I have come to the realization that we are having some issues at the forums of AudioZ so I decided to take the initiative to post a few guidelines that can help everyone have a good experience. I also openly welcome any suggestions for additional guidelines.

1) Post comments appropriate to the section you're in - No Mac comments in the PC section and vice versa. This is a major point of conflict so let's be respectful of each other.

2) No begging for software in any section - If something is not available that you would like to see we have a request section. Asking for software on the posts of other software is really disrespectful. BE THANKFUL FOR WHAT IS OFFERED!!! Years ago many of you wouldn't even have that unless you actually had scene access, which let's be honest...most of you didn't. *no*

3) Be respectful of other members - Maybe a Reason thread isn't the best place for your commentary about how musicians who use loops and rigid 4/4 grids have no soul and aren't real musicians. Comments like this are sure to cause problems. *no*

4) Life sucks enough as it is so try to give each other a break once in a while - We're all here for the same things so let's try and focus on what we have in common as opposed to all of our differences. That guy you just cursed and insulted might just be the guy that could have helped you with some problems you've been having with one thing or other or maybe have provided you with valuable information or a coupon. A pleasant demeanor can go a long way for both you and other members.

5) Remember that E-mail, Facebook, forums and text messages are all forms of cold communication - Due to the absence of intonation, body language and cultural/language differences you may misconstrue the tone of a comment. Give the person the benefit of the doubt unless its clear they're being rude or disrespectful. Also make sure they're being disrespectful and not playfully busting your balls a little.

6) Don't be lazy! - If there is a question or issue that comes up for you exhaust all possible recourse before asking others for help. We don't want you to eat for a day we want you to learn how to fish. It will be better for you in the long run and better for the community as we can focus on problems that people really need help with. Once you integrate this process of learning maybe someday you could also return the favor.

7) Before claiming that there are no working links check all of them... even the ones that are lower down in the page.

I think that if we all adhere to these common sense guidelines we can have a better community experience. Thanks for your time. We now return you to your previously scheduled programming.

 

Thanks - Brilliant!

 

Thanks.
I hope that the community will be open-minded and receptive enough to read it and incorporate the guidelines. Hopefully people won't think I'm trying to be a smart-ass or anything. I really just want to make the whole experience a little smoother for all of our members and staff.

 

Yes, i totally agree with you. Sorry to say, that from my point of view there's a lack of moderation on AudioZ.
All these things you've mentioned could be minimized by the presence of a person to be respected.
Members often are not respected by other members, when it comes to trouble.
I don't think there must be more rules. Rules are just there to be broken.
That's reality and it'll ever be like that. There must be more moderation.
Without a mod it's a mess. You can't trust a bunch of most diverse people to get it right between themselves.
What about Valter76 ? He is moderator, but absent most of the time.

These guidelines are fantastic, but it is not sure that they will be upheld by itself.

Guys, please don't interprete my opinion as the cry for daddy. I am just a realist in this affair.

 

Trust me the ridiculousness of the human condition is a topic I couldn't be more sympathetic to. You're absolutely correct that there should be more moderation. However, from the point of view of the site's staff this is a VERY time-consuming process as there are so many posts that it makes the lives of however many people are assigned to this duty absolutely unbearable. I just figured that we're mostly all adults here so I am appealing to that with my guidelines. That's why I selected that word instead of rules. Honestly, the staff should consider trustworthy candidates for moderator positions. I'm sure that whoever would be selected can't be there all the time because they most likely have lives but any help would be better than no help.

On a side-note let me pose a question that ties into the Music Can Be A Weapon thread: How can you have hope that the world will one day live in peace if you don't have hope that this one online community can? When imagining the future world you want to live in did you think that enforcement and punishment would be the tools to procure people's complicity? You don't have to answer here but it's something to consider.

 

To be honest: i expected that question.
This is not necessarily a condradiction.
The problem lies often in what you have mentioned already....

I had a horse for some years. He was living in a herd. My horse was a young big black friesian stallion.
He always behaved like the boss, but in fact he wasn't. A little inconspicuously wise elder mare was the respected chief of the herd.

To come back to the sometimes weird comment section. It's not about peace or war in my opinion. It's just about balance.
A internally balanced person with a mod status would be enough, to bring sometimes things out there back into balance.
No more, no less.

 

It's an ancient Chinese proverb so you most likely won't find out the exact person but it holds true. In my conversation with Alraun in the Music Can Be A Weapon thread I took up the position that war is inherent to the human condition while he took up the point of view that we can overcome our own destructive impulses. It was a very refreshing conversation.

 

There's something i want to add: a mod can easily sort out the concerning articles,
he doesn't have to watch at all the posts of all sections all the time.
The shit is mostly steaming, when big or popular stuff comes out.
The articles with many comments, the tub, were all "hyaenas" come together, is mostly that market place,
where a "wise mare" could do something good.

Good quote, SirSyllySausage ! We live in duality. One without the other? Maybe after death...

