One of the quandaries that I'm constantly facing with forum administration is whether or not to first announce a rule or forum update or just put it into motion.
From my own experience I have found that if you post about proposed rule changes, then members want to get into the conversation and help decide how the forum is run or dispute the new rules. As if the entire issue is up for debate.
Though I don't like surprising forum members with new rules, making a big deal about some changes (such as regarding signature lines) at the start might spark debate. People want to know why they can't continue to do what they got away with when there was another admin.
When I first started my forum. I never announced the rules. I put them in place.
There's a famous saying:
comprehension is not a requisite of cooperation
If I update the rules. Than I will announce the update, but I am not open to discuss them with anyone except people that are helping me run the forum. Mainly fellow staff.
It doesn't matter if members don't understand. When you put the rule in to place, they should respect your decision as their administrator and not debate it.
I think if you want to put new rules into place, than that is your right and I think people should respect your decision and trust in your judgment.
If it isn't a very important rule, then just put it into motion. No need to waste everyone's time by telling them that they can now add a second avatar.
I always think that you should tell your members when you update a rule. I usually do a force read topic so that everyone will see it and there will be no excuses as to not having read it.. If it is a controversial drastic rule that might spark debate, I would also add the reason for the change if it is appropriate to give one so that the members understand why.
As for any debating, there shouldn't be except maybe staff.. If you want the opinion of the members, which on some rules would be good to do, then have a pro and con thread to see what they think. However, the final decision should be yours...
I would announce any changes to our rules here on Forum Promotion. Especially since we are such a large community, everyone isn't expected to read the rules once a day to keep up with changes or modifications. If you don't announce a rule, you really shouldn't expect members to follow it, because they don't know about it!
I just put the rules in motion, but I do post an amendment to the original rule thread so that everyone knows the change. Discussing it will lead o arguments/debates in my opinion, and it's not really the members choice. 😛
I put up an announcement on my forum about the new rule(s) so everyone will know. I also think that it will make a user want to read the rules if they haven't already.
I think it is important to announce new rules. People rarely reread forum rules, if they ever do at all, so I wouldn't expect older members to find out about the new additions any other way. Like Cierra, I will post the addition as a reply to the original rules thread so it stands out.
Update your guidelines, put it into motion, and watch the chaos roll in as people start getting warned for it. :lol: Oh wouldn't that be hilarious.
On a serious note though, update the rules, and post saying you updated it. Give them three days and then put it into motion. The whole "It's your responsibility to keep up with the rules and updates of the rules" doesn't really work, and usually you have to update people when you edit the ToS, a legally binding contract so-to-speak, so I only find it fair to update people on changes to the rules.
That and if you don't, and people start getting warned/banned, you're losing members left and right. 😛
I'd also say it depends on what rule is being updated/changed/added.
If something minor I might not actually announce it, perhaps just do a small topic saying that they should check the rules as they have been refined.
For a bigger change that will impact users more I'd make an announcement that explains the change more in detail, I'd not leave it up for discussion though, just as an information. Perhaps a few days before I start enforcing it.
