Personal Abuse of Players/Villa Staff

[P3te]

This might not be the place for it, but I have to say I'm sick to the back teeth of seeing some of the carry on from posters on this site. Players, coaches, directors etc are being call words removed, clearings in the woods, arseholes and everything else and it's tiresome. They're trying to do their job, if they're not able to do it or not good enough to do it then that's obviously not something we're all happy with, but I don't think for one second that there should be personal abuse doled out to them for it.

Is there anything in the rules for the site regarding this kind of nonsense? I'm sure I'm not the only who is getting increasingly disgusted with seeing the way some Villa fans are talking about our players and staff. I know there are warnings for poster on poster comments, would it be possible to get something similar implemented for this kind of stuff? I'm all for criticising a player's performance, or calling him shit or whatever. That's part and parcel of the game, and it's attacking their abilities, not their person, which is unnecessary and uncalled for particularly since none of us know the guys, for the most part.

 

I'm not trying to police the place or anything like that, it's just something that's been getting worse and worse, and it's making it harder to come to the site and get decent talk going IMO

[limpid]

The posting guidelines are linked at the bottom of every page. Every post has a report button which we encourage you to use if you think someone has broken them. There is an ignore function if particular posters annoy you. The current guidelines certainly cover anything which might be libellous.

As there hasn't been a single report of this previously, I'm reluctant to change anything at this time. Perhaps this thread will flush out some other unhappy people.

Personally, I think you hear worse at Villa Park, which is why we are a bit more relaxed in match threads. We've always tried to balance the rules to be what would be acceptable amongst mates in the pub.

[P3te]

Cheers. I've had a read of the posting guidelines and I'm still just a little unsure of the line on this. My confusion arises from this particular bit:

 

Swearing & Insults
Swearing is unacceptable. Please consider that children read this site and moderate your language as you normally would in front of them. Repeated swearing will ultimately get you a ban.
Insults are not acceptable. Keep personal vendettas and insults off this message board, please. When posting make sure you post on the comment, not the person. Continual personal attacks on, or comments about, a poster will result in posting privileges being revoked. If you do not like this website, do not post threads about it.

 

Basically, it's quite clear about posting on posters, but not about personal attacks on players. I assume it's a catch-all but just wanted to make sure. I really don't want to be wasting mods time reporting things when a player is called this, that or the other, when it's clearly not about their professional ability, but more about the person themselves if it's not really an issue by the guidelines, when I could rightly, as you say, just block the poster. I agree that "down the pub" speak should be encouraged, and wouldn't like to be a dick about that, just some of the stuff is a bit much. Players being called words removed because they're not good enough isn't on. It's not like anyone goes onto the pitch in a Villa jersey to intentionally do badly. Regardless of what we think of some of them, myself included, it should always be clear that it's about them as players, not as people, IMO

Edited March 10, 2013 by P3te

[limpid]

No the quoted paragraph applies to posters only. Swearing should be reported.

[P3te]

So non-professional related attacks on players aren't necessarily breaking rules? Blocking it is  

Cheers

[limpid]

I've never even had any feedback from the club about it. I think it's accepted as part being in the public eye. When it's something the club don't like you can see it in things like the guidelines about tickets.