The Last Warning Regarding Fandom Discussions

I'm putting this front and center because clearly remarking on this issue in the comments is not getting the job done.

My goal with The Falcoholic has always been to use the moderator tools at my disposal as a last resort. Any online community is stronger when members have a lot of latitude to share their opinions, debate respectfully and work through their differences, and for seven years this (largely) worked well, with a handful of exceptions.

You don't have to be a grizzled veteran of The Falcoholic to know that far too many discussions have devolved into endless bickering and questioning fanhood. Comment threads sometimes cease to be about the Falcons altogether, instead turning into a place to air grievances. In the process, there have been far too many accusations pertaining to stupid opinions, baseless negativity and groupthink, terms I have come to loathe.

Let me refresh your collective memories about the site rules here at The Falcoholic:

Please respect everyone on this blog, be they your fellow Falcons fans or fans of other teams. No personal attacks.

Do not troll. Ever. You will be warned and then banned.

Do not be a jerk for the sake of being a jerk, or come here simply to cause trouble. You will be warned and then banned.

Do not curse outside of the game threads. Do not use any hateful language.

No pornographic or inappropriate pictures or videos.

Don't spam the site with your own personal links. Ask politely.

You don't have to agree with the staff of The Falcoholic, but please respect them.

If you're implying someone is an idiot or a wuss, you're breaking a site rule. Some of you have been breaking site rules for months without real repercussions, and obviously the atmosphere in the comments has changed. Some members are electing to not comment or comment less because of it.

So here's the deal, folks:

1. If you're calling someone a bad fan or insulting them, and you've had a pattern of this behavior, I'm going to ban you. This is your warning. If you're thinking "I wonder if he means me," I probably do.
2. After a month away, if you think you can come back and add to the site without resorting to personal attacks, I will re-instate you and give you the chance to do so.
3. Take 30 seconds to read over your comment before you post it. Just 30 seconds. Is what you're saying insulting to another person? Okay, then rework that comment. Assume a level of good faith. If you really don't think it exists, flag that comment for myself, Jeanna and Caleb to review and let us make that determination.

I'm very fond of more or less every user here. You're all part of this community, and even if we've sparred on topics before, chances are I like and respect you. But I can't let that stand in the way of doing my job, which is providing a place for Falcons fans to come, read and debate respectfully and intelligently what's happening with their favorite football teams.

Questions? Comments? Go for it.