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Ultra Vires by Moderators

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  • 24-10-2011 8:06pm
    #1
    SavvyBoy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10 ✭


    I refer to the recent topic that was locked regarding Concy promoting his video.

    I imagine I am on topic since it is wholly about moderators

    Ultra vires is a Latin phrase meaning literally "beyond the powers", although its standard legal translation and substitute is "beyond power".

    "Arguing with a moderator on-thread"

    Are we not allowed address questions to moderators? I believe,
    although sarcastic, Concy was asking for clarification.

    I'm addressing  (not arguing, please dont ban) the moderator. I haven't taken a crash course on where it permissable to speak to moderators, so I went out on limb and made my own.

    I believe the moderator handing down bans was acting outside the powers entrusted to you as a
    moderator for banning people who disagree with you decision. Free
    speech and all.

    Is there a system where we can report misconduct of moderators?


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    #2
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,859 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    SavvyBoy, I can move your thread to the Help Desk* if you want to get "official" discussion about it.

    If you want me to explain my actions here, I'll merge your thread with the Forum Feedback thread.

    If you want to talk in private, send me a quick PM.

    (there's also the Dispute Resolution Forum for posters who have been banned/infracted/warned. However, posters cannot start threads there on someone else's behalf. If Concy or any of his friends wants to contest their bans, they'll have to post there themselves.)


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    #3
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,859 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    Right, a quick update, then I'm going off-line for a few hours.

    The account "ConcyRyan" has been permanently site-banned for spamming. He cross-posted his video in 5 different places, which is an automatic site-ban.

    The account "frankl" has been permanently site-banned as an alternate account. This is site-wide standard procedure.

    Both decisions were made by site administrators, and not by me.

    Concy can appeal his ban in the Prison forum.

    I'll answer any other questions later tonight.


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    #4
    Clareman
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 23,924 Mod ✭✭✭✭Clareman


    I would like to point out that I agree with IO completely is all of his actions, if anything he was very lenient in his actions.

    I would like to point you to the rules section of the forum above, in particular
    If you wish to question any action taken, then follow the instructions set out in the post below entitled "Dispute Resolution Procedure". Questioning moderator decisions in thread will be deleted, repeated violations of this and the user will be banned as such action takes a thread off topic. That said, general forum-wide feedback will be welcomed in a stickied thread at the top of the forum. Communication between regular posters and the mod team is essential for giving the posters what they want, and we'll be happy to take on board constructive, helpful feedback from users.

    You have clearly stated in your post that you have not read the rules, I will ask that you go and do that now and I will give you the benefit of the doubt for now and allow you the opportunity to read them now, I will point you to the secion on freedom of speech
    No freedom of speech.

    This is a private website. There is no "right" to freedom of speech here. We, the Admins and moderators DO want to promote discussion but FREE un-moderated discussion online turns into a screaming match between children. We believe that rules of etiquette should be applied (see below). Shouting about how we have infringed your "freedom of speech" on a privately owned website is silly. You can use blogger.com to say what YOU like, what you aren’t entitled to is access to the community we have built here without abiding by the community's rules, as decided and enforced by us.


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    #5
    Itsdacraic
    Registered Users Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭Itsdacraic


    I love when people use Latin to make it seem as if they are bringing a very high brow angle to an argument


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    #6
    Clareman
    Moderators, Sports Moderators, Regional Midwest Moderators Posts: 23,924 Mod ✭✭✭✭Clareman


    I reckon it's more to do with Harry Potter than education myself, if only the espellious spell worked in the real world


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    #7
    SavvyBoy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10 ✭SavvyBoy


    I absolutely agree that those posts were in violation of the requirement for posting as set out by the "rule section". Society generally doesn't read the terms and conditions of agreements and this should be accepted as a reality and warn the offender. The user "Concy" asked for clarification of the violation and was banned.

    There were no more repeat offences committed. I believe if you had given sufficient warning he may well have stopped, he didn't even know what the role of a moderator is. Granted ignorance is never an excuse, but when was the last time you guys read thoroughly the terms and conditions of an iTunes update?

    Lets take for example, another "private company" that makes its own rules that it's users must abide by, Facebook. Frequently this company updates it's features and styles that information is presented in, users who had "accepted" those terms and conditions that Facebook is free to change whatever they deem fit, start launching petitions asking Facebook to "go back to the old chat,layout, picture, etc" in quite an agreesive manner. Yet Facebook does not ban its users for joining those groups.

    It makes no difference to me about Concy having the ban lifted or not, I just believe a user asking for clarification and being banned was unjust and premature. As some of the replies to this thread "kindly" direct me to read the rules, Concy should have been afforded the same curtesy.

    I'm honoured my basic grasp of Latin might be interpreted as high brow but that's simply not the case. Big fan of Harry Potter though! Members of private companies are subject to restrictions and are subjected to displinary actions for acting ultra vires. Like is said, basic Latin, no magic involved.

    If boards.ie is happy to proceed and treat their members so callously, it is of course their right to do.


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    #8
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,859 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    SavvyBoy wrote: »
    The user "Concy" asked for clarification of the violation and was banned.

