Wannabe Freemason is now a CT mod.

Brown Bomber

RopeDrink wrote: »

The OP went off on an abusive, destructive, threatening and OTT crusade against the entire website, made several claims regarding 'silent attacks' in order to weed out the lecherous 'wannabe freemasons' tampering with his abilities on the website (some of the OP's claims were impossible), logged on to an alt account to slate the (inevitable) decision made against him after he had broken probably every rule in the book and people are getting riled up over a possibly altered avatar and comments regarding mental health?

I think everyone is aware of what the OP has done. He has been site banned. Justifiably. Nothing left to say on the matter.

RopeDrink wrote: »

Granted, I found the mental comments quite cringeworthy and it's not something I'd ever say but thats just me. However it was a very relevant factor and it was clearly going to get mentioned given the OP's posting style and his own mention of said issues elsewhere.

So cringeworthy yet very relevant? This despite the fact that every single post that called into question his mental state goes directly against the boards guidelines.

Are we to assume that from here on in all comments made to posters who anyone else considers somehow unhinged are "fair game" and "very relevant"?

RopeDrink wrote: »

As someone who was at the recieving end of the Avatar & Nickname Change prank many many years ago (to memorable & comic effect) even I'm not totally convinced it was indeed an Admin who performed it. A way was mentioned how the OP could have still done it themselves and everyone dismissed it instantly, crying for blood. Even if it was done by an Admin, I can safely say it was done purely out of jest though wether that sits well with individuals is up to them - Me, personally, I don't think much of it in comparison to what the OP performed in this thread against the entire website itself using an account that was 100% guarantee'd a permanant ban even before the avatar changed (and of which may have very well been done by the OP).

I'm sorry but the whole "good-natured prank" notion is a total and obvious cop-out.

Unless you wan't people to somehow believe that a user here can have his sanity and intelligence questioned here and then at the very same time someone good naturedly decided to cheer him up right before they banned him for good with a tiny licckle prank.

Which (I seen it with my own eyes) continued after the obvious aggravation it was causing the user.

Quite obviously it was a lot more vindictive than you let on and a flagrant abuse of power.

RopeDrink wrote: »

Not here to condone or condemn anything here as I find the entire thread pretty galling and cringeworthy from all angles - Still, I think people read way too deep into things.

Just my opinion, not that it matters - I don't see why this thread is still open, to be perfectly honest.

Well IMO if the thread is locked it would be seen as a shameless attempt by the site to brush the matter under the carpet to protect one of their own.

Brown Bomber

Jeboa Safari wrote: »

Thats a completely over the top comparison

Don't you get it? What has happened was not just disrespectful to demonspawn; it was disrespectful to all users who attempt honestly to abide by the rules.

copacetic

RopeDrink wrote: »

As someone who was at the recieving end of the Avatar & Nickname Change prank many many years ago (to memorable & comic effect) even I'm not totally convinced it was indeed an Admin who performed it. A way was mentioned how the OP could have still done it themselves and everyone dismissed it instantly, crying for blood. Even if it was done by an Admin, I can safely say it was done purely out of jest though wether that sits well with individuals is up to them - Me, personally, I don't think much of it in comparison to what the OP performed in this thread against the entire website itself using an account that was 100% guarantee'd a permanant ban even before the avatar changed (and of which may have very well been done by the OP).

So basically the OP did it to himself? Or if he didn't and an admin did do it, it was for the lols and it's no big deal?

Way to have it every which way.

I don't think it's that big a deal either, but it was a major brain fart by whoever did it. Indeed this whole thread is a bit of a throwback to the old feedback that we appeared to have moved away from. Bullying, deriding and ridiculing an OP who clearly couldn't defend themselves

P. Breathnach

RopeDrink wrote: »

... Granted, I found the mental comments quite cringeworthy and it's not something I'd ever say but thats just me.

No, it's not just you. It's what should be expected of everybody, and what we get from most people.

