Jack Moore90 said:Jacob Allen, man, what kind of guy have you actually been all this time? 🙂
Well, I guess I am! 🤦 :triturbo meakulparenje:
But seriously... I was just asking the same thing Edward Fisher86 asked, just from a different angle... like, what’s actually going to happen after January 12th in terms of repercussions, not just for this specific thread, but for the whole Forum?
I mean, I really don't want us to be caught off guard later, where I post something about a marriage or whatever, and then people start acting like it's some legal violation, leading to everyone flooding the place with those super annoying, robotic posts that just drone on and on about "justice" or whatever they call that loud, repetitive noise people make in those situations.. 🍿
Honestly, I can't even deal. Every time I read Patrick Bailey4's posts, I feel like I should just change my username to "totally unreliable."
But seriously though... I am 100% behind whatever security proposals, suggestions, or little critiques Patrick Bailey4 throws our way, because we really need to respect the results of the referendum to protect the family unit—especially if a referendum actually happens, which it probably will, unless they try to force that specific provision into the Constitution, which isn't even a guarantee yet... ..and what that looks like is..
1. anyone caught posting in support of same-sex marriage gets hit with penalties.. a) first offense is a massive 100-point penalty card b) second offense earns you a seven-day ban c) third offense? You get a massive permanent ban along with a formal report sent straight to the FBI, DHS, all the major media outlets, the Supreme Court, European courts, and honestly, probably even UNESCO too.. at the very least.//
2. we should establish an official Users' Association right here on this Forum, acting in the interest of the community, launched by some big grassroots initiative alongside media pros and experts... maybe even some ornithology nerds for good measure..
3. and let's make someone like a high-profile figure—let's say a famous CEO type—our honorary Chairman for the time being.
4. then, based on the referendum results, we distribute moderator roles accordingly.. there are so many unemployed theologians out there (some of them literally have to work in secular social studies departments just to teach "post-industrial society" to survive), so they might as well get some engagement here or find a little paid gig, and we can tie the number of moderators directly to the number of users joining the official initiative.. on behalf of the Forum.
5. after that, we hold a grand Forum Referendum organized by this new initiative and the "SRA(S)T Party," where we vote to officially implement points 1 through 4, plus point 6 and anything else we deem necessary.. assuming the referendum passes, and let's face it, it'll pass with 100% of the vote.
6. also, moderators shouldn't be called moderators anymore; they should be called vigilantes, and the "moderator corps" should be rebranded as the "moderator clergy," the "cleric," or "frozd"—whatever the democratic majority decides once we're sure that majority exists, which should happen right about the time 700,000 new users register.
7. and finally, we rename this whole Forum to something like "The Porum" or "Grak.us."
8. everyone would have access to Grak.us, but instead of calling ourselves "Graktalans" or "Porumites," we'd all be treated as equal internet citizens with full rights, except for those specific things outlined in the Constitution and the rules of... well, Grak.us. basically, some people will call this a Forum, while the referendum majority and everyone else will just find some other way to refer to themselves..
9. otherwise, any activity on this site will be considered unconstitutional, unnatural, and totally sick, leading to immediate calls for its total shutdown and banning.
bluecyclist64 said:Thanks for the example of mindless spamming. Look, my dear bureaucracy, posts like those have been piling up in terrifying quantities, and the proponents of such nonsense seem to clone themselves constantly, churning out the exact same idiocy over and over. Locking threads isn't the answer; you need to moderate them properly.
But wouldn't it be way better if we treated those kinds of threads and posts like advertising... you know, like unpaid advertising? 🍿
I mean, act like it's a post that's, I don't know, promoting something... like, I'm going door-to-door knocking on houses. Or, I don't know... I'll rise up at the call! Code word... thank God. Tel three sixes, three twos, three threes...
Basically, let them stick a nice little pop-up ad or whatever they call it right there, maybe pin the post or topic to the top... a sponsored post or a sponsored topic, and then the forum can just send them a massive bill... love it! Then, if someone wants to buy a spot for a logo, they could even change the site logo to some Nazi-11 style thing if they feel like it. Just pure cash straight into the pocket for a sponsored week or something. ...you could even advertise it in advance to boost the views... like, "Markie's Week" on the forum. This week, Markie is our general sponsor... and you just put that up as one of those pop-up ads. Like, you're just scrolling through the forum, and suddenly on a thread about coin collecting, an ad pops up with Markie in high definition, giving that sweet, mentally seductive look that you just can't turn off because she's just staring at you so lovingly... you know, that mentally cozy vibe. 🎉
So yeah, let them post, but make sure we charge them for everything. Totally. 🍿
wanderingbadger44 said:I'm reporting und because they're posting in a foreign language.
