Posts by Nicholas King

Jeffrey Cooper7 said:Look, every single mod and admin here can look through my post history whenever they feel like it, so they can judge for themselves if I'm actually trolling to death, being insulting, or just cluttering up the Offtopic forum. By the way, back on the alternative forum, I wasn't even trolling; it was just this massive blowout over a thread about chemtrails where people were throwing everything at each other, so getting penalized was totally fair. Once things hit a certain point, Beljki told me straight up that if he caught me breaking rules with insults or whatever next time, I’d get a partial ban from the alternative subforum, so I backed off. It was a fair warning. But you didn't give me any warnings like that—not you, not brightridge59, not mistypanther, and not Brandon Castillo—and there isn't even a rule stating that constant trolling or off-topic posting leads to a ban; it's nowhere to be found. It feels like whenever you decide to come for me (and yeah, I'm calling you out because you're basically the one who handed me most of my cards), you just hand out partial bans without a word of warning. Honestly, I get the feeling that even if I promise—just like I promised on the alternative forum—that I won't do it again, it won't really change your mind anyway...☕

Anyway, I'll just wait for the admin, hollowtrucker77, to weigh in; I want to hear from someone who actually holds more authority than you do. 😉

So, you wanted a statement from the admin. Well, you’ve had statements from a bunch of random passersby, all four moderators, and the administrator himself—but apparently, even that isn't enough for you. 🙂

It seems pretty obvious to everyone else that the next step in this little drama is a permanent ban. I mean, you have a whole group of people—who are quite a diverse crowd, to put it mildly 😁—trying to explain the exact same thing to you, yet here we are... it's all falling on deaf ears.

driftingcanyon16 said:So, are you planning to write all that on the thread of some user who already got flagged for being abusive? Or are we talking about having a real, unfiltered debate here... without pulling any punches? 😁
If you take a look at how things are run here in the US these days... It lays out everything pretty clearly—what’s allowed, what isn't, and exactly how we should be talking to one another... 🤷

I can only say one thing—you’re absolutely killing the messenger. 🙂

That’s basically how the whole debate went down on the main forum thread. Honestly, I have my doubts that anything significant ever happens on those boards without some "higher-up" knowing about it—or even giving the green light first. So, I figured the best thing to do was just provide a summary of where things actually stand.

By the way—I still stand by my original thought—anyone who goes out of their way to post a fraudulent ad deserves a partial ban, and I truly believe that fact should remain entirely independent of whatever else might be going on around here.

driftingcanyon16 said:Now that we've finally moved past the whole debate about moderators and insults, why is mistypanther still allowed to be so disrespectful? Honestly, I don't even care about his writing style—the guy just straight-up insults people. Sometimes he’s blunt about it, other times he tries to be a bit more subtle... but his way of expressing himself is really something else.
I could probably dig up at least ten posts in a matter of minutes right now and lay them all out clearly for you.
And that thread of his, "Are you guys kidding me?", is frankly an insult to everyone who ended up getting hired through the Classifieds section on this subforum.

Regarding what actually constitutes an insult versus what doesn't generally speaking (and I should probably add a billion disclaimers here—I am referring to the general style of communication), there was some discussion about this right here on the US during those days when things were shifting. If I recall correctly—and no, I’m not going to waste my time digging through the search function—people were reminiscing about the "(good) old days" before political correctness took over; back when people could talk without gloves on and when you were actually allowed—or even encouraged—to tell stupid people they were being stupid. Or something to that effect. I might not be using those exact words, but I don't think I'm missing the point.

So, really, it comes down to how one views the concept of the Democratic Party. What one person considers an insult, another person just sees as an unfiltered, blunt discussion.