However it was a very relevant factor and it was clearly going to get mentioned given the OP's posting style and his own mention of said issues elsewhere.

That's the "he had it coming to him" defence, and it's simply not good enough. No matter how annoying or offensive a poster is, it is not right that he be treated in this way, especially by people who have an official position in boards.ie. There are appropriate responses to bad poster behaviour, and they do not include ridicule or calling anybody's mental health into question.

... Just my opinion, not that it matters - I don't see why this thread is still open, to be perfectly honest.

Because it seems that an admin may have acted inappropriately and, instead of investigating the matter with a view to seeing if a wrong was done, a number of mods and admins are trying to deflect all criticism.

Mahatma coat

Well, Who didnt see this coming???????????

In fairness Demon spawn Should have Been Banned
When He FIRST REQUESTED IT

Instead its the usual sh1te of gangin up on the CT Guy for Sh1ts and Giggles

the references to the Posters mental health were bang out of Order, I do believe there is a sitewide rule on offering ANY form of Medical advice, however none of us expect to see TBH or the other Clique members censured, we know it dosent work like that, Some animals are more equal than others.

however the thing that galls most of the people still responding to this thread is the Spineless way that (allegedley) one of the Admins messed about with his Avatar and Signature, if you didnt think it was that big a deal then Man up and admit it. Some of us do think it was a big deal, The poster should have been banned for his FIRST Abusive Post in that thread, instead some Really Brave Fcukers thought it would be more fun to turn him into the butt of one of their jokes for the amusement of a small clique here on boards, no one is defending DemonSpawns actions, but Someone needs to answer a few questions as to why it was allowed to continue in the first place

WakeUp

What about all the snide remark's over his mental state? Absolute disgrace some of the comment's made against him . Demonspawn was in the wrong and his level of abuse towards some posters and Mods' was bang out of order and he deserved his ban, but still some of the things that were said were deplorable. Is any action going to be taken agaisnt the poster's who made these comments, surely the most vicious of these commenter's deserve a ban? One poster in particualr deserves a ban for their horrible comments, at this stage Im not going to name names or report them Im interested to see if the Mod's and Admin's are going to do the right thing and ban them off their own bat..we shall see.

Mahatma coat

I have PM'd an Admin to Ask if they can shed some light on the avatar situation

old_aussie

demonspawn wrote: »

And there it is, what we've all been waiting for.

Please don't include me in your rantings.

Frisbee

Just a point on AvatarGate.

We're actually going to believe Demonspawn that his avatar was being changed not by him?

And that his User CP was disabled? Afaik you can't even disable a single user's CP.

Pookah

Frisbee wrote: »

Just a point on AvatarGate.

We're actually going to believe Demonspawn that his avatar was being changed not by him?

And that his User CP was disabled? Afaik you can't even disable a single user's CP.

It's been dissected already, ad nauseum.

He's not a subscriber, therefore couldn't have had a custom avatar.

therecklessone

Frisbee wrote: »

We're actually going to believe Demonspawn that his avatar was being changed not by him?

Seems to be a lot of people defending the possible altering of his avatar, I'm sure an Admin could choose to correct that impression if required.

Frisbee

Pookah wrote: »

It's been dissected already, ad nauseum.

He's not a subscriber, therefore couldn't have had a custom avatar.

And from what I read it's also true that the subscribers list is not 100% accurate.

therecklessone wrote: »

Seems to be a lot of people defending the possible altering of his avatar, I'm sure an Admin could choose to correct that impression if required.

Correct and Right. But there also seems to be a lot of people out for blood because of the possible changing of his avatar.
I'm not saying there is no way an Admin didn't do it, but some balance between:

ZOMFG ADMIN p0wer abuse!!!!!!111!! LOLOLOLOL xx

and

No good fellow, our delightful admins wouldn't do such a thing, their a cultured bunch you know.

would be nice. None of us know th efull story, but as you say, some clarification from higher up would put and end to it and resolve any such speculation.

