Posts by wanderingdriver17

Lisa Young83 said:Advertising other forums or social media sites isn't allowed, and you can't invite people here to go there. Use the report button if you see something.

Well... I mean, it would be pretty funny if the moderators who actually see those reports aren't even active on this board... 🕺

And honestly, I'm pretty sure a whole bunch of mods have noticed there’s a link to a rival forum right there in the Signature.

It's not like this started yesterday, either. It's been going on for months, so I'm starting to think their crew over there thinks it's totally fine.

Economy Forum, topic: how the brain drain affects wage growth...

A little story: some users who used to be thread starters "left" this forum because the mods wouldn't give them enough freedom, plus other users kept hitting them with counterarguments they couldn't beat.

So they moved over to a rival forum to start the exact same discussion, thinking they could escape being "restrained" by moderators and finally censor anyone trying to shut down their wild, baseless hypotheses with actual empirical data.

And now, every single time, user Bear Grylls pops up in the thread to shamelessly—and pretty unsuccessfully—subtly plug that rival site, hinting that's where the "real" intellectual debates happen.

Like this:

Bear Grylls said:You aren't reading Monsieur's forum, you aren't investing any effort into learning, everything is laid out there... that's where the true chronicle of the "exodus" lives.☕🎉

For instance, you haven't even read my post here...

To make things even more ridiculous, the same guy has a link to that competitor's site right in his Signature. So whenever he happens to wander into a thread, he responds to someone else's question with stuff like: "you have to visit us for things like this."

It happens every month or two... just enough to keep an eye on. It feels like a targeted hijacking of our users.

So I'm wondering, what does serious administration think about this? 🍿
Is this okay with you guys? 🤔

I really want to give a shout-out to our new moderator, Harold Evans4!!!

We finally have some middle ground between Gerald Chavez7’s heavy-handedness and the total "whatever happens, happens" vibe from Andrew Booth29.

I just hope you stay this way... don't let the job burn you out until you're seeing red because "dealing with people is impossible."

The sub actually needs this kind of guidance and actual warnings. It was missing big time. 🎉

Chris Myers said:I’m just not feeling that whole Vuletin faction...

And honestly, what you said about how many people they've alienated... nobody's even gonna want to chat with them anymore. 😁

Anyone thought about giving Vuletin some partial credit here?

***************************************
Hey Andrew Booth29,

I just got hit with an infraction on Reddit...

Reason: Breaking the subforum rules...
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This violation carries a 30-point penalty. Just a heads-up, that might mean your access gets restricted until the timer runs out. And for the heavy-duty stuff? Those infractions stick around forever... they never expire.

Andrew Booth29 said:First off, it’s totally unprofessional for a moderator to be talking like this on the FBI forums... and honestly, taking things out of context isn't exactly helping anyone. Someone already laid out the full story earlier, so I'm not going to waste my breath repeating it (just check what good was saying)...

As a third moderator, I’ve got a decent amount of leeway when it comes to cleaning up threads. A little while back, we all agreed that we needed to tighten things up on the moderation side—especially now that there are two of us running the show. So, I'm pretty sure this is just a reaction to that...

Also, we should probably mention that the thread "Salaries - how much do you make in the US" was officially locked. I honestly can't even begin to describe how incredibly on-topic and constructive that specific discussion was... The ban was 100% justified.If you ask me...Regardless of whether it’s the day before or the day after the warning—which is clearly what the OP is getting at, even if they didn't bother to mention it...

They’re actually going to start cracking down on any acronyms that aren't strictly American... Apparently, this is an American forum, not one based in the UK or somewhere else. According to the site rules, we're sticking to American English here...
If you're looking to chat in English, there's actually a specific sub-forum for that... feels more appropriate over there.

*******************************************

I really appreciate you calling for more brotherhood, unity, and just being decent to one another among the mod team... 👍
Against the crowd... 👍
Even if he messed up, he's one of ours... we've got to have his back.

Come on, just try to be objective for one second... you have to see how this little "sketch" of mine really highlights how absurd this whole situation has become.
What's actually... unsettling (mostly because I feel like I'm walking on eggshells here) is how nobody can just admit they made a simple mistake or even try to argue against a point...

