I couldn't let this get past me without comment

[Barry the Sprout]

Ok, I have one of two things to say...

(Tell us! Tell us both of them! - Sorry I couldn't resist it)

Basically due to a problem with the site I couldn't get on last night, I'd have said something then but now this will have to do. All I really want to say is that a lot of stuff got said last night that I don't agree with, but only some peopls posts have been deleted. A good mate of mine has been variously described as "Dr Evil", Lord Child, and basically a manipulator of children. It also appears that we aren't allowed to mention this guys name on here as it will cause tension. All the same, we all know who I'm talking about. I don't agree any more than most of you with what he did, and Ziroc is probably within his rights to have banned him, but most of the stuff said last night in reference to him was just plain wrong.

Now, you see, this is my problem with this whole issue. Some people on this board don't seem to quite be able to get the idea that insulting someones friends will probably cause them to go to their friends defense. Also some people don't seem to quite get the idea that insulting someone behind their back and when they cna't defend themselves is maybe a little bit harsh. Is it really so hard to believe that people like Neb, Kaltia, purre, Azure, Caleb, etc have minds of our own? Of course it is! Some one is telling us all what to post in the background! It must be the case! If people under the age of 21 could think for themselves then this board would fall apart!

I can state right now that no one has told me to post this. I spent most of last night in a chat with Adam and Saara and he didn't tell her to post anything. He didn't encourage her. But lets face it, if someone started randomly insulting my girlfriend online then I think I would get upset too. I don't think I'd do what purre did, but I hope no one would claim I wasn't acting under my own guidance.

This isn't really forum policy I'm criticising here, I just think some people on this forum should be ashamed at their behaviour last night, and not just the people who have been banned for it.

Slightly more on topic, all the best to Adam and Saara.

Edited - to change sig, which was just a line from "Falls to Climb" by REM, but was a little bit too pertinent all the same...

[ 02-09-2003, 08:43 AM: Message edited by: Barry the Sprout ]

[/)eathKiller]

Well that guy's obviously never had to re-supscribe to PSO...

From Sega: Have you found companionship with someone of the oposite gender and experienced true love thanks to playing PSO? If so, check yes.

[img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Davros]

Bit rich Barry claiming bias, because Z has been deleting all the replies on threads after the foul language started (and they were running about 5 to one against). The only things that I came across are Reeka's quote of HoJ at the start of this thread (a post that Z deleted in original form), and purre's sign off thread itself - guess this was left in place to show people she was stepping through the door of her own accord. In that thread, we have heard the cracks on priests and gods before haven't we, so call it what you will - showing solidarity with her BF - whatever.

I am sure if you have come across other posts that you feel need deleting that you will get a fair hearing - don't you?

[Barry the Sprout]

Davros, no hard feelings but I somehow thought you might post here... [img]smile.gif[/img]

What about the Dr Evil comments, the manipulating little girls idea, etc? I'm not saying I want any of this deleted, I'm saying it should never have been said. Its based on a wrong assumption. All I wanted to do was make it clear how I feel about blatant insults about people when any defence results in the thread being locked or the defence being deleted. As I say, this is not actually so mucha criticism of Z, just of how some people acted last night.

Also, from my understanding of it, purre was not showing solidarity - she was reacting to something quite specific not generally being annoyed about the whole situation.

For the record, I haven't pressed the self destruct button on my account here. I'm not trying to get myself banned. I like it here, and I like the people here. I just don't like some of the stuff that has happened recently. Will this get locked or deleted? I don't know, expect so, but hope not. If you catch my drift...

[Davros]

I will take it to PM Barry - look for me there.

[Memnoch]

Originally posted by Barry the Sprout: Also, from my understanding of it, purre was not showing solidarity - she was reacting to something quite specific not generally being annoyed about the whole situation.

Barry, I won't lock this (for now), even though you've hijacked the thread and taken it off topic.

You're entitled to your opinion and you're also entitled to be friends with whoever you want - nobody's stopping you from doing that. You are entitled to defend your friends if you think they are getting a rough deal. But you are also expected to do all this with tact, and to use the proper channels so as to minimize disruption to the forum and to other members who might just want to go about their daily lives and not get impacted by this.

Purre may have felt she acted honorably in defense of her friend, but I don't think anyone can condone the type of trolling that she did - and it IS trolling - by littering threads with obscenities and causing a major scene. So I can't accept anyone trying to justify that type of behaviour - that type of behaviour is not acceptable here, no matter what the reason is.

