Moderator abuse of power in pro-wrestling forum

leggo

To whomever it may concern,

Not that it really matters as I have already lodged a report against moderator ShawnRaven, but to add to this report I would like to update boards.ie senior staff that said moderator has since hastily added three warnings to my account and banned me following an argument instigated BY him in the pro-wrestling forum.

I have encountered several problems in the past, stemming from people using my experience in pro-wrestling as an unfair means of insulting or attempting to discredit my opinion. The main perpetrators are people who were banned by me for breaching the terms of a forum at which I was administrator: The official Irish Whip Wrestling forum.

I spoke to ShawnRaven about these issues several weeks ago via PM and he agreed that this was something that had to stop. A quick inspection of my PM logs shall back up my argument.

You can imagine my surprise, however, when that mod publically takes a shot at me using the exact same methods during a discussion that didn't involve him.

I reported his post and asked him to drop the issue. He made two long posts following this continuing the argument. When I attempted to get the conversation back on track by my own means, he then warned me three times and banned me from the forum for 14 days.

This screams 'abuse of power' and I believe that if any senior member of staff here views the topic in question that they will see that his behaviour is totally unbecoming of the expectations of a boards.ie moderator. That is unless he has since edited the topic to cover up his misdeeds.

Any infractions of the rules on my part where only in response to his insistence to keep my personal life as a public part of a conversation that did not involve this.

In the past, I unfortunately feel that the PW forum in boards has sided with those who are personal friends of posters there as opposed to the charter laid down by boards that grants all posters equal posting rights. A quick inspection of the Irish Promotions Sticky will back up that this personal abuse is something that has gone unpunished for years now...as evidenced by the guilty parties' insistence to continue.

I hope that boards.ie doesn't take this view and I would say that it is unadvisable that they do for potential advertisers and investors in the site.

My wish is simple: to be able to post with the freedom that other's are afforded. I may not always have opinions that those around me will agree with, but I have no problem defending those opinions as long as my personal life is not mentioned.

This respect and courtesy is afforded to all other members, and is supposedly overseen by the moderators, however it is a moderator here who has violated this simple request. This is disgraceful behaviour by a member of staff, I think it is clear to see.

Thank you for your time.

Beruthiel

Moved to the correct forum - Help Desk.

Could you please post links to what you are complaining about?

leggo

No problem whatsoever.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=2055551062

This is the topic today. You can see how an argument started by a mod ended in him banning the person he's arguing with...while the person is also repeatedly asking him to drop it.

If you wish to investigate the matter further, please feel free to see the 'Irish Promotions Sticky' and the continuous references of my personal life over a matter of years that have gone unpunished (as shown by their continuity by the same people).

You can also see ShawnRaven acknowledging that this behaviour is unacceptable if you inspect my PM logs.

Also, please refer to my post history to show that there has never been an issue with me in other forums.

Cheers.

ShawnRaven

More than likely this should be more in helpdesk than feedback. But i'm sure it'll get moved there.

The thread that started all this off is here:
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055551062

leggo wrote: »

To whomever it may concern,

Not that it really matters as I have already lodged a report against moderator ShawnRaven, but to add to this report I would like to update boards.ie senior staff that said moderator has since hastily added three warnings to my account and banned me following an argument instigated BY him in the pro-wrestling forum.

First things first, they weren't hastily added. I had already asked you publically not to call mod actions into question over the forum. If you have an issue with it, the PM function is for that. And it's not the first time i have advised you on this.

I have encountered several problems in the past, stemming from people using my experience in pro-wrestling as an unfair means of insulting or attempting to discredit my opinion. The main perpetrators are people who were banned by me for breaching the terms of a forum at which I was administrator: The official Irish Whip Wrestling forum.

Some of which i have also told off privately to back off. But that has nothing to do with this particular issue.

I spoke to ShawnRaven about these issues several weeks ago via PM and he agreed that this was something that had to stop. A quick inspection of my PM logs shall back up my argument.

