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"That was one reason we created separate threads for past contestants. So people who enjoy reading updates, looking at pictures, and reminiscing about certain episodes that meant something to them could continue to do so.'

Love_Me wrote:nikki we appreciate your suggestions and we will be sure to take them into consideration going forward.

I would like to point out that we will never be banning or giving infractions to anyone at this site.

No matter what their opinion might be the only rule we have is that members not bash each other in a personal way. If someone feels attacked then they should contact a mod and we will handle the situation.

Everyone is welcome here and we want them to enjoy posting. It does make me sad when people feel shunned or annoyed when they log in. That was never our intention.

If people are looking for a site were only positive things are allowed to be said about a contestant they might look for a fansite. I believe those are sites set up for that sole purpose. If someone says or posts something negative there then more times then not they will be asked to leave.

Thanks again for talking the time to share your ideas. Keep them coming.

Gina wrote:

Love_Me wrote:nikki we appreciate your suggestions and we will be sure to take them into consideration going forward.

I would like to point out that we will never be banning or giving infractions to anyone at this site.

No matter what their opinion might be the only rule we have is that members not bash each other in a personal way. If someone feels attacked then they should contact a mod and we will handle the situation.

Everyone is welcome here and we want them to enjoy posting. It does make me sad when people feel shunned or annoyed when they log in. That was never our intention.

If people are looking for a site were only positive things are allowed to be said about a contestant they might look for a fansite. I believe those are sites set up for that sole purpose. If someone says or posts something negative there then more times then not they will be asked to leave.

Thanks again for talking the time to share your ideas. Keep them coming.

This site is great just the way it is. I hate too many threads and never knew where to post at FORT. Too fussy and overdone. You've done a fantastic job and it's easy to navigate and everyone is entitled to post their opinion in every thread. Thanks for keeping it real and respecting our First Amendment rights.

When Ashley's season starts, we ALL may not be in agreement with her choices, but we are mature enough to respect others' opinions and have discussions, without being a bully about it and just agree to disagree sometimes.

nikkij_26 wrote:The new season of the Bachelorette is rapidly approaching and last season of the Bachelor and the time in between has been a bumpy road. I have appreciated this new board being created. I have hated the abrupt closing of FORT when the season was over and not being able to talk about the season or contestants again 'til after the new season starts and sometimes not even then. I have also not always liked having to deal with the abrupt closing of threads due to rules and fighting. However, I can see that things are on the verge of taking the same turn here. I know that the premise that anything goes here as long as everyone respects the members is supposed to help things. However, that was essentially the same premise of FORT. Unfortunately that premise served to aid only 1 side of a two sided issue that usually is what causes the fights on FORT and here. One side being those who like, choose, and want to be negative about a individual contestant or Bachelor/ette couple. The second side being those who like, choose, and want to be positive about a individual contestant or Bachelor/ette couple.

The anything goes policy on FORT ended up being one sided on FORT because the main premise was that anything and everything negative, vile, and disgusting could be said about a contestant because that contestant chose to be on a reality show and made themselves fair game but, nothing could be said about a member who was expressing an opinion. This essentially gave carte blanche to those posters who like to rip contestants to shreds, repeatedly, and unabashedly to a point beyond decency. It's a free country and everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, this would incite those on the other side of the issue who believed in a certain level of decency even for people on a reality show, especially when we don't know all the facts or the individuals involved. And after the repetitive nature of things and baiting couldn't take the negativity and became ultra defensive. Creating a hostile environment for those who wished to be positive. Those who wanted to be negative could say anything and everything and never worry about being banned or anything happening. While those who wished to be positive were left feeling they couldn't say anything positive in such a hostile environment or if they said something in defense of a contestant/couple it would escalate to them being banned. Here the primer for the same thing is set to happen.

Love Me , stated in her post about the site:

"That was one reason we created separate threads for past contestants. So people who enjoy reading updates, looking at pictures, and reminiscing about certain episodes that meant something to them could continue to do so.'