Pookah

Frisbee wrote: »

And from what I read it's also true that the subscribers list is not 100% accurate.

An admin would have confirmed his status as a subscriber long before now, had he been one.

old_aussie

It was probably demonspawn's alter ego, who is a subscriber, who logged into his account and changed his avatar and that in his confusion didn't realise what he'd done.

Hope he doesn't bring jihad on the forum. :rolleyes:

Wibbs

I drop into and posted in the CT forum from time to time and FWIW I think yekahs will be a good mod. Like he said himself he has reported more sceptic posts than not and he is interested in the subject and posts a lot in there. Though by the nature of the forum mod appointments and any perceived bias therein is gonna be questioned. Imagine if a believer in crystal healing was made mod in the health sciences forum. They could be the best, most balanced mod ever, but questions would be likewise raised. IMHO the community should wait and see how yekahs works out. I honestly think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

That said it's how such questions are dealt with that's at issue. The mental health cracks were bang out of order and escalated the situation. If the person has a mental health issue it's indefensible. If they don't it's still indefensible as it continues to propagate the notion that mental health is something to be ashamed of and used as a weapon of shame. Screwing with avatars(if that's what happened) escalated the situation. Both smack of bullying and no matter what the provocation from a troublesome poster and I do understand the frustration, it's not on. If talking doesnt work and all avenues have been exhausted, then ban them. If they come back, ban them again. End of. We all have bad days, but the position of caretaker of the communities should be above that as much as possible.

Boards bashing at its best.

IITYWYBMAD

Wibbs wrote: »

That said it's how such questions are dealt with that's at issue. The mental health cracks were bang out of order and escalated the situation. If the person has a mental health issue it's indefensible. If they don't it's still indefensible as it continues to propagate the notion that mental health is something to be ashamed of and used as a weapon of shame. Screwing with avatars(if that's what happened) escalated the situation. Both smack of bullying and no matter what the provocation from a troublesome poster and I do understand the frustration, it's not on. If talking doesnt work and all avenues have been exhausted, then ban them. If they come back, ban them again. End of. We all have bad days, but the position of caretaker of the communities should be above that as much as possible.

I've no opinion either way on the mod in question, as I don't frequent the forum concerned. If he/she is lacking, the modship will be revoked quickly enough.

The rest of the behavior in the thread is beyond contempt. I can understand that some people are naive, however those individuals should just STFU when it comes to trying to defend a view that they so obviously know SFA about (some of the comments from 1 or 2 who should know better where beyond laughable), instead of sticking it out and trying to defend their ego's and position.

The bullying and goading from other certain quarters is less surprising, but still equally contemptible.

WindSock

tbh wrote: »

I'm just glad I could finally see what everyone was buggin about, and a bit disappointed in myself that I didn't see it sooner. I do feel strongly that mental illness is nothing to be ashamed about, but I also understand that it's not my call to decide that for other people - for that I am sorry, and it won't happen again.

I reserve a lot of respect for someone who can openly admit that they were wrong for whatever their reasons are after some discourse. I think one of the biggest problems at the moment is the attitude taken by the powers that be that they can do no wrong, and if they do...fk 'em all anyway. I don't know why, is it feared they will feel undermined if they stand up and say sorry? Or do some genuinely think they are right all of the time?

I would be happier to see more people like yourself in an admin role, tbh.

WIZE

WindSock wrote: »

I reserve a lot of respect for someone who can openly admit that they were wrong for whatever their reasons are after some discourse. I think one of the biggest problems at the moment is the attitude taken by the powers that be that they can do no wrong, and if they do...fk 'em all anyway. I don't know why, is it feared they will feel undermined if they stand up and say sorry? Or do some genuinely think they are right all of the time?

I would be happier to see more people like yourself in an admin role, tbh.

