Two suggestions for the forum:

1) Hosts cannot post to any kind of response to another hosts' advertisement. Even while they might be asking a question about the service(s) advertised, often times their intent is just to trash the offer.

2) Hosts cannot criticize other hosts in any way in any area of the forum unless they have first hand experience with the host they are criticizing.

I just throwing out ideas for rule changes... Just ideas. Please don't flame me.

Here's another (somewhat related) suggestion: People should not accuse each other of being argumentative. I know it sounds silly but there have been a number of flamewars which have consisted of little more than arguing over who is being argumentative.

Heh cperciva, yes I love the threads where people start arguing over who is arguing. Ahh well, that falls into common sense, sometimes ignored.

Jeffrey (re: #1), one problem with that is that often the 'hosts' asking questions in some of the threads are actually interested in the offer. Not always, but there are a good number of hosts here who are either merely resellers, or they lease servers (obtain services, etc.) from other hosts, etc.

I know what you mean, though disallowing hosts from replying to threads and asking questions would be unfair to people like you who do a good business servicing 'hosts'. Maybe there is another way to word it, or some of the issues you have are covered (indirectly) by the current guidelines?

Do you see what I'm talking about?

Re: #2, this is the overall best scenario in terms of just about any post on this forum. It is also the hardest to enforce, and substantiated opinions are the only ones that *should* be posted. This isn't always the case, but if you see something off, please report it. I know what you mean, but it is nearly impossible to enforce as it crosses over into that grey 'well this is my opinion and this is a discussion board' line. Again, suggestions are welcome.

Maybe

You should make it so another hosting company can not reply to any posts started by another hosting company.

In which case there will be no replies and this will stop the violence.

I think every limitation possible should be enforced, and in which no one will post.

Joe

I vote for the stopping of all posting to all posts. Thank You

Heh, Charles, yes that would solve everything now wouldn't it?

Originally posted by JBIZ718
Maybe You should make it so another hosting company can not reply to any posts started by another hosting company.

Errrr... Joe this is what I just explained to Jeffrey, but put another way:

Some 'hosts' are actually just resellers, or maybe they lease machines from other 'hosts' so I'm not sure this is a rule we could apply universally. Also, some linux hosts often require an NT package for a client and look for this, etc.

For example, you are a host Joe. But some of your clients are also hosts (hostexp for example). See what I mean? I can't limit them those types from posting, as they are looking for servers or accounts, etc.

I will agree with charles on this one

I think that no one should be aloud to reply

Joe

Discussion is highly overrated.

1) Hosts cannot post to any kind of response to another hosts' advertisement. Even while they might be asking a question about the service(s) advertised, often times their intent is just to trash the offer.

I understand what you mean here, but from a moderator's standpoint, that would be really hard to enforce.

You are also asking for a lot of headaches.

Say you post a special. Hosts and non-hosts are interested. Since hosts can not post to the thread, they have to contact you directly. This means you will be potentially opening yourself up to answering the same question over and over again. Now, if you do not answer the email in a timely fashion, THEN the host has the right to post that your company is slow in answering email because they have personal experience with you. If they had posted to the thread, that opening would not be there.

Also, it stops a host from speaking favorably of you if they have personal experience with you. It carries weight for example, if you lease servers and hosts are satisfied with your services. That is word of mouth on a public forum.

It would be better to notify the moderator of the offending post, and splice the thread, and keep the good posts intact. If the host breaks the rules, the offending host needs to be suspended, period, end of story.

As I said, I do understand your point though. :D