Alex Walker8 said:What else can you do besides step away and cool off when he just won't quit?🤷
It’s a total disaster. Honestly, what else is coming our way?
That bit about the hateful glares? He does that every single day. It’s like he’s constantly looking down his nose at us... chills.
We are fighting over absolutely everything—schoolwork, clothes, screen time, when he comes home, when he leaves... everything. The kid is just primed for a fight; he’s practically waiting for me to say anything just so he can snap. Every single time.
He can go on for hours, arguing, trying to find some twisted version of justice or "rights." In his mind, he always has to have the final word.
Do you know how many times I beat myself up over this "fake democracy" we have going on at home? The reason I don't let things slide immediately is because I’m the one in charge.
It’s not like, "Oh, let's give the child a voice and an opinion," because then it just turns into a free-for-all with zero boundaries.
Ugh.

How much easier would life be if you had just started tying him to a radiator from the start? 🙂

What is the actual point of parenting, if not to "produce" an individual who possesses the ability, the will, and the courage to hold a conviction and voice an opinion? Every instance where "might makes right" is used instead of the strength of a logical argument is nothing more than a temporary—and frankly, rather one-off—fix.

Under those specific circumstances, the kid often ends up making even bigger messes, fueled by this misguided sense of "fighting for justice."

silentscout20 said:You're still tucking the small one into bed and giving him kisses? And he's 13? 😲

The "tucking in" part is already explained, but I fail to see the issue with showing parental affection to a 13-year-old. 😕 At what specific age does being tender with your own child suddenly become terrible, unthinkable, or—as some might say—😲 shocking?

brightridge59 said:I find it absolutely fascinating how a situation involving someone receiving a partial ban can somehow spiral back into being labeled as "unusual behavior" by certain moderators, who then proceed to openly display their intolerance toward those individuals with such a wonderful, deeply personal underlying bias. 🍿

And thank you very much.

Look, I haven't said a single word regarding anyone’s supposed decency—or lack thereof—nor have I expressed any kind of intolerance toward anyone here. Honestly, having to repeatedly explain that I don't have any "personal skin in the game" is getting exhausting. For crying out loud, look at the J. Simpson case: he was acquitted for a murder that was clearly committed simply because they couldn't pin down a specific motive. So, why on earth would anyone assume I have some sort of "personal bias" toward anyone in this thread? Can I please, just once, hear someone actually address the famous "personal motive" argument instead of throwing it at me? 😕

Just don't you dare drop that "I wasn't talking about you" line on me—you’re discussing a "topic" that is, quite frankly, overflowing with my own posts. Which means, by extension, you're talking about me.

Jeffrey Cooper7 said:First off, out of those 11 strikes, 8 of them came from a single thread and I racked them up all within a week because back then we didn't have mistywolf17 or the other mods stepping in to keep things chill, so then mistywolf17 showed up and started moderating in a way that landed me in the ban corner. To me, those strikes were a massive flashing neon sign that a ban was coming. I mean, do you honestly think I’m out here trying to collect strikes like they're Pokémon cards? I talk to people outside the forum too, I post on other sites, and why on earth would I want to keep stacking penalties that would basically shut me down? And just to be clear, from last December to February, I didn't get a single strike or even a slap on the wrist, and that was when I was most active—so yeah, suddenly I've got a pile of strikes from one thread, I admit I went overboard, and then I got hit on other threads too, mostly in the suggestion and criticism section. That’s it, nothing more, nothing less.

You're missing the point here. Just like any other sub-forum, the US is a reflection of its users (if "reflection" is even the right word, but whatever).

If there had been a sudden drop in posts after the "new regime," things would have changed regardless. But as it stands, you have the US exactly how it is, and there are enough people who actually like it that way. That's the whole deal. 🙂

Look, it should be obvious that the number of threads doesn't blow up because the old guard, the guys who've been around this forum for years, are the ones showing up. Plus, if you ask me, the engagement is starting to dip—both in terms of users and post count—because those legendary, high-stakes threads that used to end with everyone losing their minds have vanished. Those were the topics that actually mattered. Where did they go? Did we just run out of things worth arguing about? 🤷 If the sub-forum actually catered to us, threads wouldn't be getting locked left and right, and we wouldn't be getting slapped immediately for every little bit of off-topic chatter or spam; that's literally why the Offtopic forum exists, so we can actually talk without being babysat. Look, we're human, we mess up sometimes, but I didn't expect to be treated like some unwanted nuisance just for having a conversation, especially in the Offtopic section. ☕ Honestly, if the chat thread there was set up so moderators weren't constantly hovering to punish minor spam or trolling, then the sub-forum would actually feel like it belongs to the people using it.

