Upcoming Site Changes \ New Moderation Rules

[Maxman]

As many of you know, we have been battling ad issues for some time. The feedback forum is filled with similar threads. The ad networks we have been using are struggling with mobile redirects getting through. It is frustrating and I appreciate the patience. The bigger problem is that ads for bigger networks aren't showing here. That is causing the site revenue to take a HUGE hit for a few reasons.

1) I have taken all ads down for the better part of the last few months. With no money coming in, the $600 or so it takes to run the site each month still has to come from somewhere. 

2) The ads that are up are paying terrible rates causing a significant shortfall.

It is tough because with the traffic we get, this should not be a problem at all. We have been working very hard to figure this problem out. How do we get back into the bigger ad networks and get them working again? I have had several people and companies working on this. I have spent countless hours on it myself. I have paid consultants money to try and figure it out.

Well, we just got the answer and it is going to require site changes unfortunately. The site has been blacklisted due sexual content. 

We have never been heavy handed moderating the forums. Going-forward we have no choice to change things. We are going to need full cooperation on this, sorry but this isn't debatable. We have to get this restriction listed, so that means:

1. Cursing:  No cursing at all. This is going to be one of the biggest areas to clean up. We have to change the word censors BUT the responsibility is NOT on the software. No Cursing. We will be ****'ing out words. I do repeat, no cursing at all, this is one of the reasons we are banned.

2. Nudity \ Lewd Images: The thread in the Lounge with all the pictures has to go. There are photos in there that contain nudity. We have looked the other way on it but we can't do that anymore. I know a bunch of people worked really hard on that but we have no choice.

This also includes photos that are graphic is nature. People have taken images from some really nasty sites and posted them here, no can do.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

[BurnleyJet]

Ever think of having a VIP/Premium account, where people can contribute yearly subscription, or Patreon?

[Barry McCockinner]

Here is another idea for generating revenue you may want to consider. 

https://oysterprotocol.com/ad-revenue/

[Beerfish]

Something is slowing down this site for me, i know that much.

The funny thing about the content, i go to another site, a hockey site that is very strict for the reasons you stated and half their ads are dodgy as hell re content.

[jamesr]

There's a thread in the Lounge with nudie pics? Why wasn't this advertised better? I've been wasting all this time talking football, damn it!!

 

[RoadFan]

Ok.  No more cursing from me...

[KRL]

Good, this is a football site if people want to curse and see nude pictures there

are TONS of sites for that

[Sarge4Tide]

So, to clarify, will cursing still be allowed?

[NoBowles]

I am pretty sure I have won about 3million dollars worth of amazon cards, can you see that they get shipped to me please? Kind thanks.

[CTM]

7 hours ago, Maxman said:

As many of you know, we have been battling ad issues for some time. The feedback forum is filled with similar threads. The ad networks we have been using are struggling with mobile redirects getting through. It is frustrating and I appreciate the patience. The bigger problem is that ads for bigger networks aren't showing here. That is causing the site revenue to take a HUGE hit for a few reasons.

1) I have taken all ads down for the better part of the last few months. With no money coming in, the $600 or so it takes to run the site each month still has to come from somewhere. 

2) The ads that are up are paying terrible rates causing a significant shortfall.

It is tough because with the traffic we get, this should not be a problem at all. We have been working very hard to figure this problem out. How do we get back into the bigger ad networks and get them working again? I have had several people and companies working on this. I have spent countless hours on it myself. I have paid consultants money to try and figure it out.

Well, we just got the answer and it is going to require site changes unfortunately. The site has been blacklisted due sexual content. 

We have never been heavy handed moderating the forums. Going-forward we have no choice to change things. We are going to need full cooperation on this, sorry but this isn't debatable. We have to get this restriction listed, so that means:

1. Cursing:  No cursing at all. This is going to be one of the biggest areas to clean up. We have to change the word censors BUT the responsibility is NOT on the software. No Cursing. We will be ****'ing out words. I do repeat, no cursing at all, this is one of the reasons we are banned.

2. Nudity \ Lewd Images: The thread in the Lounge with all the pictures has to go. There are photos in there that contain nudity. We have looked the other way on it but we can't do that anymore. I know a bunch of people worked really hard on that but we have no choice.

This also includes photos that are graphic is nature. People have taken images from some really nasty sites and posted them here, no can do.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

I suspected blacklist was the problem when you told me the other day and think I mentioned it.  I was  going to mention the fapathon thread but didnt want to be the party pooper.

Bummer, but understandable. Glad it's been sorted 

[Obrien2Toon]

Which nasty sites were the pictures from?

asking for a friend

[CTM]

Jetfan80 ruins everything 

[Kleckineau]

Making JN Great Again

[Savage69]

50 minutes ago, KRL said:

Good, this is a football site if people want to curse and see nude pictures there

are TONS of sites for that

Plus they will get to see Tom Shane again, although without cursing certain posters will have their vocabulary cut by up to 70%..

