Posts by mistyhound94

This chat needs to be shut down and ceremonially burned. 😳
Maybe the mods should consider putting this whole thing on a month-long hiatus next time they decide to cool things down. 👍
The US and this chat in general are just a powder keg; I guess even the tiniest spark is enough to make everything blow up instantly. It’s happened before, and it clearly happens in cycles. People should probably just flirt more and fight less—it would be better for everyone's nerves. 😳

The only thing I can be is heavy-set 🤣
By post count, I guess I'm a total nobody, or so they say 😳

wanderingcanyon61 said:I'm against granting admin status ☕ I guess someone who's been posting here since 2008 shouldn't get an admin role just because some small group of current chatters doesn't like them. Not even partially ☕
This forum shouldn't be punishing long-term active members, because newer generations don't really use forums for communication anymore, and if you drive out today's regulars, the whole thing collapses ☕

And what does the forum actually lose by giving a partial or full admin role to a veteran member just because they messed up somewhere? 🍿
Are people going to stop posting just because one of those old-timers isn't around? Even more famous people have had partial roles or admin spots, and somehow the forum still survives. 😁
And honestly, you, just like her, aren't even really present on the US chat anymore, so it's not like you're contributing much outside of the chats—and there are plenty of chats all over the internet, so the forum would function just fine with or without you. 😁

tl;dr
🤣

Rachel Richardson said:Thanks, 🙂

I'm quite active in Linguistics and Fantasy as well...
I should probably have a much larger footprint on this forum overall. 🕺

If you check the reply count on any given thread, you can see exactly who has contributed or how many times someone has weighed in.
I am certainly not the person with the most posts in any specific category.
Lately, my activity has been concentrated mostly on those four topics I mentioned earlier—one of which was about poetry—and that’s really it.
I apologize if it seems like I'm overposting; it isn't my intention to just pad my numbers for the sake of it.
Nor do I intend to get into arguments with anyone—I have no desire to waste anyone's time.

In any case, my focus will be shifting moving forward.

Maybe because of that exact mindset, you really ought to respect the request, though I guess you realize there won't be any other chances after that. 😁

Chris Jackson98 said:Let's ask Mickey how many people will actually stay active.
The whole "who has more posts" argument is basically just kids arguing over whose dad is tougher. Mind your own business and hush.

Sent from my phone using Reddit

Look, this is a forum. It’s a space where anyone can say whatever they want, provided they follow the rules. I guess I'm following the rules, so that should be enough. 😁

Rachel Richardson said:mistyhound94, I’m aware of the situation regarding special privileges and the heightened sensitivity toward offenses following a partial ban.
These are pretty extreme circumstances—I don't intend to repeat them...

I believe I’ve made some actual contributions to both PDFs outside of standard chats or one-on-one conversations with certain members...
Generally speaking, I have started quite a few threads on this Reddit community.
A couple of those ended up in these two PDFs—some were heavily visited and commented on, covering points that went far beyond simple chatting (or horoscope talk)...
On the USA side, they include:
Breaks
Lessons from past relationships

And on the other site—which I’m still hoping for, though it isn't showing much potential right now:
Best sex of my life stories

Similar themes were covered over at the other forum;
Conflict resolution styles and handling disagreements

I shouldn't be viewed as just another mindless chatter who contributes nothing to the community.

You contribute to the site, I see—mostly regarding history and linguistics, plus some small stuff for the US and those other files. But that doesn't exactly change your reputation here. When you jump into a debate, you just turn it into a chat session. Don't get me wrong, I'm no saint, and I won't pretend nobody does this—myself included—but with you, it’s nothing but pure chatting. That's just a fact. It feels like the US and those files only lost someone who chats, which isn't much of a loss for the community. A real loss would be someone who contributed to countless different threads, including the chat, since that's part of the forum too. But for you, the chat always comes first.
I don't know if you're doing this on purpose or not, but maybe try actually reading the posts in threads you didn't start. When a discussion starts moving, you just jump in with some quick chat wrapped up as a reply to someone. It dilutes the whole topic. People lose interest in reading when things get cluttered like that, and then the thread just dies because it turned into nothing but mindless chatter or off-topic nonsense.

