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[Jimmy-T]

We are a pretty tolerant lot here at Flat Chat – hey, we live in apartments so say no more.

But thre ar some thing people do on websites that we just don’t tolerate here.  In most cases you will get a warning that you have crossed a line.  In some, you may be suspended for a few days.  In other, you will be blocked from ever writing to the website, even if you use a new ID.

What mischief could result in such draconian penalties?  Here’s a few to be going on with …

Multi-identities …

Some people have nothing better to do with their time than create multiple usernames and then engage in “conversations” with themselves. There’s a word for that. At worst, they “gang up” on other posters and even, in one case, against a moderator who had corrected one of their split personalities. The thing is, they are rarely as smart as they think they are and it’s relatively easy to spot  turns of phrase, certain misuses of language and other tell-tale signs. Once it is confirmed that their posts have come from the same source, which is very easy to do, these idiots get an indefinite ban from the site. However, having to change your username for technical reasons is fine by us.

Multi-posting …

A less heinous crime, but almost as annoying, is posting variations of the same question under a number of different topics in the hope that one will be answered. If your question hasn’t been answered in, say, a week.  Give us a nudge by sending an additional post.  Don’t have us running around in circles with different moderators and guest posters wasting their time answering the same questions.  That will usually lead to a suspension.

Verbal abuse …

Sarcasm is just about tolerable but unnecessary.  Outright abuse of another poster will get you kicked off the site quicksmart and permanently.  The line is arbitrary so best to stay well on the polite side of the fence.

Advertising …

Our sponsors pay a lot to advertise on this website.  Attempts to sneak advertising for your company, into your “signature” or in a link within the post, will be viewed as an error the first time you do it but there will be consequences thereafter.  That said, if someone wants to openly make a bona fide recommendation of a service or a company that will benefit the readers of this Forum, we will probably let that go.

Naming and shaming …

Yes, you have been frustrated in your dealings with some strata professional or committee member. They are greedy, dishonest, corrupt and incompetent – and you can prove it.  You will get a chance to do so in court when you start your own website, name and shame them, and they sue you for defamation. We can’t afford the kind of insurance that would be required if we let every disgruntled strata resident (is there any other kind?) vent their spleen and name names on this site.  That’s why we have always had a “no names, no packdrill” policy.  It has got us thus far and we aren’t about to abandon it, regardless of how angry and frustrated you are. First timers will be edited, subsequent offences will be dealt with less accommodatingly.

Arguing for arguing’s sake

If “ifs and ands” were pots and pans, there’s be no need for tinkers, as my mother used to say.  There are enough areas for discussion and debate in the realities of strata living without hypothesising on all the “what ifs”.  Lets stick to the facts and try to avoid the “bush lawyerism” to which we can all fall prey at times. Not a capital offence but seriously frowned upon. 

The opinions offered in these Forum posts and replies are not intended to be taken as legal advice. Readers with serious issues should consult experienced strata lawyers.

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