DRaysBay community User Guide (updated 4/7/10)

I decided to update this and bump it so that we've got a easy to find version with the start-of-the-season new user influx.

I'd like to take the time to welcome you to DRaysBay, arguably the largest collection of intelligent, free-wheeling Rays fans on the internet.

DRaysBay is a community that values information, and it is ultimately in your best interest read around on the site and get a feel for how things are researched, presented, and debated.  DRaysBay is also a community that fully embraces sabermetrics. As a new user, it would serve you well to at least understand why analysis of players using 19th century stats is frowned upon here.

If you really don't want to dig into all of this information right now, there are ultimately only two rules you need to follow here:

1. Don't be stupid.  This is pretty straight-forward.  Use common sense before you post.  This site gets viewed quite a bit at work and outside of gameday threads, we're PG13 at worst.  Also, don't get bent out of shape if you happen to get a warning for something you posted.  This isn't a job; we're not going to ban you after an arbitrary number.  Half the time a warning is just the easiest way for a mod to tell you something they don't want posted in thread.  If you decide to take your complaints about a warning to the thread, you're asking to get banned.
   

2. No attention-whoring. This rule extends beyond spam.  You're probably not a celebrity, and your internet fame is not going to occur on this forum.  Don't do things like create your own signature catch phrases or talk down to people on this board.  If you want to become an internet celebrity so bad, post some shit on youtube.  Just don't link to it here.  That's spam.

3. Do not disrupt the community at large. If you think that sounds vague, that's because it is. Anything that you do that creates an overwhelmingly negative reaction amongst the community is likely enough to get you a copy of the home game.

You may be asking, "well how do I know what is and isn't going to piss you guys off?" Good question. We do not have a set-in-stone scale as to the types of things that will be tolerated versus what gets you warned versus what will get you banned.  The simplest way I can answer this is 'don't be an ass,' but I do have some specific examples I can give you as things I can guarantee will get you in trouble one way or another:

• Posting a fanpost or fanshot as your introduction.  This isn't how we do things here.  If you want to introduce yourself to the community, the best way to do is to make a relevant comment on an already posted thread.  On top of that, if you feel that the first thing you have to say requires a fanpost or fanshot, this will end poorly for you  We have countless examples of how stupid you will likely end up sounding.  There's no formal rule against this, but chances are pretty good that you're not going to do any better then this.
  
• Personal attacks/Racism.  You can make snarky comments about someone's opinion, but you're not fucking anyone's mom, and you're not meeting anyone down by the oak tree after school to settle your disagreements 'like men.'  This is a zero-tolerance rule.  You will be banned, first time, every time.  You won't be welcome back.

• Bad Spelling and Grammar. We're not exactly nazis here, but you have spellcheckers, dictionaries, and thesauruses literally at your fingertips. There are approximately 170,000 words in the English language.  If you can't figure out what you want to say, you shouldn't be posting here, or anywhere.  A blog or message-board is a communication arena that relies solely on text, so proper communication is paramount. Don't type like you're three years old. Don't type like you're texting on twitter or sending an SMS. For the love of all things holy, don't use chat-speak.

• Learn the difference between opinion and fact, and make sure you present your information properly. There's a huge difference between "I've met BJ Upton and I think he's an asshole" and "BJ Upton is a cancer in the locker room." One of these is an opinion, and the other one is an opinion presented as a fact. One of these will draw constructive criticism, and the other one will get your ass railroaded right off this site.

• Do not come onto this site thinking you're smarter then everyone else. You're not. Nobody here is your kid, your son, or any other derisive adjective that portrays them as being inferior to you because you're old. There are users here who have followed baseball for a very long time, but they're smart enough to know that nobody is an expert in baseball. Fresh minds bring fresh opinions and fresh perspectives. An open, two-way exchange is the best way for users to share knowledge amongst others. If you don't think there is anything you can learn here, then we have no use for you.

• This is a Rays blog, first and foremost. If you're a fan of another baseball team, you are free to post or comment here as long as you're willing to talk about the Rays. We're not at all interested in your trolling after the Rays lose to your team. Not only will you get banned, but we're going to delete your posts, and nobody's going to see your handiwork, so don't bother. There is an SBN blog for all 30 baseball teams, the blog for your favorite team would be more then happy to have you as a member.

In the end, DRaysBay is a community that embraces that which is most familiar, and is relatively tightly-knit and friendly.  While it may not seem that way at first, the more often you contribute and participate here, the more you will be embraced.