Exactly

Its like '' If I stay Quiet it will blow over ''

WindSock

WIZE wrote: »

Exactly

Its like '' If I stay Quiet it will blow over ''

I wouldn't expect anything to happen at this stage but perhaps this thread will serve as a reminder in future that when any poster on any level acts out of line they should have the decency to say so instead of letting a thread run over and over until forgotten about then locked.

What funny is All mods make sure the their charter is enforced yet some mods dont follow other Forums Charters as they say '' Im only a Poster in this thread ''

It is up to the mods of the other forums to step in if that happens. And usually it does. I have seen situations where mods are targetted moreso than regular posters because of the badge that is worn and I have seen other situations where there is leniency applied too, but that also goes for regular users when posting history is taken into account.

I don't think I have seen any situation where mods would action a post by a CMod or Admin though. There are probably special mechanisms in place for that which I am unaware of.

WIZE

WindSock wrote: »

I wouldn't expect anything to happen at this stage but perhaps this thread will serve as a reminder in future that when any poster on any level acts out of line they should have the decency to say so instead of letting a thread run over and over until forgotten about then locked.



It is up to the mods of the other forums to step in if that happens. And usually it does. I have seen situations where mods are targetted moreso than regular posters because of the badge that is worn and I have seen other situations where there is leniency applied too, but that also goes for regular users when posting history is taken into account.

I deleted the second Part but your right

WindSock

WIZE wrote: »

I deleted the second Part but your right

I always am :cool:

WIZE

WindSock wrote: »

I always am :cool:

haha that what they all seem to think

mike65

No-one is likely to clarify anything.

I imagine the Admins will leave this open and allow it to wither on the vine. Which would be a pity as it would be a failure of leadership and accountability.

smashey

Okay, I posted here over the weekend and have been watching this since. You know, a lot of what has been said here is correct. As admins, we should be held to a higher standard on the site and I for one apologise unreservedly for anything that has caused offence here. Your points have been noted and we will be mindful of this in future.

28064212

RopeDrink wrote: »

Not necessarily - Threads are typically locked when the topic runs out which it has seeing as the OP was banned and his claims were, rightly, disregarded.

But the topic hasn't run out (or at least it has evolved from the original to a new topic that hasn't run out). What (most) posters are looking for is a resolution/closure over the avatar issue. Perhaps demonspawn did change it himself. Maybe an Admin did it. Why hasn't one stepped in and said conclusively that at the very least, demonspawn was a subscriber, and that they'll check with the site-devs to see if it was him who changed it, or at least see if it's possible to check who changed it.

If it was an Admin in a mis-judged prank, then I would expect them to be able to hold their hands up and say they did it and that they were wrong. Even if they don't (wouldn't be completely unreasonable, they would probably receive quite a bit of flak from users for it), I would expect that DeV/another admin comes in and says yes, it was an Admin who did it, they were wrong to do it, they've gotten a slap on the wrist for it. That's would quell the majority of the posters' qualms. It's the lack of transparency and the feeling that it was ok to do that to a poster that seems to have most users up in arms

drkpower

RopeDrink wrote: »

* The possibility it was the OP's doing hasn't been disproven entirely (And I'm not saying that to defend the Admins, I'm saying that because people don't seem to accept the possibility and are hunting one angle rather than all of them).

Presumably this is knowledge within the control of the Admins who can very easily set the record straight.

Without wanting to get overly serious on this topic, watching the reaction (or more correctly, the non-action) of some the admins in this case reminds me of one of the real deficiencies in the Irish psyche. How many times in recent Irish history have we seen the following:
- someone does wrong;
- he says nothing hoping the issue would go away;
- he, or others on his behalf, make relatively transparent attempts to downplay the incident or deflect criticism elsewhere;
- the calls for accountability are portrayed as overreactions;
- noone is ever held accountable;
- noone ever mans up and admits an error was made.

When this kind of reaction is mirrored on an anonymous user-led internet forum with a relatively youthful and liberal demographic, it does not fill me with confidence for the future. Is it little wonder that we end up with political, healthcare and banking scandals from the higher echelons of society, when even people with pretty much nothing to lose (ie. Admins) cant admit their indiscretions and move on.

