Appealing 3 month Ban

Headshot

I've been debating whether to create this thread, as I’ve found it hard to put much faith in the DPR process. That said, after thinking it over, I’ve decided to go ahead, not because I expect my ban to be overturned (though I suppose I could be surprised and would appreciate it), but because I want to voice my concerns about the moderation in CA forum and how the lax rules are all a facade

I've been banned for 3 months from the CA forum for a post in the immigration thread

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2025/0801/1526492-ecj-asylum-seeker-accommodation/

The European Court of Justice has rejected the Government's claim that an influx of international protection applicants impacted its obligation to cover asylum seekers’ basic needs.

We all knew this was coming

It's really fucked up and it's going to cause chaos in this country because the scammers will now be entitled to be on the social housing list or homeless list

These scammers will have priority over the Irish and once again making us 2nd class citizens in our own country

Imagine we fund these NGOs via our hard earned tax and they turn around and do untold damage to our country

I've been banned for using the word "Scammer".

Necro has stated

Your massive sweeping generalisations of all Asylum Seekers being scammers is breach of this rule:

You agree, through use of this service, NOT to use boards.ie to:

post any abusive, harmful, vulgar, obscene, sexually explicit, indecent, profane, inappropriate, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable Material, except where the content is appropriate to the content of the forum and you have been granted specific permission to do so and subject to our guidelines on said content

It now seems that Necro is selectively applying arbitrary site rules to ban posters they personally dislike or disagree with. I'm typically not one of these posters that make these accusations of a mod targeting someone lightly but I find it suspicious that all of my recent warnings and bans have come from Necro.

What's more concerning is that they appear to be rolling back on the previously promised relaxed approach to moderation in the CA forum and instead using the site rules as justification to ban posters they oppose.

So I ask what is the point of relaxed rules in the CA forum when mods can select a particular site rule to ban a user they oppose. How the hell does "Scammer" fall under "racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable Material," is beyond me?

I've seen the word "Scammer" used numerous times and I've used it numerous times myself since the new rule changes but nothing was done until today.

I would also like to add in the OP of the immigration thread there is no mention of using these arbitrary site rules bar "No discussion of anything before the courts permitted."

I would really appreciate this ban to be lifted please

Headshot

Also if you run a search in the immigration thread you'll fine numerous posters mentioning scammers and nothing was done with said posters, this just adds to how unfair this ban is

Why was I singled out and in particular with the lax rules for CA in place?

Big Bag of Chips

@Headshot you will need to post the full PM exchange you've had with the moderator. Screenshots will do.

I will alert a CMod to this thread.

ancapailldorcha

Hi Headshot,

I can look into this for you. I'm travelling today so it'll most likely be either tomorrow or Monday that I'll be able to look at it properly.

Headshot

Please find the attached screenshots.

I'm not going to lie I was fair pissed and vented that in my responses

Do I regret some of what I said? Yes, I do. But as a poster who recently gave glowing reviews of the new CA rules, and then a moderator arbitrarily bans someone using the site rules as they are no longer being able to use CA rules, frustration got the better of me.

I signed up to boards in 2004, you honestly think I remember the site rules? How come these site rules outside "No discussion of anything before the courts permitted" are not in the OP of the immigration thread

ancapailldorcha

Hi Headshot,

I've had time to review this and I am afraid that I have to agree with the moderator.

This isn't the first time you've been warned about comments of a xenophobic and racist nature this year. This 3-month ban is the culmination of your refusal to adapt your posting style to the rules of both CA and the site as a whole.

The problem is not that you want less immigration or that you oppose housing asylum seekers. The problem is that you've repeatedly described whole demographics of people as "scammers", among other things. This is absolutely racist and xenophobic and it breaks the site's rules. Therefore, I think Necro is absolutely correct to issue a ban of this size at this stage.

If you don't alter your posting style, you may find yourself permanently banned from the forum.

Please let me know if you wish to have an admin review this.

Headshot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123693828#Comment_123693828

The original ban was based on an accusation of making “sweeping generalisations,” but that’s not what I did. I never said all asylum seekers are scammers. I didn't actually generalise that all asylum seekers are scammers. my response said 'the' scammers. That doesn't refer to all of them. Just those who are scammers

@ancapailldorcha
You're response is like a something you'd post in CA thread rather than DPR

How do you know what I want? You're making assumptions without any evidence whatsoever. This is a DPR thread, I would have hoped that bias and personal beliefs would be kept out of it.

It's ridiculous to reference the term "scammers" as being xenophobic or racist nature, especially when it was clearly used to describe specific behavior, not an entire group of people.

If you must know, I’ve changed my "posting style" to align with the relaxed CA rules. But now, I’m being punished under the site rules rules which I haven’t looked at since 2004. It’s beyond ridiculous. It feels deeply unfair.

