Ever since I started this forum,I have debated what the purpose of it should be. Once I decided (and yes the use of the word "I" is deliberate because the decision was made by me and me alone) I put it on the top of the forum. To make it easy to understand, I will now copy it here:
"FineSoccer Forum Help others and receive help concerning soccer and goalkeeping Your Name and email adddress are REQUIRED participate in this forum!"
The intent is for this forum and the participants of this forum to help others and receive help concerning soccer and goalkeeping. Also, the ground rules are very simple. Your name and email address are REQUIRED. My thought behind this was to make this forum a place where a person could go and ask a question and not be made fun of, not be ridiculed and not be spoken down to. I figured that by requiring the persons name and email address, it would make people a little bit more accountable for their words and actions. In all honesty, I think it has worked. We have been able to avoid the name calling, ridiculing and other stuff that goes on in other forums.
I slowed down my posting to the Forum for two reasons. First, because I wanted others to have the opportunity to discuss things and I noticed that when I replied first, too often the discussion stopped. The other reason I stopped posting as much is that I have to always make the decision as to the best use of my time. Sending out as many newsletters as I do takes time. Answering the number of emails I receive from this site takes time (I reply to over 50 emails a day related to soccer questions resulting from this site). Plus, all of the other things that take time in the running of this site. Keep in mind, that everything I have described are things I do for free. Soccer to me is something I do as a hobby. it's not a full time job (well if you figured in all of the hours it is but in terms of money it's certainly not since most of what I do is done as a volunteer). If I have to allow threads go on that have the following sentences in it:
"“Put them in the same bin with the tort lawyers.”
“Live in your make beieve world”
I would have to constantly monitor the forum in order to make sure it doesn't get out of hand and that would take away from me doing other things. Ricardo made a valid point and my response included the following:
"If people would like to continue this discussion in a way that they and others can learn I will allow it to continue"
The point is that people who follow the rules like Ricardo (and please understand I have no idea who Ricardo is) will be able to continue this thread. If you want to start to follow the rules, you may too.
I am fully aware that not many other soccer forums or discussion board or whatever you want to call them operate this way but I am ok with that
Have a great day!
Lawrence
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