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This topic has moved here: Subject: What does the Community think of Forum Cop-ism?
  • Subject: What does the Community think of Forum Cop-ism?
Subject: What does the Community think of Forum Cop-ism?
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I think forum cops help. When a new user comes out with a religous topic or a political topic, a forum cop could get them outta trouble with mods. But, I don't know why it's such a big deal. I remember when dumbfan blew up on Iceman Assass1n for playing forum cop. He must've been pissed that day, becasue he just totally freaked out. And I can't see what the big deal would be.

  • 10.08.2006 8:29 PM PDT
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Posted by: Carnage Kaiser
Forums cops. Always the do-gooders of the community. But I'm here asking, what does the community really think of them. Personally, I love 'em. When the mods get drunk, the cops step up to the plate and aid the community. Always the one that get's praised for their thoughts and ideas.
[snip]
But back to the original question, what do you think of Forum Cop-ism.

The mods can't be everywhere at once. Therefore, Forum Cops are very useful in gently correcting wayward threads that the mods miss.

However, some Forum Cops are elitist, because they think they're so much better than the people they're correcting.

I consider myself a Forum Cop. The good kind. All I need now is my badge.

  • 10.08.2006 8:31 PM PDT
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Posted by: aku
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think I've ever seen the term Forum Cop used in a good way, besides threads like this one. When it's used in real conversations, it always seems to be in a somewhat negative way, even when used by moderators. But maybe that's just my interpretation.


Naturally. The people who go around and just cite rules (also commonly the people who are likely to go "blacklisted/locked in 3...2...1...") are the ones that are not only more common, but also burned into our minds. The guys that help don't stick out much from your common "Septagonian," so they don't have much of an impact on the title. Of course, members saying things like "Nobody likes a Forum Cop" don't help much either. It will most likely never be used the way "good cops" would like it to be, because it's easier to use the name being currently used than to think of another name and reverse the community's thinking so that Forum Cops are now good.

As for the mods sometimes yelling at Forum Cops, and using the bad name...well...I'll assume that those who don't like Forum Cops don't like them because they'd rather not take the chance of liking a member who might be seeking the white text and trying to disguise it as a concern for the community. But perhaps all the moderators like what we've been calling "good cops," and just don't like it when someone is wrong or rude in citing the rules.

[Edited on 10/8/2006]

  • 10.08.2006 8:32 PM PDT

Posted by: WolfmanMaverick
You people have just sent my sides into orbit. A bunch of MLG try hards sucking the dick of some supposed pro half the thread hasn't even heard of. Classic.

A truly good "Forum Cop" would actually PM the poster and inform them. To do it in public no matter how "nice" you do it can still be a bit embarrasing for the poster. When done via PM the poster can take the advice a bit better. So in reality you will never even see a truly good "Forum Cop".

  • 10.08.2006 8:32 PM PDT
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Posted by: Achilles1108
A truly good "Forum Cop" would actually PM the poster and inform them. To do it in public no matter how "nice" you do it can still be a bit embarrasing for the poster. When done via PM the poster can take the advice a bit better. So in reality you will never even see a truly good "Forum Cop".


But then again, the poster gets pestered with 5 or 6 PMs telling him he posted his thread in the wrong forum, and it should belong in "X" forum. I thought about that too, and it seems a bit better that one person make a kind post than for the member to be annoyed at people telling him that he did something wrong that he already knows was wrong. But that subject is too subjective to have a correct answer.

  • 10.08.2006 8:36 PM PDT
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Posted by: Achilles1108
A truly good "Forum Cop" would actually PM the poster and inform them. To do it in public no matter how "nice" you do it can still be a bit embarrasing for the poster. When done via PM the poster can take the advice a bit better. So in reality you will never even see a truly good "Forum Cop".


Well, if it is a rule that is commonly broken, or that is just not well known, then you could actually help the community by pointing it out in public. So there can be benefits to both sides.

  • 10.08.2006 8:36 PM PDT
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Posted by: KrazyKorean4
I think forum cops help. When a new user comes out with a religous topic or a political topic, a forum cop could get them outta trouble with mods. But, I don't know why it's such a big deal. I remember when dumbfan blew up on Iceman Assass1n for playing forum cop. He must've been pissed that day, becasue he just totally freaked out. And I can't see what the big deal would be.


It was when I replied to a certain spammer who made a new account named "Snowman Assassin" (LoL) and I made the mistake in asking him why he did that.

That was my bad. I really shouldn't have replied to him. But I think dmb was more upset at the fact that I can tell people the rules, but not follow them. I do follow the rules though, and that one time was just a slip up, but hey- all it takes is one, right?

At any rate, I assume he was more upset at what I did, not me playing Forum cop. Or both. Who knows with him, he's a character :-)

[Edited on 10/8/2006]

  • 10.08.2006 8:48 PM PDT

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  • 10.08.2006 9:06 PM PDT
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I like to Rollick

I'm okay with it as long as the don't slip up, since they tell everyone what to do their record should be flawless and if a forum cop does something against the rules then it makes them seem hypocritical.

