Cowardly bullying

droidman123

I brought this up last year on feedback thread about the cowardly way people are treated on the prison forum,banned posters are humiliated,bullied,belittled and ridiculed daily by what can only be described by cowards.last year after i brought it up it eased up for a while but it has been creeping back in again.its there for anybody to see and it has to stop.if someone is banned for breaking the rules,fair enough,let them go through the appeals process,but either waive the ban or uphold it.the process should not be a cabaret for the admins to put a show on for the crowd,its disgusting to see the smartarseness and ridiculing of people (some of who are young teenagers).the admins wouldnt talk to people like that to their face and they shouldnt get away with it just because they are hiding behind their keyboards.this humiliating of people stops now!

dudara

I’ll be honest, I debated long and hard about approving this Feedback post. I don’t think it’s helpful feedback.

The Prison forum has changed hugely over the past years in response to feedback from posters like yourself. It actually used to be part of the fun and the character of Boards. Now it’s procedural, dry and boring, a necessary process if you will. It’s probably a good thing that it’s become more staid, but I miss some of the old interactions where banned posters were in it for fun as much as the Admins.

This is one of the cases of feedback where I would say to a poster (you) that they don’t know the full story of why someone is banned and why Admins are taking the stance that they take. I’d be the first to intervene if I thought a genuine poster was not getting a fair deal.

droidman123

dudara wrote: »

I’ll be honest, I debated long and hard about approving this Feedback post. I don’t think it’s helpful feedback.

The Prison forum has changed hugely over the past years in response to feedback from posters like yourself. It actually used to be part of the fun and the character of Boards. Now it’s procedural, dry and boring, a necessary process if you will. It’s probably a good thing that it’s become more staid, but I miss some of the old interactions where banned posters were in it for fun as much as the Admins.

This is one of the cases of feedback where I would say to a poster (you) that they don’t know the full story of why someone is banned and why Admins are taking the stance that they take. I’d be the first to intervene if I thought a genuine poster was not getting a fair deal.

Its irrelevant as to why a poster was banned,and weather they get a fair deal or not has nothing to do with my point.what is going on in that prison forum is bullying,clear and simple.i have said it before, if the banned posters post abuse or vulgarity towards the admins is completely irrelevant because the admins have their control panels to delete/edit posts,so its obviously not a level playing field,but that is getting away from my point.the facts are that the admins talk down to people,humiliate them,belittle them just for their own peculiar pleasure.i know,and if you are honest,so do you,that if the prison forum wasnt public the admins wouldnt be carrying on like this.one of the main culprits has thankfully gone (or mayby just changed his username) but the legacy of belittling people continues.i doubt if any of those admins would like their sons/daughters,brothers/sisters to be publicly ridiculed on a public forum.you probably realise by now that i feel very strongly about this.its one.of the main reasons(among others) that i rarely post on this site anymore.

dudara

Please report any incidents that you feel constitute bullying, humiliation etc and I will look into them.

I do realise that you feel strongly about this, but I would counterargue that you are seeking offence where very little exists.

Beasty

Let me provide an example which might help explain some of the things you may see in Prison

We have always had a facility allowing mods to ban (for a period of a week to allow Admins to upgrade it to permanent after appropriate review) regular re-reg trolls. It was a bit cumbersome and was recently streamlined. On a recent incarnation of a poster who has re-regged many hundreds (possibly 1000+) of times in the short time I have been an Admin, a CMod used this facility. In doing so the user was automatically given access to the Prison forum and posted there. I could have deleted that thread but chose to post a comment that I was upgrading the ban to permanent rather than appearing to "censor" by deleting an appeal that may have looked like it came from someone who was not a regular re-reg troll

Later that day the same thing happened. This time he registered under the name "Beasty the Bum Bandit" - that's actually quite mild in comparison to some of the usernames that have been used by this user and others to target Mods, CMods and Admins. In that case I deleted the thread