I’ll say it again: there were definitely warnings and strikes issued multiple times. If you still haven't realized you need to tone it down after all that, then I guess you've just dug your own grave and you're trying to wiggle out of it just to stay relevant on the subreddits where you used to be active. Honestly, maybe you should just take six months off—from the internet entirely, if needed—it might do you some good. Then come back when you're ready, because I doubt many of your appeals regarding partial bans will hold up; those don't get overturned easily. I know from experience, though I was much more aggressive and difficult with the moderators on Reddit, so a partial ban was inevitable for me too. But even here, I can tell the mods are getting sick of listening to the constant whining and reading through reports. This is just their way of reminding everyone that this is still a forum; this isn't real life, and people should probably start using the ignore button. 🙂

briskwalker10 said:So? Even if it were one hundred percent true... 🤷

It’s not—chatting isn't banned in the discussion threads, provided you aren't breaking the rules...

I guess there was some chatting going on in other threads, too. 😁
I’m not saying nobody should defend chatting within a dedicated thread—far from it. But when people start bleeding off-topic chatter into other discussions, it just dilutes everything and kills any actual debate. I guess we shouldn't pretend this hasn't been happening; let's be real, I've done it too. But then comes the moderation, the warnings, and the bans that most people just ignore or don't take seriously. Then, once things finally blow up, everyone suddenly acts all polite and follows the rules, almost like they're trying to make up for what they knew was wrong in the first place. 😁

As for his ratio of chatter to actual content, that’s just how he operates. But honestly, people don't really take those types of users seriously when most of their posts are just mindless small talk—especially when they turn around and complain about things they caused themselves, whether they meant to or not. 😁 If excessive chatting was already an issue for the moderators due to certain users constantly spamming, then this decision seems completely standard and expected. On the other hand, he filed his appeal normally, without ramping up the tension or flooding the board with links claiming others aren't being punished for the same thing. But I guess if warnings and strikes on individual threads weren't enough for him, then this appeal probably won't be much of a relief either. Maybe I'm wrong. 🙂

Rachel Richardson said:Yesterday, I received two partial bans—one on the US site and one on the other platform.
I was informed that the primary reason for both strikes was my involvement in the chat, which apparently became excessive in the past.

However, that behavior is largely behind me now.
Over the last few months on the second platform, most of my activity has been limited to the chat thread (and music discussions, though I doubt those should cause issues).

On the US site, while I do participate in the chat, it is usually tied to an ongoing discussion—essentially just building upon what others have already said.
Again, this hasn't been frequent; for the most part, I have followed the rules. It was just general chat, some music talk, a Q&A thread (which should be permitted under the guidelines), and astrology.

Is there any possibility of reconsidering these partial bans, or perhaps at least removing one of them?
Since receiving any kind of strike, I have made a sincere effort to correct my conduct and ensure I don't repeat the same mistakes.
I have also tried to avoid conflicts—or more accurately, to steer clear of people I simply don't vibe with.
The improvements I've made, particularly over the last couple of months, should be fairly evident.

I would be very grateful if the administration could take a look at my request.
Thank you in advance.

ps. I will continue to be extra cautious moving forward.

Trying to do something and actually doing something concrete aren't the same thing. 😁
I have nothing against you, but I'll tell you why—at least in my opinion regarding these moderators—your request probably won't go through.

First off, the chat. You can "try" to fix yourself, but you're the type of user where 90% of your posts on this entire site are in the chat. I see you've passed the 80,000 mark, and I'm sure you realize those posts were almost certainly in the chat. If you look at your recent activity, it's still mostly chat, and very little actual participation in specific threads. 😁
Accordingly, and I believe the moderators will agree, placing a partial ban on your handle in those subforums is justified because you're still essentially chatting, just in threads located elsewhere on the forum instead of at the top. So, your "efforts" to reduce it don't really help your case.

Second, when I was more active on the US subforum, there were plenty of frictions and arguments, heated debates, and people bringing up private matters (not necessarily from your side), but the US subforum became a pretty unpleasant place to hang out back then. There were definitely reports and everything, since reporting is practically a way of life there. 😁
And your handle showed up in those discussions and arguments quite often, plus likely in reports, so it's easier for the moderators to just remove you than to constantly hover and watch to see if someone is going to start a fight, especially since the US subforum is like a powder keg; one tiny spark and everything goes to hell. 😁

Finally, since you've continued with the chat in other parts of the forum and your lifestyle stays the same, I think the partial ban won't be lifted, at least for the next 6 months, until things settle down. The users you talk to in the chats can just move over to Reddit and keep the same pace because, ultimately, it's just chat. 😁 I mean, if your profile looked different and you were a user who actively participated in all sorts of topics with a lower percentage of chat, your request would probably be taken much more seriously.

