Banning and the Not606 Community

When looking at the 'What Went Wrong' thread, it was apparent that - in addition to discussions and debate surrounding the specific banning issue - there were further aspects being brought to light concerning the overall role of other members and the construction of Not606 as a forum. While members discussed the options concerning implementing control on the forum and what moderators could deem appropriate, there were certain members who furthermore presented alternative means of action. One member suggested creating a specific thread with the sole purpose of allowing problematic users a certain space that can be occupied, with all relevant posts being 'moved' there by moderators themselves. This option was posted by a member who referred to the problematic poster as being 'disruptive' towards the 'community' on the forum - illustrating how non-normative behaviour is constructed and interpreted as differing from typical consensus and involvement (Bennett, 2013.) Of further relevance is the demonstrated interpretation of a collective community, in contrast to a group of myriad opinions and perspectives. By presenting the forum's members as being a community between themselves, it invariably evokes issues concerning belonging and fitting, whereby members are deemed to all seemingly contribute to a set of ideals and behaviour, which is executed through one particular medium, contrasting with perceptions identified previously in the work, such as the fan occupying space as an 'obsessed loner' (Lewis, 1992) or a 'scandalous category' subject to anxiety and ridicule (Jenkins, 1992.)

This is further apparent when we look at examples posted by certain members who refer to others as being able to 'collectively deem' whether a user's actions are disruptive, particularly when they are for little other reason than their own amusement. Such language reflects how - similarly to previous discussion points about the issue of banning - the majority of members should have a say over any action taken. In addition to this, there is no doubt significance in the power of not only numbers, but also the overall group and community operating as a unified entity, potentially in opposition to disruptive and deviant behaviour of members who, nonetheless, make up that very community. To summarise, while it can be understood that there exists majority opinions that often push certain movements and decisions, such as the

101 election of moderators, there is nonetheless a construction of an entire collective through which the importance of the forum as a whole, lies.

When analysing the concept of the 'community' and its relevance in relation to Not606, we can look at issues concerning the manner in which certain members are perceived as jeopardising the forum and its intended purpose. Throughout the 'What Went Wrong' thread, there were often references to the impact of the poster when compared to the typical threads and input by other members. The importance of this lies in how it reveals the conventions of the forum, where normative practices and behaviour dictates whether or not the forum retains harmony. Referring to a specific incident where the poster in question was regarded as singling out a specific member and creating an argument, the member stated:

I'm glad you mentioned the word community, that's what I feel hasn't been happening when people get abused. He hasn't had the right support from HIS community, i.e. you and other moderators. Where was his community when that happened? (24.10.11)

Such comments, while providing instances of debating and contesting personal relationships (Jenkins, 1992: 23) furthermore echo previous sentiment about the notion of the forum being constructed in a manner that implies a community, as opposed to simply a group of people, tying in with Margalit's observation of fandom as being a community that contributes to the wellbeing of the individual fan and to his/her sense of belonging (2008: 222.) Indeed, while a number of people - or members - on a forum can have separate input on certain posts or threads, what is important to acknowledge is the way in which Not606 demonstrates members acting as a collective. Whether this is apparent through the democratic 'voting' processes in place when electing moderators, or deciding on appropriate courses of action, there are continual examples of members operating together to both direct the forum, and also arguably support each other in certain situations. These actions, then, clearly demonstrate the construction of a community as satisfying work by Lewis (1992) who referred to a community as being an 'environment that is supportive and protective, while also offering identity' and not operating as resistance activity (Taylor, 1999: 161.) This can be supported by information provided through the supplementary interviews, whereby members often explained that being part of a forum meant they felt 'part' of something, again reflecting discourses emerging from observations from the forum. When considering how members can be constructed as ‘belonging’ to a particular community, we can consider how this ties in to

102 notions of conflict, as discussed by scholars such as Lucy Bennett, whose work into REM fan forum Murmurs.com explored the manner in which certain fans were ‘othered’ in relation to issues of normativity and, ultimately, expectancy (2009). This illustrates how there are often aspects of discord on the forum, emphasising how this is not limited to ‘othering’ those who are outside of it (Herrnstein Smith, 1988.)