You're totally off-topic here, man! I'm not an admin, a moderator, or even a super user. :цхеер:
Honestly, you'd be way better off starting a whole new thread where you suggest that the forum should allow all sorts of different languages and scripts based on things like the First Amendment or those federal protections for minority rights in the US Constitution, specifically looking at stuff like Section 7, points 1 and 6, for example. So, if someone really thinks people are going to understand them better if they write in, say, German, then hey, let them write in German or even ancient runes for all I care! :kökice:
..or maybe.. an odyssey through Europe 2013.. :dum dum dum dum.. Zarathustra:
..so, I’ve actually got a proposal for our future forum admin crew.. 🎉
Basically, January 1st.. oops.. typo.. July 1st, 2013, America is gonna be celebrating big time as we officially join the EU. It’s this massive, lifelong dream for Americans, stretching all the way back to the era of the Founding Fathers—and yeah, people debate the history, but it’s basically baked into our DNA—that’s finally coming to fruition in just a few days. We’ll finally be able to just go for it, like flying out to catch a Broadway show or hitting up a jazz club in New Orleans without all those ridiculous hurdles and red tape they kept throwing in our faces until now.
But hey, the whole point is that "freedom" thing, right? And I’m sitting here wondering how this forum could really mark this historic milestone, you know, by highlighting that sense of liberty we’re embracing as we step into Europe? I mean, should we really enter the EU carrying around all this old symbolism of bans and crackdowns?
That’s why I’m suggesting... on July 1st... look at me, doing it again... 🙄 ...basically, on July 1st, let's liberate the forum for those users who have been banned for a long time, semi-banned, or even permabanned—whatever you want to call them.
You know, let’s show some real scale here, let’s celebrate it with a positive, upbeat vibe and some optimistic symbolism to mark our first real step into Europe—that moment of realization where we expand our reach and our perspective.
And honestly, even the current administration might find themselves feeling forgiving before this term ends (that’s an exclusive scoop for you, by the way), so why not open the doors and grant some amnesty to these folks?
This move would be so multi-layered! First off, it shows real power, right? Like, "Look, we had the power to ban you, and now we have the power to unban you." Second, maybe they won't even want to come back, but who cares? They’ll be unbanned, and if they want to log in, they will, and if not, oh well. They don't even need to know they've been unbanned; we don't have to say a word, just a couple of clicks and boom—it’s like nothing ever happened, and they can just get back to grabbing a coffee.
Thirdly, if anyone wants to look at it from a different angle... maybe being unbanned would actually be the ultimate punishment? Doing something like that, unbanning everyone on such a grand scale... I don't know... if it were me, I'd probably lose my mind, but that’s not your problem! You guys did everything with the best intentions and hope, and if someone gets annoyed because of it... well, what are you gonna do? You can't please everyone. It’s always like that: you do something good, and you still end up looking like the bad guy... but hey, that’s just life.
So, that’s my pitch: a massive unbanning spree, especially the "de-permabanning" of the permabanned, as a symbolic gesture of goodwill from this forum's leadership to mark America joining the EU on July 1st. Man, I have no idea what I'm even talking about tonight 🙄 ..on July 1st, the first crazy year of this new millennium..
Anyway, you don't have to answer me or anything, just... think about this proposal a little bit.. meditate, guys, meditate.. 🍿
rustydrifter10 said:I haven't checked out Politics yet so I have no clue who nuked the thread or what the deal was, but hey, I'm sure either Scott or Stryker will weigh in by tomorrow at the latest, and hopefully the mod who deleted it will too.
But seriously, if that's what happened, I really think we should point out that a five-page thread—even if it ended up being totally unnecessary or off-topic—shouldn't just vanish into thin air without any explanation! It’s common sense to leave a final closing post explaining why the topic can't stay on the PDF, you know? If they absolutely have to kill it, they could easily wait until the next day so the author and the regular users actually have a fair shot at seeing the info before it's gone. That is, unless the thread was a total dumpster fire full of rule-breaking stuff like hate speech, but from what I can tell, that's not the case here.
