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If you need to B*tch about something... this is the place — Page 442

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DominicCobb said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

dahmage said:

Jay said:

DuracellEnergizer said:

This past year has seen this forum turn to ass.

Off Topic has been ass for years.

The rest of the forum is fine.

Different strokes and all.

so then maybe leave off topic alone… just saying.

Hard to argue things weren’t more enjoyable here when off topic was unmoderated and we were allowed to have silly fun threads without fear of an admin locking them for seemingly no reason other than he can’t handle some joking criticism.

Unmoderated Off Topic was a caustic shithole that turned new members away.

You guys lived and breathed it for so long that you didn’t see it.

Right, moderated off topic is now incredibly inviting to new members.

The only “new member” who’s had difficulty recently is Collipso, and it should be obvious why.

You can point the finger at me all you want; it doesn’t erase the fact that for years you guys ran Off Topic like it was your private club and membership was based on your approval. That ended a while back and some of you have been salty ever since.

I actually wasn’t much of a frequent poster in off topic until around the time it became moderated, but when I was new here I always appreciated the goofiness that populated the section. So you lumping me in with this nefarious “you guys” generalization is not just condescending, but inaccurate. Not to mention most of the “hazing” you’re talking about was limited to the myspleen thread, which you locked anyway. But you’re free to make up whatever you like to justify your reasoning, it’s your site of course.

I’m not making things up. The overall behavior in Off Topic when it was unmoderated was poor. Your characterization of that behavior being limited to a few threads is inaccurate.

If you didn’t actively participate in that behavior, you have my apologies. I don’t have a running catalog in my brain of every post by every member.

Forum Administrator

MTFBWY…A

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 (Edited)

While I have only been here for a few years, I can say that there were more members here. Of course some things got changed but I can’t say whether things are better or not yet as it is too soon to say. However I don’t necessarily like the fact that certain kind fellows like Possessed, Collipso, Frink Your Majesty and a few others have been placed on forced leave. This is all my opinion based off of the scant information that has been left for public consumption by this fourm’s upper class. Please don’t ban me for disagreeing like the ones listed have.

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LordZerome1080 said:

While I have only been here for a few years, I can say that there were more members here. Of course some things got changed but I can’t say whether things are better or not yet as it is too soon to say. However I don’t necessarily like the fact that certain kind fellows like Possessed, Collipso, Frink Your Majesty and a few others have been placed on forced leave. This is all my opinion based off of the scant information that has been left for public consumption by this fourm’s upper class. Please don’t ban me for disagreeing like the ones listed have.

No one was banned for “disagreeing”. If that were the case, there are at least 5 or 10 other members who’d be banned right now.

I can understand why some might disagree with Frink’s ban, especially since he went back and deleted a lot of his posts, but a cursory review of Collipso’s and Possessed’s final contributions to the forum shouldn’t leave any doubt as to why they were banned.

Forum Administrator

MTFBWY…A

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DuracellEnergizer said:

ray_afraid said:

You are NOT Bud-Light. You are a well crafted brew. And while it can be depressing seeing those lame blue cans fly off the shelves while you sit and wait, remember that those cans are going home with terribly boring people with horrible taste.

I love this analogy. 😃

I’m glad somebody got some positivity from my message! 😃

I sometimes wonder why I say nice things.

Ray’s Lounge
Biggs in ANH edit idea
ROTJ opening edit idea

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Couple hours ago, I was in my bedroom cum basement, clearing out some crap that was tucked in under the bottom of a bookshelf, where I found a dead kitten. I don’t know how long it had been there — it was all dried up, so I’m guessing several months, at least. I haven’t a clue how I failed to notice it; my sense of smell is probably my weakest sense, but it isn’t that weak. And I don’t understand why the mother would’ve placed it there then abandoned it.

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Jay said:

LordZerome1080 said:

While I have only been here for a few years, I can say that there were more members here. Of course some things got changed but I can’t say whether things are better or not yet as it is too soon to say. However I don’t necessarily like the fact that certain kind fellows like Possessed, Collipso, Frink Your Majesty and a few others have been placed on forced leave. This is all my opinion based off of the scant information that has been left for public consumption by this fourm’s upper class. Please don’t ban me for disagreeing like the ones listed have.

No one was banned for “disagreeing”. If that were the case, there are at least 5 or 10 other members who’d be banned right now.

I can understand why some might disagree with Frink’s ban, especially since he went back and deleted a lot of his posts, but a cursory review of Collipso’s and Possessed’s final contributions to the forum shouldn’t leave any doubt as to why they were banned.

Thanks for clarifying

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 (Edited)

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

dahmage said:

Jay said:

DuracellEnergizer said:

This past year has seen this forum turn to ass.