And that’s just one question and one single point... we haven't even gotten into the policing, the flagging people for saying "damn," or all that censorship nonsense yet...
Look, we all know how inconsistent the moderation around here can be. It’s easy for everyone to jump on the bandwagon and start acting all virtuous once the rules get thrown around. So, just tell me now—through the admins or the mods—that the ban was somehow justified because it was "off-topic," and that I actually got lucky since I should've been hit with five more points instead. Then go ahead and lock the thread so I can't even defend myself against the rest of the nonsense that wasn't covered by the ban. Just figured I'd call it out early... you guys know exactly how this goes...

It's a shame, really...

Look, I’m not trying to pick on anyone or be some kind of bully... but it honestly drives me nuts when people put more energy into spinning a lie or digging their heels in just to avoid taking a hit... all while acting like they're smarter than everyone else. It’s exhausting. Because for anyone actually paying attention, it’s pretty obvious what really went down...

We can sit here and debate whether this new moderation style is actually any good or not, but let's be real... that warning you just got is a blatant slap in the face. 👍

If I posted the rest of the screenshots I’ve collected, I think people would either clutch their heads in disbelief or just start laughing...

I figured public posts might be exempt from the rules, even if the messages themselves were sent privately, especially on a site like Reddit... but honestly, I'm not looking to take any risks here.

Still waiting for the admins to actually show up and give me a real answer.

Gerald Chavez7 said:Honestly, it drives me nuts how people just spend all their time on the economics subforum hurling insults, calling everyone corrupt hacks or losers... And they rarely even manage to write a coherent thought. Besides, I already mentioned we have the chat thread where things stay civil. Does this site really need a second version of the "politics" or "near-politics" section?

Complaining that this subforum is ruined—well, take a look at the original "real estate prices" thread, or check out the posts from back when Lehman Brothers collapsed, or those discussions about currency devaluation or the European debt crisis (like looking at the "added value" posts by shadow).

I’ll say it again: just read the subforum rules. They've been pinned since 2007.

I respect your take.

But I think you're being a bit too intense. You can tell there's still some of that old-school grit left in #member 😁 but there's definitely more "creative expression" going on now. 🕺

It's more fun this way... you get to dive deeper and broader into the topics... anyway, try arguing to me that politics and economics aren't two sides of the same coin. 🤷

Policajis.

People are leaving.

An exodus... 🤣

P. S. You probably want to give me a ban for the bolded part (and you should).

Rachel Brooks63 said:Wait, you're telling me it's actually banned to call America a "corrupt mess" on this entire subforum? For real?... 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

That was just the last straw...
Got a strike on my last post just because I used the word f***... I have to censor myself, you know? Give me a break...

Gerald Chavez7 said:

wanderingdriver17 said:

Gerald Chavez7 said:Hey wanderingdriver17,

You just picked up an infraction on the forum...

Reason: breaking the rules...
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If I hadn't posted my warning about what to stay away from just fifteen minutes before you... then things might have been different... 🤦
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You just picked up a 10-point infraction. This might mean your access gets limited for a bit while the penalty runs its course. Just a heads-up though... the serious stuff? That stays on your record forever.

Original Post:
I can't believe I actually had to sit through that meeting today... just total chaos from the start. It felt like everyone in the room was working overtime to make sure absolutely nothing got decided. The Department seems completely out of touch lately. They’re throwing around numbers that don't even make sense if you look at them for more than five seconds. It’s like they’re playing a different game entirely. Honestly, it makes you wonder who's actually running the show behind the scenes at the Prime Minister's Office. Anyway, I saw wanderingdriver17 mention something similar on another thread earlier. Probably just me being cynical, but the whole vibe is off. Just feels like we're spinning our wheels while the rest of the country moves forward... anyway, back to work.

Let's go, America... but man, oh man...
Soccer. Pure euphoria. Just total pride and glory...

The perfect time for a little Clancic...