Honestly, don't even sweat it because there's zero need for apologies... I'm in no rush and it's not like this whole forum is going to disappear overnight. 😁
And look, I'm not complaining or anything, someone deleted it and so be it... maybe he was just tired, it was late, he wanted to get to bed, or maybe he was already having a rough night and just snapped, whatever, it's no biggie, he paid the price for the topic. 😁
I'm not sure if there was actual hate speech involved, at least not from my perspective, but listen... people perceive things in all sorts of ways, and "hate speech" can sometimes just mean someone got labeled as the homophobe of the year or something like that. 🤷
Just don't let it get to you too much, because I'm pretty certain someone probably felt called out or targeted, and now they just need a little breathing room to figure out what they want to say, how to say it, or if they even want to say anything at all.
Patrick Bailey4 said:I’m telling you, we seriously need to start a massive global thread just so everyone can vent about it. In my opinion, having all these hyper-specific threads for the "homophobe of the year" and his buddy is getting way too out of hand. Politics isn't exactly the most perfect playground for this kind of thing, but yeah, it's pretty much our only option right now.
And honestly, it's the absolute truth. It seems like the standard move for the mods on this forum is to just wipe posts clean without even giving us a heads-up, when really just sending one quick little DM with an explanation would fix everything. But nope, I guess they actually get a kick out of watching people complain and then starting whole debates while waiting for the moderation team to finally say something. 🤷
Look, I'm not even complaining, I just genuinely want to know where we can actually host a discussion like this?
Alright, so if we're treating this like a greeting card, can we just post it in the cards section? Like... "Congrats to Cardinal Dolan on being named the homophobe of the year for 2013!"
If it's not a greeting card, though, where else could it go? Seriously, where? 🤷
Patrick Bailey4 said:Look, don't go starting a whole new thread over every tiny little thing; Just wait until someone kicks off a massive global discussion about the LGBTQ community, gay rights groups, or whatever else is going on, and then you can jump in... Besides, stuff like that doesn't even belong in the Politics section, and honestly, the current administration is being way too heterophobic right now so they're just letting everything slide...
Okay, fine, I can totally see how the Politics sub isn't exactly the perfect spot for this topic, but calling it a "tiny little thing" is a bit much because it really isn't that insignificant when literally every news outlet in the country is covering it.
Plus, I’m genuinely wondering what kind of message we're sending by labeling someone a homophobe in this day and age? Is it political? Religious? Sports-related? Media-driven? Health-focused? Sure, maybe there's a health angle to homophobia, why not?
I mean, back when that one guy was labeled the most homophobic person in America in 2013, what kind of statement was that supposed to be?
So, where am I actually supposed to start a thread to talk about this and, you know, actually have a conversation?
Seriously, after five pages of back-and-forth, someone just decided it wasn't worth it and nuked the whole thing. No response, no image posted, nothing... 🤷 It would have been so much better if we could have just moved the conversation to a more appropriate mega-thread and said, "Hey, let's talk about the Homophobe of the Year here," but nope... absolutely nothing... it's like it doesn't even exist... 🍿
First off, let me just say everything is going to be totally fine, because honestly, there is zero point in wasting your energy getting all worked up over nothing.. 😁
So, basically, yesterday over on the policy board, two big threads popped up out of nowhere, one titled something like "Ally of the Year" and the other one being "Bigot of the Year."
And man, I don't know what to tell you, I ended up dropping this super chill, congratulatory post in that "Bigot of the Year" thread.
But then, just like that, boom—both the bigot and ally threads just vanished into thin air.
No warning, no explanation, nothing... they just straight-up disappeared. Like, poof! Just gone! :vrti rukicama: I have absolutely no clue who went into the collective consciousness of this forum and decided to wipe them out, and honestly, I have no idea why either.
Now, I won't go too deep into it since I actually just finished chatting about this with Edge a little bit ago, so I'm not trying to repeat myself.
But indirectly, it’s really bugging me because those topics—you know, the whole Bigot vs. Ally thing—they feel so relevant right now, like everything happening in the news today gets turned into a massive discussion here immediately. It almost feels like we had a "Bigot of the Year" title floating around last year or the year before, but for this year? Total radio silence.
