The new VB rules

[Second Summer]

Disclaimer: This is just a heads up and warning to others in the community who are VB members that you may unknowingly be in violation of the new rules, as I haven't seen any public announcement or discussion about these changes. This is not intended to start a forum war or anything of that nature.

You may recall, back in the day the VB rules were simple and straightforward. (Maybe we were naive back then.) These days the rules seem just a bit more complicated though. In fact, having just run my word counter on them, they're now up to ~ 5000 words. That is more than even the meticulous and voluminous rules on Vegan Forum which have ~ 3900 words. (Compare that to the current VV rules with a measly word count of ~ 500.) But I suppose when you're a big corporation, you need to think about every eventuality and cover every possible aspect.

The quote below is from the VB TOS, edited by Jennifer C, Michael, VeggieBoards, monicas, and huddler, last updated 23 April 2013.

When using this site you agree that you will not:
[...]
Engage in personal attacks on other members or use hate speech.

Former or current VB members will recognise (and hopefully agree with) this rule about personal attacks. But this is where it gets confusing, because now there is an additional personal attacks rule:

Engage in personal attacks against the VeggieBoards community, this includes promoting other like-minded forums in your posts or signature. This may result your signature being deleted and/or a user ban. If you don't like VB, that's fine, but please just leave without a scene and drama.

I was always under the impression that personal attacks were just that - personal. Not exactly something you could do against a whole community. But semantics aside, is having a link to VV in your signature really an attack against the VeggieBoards community? What is really meant by that phrase? Does having a link to VV in your signature constitute causing a scene? Or drama?

Before I discovered the updated rules, my signature had twice been mysteriously deleted, and I received no notification about it. I know others have had the same experience. This would be somewhat understandable if there had been a public announcement on VB about the new rules, but that is not the case as far as I am aware.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I always knew they wouldn't tolerate that sort of thing, links in posts or sigs, so never bothered.

 

[RabbitLuvr]

Having a link to any other forum is an "attack?" I wonder if this includes links/mentions of, for example the PPK, or a personal vegan blog?



I really don't understand how that constitutes an attack.

 

[Blobbenstein]

yes, if an American comes to the UK and says they like America; that is a personal attack on the UK...

 

[Amy SF]

I haven't posted on VB in over a year. I don't even remember what my VB signature looks like. But I do know there's no mention of VV in it.

 

[Blobbenstein]

I don't even remember what my VB signature looks like.

It's:

*this space not for sale*

 

[Poppy]

The rules on VB have become awfully complicated, imho.

Those specific rules were written (to the best of my memory) primarily in reaction to the formation of VV and the rather dramatic way some former VBers chose to leave - a couple had invitations to vv in their sigs (don't remember who or the exact wording). My guess would be that having links to other sites would be addressed on a case by case basis, and that links to this site might even be tolerated with time, as long as there weren't a coordinated effort to persuade VBers to join VV. But I could be wrong.

 

[Amy SF]

But it's been a year since a lot of VBers jumped ship and joined VV. I doubt they're still leaving VB en masse specifically to join VV. In fact, some members joined VV, posted for a while, and then left and went back to VB. Why are they still paranoid about it?

 

[Blobbenstein]

VB-I

would be a good smiley.

 

[SummerRain]

I know what they're getting at... but if you weren't aware of the VB/VV thing, to a new person, that would look like a very strange rule. Wouldn't most people be on more than one "like minded" i.e. vegetarian forum? Why would it be an attack to promote another forum other people might be interested in?

I mean, if you post any vegetarian/vegan related web link, that's against that rule. "Hey, look at this cool vegetarian blog!" "Are you a member of Vegan Freaks?" "I love the vegetarian society, they have lots of useful information".

 

[Alice-Bee]

If they were so worried about people promoting Veg*n websites they should have thought before opening their doors to non veg*ns.

Anything VB related now simply I have no fucks to give.

 

[Mel]

I just checked over there. My sig line still has the link to here. It's just that no one has noticed it since I don't post there anymore.

Now, let's see how long it takes for someone from VB to see this post and reports me over there.

 

[Poppy]

But it's been a year since a lot of VBers jumped ship and joined VV. I doubt they're still leaving VB en masse specifically to join VV. In fact, some members joined VV, posted for a while, and then left and went back to VB. Why are they still paranoid about it?

I honestly don't think they're paranoid. I'm not currently active there, but based on my experience, the drama seems to have died down on both boards.

 

[Mel]

I honestly don't think they're paranoid. I'm not currently active there, but based on my experience, the drama seems to have died down on both boards.

You're right about that, I think. It's probably something they added in the midst of all the drama, and just left it. There will probably be other VB spinoffs in the future, and I suppose this gives them something to work with when/if members decide to leave and try to bring others with them.

 

[peacefulveglady]

Wow, they are becoming paranoid , I have a Christian friend on a Christian board of mine that has a link to another board she runs and they don't complain about it.

 

[FortyTwo]

Wait, so that place hasn't just devolved into "is honey vegan" and "are there any vegan straight guys" since the exodus?

 

[cornsail]

If they were so worried about people promoting Veg*n websites they should have thought before opening their doors to non veg*ns.

The door is still closed to non veg*ns unless they are seeking support in transitioning to becoming veg*n.

 

[Muggle]

The door is still closed to non veg*ns unless they are seeking support in transitioning to becoming veg*n.

********. They have meat-eaters as members. Monica or whatever her name is (I'm not going back to check as VB causes chrome to crash) is the one I can remember. The one who was a patronising arse telling members that they shouldn't use the internet if they were scared of meat-eaters running websites they used.
Completely missed the whole ******* point of what VB was.

 

[cornsail]

********. They have meat-eaters as members. Monica or whatever her name is (I'm not going back to check as VB causes chrome to crash) is the one I can remember. The one who was a patronising arse telling members that they shouldn't use the internet if they were scared of meat-eaters running websites they used.
Completely missed the whole ****ing point of what VB was.

I did raise this issue and Monica is no longer allowed to post there. I stand by my statement.

 

[kazyeeqen]

I miss Heather.