Posts by rustydrifter10

Jacob Allen said:I mean, after five whole pages of discussion, someone just decided it wasn't worth it and wiped the whole thing out.

wanderingheron52 said:This is just a textbook example of how someone can troll a thread and steer the whole conversation completely off course. Honestly, dear admin, since you decided to jump in, you really could have addressed the actual questions from the original post too.

rapidmaker77 said:But the whole point of the poll isn't to force the administration's hand😉

Isn't that just a pretty clever way to get a sense of the "voice of the people"—both the users here and the other
moderators😉

rapidmaker77 said:I’d really appreciate it if the admins could give me a solid, reasoned explanation as to why the poll was deleted.

vividtiger922 said:My sources tell me you aren't being entirely truthful... 🥳

vividtiger922 said:It’s just not there. It really isn't... 🤷
Honestly, a little "thanks" wouldn't have hurt since I was the one who brought up cloning—an angle none of you seem to have considered yet. 😍

We aren't here to gossip about other users on the forum. That seems to be more your speed, obsessing over tips and drama surrounding everyone else... 🍿

And if you truly believe the absence of a few key voices won't be noticed, then you clearly don't understand how people actually consume news in an outlet like yours.

rustydrifter10 said:I don't think anyone actually labeled them as "dangerous," but they definitely broke the rules. Since their offenses are strictly their own business, we aren't going to sit here and hash out the specifics with everyone else.

vividtiger922 said:Where were we before Hunter and Schmokljan decided to infect this forum with their little virus... 😬

You keep telling us you've "received intel from other users" and "utilized standard tools" that you apparently aren't allowed to disclose...

I have to wonder, what exactly did these users tell you? That they started cloning accounts, that they were being harassed via PM, or perhaps just that they have terrible haircuts? If it's the first one, there's no reason to be secretive—they broke the rules. If it's the second, you really ought to warn us so we can protect ourselves. As for the third, well, you're just wasting everyone's time... 🤷

And these "secret tools"? What, are you spying on our private chats or monitoring what we read while logged out? Is that some massive conspiracy? It's hardly a mystery; site admins can see all that stuff on any other forum, so I don't see why you'd bother hiding it... 🍿

Jacob Allen said:Everything is totally fine on my end, honestly! I’ve been thinking about it lately and it's not just about those shady underground forums, it’s actually the secret tools they’re using that really change the game, and that's what I finally realized.
Look, tools, gear, why we need them, what they actually do—honestly, I couldn't care less about all that technical stuff! What I have really picked up from watching everyone is how much people on this forum love to drop those little hints and use specific phrasing to imply there’s some massive secret out there. You know the vibe, where someone says you aren't allowed to talk about certain things or that the admins are strictly forbidden from bringing up specific topics, and it’s just so obvious that the whole reason they say "you can't talk about it" is because those things absolutely exist! It's such a classic move, right?

Anyway, thanks for that... I honestly just figured if there's stuff you aren't even allowed to talk about, then there’s really no point in bringing it up at all, right? Like, why bother even mentioning things when they're totally off-limits?

Look, I’m telling you right now, Schmokljan and Hunter are some seriously heavy hitters, but honestly, that's just not the kind of thing you can go around talking about openly!

I’m totally convinced there’s some kind of underground network of users out there constantly gathering intel and sharing dirt on everyone else on the boards, and they're basically building this massive dossier on us all! It honestly feels like the admins are using this secret database of everything they know about each person to decide who stays and who gets the boot, which is just wild if you think about it!
Look, I’m not trying to start any kind of drama or get into a massive debate here, but I would honestly love it if those folks on this forum who are out there digging up all this intel and building these massive databases would just reach out to me! Seriously, if you're one of the people behind all this data, please just hit me up and let me know who you are, because if you're curious about my background, I am more than happy to lay everything out on the table for you, so there's absolutely no need for anyone to go through the trouble of wondering!
Look, I’m saying this because I honestly don't see any other way to handle this, but there is clearly some kind of organized core or a tight-knit circle operating behind the scenes to spread intel about other forums, and it's gotta be happening somewhere! So, I’m putting out a call to anyone else on this forum who knows anything about the crews responsible for leaking this stuff—please, reach out to me and let me know what's going on! I need you to point me toward the exact people and the specific actions being taken by these informants so that I can, either on my own or by teaming up with everyone else who's fed up with this, actually start taking steps to unmask them. We seriously need to find out exactly who they are, what their endgame is, what kind of database they're messing around with, and just how much damage they could do if they abuse this info. Seriously, what is actually happening here?