Just some friendly advice: maybe don't get so deep into arguments with completely irrelevant people on this site. It isn't worth it, and you really shouldn't feel the need to justify your actions. Doing that just drags you back into the fray, and then you end up right back where you started, begging for a partial ban. I guess it’s fine to clash during a debate and take the heat for it, but I’ve always felt like you have this compulsion to explain yourself and convince everyone that you aren't the person they're "accusing" you of being. Honestly, there probably wouldn't be so many fights if you just told them all to go screw themselves and focused on the people actually worth your time—whether that's here in the threads or in private messages. 😉

Hey there. 🙂

I've got this weird issue, so I guess I'm looking for some advice on what else I can test, since I feel like I've already tried everything. 😁

Spec's:
Processor Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-6400 CPU @ 2.70GHz
Video Card Radeon (TM) RX 480 Graphics
RAM 8.0 GB
Operating System Windows 7
Windows 7 SanDisk SSD Z410 256

Basically, the PC freezes unpredictably. It’s not a full crash—I can still move the mouse and maybe switch tabs for a bit before it finally locks up entirely. Games, Twitch, YouTube... they all just freeze, and then after a minute or two, things start moving again. When I first built this thing, it had Windows 10 on it and worked perfectly fine, so I figured it wasn't hardware. I read online that people have similar issues with Win10 too, but I wiped it and installed Windows 7 because I know it's stable, yet the exact same thing keeps happening.
Well, if it isn't the OS, then what? I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling drivers, rolling them back, even using older versions to see if the new ones were the culprit. Nothing. I ran a Memory test, but that came back clean. I even messed with all the Power settings I could find online, but no luck. I'm pretty much out of ideas at this point.

The last thing I can think of might be related to the SSD. The firmware hasn't been updated. I won't be able to test that until tomorrow because I need a PS/2 keyboard; my USB one doesn't load during the update process. 🙄 I mean, I guess if the SSD was actually failing, it wouldn't even boot Windows properly, but I'll check anyway.
I can also post logs from the Event Viewer because I saw some errors there, but honestly, only God can make sense of them. I can't find any detailed explanations online, or maybe I'm just searching the wrong way.

So, yeah. If anyone has instructions or links, I'd appreciate some help. This is driving me crazy, especially when I'm playing online games. 😁 Thanks!

EDIT: The system froze once while I was typing this, uh... 😳

Jacob Sullivan91 said:Exactly! At his own house. Is that even "forum hanging out"? No. Can he invite people he knows and actually wants over to his place privately? Yeah. Does he want random strangers in his living room? Probably not. So why does it even need to be a forum thread? Honestly, we might as well all start threads every time we invite the crew over or grab coffee with friends.

Does anyone here seriously think we merged the chat just because of a little tension? When adults start acting hysterical, spying on people in a chat where they aren't even posting just to snitch... and when you see enough of that happening long-term, you start wondering if you should spend your energy on something better.

It's not about managing reports. It's about when those reports turn into personal vendettas.

The chat isn't unnecessary, we agree on that, but two chats just can't function right now. There's only going to be one. If things actually shift, maybe we could consider a second chat, but look at what the chat has become. And that's because of the players in it. Not because of "evil" moderators.

It’s like how Mexicans love to say "you played the whole football match." 😁

If a thread is posted publicly for a hangout—specifically for the users on the American board where the thread was opened—then nobody expects random people off the street to show up. It’s meant for the group that actually signs up on the thread. This thread got shut down, clearly, just because a moderator felt like it, ignoring the actual rules. And she’s the type of moderator who only shows up on this site as rarely as Halley's Comet.

And the reason for closing it? Apparently, there isn't enough room for this kind of gathering. Let me explain why it's a bad idea to demand public addresses when someone is hosting at home. Look, the site guarantees anonymity until you decide to volunteer your own data, but until that point, different rules should apply. I don't see any issue with keeping the thread open so users can gather interest, making a list, and then sending addresses via private message to solve the privacy issue. Instead, the easiest thing to do—as always—is to just kill the thread and coldly claim it will be reopened and pinned once we provide a specific time and place. My question is, if you were organizing a meetup at your house, would you post your address publicly? I doubt it, and honestly, few people would. This wasn't a meeting in a public space like our previous hangouts at Central Park, Mount Rainier, Indianapolis, or various pubs around Chicago. If it were a public spot, fine, the thread could close because locations were set, but that wasn't the case here. There is no logical or valid reason to shut this down and demand public info about where someone lives.