If you want further clarification on this you are more than welcome to email me Barry, as you have done so in the past.

[ 02-09-2003, 09:53 AM: Message edited by: Memnoch ]

[Mouse]

I believe this thread was started to examine the notion of the internet as a viable alternative to more traditional methods of meeting people. Speaking personally, when I told people that I was going off to a BBQ in Grenoble last summer with a bunch of people I had only ever "met" on-line, some of my friends were a bit dubious.

Suffice to say I had a great time and really enjoyed myself, but then again, as the pictures at Stealthy's prove, I'm big enough, old enough and ugly enough to take care of myself

[ 02-09-2003, 10:14 AM: Message edited by: Mouse ]

[Barry the Sprout]

Originally posted by Memnoch: Barry, I won't lock this (for now), even though you've hijacked the thread and taken it off topic. You're entitled to your opinion and you're also entitled to be friends with whoever you want - nobody's stopping you from doing that. You are entitled to defend your friends if you think they are getting a rough deal. But you are also expected to do all this with tact, and to use the proper channels so as to minimize disruption to the forum and to other members who might just want to go about their daily lives and not get impacted by this. Purre may have felt she acted honorably in defense of her friend, but I don't think anyone can condone the type of trolling that she did - and it IS trolling - by littering threads with obscenities and causing a major scene. So I can't accept anyone trying to justify that type of behaviour - that type of behaviour is not acceptable here, no matter what the reason is. If you want further clarification on this you are more than welcome to email me Barry, as you have done so in the past.

Well, here goes with this one...

Thanks for not locking the thread. I only posted this here as it was pertaining to insults against people unable to retaliate, which this thread was also doing in a round about way. I knew that starting another thread on the matter would leave me with a suspension on my hands, and it would certainly get locked or deleted, so this seemed like the only option.

As you point out, I'm defending friends from a series of misinterpretations and outright lies. The problem is that I felt I had to post publicly about it as a lot of people were getting the wrong idea. I couldn't simply e-mail the people saying Adam was being manipulative as there was quite a few people saying it! It seems to be a general view here that its ok to be generally quite nasty to banned people, which when you think about it is slightly dodgy as they are the people least able to actually defend themselves against allegations.

But my problem is not something for the mods to solve I think. I don't want stuff deleted, or people banned. I wanted to publicly dispel some myths. Simply e-mailing you and telling you I wasn't happy probably wouldn't have done the trick. Like it or not this is a fairly public matter and I think it can only be dealt with publicly. If people don't want to look at this kind of stuff then I'm sorry but I'm not entirely sure how this can really ruin someones day - reading some hippy nuts posts defending his mates is hardly going to put you on a downer for the day. Well, I hope not. If it does then I'm sorry, that wasn't the intention.

I know how to get hold of you Mem, I'll e-mail or PM if I need to. At present though I think this has to be done publicly. You misunderstand me if you think I am calling for Mod action.

Once again, no offense to anyone intended. Just trying to clear stuff up.

(Davros - feel free to PM or e-mail me anytime, if you feel what you have to say is unsuitable for the board)

[Davros]

Originally posted by Mouse: Speaking personally, when I told people that I was going off to a BBQ in Grenoble last summer with a bunch of people I had only ever "met" on-line, some of my friends were a bit dubious.

My family and friends were also quite surprised that I would travel halfway around the world for a BBQ to met a bunch of people that I only knew from the net. They were even more alarmed when I mentioned that two of them were FOSTERS drinkers.

The good news was that I survived ........ and HAD FUN [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Barry the Sprout]

Originally posted by Mouse: I believe this thread was started to examine the notion of the internet as a viable alternative to more traditional methods of meeting people. Speaking personally, when I told people that I was going off to a BBQ in Grenoble last summer with a bunch of people I had only ever "met" on-line, some of my friends were a bit dubious. Suffice to say I had a great time and really enjoyed myself, but then again, as the pictures at Stealthy's prove, I'm big enough, old enough and ugly enough to take care of myself

I know what you mean! I told my dad I was meeting some people in London from here and he was none too impressed. I did try and explain to him that these people hadn't really been trying to trick me or impress me all that much, and that frankly you can meet some right nutcases in bars let alone on the internet. I think a lot of people remain quite fearful of it, which is strange but to be expected I suppose. Its still quite a new phenomenon.