Excessive moderator action in A&A

FA Hayek

Not sure what to do here but I will do my best.

I was given a straight out ban from A&A as the moderator deemed I was giving personal abuse and calling another poster names. There was no warning, no infraction, just a straight out ban. You can see that my post did not call the other poster names, nor would it constitute personal abuse by any stretch of the imagination.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=101171351

Secondly the action is unbelievably harsh. I have never gotten an infraction in that forum before so the punishment does not fit the crime at all, regardless of the validity of the claim.

It seems to me that that specific moderator seems to have a chip on his shoulder as I have been singled out a few times. I have had no issues with any other the other mods on the forum or any other user on the forum.

See the feedback thread for example here.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056770280&page=76
There are a few posts there where I asked for clarification regarding a rule yet the explanation was as clear as mud. I was not alone here.

I took the mod to task about his over use of child abuse as a way to score political points here.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=100355902

Naturally enough he doubled down on it. As someone who actually knows first hand about child abuse, I thought the remark was distasteful to say the least. So, to hear the whataboutary in his answer does portray a certain sense that the forum his/her owns personal soap box.

I brought the above to the attention of the admins in a feedback thread and they too admitted that it was distasteful and should have reported it to the CMod, something I regret not doing now.

Regardless, back to the point. The ban itself, I wish to have it reviewed and over turn. I have PM'd the mod but they are adamant that the ban stands due to the their view the sensitive nature of the anniversary mass, even though making light of child abuse is fine on the other hand.

dudara

As per the process above, I will ask a CMod to take a look at your appeal. Please have the PMs from your conversation with the moderator ready to share.

Toots

Hi FA Hayek, I'll be looking into this for you.

Please could you forward me any PMs between yourself and the mod who banned you? (You can either send them by PM or post them here)

Thanks muchly!

FA Hayek

PM's sent.

Toots

Thank you! Just got them there. Please give me some time to investigate, and I'll post back here with a decision.

Toots

OK, I've looked into this and I'm a bit concerned that you don't feel like your response could be seen as personal abuse. A poster was looking for genuine advice regarding the anniversary mass of a close friend and you posted this:

FA Hayek wrote: »

Putting the cart before the horse here my friend. I know you want to be cool and different and to be honest I doubt most of your friends are die hard catholics. Most people don't really care for dogma anymore. People do not give a ****e anymore.

They do however care enough for your friend to organise an event so that his family and friends can gather and remember him/her. There will definitely be some sort of tea and sandwiches, maybe even a few pints shared while they share a few stories about your friend.

So, you can chose to mop about on the net or whatever you do in your spare time. Or, pull your head out and go and remember your friend as part of the community.

Can you really not see that this was not in any way appropriate?

FA Hayek

Perhaps using the term 'want to be cool' may be borderline and I accept that and apologise.

However, telling someone to pull your head out, is personal abuse? That tone and language is used daily in A&A and places like AH and generally accepted.

I also stand by the general premise of the argument.

Besides, why then the heavy ban? It just seemed the moderator in question wanted to silence me, a simple on forum message or warning would have sufficed, as he did here, where people were call anti-intellectual, lazy and simple.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=101181251&postcount=64
No, infraction, warning or ban. Just a message to move along.

And here, accusations of therapy needed, taking your brain for a walk, another move along post.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=101171747&postcount=24

One of the posters continued to post sexist comments after the fact and was only given a warning.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=101172025

I can dig out more of these examples if you want.

The moderator always posts warnings in the post first, yet in this instance it was a straight out 7 day ban. Why?
My language was no way worse then those I have linked to, accusing people of being ' a woman', lazy, anti-intellectual, simple and to exercise your brain, is not as bad as telling someone to pull their head out?

This to me is the glaring inconsistency of the moderator action. The ban is totally unwarranted given the precedence of what has gone before and after. A message to tone it down a bit would have been warranted it seems, all else would have been excessive.

I accept that my tone may have been over bearing, I am just looking at the excessive action of the moderator.

The Hill Billy

Toots is unavailable at the mo, so she's asked an admin step in.

For the 'wants to be cool' comment - your acceptance & apology are acknowledged & appreciated.

For the 'pull your head' comment, there does appear to be some inconsistency with other warnings given, but context is important & as this thread was in relation to a bereavement (a rather grave issue, as I am sure you will agree ), it was insensitive.

All told, I feel that the ban term is somewhat excessive & will commute to time served.

tHB

FA Hayek

Sorry, been away the past few days.

As you admit that the ban was excessive and not consistent with the standard of modding in that particular forum I request that the ban itself be reduced to an inflation/warning/yellow card rather then an outright ban, as the latter will be on my profile and be potentially used against me in future.

I think this would be more in line and consistent.

The Hill Billy

Sorted.