Honestly, this is starting to get a little kinky with the admins stepping in like this... I mean, look, there are plenty of great things happening around here, but we’re basically being told we can't even say them out loud just because they're true! We've had users whose data was messed with by our own internal tools, and honestly, it wasn't even just our tech—other people on the forum have been reaching out to us directly to flag it too. So, what exactly is this "danger" we're supposedly hiding? Like, what kind of massive threat are we all supposedly facing that you guys aren't allowed to even mention?

I am seriously dying to know what is actually going on here, because if Schmokljan and Hunter ever decide to show their faces on this forum again, please, I am begging you, let me know immediately so I can toss them straight onto my ignore list! I honestly have zero interest in dealing with either of them ever again. Are you admins even listening to me? Because after those official statements you guys just put out, I am legitimately spooked by them!
Man, who even knows what they can pull on me at this point? It’s like there are snitches everywhere you look, honestly! You seriously never know which way to turn, who you can actually trust with your business, or where your words are even gonna end up, you know? It’s wild thinking about how many people might be peeking into everything we say and exactly what purpose this whole forum even serves anymore... it's just one big mess! 😵

Honestly, it’s like this forum wasn't already becoming a total circus on its own, so let's just crank things up a notch and really start throwing gasoline on the fire! 🤦

Man, I’d love to spill some more tea right now, but I've got these tools working against me that are totally keeping me quiet, and honestly, there’s just no way I can dive into that right now! 🎉

vividtiger922 said:Didn't you just mention earlier that the sanctions system isn't some automated machine, but rather something handled on a case-by-case basis? Of course, those inconsistencies could happen... perhaps someone was posting under an alias while their main account was still under a requested ban, which might have somehow masked the fact that an unban request was ignored. But that doesn't really hold up against this specific situation. You pulled one single example where a request wasn't granted—where a user actually used a different handle to ask for their original account to be reinstated, meaning they were technically still active. But what about all those other instances where people were unbanned without issue? It feels like the logic keeps shifting from "it's happened before," to "she asked for an unban multiple times," then suddenly to "we have a new rule now, so it's better if she stays banned"... so which is it, really?...

And I still haven't heard an answer as to why she wasn't given a heads-up about this new rule first.

vividtiger922 said:Didn't you just mention earlier that the sanctions system isn't some automated machine, but rather something handled on a case-by-case basis? Of course, those inconsistencies could happen... perhaps someone was posting under an alias while their main account was still under a requested ban, which might have somehow masked the fact that an unban request was ignored. But that doesn't really hold up against this specific situation. You pulled one single example where a request wasn't granted—where a user actually used a different handle to ask for their original account to be reinstated, meaning they were technically still active. But what about all those other instances where people were unbanned without issue? It feels like the logic keeps shifting from "it's happened before," to "she asked for an unban multiple times," then suddenly to "we have a new rule now, so it's better if she stays banned"... so which is it, really?...

And I still haven't heard an answer as to why she wasn't given a heads-up about this new rule first.

vividtiger922 said:Didn't you just mention earlier that the sanctions system isn't some automated machine, but rather something handled on a case-by-case basis? Of course, those inconsistencies could happen... perhaps someone was posting under an alias while their main account was still under a requested ban, which might have somehow masked the fact that an unban request was ignored. But that doesn't really hold up against this specific situation. You pulled one single example where a request wasn't granted—where a user actually used a different handle to ask for their original account to be reinstated, meaning they were technically still active. But what about all those other instances where people were unbanned without issue? It feels like the logic keeps shifting from "it's happened before," to "she asked for an unban multiple times," then suddenly to "we have a new rule now, so it's better if she stays banned"... so which is it, really?...