So am I wrong to have left that first thread up? I was simply showing the short-shrift these particular "users" deserve. Who was bullying who? What do you think of the name he registered under for that second account? What would you think of someone registering with names that encourage rape of volunteers on this site? It's all the same person. Again, who do you think is doing the bullying? The Admin who did the banning and may have given the user short shrift, or the user who regularly registers with repulsive names targetting Mods CMods and Admins?

droidman123

As usual my point has been totally ignored,nothing that dudara or beasty has posted here has anything remotely to do with what my op is. @dudara,is it even.possible for me to report a post in the prison thread? Even if it were it would be a waste of time.to put this openly and honestly to dudara and beasty,do either of you ever see anyone humiliated or belittled or ridiculed in the prison thread?

dudara

I had to go and doublecheck the Prison forum, but yes, the Report Post symbol is appearing for me, so you should be able to report posts.

I don’t think I’ve missed your point, instead I would say that I don’t currently see a basis for it.

droidman123

You honestly dont see banned people on the prison forum being belittled and ridiculed almost daily by admins? Second question,do you honestly believe the admins would put their cabaret act on if the prison forum was not public?

@beasty, i have no doubt that there are people who totally deserve to be banned for using vulgar usernames,re regging,trolling and a multitude of other reasons,its a private site and people have to play by the sites rules,but,the fact that its a private site does NOT give it the right to humiliate people in public.

Just on another note,if i reported every post on the prison thread that was offensive,theres no doubt i would be accused of trolling,anyway i think everyone and there uncle knows nothing would be done to an admins reported post.

dudara

Please give us some examples of what you see as humiliation. Because otherwise we’re going around in circles, but not actually really tackling the topic.

droidman123

dudara wrote: »

Please give us some examples of what you see as humiliation. Because otherwise we’re going around in circles, but not actually really tackling the topic.

Read back through the last 10/20 pages and way futher back to see many examples of the admins smartassness to posters,its all there

Zaph

droidman123 wrote: »

Read back through the last 10/20 pages and way futher back to see many examples of the admins smartassness to posters,its all there

Well no, you're the one making the allegations, so I don't see why we need to do the legwork. As Dudara has already said, the whole culture of the Prison forum has changed significantly from what it was previously, so trawling through pages "way further back" isn't going to be in any way helpful.

I've just had a look at the first page of the forum, and on that page alone I can see 5 bans being lifted and another permanent ban reduced. I fail to see how this demonstrates a pattern of almost daily belittling and ridiculing of anyone tbh.

droidman123

Heres just a recent example,this has been going on for a long time as you well know

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057823551/1/#post105661710

Why couldnt the admin just ban the guy or lift the ban without the need to play up to crowd with his wise ass comments? That link is more or less typical of the carry in there

Zaph

droidman123 wrote: »

Heres just a recent example,this has been going on for a long time as you well know

https://touch.boards.ie/thread/2057823551/1/#post105661710

Why couldnt the admin just ban the guy or lift the ban without the need to play up to crowd with his wise ass comments? That link is more or less typical of the carry in there

You're aware of the full back-story with that particular poster then, are you? He has abused the site and taken the piss for a long time, so in my opinion any of my responses to him were appropriate to how he has behaved in the past. If someone doesn't take the piss they'll receive a completely different response from me.

droidman123

Zaph wrote: »

You're aware of the full back-story with that particular poster then, are you? He has abused the site and taken the piss for a long time, so in my opinion any of my responses to him were appropriate to how he has behaved in the past. If someone doesn't take the piss they'll receive a completely different response from me.

I,m not sure if you guys are being delibratey evasive.what that particular guy did has nothing to do with my issue.you are practically admitting that because he has abused the site and taken the piss that its ok to try make him look foolish in public? I,m not here to defend the rights and wrongs if banned posters? Why cant you just ban him/dont ban him? Why the need for the belittling?

dudara

The only way he looked foolish in Prison was by trying his charade of innocence. I don’t see any “belittling” or “humiliation” in that discussion.

We could have left his permaban stand and ignored him. Instead he got a decent offer whereby he will regain his access if he agrees to the conditions. I call that a pretty good result.