It really feels more and more like every opportunity to hang out gets buried from the start because "some things weren't done right." It’s like being told to go to Window 4 for a yellow slip, then back to Window 17 for blue and green ones, and finally to Window 3 just to get permission from the higher-ups that the thread is okay.
I don't agree with this. Someone genuinely tried to organize something for everyone; it wasn't some exclusive club, but apparently, it doesn't sit right with certain mods, so we end up arguing over trivial rules and whatnot.

So, this is a REDDIT MEETUP, because everyone on the forum was invited, not some secret Masonic gathering shrouded in mystery that only a chosen few can attend (especially since the opening post was written in a joking tone anyway).
Maybe start listening to the voices of us regular users instead of acting like your word is the only truth, the absolute law, and that we aren't allowed to disagree.

Sophia Thomas7 said:Misty, how long have we been trying to fix the WhatsApp group? Three years plus? Let's not kid ourselves here. We deal with constant arguments, people acting like they're all that, and then the complaints from WhatsApp start flying.

Next time this happens, I'm out.

I don't make these calls, but if my memory serves me right, when this was brought up before, they said they weren't going to appoint someone just to manage a chat.

Look, I get it. You're all fed up, and honestly, it’s understandable. Maybe we should try something else, but... even though I might feel differently about locking things down, I’d probably be the first to say you had a good reason to use the lock and I wouldn't complain. I guess this forum and that chat are part of who I am; they helped me grow and meet people I otherwise never would have known. I suppose I look at things a bit more broadly, which is why you think I'm being naive. 🙂
But yeah, if it ends up getting locked, well, we're the ones to blame. We shouldn't expect you guys to play cop and judge, wasting your energy on people who can't wrap their heads around others, even virtually.

As for the other thing, I didn't mean it would be *just* for the chat, let's be clear. I'm just saying she's a bit more active on WhatsApp than the current mod, and I believe she'd put more effort into giving the chat a new direction. Since I've known her for a long time—and you have too—I know she's unbiased and fair without going to extremes. That's why I suggested her. 😁

Sophia Thomas7 said:We've heard these exact same arguments before:
- back when we decided to shut down the suggestions and feedback section
- when the classifieds were closed, then reopened with that "minimum 100" rule
- when we locked the WhatsApp group at least three different times for the exact same issues, only to reopen it again

Mods aren't obligated to host a feedback section on every single PDF, nor are they required to run the US classifieds, just like not every PDF needs a WhatsApp group. If the mod team decides a chat isn't necessary, we can lock it—unless the site owner or the admin decides otherwise.

Trying to spin it as "the mods just don't want to moderate something that occasionally spits out 50 posts in a heartbeat" or "they don't want to deal with the bickering and people nitpicking the staff"—which is exactly what a chat is—is just plain silly. No matter how you slice it.

And honestly, look at Forum.hr; they have a dedicated section just for chatting. This idea that the WhatsApp group *must* exist on the US, or that the US would be a "wasteland" without it—implying the PDF is worthless because a tiny subset of users wouldn't find each other—is just ridiculous.

No, the chat wasn't ruined by one single person, but it's glaringly obvious that the chat crowd tends to stick together and cover for each other. In fact, more than half of the reports on the US come from that very same group of people who report one another—the same people you claim make the forum "not a wasteland."

On the flip side, look at the long-standing chat on LJES plus the new one in LJES18—reports? Zero.

Next time this starts up again, the chat is getting locked for good.

I get what everyone is saying, but honestly, just restricting things and deleting stuff isn't going to achieve anything. I guess my opinion is that all parties involved should try to make this forum a real place for discussion, but also just for joking around and hanging out. It’s easy enough to say, "we aren't responsible for this or that," but if you want to make this place actually livable, both sides need to step up. You guys are here to moderate and set boundaries—acting like judges, which I suppose isn't easy—but it’s still way too simple to just shrug and say, "it's not our job." Ultimately, decisions like this should fall to the admin or supermod, but if you have different agreements in place, fine, just coordinate among yourselves. Just explain the reasoning behind why something is being done instead of everything just getting locked down and having people told, "we aren't obligated to do that."

And honestly, the US would be a pretty rotten place without the chat. It gives the regulars a spot to hang out that isn't just about whatever current events are blowing up in America; there's so much more to talk about. I guess I can't even list all the people who met through that chat in different ways, and I doubt they could have connected anywhere else on this forum unless they were already talking in other chats. Most of the folks in the LJES-ov chat are the same ones posting everywhere else, though every chat has its share of random drop-ins. But you have to realize that LJES isn't quite like the US section. In the US area, it's mostly people who feel like they belong there, even if they're lonely. The vibe is just different, and the chat was at least some kind of oasis for the US section.