Off Topic has been ass for years.

The rest of the forum is fine.

Different strokes and all.

so then maybe leave off topic alone… just saying.

Hard to argue things weren’t more enjoyable here when off topic was unmoderated and we were allowed to have silly fun threads without fear of an admin locking them for seemingly no reason other than he can’t handle some joking criticism.

Unmoderated Off Topic was a caustic shithole that turned new members away.

You guys lived and breathed it for so long that you didn’t see it.

Right, moderated off topic is now incredibly inviting to new members.

The only “new member” who’s had difficulty recently is Collipso, and it should be obvious why.

You can point the finger at me all you want; it doesn’t erase the fact that for years you guys ran Off Topic like it was your private club and membership was based on your approval. That ended a while back and some of you have been salty ever since.

I actually wasn’t much of a frequent poster in off topic until around the time it became moderated, but when I was new here I always appreciated the goofiness that populated the section. So you lumping me in with this nefarious “you guys” generalization is not just condescending, but inaccurate. Not to mention most of the “hazing” you’re talking about was limited to the myspleen thread, which you locked anyway. But you’re free to make up whatever you like to justify your reasoning, it’s your site of course.

I’m not making things up. The overall behavior in Off Topic when it was unmoderated was poor. Your characterization of that behavior being limited to a few threads is inaccurate.

If you didn’t actively participate in that behavior, you have my apologies. I don’t have a running catalog in my brain of every post by every member.

As respectfully as I can say so, I don’t have a problem with the fact that you don’t have a perfect memory of the forum, but perhaps the generalizing demonizations is the exact kind of attitude that you could try to move beyond if you really do want this place to seem welcoming and to avoid more public flame out “fuck you Jay” posts.

And I think I’ll just leave it at that and back out of this discussion from here on.

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 (Edited)

It also isn’t just people in Off-Topic that have felt threatened by your attitude. People that only frequent the General Star Wars Discussion forum have pointed out in the toxic fandom thread and, I believe, in the politics and diversity thread (which you created and also deleted) that they felt uncomfortable engaging with you due to a combination of your hostility and your administrative powers.

The Person in Question

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DominicCobb said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

dahmage said:

Jay said:

DuracellEnergizer said:

This past year has seen this forum turn to ass.

Off Topic has been ass for years.

The rest of the forum is fine.

Different strokes and all.

so then maybe leave off topic alone… just saying.

Hard to argue things weren’t more enjoyable here when off topic was unmoderated and we were allowed to have silly fun threads without fear of an admin locking them for seemingly no reason other than he can’t handle some joking criticism.

Unmoderated Off Topic was a caustic shithole that turned new members away.

You guys lived and breathed it for so long that you didn’t see it.

Right, moderated off topic is now incredibly inviting to new members.

The only “new member” who’s had difficulty recently is Collipso, and it should be obvious why.

You can point the finger at me all you want; it doesn’t erase the fact that for years you guys ran Off Topic like it was your private club and membership was based on your approval. That ended a while back and some of you have been salty ever since.

I actually wasn’t much of a frequent poster in off topic until around the time it became moderated, but when I was new here I always appreciated the goofiness that populated the section. So you lumping me in with this nefarious “you guys” generalization is not just condescending, but inaccurate. Not to mention most of the “hazing” you’re talking about was limited to the myspleen thread, which you locked anyway. But you’re free to make up whatever you like to justify your reasoning, it’s your site of course.

I’m not making things up. The overall behavior in Off Topic when it was unmoderated was poor. Your characterization of that behavior being limited to a few threads is inaccurate.

If you didn’t actively participate in that behavior, you have my apologies. I don’t have a running catalog in my brain of every post by every member.

As respectfully as I can say so, I don’t have a problem with the fact that you don’t have a perfect memory of the forum, but perhaps the generalizing demonizations is the exact kind of attitude that you could try to move beyond if you really do want this place to seem welcoming and to avoid more public flame out “fuck you Jay” posts.

As I said, I shouldn’t have generalized and I apologize for doing so. If you say you’re innocent, I’m not going to rifle through thousands of old posts in an attempt to prove otherwise.

Those who flamed out yesterday were part of the caustic environment I spoke of and I have no apologies to offer them. They can stay gone.

moviefreakedmind said:

It also isn’t just people in Off-Topic that have felt threatened by your attitude. People that only frequent the General Star Wars Discussion forum have pointed out in the toxic fandom thread and, I believe, in the politics and diversity thread (which you created and also deleted) that they felt uncomfortable engaging with you due to a combination of your hostility and your administrative powers.

I find this criticism interesting coming from a member I’d say has one of the most hostile attitudes on the forum, but okay, it’s based in reality because I do get hostile sometimes when discussing politics and people are freaked out by the admin badge, so fair play.