So, here is my question... where am I supposed to leave my posts about the 2013 Bigot of the Year award? Where can I actually start those threads? Which sub-board should I use? Are they just going to get nuked again? Is it okay if I try to repost my original comment, or was there something inherently "problematic" about it? (I mean, whoever deleted the existing thread definitely knows exactly what's going on here.)
Look, if anyone has a hint, some guidance, or even just a little direction, please hit me up!
It’s starting to seem like that topic is somehow "dangerous" or like it's going to tear the whole forum apart, or whatever... I don't know. It’s like there’s this weird vacuum left behind; the thread is gone, but the vibe is still just hanging there in mid-air. If anyone else is thinking about opening a similar thread, hey, let me know so I can see it! 🤷 Seriously, what else am I supposed to think?
I mean, just give me some clarity here... we can talk about anything under the sun, but suddenly certain things are off-limits?
Actually, I'm not trying to cause trouble or stir the pot for no reason, I genuinely just want to know where I can post my tribute without it getting deleted again. It feels like everywhere else on the internet, people are shouting from the rooftops about who deserves the "Bigot of the Year" title and hoping they keep it for years to come, but here, everyone is walking on eggshells and acting all hesitant and vague. 🤷
I'm wondering, was there some kind of outside pressure to scrub those specific threads, especially that second one that got wiped? I'm just asking, okay? I know how it feels to deal with pressure and frustration. If there actually *was* pressure, just tell me straight up—I'll handle it, I promise. Don't worry about yourselves, nobody is coming for you, I've got your back. I'm not about to let anyone come after you guys. 🙂 🙂
Anyway, if anyone wants to hang out and chat about which post it was, or if you want to share your own take, vent a little, or just explain your side of things, I'm all ears! 😁
Timothy Davis59 said:I don't get why you can't just say. Either Hunter is someone famous who rubbed you the wrong way, or they just personally annoyed someone, so they got banned. 🤷
I don't see any reason why you couldn't explain why someone was banned from the forum? 🤷 What’s so top secret and dangerous about it? 🤣
I really don't want to stir up any more unnecessary drama by jumping in to answer for Daniel Ward87, because honestly, what's even the point of rehashing all this stuff just to keep spreading the same old tired dogmas?
Man, I would honestly lose my absolute mind if someone kept badgering me like that! It’s like, after the hundredth time I’ve already made it crystal clear that I am NOT saying it, some person starts acting like it’s the first time they're hearing me refuse, just constantly nagging away with those annoying little "hey, come on" or "just say it already" comments! Seriously, enough with the constant poking and prodding to get me to speak—I said what I said, and I meant it!
😁
Look, they don't have to say a single word if they don't want to, and honestly, that’s totally fine by me! It’s completely their right to just shut up about it now, especially after they were the ones out there making all this noise and claiming there was actually something worth discussing in the first place. I mean, it's just classic drama at this point, you know? Just pure, unadulterated theatrics! 😁
They made themselves crystal clear on that one! Honestly, I feel like those two users—at least if you ask me—are basically high-level threats to the entire administration or whatever. So, after they serve their six-month permanent ban, they actually get to step up and demand an appeal, and then what happens? The admins all huddle up to sit around a table, pore over the databases, check the moderation tools, and listen to all the user tips just to decide if those two are still a danger to... I don't even know... the community? The system? Humanity itself? If they can prove they’re totally cleared and aren't carrying any more risk, then they'll definitely get their funding released!
There isn't even a hint of mystery or intrigue to be found here because honestly, it's just straight up facts and nothing more! Honestly, if we start overthinking this and babying them with extra attention, we’re just making things harder on ourselves! I mean, if they even actually want to come back here after everything that’s gone down, that’s really on them to decide, you know? It’s totally up to them whether they feel like jumping back into the social scene here or whatever people are calling it these days, provided we can even confirm they're actually ready to play nice and socialize on the forum again! 😁
Daniel Ward87 said:No, it doesn't work like that. It isn't just about individual users; we also pull certain data using the tools we have available here on the site.
So, like I said, there's really no point in debating this since I've already explained why. The rest of the admin team knows the full story, and I'm not authorized to say anything more than that.
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! 🎉
Daniel Ward87 said:Hunter and Schmokljan both have permanent bans, and just like everyone else, they can reach out after six months to ask for a second chance. Whether the admins actually grant that request is anyone's guess—it’s entirely up to them. As of right now, it doesn't look like their bans are going anywhere.
