ClubLexus - Lexus Forum Discussion - 2GS MEMBERS PLEASE READ: Re-establishing a sense of community in the 2Gen GS forum

A Request and Message to ALL 2GS Forum Members:

Over the last few months the moderator team has noticed an issue with the second generation GS forum.... while this forum continues to grow in new members and post activity, it is not experiencing a similar growth in sense of community. What makes Club Lexus a special place is that our members nearly always are mature, we help each other out and work through their differences like adults. We forge friendships with those we've never met and those that we connect with at local CL meets.

Lately there has been an increase in unprovoked personal attacks, rude comments and a general lack of respect for one another in the 2nd Gen GS model forum. New and existing members alike are often flamed or called out for simply asking a question or considering a modification other members don't care for.

These activities will not continue. We will regain our sense of community in the 2GS forum, starting now. If you want to post in order to simply flame other members or be an e-thug, it's time for you to find another forum.

HOW? We're going to accomplish this on in two ways...

Stop the bleeding
1) informing members of this request, asking for their help
2) increased moderator presence and attention in the 2GS forum
3) better education about our forum rules including personal attacks and response to comments (click here to review them) and stricter enforcement via recorded 'infractions' for members who break them
4) use of temporary 24 hour or 1 week ban from the forum as cool off periods after ignoring warnings
5) permanent bans for continued offenses against our community rules where appropriate

Resuscitate the breathing
1) better communication on sense of community and of use of the search feature to new joiners in their welcome email
2) nomination of additional moderators to monitor the 2GS forum and help members

WE NEED YOUR HELP

Help grow the sense of community by:

Before you hit the 'post reply' button, consider if your reply is adding to the community or detracting from it. If it's purely negative, don't post.
Thicken your skin, be 'better than that'. Don't respond angrily to a rude post. Rise above it, don't respond or use the 'report a post' http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/sr...ons/report.gif button to notify moderators of an issue
Pitch in to welcome and help recent joiners. Refer them to the FAQ sticky posts or information they're looking for
Contribute to the knowledgebase of the forum as you can through DIY posts and helping others

I'd also like to ask each and every one to stop telling new members to 'use search' without helping them search by also telling them what keywords to look for and giving them a couple of links to helpful threads. Welcome them to the forum.

If you get an infraction or a temporary 24 hour or one week ban, please take the warning seriously. Don't come back angry and complaining and don't pick up in the same thread doing the same thing. We're using this method to try and provide 'cooling off' time when needed. Warnings sent in private and public just don't seem to be doing enough to discourage some of the recent behaviour here... we will show some folks the door if they can't participate in a mature manner that enhances our community instead of destroying it.

To be clear, we're not expecting only sunshine and flowers from everybody. Negative opinions of what someone has done to their car are just fine... if the original poster (OP) can't take the criticism along with the kudos then they shouldn't be posting on the internet. What we're asking is for the negative commentary to be posted in a polite and mature (if not constructive) manner. Treat others like you'd like to be treated by someone who disagrees with you.

Thank you for taking the time to read this message and taking it to heart.