I created the forum because I wanted to have a place to talk about Star Wars and other nerd stuff, but I’ve struggled with the balance between meaningful participation and administrative responsibility. I don’t feel I should have to hold back in order to accommodate someone else’s sensibilities, but I understand why my admin status would cause some to feel intimidated. That’s not a feeling rooted in reality, however. I don’t ban people for disagreeing with me, even vehemently. Never have.

I’ve absolutely used my admin status to come down hard on members who don’t contribute meaningfully to a political discussion, and I’ll continue that without reservation if the politics threads are restored to active status. Some people are as threatened by a strong opinion from the opposite side of the debate as they are of the admin badge, and I think the admin badge provides a convenient way out when things start to get heated. Note that this accusation of “you’re an admin so this isn’t fair” has only happened in the various political discussions as far as I’m aware.

After years of minimal participation, I started posting again because maintaining the forum isn’t terribly satisfying by itself and I have no idea why I’d keep the doors open if my participation was only that of administrator. I zoned out for years in that support role and only responded to technical issues when they came up. The site would go down for days because of the hosting service we used at the time, and I just didn’t care because I felt no connection to the community.

I don’t know what I’m going to do to resolve this conflict between contributor and admin, but I know it’s something I need to address.

Forum Administrator

MTFBWY…A

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Jay said:

I don’t know what I’m going to do to resolve this conflict between contributor and admin, but I know it’s something I need to address.

I don’t know the answer either but I’m glad to see it is something you are planning to figure out.

If running this site really is a drag on you maybe you need to have an admin team.

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dahmage said:

Jay said:

I don’t know what I’m going to do to resolve this conflict between contributor and admin, but I know it’s something I need to address.

I don’t know the answer either but I’m glad to see it is something you are planning to figure out.

If running this site really is a drag on you maybe you need to have an admin team.

Running the site isn’t a drag, it’s the idea of only running it and not being able to participate in any meaningful way because people are afraid that I’m going to ban them if I don’t like their opinion.

It’s not a fair assessment of how I’ve run things in my opinion, but I acknowledge the fear.

Forum Administrator

MTFBWY…A

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 (Edited)

Jay said:

moviefreakedmind said:

It also isn’t just people in Off-Topic that have felt threatened by your attitude. People that only frequent the General Star Wars Discussion forum have pointed out in the toxic fandom thread and, I believe, in the politics and diversity thread (which you created and also deleted) that they felt uncomfortable engaging with you due to a combination of your hostility and your administrative powers.

I find this criticism interesting coming from a member I’d say has one of the most hostile attitudes on the forum, but okay, it’s based in reality because I do get hostile sometimes when discussing politics and people are freaked out by the admin badge, so fair play.

I don’t have the power to ban people or delete all evidence of prior discussion. My hostility carries absolutely no weight. Yours, on the other hand, does.

The Person in Question

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I don’t really want to wade into this mess, because usually I’m content to either ignore the stupidity that goes on, or just sit back and occasionally throw spitballs at it, but I feel compelled to say that the administrative “contributions” to the political thread before its removal were utterly infuriating.

When terrible things are happening in the world, and people try to express their frustration with said terrible things, for someone to come along and tell them their concerns are meaningless, and that they are just overreacting, is a remarkable display of tone-deafness. This is the message I heard over and over, and not only was it ill-advised, it was extremely condescending and insulting. I couldn’t even begin to guess the number of times I had an angry response to these absurd posts on the tip of my tongue, only to end up restraining myself because it simply would have fallen on deaf ears and accomplished nothing.

I won’t get any more specific than that, but suffice to say I was very disappointed to learn the latest round of disagreements had been settled in such an arbitrary fashion. When there’s as much bad feeling going on in this forum as there is, it’s helpful to be able to recognize that people have genuine reason to be as upset as they are, rather than just dismissing their concerns and calling them “childish”. That seems to be an ongoing theme with the administration of this place, though.

Truth be told, I’ve hardly posted here very much for the past few years, because I quickly tire of petty bickering and simply have better things to do than engage with it. I like to think I’ve made meaningful contributions to the cause of Star Wars preservation, if the positive comments on my work are anything to go by, but this is no longer the only place where that can happen. In spite of the stupidity, I often looked to the silliness of the off-topic section for a laugh when I needed one, but it looks like there’s going to be a lot less fun and a lot more bad feeling around here from now on.

Still, maybe it is better to just get rid of the whole topic. After all, I know plenty of people in real life who are perfectly nice in many other ways, but bring up anything political and they immediately turn into horrible monsters, and the only way to avoid strangling each other is to avoid the subject completely. If generations of human society can’t solve this dilemma, there’s no reason to think one forum should be able to do it, either.

