Ban questionable from mod who has made questionable decisions on Politics forum.

IrishProd

I was banned from a politics thread and Politics Cafe without warning by Scofflaw who has taken some inappropriate actions and made inappropriate posts.

I recently made a post in response to the below, quote does not contain full post:

Originally Posted by Scofflaw
I'm aware that there's something of a push on from pro-SF posters, as inevitably follows a major PR issue for the party, but I'd prefer not to have to ban all of them as a result.

This was my reply:

Are you f**king serious?

Is this kind of attitude and posts from a mod on a political forum on boards.ie actually allowed and tolerated?

Were you posting such things when FF/FG/LB were subject to "PR issues" and their supporters were defending them?

The mod also wrongly accused another poster (IMO) of backseat modding when they clearly were not, and the related thread was moved to Politics Cafe which is for humorous, less serious threads, this thread clearly does not belong in it.

I do not know if I am correct in being outraged by this, but that aside one can reasonably get the impression that this stinks of a mod bringing their own political views into the equation and this reflects very poorly on the website.

Scofflaw

Just to confirm that IrishProd has contacted me by PM, as below. The full post being quoted:

I'm aware that there's something of a push on from pro-SF posters, as inevitably follows a major PR issue for the party, but I'd prefer not to have to ban all of them as a result.

However, the level of mob bullying on this thread is appalling, and needs to stop, otherwise I can see myself having to close this and certain other threads and go through them with bans and cards (after which everyone can rush off to DRP and claim political bias, of course).

It's up to you - you can make your stand on the moral low ground of acting like a lynch mob if you like, and take the consequences if you feel it's worth it, but you've very much spun enough rope here to hang yourselves several times over.

moderately,
Scofflaw

Start of intervention on thread (see preceding pages for issues): http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057304897&page=129

PM response by me:

Hi IrishProd,

all comments on moderation, including URL's, are "backseat moderation", and treated as such. Mod notes are distinguished from ordinary posts to help posters be clear which are which. If you, or any other poster, has an issue with them, you PM the mod, you don't comment on thread.

As for the issue with SF posters, the answer is that a mass banning will result from their behaviour. It has absolutely nothing to do with their political preferences, which frankly I don't give a rat's arse about.

Several SF posters on the forum have been engaged recently in attempting to shout down other posters with abusive and aggressive posting. You may not see an issue with that, but I do.

They were warned en masse as "SF posters" because the posters in question are SF posters, and are on the thread the warning was issued on. If they were FF posters, or FG posters, or Freemen, or whatever, I would have named them as such, and similar behaviour would (and has in the past) result in similar warnings.

Frankly, what's questionable is that they have been allowed to behave in such a way over a period of time - but I've been busy. Hope that clarifies things.

moderately,
Scofflaw

moderately,
Scofflaw

Taltos

Hi IrishProd

I have reviewed your post above as well as the mod direction. I am really not sure what to say here, if you think it is acceptable to post in such a manner to a mod (aka volunteer) then there's not much else to be said.

Ban stands - but let me be crystal clear here. If you post in this manner again in Politics I won't just be supporting the mod judgement, instead I will increase it to permanent.

If you can't keep it civil, just don't post - it's really that simple. And you never ever question mod direction on thread, if you were a newbie you might be cut some slack, but on foot of another warning in the thread and the fact you are not a newbie there is no defense to this.

Ban (3 days) stands.
All other points relate to mod interaction with another poster and are not open for discussion.

Per DRF you may now request Admin review.

Taltos

trout

I'm closing this.

Ban upheld, and has run it's course anyway.