It's hard to enjoy updates, enjoy pictures, and enjoy reminscing about a couple or a contestant if there are those constantly coming in a thread to post something negative to every positive thing that you say. Or come into a thread to just say they were never in love, their doomed, start calling the contestant names, throwing negative/sarcastic jokes. People come to that thread because they are fans of the contestant or couple and it's hard to express that if at evry turn their are hecklers essentially. It's start the fans on the defensive and offensive goong after those being negative in the thread. Which leads to an escalation of fights. It's also not just coming in and giving a concerning thought about a contestant/couple or expressing one negative opinion. It's the tone of the negativity and what's said.

People can appreciate that people have an opposing opinion or thought. However, sometimes it's the need to play tit for tat and be repetitive. People wonder if you don't like a contestant or couple and don't care about them why continue to come into the thread. Well, it's a free country and we're allowed to say anything negative or positive about contestants. Then, people will come into a thread for example and say I can't stand this contestant or this couple is doomed. Then the next day or the next positive statement that is made in the thread will come back again and say I can't stand this contestant, this couple is doomed, or I still think they're doomed. It's like we get it you don't like the contestant and think the couple is doomed, do you have something new to contribute to the discussion or expound upon it. It gets to the point where to every positive post their is a negative response and it makes for a hostile environment which incites the the fans to get hostile back in defending the couple/contestant and baits them causing them to end up breaking the rules and getting banned. So, the other alternative is for fans to not post positive things so they won't encourage furthur negativity or got to another board/create a new fan one or avoid the thread so they can avoid the hostile environment.

The other side of that is for those who don't like a contestant/ couple, enjoy bashing contestants, being sarcastic about contestants/couples, gloating about a couple that didn't work out, etc. get attack by the fans of that contestant or couple. Those who didn't see the love between a couple, have genuine questions/concerns about a couple/contestant, aren't fans but aren't haters, want to casually follow-up on a couple/contestant even though they aren't fans and express an opinion feel they can't go into a thread without being attacked because of that negative opinion. All of this leads to fights, retaliation by fans to say something more negative about another contestant/couple to get back at them for the negative opinion, and negative posts about the poster.

I know this was long but, all of this was my way to lead up to my suggestion to keep this site from turning into FORt with people getting banned, threads getting closed down, or it being a site where only those who want to be negative feel comfortable coming to or posting at.

Suggestions:

Updates on Past Contestants/Couples Forum--

1. Keep the main fan favorite contestant threads & Bachelorette couple threads as a fan/positive/ update thread. People can post updates, pics, tweet updates, article updates in the thread. People who are fans can discuss the couple/contestant freely, reminisce about fun moments during their season, etc. People who aren't fans, are ambivalent, and just want to casually keep up with or know updates can peruse the thread. However, there we be no bashing/huge negativity about the contestant/couple discussed in the thread. Except for the posting of update article which might contain some negative info or updates. This way fans of the couple/contestant have a safe haven where they can post, avoid negativity, and get updates.

2. A. The general updates thread for all the contestants/couples who are less popular or less followed, you can do 1 of 2 things. Either keep it as it is allowing positive or negative discussion of those contestants in the thread and updates to be posted.

B. Or keep it only positive discussion and updates in the thread. Then allow negative discussion of the contestant/couples in the general discussion thread mentioned below.

3. Create a new thread that is for open general discussion of all contestants and couples. In this thread anything goes. Negative and positive discussion alike. This would allow people who wished to be negative to do so and be as free and as negative as they wish without worrying about being attacked. Even those who are fans who want a highly opposed discussion could have it there. However, they could also know that if they don't want to be in a negative place or here negative things about a contestant or couple they can not go in the thread and avoid it without having to leave the site. Knowing that there is a thread where they can post freely positive things in a non-hostile environment about the contestant/couple may help help them not be so hostile and negative towards those posting negative opinions or allow them to avoid the negative thread altogether. Those wanting to post negative things can go to town doing so without worrying about being attacked or called names. And they can also look in the positive threads and get updates and come back to the general thread to post negative thoughts without feeling they had to avoid th eupdates thread altogether. Therefore, hopefully lessoning fights and the need to fight on both sides.


