Why The Internet Sucks

I don't know if I'm more pissed that this HAPPENED, or more pissed that I CARE.

I spend a fair amount of time over at Television Without Pity--I'd link to it, but...um, no, not anymore--reading, posting, generally trying to be a decent participant. I've read the rules and tried to follow them. I had only one "warning"--they have a graduated warning system for minor offenses--from nearly a year ago, and that's it.

Along with the moderators, they count on other readers to report posts that go against their policies--you know, "don't post off-topic", "don't be a troll", etc. So yesterday, seeing two questionable posts, I reported them. And, in my usual way, tried to be funny/colorful/interesting.

I checked back later and discovered that one of the issues had been dealt with and the other was no big deal. Okay. But then why was my warning level 40% instead of 20%??

So I clicked on the warning link, to find out what I'd been warned for. Editorializing when reporting posts. Hm. Okay...I didn't realize there was a rule against that. Better reread the FAQ to find out if there's anything else I'm missing.

So I go back and re-read the FAQ, and I don't see anything about editorializing when reporting posts. Hmmm. Well damn...how am I supposed to avoid mistakes if I can't find out where I'm told not to make them?

So I go to their "Forum Issues And Questions" area.

What do you think would be contained in such a forum? Maybe a place where, if you had QUESTIONS about a FORUM, it might be considered safe to ask them?

Apparently not at TWOP.

Here's my question--paraphrased, but closely: "I was recently warned for editorializing when reporting a post in Forum Traffic Court. I re-read the FAQ and didn't see anything against it; could you point me to the right place? (Please note--I'm not complaining about the warn; I'd just like to know which mistakes not to make BEFORE I make them, next time.)"

I went back to check the status of the question and it was gone. And when I saw it was gone, I was sure I knew what was next.

I clicked to check my warning level: sure enough--60%. And the note from the mod was pretty snippy: "You need to read your warning. Not everything is in the FAQ and if you're told not to editorialize, then don't editorialize. That's it."

Okay, in order of Pissing Me Off:
1. Those warnings don't expire. It says so in the FAQ. So it seems unfair to ding someone for something and not have it go away...
2. ...particularly if you haven't told them not to do it in the first place.
3. Obviously I read the warning. If I hadn't read the warning, how could I refer to it in asking a question?
4. I didn't say "I want to know why I was warned"--I said "I want to know where it says not to do that, because I haven't read that area and there are probably other things there I need to read." Maybe YOU need to read the question.
5. Has it occurred to you that I made this mistake as I was trying to HELP? as I was trying to IMPROVE the experience for all the participants? How willing do you think I'm going to be to help in the future, if this is the outcome?

It's not like there's any penalty attached to each individual warning--though I think if you reach 100% you get banned from the forums. It's the principle of the thing. I did something that I didn't know not to do, for the very good reason that there's nothing that says "don't do it"; then, when I asked how I could avoid making similar mistakes in the future, I was reprimanded for asking the question.

That little warning icon comes up whenever you're on the boards; you see the little scale with your percentage of warning marked on it everytime you go to write something. And I was already tired of seeing that 20% from almost a year ago, and of thinking "These really should expire"--I'm certainly not in the mood to see a 60% forever, and be reminded of what happens when you ask the wrong question.

So I'm going to exercise a very simple solution: not posting there anymore. And not participating, and not recommending them to others anymore, and not buying any more stuff from their site (which is sad, because I like their stuff). I'm not going to do the whole taking-my-toys-and-going-home thing of cancelling my account--that doesn't hurt them, it just lets them know they pissed me off, about which they care not at all. But they've lost a pretty decent forum member.

Then again, I've gained back a large chunk of time.

I normally hate this sort of blog entry--the Airing of the Grievances, Insignificant-Internet-Forum Edition--but I was pissed enough that I had to say SOMETHING. And after all, it's my blog--I can still say whatever I want, HERE.

But I don't know which one pisses me off more: that it happened, or that I care.