Banned from Sports

Slideshowbob

I'd like to appeal my ban from sports.

I have been given a pletora of reasons for it.

My last post was accused of being political yet there have been many other political posts in cycling by others which have been let go

eg:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showp...&postcount=127

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showp...&postcount=132

I have been told I am wasting moderators etc time - I trust by coming here now I will not waste too much time.

The post I made which got me banned was initially not deemed offensive by another moderator.

It related to the original subject but the post this time related to a recent news article and not the previous line of discussion.

I think my ban is harsh and unwarrented and a convenient option for Sparks to take. I am not sure if he knows anything about cycling, perhaps he could refer to the other cycling moderators. I have taken previous comments on board.

If required I can edit my last post.

PS ive been accused of stirring things for my own amusement - nothing could be further from the truth. I was merely seeking enlightenment as to the workings of boards and the rationale of cmods / mods etc.

PPS - actually when I think of it, this ban eminates from me questioning why Bikepure's accounts couldn't be published online and posting a link to another unrelated article about them - hardly wikileaks territory!! Even ask Bikepure - I bet they take no offence to my mutterings on Boards yet the moderators here think I am OTT !!!

Slideshowbob

Would there be any chance of a decision on this soon?

Thanks

Bob

LoLth

Hi SSB,

I'll have a look into the issues surrounding this latest ban. Hopefully I'll have an informed opinion by the end of the day.

LoLth

right, there was alot more reading than I had thought... but halfway through I came to the realisation that the background really doesnt matter, what matters is the current situation and only the current situation.

You have been banned from a category for the exact same reason as you were previously banned from the category. Once your ban expired you went back to the SAME thread and posted again despite the explaination of the previous ban, despite the on thread warning.

to address your concerns in order:

I have been given a pletora of reasons for it.

you were given a plethora of reason for the previous ban which , once it expired you completely ignored and resumed posting as if nothing had happened, in the same style and on the same subject.

My last post was accused of being political yet there have been many other political posts in cycling by others which have been let go

eg:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showp...&postcount=127

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showp...&postcount=132

Political covers a wide spread of posts. while the posts you link to a possibly political, your posts were repeatedly political on teh same subject despite mod warning, extended mod discussion by PM, cat mod warning, cat mod discussion by PM and ultimately bans. Still you have refused to see that your posting in *that* thread on *that* topic is not acceptable anymore. the posts you linked to are on a different topic in a different thread.

I have been told I am wasting moderators etc time - I trust by coming here now I will not waste too much time.

just to clarify this. Users contacting mods or cmods is NEVER a waste of a mods time. its what they volunteer to do. However, when that user refuses to read the replies and asks the same question repeatedly then it becomes a waste of time and can be quite exasperating for the moderator. From the PM exchange I've read on the other DRF thread, you definitely fell into the latter category.

The post I made which got me banned was initially not deemed offensive by another moderator.

Thats beside the point. the ban is for ignoring the circumstances leading up to your previous ban and ignoring anything that was said to you concernign that ban and, once the ban was up, returning to the exact same thread and posting in teh exact same manner again. this time a link ot an offsite discussion that said what you wanted to say. Anyone can do that. I could link to a thread on another discussion forum giving out a posters personal details, does the fact that it is on another discussion forum absolve me of the responsibility of distributing personal details? No. I posted the link therefore I introduced the content. You posting the link to the other discussion forum similarly equates to you introducing the content yourself. ie: a political post aimed at bikepure's reputation.

In any case, you were informed by a mod of cycling that continuing to post negatively regarding bikepure on boards would be seen as trolling at this stage. So while the psot was not actioned by a moderator, it was certainly not seen as "not offensive"

I think my ban is harsh and unwarrented and a convenient option for Sparks to take. I am not sure if he knows anything about cycling, perhaps he could refer to the other cycling moderators. I have taken previous comments on board.

harsh: permanent bans are harsh. thats what they are inteded to be

unwarranted: despite a warning, despite reasoning, you returned to the thread from which your original ban stemmed and posted a link to a discussion calling into question the reputation of the same company you were originally criticising. There's nothing wrong with criticising or having an opinion but you posted repeatedly even after being asked not to, even after being warned not to, even after being banned. A ban is warranted imho.