In archaic cultures people talk about death before death, what means that just people who had an experience of an internal
death situation in an altered state of consciousness with a temporary loss of their ego, are afterwards able to bring things in balance for
others. Interesting, isn't it? But o.k., that goes deep, and the fact is, we do not live in a society with shamans or wise mares

 

I think it's so cool that you owned a horse. I like the analogy a lot but unfortunately when you look at the people running most of the world you realize we're not as in tune as animals are. We trust the biggest idiots of the lot to run our daily lives. Animals are the ones that have found balance while our playground is the theater of the absurd and extreme. I definitely think that both forums could benefit from a bit more moderation. Honestly if the site were in my hands I would implement a few things immediately. The first thing I would do is make the site private. The second would be to add some more balanced moderators even if that meant recruiting trustworthy members. People would take things a hell of a lot more seriously when they know there is a risk of getting kicked out and not being able to just waltz in as a guest or under a new nickname. Maybe I can add a few more guidelines and make a new post entitled Guidelines For A Better Site Experience.
Yes this site has problems like any other but I am very appreciative to the staff for all their involvement. I hope that they don't interpret this as a complaint. We're just kicking around ideas.

 

Nice post indeed.

But it's a little bit like asking for world peace, I'm afraid.

(The ones who could eventually realise it, will not listen to it.)

 

Yeah I gave up on that pursuit a long time ago. I don't know... I guess my logic was that if it reminds even one person of something they might have forgotten then it was worth the time it took to write. Maybe there's just no hope for us in this world.

 

personally I think this forum works well as is. I disagree with making it private, not really the way to promote music production ideas for both beginners and pros. How would someone join and who would vouch for them? Moderators, are volunteers and can not be expected to be here all the time. How would you be able to tell people are balanced? medical certificate, psychoanalysis tests? everyone has their grumpy days!

I think the abusers are kicked pretty quickly if there is abuse. The only real problem area I see are people coming from audioz and discussing on topics posted there, when really they should also be asking over there. (where can I find latest crack for X? etc etc)

 

10/10

My stallion got castrated at the age of two, as things became too difficult, to let him further on stay in the herd at all seasons. He wasn't part of a a wild herd.

SirSilly, yes i think too, AudioSEX is o.k.! But over there on the Dark Side.....sometimes......

 

A woman would be nice. There's sufficient testosteron around. I have not more to say.

 

Cosmic man

Way to much of the Swadhisthana chakra.....

 

I was referring to making AudioZ private. AudioSex would remain open as it is now. Making AudioZ private solves a hell of a lot of problems from issues with developers to people pushing the limits of what they should say and do. A private site ensures that there is some kind of value in membership. This makes it that much more likely that people will behave and treat each other with some common decency. The only purpose that an open site serves is that warm and fuzzy feeling that we are sharing openly with the world. Unfortunately that warm and fuzzy feeling is misleading as the scene survived because it was private and not because the doors were open. As soon as the doors did open for everyone when Napster and torrents became big the results have been less than desirable with lazy, ungrateful and disrespectful users coupled with law enforcement and new legislation aimed at stopping piracy while simultaneously crushing freedom in the process. I think that the staff shouldn't have a problem assessing who is balanced. A few minutes at the forums should be all that is necessary to figure out that mystery. Plus they could try someone out for a little while and see if they are being fair.

 

I don't believe in chakras. It's just the rhetoric of a grown man.

 

Nice post! I agree 100% and anybody that knows me or has read any of my posts knows that I bitch up and down about the very same things all the time.Especially on the sites I mod.

 

I think this guidelines are for AudioZ just reading them

IMO there problem starts when "say thanks" button get's replaced with comments and people start writing novels, responding to numerous already off topic questions and you end up with 6+ pages of whatnot, been reading some of them recently, seriously there is small forum lounge in comments.

This forum works good, occasional AudioZ question pop out, but it's locked fast, other than that, everything is flawless, IMHO *yes*

 

I love this whole idea and where it might go, but I'm afraid it won't get any of us patient and respectful members anywhere. You see, you would have to change the human condition to get all of what you stated in the original post. When it comes to something that is practically free, people don't give a crap and when it comes to something that is practically free over the internet, people are useless animals. With a lack of respect and etiquette for what others might think or expect from them. You really just have to do whatever you think is the right thing and not worry about these brainless folk walking the earth.I'm not saying to not try and see where this might lead. All I'm saying is good luck with that shit.

Also, the minute AudioZ is privatized is the minute every jerk and their fucking mom will think its an "exclusive" thing and fuck it up for everyone. You will have an influx of people that are gonna want to be part of something that should only be on a need to know basis or a "I kind of ran into it by luck" sort of thing. People will talk about it more because it will be private and they will create this reality that only "cool" or "elite" people can get in. That will create a hype, which will create awareness of the site, which will ultimately kill it off.

Thats just my two cent and a small bag a chips for those who needed a little extra.

Peace and love Audiosex fam