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hairy_hen said:

I don’t really want to wade into this mess, because usually I’m content to either ignore the stupidity that goes on, or just sit back and occasionally throw spitballs at it, but I feel compelled to say that the administrative “contributions” to the political thread before its removal were utterly infuriating.

When terrible things are happening in the world, and people try to express their frustration with said terrible things, for someone to come along and tell them their concerns are meaningless, and that they are just overreacting, is a remarkable display of tone-deafness. This is the message I heard over and over, and not only was it ill-advised, it was extremely condescending and insulting. I couldn’t even begin to guess the number of times I had an angry response to these absurd posts on the tip of my tongue, only to end up restraining myself because it simply would have fallen on deaf ears and accomplished nothing.

I won’t get any more specific than that, but suffice to say I was very disappointed to learn the latest round of disagreements had been settled in such an arbitrary fashion. When there’s as much bad feeling going on in this forum as there is, it’s helpful to be able to recognize that people have genuine reason to be as upset as they are, rather than just dismissing their concerns and calling them “childish”. That seems to be an ongoing theme with the administration of this place, though.

Truth be told, I’ve hardly posted here very much for the past few years, because I quickly tire of petty bickering and simply have better things to do than engage with it. I like to think I’ve made meaningful contributions to the cause of Star Wars preservation, if the positive comments on my work are anything to go by, but this is no longer the only place where that can happen. In spite of the stupidity, I often looked to the silliness of the off-topic section for a laugh when I needed one, but it looks like there’s going to be a lot less fun and a lot more bad feeling around here from now on.

Still, maybe it is better to just get rid of the whole topic. After all, I know plenty of people in real life who are perfectly nice in many other ways, but bring up anything political and they immediately turn into horrible monsters, and the only way to avoid strangling each other is to avoid the subject completely. If generations of human society can’t solve this dilemma, there’s no reason to think one forum should be able to do it, either.

So you disagreed with my politics and that made you angry, which of course makes me wrong (possibly a “horrible monster”, like the people you know who disagree with you) because your feelings dictate reality. You might consider that there was plenty of hyperbole and dismissive behavior on both sides of the debate. You might also consider the Politics threads weren’t places for people to get therapy to help them deal with world events, but to discuss those events and debate the surrounding politics.

The “toxic fandom” thread, despite its political nature, is still alive and kicking and acting as a support thread for those who don’t like what’s going on in the fandom currently, and the mods and I have made significant effort to keep that thread positive despite the fact that I don’t agree with everything that’s been said.

For what it’s worth, I don’t consider people I disagree with to be horrible monsters, and I don’t think you’re one, and we probably agree on more than you realize. But as everyone who participated in the Politics threads knows, I’m a far-right sympathizer 😕

Forum Administrator

MTFBWY…A

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moviefreakedmind said:

Jay said:

moviefreakedmind said:

It also isn’t just people in Off-Topic that have felt threatened by your attitude. People that only frequent the General Star Wars Discussion forum have pointed out in the toxic fandom thread and, I believe, in the politics and diversity thread (which you created and also deleted) that they felt uncomfortable engaging with you due to a combination of your hostility and your administrative powers.

I find this criticism interesting coming from a member I’d say has one of the most hostile attitudes on the forum, but okay, it’s based in reality because I do get hostile sometimes when discussing politics and people are freaked out by the admin badge, so fair play.

I don’t have the power to ban people or delete all evidence of prior discussion. My hostility carries absolutely no weight. Yours, on the other hand, does.

That doesn’t change the fact that you’re extremely hostile.

I didn’t delete any evidence and will likely restore those threads (at least make them readable, anyway) under a members-only section as I mentioned elsewhere, but keep going with this storyline if it allows you to fuel your anger.

Forum Administrator

MTFBWY…A

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Ok, it almost sounds like we are doubling down on hostility again…

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 (Edited)

I think we should just move on. There’s no use continuing the argument. Threads archived, users banned… It’s been settled. That goes for everybody. We all have our reasons for being upset, and to us, they’re just as valid as anybody else’s. But nothing productive will result from continually poking the bear.

Author
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Jay said:

hairy_hen said:

I don’t really want to wade into this mess, because usually I’m content to either ignore the stupidity that goes on, or just sit back and occasionally throw spitballs at it, but I feel compelled to say that the administrative “contributions” to the political thread before its removal were utterly infuriating.

