LGBT Forum: Warning received for 'trolling'.

Joeytheparrot

Hi Folks,


I appreciate I haven't been banned from anywhere, but I'm creating this thread more on principle as I feel I've been unfairly warned, and legitimate viewpoints deleted, because I had an unpopular opinion.


(perhaps I'm biased, though, after all, it's me who got the warning! ).


So effectively, I was browsing around Boards, minding my own business, when an LGBT thread appeared on the main page, about the Pride festival for 2019.

At this point it becomes difficult to give an accurate portrayal of my side of the story, as my posts have been deleted from the thread, so this is from memory of the conversation.



THREAD LINK: https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057970495


Effectively; a user called Joey The Parrot, posted this:

Joeytheparrot wrote: »

That was one aspect of equality. Not equality itself.

There are many areas that still need improvement; family law for same sex parents is still appalingly bad, sex ed in schools needs to badly improved, we need to update the gender recocgnition laws, we could do with some hate crime legislation.

To which I responded (now deleted, but presumably it can still be viewed by mods?) that the Pride festival itself, whilst a nice stage to be offered, doesn't present a formal or suitable arena to discuss the above issues, particularly about family law. The event is crudely stereotypical and not presented in a serious fashion to tackle such issues.

I further went on to bring up the user's mention of gender recognition laws, by making my own viewpoint on the subject known, and attempting to tease out JoeyTheParrot's own opinion on where this should be.

(at this point, it's fair to point out that my posts were deleted for (along with trolling) being off topic; as the thread is apparentely no place to discuss these topics, yet JoeyTheParrot's post is still intact in the thread, bringing up these exact topics).



Joey, who refuses any conversation or debate and instead refers to my posts as Juvenile and disrespectful (which I maintain they simply are not, they are just differing views from his) isn't warned for not engaging and instead insulting me, however another user, who agrees with my viewpoint is warned on-thread.

I reply to JoeyTheParrot a second time, further detailing my viewpoint and discussing how the LGBT community would evolve with such gender laws, even making a small joke of his insult to me earlier (calling me juvenile) to try and ensure no one is taking it too seriously and remain friendly.


I next recieve a message with a warning for trolling, and my posts have all been removed from the thread.

I communicate briefly with Mod Ten of Swords, requesting that I either be completely banned from the LGBT forum as I simply disagree with the way in which my viewpoint was shutdown and hidden, or alternatively to revoke the warning, to which he suggests I should open this thread, as the warning will not be lifted.



So... here I am.


My reason for making the thread here is simply because I like Boards in general, and although I can understand there are a lot of trolls, re-reg accounts, and boards has to be accountable for certain things posted, and some comments can land them in legal trouble, etc. I feel my posts on that thread were legitimate debate and discussion, did not endanger boards legally, and my posting history on boards (11,000 posts over 11 years) would see no real attempts at trolling (except in threads where I am overly sarcastic as the thread itself is a very obvious trolling attempt, which I feel is fair enough).


... And that your honour, is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

dudara

I’ll ask a CMod to review now. Don’t worry about the deleted posts as a CMod or Admin will be able to see them.

Can you also please post your PM conversation with the mod here, or else have it ready to share with the CMod?

Hi Dudara,

Can I ask what's the best way to do that? Copy/Paste or screen-shot them?

Thanks.

Big Bag of Chips

KKV, I will look at this for you but it will be later this evening. You can copy/paste them here if you like, or you can forward them to me by PM. Whichever you prefer.

Ten of Swords

There's no panic or rush on it. Kinda feel a bit bad starting this thread now, to be honest, as I know ye guys aren't paid for it, but it seems an awful lot like work.


Anyway, the messages are as follows (just for clarity, it's not actually the messages I am complaining about, Ten of Swords seemed decent enough via PM).

Here's the conversation in the order it happened, on the day of the alleged incident in question (:D) (I manually quote tagged these, so they're not hyperlinks).

Ten of Swords wrote:

Dear KKV,

You have been warned for Trolling.

This means you are posting in an intentionally provocative fashion in order to gain a reaction from other members. This is disruptive and causes stress to other members.
We don't want that here.

For more information please refer to the Boards.ie FAQ.



Ten of Swords

Deleted User wrote:

Hi Ten of Swords,

I appreciate the message.

However, I would request my warning be retracted (and my posts re-instated - I notice they've been removed). Nothing in my post was trolling, nor can I see how it could be misconstrued as trolling to others?


I can see how it's a different viewpoint (arguably an unpopular one on that forum?) but it most certainly is not trolling.


I put forward a fairly sensible and reasonable debate. I note my posts have been removed.


If you feel the warning i received is honestly justified, then please feel free to permanently ban me from that forum (I presume that's possible? I'm unsure of the specifics of the warnings available) as I feel the entire point of a discussion board is to discuss various viewpoints, and not to be an echo chamber that stamps out any different or altering views.

I appreciate Moderating online forums is a bit thankless, and you're likely getting hassle from most people you have to interact with in a moderating capacity, so I don't mean to be making life unnecessarily difficult for you, but at the same time, I think this approach of 'if i disagree with it, it's wrong' is extremely unfair and not in the spirit of the site (boards) itself, so I stand my ground

I'm a long enough time user on boards, and trolling is something I've never participated in, so i find it insulting that my honest opinion has been labeled such, and then removed from view (despite not being slanderous or likely to tie up anyone in legal knots etc.).


(again though, although I'm standing my ground on this, apologies for being unintentionally awkward with you)


Cheers

Ten of Swords wrote:

Hi KKV

The thread concerned the 2019 Dublin pride parade. Your first post in this thread was very borderline in terms of language and context but given the benefit of the doubt. Your second, third and fourth posts were simply arguing with posters who engaged with you yet added nothing to the conversation.

Your fifth post, the one you received a warning for, was again off topic and went into a gender identity tangent (which another poster had received a yellow card for, and a mod warning was present on the thread immediately above your post). You also continued to bait another moderator who called you out on using juvenile language in earlier posts.

The sum total of all 5 of your posts was tolling and dragging the thread off topic. All off topic posts were removed to get the thread back on track, not just your posts.

Your warning will not be reversed and your off topic posts will not be reinstated.

If you disagree with this you may open a thread in the dispute resolution forum.

Regards

Deleted User wrote:

Hi Ten of Swords,


Can I get a link off you for the Dispute Resolution Forum? I can't seem to find it on the drop-down menus (im sure it's staring me in the face but I'm not able to find it for some reason).


Thanks

Ten of Swords wrote:

Hi KKV


The dispute resolution forum link


https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=1397


Regards

Deleted User wrote:

Hi Ten of Swords,

Thanks for that. I appreciate.


The link to the thread I made is here:


https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/show...#post109885930




Cheers again

Big Bag of Chips

Thanks KKV,

I will look into this in more detail tonight.

Thanks, Chips.

Big Bag of Chips

OK, KKV - after reading both the thread and your PM exchange with the moderator I am falling more on the side of you being a bit clueless to LGBT issues rather than deliberately trolling the thread. I think you may not have a wealth of experience of LGBT issues, or even possibly know that many LGB, and definitely not T, people.

In this instance, I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, but would ask if you wish to continue contributing to the forum that you watch and learn first. Read a few threads and maybe try understand a bit more about the people who post there, who use the forum as a source of support, advice and a community. Your comments could easily be interpreted as insulting to members of the LGBT community. But I am willing to give you one chance. I will remove your card but ask you to be mindful of the people you are speaking to when you post in the LGBT forum and think if what you are saying can be taken as an insult.

Card overturned.

Tokyo

Thanks guys.

I have lifted the card and marking this as resolved.