"A safe and friendly community"

MSE_JC

Hi everyone,

It's come to our attention that there have been more and more instances of uncivil behaviour here on the parking board, and I'd like to address the situation directly.

Firstly, we'd like to express how much we value the insight and support that our very knowledgeable Forumites can offer. This is the very heart of what the MSE Forum is about: being a space where people can help each other. The passion and dedication on show throughout our online community is truly remarkable, and the Forum's power to make a real change in people's lives never ceases to be awe-inspiring.

The Forum's ethos is to be a one-of-a-kind, thriving, supportive home for consumers to talk about all things MoneySaving in a safe and friendly community. This is at the core of everything we do. In order to maintain this welcoming environment, we have our Forum rules. Users agree to follow these rules when creating an account, and they are in place to set the standard of the behaviour we expect from our Forum members. 

The team do not relish removing content or imposing sanctions on accounts. We'd rather spend our time engaging with our users and and helping them talk about MoneySaving. However, the enforcement of these rules is vital and necessary. 

Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with the Forum rules, and without bias. Content removal is not predicated on the number of reports made about it, or who reports it. If your account is given a warning or ban, this is because you were found to be repeatedly and/or severely in breach of the MSE Forum rules by the MSE Forum Team.

The Forum rules apply to all of our users, regardless of tenure, expertise or level of activity. This is because the Forum is for everyone, whether they've been a member since day one or signed up for the first time today.

The most fundamental Forum rule is to be kind and respectful of all your fellow MoneySavers, Board Guides and MSE staff. It is non-negotiable. 

For reference, the rules state:

There is no place for trolling, harassing, bullying or deliberately provoking others here. Treat others as you like to be treated.

It's OK to disagree, but be civil, keep your tone friendly and don't be aggressive or make personal attacks on other members of the community. Before you post, think, 'could what I have written be read as unfriendly and upset someone?' and/or, 'how might this be perceived/make someone feel?'.

We want this Forum to be a safe and encouraging place for people to share their experience and information relating to all things MoneySaving. Abusive, manipulative and passive-aggressive behaviour is unacceptable, as is being provocative for the sake of it. Put that energy into MoneySaving instead.

They also state:

Our team are human, have feelings and run this Forum to help you. Please be kind to them and understand that if you aren't, we won’t tolerate it. We reserve the right to take any action we feel is reasonable and appropriate, on a case-by-case basis, without debate. 

When it comes to long-standing members, it is reasonable to assume that they should be highly familiar with these rules. Equally, those who have been part of the Forum for a long time are able to set an example to other Forumites about their conduct. This is why we look to such members to help us maintain a welcoming atmosphere for all.

What one person might call 'being upfront' or 'not sugar coating anything' might actually be incredibly hurtful and upsetting to others. People come to the Forum looking for assistance or insight, and we expect any users offering those things to do so in a friendly manner. A little bit of consideration and kindness goes a long way, especially with everything going on in the world. The MSE Forum is a shining example of how people can come together in times of need, and we ask that you help us to keep it that way.

Thanks,

MSE_JC

MSE_JC

Hi all,

Unfortunately it's come to the team's attention that there's been an uptick in needlessly confrontational and provocative posting on the board recently. I'm not going to retread all the ground covered in a previous thread, but the conduct we've been seeing warrants a new intervention.

Firstly, MSE's ethos is 'cutting your costs, fighting your corner'. As well as assisting huge numbers of people with their cases many users on this board have also drawn attention to some private parking industry practices that cause issues for consumers.

As a result, it's understandable that some Forumites may have unfavourable views of private parking firms (either particular ones or in general). However, there is a difference between saying an organisation is incompetent, terrible etc and saying things like its employees are 'intellectually impaired' / should befall an unpleasant fate etc. We appreciate emotions can run high, but we want everyone to stay focused on MoneySaving and assisting users rather than excessive vitriol. As they say in football, "play the ball, not the man".

Secondly, please try to be patient and give other users the benefit of the doubt. The Forum is intended to be a place for people to request and share help and insight.  If you feel like you need to offer an alternative view or think someone's post may be inaccurate, please bear this in mind and respond respectfully. It's frustrating for the team to see simple misunderstandings that escalate into personal abuse, or have to wade through arguments that could have been nipped in the bud if someone had taken a moment to reflect before posting.

We all have different levels of knowledge and have had different experiences. For various reasons, some people have difficulty writing and posting on the internet or processing written information. If you're new to a forum and someone aggressively tells you to just go and read a very long thread containing what can feel like an overwhelmingly huge amount of information, it can be highly intimidating. Some users are struggling with challenging personal circumstances or health issues (physical or mental) that you aren't aware of.

No-one wins when the team have to ban knowledgable people or remove informative but harshly-worded posts. Unchecked, that sort of behaviour makes online spaces toxic, scaring away users and creating echo chambers that don't help anybody. 

We've seen instances of new members asking to have their account deleted not along after signing up because they've been treated poorly or had unfriendly responses from long standing members. This is unacceptable, and completely undermines what the Forum is for. When we say "treated poorly" and "unfriendly responses", this isn't us just taking a user's word for it, this isn't someone simply being told the opposite of what they expected to hear, this is us having carefully reviewed the relevant content and determined that the conduct is not becoming of a welcoming and safe discussion space.

It's entirely possible to offer information or signpost someone to the right board/thread without treating them dismissively. In the past we've seen some posts sarcastically deriding our requests for friendly behaviour but the fact of the matter is that even if you've been a member for years, even if you have a wealth of expertise on a subject, if you're unable to respectfully interact with other users then for the sake of the community we'll have no choice but to follow the ACT process.

Think to yourself:

'Is my post going to be useful or contribute to the thread in a meaningful way?'

'Would I speak this way to someone in real life?'

'What if I was in their situation and didn't know what to do?'

Rants, arguments and sneering aren't useful and so aren't welcome. We ask that you please help the Forum fulfil its purpose in a way that we can all be proud of.