When terrible things are happening in the world, and people try to express their frustration with said terrible things, for someone to come along and tell them their concerns are meaningless, and that they are just overreacting, is a remarkable display of tone-deafness. This is the message I heard over and over, and not only was it ill-advised, it was extremely condescending and insulting. I couldn’t even begin to guess the number of times I had an angry response to these absurd posts on the tip of my tongue, only to end up restraining myself because it simply would have fallen on deaf ears and accomplished nothing.

I won’t get any more specific than that, but suffice to say I was very disappointed to learn the latest round of disagreements had been settled in such an arbitrary fashion. When there’s as much bad feeling going on in this forum as there is, it’s helpful to be able to recognize that people have genuine reason to be as upset as they are, rather than just dismissing their concerns and calling them “childish”. That seems to be an ongoing theme with the administration of this place, though.

Truth be told, I’ve hardly posted here very much for the past few years, because I quickly tire of petty bickering and simply have better things to do than engage with it. I like to think I’ve made meaningful contributions to the cause of Star Wars preservation, if the positive comments on my work are anything to go by, but this is no longer the only place where that can happen. In spite of the stupidity, I often looked to the silliness of the off-topic section for a laugh when I needed one, but it looks like there’s going to be a lot less fun and a lot more bad feeling around here from now on.

Still, maybe it is better to just get rid of the whole topic. After all, I know plenty of people in real life who are perfectly nice in many other ways, but bring up anything political and they immediately turn into horrible monsters, and the only way to avoid strangling each other is to avoid the subject completely. If generations of human society can’t solve this dilemma, there’s no reason to think one forum should be able to do it, either.

So you disagreed with my politics and that made you angry, which of course makes me wrong (possibly a “horrible monster”, like the people you know who disagree with you) because your feelings dictate reality. You might consider that there was plenty of hyperbole and dismissive behavior on both sides of the debate. You might also consider the Politics threads weren’t places for people to get therapy to help them deal with world events, but to discuss those events and debate the surrounding politics.

For what it’s worth, I don’t consider people I disagree with to be horrible monsters, and I don’t think you’re one, and we probably agree on more than you realize. But as everyone who participated in the Politics threads knows, I’m a far-right sympathizer 😕

The irony here is that you want to claim that other people are being conspiratorial and irrational, but you paint this image of all of your detractors as these mean deluded leftists that think you’re a “horrible monster” even though you’re actually just totally reasonable. You can’t have it both ways.

Jay said:

moviefreakedmind said:

Jay said:

moviefreakedmind said:

It also isn’t just people in Off-Topic that have felt threatened by your attitude. People that only frequent the General Star Wars Discussion forum have pointed out in the toxic fandom thread and, I believe, in the politics and diversity thread (which you created and also deleted) that they felt uncomfortable engaging with you due to a combination of your hostility and your administrative powers.

I find this criticism interesting coming from a member I’d say has one of the most hostile attitudes on the forum, but okay, it’s based in reality because I do get hostile sometimes when discussing politics and people are freaked out by the admin badge, so fair play.

I don’t have the power to ban people or delete all evidence of prior discussion. My hostility carries absolutely no weight. Yours, on the other hand, does.

That doesn’t change the fact that you’re extremely hostile.

Right. I’ve never pretended not to be. On many occasions you’ve acted as though my hostility and radicalism are things that I try to hide from when I don’t and never have.

I didn’t delete any evidence and will likely restore those threads (at least make them readable, anyway) under a members-only section as I mentioned elsewhere, but keep going with this storyline if it allows you to fuel your anger.

I’m not angry. This is actually one of the few things in life that I’m not angry about.

The Person in Question

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Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

dahmage said:

Jay said:

DuracellEnergizer said:

This past year has seen this forum turn to ass.

Off Topic has been ass for years.

The rest of the forum is fine.

Different strokes and all.

so then maybe leave off topic alone… just saying.

Hard to argue things weren’t more enjoyable here when off topic was unmoderated and we were allowed to have silly fun threads without fear of an admin locking them for seemingly no reason other than he can’t handle some joking criticism.

Unmoderated Off Topic was a caustic shithole that turned new members away.

You guys lived and breathed it for so long that you didn’t see it.

Right, moderated off topic is now incredibly inviting to new members.

The only “new member” who’s had difficulty recently is Collipso, and it should be obvious why.

You can point the finger at me all you want; it doesn’t erase the fact that for years you guys ran Off Topic like it was your private club and membership was based on your approval. That ended a while back and some of you have been salty ever since.

I actually wasn’t much of a frequent poster in off topic until around the time it became moderated, but when I was new here I always appreciated the goofiness that populated the section. So you lumping me in with this nefarious “you guys” generalization is not just condescending, but inaccurate. Not to mention most of the “hazing” you’re talking about was limited to the myspleen thread, which you locked anyway. But you’re free to make up whatever you like to justify your reasoning, it’s your site of course.