I also said in that PM that you may need to rephrase some of your statements as you come across as very condescending and arrogant, which tends to rise some of the posters. You failed to mention that also.

You can imagine my surprise, however, when that mod publically takes a shot at me using the exact same methods during a discussion that didn't involve him.

I didn't take a shot at you. You claimed to have a wealth of experience in the matter (regarding in-ring experience), I simply said two years is not a wealth of experience, and that I wouldn't consider two years in ANY profession a wealth of experience. I really don't see how that is considered "taking a shot"

I reported his post and asked him to drop the issue. He made two long posts following this continuing the argument. When I attempted to get the conversation back on track by my own means, he then warned me three times and banned me from the forum for 14 days.

Hang on, I asked you to back your statement up, and you continued to complain about how the thread should be done this way and tha way. When i asked you to justify your statement, you avoided. Last time i checked, it was a discussion forum. You constantly back seat modded, which is a charter violation, i warned you three times, once on the forum, then a yellow card, and then a red card. You were then subsequently banned because you failed to pay heed to those warnings.

This screams 'abuse of power' and I believe that if any senior member of staff here views the topic in question that they will see that his behaviour is totally unbecoming of the expectations of a boards.ie moderator. That is unless he has since edited the topic to cover up his misdeeds.

An admin can view all edits if they desire. Not that I would bother. I have left everything the way that it is as I honestly feel i have conducted my actions in a fair and just manner. You violated the charter three times in 20 minutes, i acted accordingly.

Any infractions of the rules on my part where only in response to his insistence to keep my personal life as a public part of a conversation that did not involve this.

No, i asked you to back your statement up, you ignored it and kept turning the tables around to the way the thread should be moderated.

In the past, I unfortunately feel that the PW forum in boards has sided with those who are personal friends of posters there as opposed to the charter laid down by boards that grants all posters equal posting rights. A quick inspection of the Irish Promotions Sticky will back up that this personal abuse is something that has gone unpunished for years now...as evidenced by the guilty parties' insistence to continue.

Not really, i've actually infracted and banned more people I knew personally, all for breach of forum charter. And i warn several times before handing out a ban because ban after ban isn't a total solution in my honest opinion. I give everyone equal posting rights in PW, when they breach the charter, i step in.

And more people have actually complimented me in recent months over getting the Irish Promotions sticky back on topic for discussion of the scene, rather than a place to advertise shows. Some publically, some via PM and on one occasion, actually in person.

I hope that boards.ie doesn't take this view and I would say that it is unadvisable that they do for potential advertisers and investors in the site.

Not touching this one with a barge pole, you'd be on thin ice for that.

My wish is simple: to be able to post with the freedom that other's are afforded. I may not always have opinions that those around me will agree with, but I have no problem defending those opinions as long as my personal life is not mentioned.

You got that under the condition that you don't antagonise other posters. You broke your end of the deal, and when you got called on it, you threw your toys out of the pram. I genuinely feel I did all i could.

This respect and courtesy is afforded to all other members, and is supposedly overseen by the moderators, however it is a moderator here who has violated this simple request. This is disgraceful behaviour by a member of staff, I think it is clear to see.

I'm sorry you feel that way leggo, but please spare a thought for the posters you've judged and made feel like total crap by some of your comments over time. Because your actions have also been disgraceful in the past.

Now that's all out in the open, what is understood need not be discussed as far as I'm concerned. My position still stands, if anyone else has anything to bring to the table, i'm more than happy to listen and respond.

SR

leggo

Though I feel it's highly unprofessional to get into a back-and-forth here, as the senior staff can look over the matter and make their decision based on the facts, one point of contention:

You claimed to have a wealth of experience in the matter (regarding in-ring experience)

Please quote for me where I said this. I believe my words were, "You're right, what would I know? As I'm sure you've a wealth of experience in the matter " (said tongue-in-cheek I might add, hence the smiley)

I then later added that I didn't believe that I had a wealth of experience (the 'I didn't retire, I left' post if you don't recall).