I was just reading this report about how the Department is tightening the screws on the budget again. It’s the same old story... everyone's looking for someone to blame while the numbers just don't add up. Honestly, it feels like we've been through this loop a dozen times before. You see the headlines, you hear the political posturing from the Prime Minister's Office, and you realize nothing actually changes for the average person on the street. Just more red tape and more excuses... anyway, just my two cents.

Opaca... 🎉

So, the reporter says this... How does the whole idea of intergenerational solidarity just morph into blatant intergenerational discrimination? It makes zero sense... Right now, as a taxpayer, I’m footing the bill for a 27% surcharge to support retirees, yet when our turn rolls around, that same benefit will be stripped away from us. Just feels like a raw deal...

Is all that massive cash being handed out as some "27% bonus" ever going to trickle down to anyone born after 1962? That’s the only way this actually makes sense... but the Department isn't interested in fairness. Instead, they're acting all high and mighty, demanding our entire retirement fund just to give us a fair shake.

Do we have grounds for a constitutional lawsuit if that "27%" we're paying out to current retirees never gets handed back to us? Absolutely...

I mean, what was even the point of these retirement funds if we don't get that "27% kicker" from the second tier without strings attached? First, politicians push us to save through these funds, which—thanks to federal regulations—let the government borrow 75% of our savings in all sorts of ways. And now, we, the very savers who funded this hungry government, are expected to hand our retirement savings right back to them just to get that "27% bonus"... you know, the one all the Social Security recipients already get, which, funny enough, we’re the ones paying for anyway. ?

It looks like the long-term goal of the reform is just finding new ways to fund the government and old-school retirees, rather than actually boosting our future checks. Pretty unfair...

If these funds are just going to keep funneling our cash to the state, and then we have to give that money back to the government just to be treated the same as the older retirees, why aren't the fund managers just government officials? Why pretend we have private retirement savings managed by private firms when it's all just a loop?

With the exodus of the workforce, we really need some serious reform...
But god forbid the system is actually at risk... according to the Department 👍 ...this will just make it more robust and resilient. 🤣

It's not like the DP is going to be helped by snatching money from the second tier once bonds become worthless.
There's a nice little graphic in the article showing the "solidarity bubble" versus the DP bubble. While Exodus has basically secured full employment, the number of people drawing benefits keeps climbing even without these new privileged groups... eventually, they'll have to start raiding the DP's piggy bank.
Meanwhile, employers are begging for tax cuts to offset the exodus, even though the "state" is already struggling to fund pensions through payroll taxes.

Man, forget these pensions , let's just go outrun Denmark!!!

Yeah, sure... whatever...

Exodus is the only true reformer!
Exodus will lead to clearing out the cronies and collapsing the nepotism!
It'll force the bureaucrats into reforms!

But first, total collapse!
...which has already started.

All the best,
US Forum

Please underline the controversial part that deserves a ban for breaking the rules.

Gerald Chavez7 said:Maybe you're misunderstanding the whole "retroactive" thing—first I gave you a warning for post #400, then I wrote a heads-up for everyone else in post #401.

There’s no new standard here. The subforum rules have been stuck at the top for about 11 years now.

Besides, you've already picked up a few (mild) warnings for similar posts, always accompanied by a PM explaining things and suggesting you tweak your style.

Let's try this again.

If your warning had been post 400 and mine was post 401, there wouldn't be an issue.
I'll paste your own post again, just read it:

Moving forward, calling America a "corrupt mess" or whatever similar nonsense in the main threads of the "Economy" section (excluding the chat thread) will result in a warning.

So, terms like "corrupt mess," "the system," etc., have been used all over this same thread.
It's a fact.
No one else has ever been sanctioned for them, not even with a yellow card.
Fact.
You set a new rule stating that MOVING FORWARD people would be penalized.
But you handed me a warning before you even announced that such language wouldn't be tolerated anymore.

My arguments are clear and pretty much impossible to dispute.

Speaking of your "new rule":

Here we see a moderator listing their location as: Washington, D.C., swamp of corruption. Will they get banned from the Economy section because that kind of language isn't appropriate there?

Furthermore:

An active user on the Economy board has their location set as: in the corrupt trash heap of a country.

I could list plenty of examples.