    He broke site-wide rules when he spammed his video. I warned him not to post it where it wasn't appropriate. The fact that he replied "in character" instead of making a genuine query was his down-fall in that thread, but he was going to be site-banned for spamming anyway.
    SavvyBoy wrote: »
    Granted ignorance is never an excuse, but when was the last time you guys read thoroughly the terms and conditions of an iTunes update?

    You've answered your own point. Ignorance isn't an excuse.
    Using multiple accounts to get around bans has always been against the rules here. What iTunes puts in its updates is irrelevant.
    SavvyBoy wrote: »
    Lets take for example, another "private company" that makes its own rules that it's users must abide by, Facebook. Frequently this company updates it's features and styles that information is presented in, users who had "accepted" those terms and conditions that Facebook is free to change whatever they deem fit,

    The rules haven't changed here...
    SavvyBoy wrote: »
    start launching petitions asking Facebook to "go back to the old chat,layout, picture, etc" in quite an agreesive manner. Yet Facebook does not ban its users for joining those groups.

    ...and Facebook is a very different medium to this site. If you want to debate something a moderator, any moderator posts, then you do it by PM. Not on-thread, and not with multiple accounts.
    SavvyBoy wrote: »
    It makes no difference to me about Concy having the ban lifted or not, I just believe a user asking for clarification and being banned was unjust and premature. As some of the replies to this thread "kindly" direct me to read the rules, Concy should have been afforded the same curtesy.

    "why exactly and what will you do about it" does not constitute a request for clarification. If anything, it was even more aggressive/inflammatory than the original spamming-spree.

    The fact that he took it to Facebook and got his friends involved should, if anything, weaken his standing here.
    SavvyBoy wrote: »
    If boards.ie is happy to proceed and treat their members so callously, it is of course their right to do.

    What's callous about banning posters who sign up just to promote their Youtube accounts?

    What's callous about banning posters of gross personal abuse?

    I left this thread open because I thought you might have some genuine, rational feedback about the whole situation. Instead you've posted hyperbole, straw-man arguments and emotionally driven rhetoric.

    The rules have been made very clear here. If you still have a problem, then I'd recommend you post in the Help Desk.


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    #9
    SavvyBoy
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10 ✭SavvyBoy


    "...The fact that he replied "in character" instead of making a genuine query was his down-fall in that thread, but he was going to be site-banned for spamming anyway."

    Here you acknowledge is response was "in character", you appear to be very knowledgeable to the going ons of Concy and it's clear his character is comedy, so maybe you took it too literally?

    Thanks for highlighting that ignorance is no excuse. You seem to have completely drop the ball on my points about Facebook and iTunes terms and condition, it could apple to installing a new operating system on a computer or a phone contract, society as a whole does not usually read this material, albeit foolishly but none the less it happens and it's a shame things moved so quickly for this member in question.

    "... If you want to debate something a moderator, any moderator posts, then you do it by PM. Not on-thread, and not with multiple accounts."

    Oh another piece of etiquette violation, apologies. Although, I have only one account for the past few years.

    ""why exactly and what will you do about it" does not constitute a request for clarification."

    If you look was the first two words of the above quote you should notice that it does, in fact, constitute a request for clarification, in his own comedic manner which you do yourself acknowledge.

    "I left this thread open because..."

    How gracious of you to permit "open discussion" on a forum. I think I've said all I need to say on the behaviour of certain moderators on boards.ie


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    #10
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,859 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    SavvyBoy wrote: »
    How gracious of you to permit "open discussion" on a forum. I think I've said all I need to say on the behaviour of certain moderators on boards.ie

    I think you may have mis-interpreted the closing lines of my post above:

    Insect Overlord wrote: »
    The rules have been made very clear here. If you still have a problem, then I'd recommend you post in the Help Desk.

    This isn't open to any more debate here. Either post about it in Help Desk, or let it go.


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    #11
    campo
    Registered Users Posts: 3,364 ✭✭✭campo


    Sorry guys afraid I dont know any latin and I aint no " comedian " like Concy is but I am a member of boards for a while and Concy deserved to be banned he is no different to any other user and if I did what he did and got banned I doubt very much there would be a thread open because of it.

    This thread should be closed as we all know Concy is a media w***e and best to luck to him but why should boards give him some free advertisment


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    #12
    kilburn
    Registered Users Posts: 3,912 ✭✭✭kilburn


    just out of curiousity is that concy in the new meteor ad doing the changing room scene ? :confused:


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    #13
    Kess73
    Registered Users Posts: 25,560 ✭✭✭✭Kess73


    kilburn wrote: »
    just out of curiousity is that concy in the new meteor ad doing the changing room scene ? :confused:


    Yep that is Francis Ryan in the Meteor gym scene advert.


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    #14
    Insect Overlord
    Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 30,859 Mod ✭✭✭✭Insect Overlord


    Thread locked, as it appears the OP has been site-banned.

    I believe this whole thing is still being spoken about elsewhere on the Internet. I'd invite anyone who has a genuine query about it to PM me.


This discussion has been closed.
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