And I still haven't heard an answer as to why she wasn't given a heads-up about this new rule first.

vividtiger922 said:Yes, exactly, math class. I am being so incredibly literal that I'm actually calculating exactly how many strikes one needs to earn a six-month ban. 🤦
No, I am trying to illustrate how recklessly you toss sanctions around in certain instances. I am trying to show how grotesque the whole thing looks. I am trying to highlight how nonsensical and outright rude it is that you keep insisting such a sanction is "necessary." Necessary for whom? Who actually benefits from driving away a user whose content has absolutely no harmful impact? I am trying to say that what you are doing is starting to look less like editorial work and content moderation, and more like running a correctional facility. And if you honestly believe your notorious predecessor failed simply because he wasn't polite enough, you are mistaken. His downfall was caused by a whole chain of factors, one of which is precisely this—moderating the users rather than the content itself.

Stop meddling in other people's sanctions. Please stop. I have no intention of debating banned users.

No, I am not meddling in anyone else's business; I am commenting on a precedent in the appropriate forum.
There would be no need to discuss banned users if you hadn't discussed s banned users. Since you were so incredibly rude to them, we are now discussing your behavior and your strategy.

vividtiger922 said:Week one. Total silence...

Are you still deliberating, or are you simply... indecisive? 😬

So, I’ll go ahead and restate the questions, whether they're direct or implied...

Let me run some numbers here... I want to see exactly what kind of track record one would need to accumulate to earn a six-month ban. If we set aside things like account expiration or getting banned for using accounts with longer lifespans, let's look at how many instances of insults, hate speech, blatant harassment, doxxing, and other serious violations it would actually take to justify a half-year suspension...

Six months—that’s 180 days. Or, if you prefer, sixty three-day stretches or twenty-five full weeks... It makes me wonder if this particular user has actually racked up enough violations in her entire history to warrant such a heavy-handed penalty, especially considering it's being applied based on rules that didn't even exist when she first requested the break. Then there's the fact that she’s served as a moderator on two separate occasions. It leaves me questioning how someone who was once considered constructive and decent enough to be part of the staff can suddenly become a user whose absence is framed as a "benefit" to everyone else, including herself...

Sure, you can choose whatever angle you want to highlight—that's your discretionary right, which you seem so fond of citing... but let's call things what they actually are. On one hand, there’s all this talk about supporting "active," "high-quality," and "constructive" members, yet on the other, it feels like actual content is becoming an afterthought because apparently, it's perfectly fine to sideline those exact same contributors for extended periods just because a technicality is too trivial to deal with, or perhaps simply because the administration decides they lack the patience for it at that particular moment...

vividtiger922 said:Week one. Total silence...

Are you still deliberating, or are you simply... indecisive? 😬

So, I’ll go ahead and restate the questions, whether they're direct or implied...

Let me run some numbers here... I want to see exactly what kind of track record one would need to accumulate to earn a six-month ban. If we set aside things like account expiration or getting banned for using accounts with longer lifespans, let's look at how many instances of insults, hate speech, blatant harassment, doxxing, and other serious violations it would actually take to justify a half-year suspension...

Six months—that’s 180 days. Or, if you prefer, sixty three-day stretches or twenty-five full weeks... It makes me wonder if this particular user has actually racked up enough violations in her entire history to warrant such a heavy-handed penalty, especially considering it's being applied based on rules that didn't even exist when she first requested the break. Then there's the fact that she’s served as a moderator on two separate occasions. It leaves me questioning how someone who was once considered constructive and decent enough to be part of the staff can suddenly become a user whose absence is framed as a "benefit" to everyone else, including herself...

Sure, you can choose whatever angle you want to highlight—that's your discretionary right, which you seem so fond of citing... but let's call things what they actually are. On one hand, there’s all this talk about supporting "active," "high-quality," and "constructive" members, yet on the other, it feels like actual content is becoming an afterthought because apparently, it's perfectly fine to sideline those exact same contributors for extended periods just because a technicality is too trivial to deal with, or perhaps simply because the administration decides they lack the patience for it at that particular moment...

