What would you do with a customer who has sent PM's to people using fowl and abusive language and is complained about by the recipient of the PM's? Then this customer is warned and continues with the same actions?
I would agree with you 100% in this instance, but this isn't what I'm talking about. Grizz post is an excellent example. Where was the abusive language, repeated over and over to other customers there? He may have been repetitive, even provocative, but where was the clear violation of the rules within that? This is specifically the problem IMO - there was no abusive language, or anything fowl in his, or many other players posts which have gotten them either suspensions, PNG's, or often both. That is the route of the argument I think.
The first couple or few years you had this BBS HT, I can recall it getting pretty heated, I said many stupid things myself looking back, during the election fiasco of 2000, things that would absolutely have gotten me a PNG now. Had that happened, I wouldn't even be here. How many others since that time who have gotten bent feelings over being PNG'd on the bbs system have left the actual game itself? Only you know that I suppose, but it does happen, nobody can argue that, and based on Skuzzy's own words, the "inevitable angry PM, email, phone call, then cancellation" in that order, it must happen often enough for him to take note and even say that. I guess the 64$ question is, is it worth it to HTC to lose those customers in order to have a bbs system as it exists now. I suppose one of the things I've never understood is how the bbs when it was near free for all back in the beginning, as compared to now, affects HTC so far as overall business goes. I also understand you probably can't or won't answer that, and I can also understand why. All I've ever hoped is that things would be arrow pointing up here, as opposed to down, but lately - it just looks like down from the odd times I've popped into the arenas to see the numbers, as well as the number of posters here. I hate down arrow. A lot. I want to see up arrow, which is why I'm still here, as are hundreds of others to be sure, waiting to see what comes next. I still think time spent here worrying over words, not deeds, in the bbs, is time nobody benefits from. As you said, it's your responsibility, your company, I fully respect that, and this is just my opinion, that's all, I'm happy to exist under any rules or perception of their application, so long as there is hope for the future. I personally believe people will be so busy and happy with a new product once it's out that a lot of these negative waves will just filter away on their own. I've seen that happen with other products often enough.