  • 10.08.2006 11:20 PM PDT

SB-117

Posted by: Mabian
Posted by: Achilles1108
A truly good "Forum Cop" would actually PM the poster and inform them. To do it in public no matter how "nice" you do it can still be a bit embarrasing for the poster. When done via PM the poster can take the advice a bit better. So in reality you will never even see a truly good "Forum Cop".


But then again, the poster gets pestered with 5 or 6 PMs telling him he posted his thread in the wrong forum, and it should belong in "X" forum. I thought about that too, and it seems a bit better that one person make a kind post than for the member to be annoyed at people telling him that he did something wrong that he already knows was wrong. But that subject is too subjective to have a correct answer.

No, Achilles is right. If they make a thread in the wrong forum, a "forum cop" would technically be spamming by telling him where to put it (unless it was PMed).

Better to have those messages in the posters inbox than on the public forums (bumping spam threads to boot). Whether more people see the rules or not is irrelevant, you're not supposed to bump spam threads, it's not up to you whether it's worth it as it's not your decision really.

The reason people are called a derogatory "forum cop" is because they are displaying their knowledge of the rules as if to say "Hey, give me some priviledges, I'm an awesome member!". If they just PM to help members out and point them in the right direction, then that's proof that they are not doing it to either catch attention or to brag about their knowledge of the rules, instead they are just trying to help.

I think forum cops shouldn't be "forum copping" (in public) purely because they are self-appointed and do not speak on behalf of Bungie.net. They can continue to "forum cop" all they like I guess but I prefer members who focus on contributing on-topic discussion as opposed to members who focus on pointing out off-topic discussion.

But hey, that's just me...

[Edited on 10/8/2006]

  • 10.08.2006 11:35 PM PDT

Personally i couldn't care less, im hardly on here anymore. On a more responsible note, i don't mind as long as they aren't abnoxious about it.

  • 10.08.2006 11:41 PM PDT
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I just report problems to the mods and let them handle it. That is their job.

  • 10.09.2006 4:08 AM PDT
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Posted by: Mabian
Posted by: Achilles1108
A truly good "Forum Cop" would actually PM the poster and inform them. To do it in public no matter how "nice" you do it can still be a bit embarrasing for the poster. When done via PM the poster can take the advice a bit better. So in reality you will never even see a truly good "Forum Cop".

But then again, the poster gets pestered with 5 or 6 PMs telling him he posted his thread in the wrong forum, and it should belong in "X" forum. I thought about that too, and it seems a bit better that one person make a kind post than for the member to be annoyed at people telling him that he did something wrong that he already knows was wrong. But that subject is too subjective to have a correct answer.

I have to agree with Mabian here; if an off-topic post is at or near the top of the page (i.e. replying won't really bump it so much), then I'll post a link to the correct forum with an (courteous) explanation. This means that other 'helpers' don't waste time doing the same thing or sending a PM, and also hopefully discourages other people from replying.

I'll also try and answer the question in the OP, or respond to any issues he's talking about, as I think that it is slightly annoying to have someone reply -just- to tell you you're in the wrong place... =P

[Edited on 10/9/2006]

  • 10.09.2006 5:46 AM PDT
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"Whatever exists, whatever in creation exists without my knowledge exists without my consent. These anonymous creatures may seem little or nothing in the world. Yet the smallest crumb can devour us. Any smallest thing beneath yon rock out of men's knowing. Only nature can enslave man and only when the existence of each last entity is routed out and made to stand naked before him will he be properly suzerain of the earth."

Posted by: ash55
Better to have those messages in the posters inbox than on the public forums (bumping spam threads to boot). Whether more people see the rules or not is irrelevant, you're not supposed to bump spam threads, it's not up to you whether it's worth it as it's not your decision really.


I've always seen a difference between posting a reply to a thread at the bottom of a page and posting a reply to a thread at the top. If a thread is about to fall to page two, I might send a PM, but I'm not going to reply to it. If a thread is newly created (or was created very recently), I'll make a reply.

The reason people are called a derogatory "forum cop" is because they are displaying their knowledge of the rules as if to say "Hey, give me some priviledges, I'm an awesome member!". If they just PM to help members out and point them in the right direction, then that's proof that they are not doing it to either catch attention or to brag about their knowledge of the rules, instead they are just trying to help.

I think forum cops shouldn't be "forum copping" (in public) purely because they are self-appointed and do not speak on behalf of Bungie.net. They can continue to "forum cop" all they like I guess but I prefer members who focus on contributing on-topic discussion as opposed to members who focus on pointing out off-topic discussion.


Agh...the problem of people misinterpreting a person's actions. Oh well, it's not like the problem can be actually solved. I've thought about PMs vs. Replies for a while, and I eventually came to the conclusion that a reply was better.

