I've recently made a significant change to the board restrictions.  New members can no longer join the board without my direct approval.  They apply for membership and they are in limbo until I approve them.

From this point forward, when someone wants to join, I'm going to require them to let me know their real email address and name.  I can't stop them from joining with a temporary address, but I can follow-up with them and require them to confirm they received the message.  If they feel violated because they can’t be anonymous, so be it.  They can choose to not join the board. 

Note: I will hold onto their personal information and will not share it unless compelled to by a court of law.  😊

For current board members, I don’t believe it is good for the board as a whole to require all members to re-join with their own real email address, nor do I care to take the time it would take to do that.  I would, in effect, need to ban permanently anyone who I can't tell who they are and let them re-join.  This is not my place of gainful employment and I don't have the time or energy to do that.  So consider yourselves grandfathered as long as you act like a decent human being on here.

BUT, I am very close (like as early as tonight) to banning some members of the board for a week, a month, or permanently.  Even if they have been on the board and posted intelligently, or have given great comments.  If I get to a point of banning you, you certainly deserve it.  Don't spread gossip that could ruin someone's life.  Don't be an ass.  

And, I mean this, let go of all the old fights.  Even if what 9you think) someone did was unforgiveable, let it go.  If you can't, prepare to be banned for a while. Or for good.
 
If someone is banned temporarily or permanently, they can still come on the site and read posts.  So a banned person who argues with me that this is how they get GW info, well that doesn't hold water.  Just read.

But banned member can't post themselves.  With the new member restrictions, they also cannot create a new user name without me knowing who they are.  No exceptions. 

Please note that I may not be on the board everyday and may not see posts/actions that are in violation of the spirit of this Board as I’ve designed it.  But eventually I will see any reports or comments you send to me privately through the site.  I have a high tolerance before banning someone, but it's been clear this past season that it has to happen.  I chose to let it go until the off-season.  

And here we are in the off-season.  I appreciate and thank the 95% of board members who have made this a great place for GW fans.  I am thankful to be a part of a community of people like you.  And it may be corny, but on this board we should all aspire to Raise High.

Thanks.
 
Barry


P.S.: This is going to stay as a Sticky thread for a while, so everyone sees it eventually.