At the end of the day, you guys call all the shots anyway. Most of us "regular" forum users aren't really consulted on anything, but I still don't see how shutting things down actually achieves anything positive. Maybe it would be better to just clearly define the boundaries and rules, then punish the people who actually deserve it without making a scene. I guess we should at least be allowed to have our own opinions on these matters, instead of everything being handled with that "we're the mods, we have the final say" attitude. It shouldn't be about anyone having the last word. Sometimes, finding a real solution might require taking a harder, different path rather than just closing everything down and claiming the "problem is solved."

If you want another suggestion to actually consider, maybe take Air Canada off the list of mods for the USA, since that guy isn't even really active in the States. I guess you could give the role to ja-cu-poluditi instead—she’s much further out there and way more active in the USA anyway. At least I trust her to stay impartial, and she might actually have the nerves to handle the crowd running wild in the USA.

nimbleowl6 said:What you’re saying sounds like a total dream. Honestly, the only time I ever felt that kind of vibe was back in the old Zud WhatsApp.

The real issue with any chat is that you always get those bottom-feeders—those guys who think they’ve reached the peak of their existence not by having a funny debate, but by being absolute jerks, insulting people, and trolling anyone who happens to get under their skin for whatever reason. I don't hang out in the US chat systematically enough to tell you what it was like before, though.

We were all rookies once; I definitely was. People didn't even really talk to me when I first started chatting because the group was already so tight-knit, but I didn't sit around whining about it. I eventually found my way in by being witty, and people seemed fine with that. It’s not like there weren't arguments in the chats—there were always those people who hung around just to be contrarians and ruin every single discussion, but people don't seem to realize that leads nowhere. Honestly, I’d feel terrible if I were in a position where I was constantly fighting and disliked; the frustration would just build up. I’d rather just step back and walk away than force something that isn't happening. People really need to stop doing that and start actually using the ignore options that, thank God, we have here on the forum. It made things much easier for me. 🙂

Jacob Sullivan91 said:Mickey, the WhatsApp groups on the ŽuD were such a mess that they eventually had to shut them down because things got way too personal and spilled over into real life.

Look, I was actually the one pushing to open the chat back in the day, promising I’d moderate it, and I spent years hanging out there and keeping up with everything.

But once it turned into this unreadable disaster—honestly, just total chaos—it only made sense to pull the plug.

The same goes for the US WhatsApp group. I decided to stick around and follow it, but if you guys keep treating it like some low-effort tabloid feed, no moderator is going to touch it... and we absolutely cannot have an unmoderated thread where people are just hurling insults at everyone left and right.

At the end of the day, a chat isn't some essential part of any PDF, and the forum can totally survive without one.

Yeah, I get what you're saying, all that holds water, but like Thomas Hernandez4 said, it gave the whole PDF some soul, and since I'm repeating myself like a parrot here 🤣, plenty of people actually met through it. That's usually where hangouts started, which would later turn into separate meetups. A forum is for discussion, sure, but chats are just an extra layer so people hanging out in certain subforums can bond in a space where they can talk about a million other things not necessarily tied to the specific subforum. Still, the chat itself should exist to maintain some sense of community and give people a place to be off-topic. 🙂

I can survive without a chat, and without the forum too, obviously, but it’ll be really lousy on the US side if people don't have a place to socialize, even if it's just virtually. New people won't find anyone to hang out with easily unless there's an occasional meetup at a pub, maybe something at Mount Rainier, or even a mushroom hunting trip at Central Park or Santa Monica Pier. I mean, those meetups aren't frequent, and they'll happen even less if there isn't a spot where people can get to know each other a bit better (besides private messages).

Thomas Hernandez4 said:The subforum can technically function without the chat, but that's what gives it its soul. Posting in threads is one thing, but the chat is a completely different beast.

If the issue is that there isn't enough time to monitor and moderate the WhatsApp group, I’m willing to step up and handle it. Just something to think about. 🙂

Oh, so you want to be a moderator? Trying to join the dark side? 😬
Just kidding, I'd definitely give you my vote for moderation. 😁

nimbleowl6 said:Look, mistyhound94, I don't agree with everything you said—don't get me wrong—but I totally agree that it’s just specific individuals who are responsible for ramping up the tension and then acting surprised when things boil over into actual conflicts. Sadly, those few people drag everyone else down with them until the whole WhatsApp chat turns into a complete mess.