Also, it was yourself who referred to in-ring experience. It was you who brought this entire argument to the forefront.

Please provide the exact quote that proves me wrong. If you can't then I would have to assume that it's a misunderstanding on your part, and that misunderstanding then led you to act grossly out-of-line with your mod duties, leading to an unfair ban.

Unfortunately, it's all there on paper.

leggo

I might also add that surely another mod would've been better placed to handle my punishment, if indeed I did act out of line (which I don't believe I did. I was reacting to a mod's attacks)?

ShawnRaven

leggo wrote: »

Unfortunately, it's all there on paper.

Actually, the whole topic was about two different people altogether, in fact it was over a tongue in cheek comment (which had nothing to do with you) made by me, that you read too much in and turned the whole thread into disrepute.

Ironic, isn't it?

Beruthiel

leggo.
You could do with an attitude adjustment.
You come across as defensive and argumentative.
On top of that, you were being sarky with a Mod in thread.

You got warned publically for backseat modding.
Then warned privately.
Then got infracted for backseat modding.
Now you've been banned for it.

In all fairness ShawnRaven gave you every chance possible and you ignored them all.

You have nothing to complain about.

The ban stands.

ShawnRaven

leggo wrote: »

I might also add that surely another mod would've been better placed to handle my punishment, if indeed I did act out of line (which I don't believe I did. I was reacting to a mod's attacks)?

So you're suggesting that if a mod is on a forum he or she moderates, should turn a blind eye if they feel someone is inappropriate or out of line so another mod can deal with it?

I'm done here guys, this bizarre logic is too much for me before i've had my coffee.

leggo

How was it a tongue-in-cheek comment to try and discredit my entire career? That's like me saying, "You're **** at everything you've ever done in life!!" then later claiming it was just a joke when I got called on it.

Even so, given that you'd PM'd me on the matter several weeks beforehand, did you think it was wise (given you're a mod of this forum) that you make a tongue-in-cheek comment that could be taken the wrong way?

leggo

Beruthiel wrote: »

leggo.
You could do with an attitude adjustment.
You come across as defensive and argumentative.
On top of that, you were being sarky with a Mod in thread.

You got warned publically for backseat modding.
Then warned privately.
Then got infracted for backseat modding.
Now you've been banned for it.

In all fairness ShawnRaven gave you every chance possible and you ignored them all.

You have nothing to complain about.

The ban stands.

Of course I'm going to be defensive and argumentative if somebody starts bringing my personal life into disrepute. I'll personally insult you sometime and see if you get defensive and argumentative, then blame you for acting that way. See how you feel.

Of course I'm going to get sarky with a mod if he's doing the same with me.

I'd ask you to ask yourself to look at the precedent you're setting now from the eyes of a potential poster, advertiser or investor in the site.

Two of those warnings were from the same post, correct? And I was warned about them simultaneously, while making the post where the third warning would come from. All of the while, RESPONDING to an argument that YOUR moderator started? You feel that is fair play?

So you don't feel that it would be better conduct for him to have left it to another mod to handle, given his involvement in starting the argument?

Do you feel that a mod should start arguments with posters and are above following the rules that they themselves set?

Would you encourage a moderator to act as ShawnRaven had in this topic?

leggo

By the by, admin to admin, I'd suggest checking ShawnRaven's PM logs. We received a complaint about him on the IwW forums a couple of years back for selling pirate DVDs through the forum via PM. I presume this would go against boards.ie procedures for moderators if he's still up to his old tricks.

I'm not making any ludicrous claims, simply stating fact. By the precedent you've just laid down with your ruling Beruthial, then that is perfectly acceptable.

seamus

We don't look at people's private messages on this site. The matter is closed.