Is it really neceassary to ban users for this fighting? I'm not in it but don't have a problem either a. Reading it.... or b. Ignoring it...

How many people here really feels it's necessary? or effective? I mean the fight goes on regardless and users can always either make up new names or if you do an IP ban they can spoof that. (It's not hard)

I've been a member of many message boards and a moderator of some. The best run are the ones that just let the crap happen and give up on the "stupid unnecessary, ineffective rules"

He was not referring to this thread. He was referring to your comments about the rants and raves.

Don't know where that one is either? What rants are you two speaking of? Examples would be nice... I've only seen fun jokes in this forum for the last few hours!

This was posted at 3:20 p.m. -

If a restaurant served exquisite food, but there was a dumpster right next to the restaurant that caused a stench in the vicinity of the wonderful restaurant, it would scare many perspective diners away.

These uncontrolled rants are a stench.

yet you say it was posted about my other post... which was 4:38 p.m I don't know if you can speak for Tired_Old_Man

***Evil Plot to start another flame war with unsuspecting victims*** Shhhhh don't tell anyone.

Apparently banning is ineffective since some come back with new identities. My feelings are that they should be left alone to fight it out. I personally don't mind the bashing posts as long as they are kept in the Rants and Raves forum. I can read them or ignore them. Sometimes they are a lot of fun! The participants apparently need a place to let it all out. They must enjoy it or they wouldn't participate.

I have been here long enough to know that there is a lot of wonderful support here, and that the nonsense going around is just that ... nonsense. I feel for the newbies that stumble head on into one of those threads, especially when it is happening in a *support* forum.

I personally believe that this place is for the betterment of the banded community, and should be kept that way. I agree that there should be a few sections like Rants n raves etc for people to converse about things other than the band but there shouldn't be any fights, or bad mouthing anywhere...

I do agree with keeping the peace and banning the people who break the rules. Fighting over the net is ridiculous...

"When someone asks you, A penny for your thoughts, and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny?

I've said my peace. I look forward to seeing more of your successes in your weight battles.

It would definitely be more effective if they banned IP addresses so people can not create new accounts.

I think it is ineffective to ban people as they just come back with a new screen name it seems. Other boards I'm on once you get banned your ISP or whatever it is called is banned. They know if you try to come back with a new user name and it is not allowed. I am suprised that people are allowed to come back here after their account has been suspended.

Is there any way to require a 24-48 hour waiting period for someone to join up? That way when someone is banned there's a period of time they have to wait to come back on and stir the pot.

These are my thoughts. There are three kinds of people:

1. Ugly, bitter, hateful ones

2. Ugly, bitter, hateful ones who deliberately masquerade as pleasant

3. Pleasant ones

Ban group #1 immediately, as soon as they show their ugly, bitter, hateful face. They're pretty transparent and you know who they are by their words.

Ban group #2 after their mask slips and they show themselves to be ugly, bitter, and hateful.

Banning groups #1 and #2 will hopefully allow group #3 to get back to the task at hand, weight loss.

I've seen some pretty ugly faces in the past few days. I am, however, not convinced that all of the people who were banned deserved it.

I voted to ban anyone who breaks the rules.

My wife wants me to tell you that they do ban IP addresses. I'm glad we have 2 computers because this LBT community has become very important to me. She kept me informed of the things she learned. Now it's my turn to do that for her.

We both care deeply for the LBT community and feel it's important to keep this community supportive.

If a restaurant served exquisite food, but there was a dumpster right next to the restaurant that caused a stench in the vicinity of the wonderful restaurant, it would scare many perspective diners away.

These uncontrolled rants are a stench.

I made the above statement to explain why I voted to Ban members who are violating the board's Rules (or TOS = Terms of Service).

It was not directed at remarks in this thread and is on the first page of the thread.

I may be wrong, but to me a rant is long winded monologue. A rave is an excited or passionate post.

The description of the Lap-Band Talk Rants and Raves is “Gripe, complain, moan, fight, rant and rave. Enter at your own risk!”

I may be wrong again, but I assumed that “Gripe, complain, moan, fight, rant and rave” meant to debate civilly but with passion and to debate topics that do not belong in other sections, because they stir up anger and passion (like religion, politics, etc).

I may be wrong a third time, but I doubt if the owner of Lap-Band Talk expected this type of “no respect” fighting. I thought we were adults here. Most of these “fights” basically fall into one of three categories:

1. (S)he did it first

2. (S)he is bad, I am good or they are bad, we are good

3. Did, did not

I will not be drawn into these fights. I feel that people who respect this forum should not be drawn into them. I feel that people with self respect should not be drawn into them. My quoted post from above has become the object of a mini-debate. The debate about my post has remained civil, but rather than have anyone guess my intention for posting it, I felt that it would be better to give the reason to those concerned straight from the horse's mouth, though someone may counter that it seems like it was straight from the horse's ass, but I can live with that.