I’m not making things up. The overall behavior in Off Topic when it was unmoderated was poor. Your characterization of that behavior being limited to a few threads is inaccurate.

If you didn’t actively participate in that behavior, you have my apologies. I don’t have a running catalog in my brain of every post by every member.

In fairness to what they’re saying, the lack of moderation and amount of ridiculousness in Off Topic was the main reason I stuck around. I get where you’re coming from, though, since that’s not what you intended this site to be. I think it got ugly when the new movies came out and the established community didn’t do a good job adapting to the reality of newcomers who had different expectations for the site (and the Frink-Fo Wars and Darth IDiocy were pretty frustrating as well).

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RicOlie_2 said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

Jay said:

DominicCobb said:

dahmage said:

Jay said:

DuracellEnergizer said:

This past year has seen this forum turn to ass.

Off Topic has been ass for years.

The rest of the forum is fine.

Different strokes and all.

so then maybe leave off topic alone… just saying.

Hard to argue things weren’t more enjoyable here when off topic was unmoderated and we were allowed to have silly fun threads without fear of an admin locking them for seemingly no reason other than he can’t handle some joking criticism.

Unmoderated Off Topic was a caustic shithole that turned new members away.

You guys lived and breathed it for so long that you didn’t see it.

Right, moderated off topic is now incredibly inviting to new members.

The only “new member” who’s had difficulty recently is Collipso, and it should be obvious why.

You can point the finger at me all you want; it doesn’t erase the fact that for years you guys ran Off Topic like it was your private club and membership was based on your approval. That ended a while back and some of you have been salty ever since.

I actually wasn’t much of a frequent poster in off topic until around the time it became moderated, but when I was new here I always appreciated the goofiness that populated the section. So you lumping me in with this nefarious “you guys” generalization is not just condescending, but inaccurate. Not to mention most of the “hazing” you’re talking about was limited to the myspleen thread, which you locked anyway. But you’re free to make up whatever you like to justify your reasoning, it’s your site of course.

I’m not making things up. The overall behavior in Off Topic when it was unmoderated was poor. Your characterization of that behavior being limited to a few threads is inaccurate.

If you didn’t actively participate in that behavior, you have my apologies. I don’t have a running catalog in my brain of every post by every member.

In fairness to what they’re saying, the lack of moderation and amount of ridiculousness in Off Topic was the main reason I stuck around. I get where you’re coming from, though, since that’s not what you intended this site to be. I think it got ugly when the new movies came out and the established community didn’t do a good job adapting to the reality of newcomers who had different expectations for the site (and the Frink-Fo Wars and Darth IDiocy were pretty frustrating as well).

That’s pretty much the case. I didn’t have a problem with old timers going after each other if that’s what made them happy, but the forum overall had a bad reputation for being not very welcoming to newcomers and it was especially toxic in Off Topic.

Forum Administrator

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 (Edited)

^This is very true. I remember even thinking ~6years ago that we could have been much more welcoming to new users. Although I never felt it myself, I definitely did see a certain amount of hazing going on throughout the forum. That’s where our agreements end, full stop.

That does not excuse how you continually abuse your power and borderline bully those who disagree with you.

As someone who has at previous points decried Off Topic’s tomfoolery led by OT’s very own Rat Pack, I have to admit–the more moderated the forums, the less fun it got. And I think it has to do with the appearance of a certain administrator more than mods asking people to, God forbid, follow the rules. The attitude I’ve seen from Jay, who admittedly is not alone in such awful behavior, is extremely off-putting. In all honesty, in other than most recent outbursts that were the final straw causing the bans, it seemed like everyone was on the run from him. And that’s no way to treat people who came to a community you run to talk about the stuff they care about.

Just a lurker’s two cents. In short, to Jay:

ChainsawAsh said:

Jeaus fucking Christ. The lack of self awareness on display here is astounding.

EDIT: removed something I regretted.

A Goon in a Gaggle of 'em

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Jay, I really wish you could be more introspective and actually consider a measure of criticism as valid instead of altogether being defensive and dismissive of it. If enough people are saying that you make a habit of being arrogant and/or a jerk, there may be truth to it even if they way the say it is tactless and unkind.

I don’t know what else to say, if you’re unwilling to accept any measure of wrongdoing.

TV’s Frink said:

chyron just put a big Ric pic in your sig and be done with it.

Author
Time

bkev said:

^This is very true. I remember even thinking ~6years ago that we could have been much more welcoming to new users. Although I never felt it myself, I definitely did see a certain amount of hazing going on throughout the forum. That’s where our agreements end, full stop.

BUT that does not excuse how you continually abuse your power and borderline bully those who disagree with you.