While there is ultimately a certain degree of disagreement and, at times, conflict concerning specific issues on Not606 - such was the case with the overall banning debate - there is nonetheless a more general understanding that members should 'stick together' against those that threaten the forum's core purpose and, arguably, its values. Such sentiment supports theory surrounding communities as retaining like-minded individuals and is reflected in statements such as:

I did enjoy it when this thread started... comrades in arms, us against them and all in it together - a rather unparalleled uniqueness for footie fans (01.11.11)

Through exploring such sentiment we can both address the apparent division that is evident between existing members of the forum, and likewise the way in which such normative behaviour can be believed to contrast to traditional expectations of football fans. The importance of this resides in the fact that, like previously discussed points earlier in the chapter, there is an apparent degree of self-reflexivity by members of the forum in relation to their positioning in contrast to an expected construction; in this instance, the football fan. By presenting football fans as being 'in it together' and this being an 'unparalleled uniqueness', it clearly presents Not606's members as acting in opposition to typical constructions of football fans (Crabbe, 1999.) While it can be questioned whether such discourse is unique to the topic at hand, or reflective of more general perceptions, there is still the relevance of the perceived reaction from the forum's members, and subsequent community, as a whole. When related to the 'What Went Wrong' thread, it can be seen that there was not only a divide among members as to whether or not the poster should be removed, but also debate concerning the type of reaction from other members that was received:

[they] fly in, makes some retarded comments, gets us all arguing then probably sits back in his chair in front of his screen and is chuffed because, for the first time in the pathetic fucker's life, people are actually giving a shit about a contribution he has made (24.10.11)

103 This highlights how the reaction from members is important, and how it is not just the actions of the poster in question that was being contested, but the relevance of the reaction from others and how this potentially reflects the forum in general:

We are all aware of certain individuals who have agendas, which do not fit in with the ethos of this board. By and large we are a gregarious, welcoming group. Indeed visitors from other clubs take great pains to tell us how much they admire and respect Swansea City and its supporters, and that's us, by the way (24.10.11)

Such statements lead us to explore the apparent 'ethos' of the board by questioning the reaction from members when certain behaviour is deemed to operate as part of an agenda in contrast to its desired workings. The language here clearly develops previously raised points concerning normative behaviour and those in opposition 'not fitting in' and how this should be understood to be isolated, minority cases that are not reflective of Swansea City fans or the club in general, furthered by another member stating that 'we and the club can do without you.'

The community's relevance can be furthered when we consider the way in which communities can be believed to be significant to individual football fans. When addressing this in relation to Aberdeen football fans, Roddy Bisset stated that:

From the perspective of the fan, each team invents its own collective personality and trait: it is not relevant whether these stereotypes are positive or negative (2013)

This is important as it implies that the significance of a community doesn’t necessarily consist of it having to satisfy overriding positive presentations of fans, but does have to be unique in regards to the team in question. Despite this, however, there are numerous instances throughout Not606 of fans discussing the manner in which Swansea City fans are renowned for demonstrating commendable behaviour. Indeed, the significance of Swansea City fans being respected and admired because of their conduct can be seen to highlight the importance of the forum being a means through which fan behaviour is witnessed and potentially judged.

Similar to previous points addressed earlier in the chapter concerning who it is that observes actions and developments on online forums like Not606, this can be seen to be further

104 relevant when discussing the community as a whole and the relationship between individual members and the collective of fans. The relevance of such fan behaviour can relate to instances of performance-based displays (Jenkins, 1996) and allows us to question how this sits in relation to visible actions, as opposed to private messaging, for example. We can further consider whether this potentially reflects the displays of fandom outside online communities, tying in with aspects of chanting and the carnivalesque atmosphere of stadiums (Blake, 1999.)

However, while we have discussed at length the relevance of the community both in regards to its interpretation and understanding from members themselves, in addition to its external perception by other audiences, there is likewise significant discourse concerning the way in which new users are ‘welcomed’ to the existing community. Indeed, it could be understandable to assume that such a community of individuals whose input is subject to continual feedback and influence of other members, may be quite structured in its retention of residual members and not open to new ones, tying in to Herrnstein Smith’s argument of those outside of (offline) communities being ‘othered’ (1988.) However, this is typically not seen to be the case, as demonstrated through posts interpreting Swansea's fans as 'welcoming', for example, with similar sentiment surrounding the role and relevance of new members on the forum being repeated throughout numerous discussion points and topics, and this is something that will be explored next in relation to the overall forum’s construction.