Look, there’s actually a reason things are handled this way. It involves some intel we've gathered from other users on the boards, along with a few other details I can't really go into here. Just know that the rest of the admin team—the mods, supermods, and Anderson—are all in the loop.
So, there’s really no point even arguing about their permanent bans.
Alright, let's just say that's how it is... I mean, if that's the deal, then fine, I don't really see a massive issue with it and I'm definitely not looking to start some huge debate over it.
But, something else is kind of... making me feel like I have to be that one guy who keeps pointing out the obvious flaws in the system.
Daniel Ward87 said:Hunter and Schmokljan both have permanent bans, and just like everyone else, they can reach out after six months to ask for a second chance. Whether the admins actually grant that request is anyone's guess—it’s entirely up to them. As of right now, it doesn't look like their bans are going anywhere.
Look, there’s actually a reason things are handled this way. It involves some intel we've gathered from other users on the boards, along with a few other details I can't really go into here. Just know that the rest of the admin team—the mods, supermods, and Anderson—are all in the loop.
So, there’s really no point even arguing about their permanent bans.
So look, I won't go interrogating the administration right now... but is there any way at all to find out... you know, get a hint about what kind of information we're talking about here? Maybe these users are dangerous to me too, and you guys are just keeping these top-secret files under wraps.
I mean, seriously, what you just said sounds pretty intense to me! It almost sounds sketchy, like there's this whole organized structure going on where users come forward, gather intel, and report back... how does that even work?
And could we at least get a heads-up on which users are doing the reporting? Like, will they step forward themselves or are we supposed to figure out who they are? 🙂
Oh man, yeah... totally, my bad, he’s definitely not banned, you're right. I was thinking of someone else, honestly! Every time I scrolled through the forum lately, I kept seeing Stanley's name in grayed-out text, so I just assumed he was out too and figured it would be a real bummer if he was gone, you know? Just a total brain fart on my part... 😁
Actually, even better, I totally blew the whole thing out of proportion by accident... if there's even a problem to begin with, haha. I mean, talking about unbanning people, who knows what kind of massive drama or self-inflicted headache that would cause, but hey, maybe... I don't know...
Anyway, I won't keep bugging you guys about it, seriously, no big deal and no rush at all... just grab some coffee, hang out among yourselves, and keep things lighthearted. Just take it easy, stay chill, and there's absolutely no pressure or stress from my end! 🎉
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.
I really hope the mods actually know what they’re talking about when it comes to terms like the history of Communism, because honestly... there hasn't been any Communism here before, right? Or if there was, where exactly did it happen?
And just like that, I’m hoping the moderation team realizes that under Article Four of the General code of conduct, specifically point three, it totally includes any kind of glorification or celebration of Alojzije Stepinac—who went from being the Archbishop of a major city to a Cardinal and eventually a Blessed. His active, public, and official political involvement helped fight for the legitimacy of the Independent State of America, which basically means he officially contributed to and fought for the spread of fascism and Nazism across Europe. Do I even need to point out that it was only after all that intense political work—the stuff that got him convicted after World War II—that he was elevated to Cardinal, making him a central figure in the Roman Catholic Church, and later beatified after his death? This carries massive political consequences, not religious ones, in an American context where religion and state aren't actually separate in practice.
So, let’s clear up any confusion and just decide once and for all: what exactly are we trying to encourage or promote here? Or better yet, how are we going to stop it? It feels like there’s either no will or no strength to act, or maybe people just can't see these creeping values at all, and then later everyone will just shrug and say, "Oh, we didn't know, nobody told us." Look, you guys need to make a call on this regardless of our entry into the European Union and all those bureaucratic and legal obligations that come along with it.
I’m sincerely thanking you for looking into this and for making a decision as fast as possible, whatever that decision may be.
briskpuma23 said:I have zero interest in laws that turn citizens into informants.
This is a forum. My job, as a user, is to shut down someone using hate speech to win an argument and, if I see fit, report them to the admins. Dragging the police into all of this is just pathetic.
Everything is totally doable—the wins, the tactics, the sheer satisfaction of it all—as long as you haven't been permabanned yet. 😬 ...but how exactly are you going to win an argument by reporting someone to the admins? And honestly, I don't see any real difference between reporting a post to the police or reporting it to the mods/admins; the gap is tiny and basically irrelevant. To me, it feels like there’s more "police" energy happening here... and everything that might follow, which feels more like a competition than an actual desire for free speech.