Honestly, I don't think it even matters who is posting what on any given thread. If people are gathering online to share their thoughts and engage in discussion, that’s really all there is to it—there isn't some grand, deep philosophy behind it.

I also can't help but feel like there's a slight downward trend starting to take shape—specifically regarding the number of people actually contributing to the conversation, if you look at the total post count. It seems like the activity level is just beginning to taper off.

I’m not entirely sure. But, if that actually started happening—honestly, if things really went down like that—things would probably shift. It’s just... I guess you could say it's a fundamental rule that forums are built upon.

It feels like all those high-stakes, absolute bangers of threads—you know, the ones that would wrap up with everyone basically asking, "Are you guys kidding me right now?"—have just vanished into thin air. They used to be so incredibly relevant, hitting on things that actually mattered. I guess you have to wonder where they went... did we just lose the capacity to actually hold a real, deep discussion on these topics altogether? It’s like the potential for actual debate has just evaporated.

If I’m not mistaken, those threads just died a natural death—they basically sank to the bottom of the first page because nobody bothered to reply. Honestly, I’d rather stay away from them; I don't really feel like dealing with people coming at me again with all those accusations about my personal motives.

Look, if the chat was actually set up correctly—meaning if moderators were given the authority to sit back, read through the noise, and actually penalize people for excessive spamming or constant trolling—then maybe, just maybe, this subforum would actually reflect the quality of the people visiting it.

Those people who decided that being part of the Democratic Party was suddenly beneath them just because the chat thread got nuked—well, they checked out a long time ago. As for those who actually stuck around? For them, the Democratic Party is doing just fine. You might want to just get used to that reality. 🙂

Jeffrey Cooper7 said:I only jumped in because I needed a little nudge to get moving, you know? Just wanted to meet some new people and maybe work on my game when it comes to talking to girls and all that. Honestly, it was never my intention to go in there just to be a troll or insult anyone trying to have a real conversation. You can actually look back at everything I've posted; sure, I might have drifted into the Offtopic forum once or twice, but I was always just sharing my own experiences and giving out advice.
Another thing was that I actually tried to complain about the lack of a chat feature, which all the moderators over on the main site agreed with. It seems like some of them are playing both sides of the fence, though, since someone like brightridge59 pulls double duty moderating both the local boards and the US forums. On the local boards, they actually let the chat stay open, even if people just use it to spam nonsense constantly, but over on the US side, they shut it down entirely. It’s pretty obvious that the whole thing was just getting on someone's nerves.

Look, I’m saying this with nothing but good intentions, but you might want to take a second to actually step back and look at how you're building your arguments and the way you're throwing them out there—honestly, the way you're presenting things is just totally alienating people who aren't even trying to be difficult, even though you keep insisting they're acting out of some weird grudge or whatever. 😕 I mean, I guess I’d have to figure out what exactly I should be feeling sorry for to actually stand by you here, but honestly, you’re just being a total pain in the neck to everyone on this board. Aside from those first few lines, you haven't actually said anything that shows you get how messed up your behavior was, let alone that you actually feel bad about it.

