<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Mouse:
I have no idea of what lead to any recent bannings - nor do I need to. Sometimes I wonder why Z keeps this place going when he gets flak over his decisions.

For those that are interested, here is a fairly good statement of what private forums are all about and the relationship between forum owners and forum members. I don't claim that it exactly sums up Ziroc's attitude, but have a read and ponder on it before hassling him.<hr></blockquote>

I especially like this bit from that guy:

<font color="silver">
No personal attacks will be tolerated. If you are angry with someone in the forum, take it up with him/her through private channels like e-mail or ICQ. Don't subject the rest of us to read your rants. Doing so will only lower our opinion of you.

Watchdogs are moderators of this forum. They are kind folks who volunteer their free time to help me maintain this forum and keep it clean of abuse. Note the emphasis on "volunteer" and "free time." Forum moderating is always hard work, and it's impossible to please everyone given the cultural and social diversity of this forum, so please realize that before you rant about how Watchdogs lock/delete your threads "by mistake." We ALL make mistakes: it's a matter of HOW you tell others about them that makes all the difference. Insults and slanders only make matters worse.

In order to maintain the civil atmosphere and keep things reasonably organized, Watchdogs will move, lock, or delete threads that do not belong in these forums. These include personally abusive, grotesquely off-topic and desperately surreal threads. This is not a democracy. This is a semi-benevolent dictatorship. Behave.

Note, I'm doing this for kicks, in my spare time. I don't get paid for it. This means, like waitresses and barstaff, I hold the right not to deal with you if you're being abusive to me. This is, of course, different to criticising my work. Calling me by any expletive will likely get you - yes, you've guessed it - banned.

Finally, don't come to me with freedom of speech arguments. This is a house. If you insult anyone or act a fool inside my house, I make you leave.
</font>

And you thought you were doing it tough with us? :D

I completely agree with this, and I understand how insulting, not to mention painful, it must be to be accused of having double standards. I still think the moderators have been as reasonable as one could possibly be, and have shown diplomacy, reason and fairness that is almost unreal.
I also fully agree with the comparison of a forum to a house, though I'd like to make a small comment to that:

While this is in a sense Ziroc's private property, it is also dependent on its members. This is such a great place by the grace of the great members in it, not only because it's a great place by itself, regardless of its members. I know that Ziroc and the moderators acknowledge this, but I wouldn't want newbies to be frightened by any of the quotes above. So in a way this is different than owning a house, because even more than a good host will keep his guests comfortable, it is in Ziroc's own interest to keep his guests comfortable. And that, IMO, he does.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Mouse:
I have no idea of what lead to any recent bannings - nor do I need to. Sometimes I wonder why Z keeps this place going when he gets flak over his decisions.

For those that are interested, here is a fairly good statement of what private forums are all about and the relationship between forum owners and forum members. I don't claim that it exactly sums up Ziroc's attitude, but have a read and ponder on it before hassling him.<hr></blockquote>

I REALLY like those rules, I am actually going to use some of them--reworked a bit, but WOW.. very good rules.. Some I even didn't think of!

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Donut:


AzureWolf has been suspended and I believe that Link has been banned indefinitely.<hr></blockquote>

Azure is now un-suspended for doing something very nice on his forum, and I thank him! Welcome back Azure'ster! :D

And thanks man!

YEAH, thank you Ziroc. Wait till the rest of the guys in HADB hear about this!

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Ziroc:


Azure is now un-suspended for doing something very nice on his forum, and I thank him! Welcome back Azure'ster! :D

And thanks man!<hr></blockquote>

Azure, that was a very mature thing you did, mate. Thank you. [img]smile.gif[/img]

If you have an issue with the way I handle things in future, btw - PM me or email me, for Godsake! We know each other well enough, don't we? ;)

<H1> <font color="plum"> WELCOME BACK AZUREWOLF!!! [img]graemlins/1partyguy.gif[/img] </H1> </font>

Cloudy

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Larry_OHF:
<font color="skyblue">
I am a Moderator, and I have NO IDEA what is going on, nor who has been banned or suspended! Can you beleive that? :D
I used to think that if one moderator had a problem...they all communicated back and forth. I also used to think that Ziroc sent all mods a weekly report of things.(don't ask why I thought this...)...</font><hr></blockquote>

Larry, I had a feeling that you'd think that. ;) I thought the same thing when I signed up for it - well, maybe not the weekly report thing. :D

We're all expected to act independently and use our judgment, and to support each other (and each other's judgment). Please don't let this stop you from sending someone else (Ziroc, Saz, myself, etc) an email or PM if you need a sounding board - God knows I've done it to Ziroc and Saz enough times! We're always learning. [img]smile.gif[/img]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Memnoch:
We're always learning. [img]smile.gif[/img] <hr></blockquote>
Spoken like a true sage. When you stop learning you stop living. [img]smile.gif[/img]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Memnoch:


Larry, I had a feeling that you'd think that. ;) I thought the same thing when I signed up for it - well, maybe not the weekly report thing. :D

We're all expected to act independently and use our judgment, and to support each other (and each other's judgment). Please don't let this stop you from sending someone else (Ziroc, Saz, myself, etc) an email or PM if you need a sounding board - God knows I've done it to Ziroc and Saz enough times! We're always learning. [img]smile.gif[/img] <hr></blockquote>


:D :D :D

Yup, what he said, Larry!


Cloudbringer