Can you provide any other examples where you see issues?

droidman123

dudara wrote: »

The only way he looked foolish in Prison was by trying his charade of innocence. I don’t see any “belittling” or “humiliation” in that discussion.

We could have left his permaban stand and ignored him. Instead he got a decent offer whereby he will regain his access if he agrees to the conditions. I call that a pretty good result.

Can you provide any other examples where you see issues?

I have neither the time nor the will to trawl back through the pages,its there in black and white for anyone to see.i had an idea nothing would be done about it,but seeing the carry on there in that prison thread i just couldnt ignore it anymore.i have made my point which i rigidly stand by .its a closed shop so its probably futile for me to discuss this anymore.

dudara

Look, I don’t agree with you on this point, but I do think it’s good that you’ve come here and given your Feedback, which was consistent and coming from a place of good intention. I thank you for that.

Happy New Year

droidman123

dudara wrote: »

Look, I don’t agree with you on this point, but I do think it’s good that you’ve come here and given your Feedback, which was consistent and coming from a place of good intention. I thank you for that.

Happy New Year

i,m not a wetback so i dont buy into the patronising or reverse phycology. I find it disturbing that not one of you can actually admit or even look at changing the way the admins treat the people in that so called prison forum.very few of my points have been addressed here.all i have got is deflection from my main point.i will ask again,and i ask you to be totally honest,if the prison forum was not public do you think the admins would be acting the way they are? You know exactly what i mean so no more "i cant see where the belittling,ridiculing" is.i take your happy new wishes as genuine and i wish you the same.

Zaph

droidman123 wrote: »

i,m not a wetback so i dont buy into the patronising or reverse phycology. I find it disturbing that not one of you can actually admit or even look at changing the way the admins treat the people in that so called prison forum.very few of my points have been addressed here.all i have got is deflection from my main point.i will ask again,and i ask you to be totally honest,if the prison forum was not public do you think the admins would be acting the way they are? You know exactly what i mean so no more "i cant see where the belittling,ridiculing" is.i take your happy new wishes as genuine and i wish you the same.

Have you completely missed the posts above where it's clearly stated that the Prison forum is a different place now to how it was previously in response to poster feedback? Tbh, imo you're taking offence at things that aren't really there. As to whether admins would behave differently if it was a private forum, well I can't speak for anyone else, but from my own point of view, no I wouldn't. I believe that my behaviour towards those who genuinely want to resolve the situation and who are willing to work with me on it is consistently courteous and professional. However if you've consistently been a dick on the site or are acting the dick in Prison, then don't be surprised if I don't afford you the same level of respect as others have received.

dudara

droidman123 wrote: »

i,m not a wetback so i dont buy into the patronising or reverse phycology.

I am being sincere when I say that I thank you for your feedback.

droidman123 wrote:

I find it disturbing that not one of you can actually admit or even look at changing the way the admins treat the people in that so called prison forum.very few of my points have been addressed here.all i have got is deflection from my main point.i will ask again,and i ask you to be totally honest,if the prison forum was not public do you think the admins would be acting the way they are?

I personally would treat everyone the exact same as I do now if the Prison forum were not public. Why would there be any difference? I do my utmost to treat everyone with courtesy, (even when I’m part of a group that’s accused of being “cowardly”).

At this stage, I don’t feel our responses are going to change or moderate your perspective.

droidman123

I will be watching,and i can assure you i wont be letting any mis treatment of people on that prison forum go.i wont be wasting my time posting on a feedback thread that by your own admission you "had to think long and hard"about approving.do you think that if you didnt approve this thread that would be the end of it? If the nonsense continues on the prison thread i will be going to the organ grinders and beyond if need be.i have given fair warning and one way or another its going to stop

The Hill Billy

You've been given fair explanation of what happens in Prison. You've failed to (read: couldn't be arsed) to provide backup to your claims. Now you are trying to belittle the admin team by inferring with your "organ grinders" comment that we are monkeys. And issuing threats too. Pot, kettle, black much?

We're done here.

tHB