As someone who has at previous points decried Off Topic’s tomfoolery led by OT’s very own Rat Pack, I have to admit–the more moderated the forums, the less fun it got. And I think it has to do with the appearance of a certain administrator more than mods asking people to, God forbid, follow the rules. The attitude I’ve seen from Jay, who admittedly is not alone in such awful behavior, is extremely off-putting. In all honesty, in other than most recent outbursts that were the final straw causing the bans, it seemed like everyone was on the run from him. And that’s no way to treat people who came to a community you run to talk about the stuff they care about. This place was legitimately, much better when you didn’t give a shit about it.

Just a lurker’s two cents. In short, to Jay:

ChainsawAsh said:

Jeaus fucking Christ. The lack of self awareness on display here is astounding.

Please explain how I abuse my power.

Perhaps a list of those I’ve banned because we had a difference of opinion? (That would be a short list…as in zero.) Maybe links to posts I’ve made outside the political discussions that are combative without cause (aside from threads like these where I’ve spent at least a decade being told I’m a Nazi, bully, etc.)? I freely admit to being hostile sometimes in the political threads, which was, as you noted, not unique to me in any way. Remove the admin badge from the bottom of my posts and they fit right in with all the rest. Yet somehow, I’m abusive and hostile and everyone else is a victim.

Everyone on this forum has been given great latitude over the years, especially as it pertains to criticizing the mods and myself. We tighten up the rules to get some of you under control (because some of you were totally out of control) and of course we start hearing these accusations of abuse, censorship, etc. And it was from everyone I’d expect. It happened during the first “purge” with Dayv, boon, Warb, et al. and it’s happening again today with the Rat Pack, as you call it. They’re smug and hostile in the politics threads and when they get the same in return, they cry, “Abuse! Acting this way is beneath you!”

That last bit is probably true…replying to some of you in kind is beneath me and maybe I shouldn’t do it, but at the very least, it makes those of you criticizing me for it hypocrites.

These accusations of abuse, as always, are completely baseless. Despite 15 years of posts that prove I’ve never banned anyone because they engaged in a debate with me, these accusations will continue because so many of you are happy to play the victim and position me as your big bully.

Feeling bullied isn’t the same as being bullied.

This place was legitimately, much better when you didn’t give a shit about it.

Thanks in particular for that.

chyron8472 said:

Jay, I really wish you could be more introspective and actually consider a measure of criticism as valid instead of altogether being defensive and dismissive of it. If enough people are saying that you make a habit of being arrogant and/or a jerk, there may be truth to it even if they way the say it is tactless and unkind.

I don’t know what else to say, if you’re unwilling to accept any measure of wrongdoing.

I’ve thought about it a lot. The problem is that I’ve reached a different conclusion than you have and I’m not going to cater to those of you who I believe will never be happy unless I change my personality to suit you. You might as well ask Dom to be less smug or mfm to be more cheerful. I’m kind of a dick sometimes and that’s just the way it is.

Maybe some of you would be happier at TFN, SW.com, or any number of other forums. I’m sure they’d allow those of you who’ve been oppressed here to post without fear of being bullied, as you freely criticize the mods and admins without any repercussions.

How many post reports did you personally submit because you were being bullied by Frink, Possessed, and whoever else? Who was it that stuck up for you when you were new here? Your new “friends”? Nope. The mods and I did. My arrogant ass stepped in when the Rat Pack found its new punching bag.

I return politeness and respect in kind. I also return smugness, condescension, and hostility in kind. Anyone on the receiving end should look in the damn mirror.

Those who’ve shared their criticisms in, as you put it, a tactless or unkind manner, can fuck right off.

Forum Administrator

MTFBWY…A

Author
Time
 (Edited)

Remove the admin badge from the bottom of my posts and they fit right in with all the rest. Yet somehow, I’m abusive and hostile and everyone else is a victim.

replying to some of you in kind is beneath me and maybe I shouldn’t do it, but at the very least, it makes those of you criticizing me for it hypocrites.

I didn’t want to get too involved one way or another, but this post is a bit of a tipping point for me. Let me at least try to explain where the others are coming from.

It is precisely because you are an admin that people feel this way. Far as I can tell, you want to be a normal contributor, but your status as admin prevents that. You, more than anyone else, are an example for how the community should behave. If you are overly-hostile, it doesn’t matter if they were hostile first, you are the admin and should be setting an example. You often bemoan the way the others behave, but you yourself admit that your posts fit in with all the rest, so why should you expect any different…?

It is not hypocritical to hold administrators to a different standard.

Author
Time

Jay said:

bkev said:

^This is very true. I remember even thinking ~6years ago that we could have been much more welcoming to new users. Although I never felt it myself, I definitely did see a certain amount of hazing going on throughout the forum. That’s where our agreements end, full stop.