Sparks doesnt have to know anything about cycling, you ignored the cycling mods warnings and Sparks stepped in and applied the ban, and discussed it with you. He moderated the category. thats his role and he did it.

As for taking previous comments on board: why didnt you take the most recent comments on board?

If required I can edit my last post.

You should not have posted it. you made the choice to post you own the consequences of that action. Please be very clear on this: If you had not posted, Sparks would not have banned you. YOUR action lead to this set of circumstances.

So, the ban itself. A permanent category ban is possibly harsh but given the circumstances (posting in the same thread despite the on thread warnings) it is understandable. If you want to give some figurative two fingers to the catmod and mods, dont be suprised when you get punished for it.

The ban is warranted. I will, however discuss this with the category mod and the cycling mods and see if there is any wiggle room regarding the duration or scope. I wont ask them to repeal the ban nor will I overrule them in this. I will ask them to re-examine their decision and re-assess whether the punishment is proportionate.

Slideshowbob

Thanks,

All I ask is that if the ban is upheld, it is proportional to the graveness of this particular post. I would not have posted if I knew such a link would have created such offence to the cmod to warrant an infinite ban.

I have already been banned for 9 days.

With regard to my perceived attacks on Bikepure, I’ll say that I’d love nothing better than such an organisation to be in existence and striving for the ethos they portray, I just fail to understand some of their motives, and was attempting to have them discussed on boards.

Is it that bad to ask on boards why they don't openly publish accounts online when they strive for eradication of cheating in sport?

Is is that bad to bring a discussion into boards about their request for a media pass for a race when they would appear to be a lobbying group and essentially not media???

What could be deemed negativity in my posts, I believe are opinions that would ultimately lead to cycling being a better sport, no harm in that is there???

Is posting a link to something on boards strictly the same as expressing the opinion contained there-in yourself?

You said:

"Anyone can do that. I could link to a thread on another discussion forum giving out a posters personal details, does the fact that it is on another discussion forum absolve me of the responsibility of distributing personal details? No. I posted the link therefore I introduced the content. You posting the link to the other discussion forum similarly equates to you introducing the content yourself. ie: a political post aimed at bikepure's reputation."

That's different to what I did. The information elsewhere about Bikepure is already in the public realm. I am not revealing anything new to the public, it's already out there. To identify someone from a link is a different matter! Isn't it??

By your theoretical action above you would be revealing a person's identity and linking that to an opinion/post, ie new information into the public realm. Even if some people think boards is the centre of the earth, in fact I was not bringing any new information into the public arena.

Having said all that I appreciate your examination of the subject and would ask that anyone looking at the ban could consider the whole picture.

Slideshowbob

My ban has been reduced to 6 months.

I still think this is very very severe.

LoLth

its a huge reduction from what it was not to mention its been reduced to the cycling forum specifically rahter than the entire category.

Personally I think the mods have been more than fair, especially considering the reduction was at their discretion.

You are correct in that it is severe. that does not necessarily mean undeserved however.

Slideshowbob

LoLth wrote: »

its a huge reduction from what it was not to mention its been reduced to the cycling forum specifically rahter than the entire category.

Personally I think the mods have been more than fair, especially considering the reduction was at their discretion.

You are correct in that it is severe. that does not necessarily mean undeserved however.

Granted it's been reduced to cycling forum.

but....

Cycling is a passion of mine, the sport, the recreation, the "politics", all of it. It's rare I post in any other sports forum.

I'm Irish.

Boards.ie is IMHO the best outlet for online discussion with an Irish perspective about cycling.......

Slideshowbob

I suppose slagging the man who is probably going to be our next Taoiseach in the cycling forum (and i'll add who might do something good for the sport in Ireland) isnt political either and is totally acceptable to the mods in power?!?! :rolleyes:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=70189441&postcount=5

LoLth

Slideshowbob wrote: »

I suppose slagging the man who is probably going to be our next Taoiseach in the cycling forum (and i'll add who might do something good for the sport in Ireland) isnt political either and is totally acceptable to the mods in power?!?! :rolleyes:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=70189441&postcount=5

wrong type of political and there's a huge difference between posting once and constantly returning to the same thread after multiple warnings/bans and continuing in the exact same fashion that earned you those warnings/bans in the first place. wasnt there a definition of insanity that involves doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.