T.O. Man - beautifully said.

As someone who builds computers I can tell you that IP # are easily changed. If you have a local provider such as AOL or a Walmart disk simply put a new one in and Bingo you have a new IP. If you have cable (and I refuse to give the info out) anyone with computer knowledge knows how to release and seek a new IP #. I'm just telling you all this because IP # banning is no more effective than anything else. An IP can also be masked very easily.

Please just take this as good advice from someone who builds computers for a hobby. It is very easy to get a new IP # if one desires.

I sincerely feel that a forum that specifically states rants and raves should not exist on here if it is not intended for that purpose. Maybe it should be removed completely....just what purpose does it serve when people rant and rave and get banned? It is very misleading and lets a person think they are free to speak their mind or argue without getting banned.

I also feel strongly the subject needs to be dropped. Four people are gone and if one is restored they all need to be, with the exception of the person that brought the conflict to the board. I find it sad that other's followed suit and fought, including my mom, but what's done is done. I think a 30 day suspension would have been much more in order with the exception of one person....she who caused the problem to start with. The rest were all in the wrong for going along with it, but still it all began with HER, and HER happened to be a friend of my Mom's...so what can I say? Speaking as someone who moderates a board, a moderator must first of all be completely impartial to everyone...no favoritism...never anything underhanded or they would be gone. I strive to be fair to everyone and if I have to suspend anyone for being out of line I give them 30 days to cool their jets, unless they are a habitual troublemaker and then they are gone for good. Just my tactics, but they seem to work. There are times it seems the crime does not merit the punishment and this is one of those times, and I strongly question whether the banning didn't take some heat off one of the moderators who appeared to be involved in something not quite Kosher.

Thanks for your time......

Now please all get on with your lives and your band talk.

Years ago one board I was at was bombarded with flamers. It was horrible. I left the board because of it. But anyway, they used anonymizers that masked their IP's. It was impossible to truly ban them.

I am new, and certainly don't intend to be a part of this drama that I've walked in on, nor will I read the posts because it is none of my business. I do believe that banning users is not 100% effective because they come back with new accounts, and can in fact get another IP address as well. However, it sends a message to the people who are not involved in this type of drama that the personal goings on is NOT what this board represents.

As a new member of this board, I have found the postings about the band to be invaluable. I understand how things become so personal with the participants because we are all here for support of the SAME thing, weight loss. (which in itself is very emotionally charged) Friendships are made, and like in the real world, personalities clash. It is good when a moderator steps in and says "ok that is enough" when a person is being attacked, singled out, or ganged up on. This is a message board, not a popularity contest or a race to see who gets more posts. I hope that instead of QUANTITY of posts, we are getting QUALITY, because as a newbie that is why I came to lapband talk.

I hope that in posting this I am not thrown into the mix. Just thought you'd like a new set of eyes with an unbiased opinion. I wish everyone the best, have a safe Labor Day weekend.

Welcome. Mrs. Christy. For the most part, you will see quality postings and it's nice to have a newcomer's opinion on this. Thankfully, with the banning of certain members, peace seems to reign again.

I've been married for 33 years. I'm not allowed to have an opinion....although I did sneak in a vote...Phew didn't get caught...Life will be good for one more day.

Clearly the majority agrees that banning is effective and should be used.

I think that majority will learn that it doesn't keep the peace long since the trouble makers and their kronies aways find away back. If they don't others will come to stir the pot. It's human nature.

Frankly - I enjoy talking about the band, getting and given support when possible and the other stuff we talk about on this board but I think the same old same old discussions get old after awhile and the idyl mind will want to shake things up. My opinion is that it's a nameless faceless game that certain personalities think is funny. I don't think those people are really mean or nasty just bored...

I think banning CAN be effective. I have no idea what happened over the weekend, and I'm probably not sad I missed it. What Brooklyn said about IP's is true, and if she hadn't said it, I would have.

I absolutely think that something had to be done, because it's not like there were just nasty threads; there were perfectly good informational lap band related threads that got tainted by this crap and then locked, or turned into pages of fighting and then dropped off when another thread got chosen to fight in.

I was very careful to stay out of it, and have mostly tried to just answer threads in support of people, but I have largely avoided this place for the last few days as well. I would have left altogether if I didn't see threads I thought I could give helpful advice in.