I was actually participating in a heated debate on Reddit recently, and honestly, there wasn't a single thread where people weren't being rude or making snarky comments about my posts. And we're talking for days on end here. 😳

btw, I hope it's crystal clear that I definitely wasn't calling you a troublemaker—far from it, I actually really value the stuff you post.

There are other things you've mentioned that I don't see eye-to-eye on, but I don't see much point in nitpicking every little detail.

It seems like the 40+ group has become this massive, catch-all chat now, and I just hope
that certain people will finally chill out and start communicating like normal human beings—without all the rudeness and arrogance that just kills any chance of having a decent, civilized conversation.

I'm a Virgo, so I guess nitpicking is practically part of my job description. 😬
But hey, at the end of the day, we're just sharing opinions, so it's fine. 🙂

I also hope everyone calms down so we can stop the bickering and instigating, though I always say the US is a powder keg; I just hope nobody decides to light the fuse right now.
People should hang out with those they actually like, not those they don't. People should be laughing, grabbing drinks, and just enjoying life—the world isn't meant for constant conflict, it's meant for enjoying time with others. If more people were relaxed and less negative, the US would actually be a nice place to hang out.

Jacob Sullivan91 said:Look, it’s not just one specific person causing chats on the US to get closed. We were actually planning on shutting both of them down anyway since they basically stopped serving any purpose...

A chat is supposed to be like walking into a local pub—you drop in, have a little banter, and feel relaxed. What these US chats have turned into is honestly pretty pathetic. I mean, I *hope* you all know how to talk to each other without the constant insults, nitpicking every single word, or running to report someone just because they were being a jerk to you or your buddies...

I agree with mistyhound94 that we definitely need a chat here, so we’re going to keep one open. But it's on my head, which means the second anyone starts throwing insults around again—and some of you have already made that a habit—it’s gone. Closed. Done.

Splitting the community up isn't exactly the smartest move, so we're merging the chats into one. Hopefully, this puts an end to all the petty bickering and tattling...

Could I get a rough idea of how many reports are filed specifically for the chat? Just a ballpark figure? If I reported someone in the chat a long time ago, I don't recall, but I usually only report those sharing non-public info or people who are straight-up insulting others on the forum.

And I definitely agree that a chat should be like a neighborhood pub, but I think you know as well as I do that you can find all kinds of different personalities in there. If you put a few people who can't stand each other in the same pub, clashes are pretty much inevitable. 😁
I know that from experience because I was part of it years ago, but I don't see the point now. Who I hang out with or message is my business; if someone is annoying, I'll just ignore them or avoid them. But apparently, some people on the forum crave conflict because there's no physical component to the fight, making it easier to dump their frustrations and anger into the chat. They seem to forget what the whole point of a chat is supposed to be. And nobody wants to spend all day moderating it. I suggested stricter penalties for repeat offenders, but it's hard to root out that kind of behavior. It eventually leads to debating whether the chat stays alive at all or if it should just go dark for a few months. In that case, I might even be inclined to suggest putting the chat on ice for, say, three months. Then, if things still get ugly after that, I'd understand why you wouldn't want a chat on the US where the fighting just carries over.

I've always been down for a bit of banter or "messing around" within reason; plenty of people have joked around, including myself. That's how it works at work, too, and those kinds of relationships are actually healthier. But this is the US, and people there are often lonely, stressed, depressed, or just desperate. Still, the chat has brought many of us together, helping us meet and even become real-life friends, which is the beautiful side of having a chat. I really want to keep it going.
If it does end up having to be locked, well, that's on the people who escalate arguments publicly instead of taking them to private messages to argue virtually when they clearly have nothing better to do with their lives.

As mods for the US, you guys do a pretty good job. Sometimes things get frustrating—like me feeling annoyed about closing a social thread for reasons like this—but you need thick skin to deal with people. I have plenty of practical experience with that, mostly from work, and it’s not that different; it's just that people here keep complaining about other people. 😬

nimbleowl6 said:Mickey, I’ve been wondering—what if the group of folks who actually want to have a normal conversation on WhatsApp, you know, the ones who mostly follow the rules, just put together some kind of warning system for those trolls? Because at the end of the day, their uncontrolled "wild west" behavior is exactly what gets the whole chat shut down in the first place.
Do you guys actually step in when people start hurling insults at other members, or when they start mocking the people who don't even hang out in your specific chat? Do the moderators react to the bullying? Or even to people calling for a "raid" to go mess with people over on another WhatsApp group?