Your logic doesn't hold up. You're being inconsistent and biased. You make up rules on the fly, hand out penalties that don't match the rules, block discussions, and drive users away.

I'm asking the administration to weigh in.

Harold Sanders10 said:I think both of you are getting the definition of "retrograde" wrong. 😁

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrograde_motion 🧐

Actually.

The word I was looking for is retroactive.

Retroactivity, acting backward; the retrospective power of an act or measure. In law, applying a law to cases that occurred before it was enacted. In legal theory, laws—just like other acts and legal transactions—can typically only be applied pro futuro... Going forward, we should stick to the rule that legal norms don't work retroactively. If the legislature actually wants a law to apply backward, they need to state that explicitly...

Nicole Collins13, you're spot on.
I was wrong... you laid it out so clearly, with actual facts and logic, that I don't even have a leg to stand on.

Hang in there, Gerald Chavez7 🍿

Can we get some clarity from the admins and supermods on whether retroactive bans are actually allowed?
The moderator made it pretty clear: they’ll be punishing this moving forward... but somehow I ended up as the sacrificial lamb for a post that went up before the new rules were even set. 🤷

30 points!!

Because if the admins think this is fine, there's really no point in arguing about how things are being moderated here...

I’m going to file a formal appeal against this warning:

The moderator says: "In the future, this will be penalized..."
So, we have a new rule that—if logic actually applied here—should only count from the moment it was written.
Instead, I get hit with a strike for a post that happened *before* the rule even existed.

If the admin team decides this is okay, then by that same logic, they should start handing out retroactive strikes to everyone who used that specific phrase in the past.

But honestly, this is just a drop in the bucket.
Take the last official statement on that thread: claiming the impact of the mass exodus on the economy makes further discussion impossible because you aren't allowed to link the exodus to the economic collapse.

I could sit here until tomorrow listing examples.

First, we had Someied moderating, and he didn't hand out any strikes. There was plenty of stuff going on—way more off-topic chatter than actual discussion—but people were still talking! Then z_k took over, and he’s out here handing out strikes for things like that... I don't even know how to put it, but the guy just isn't consistent. He's clearly not cut out for the job. It's just arbitrary strikes left and right.

Please, find some middle ground between Someied and z_k and give the Economics sub-forum back to the users... the regulars are leaving in droves, and those who stay will eventually pool their money for a ban just to escape this arbitrary, "small-town cop" style of moderation.

Thanks.

I’m all for giving Harold Sanders10 some mod powers, at least a little bit of them...
A guy on this Forum who calls anyone with a different opinion a "moral monstrosity" would make a pretty fantastic moderator.
Another option is RealBear, who basically thinks any view that isn't his is just useless noise.👍

It's funny how the people claiming an exodus will somehow lead to prosperity—without anyone actually doing anything—get so worked up when others point out the flaws in that logic.🤣

If you give those types control, readership will probably drop by 90%.👍
But hey, the quality would be much higher... according to their specific standards.

Jokes aside, Richie is way too mature to play favorites.🤷

Thanks.

And honestly, major props to the mod team 👍
Sometimes it feels like we get away with way too much, but somehow even the random off-topic stuff always manages to loop back to the main point... it just works 😁

About thirty hours ago, I filed a report for some straight-up ad hominem attacks and trolling from a user who’s basically a serial troll on this thread, yet somehow never gets sanctioned.

Also, over the last ten pages, there’s been this guy marcuscato popping up just to troll the conversation. Nobody even replies to him, and he adds absolutely zero value to the discussion. Reported him, but nothing happened...

Look, I’m all for being ultra-liberal when it comes to how this board is moderated, but there’s a line between being hands-off and total anarchy.

Thanks in advance.

Can I get unbanned?

I just did what had to be done...🎉

Thanks a bunch! 😒

Hey admin,

I’m asking for a one-month timeout from the economics subforum. There’s this massive thread about the recent labor exodus I’ve been jumping into, and honestly, it’s starting to eat up way too much of my time. It’s becoming a huge distraction... and I'm just not strong enough 😁 to just ignore it and walk away from the debate.

Thanks in advance.