And I tend to not like "Forum Cop-ing" with ads. I tend to go into threads that belong in, say, the Halo 3 Forum, quickly and politely state that the user made a mistake to be used as reference for the future, then address the question as best I can. You can't do that with advertisements.

  • 10.09.2006 5:55 AM PDT
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Bugger reading the topic, i'd ignore half of your opninions anyway :).

Basically, shout about the rules (note the lack of the term "forum cop", that usually implies a prat who doesn't have a clue) all you want, as long as you follow a few little guidelines.

* Don't be an arse
* Be kind, not everyone has been here forever and not everyone knows the rules
* Only do it if you're 100% sure. This even applies to the mods, I've seen threads moved that were way on topic.
* NEVER do the "Locked in 3...2..." or "banned" crap. It's annoying, and frankly you should be banned for doing it.
* Don't feed the trolls. Simply PM a moderator, or hop on IRC or something and get it locked and dealt with quietly. S'The only way.
* If the thread's in the wrong forum, feel free to post in the thread anyway until it's moved, just add "and for future reference, you might get a better response in whatever". Don't post crap like "wrong forum, noob".
* You can never have enough cowbell.

[Edited on 10/9/2006]

  • 10.09.2006 8:45 AM PDT
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*after skim-reading most of the topic, iam replies.

Another thing you (plural) have to remember is that everyone here (except for a few here and there) is human. Yes, that means they're susceptible to making mistakes. Whether they're... under the influence of alcohol, didn't check for grammar or anything else that's trivial, mistakes can (and occasionally will) be made.

  • 10.09.2006 9:54 AM PDT
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Forum cops can be annoying, but like you said, I respect their goal. I mean, if not overdone and done constructively, Copism can be great.

But that guy who comes into a thread that might be innappropriate and says something retarded like "3, 2, 1, locked" is simply being unproductive.

So yes, good forum cops are nice to have around. Bad forum cops should be punched in the ovaries.

  • 10.09.2006 11:58 AM PDT

I'll be on my own side.

I hate people who run around and just post things like "wrong forum". Usually, if someone posts a topic in the wrong forum, I check their join date. If it's relatively new, then I'll let them know. If they've been here a while I either ignore the thread, or just reply to it normally.

I don't bother letting older members know it's a wrong forum, because it doesn't make the thread move to its rightful place, they should already know what goes where(in most cases) and I can always count on some pompous forum cop to do it for me.

There's always exceptions, where it's tough to decide where to post it, and that's acceptable, but when someone from 2005 posts a Halo 3 weapons idea thread in the Underground, I just ignore it.

In my mind, there's a difference between a helpful member and a forum cop, and I think the mods think the same way. A helpful member is someone who points members in the right direction with threads, or letting someone know that the topic is a volatile one, and to be a bit careful.

A forum cop is one who runs around saying wrong forum, but doesn't let the member know what forum the thread belongs in, posts crap like "3,2,1, locked", flaming members for making stupid topics instead of just PMing a mod, and generally acts like a mod.

[Edited on 10/9/2006]

  • 10.09.2006 1:03 PM PDT
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Forum Cops

There ya have it.

  • 10.09.2006 2:06 PM PDT

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I think that Forum Cops are funny. I laugh at them.

EDIT: Nedus got my explanation down pretty well. Most forum cops are jerks. Saying "This belongs in the Classifieds, idiot" to someone who joined a week ago isn't all that helpful, or considerate. You can tell them it belongs in the Classifieds in a civilized manner.

[Edited on 10/9/2006]

  • 10.09.2006 2:17 PM PDT

Forum cops either like pissing people off, or they are little suck-ups that are trying to show how they can be a good moderator, etc.

If someone has something in their post against the rules, you don't have to say it! Chances are, everyone already knows it, and you don't have to call them on it, because people will get pissed at you and flame you, and besides, a moderator will lock it eventually.
If the post bugs you, just don't post there.

  • 10.09.2006 2:18 PM PDT
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Within each steel-bound coffin of a cell, / Buried alive;
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Who see the world’s great anguish and its wrong / And dare not speak.

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Posted by: Kilroy
Forum Cops

There ya have it.


Er... try this?

Maybe I'm mistaken, but I could have sworn someone linked to the actual thread already. Oh well. I thought it was a good read.

  • 10.09.2006 2:18 PM PDT

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Forum Tutorials --- WATCH THEM AND LEARN

Forum cops are only good when they know what they're doing. When you get these fools who say, "loler the flood is that away" when really, the post either belongs in another forum, or doesn't need to be moved at all, it really makes me want to punch them in the face. It's even more annoying to watch when they debate that the thread is in the wrong forum with the topic starter, turning it into a pile of off-topic garbage.

If you're going to cop, do it right. Add something to the discussion that's being held, as well as a little tidbit saying that it's done something wrong.

  • 10.09.2006 2:19 PM PDT