What’s the point of having relaxed CA rules if you're just going to fall back on the site rules to enforce whatever standards you want? If that’s the case, just be honest about it and bring back the old CA rules instead of using a workaround to apply them selectively.

If you're going to use the site rules, then have them in the OP of CA threads such as immigration.

Speaking about selectively warning/banning posters, I could provide a screenshot of numerous posters referencing "scammers" and nothing was done, again selectively using the site rules to ban certain posters.

I would appreciate an admin review please.

ancapailldorcha

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123691345#Comment_123691345

Hi BBoC,

Can I request an admin review please?

Big Bag of Chips

What’s the point of having relaxed CA rules if you're just going to fall back on the site rules to enforce whatever standards you want?

The site rules cover the entire site. Every forum. Forum charters were always in addition to the site rules. Oftentimes they overlapped and charters were often a repeat of the site rules.

Relaxed moderation in a specific forum is one thing. But nothing trumps the site rules. So yes, the site rules will always be used to enforce standards on the site. I will look at your appeal tomorrow.

Headshot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123694466#Comment_123694466

Is there any update on this please?

Big Bag of Chips

Not yet. I've been very busy since the weekend. I want to give it time to look into properly.

Big Bag of Chips

Hi Headshot,

I've spent a couple of days reviewing this, looking through a number of threads and your comments. I've also reviewed your previous warnings.

I am inclined to agree with this warning and the associated ban from CA. Your posts are full of generalisations. It is clear you think most asylum seekers coming to Ireland are scammers or illegal.

There will be an element of illegal immigration, as there is all over the world, and there will be an element of scamming, as there is all over the world. But it won't be "most".

Relaxed rules in CA does not mean no warnings or bans. The moderators are still there monitoring. Your exaggerated and dismissive language is what has earned you a good number of warnings and you have shown you are not likely to change. You seem incapable of debating the nuances of immigration into Ireland instead using blanket statements to describe immigrants as scammers and illegal. Your intention is to call "most" immigrants illegal and scamming.

This is why you have received multiple warnings and why you have reached a 3 month CA ban.

Headshot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123708601#Comment_123708601

Hi Bag of Chips

Thank you for your response.

I started off this thread saying "I’ve found it hard to put much faith in the DPR process" and it's disappointingly runs true to form.

I was under no illusion I would be unbanned, this is exactly why the site is on it's last legs with posters leaving in their droves because there's something very fundamentally broken with the modding

When you hand out a 3-month ban for the comments I made, there’s something deeply wrong

It's really fucked up and it's going to cause chaos in this country because the scammers will now be entitled to be on the social housing list or homeless list

Once again, I did not generalise that all asylum seekers are scammers. With with any system and in particular Ireland's good nature there will be people who exploit it/take advantage and even confirmed by our own government

I am inclined to agree with this warning and the associated ban from CA. Your posts are full of generalisations. It is clear you think most asylum seekers coming to Ireland are scammers or illegal.

Our own government has confirmed that majority of asylum seekers arriving here are doing so illegally and in fact not asylum seekers and therefore you could say their scamming the system, no?

This is what bewilders me about the warning on my post, it’s nuts and speaks volumes about how CA is being moderated. I’m sorry, but it comes across as prejudice toward certain posters whose views some CA mods clearly oppose.

I posted something similar in May of 2024 and no action was taken

The whole situation stinks of a mod just targeting a poster they want rid off because they fundamentally disagree with

This is just a deeply unfair ban but I suspect my ban wont be over turned so can I implore you to take a hard look at the modding of CA and the CA category modding and make changes to benefit the community before it's to late

We have CA category mod(s) burying boards.ie on a different forum

We have CA mods that are completely prejudice against posters they fundamentally disagree with

You need to stop the rot before it's to late and just banning poster after poster wont fix it, a fundamental change to the moderation team needs to be done

I’d also like to add that with the recently relaxed moderation which I felt was working well. Then, without warning, strict moderation was suddenly reintroduced, and I ended up banned. I can’t help but think the relaxation was a mistake in the eyes of some, and that something had to be brought back in to remove posters whose views certain mods disagree with.

Headshot

@Big Bag of Chips

Just asking did you see my previous response please?

Big Bag of Chips

Yes, I did.

Headshot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123720513#Comment_123720513

Thank you for the reply.

May I ask then (unfortunately probably fool heartily :( ) where my ban stands please?

Big Bag of Chips

The 3 month CA ban will remain in place.

Headshot

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123720538#Comment_123720538

While I appreciate you looking into this but it's disappointing you don't at least respond to my points in my previous post of my defence and the moderators

I never had a chance from the start not because of my post (far from it) but rather the bias/prejudice against posters like me who these mods fundamentally disagree with

Just sum up boards as a whole and why "Important News" thread is constantly constantly referencing modding issues, I'm sorry the system is absolutely broken and decisions and others like this are just driving a posters away.

No doubt concerns of posters will not be looked at, that was proven when the new lenient rules didnt last long on CA.