Man, how am I supposed to explain that every single thing I post on this forum isn't just me trolling? mistywolf17 keeps shoving it down my throat, insisting I’m some kind of legendary troll, which is honestly hilarious because I'm really not. Just because I occasionally veer off-topic doesn't mean I should be labeled like that, you know? It’s pretty obvious she doesn't have any other way to police people besides handing out a red card and calling it "trolling." To her, absolutely everything is trolling. Honestly, I don't even dare ask if I've actually contributed anything worthwhile at all. 🤷 I honestly just feel bad that nobody gave me a heads-up to watch my mouth before they slapped me with a partial ban. It felt pretty damn rude of mistywolf17 to just drop a ban on me without even saying, "Hey, look, this is your last warning, do it again and you're out," you know? Instead, I get banned, and then when I finally come back, the mods have already huddled up and decided I’m never allowed back in that space ever again. Like, what did I do, become some kind of freaking criminal or a public menace? Seriously, just go ask the people around there what they actually think of me—I'm sure their take would be worth hearing too. ☕

It’s pretty straightforward: you’ve got this PDF that the mods have basically curated to fit their own little vision of how things should go down. On paper, there's a nice enough crowd and plenty of active threads keeping everyone talking—so they think everything is golden. But honestly, if you walk into a bar and hate the music and the whole vibe, what are you actually going to do about it? 🙂

Forget about them, that's a whole different conversation.

It’s not even that I didn't enjoy being there—it was fine, honestly, and there's always plenty of interesting stuff to dive into—but what really got to me was how they treated me, acting like I'd committed some unforgivable crime against this entire community. It actually sucks knowing I won't be posting there anymore or getting to chat with people I've genuinely grown close to; it just feels wrong that such a tiny minority can hold all the power like that, even though I was getting nothing but love from the rest of the users. It's a shame a subforum has to cater to the moderators instead of the actual people who show up to hang out there... ☕

So, let me get this straight... those eleven warnings didn't strike you as a warning? 😕

It’s such a shame that a subforum has to cater to the moderators rather than the people actually visiting it... ☕

Well, I think you're missing the point here. Just like any other section on this site, the Offtopic forum is "subservient"—if that's even the right word, though I suppose we can let it slide—to the people who frequent it.

If the post count had plummeted following the "new regime," then things would have shifted naturally. But that isn't happening. As it stands, you have the PDF exactly how it is, and there are plenty of users who seem perfectly happy with the status quo. That's really all there is to it. 🙂

mistywolf17 said:Oh, so I'm the one who isn't being specific? Am I allowed to say "it's sad" now?
And honestly, what if I just personally don't like that thread? What about it?

Well, I could say the exact same thing about you.

I'll know when you actually have the guts to say that without hiding behind an "if." Are you even capable of stating your opinion on that thread and actually standing by it—without retreating into "if," "maybe," "but then again," or any other vague nonsense?

I could say the exact same thing about you.

Fine—go ahead—but if you’re going to do that, then do exactly what I did: actually argue why my behavior constitutes "trolling." Your tactic is simply pivoting the discussion away from the actual facts and toward someone's supposed "real motives"🙄, which is really just a way of projecting "your opinion" onto what those motives might be.

Alright, your turn: what exactly does my trolling consist of...?

mistywolf17 said:Regarding the "picking on people" part, I was talking about boldwalker12 since you were quoting her post anyway. I assumed you'd catch that. And I know you did. But if you did, how could you then write "sad"? Honestly.

As for you, that's just my opinion, especially since we had a similar debate about this very thing recently. We didn't understand each other then, either.

@boldwalker12, what, is the fact that I edit my posts your main argument now? Sorry, my thoughts are a bit slow, so I go back and add to them later. Whatever. 😢
You still haven't clarified anything. You don't have to, but there it is—I've stated my opinion on that approach.

Do you seriously not see that this is textbook trolling? In this specific instance, I actually find your trolling offensive—mostly because you're taking something I genuinely care about (you know, basic consistency... though clearly that's asking too much : ) and reducing it to some low-level, fabricated personal grudge that neither the accusers nor the accused could ever actually prove.

I mean, honestly, who actually cares what you or I think regarding someone's underlying motives for posting this or that?

Any single post that substitutes a real answer or comment with some "you're only writing this because of X or Y" is nothing more than trolling. Anyway, enough about me—let's finally get back to discussing that car.

mistywolf17 said:It's because things are mentioned halfway and never fully explained. What else could the reason be? I'm quite familiar with this kind of poking.
I asked about that supposed troll thread on the US forum—the one a moderator apparently started using a clone—and I didn't get an answer. How would she even know about it if I, as a moderator, don't know? And why would she go out of her way to provoke people by hinting at who did what?

