bing bing

Do you, like me, ever click on the user’s profile to view their past posts in the hope of locating their indiscretion? I always find myself doing this and find it amusing to no end.

Redlemon

Yes, certainly. We got into a bit of discussion about this quite a while ago, check out Banned members thread.

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I can't read your signature. Sorry.

warrrreagl

I'm too scared to look. To me, the banned members are "They-who-must-be-nameless," and I'm afraid that I would get banned just being curious about them.

Once, I sent a PM to a mod complaining about someone's post, and the guy got banned that very same day! I almost couldn't sleep worrying that I had caused it. However, the mod in question must have been psychic, because he/she sent me a very nice PM explaining that the banned person had previously committed numerous transgressions and had copped a pretty nasty attitude with all the mods. The banning was related to the attitude, not the post of which I complained.

If I hadn't gotten that explanation, I probably wouldn't have continued on as a member, as I would have been too worried that I'd "killed" someone.

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

absorbentishe

I look at their profiles, but that's about it. Unless it was someone I talked to all the time, or knew a little about, then I might start investigating, but there are too many other things to look at/worry about to bother with that.

Glory's Sun

I don't look at their profiles unless it's someone who had been here for a while. I figure that it was warranted and I know the rules and don't worry about breaking them.

billege

warrrreagl....

Ok, our mods are not insane. I can't see it as a remote possibility that any member would be banned for poking around to see why a loser got banned. I suppose if you started PMing mods, or opening threads just to say "You a-hole banned a person for no reason and you suck you bastards," then you might get talked to. You know?

I'd also like to opine that you've got a really odd way of looking at some things. Specifically the way you look at your role in "getting someone banned." You're just taking ownership of things that aren't yours to own.

Thinking of sacrificing your participation here, because you're "too worried that I'd "killed" someone," is just wrong. Plain wrong.

Let me explain why I feel this way, and I hope you take it to heart.

(I can't speak FOR the mods, but I've been a member for a long time, I can speak to the TFP's, and mod's behavior over the past years.)

First off: you aren't responsible for what happens to a member if you bring a post, or posts, to a mod's attention.

PERSONAL responsibility is how things work here. If you decide this post offends you, and you report me to a mod, s/he is going to look at my words. I understand they work closely together to achieve consistency and fairness. If they agree with you, that what I've written is offensive, and more to the point, not part of the TFP's culture or mission, I'll get a PM from the mods. How I react to a PM is all mine, as was responsibility for what I wrote.

See, you have no ownership of my words, or my behavior. If I tell a mod to "fuck off, I'll post what I want," and get banned, how in the world did you cause that? Did you come to my house and make me post? I don't think so.

warrrreagl, you're upholding your responsibilities to this community by telling mods, "hey, I think this needs looking at." The community appreciates it, as I do too. I know the mods do too.

You do not need to, and really should not, ever feel any guilt for reporting a post to a mod. You had nothing to do with the poster's actions. Nothing.

The loser is ultimately responsible for his or her own banning. It's not the mod's fault. It's not your fault.

This community goes to great lengths to make very clear what our expectations are. We have stickies, we have a newbie forum, we have thousands of members willing to provide gentle nudges. When nudges don't work, we have mods. They go to, at great personal expense, great lengths to work with a troubled member. Mods help them understand why and how their post is an issue. Whatever happens, it's a member's responsibility to own their behavior. Not yours.

If you're reporting things that are NOT a problem, don't worry, you'll likely hear back from a mod, "hey buddy, I see your point, but we're going to do this...." I don't think you ever have to worry that a mod would go off half-cocked and ban someone because you reported a post. That's just not going to happen.

Chill out, keep on posting, and remember that this community depends on you to actively report things that are not part of our culture. I say "good job" to you.

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I can sum up the clash of religion in one sentence:
"My Invisible Friend is better than your Invisible Friend."

Bill O'Rights

As has been stated numerous times heretofore, the banning of an established member is not done on a whim, and is always the last resort when attempting to address a problem area, or a situation. It is frequently the result of a lot of hashing and rehashing, and is rarely the result of a "spot" decision. Exceptions are the ever lovable "spammers" that join only to spread thier BS around. Those are are dealt with quickly and efficiently, with little fuss or muss, as thier crap is tossed out the door along with them.

As far as locating a specific indescretion...often it is not a specific incident, but rather a culmination of offenses that just digs a deeper and deeper hole. If, on the rare occasion, it is a single indiscretion, it will be of the variety that requires "clean up".

warrrreagl, you are no more responsible for the banning of a member by reporting a violation, than you are for someone receiving a death sentence as a result of your reporting shots fired. You are reporting an incident. It is the moderator's job to investigate the larger picture.

I do understand the curiosity, however. Especially in the case of established members. It's only natural.

Oh, and billege has got it goin' on there. Have you been peekin' in the back room?

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"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony

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water_boy1999

OH NO!!!!! warrrreagl killed Kenny!!!!!

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Doh!!!!


-Homer Simpson

Slavakion

I've looked. It seems like most of the time, that post was removed (like the people who have a total of three posts, and there's only two). Mysterious...

merkerguitars

The best is when they say something stupid like they are under 18....they could at least keep that a secret and pretend to be 18+ sheesh. Then again i've seen alot of people banned that are immature.

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spectre

billege replied perfectly to this. warrrreagl, looking back at people's posts won't get you banned. And your report didn't get someone banned, the person was banned because of whatever they had done. Eventually, one of us would have found the post and banned him, you just made our jobs a little easier and help keep the boards a little cleaner. You really don't need to worry about getting banned unless you go out of your way to break posted rules. Even then, you're usually given a warning first.

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"Fuck these chains
No goddamn slave
I will be different" ~ Machine Head

heyal256

You mean like when those threads asking "what's your age" and they have a poll option for under 18.... with people that voted that way?

I'm always amazed about people posting that they are underage in those threads..... especially if earlier in the thread people were banned for the being underage.

It's also nice that the mods don't abuse thier power, like some on other forums/message boards.

warrrreagl

Wow, thanks for the concern, everyone. But I did NOT kill Kenny.

Seriously, the mod in question was SecretMethod70, and my respect for him is through the roof based on how perfectly he handled the situation. All of you telling me how I "should" feel is not going to have any effect on how I actually do feel when something unexpected occurs. And SM70 managed to say everything previously posted here to me in about three lines. So, I've been cool with it for a long time. And just for the record, I have never reported anything that offended me; part of the joy of open dialogue is accepting offensive viewpoints. My complaint had more to do with the "structure" of several obviously connected posts that were kicking other fresh posts off of the frontpage, and apparently the guy didn't respond well at being told to combine his posts more efficiently.

Now how's this for irony? I'm apparently reacting to several posts that suggest I might have thin skin by acting like I have thin skin. My wife will probably frame this thread.


--EDIT--
P.S. - tecoyah just sent me a PM thanking me for my participation, but titled the PM "You are banned..." Oooh, you are SO gonna get it for that, tecoyah. Just as soon as my heart stops pounding...

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Living is easy with eyes closed.

Oropher

Oh yes, definitely. I agree, it sure is a laugh.

Shpoop

i always wonder about that thread...what if someone had been waiting to become eighteen to become a member here for so long...then they become a member and try to participate, find that thread, and forgot they were 18 yet....that would suck ass.

but yes, you have to be an idiot to vote that option. and then post it, too.