New season/Ashley's Forum:

The same fighting and hostile environments can happen in the new season threads for contestants, particular on the Spoiler/Speculation side of things when leaks may lead to people knowing the f2 and choosing sides. This is my suggestions for this forum:

Non-Spoiler Threads--

1. Allow the individual contestant threads to be for fans of the contestant, news, general info on the contestant, and general commentary on why the contestant is liked and they would be a good match for Ashley. No negative talk about the contestant.

2. Let the Weekly episode discusion thread be open for both negative and positive talk about the contestant, their actions during the episode, and general episode talk without spoilers. Let this thread be closed by midday the day after the episode airs or no later than 24 hours after. And all further talk be pushed to the general discussion thread mentioned in 3.

3. Create general discussion non-spoiler thread. In this thread people can discuss all contestants positively or negatively, potential with Ashley, and all the episodes after the weekly episode thread is closed. It will be known that their is negative talk in this thread. So, those who wish to avoid it can stick to the positive individual threads for their favorite contestant. And there would be no spoilers.

Spoiler threads---

1. Create individual contestant threads. Let these be fan spoiler threads of the contestant. Here fans can speak positively about the contestant. Their would be no negative talk about the contestant in their individual thread. People can discuss why they think their contestant fits the spoilers of the winner. Discuss articles about the contestant. Discuss the connection they feel the contestant has with Ashley without fear of recrimination. Discuss why they think their contestant is better than other contestants. Fans can discuss why they disbelieve the spoilers and still feel their contestant is the F1 without recrimination like like during Ali & Brad's season, especially. Discuss why they think RS or some other spoiler is wrong about their contestant. And posters with knowledge of spoilers specifically about that contestant can post it in the thread and it be more easily seen or found than in the general threads. If it's a positive spoiler it can be discusse din the thread. If people don't believe the negative spoiler they can hash it out in the general threads. If it's a negative spoiler people can discuss why they don't believe the spoiler and still feel the contestant has a chance in the thread. If things get negative they can be discussed in the general threads.

2. Let the weekly Episode Spoiler thread be a place where people can discuss the week's episode an danything positive or negative about a contestant, their connection with Ashley, spoilers, and their actions during the episode. Positive and negative opinions would be known to eb allowed in the thread.

3. All other spoiler threads (RS, F1/F2, F1234, Editing, Who will win, what will happen at FRC, etc. etc.) can have positive AND negative discussion of contestants, their connection to Ashley, whether they fit spoilers, whether they would make it as a couple, etc. EXCEPT for the individual contestant spoiler threads. Therefore, fans know that it's carte blanche on negativity, ridicule of opinions that go against spoilers, and a free for all in the non-individual contestant threads and they can avoid them if they choose. They have the safe haven of their contestant's thread. Hopefully this would tone down some of the fighting.


This would help and apply to all posters at some point because usually those on one side liking a contestant/couple or disliking a contestant/couple will possibly find themselves on the other side next season. So it benefits everyone eventually. Especially for those of us who don't go for vehement, nasty negativity at all even when they don't care for a couple/contestant themselves. Apologize for my posts length but, just trying to keep the peace and head stuff off before it gets worse before the season starts. It may not help. You may not like the suggest or take them up but, I thought I would offer them as food for thought for what it's worth since I like the board and don't need the negativity.



Great suggestions Nicki. Yes it is hard to be objective when you get beaten down everytime you post.

:D :D :D :D :D

Yes it is hard to be objective when you get beaten down everytime you post.

richlp wrote:Please leave the site just like it is, it's awesome!

We don't need a fanzine, we can always pick up the latest copy of 16 or Tiger Beat if we want a love fest...