What is needed to improve GDP? [View All]

[FlyingSquirrel]

Current Rules

Sorry to be suggesting this as a relative Newbie, but I personally think that the current situation is unacceptable.

1) People are starting to be ashamed to recommend this site to friends/co-workers/etc.

2) The mods seem to have their hands tied somewhat and seem to be overwhelmed. For every troll who's banned, several more take their place each day.

3) Either candidate could still be our nominee (regardless of which one you think is more probable) and they're both being destroyed here.

4) It's getting to the point where some of us who would like to discuss the primaries just can't see wading through the 10 repetitive or flaming threads to get to the few good pieces of information. Many have even blocked GDP from appearing on their Latest/Greatest Page who might at one time have been interested in some of the better threads. Some threads have been receiving hundreds of recs before being locked as completely inflammatory - but not before further dividing us and alienating many.

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Rather than make a big "Skinner, we need THIS or THAT" thread, I'd like to just make a couple of suggestions and then open the floor for others to discuss their merits and/or add their own ideas.

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Suggestion 1. Consider limiting the number of new registrations on DU from this point on to a certain number per day until we have a Presumptive Nominee.

Suggestion 2. Temporarily require a 24 to 48 hour waiting period before new users can reply to threads.

Suggestion 3. Temporarily increase the number of "Replies" needed before a new user can begin posting threads. Increase it by a fairly large amount, something that would take a person with normal motivation about 3-4 days to achieve.

Suggestion 4. Temporarily limit number of replies to threads in GDP from unlimited to a certain amount per day - perhaps equal to a number that 75% of DU'ers currently don't exceed anyway.

Suggestion 5. Progressive discipline for rules violations

a. Temporarily reduce number of threads a violator may post in GDP to 1 per day for a week
b. Temporarily disallow violator from posting any threads in GDP for a week
c. Temporarily disallow violator from posting threads, replying, recommending threads in GDP for a week
d. Disallow violator from posting, replying or recommending in GDP till Presumptive Nominee chosen
e. If violator moves their activity to other forums, suspend account for a week
f. You know what happens after that.

Others? Thoughts?