BTW, aren't you in the loop regarding forum gossip? How do you even know forum gossip exists?

Oh, come on, please. 😁

Haven't I already explained the difference? Well, yes, I have.
Is my inconsistency simply that the classifieds topic was allowed to survive regardless of my opinion on it, while on the other hand, I just don't like clones and trolls posting fake ads and misleading people? Okay.

: UN Peacekeeping Forces :

What is, specifically, your actual take on a thread where advertisers were being insulted? You aren't going to just leave it hanging like that without finishing your thought, are you?

Look, it’s pretty obvious to me that this wording translates to "I don't agree with this thread either, but whatever..." Just say what you actually mean for once.

mistywolf17 said:It's because things are mentioned halfway and never fully explained. What else could the reason be? I'm quite familiar with this kind of poking.
I asked about that supposed troll thread on the US forum—the one a moderator apparently started using a clone—and I didn't get an answer. How would she even know about it if I, as a moderator, don't know? And why would she go out of her way to provoke people by hinting at who did what?

BTW, aren't you in the loop regarding forum gossip? How do you even know forum gossip exists?

Oh, come on, please. 😁

Haven't I already explained the difference? Well, yes, I have.
Is my inconsistency simply that the classifieds topic was allowed to survive regardless of my opinion on it, while on the other hand, I just don't like clones and trolls posting fake ads and misleading people? Okay.

The second I started typing my post, you immediately jumped to a diagnosis—something like, "Aha, I see, you just don't like a certain user. Next!" You apply that exact same diagnosis to others, even when the situation is completely different, without even blinking.

So, I supposedly mentioned something halfway? Or I'm "poking" someone?

BTW, reacting with an "aha, I know exactly why you're writing this" is trolling by definition—because instead of discussing the actual content, you're shifting the debate toward someone's actual motives. It's honestly sad.

Jeffrey Cooper7 said:I’d tell you who the real troll is, but I’m trying to be a gentleman here. Maybe take a second to reflect on what you actually consider trolling, because calling someone's normal conversation "trolling" is just plain embarrassing. As Inspector Callahan would say, "everyone's entitled to their opinion, even if it's garbage." 🙂
And I'm not twisting anything—you guys literally created that thread just to mock people for what they were looking for in their ads. Yeah, it was rude to start it, and it was rude to leave it up. You guys messed up big time, including that little corner with the homework assignments which, let's be real, has absolutely no business being part of the Lonely Hearts subforum. Total fail. ☕ You might want to ask yourself how much these people actually like or respect you, because my impression is a little different. 😉 Thank God most people actually value my input, and as for the tiny minority I might bother, I honestly couldn't care less since they're just a handful of people hiding behind their usernames anyway. I can't wait until all the trolls start flocking to Lonely Hearts; they'll wreck it just like they did to LJES. 🙂

Look, I mean this in the most constructive way possible, but two things just aren't clicking for me: first, if you genuinely hold such a low opinion of the US, why does it bother you so much that they’ve disabled posting over there? 😕

Second—and again, I'm just offering some friendly advice here—you might want to take a moment to actually reflect on your logic and the way you're presenting it. Honestly, you've managed to convince even the completely indifferent bystanders—people who, by the way, are constantly being accused of having some sort of grudge against you (which, I suppose, is supposed to lead to them siding with you, though I don't see how) 😕—that you are, quite frankly, a very unpleasant forum member. Aside from those first few sentences, you haven't really articulated through any single sentence that you actually grasp how wrong your actions were, let alone that you feel any genuine remorse for them.