Seriously though, don't go running to the cops; we have our own institutions right here. It's just like when the cops start nitpicking and whining... don't go reporting them to your District Attorneys; report them to us instead!
The absolute worst thing you can do isn't just being a whiner and chasing some neurotic version of justice; it's being a whiner toward moderators who are out here fighting for free speech—well, at least within their own monopoly on interpreting what free speech means.
It sounds like one of those ultimate moderator catchphrases of the year, something like "we won't allow that kind of thing on this forum." All that's missing is the dramatic opening line for the trial... "you know what you did, and if you don't know, well, everyone knows you know why you're guilty." 🧐
That's why people click those little warning triangles you see on road signs; because with every single click, you're basically offloading a piece of freedom, rights, opinions, and responsibility onto these poor moderators who are just over-performing their sense of duty... and everything else, really.
Reporting stuff to the police is exactly the same as reporting it to the mods; there's no massive distinction, and anyone is free to do one, the other, both, or absolutely nothing at all without having to justify themselves to anyone. It's not a problem, even if it is pretty pointless. It's the same way you could pray for leniency from a mod or a cop when they're interpreting the law, life, or whatever. Nothing happens without a rulebook telling you how to do it... and we aren't going to let that happen here.
But the real issue is when you try to dump your own whining onto other people and lecture them on what to do or not do, based entirely on whatever level of pettiness you're operating from. That's the beauty of this kind of manipulation, though; you can't really report anyone for it. How are you even going to report that? ...and you can't even call a forum regular a whiner to their face because that's... what's the word... offensive, and that kind of language won't be tolerated on this forum.
But you *can* do something else. You can point out those kinds of characters, and then let people decide for themselves who they're dealing with and whether they'll be clicking those anti-cop triangles tomorrow just to get a "win," seeking justice, or looking for some neurotic satisfaction, a mental milestone, or a virtual slice of liberty delivered by some moderator (or maybe even a shadowy group of officials sitting in the background) who happens to be a whiner themselves.
Is that really a victory? Whose victory is it, and for whom? Is that a win? Becoming your own snitch? Go right ahead...
Honestly, I don't care who it was nearly as much as I care about the "why," because once you nail down the reason, then you can actually connect it back to the "who" and make the whole thing way more interesting.
Regarding this whole situation... the why... maybe the thread got nuked because they have rules against starting discussions about specific forum users. 🤷 (If I even knew what their username was 😬 ...there are plenty of suspects to choose from.)
And hey, maybe it’s just not the right move to be jumping the gun and talking about a former Secretary of State like that. Let's just hang tight for a few more weeks until everything settles down, and then we can finally get a proper, polished diplomatic response on here, totally in the spirit of Jandroković.
By the way... did anyone actually record that thread while it was happening live? 🥳
edit
Look at all those MVP nicknames! 🎉 ..I'm feeling pretty suspicious about this one... jasamcarmvp. 🤷 ..and lovemvp? 🤔
shadowpilot8 said:Oh, we definitely aren't, but this is just such a massive generalization! Like, if Jacob Allen (by the way, whether it was some Facebook game or that "Who Are You?" quiz where I totally failed 😁) thinks someone was drunk when they got banned, or if anyone else claims a ban should always be overturned if it feels unfair
Are there actually people here who never drink anything at all? 😕
...honestly, if someone only drinks water, they're definitely hiding something from us. 🧐
Where even was that game located? If it doesn't exist, we seriously need to invent it right now.
It’s not about whether you got banned or who did it, it's about the principle of the thing! Maybe some mods can't handle moderating without grabbing a little something to take the edge off—kind of like how some journalists probably write better articles while buzzed than they do sober—but man, I’d love to know what kind of wild ride I'm signing up for before I post anything with certain moderators. Seriously, give me a break, at this rate we'll all need a legal disclaimer for every single post or we'll have to start forming little forum task forces just to strategize our writing tactics. You know how it goes... she usually handles moderation from 9 PM to midnight. She has her coffee at 9, then once things start getting shaky, she knocks back three shots of Baileys around 10 PM to chill out, and honestly, your best bet is to just post something like... "Hey guys, let's all just be happy, satisfied, and spread the love!" Just keep it breezy and smooth.