BUT that does not excuse how you continually abuse your power and borderline bully those who disagree with you.

As someone who has at previous points decried Off Topic’s tomfoolery led by OT’s very own Rat Pack, I have to admit–the more moderated the forums, the less fun it got. And I think it has to do with the appearance of a certain administrator more than mods asking people to, God forbid, follow the rules. The attitude I’ve seen from Jay, who admittedly is not alone in such awful behavior, is extremely off-putting. In all honesty, in other than most recent outbursts that were the final straw causing the bans, it seemed like everyone was on the run from him. And that’s no way to treat people who came to a community you run to talk about the stuff they care about. This place was legitimately, much better when you didn’t give a shit about it.

Just a lurker’s two cents. In short, to Jay:

ChainsawAsh said:

Jeaus fucking Christ. The lack of self awareness on display here is astounding.

Please explain how I abuse my power.

Perhaps a list of those I’ve banned because we had a difference of opinion? (That would be a short list…as in zero.) Maybe links to posts I’ve made outside the political discussions that are combative without cause (aside from threads like these where I’ve spent at least a decade being told I’m a Nazi, bully, etc.)? I freely admit to being hostile sometimes in the political threads, which was, as you noted, not unique to me in any way. Remove the admin badge from the bottom of my posts and they fit right in with all the rest. Yet somehow, I’m abusive and hostile and everyone else is a victim.

Everyone on this forum has been given great latitude over the years, especially as it pertains to criticizing the mods and myself. We tighten up the rules to get some of you under control (because some of you were totally out of control) and of course we start hearing these accusations of abuse, censorship, etc. And it was from everyone I’d expect. It happened during the first “purge” with Dayv, boon, Warb, et al. and it’s happening again today with the Rat Pack, as you call it. They’re smug and hostile in the politics threads and when they get the same in return, they cry, “Abuse! Acting this way is beneath you!”

That last bit is probably true…replying to some of you in kind is beneath me and maybe I shouldn’t do it, but at the very least, it makes those of you criticizing me for it hypocrites.

These accusations of abuse, as always, are completely baseless. Despite 15 years of posts that prove I’ve never banned anyone because they engaged in a debate with me, these accusations will continue because so many of you are happy to play the victim and position me as your big bully.

Feeling bullied isn’t the same as being bullied.

This place was legitimately, much better when you didn’t give a shit about it.

Thanks in particular for that.

chyron8472 said:

Jay, I really wish you could be more introspective and actually consider a measure of criticism as valid instead of altogether being defensive and dismissive of it. If enough people are saying that you make a habit of being arrogant and/or a jerk, there may be truth to it even if they way the say it is tactless and unkind.

I don’t know what else to say, if you’re unwilling to accept any measure of wrongdoing.

I’ve thought about it a lot. The problem is that I’ve reached a different conclusion than you have and I’m not going to cater to those of you who I believe will never be happy unless I change my personality to suit you. You might as well ask Dom to be less smug or mfm to be more cheerful. I’m kind of a dick sometimes and that’s just the way it is.

Maybe some of you would be happier at TFN, SW.com, or any number of other forums. I’m sure they’d allow those of you who’ve been oppressed here to post without fear of being bullied, as you freely criticize the mods and admins without any repercussions.

How many post reports did you personally submit because you were being bullied by Frink, Possessed, and whoever else? Who was it that stuck up for you when you were new here? Your new “friends”? Nope. The mods and I did. My arrogant ass stepped in when the Rat Pack found its new punching bag.

I return politeness and respect in kind. I also return smugness, condescension, and hostility in kind. Anyone on the receiving end should look in the damn mirror.

Those who’ve shared their criticisms in, as you put it, a tactless or unkind manner, can fuck right off.

Jay,

you are arrogant though. how else are we to read this?

I return politeness and respect in kind. I also return smugness, condescension, and hostility in kind. Anyone on the receiving end should look in the damn mirror.

^ that is essentially you absolving yourself of any blame, because someone else is the problem, not you.

and yes, you have never banned someone because they outright agree with you. but you DO call people out on harmless shit in a manner that escalates said shit. case in point, my “cool” comment. it was such a dumb little thing, and look how much you blew it up? sure, you didn’t ban me, but you banning people for what they say isn’t the complaint. The complaint is that when you post, your ‘admin power’ is absolutely a factor to be concerned about. Had a more level-headed mod stepped it (That means one not involved in the interaction) i would have expected some level of tactful warning or reminder to keep it civil, etc. because we know that humans post things that they might rethink later. but that is NOT the way you do things, you escalate.

(all of this is my opinion)