Jose Ruiz2 said:Too bad. Guess I'll just make a second profile then.🤷

vividtiger922 said:That’s precisely where the issue lies—when you attempt to lecture an adult on how to behave, or even worse, demand that they show "respect to the administration." The right to be uncivilized or crude is a fundamental liberty held by every individual, including Schmokljan. Readers are here to form their own opinions about him, not to be told what to think. The moderation team isn't here to act as etiquette instructors or to hand out punishments like they're dealing with a toddler. From the very start, the communication with him was handled poorly, and even though he agreed to the terms, putting someone on a "probationary period" was just foolish. It wasn't standard practice, especially considering that people banned a year before him continued posting without any special deals or conditions.

And really, as Jacob Allen pointed out—if you treat someone like a child, you increase the chances they'll act out and say exactly the wrong thing...

Ultimately, I touched on this when we first discussed the situation—take ZgSash, for example, who gets grayed out constantly yet keeps coming back. No one imposes conditions on him, and no one puts him on trial. They shouldn't. He gets a warning, goes gray, serves his ban, and returns. Now, making a deal is always an option, but what was demanded of Schmokljan wasn't a negotiation; it was basic condescending discipline. It shows a total disregard for concepts like authorship, style, and the body of work that a written medium is supposed to value and respect. To put it bluntly, the man was told his writing was "garbage," and once the dialogue took that turn, there was simply no way to recover...

Jacob Allen said:Honestly, I’d love to just sit down and have a real conversation, maybe even work out some terms if we can, but you know what? There’s absolutely no rush at all! I’m not about to go charging in there with a massive list of demands or getting all nitpicky and arguing over every single little syllable like some kind of lawyer, and I definitely don't want to get stuck in some endless loop of "yes, but actually no" arguments. I’d much rather just chat things through, let the dust settle, and then maybe grab a coffee in a few days or even next week to see what the vibe is. We could just sit back, see what the big news is today, and then if someone comes back ten days later saying, "Wait, that's not even a big deal," well, that's fine too! I'm totally down to just let time do its thing, take a beat to really process everything, and look at the whole situation from a much more chill perspective. At the end of the day, life is way too short to spend it being stressed out and worked up over nothing!

So, like, seriously, hum it for me if you can, because honestly, I’m just sitting here thinking that if there is any way at all to make it happen, I really want Schmokljan—wait, who else was it, let me think, oh yeah, Slafko—and whoever else I'm forgetting right now to just get unbanned!

Look, I'm not saying you guys need to go ahead and unban them right this second, and honestly, I have no clue who actually holds the keys to the kingdom here—whether it's a specific person or just some official moderator role—but my point is simply that they should be unbanned!
I mean, honestly, it’s just like... I don't even know how to put it, but things just happen, you know? Someone does one little thing, they click a button or whatever, and boom—suddenly they're banned! It's just wild how fast it all goes down!
I mean, honestly, what's the big deal? I really don't think they're doing you any harm!

Honestly, since we’re already talking about all this damage and negativity, I really can't help but feel like—if you just step back and look at this whole forum as a whole—there’s actually way more value being created here than any kind of harm!
And one more thing... honestly, I think that little comment was a bit much, you know? It just felt a little off, like, not the best way to handle things. Look, we aren't going to ban you right this second, but let's be real—you're already on a probationary period, so don't go playing games with us! Just watch what you say, because seriously, one wrong move and we're gonna have to let you go for good.

Man, it’s just... you really can't write like that when you're feeling the pressure, you know? It’s like even if you actually want to get your thoughts out, there’s this weird force pushing you to say exactly what people expect or how you think you *should* sound, rather than just being yourself!

Look, you just gotta learn when to chill out a little bit, right? Like, sometimes you really need to swallow your pride and just let things go, because honestly, who even cares about being right all the time? I totally get that you need to have some consistency and follow the rules, especially since this forum is massive and everyone is trying their best to organize everything and keep things running smoothly according to the guidelines, but seriously... back in my hometown, we have this saying that pretty much sums it up: screw a guy who thinks his word is absolute law! 😬

So basically, what they're trying to say is that everything is constantly shifting—it’s like that whole "everything flows" philosophy, you know? But honestly, there are way more people changing than there are rivers! Even the moderators themselves are constantly evolving, and the regular users on this site are always morphing into someone else too, but seriously... what's the point? Why does it even happen? And where exactly are we all heading?
Look, I don't think these guys are clueless about what they're doing or how it's actually hitting them, you know? They totally get it! It’s really just about how you approach the conversation, like, just be real with them. Seriously, come on, quit messing around—just say whatever is on your mind, but please, for the love of god, don't start whining over every single little thing!
Look, we’ve got some seriously seasoned veterans on this forum who actually have something worth saying, even if their delivery is a little rough around the edges sometimes! It’s definitely not something you see every day, you know? Honestly, I really feel like it’s such a shame to rob this community of that kind of experience, because they bring so much to the table!

