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Banned from After hours for "trolling".

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  • 21-07-2014 7:30pm
    #1
    ItsShane
    Registered Users Posts: 140 ✭✭


    Hi,
    I have a legitimate issue here with a mods decision.
    Ruu is the mod in particular.

    I started a thread on After Hours entitled Foreigners in the workplace.
    It was about an issue I had today when I was being served in a well known supermarket by a foreign lady who was taking part in a discussion with two other colleagues. The discussion was in their native language.
    My issue was that most retail companies have a ban on this under their anti bullying policies in the workplace.
    I simply asked how people have dealt with it in the past if they have needed to.

    Next thing I know I have been banned for trolling and the thread was deleted.

    I'm posting here as I find the ban to be very unfair. There was no mod warning post in the thread and I was by no means bashing foreign workers.

    If the mod was simply unhappy with the direction in which some posters were taking the thread, then I could understand them locking it. But to remove it and ban me for trolling was a bit excessive imo. Again, It was not a trolling post. The thread, I'm sure, would have been left where it was in consumer issues as I have seen it before in the past.

    Just hoping to get some feedback on this issue. I have messaged the mod who banned me but have yet to get a reply..

    Thanks.


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    ItsShane
    Registered Users Posts: 140 ✭✭ItsShane


    Got a reply from the mod who banned me.
    I must say that the reply I received was clearly written whilst they were angry.
    Mod will not budge and has refused to respond to discuss this further.

    I must also add that I didn't consider the Consumer Issues forum when I made my initial post. Mod was more than welcome to move it to there if they felt it be better suited (which seems to be the Case judging by their reply).

    Would like for this to be reviewed.

    Thanks again!


  • Options
    #3
    Penn
    Registered Users Posts: 33,226 ✭✭✭✭Penn


    Hi ItsShane,

    I'll look into this and get back to you.

    Regards,
    Penn


  • Options
    #4
    ItsShane
    Registered Users Posts: 140 ✭✭ItsShane


    Penn wrote: »
    Hi ItsShane,

    I'll look into this and get back to you.

    Regards,
    Penn

    Thank you very much, Penn.

    Much appreciated.


  • Options
    #5
    Penn
    Registered Users Posts: 33,226 ✭✭✭✭Penn


    Hi ItsShane,

    You said twice in your opening post of the deleted thread that it was not an attempt to complain about foreigners. However, your thread was titled "Foreigners in the workplace" and in your second post you said that youu issue was that they were speaking a foreign language and that this "intimidated" you.

    When people queried the sincerity of the thread topic and your posts or voiced their opposition to your point, you responded with "I see the high horse brigade has arrived in their flocks." which is needlessly antagonistic, and again said that the issue was that they weren't speaking English.

    Sorry, but I have to agree with the mod on this one. It comes across as either trolling for a reaction, or a thinly veiled attack on foreign workers despite your protestations that it wasn't. Either way, that sort of thread simply isn't appropriate for After Hours, and if you are genuinely sincere about your reasons behind the thread, you have misjudged the tone of After Hours and what is acceptable to post there. Perhaps in future, consider whether or not such things are best left unsaid or what type of reaction it might get.

    Ban upheld. You may ask for an admin to review this decision if you wish.


  • Options
    #6
    ItsShane
    Registered Users Posts: 140 ✭✭ItsShane


    Thanks for taking the time to look into it.
    I don't recall saying it wasn't a complaint about foreigners, rather I recall saying It wasn't an anti foreigner thread. Which it wasn't.
    When I Re-read what I posted, I can see how I could have worded it better to avoid causing offence.

    My complaint about employees speaking their own language on the shop floor is a very legitimate complaint and real issue in real life. Many companies have banned it and I was surprised to see it happening in this store as it causes intimidation among many customers. Why? Because we don't know what's being said.
    Was there a reason they couldn't speak in English on the shop floor? To hide what they were taking about? If they didn't want people to pry in on conversations, then don't be talking across the shop to eachother when customers are around. This is, I must stress, a real thing. I worked in retail for years and I have first hand experience of it.
    Lastly, retail 101 tells you to pay attention to whomever you are serving and not ignore them. Making no eye contact with your customer and acting like they don't exist is the height of rudeness.

    A trolling thread was not my intention and offence being caused was also not my intention.
    I do, however, still maintain that the post would have remained in Consumer Issues, had it been worded better.
    Fair enough if the post wasn't suitable for After hours,, but I must question this as there have been many topics of a sexual nature over recent weeks which went without scrutiny.
    After Hours has contained many threads over the years which also would have been deemed unsuitable. As a long time Boards user (see my profile description, don't let my post count fool you.) I am very aware of this.

    I do still maintain that a forum ban was fairly excessive. An infraction and warning would been more suitable if the thread was truly an attempt at trolling. Imo.

    "high horse brigade " was another way of saying the" PC brigade" which is mentioned very very regularly.

    Hope you read this.

    Again, thanks for taking the time to look into it.

    Shane.


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