Changes are afoot...

Folks,

For quite some time I've been hinting to our staff and moderators that we would be changing the way our premium message boards operate. I was going to wait until our coaching search was over before moving forward so as to ease us into it but after seeing how things unraveled here lately, we may as well do it now and get it over with.

Let me get to the point and tell you what's going to change...

At the core, certain attitudes and conduct here. I've been cringing at all the infighting, insults, profanities, needless arguments, histrionics when things don't go well, throwing people under the bus, attacking long time Gators/staff/insiders, etc. and so on.

In short, it's not the place I envisioned our Gator Country family hanging out in... Much less myself or any fellow Gators I've come to know and love.

Yes, some of the problems are cultural, society and expectations have changed, people want results quicker, they're frustrated as heck, and all that. I totally get it. And no, we don't want to be a place of sunshine pumpers and no disagreements, that's not the point of a discussion board and certainly not my intent.

But to be a place of common decency, civil discourse with intelligent and frank discussions? And politely agreeing to disagree when others don't see your point?

That's where we should and will be. There's plenty of other message boards out there but we are not them and they are not us. I would like Gator Country to be a beacon of quality and maturity in a sea of noise even if it might cost us traffic and revenue.

So enough is enough -- if you want to be here, you will have to learn to conduct yourself accordingly. It's really not that hard - check your tempers and think before you post. Otherwise, either go to our free boards or other places more suitable for that sort of thing.

I will be working with and empowering our moderators with guidelines to follow and enforce so we can get back to being a place of sanity and thoughtful discussions. Meanwhile, please feel free to report posts that need to be looked at.

There will be a bit of a grace period to help all of us adjust on both sides, but let this serve as notice old behaviors contrary to the spirit of civility and cordiality are no longer welcome here.

Ray

 

Those of you who need specifics:

• be mature, cordial, and civil
• no infighting/argumentative tones
• no profanity
• no insults or attacking of others or throwing people under the bus
• no histrionics or end of the world or sky is falling or (insert your favorite phrase here) scenarios
• Those who bring inside information get extra protection and are off-limits. Let them bring their info and let their info prove itself out over time for you to decide to follow or ignore.

The easiest thing to remember when posting is "How can I contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way?"

It is absolutely okay to disagree and to engage along those lines while honoring other points and views. Bear in mind just because someone disagrees with you or you disagree with them doesn't invalidate who you (or they) are.

In short, think of us all in a nice clubhouse (with beautiful Orange and Blue tones & hors d'oeuvres and cocktails on the fringes) where we are gathered to share in a common bond - our love for the Florida Gators.

Some long timers may remember I used to post the Four Agreements by don Miguel Ruiz at the top of our forums. It would do well to bring them back as a nice reminder of our civility:

1. Be Impeccable with your Word
Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.

2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.

3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.​

I realize some of the above falls into gray areas so we will have a bit of a grace period to give all of us time to adjust to the new way of doing things and figure it out together. We will be winging some of this along the way.

Thank you and feel free to ask questions or clarification.
Ray