my booty.

saywhat

Posted at 04 May 2009 01:12 PM

Great initative OTB !!
Guidelines will definately assist in the running of the community

Would be tremendous to have some of the 'on-topic' posts, back on topic
I'm in for covert operations, Oopppsss, I mean assisting in any way I can

Maoriboy

Posted at 04 May 2009 01:53 PM

Are we allowed to know who the people are?

Mainwaring

Posted at 04 May 2009 03:47 PM

Seconded...
Would be appropriate to know who the Moderation team are moving forward

Maoriboy

Posted at 04 May 2009 03:56 PM

Fantastic Glad to see you guys are putting in measures to keep us all from spiralling out of control!

phee

Posted at 04 May 2009 04:28 PM

Good thinking OTB. I was wondering what all the faded posts were! Then I thought to come in here and check out the latest News.

I don't think we need to know who the moderators are. But I'll wonder, of course

Guinevere

Posted at 04 May 2009 05:14 PM

Good move OTB.

Carolyn

Posted at 04 May 2009 05:52 PM

Great move Off the back!

jayshake

Posted at 04 May 2009 07:43 PM

This is a great idea! I haven't popped in much over the lasty week or so because the SNR was getting too low, thanks to all the "ditto" type posts that seemed full of sound and fury but signifying nothing. A reduction in such and a consequent improvement in the SNR is a consummation devoutly to be wished. Let's just hope that the "invisible moderators don't revalidate Lord Acton's famous adage.

stuartnz

Posted at 05 May 2009 08:58 AM

I think the ranking system should eliminate posts all-together(or make them worth 1/10th as much), as mentioned it's what is leading to certain people posting as much as 50-100 messages per day of content less posts. Hence why I don't really bother reading most of the threads now

Teckiwi

Posted at 05 May 2009 02:50 PM

Good to see that we are all being kept in check. I am enjoying this site (In fact it's the only site I go on) and would hate to see it get too noisy.

Cybergran

Posted at 06 May 2009 04:35 AM

Great! A very good idea being put into place

Having fun and getting great deals is what it is about

nova735

Posted at 06 May 2009 11:36 AM

Its realy nice to have good, clean, safe, fun thats what rules are all about. thanks OTB

Dunes

Posted at 06 May 2009 05:08 PM

Pity it had to come to this, but maybe this is one of the prices for success.

fisch

Posted at 07 May 2009 08:40 AM

good to see tome published guidelines

tony

Posted at 07 May 2009 03:24 PM

@Teckiwi hear, hear! I agree with you!

Phil

Posted at 07 May 2009 03:47 PM

Just a small update: We're gonna assign a "special" rank icon to those who are moderators. We'll also split the moderators away from the top 10 into a separate moderator list so that will free up some 10 top space for some others. This will happen in the next couple of weeks when we get some time

dave

Posted at 09 May 2009 10:45 AM

good work Davo

Big Al

Posted at 09 May 2009 11:25 AM

Great to see OTB is listening to us and keeping up the quality Well done

docshazz

Posted at 10 May 2009 10:27 AM

Now that there are so many members and the comments posted so numerous, it's hard to keep a handle on things. Maybe the moderators should decide if a thread is past its "use-by" date and get rid of it, thus keeping things more compact. e.g. I just discovered the Introductions Thread after being a member 6 months! It took 3/4 hr to read it all. Just as well it's Sunday afternoon.

Barbie

Posted at 10 May 2009 02:49 PM

i believe there is a big difference between having a community feel to been family friendly.
there is an i hope always will be a a great vibe to this site but lets not go over board and make it safe for kids. we are all adults lets act like it. If your not then you probably don’t have any cash or a credit card to buy stuff on here any way.

Big Al

Posted at 11 May 2009 02:24 PM

Of course it's not about this site being for kids (with no money to spend) but about freedom of choice of buying and what post you comment in, not so with possible offensive avatars that are in your face no matter what post you’re in.

saywhat

Posted at 11 May 2009 02:48 PM

Can't wait

NZ Warrior

Posted at 12 May 2009 12:19 PM

I THINK ITS A FANTASTIC IDEA WELL DONE OTB

kiley

Posted at 12 May 2009 08:53 PM

This is an absolutely great idea, especially with so many different types of people using OTB, we need to know where to draw the line and be kept in checked for sure, i know opsies can be made, and it's great to learn from them.

karger

Posted at 13 May 2009 12:00 AM

woo better lean the rules then

CowDozer

Posted at 13 May 2009 08:37 PM

Great stuff OTB in sorting the MODS out.... and congrats to those selected to undertake the role. I am sure you will all do extremely well with your new responsibilities

My next question/thought following on from the MOD appointments (which I'm sure is already being addressed), is a manner by which we (general users) can contact the MODS in a confidential manner if the need arises.
Thoughts, ideas, processes in the mix yet ??
(Sorry, I am a nosey bugger at times )

Maoriboy

Posted at 14 May 2009 12:44 PM

Fantastic selection of moderators, too.