Oh, I totally get it, I really do! It all comes down to cycles, man—like these weird little phases where everyone just starts acting up for no reason. One minute they’re being extra, then the next we’re all getting worked up, and before you know it, it’s just total chaos all around. All that noise starts clashing together, and suddenly someone takes something completely out of context or twists what was actually meant. And honestly, that's just how online forums work, right? You can't exactly take back a word once it's out there or try to un-say something you just blurted out. Once it's posted, it's done! Then you've got people jumping down your throat saying, "Hey, wait a second, didn't you say this?" or "Well, come on, tell me what you actually meant!" It's like, give me a break, just let me move past it! You can't just hit undo on a conversation once things start spiraling.

I mean, look, you’ve gotta give them some credit for having actual wit and being genuinely sharp, right? Sure, every now and then someone might miss the mark or misinterpret something, but that goes both ways—it happens to everyone! Honestly, these three aren't just some mindless spammers cluttering up the feed and killing the vibe of the discussion, they actually bring something to the table. They aren't dim-witted at all, so come on, just admit it!
Alright, maybe I’m just trolling a little bit here—if you ask my dictionary, that’s basically what it means—but seriously, this whole curriculum is totally their vibe, and honestly, it’s pretty hard to resist when you see someone get absolutely wrecked like that! I mean, what can you even say? Life just throws these wild curveballs at you sometimes, and suddenly you're just standing there wondering what happened, right? It happens, man! Today it’s them, tomorrow it’ll be someone else, because that’s just how the glory of this world works!

Look, since I brought up the whole negotiation thing, go ahead and ban me if you really have to—I mean, honestly, if someone’s gotta catch a ban, let it be me! I’m not gonna go making fake accounts or throwing a temper tantrum about it, so don't even worry about that. I had a life way before I ever logged onto this site, and I'll definitely be just fine without this forum, too!
Man, they care about that stuff way more because they’re younger, you know? It’s like those computers are their actual kids, and if you messed with that electricity or whatever, they’d be screaming, talking back, whining, complaining, freaking out, and just straight-up acting up! They’d be communicating and everything—they've definitely got plenty to say and a whole lot of opinions to drop on you about all sorts of things!

So what, you just gotta give them a little bit of grief and maybe tell them a few times, like, "Hey man, quit whining, chill out, and just show up tomorrow," you know?
I mean, honestly, it’s such a waste to just ban them all at once like there are five billion people like that floating around on this forum,

Seriously, I’m telling you... I’m not even one-third of the way to being like any of those guys, and I know this whole thing feels kind of... I don't know, illogical, maybe even a little ridiculous, but look, if it helps... I'll trade Jacob Allen for the three of them, and then we can just wait and see how things play out... it’ll be something, and hey, it'll definitely be better than what we have going on right now.

And hey, whoever wants to weigh in doesn't need to rush to give an answer immediately... let a few days pass, let everyone chill out a bit, because I can tell there are some pretty high-maintenance types on here, so just take it easy, take some time to think, grab a coffee, relax, maybe realize you don't want to deal with it right now, grab another coffee... and just go from there.

So yeah... 🍿

Timothy Davis59 said:I found the whole situation pretty sketchy too. The way the admins handled everything felt off—it honestly seems like there’s some personal vendettas at play, which is probably why access to the community was pulled for 🤷

The way they handled the Lord Byron situation was also a massive fail on their part 🤣

As for Schmokljan, getting suspended was well-deserved. He showed zero class and had no respect for the staff or the rest of us. They were actually being way too soft on him. In this instance, the facts are all right there in black and white. But those first two cases? That was all just backroom politics 🤷