Because honestly, those are the exact things that lead to a chat getting nuked.
for
That comment of yours about the other chat is seriously messed up—it’s like, "Oh great, now this bunch of obnoxious kids is going to migrate to the next chat to keep posting nonsense and making fun of the regulars there."
Don't you realize that the second they move, that chat will get shut down too? It’ll be for the exact same reasons this one is.

On Zud, a while back, a chat got closed because the moderator basically said "no thanks" to babysitting a massive pile of stupidity and constant provocations. And hey, that’s her right! That’s her legitimate prerogative!

And interestingly enough, the biggest troublemakers in that chat were a few of the USovacs.

I'm not trying to play cop or anything, I guess. But if I see someone getting insulted, I’m definitely not going to escalate things in the WhatsApp chat or anywhere else. There’s a report button for a reason. I'll just hit that and let the mods handle it. There are four of them volunteering their time, so they should be able to do their jobs once they see the reports. I have no intention of jumping into an argument or playing hall monitor to warn people. Honestly, I don't have the time or the energy for that anymore—work keeps me too busy to spend all day typing like I used to.

Look, the fact remains that if the WhatsApp group is meant for the older crowd, then it’s just a chat, and people moving over there isn't exactly a shocker. It’s pretty standard behavior. At the end of the day, it's still just a chat where the more mature users tended to hang out, and there aren't any clear-cut rules saying forum members can't participate in specific threads. Most of us aren't kids here; we're mostly adults in our 20s and 30s. So, I guess I'd ask that others don't try to belittle us with those kinds of comments. It doesn't achieve anything, other than proving that age doesn't necessarily equate to maturity—which, frankly, should be much higher by the time someone hits their 20s.

Thirdly, there is the issue of legitimate rights versus personal whims. Just because someone holds a moderator position doesn't mean their personal preference should be the final word on what happens to a specific chat. I guess, in my view, whatever benefits the forum and the majority of its users ought to take precedence over any individual's interests. This moderator from ŽuD decided she didn't want to handle certain things anymore, yet she kept her mod status regardless. That just isn't how it should work; she isn't the owner of this site, so her personal opinion shouldn't be treated like the law of the land here. If someone lacks the drive to actually moderate, maybe they should just hand the reins to someone else—someone who will actually manage the threads and subforums, ensure discussions stay on track, and have the patience to discipline those causing trouble. I'm not trying to attack the mods, per se; I just don't see the point in staying silent when I feel something is wrong. Honestly, if it weren't for the chat on the USA forum, the USA forum would be a toxic wasteland, and I doubt half these people would ever even interact if that chat didn't exist.

Regarding those USovac types causing trouble in other chats—you see them everywhere, really. It’s not like they only stick to their own subforum. At the end of the day, they're just regular users who post all over the place, I guess.

Susan Davis7 said:Wait, are you actually implying I'm the reason the chat got shut down?

I guess I’m not really aiming this at anyone specific since I don't even know why the WhatsApp group was shut down. In my opinion, you shouldn't close the whole chat just because of one or two people. But then again, if those same individuals keep causing issues over and over, they should probably just get banned. This isn't exactly the place for constant bickering and stuff like that.
Look, if I provoke someone on this forum, I know I might get banned for it. Honestly, I’ve already racked up quite a few strikes, but I don't really do that as much anymore. I just don't feel the need to go toe-to-toe with random strangers online. I see those aggressive types out on the streets in cities like Chicago, and I see them all over the internet too; I just stay far away from people like that.

nimbleowl6 said:Oh, and one more thing—claiming the mods were just being salty when they shut down the WhatsApp

Look, I’m not exactly out here defending the moderators, but man... if you actually want to get something done—and if you need those mods to help make it happen—how clueless do you have to be to think that by throwing insults
you're going to achieve anything other than the exact opposite? 🤦

An ex—and I really want to emphasize that. Ex-girlfriend. The moderator back then was just a hot-headed person who let the WhatsApp bother her, so she shut the whole thing down on her own whim. None of the mods from that era are even around anymore; some haven't been on the forum for quite a while. I haven't insulted anyone with my current posts, so I guess I'd ask that people stop putting words in my mouth. Thanks.

Sophia Thomas7 said:Thanks for confirming that we don't even need this chat. 🙂

I guess you can't really decide if the chat should close based on just one person. I suspect there are way more people who want to keep the chat alive than those who want it shut down. If it closes, this site will become one of those rare PDFs without a general chat. Honestly, the chat belongs here because that's how people actually bonded and met up.