Health warning: No, I am not trying to compare the gravity of certain Irish historical scandals to what happened here!!! I am simply pointing to the rather unedifying parralels.

Wibbs

WindSock wrote: »

I reserve a lot of respect for someone who can openly admit that they were wrong for whatever their reasons are after some discourse. I think one of the biggest problems at the moment is the attitude taken by the powers that be that they can do no wrong, and if they do...fk 'em all anyway. I don't know why, is it feared they will feel undermined if they stand up and say sorry? Or do some genuinely think they are right all of the time?

I think a some do and have the "I have the powah and my word is final" thing going at times and that does cause issues, but most really don't IMHO and IME. There's bound to be some level of closing ranks too. Not in some conspiracy way either , just the natural connection between people doing the same thing and facing the same guff at times. Honestly? Speaking for myself, I'm going to tend to back a comod, more than a user causing trouble, unless the comod is acting the mick. I've been very lucky in that I've never had to deal with that. It's pretty rare anyway from what I've seen.

Though the other side of it is if one does say mea culpa, then the fear is that this will be held against them or witchhunts kicked off. I think sometimes it would be, but far far more people would admire the person for it and less witchhunt BS would kick off. Situations that may have escalated before could well have been averted. Not all people who disagree are troublemakers or out for blood. Sometimes they just want to improve things as much as you do.

P. Breathnach

Last night:

RopeDrink wrote: »

... I found the mental comments quite cringeworthy and it's not something I'd ever say but thats just me....

This morning:

RopeDrink wrote: »

... the OP was not exactly coming across as someone of sound mind...

I think you might try harder to achieve consistency. I accept that today's post was made without malice, but you are still straying onto dangerous territory when you articulate a judgement like that.

Nobody here is in a position to judge the mental state of any other poster. Relatively few people are professionally-qualified to diagnose mental illness, and I am confident that if any such person were to come here and review the situation, the advice would be that the behaviour here is not a sufficient basis on which to make a professional judgement. So let's not have amateurs making calls.

Demonspawn should have been banned for the benefit of boards.ie (essentially, for the benefit of other participants). It should have been done politely and firmly. That's all that should have happened.

LoLth

seriously? I go away to a wedding for the weekend and this is what you get up to while I'm gone......

yeah, apologies for not being around for this one. Real life and all that. I've spent this morning reading through this thread (not every post was read fully I have to say but I do intend to go back over it). As Smashey says, there are some valid points and these do need to be discussed by the admins especially about how mods/cmods/admins are to be perceived by users. Its a tough one though and it is an issue we've fallen foul of before, too much "banter" and "slagging" is not good, zero and we are accused of being detached. Ban without discussion = admins/mods being heavy handed. Discussion of behaviour = admin/mod favouritism.

The changing of DS's avatar, this is something thats been done before. This isnt a first. Perhaps it wasnt good timing and for that we should apologise.

Demonspawn.... y'know, despite his claims to mental health issues, I firmly believe he was just a trolling muppet trying to cause trouble (multiple helpdesk threads, each multiple pages long. PM rallies. and in each instance an almost deliberate refusal to understand any answer that wasnt 100% in agreement with his own opinion and which always involved some mod/cmod or admin getting booted off the site). Slagging him off. In the old days yes, it was fair game. Now? obviously not. It is something that is happening less frequently but we'll have to work on it a bit harder. (Spammers in prison are still fair game though! You cant take away all my fun).

So. I would suggest that, in keeping with my past claims to civility and willingness to discuss, You feel free to ask your questions directly (and politely please) and I'll do my best to answer or, if I dont know, to find an answer, for you.

However, I will not facilitate lynch-mob mentality nor will I pander to calls for public executions. In the meantime, I do need to go back over this thread and read the posts I only skimmed over.