[Ken Schroy]

I understand Phil. But is the word "sux" a curse word? I have to be able to use the word sux often for this team.

[Creepy Lurker]

No cursing with how this season is going will be difficult for many. Good luck to all! 

We should establish some safe words though for the inevitable venting. That’s my only suggestion. If adding a “*” to make the curse word incomplete isn’t enough or still causing the issue with advertisers, what is ok? Clarification may help avoid a lot of headaches on your end @Maxman

Here are some substitutes for reference.

 

Todd Bowles is a fudgin moron. 

Mac’s drafting has been shiitake. 

Sufferin succotash, the Jets coaching failed again.

 

Now I just sound like Yosemite Sam. 

[ChuckkieB]

Asking diehard Jets fans not to curse on a fan website is like asking a crackhead not to do crack when he's in a crackhouse.  A tall order, but I think we'll all be up to the forking task! 

[rillo]

So, if we do curse would it be automatically edited out? Sometimes a well placed curse word is needed with this fookin team. 

[prime21]

8 hours ago, Maxman said:

 

2. Nudity \ Lewd Images: The thread in the Lounge with all the pictures has to go. There are photos in there that contain nudity. We have looked the other way on it but we can't do that anymore. I know a bunch of people worked really hard on that but we have no choice.

This also includes photos that are graphic is nature. People have taken images from some really nasty sites and posted them here, no can do.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

?

[Maxman]

So, if we do curse would it be automatically edited out? Sometimes a well placed curse word is needed with this fookin team. 

No cursing. Like I said in the first post it's not the responsibility of the software.

Unless someone wants to step up and pay the 600 a month these are the rules that we have.

Sent from my [device_name] using http://JetNation.com mobile app

[rillo]

Loud n clear bruh 

[sourceworx]

1 hour ago, KRL said:

Good, this is a football site if people want to curse and see nude pictures there

are TONS of sites for that

You have to admit, it's very difficult to refrain from being a potty mouth when you're a Jets fan. VERY difficult.

[ASH1962]

8 hours ago, BurnleyJet said:

Ever think of having a VIP/Premium account, where people can contribute yearly subscription, or Patreon?

Max, you should offer a "Pay per Curse" account system LOL...Like the F word costs $1, the S word .75 and combinations could bring the most $$, like $2.00 for a F U a-Hole type of thing LOL. Like, I would have paid $3.50 for a Bubba Gump Bowltite or 2 as well LOL.

In all seriousness, all reasonable and common sense issues here, you never know, children could be reading this site at any time, I wholeheartedly agree. There is no need to curse or post lude images here as they have no relation to football.

[Gas2No99]

9 minutes ago, sourceworx said:

You have to admit, it's very difficult to refrain from being a potty mouth when you're a Jets fan. VERY difficult.

IT actually isn't and when you go to the games on Sunday, it is SHAMEFUL how many "adult fans" curse freely in the presence of younger children. It's actually one aspect I DESPISE about our fan base - we're one of the MORE Foul-mouthed fanbases in the NFL, IMO&O.

[Savage69]

26 minutes ago, Maxman said:

No cursing. Like I said in the first post it's not the responsibility of the software.

Unless someone wants to step up and pay the 600 a month these are the rules that we have.

Sent from my [device_name] using http://JetNation.com mobile app
 

Where is Sar when you need him??

[Warfish]

9 hours ago, Maxman said:

As many of you know, we have been battling ad issues for some time. The feedback forum is filled with similar threads. The ad networks we have been using are struggling with mobile redirects getting through. It is frustrating and I appreciate the patience. The bigger problem is that ads for bigger networks aren't showing here. That is causing the site revenue to take a HUGE hit for a few reasons.

1) I have taken all ads down for the better part of the last few months. With no money coming in, the $600 or so it takes to run the site each month still has to come from somewhere. 

2) The ads that are up are paying terrible rates causing a significant shortfall.

It is tough because with the traffic we get, this should not be a problem at all. We have been working very hard to figure this problem out. How do we get back into the bigger ad networks and get them working again? I have had several people and companies working on this. I have spent countless hours on it myself. I have paid consultants money to try and figure it out.

Well, we just got the answer and it is going to require site changes unfortunately. The site has been blacklisted due sexual content. 

We have never been heavy handed moderating the forums. Going-forward we have no choice to change things. We are going to need full cooperation on this, sorry but this isn't debatable. We have to get this restriction listed, so that means:

1. Cursing:  No cursing at all. This is going to be one of the biggest areas to clean up. We have to change the word censors BUT the responsibility is NOT on the software. No Cursing. We will be ****'ing out words. I do repeat, no cursing at all, this is one of the reasons we are banned.