The reality is pretty straightforward: the moderators have a specific vision for what the PDF should look like. The PDF has a decent number of people who enjoy being there, and it has a healthy amount of threads where those people interact—and that's really all there is to it. If you walk into a bar and don't like the music or the vibe, what exactly are you going to do about it? 🙂

Leave the others out of this; that's a separate issue entirely.

mistywolf17 said:The fact that you and a few others don't care for mistypanther's writing style has nothing to do with why Jeffrey Cooper7 received a partial ban. It doesn't justify it, sorry, but it really doesn't. mistypanther acts as a moderator approved by the forum owner, whereas Jeffrey Cooper7 earned his partial ban based on the judgment of the moderator, lonely heart. I guess you probably don't read every single post on this subforum and don't know the users here as well as the moderators do, so it makes sense that you missed certain things.

Once again, we're pivoting to personal attacks. 🤦

It isn't about whether or not anyone "likes" a particular individual's prose—that’s irrelevant here. The real issue is that Jeffrey Cooper7 was essentially slapped down for mocking people in the classified ads section, all while a perfectly legitimate discussion was happening where several people—and by the way, when I mentioned "just look at what was said to the advertisers in the opening post," I wasn't referring to the author of that post (actually, I just realized I misremembered who actually kicked off this thread)—were being brutally ridiculed and insulted by those participating in the vote.

What matters is that this entire topic had the general blessing of the moderators—which, let's be clear, is entirely your prerogative—but if that's the case, one has a right to expect some level of consistency.

So, given the sheer number of valid reasons available, you reached for the wrong one. And you missed. 😁

mistywolf17 said:Are you feeling personally victimized by this thread or by a specific user? Look, I’m sorry, but I just can't wrap my head around someone who acts one way on one subforum while bickering with people there, only to turn around and complain about the exact same thing in a different thread. I realize you don't really get where I'm coming from either, so maybe we should just call it quits here.

Well, bravo. Just keep it coming. 👋

mistywolf17 said:That’s all I have to say about that. 😕

Look, I really don't follow all the forum gossip or who is feuding with whom, so I honestly can't speak to anyone's underlying motives or any private drama between moderators that might be causing these half-truths. It seems like people are just trying to drag the entire moderation team of this subforum into the mud. If you have a specific issue with how the Lonely Heart section is being run, then just lay it all out there and be done with it. But don't do this.

Why is it that you always manage to bring everything back down to a personal level—as if, in your mind, some kind of personal vendetta is the only possible reason behind anyone’s observations or critiques?

It’s practically impossible—or at least, that's how I see it—that someone could claim to dislike something without there being some underlying personal agenda or a hidden inclination toward playing those little behind-the-scenes games. I mean, really, think about it. It’s almost a mathematical certainty that if someone is pushing a certain narrative or expressing distaste, there’s a motive lurking somewhere in the shadows, right? Maybe it's ego, maybe it's just plain old manipulation... I guess you could say nothing happens in a vacuum.

By the way—are you really that out of the loop when it comes to all the forum gossip? I mean, how do you even know that forum drama exists in the first place?

Jeffrey Cooper7 said:So what now? Are you just gonna dodge my point from earlier about that thread where everyone was making fun of those classified ads people post? I mean, that was totally fair game, right? Honestly, terrifying...

Well, then half the people on there deserve a partial ban if you ask me, because let's be real, the place is crawling with clones. I was actually the first one to get banned just because I was honest about it. Such a stupid reason to kick someone off the subforum. ☕

Fine, then I'll head over to the archives myself.

I mean, which part of this is actually confusing to you? Of course there are clones—but, just because an ad is posted under a clone doesn't suddenly make the ad itself fraudulent. People have their reasons for not wanting their identity tied to an ad on the forum, but that doesn't change the fact that the offer isn't fake.

What exactly is the issue here?

And regardless of all that, what kind of "defense" is that—using the "everyone does it" excuse? Do you actually know anyone who got caught and was subsequently cleared? If you don't, then what are you even trying to accomplish with that argument?

mistywolf17 said:Are you feeling personally victimized by this thread or by a specific user? Look, I’m sorry, but I just can't wrap my head around someone who acts one way on one subforum while bickering with people there, only to turn around and complain about the exact same thing in a different thread. I realize you don't really get where I'm coming from either, so maybe we should just call it quits here.