Also, I’ve always argued that for those repeatedly breaking rules and being abusive, there should be a simple fix: either a warning or a ban-by-ban approach until they earn a permanent one. I know things are handled a bit more leniently here, but I don't think that achieves anything. That chat used to move over to the PDF Offtopic section because of how angry the former mods—or rather, "modettes"—were, but then it migrated back to the US and people came back to write. There have always been troublemakers, but closing the chat is just the easiest way for you to avoid dealing with the whining of forum members reporting posts or sliding into DMs. But again, I don't think that's the solution.

Just to add another point, Meadow closed the meetup thread, claiming it was because the location and time were secret, and she wouldn't reopen it until that changed. What is the logic there? Is it really normal for a forum member organizing a get-together at their own house to publicly post their location and compromise their privacy? Sure, someone could pass details through other channels, but no sane person would post their home address publicly on a thread. To build on that, the people who organized the follow-up meetup actually managed to meet recently by coordinating on the US WhatsApp and handling the specifics via DM. I didn't see the whole thing, but an opportunity popped up and now the thread is dead because of the whim of the moderator I mentioned earlier. People wanted to hang out, and I honestly don't see any other way they could have coordinated such a meeting if they hadn't discussed it on the chat first; you certainly aren't going to discuss whether people want to play board games on the main forums. The chat serves a purpose and always will, but the rules need to be clearly defined so that when those aggressive trolls show up to cause trouble, they are properly punished or removed for a long time. This isn't the first time people have fought, and I doubt it'll be the last. If threads were closed every time people argued, the PDF Politics section would have been shut down ages ago.

Finally, there’s already another chat on the US site anyway. The older crowd and those who used the general chat will likely migrate there (as some already have), and then the veterans will probably complain about why everyone is hanging out there instead.
If you truly believe the US doesn't need a chat, then just lock both the general one and the veteran one. If you think a chat has no place on the US at all, fine. But time and again, whether a chat is removed or not, it always finds its way back to the US. Many people met through it, which was a major plus for this site; without the chat, I highly doubt many of these meetups would have even happened. I know my post won't change the decision, but that's just my opinion, coming from someone who has been in that chat for nearly 10 years.

What an attack on bat kolo. I guess people are just bitter because they think he’s being paid by dark forces to work against them, even though they aren't getting any money for it. There were claims like that before. 🤣

Anyway, I’ve probably been on this Alternative site for about 8 years now—reading, writing, studying—and if my memory serves me right, for much of that time (maybe all of it), bat kolo did a pretty good job. But this sudden hit piece on him wasn't unexpected at all. 😁

The reason is simple: the crowd writing there, this whole "alternative thinking" group, they believe their claims, facts, and evidence are the absolute truth. Anyone else who asks questions, shows doubt, or presents evidence suggesting things aren't as stated is treated like a troll trying to obstruct the ONE TRUE TRUTH! Then, in their version of a debate, the moderators apparently fail at their jobs, which supposedly means anyone thinking differently gets carded or banned. I suppose that would satisfy them—to have the chance to just steamroll everything and force whatever they want down people's throats as "truth," using nothing but crackpot websites to back themselves up.

I’m an open-minded person toward everything, really I am. I’ve even changed my mind on certain things, like Chemtrails, because some theories were presented well and backed by decent evidence and facts. But that’s barely 1% of what they try to shove down our throats as the one and only truth from sites claiming to be the sole source of reality because they aren't "poisoned" by corporations owned by shadowy elites. 😁
🤣 Looking at how the arguments started in the previous thread compared to now, the only thing constantly changing is the claims and "proof" from these chemtrail theorists. They went from saying politicians lie and deceive to making claims about how Putin and Trump are involved with chemtrails, and suddenly, that becomes the truth.

A lot of people on Alternative have actually changed, especially these chemtrail theorists, but maybe some secret agencies silenced them and whisked them away to secret locations because they simply knew too much. 🤣

bat kolo, you always have my support! #GoBigOrGoHome

William Richardson12 said:Having a wife who actually knows what she wants 🙂 isn't exactly common.

Don't go making us feel neglected now 😬

🤣

Every single suggestion I make just gets met with pushback, and then at the end, it’s just "fine, I'm buying it," and just like that, all my hopes, ideas, and input go down the drain. 😢 Not until I save up enough cash for my own rig. 😁