2. Nudity \ Lewd Images: The thread in the Lounge with all the pictures has to go. There are photos in there that contain nudity. We have looked the other way on it but we can't do that anymore. I know a bunch of people worked really hard on that but we have no choice.

This also includes photos that are graphic is nature. People have taken images from some really nasty sites and posted them here, no can do.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation and understanding.

If these two issues, profanity and semi-naked women images, are what has led to the unacceptable (to users) ad issues, then I fully support your decision to ban them both.

With that said, the burden on blocking profanity should be on the forum filter as much if not more than the user base.  Basic forum software for even the worst of forum platforms allows a near endless list of specific words to be blocked/censored.  There is no reason any commonly used profanity should not be on that list and 100% censored by the forum itself.  That's why that function exists, because people are people and will screw up from time to time, and generally expect the forum to block profanity as it does on most sites, but software is software and doesn't care.  It blocks it if it's on the list, period.  

With that said, I will abide by your request, and self-censor as much as humanly possible as requested.  As should we all.

Management of this function is a standard part of administrator/moderator responsibility, so if part of the problem is you personally lack the time (completely understandable), then recruit moderators willing to help, not just have the cool "moderator" tag by their names for the e-fame lols who don't actually do any moderation or site work.  I'll be honest Phil, I have no idea what any of your current moderation team DO for JN, and I truly like most of them, but they don't seem to DO much frankly.  They certainly don't moderate conflict, conduct and content as much as is needed IMO.  A forum's culture starts with it's management.

I'd also suggest you open up to the idea of user donations, and make such function prominent on the main forum page.  We all know you Phil, know what you do for this fanbase, and we know you sir are no Sean Deegan.  The option should exist for those who wish to support in that way, and be clear, easy and obvious as to how to do it.  Not saying everyone will do it (I probably won't, I'm not going to lie to you) but I have a feeling we have many long-time users who would.

I offer this only as constructive feedback to help you solve this long running, and very unfortunate, issue.  You're 100% right, you should not foot a $600 bill each month with no ad revenue to help defray that cost.  Nor should users be expected to get redirects, trojans, and other malicious adware for visiting JN.  If the solution is stronger moderation, a beefed up word list in the word filter, and the end of the silly Boobs and Butts thread, that's a more than fair price to pay IMO.

Good luck my friend.

[More Cowbell]

On a site I use to post on, every so often they had a fund raiser to pay for site expenses. I would bet if everyone that posts here would donate $10 twice a year, that probably would pay a good portion of the costs. The guy that ran the site would put a special avatar on the names of the people who donated. 

As for the cursing thing, yeah, it's not what you want but we can get by without that. I try not to curse personally when I post. 

 

[JetFaninMI]

Well I'm cool with it. We're all grown-up's here(at least age wise) and we should be able to get a point across without cursing.

Now on to photos. Will hot chicks in suggestive clothing be banned? If that's the case **** THAT.

[JiF]

The only thing to fear is fear itself. 

[CrazyCarl40]

What about selling personal post licenses to raise revenue for the site? If you have a PPL, then you get to respond before anyone else and get all of the upvotes and no butt fumbles! PPL holders also would get access to the Mod Lounge. 

[Butterfield]

Both demands are good for the site regardless, but Im not sure you will see the results you hope for.  Lots of sites are having similar issues and they didn’t have cursing or nudity to begin with.  Some are professional, although smaller and localized, news outlets.

[RutgersJetFan]

That jerk off thread was always weird as hell. Good riddance. 

[Jetsfan80]

3 minutes ago, RutgersJetFan said:

That jerk off thread was always weird as hell. Good riddance. 

This is the consensus sentiment, but the thread had nearly 8 million views.  So some of you are liars who couldn't help but click on it. 

In any case @Bombdirt worked hard to post a lot of funny stuff in it too, so its a sad day. 

Ah well.  There's always Mafia.  Lord knows the Jets and Jets discussion aren't providing a fun distraction around here. 

[Maxman]

53 minutes ago, CrazyCarl40 said:

What about selling personal post licenses to raise revenue for the site? If you have a PPL, then you get to respond before anyone else and get all of the upvotes and no butt fumbles! PPL holders also would get access to the Mod Lounge. 

I think that is known as the Scout model.   Your post made me LOL though, thanks I needed that.

[thshadow]

I'm happy to do this, *and* I'd be happy if you could pay a subscription fee for whatever - the easiest thing to get might be no ads.

If 720 people pay $10 / year, that would cover all of your costs.  Or make it $20/year.  Not sure how much of a pain it is to collect money.  I feel like you're kindof opposed to it, but speaking for myself, I would love to have that option.