Mainwaring

Posted at 14 May 2009 02:46 PM

Yet another fresh idea from OTB,you sell yourselves and the site really well,keep on keeping on.

wetapunga

Posted at 14 May 2009 07:36 PM

Good informative News. Nice to know that there is forward and future planning going on that benefits us all. Thank you Mods and OTB. Keep up the great progress.

REd

Posted at 15 May 2009 08:30 AM

I like the Moderators icon... although an Underground Ninja icon would have been cooler!

fisch

Posted at 15 May 2009 09:18 AM

That is a good idea Maoriboy.

Carolyn

Posted at 15 May 2009 12:19 PM

Loving the post @fisch

jayshake

Posted at 15 May 2009 04:21 PM

Just wandering: is it possible for others to become mods and how?

kingy65

Posted at 16 May 2009 02:44 PM

Look's like it maybe a goer!!

Superboot

Posted at 17 May 2009 12:39 PM

@jayshake Thanks!

fisch

Posted at 18 May 2009 09:27 AM

@Barbie & @Maoriboy I agree. those are good ideas

BrendaJoyce

Posted at 20 May 2009 01:12 AM

OK, not sure where to post this post as the help desk was not helpful.
I am trying to insubscribe my sister,who cannot stand bargains and continuous emails in her mails,(shes not one of us,) but when I try unsubscribe, it want to unsubscribe me,that is if I can ever get it to work , as it come up with ,and I sure as hell do not want to unsubscribe myself.
BUT,
I get
"Sorry, you’ve clicked an old unsubscribe link and we can no longer unsubscribe you from here. Please locate a newer email from us to unsubscribe from Off The Back.!"
well that is like saying (excuse the french) Go get lost in the wilderness.
Some people are not computer literate ( like my Old but loveable sister)
and I was using the last email I had from OTB.
Why cant you just change the "Unsubscribe" position so it DOES unsubscibe from there,I mean it is OTBs system.
Any help would be appreciated
Sorry for the negative but am tired of getting her emails in my ear.

Thomo1

Posted at 25 May 2009 11:09 AM

you could always just uncheck the box so you dont receive the early bird emails??

Big Al

Posted at 25 May 2009 12:50 PM

@Thomo1 - I've manually unsubscribed you now. Hope that helps!

dave

Posted at 25 May 2009 01:45 PM

your a star davO

Big Al

Posted at 25 May 2009 01:56 PM

Whoa, NO No NO!!!
I... do not want to be unsubscribed, thought it odd that I didn't get my normal OTB bargains this morning?
My sister Pat MacDonald wants to be unsubscibed, she is one I joined up.
She is not computer savy and is down the bottom end of the island in Wellington miles away from paradise.
Can you re-subscribe ME or do I have to go in and do it all again somewhere?
cheers
Thomo1

Thomo1

Posted at 26 May 2009 10:19 AM

Thanks Big Al,
but huh! what box are we talking about ,
like where?

Thomo1

Posted at 26 May 2009 10:24 AM

old age is a b--------- a thomo1

willowbank

Posted at 29 May 2009 12:33 PM

never mind take your medication and you will not be so confussed

willowbank

Posted at 29 May 2009 12:34 PM

Haha Gold

Big Al

Posted at 29 May 2009 05:07 PM

Yes, it's a very good idea to monitor what is written then you can siphon off those comments that are not relevant or rather inappropriate. Well done OTB!

Lankey

Posted at 02 Jun 2009 11:07 AM

are there any examples of the mods doing there job??

Big Al

Posted at 04 Jun 2009 12:14 AM

Just in case this was missed on “Site Suggestions” OTB if you ever need another MOD can I vote for Dunes? He/She seems to be looking after all the post really well and making new games for us all etc. Anyone else agree with me?

saywhat

Posted at 18 Jul 2009 09:27 AM

I would never post low quality comments, wait hold on, nevermind then.

Mitcheh

Posted at 10 Aug 2009 10:26 AM

Oh and I agree with @saywhat

Mitcheh

Posted at 10 Aug 2009 10:26 AM

Sounds like this is a great net community to join, just please don't ever let it get to TM MB infighting and backstabbing. So far from what I've seen this place rocks! Keep it up

pitbulls4sale

Posted at 17 Sep 2009 04:11 PM

Looks like this is going to be fun ... please don't let the moderators become high and mighty rulers like Smile city where they can be very very controlling and ended up taking all the fun away!!

KiwiDwarf

Posted at 18 Sep 2009 09:47 AM

Ooopsy daisy I just had a read of the community guidelines here after looking around the site, I had wondered what those " fade out" thing was when espying in the forums and actually thought my pc was playing up. I don't recall any so far on my post but I truly hope I'm not guilty of such a thing ever. As with posting my comments or joining in with the games etc I hope bending any rules either.
However I must say OTB is awesome and wish I'd joined sooner, Thanks for the site and all
you have to offer.

Rinz2b

Posted at 14 Oct 2009 08:57 PM

things seem to be woking out well

Big Al

Posted at 15 Oct 2009 04:21 PM

Agree wholeheartedly with you Saywhat with some avartars in your face and your teens having a good snigger over them.

Rinz2b

Posted at 17 Oct 2009 08:50 AM

Love the comments and am looking forward to more of the same.

kiwizznz

Posted at 01 Feb 2010 06:52 AM