Well, bravo. Just keep it coming. 👋

Believe it or not, that whole thread just... rubbed me the wrong way. I honestly couldn't care less about certain users, regardless of whatever theories people are spinning.

In this particular discussion, it was that "idiot, moron, and their buddies" line that really sat poorly with me.

Jeffrey Cooper7 said:Look, that clone account was set up way before I ever got banned, okay? So please, don't try to pull that kind of stuff on me—you've already done plenty of damage with this partial ban.
Another thing—think back to who was actually making jokes about those classified ads. You remember that whole "Looking/Offering—are you guys screwing with me?" thread where everyone, including the male mods, was just ripping on people's posts? You clearly don't want to go there, do you? So now you’re sitting here telling me *I'm* the one who was mocking them? Please, give me a break. Where exactly did I do that? Where was I being so disrespectful that people started mass-reporting my posts? You're lying; you're straight-up lying when you claim I was constantly belittling every single person who popped up on that board. You're just lying, plain and simple. ☕

👎

Cut it out with the lies already, kid.

What kind of lies are we even talking about here? Seriously, what is your problem? Are you just trolling me now, or are you actually trying to start something? 🤷 Do you have any idea how many people are running clone accounts just to pump those ads? Seriously, you clearly haven't noticed. Just take a quick scroll through that thread and you’ll see a literal army of clones everywhere. I used to run one myself back when I wasn't on the outs, but I’m definitely not touching that again—I'm not looking to take any risks, especially knowing how short your fuse is... ☕

EDIT:

Look, there’s a massive difference between just leaving a comment on a listing and actually posting a fake profile to bait people. When you're out there running some clone account just to get PMs from folks who are probably looking for companionship—or maybe even more—you’re straight-up messing with them. It's just low.

So, I got a partial ban for that? Seriously? I didn't even say anything to anyone on that alt account, so how does that even count as trolling? Honestly, you’re really overstepping with these punishments. It's just way too much...

You are completely missing the point.

The issue isn't whether you posted the ad under a clone account—the real issue is that the ad itself was fraudulent. It was fabricated. Fake.

By doing that, you essentially pulled the rug out from under everyone responding to the ads—they'll think twice next time about whether they're being messed with. You effectively misled the people actually writing the ads.

Even if we ignore that pile of cardboard bots, even if we set aside everything else you've rambled about in this topic—it’s still ugly enough, and wrong enough, to warrant more than just a partial ban.

mistywolf17 said:I’m throwing a facepalm right at those people who think one thing is right while everything else is wrong. There.
Honestly, if anyone feels offended by this, I suspect they might feel a bit better if they were being mocked over on Trash rather than some other subforum. 🙄

We could probably also get into a whole debate about why it would be considered right—or perhaps more correct—to label those same advertisers as whatever they are on the Trash forum, which has happened quite a few times.

Trash is exactly what this forum was designed for—so if you want to spend your time debating whether we should scrap PDFs once and for all, go right ahead. No harm done.

I mean, let's be real—that PDF is intended for something else entirely. It’s just not what it looks like.

I’ve finally worked up the nerve to say it: everything ever written about classified ads over on Trash—both in terms of sheer volume and, more importantly, the level of mockery involved—is nothing more than child's play compared to that single opening post on the US forum. That one post basically branded the entire thread, and everyone who dared to contribute to it, as absolute jokes.

mistywolf17 said:It’s not just that there’s a specific thread for it, but there’s an entire sub-forum dedicated to it. (Hint: Trash). Does that really not bother you? 🙂

There is a massive difference between just leaving comments on ads and actually posting a fake listing using a clone account. When you set up a fake profile to bait people into sending you private messages—especially when they might be looking for companionship or something more serious—you aren't just trolling. You are directly messing with real people. It’s just wrong.

If you can't see the distinction between making fun of things in a section specifically designed for mockery (namely, Trash) versus mocking people in the very same section where they are actually invited to post ads—which, I suppose, is meant to provide some relief for lonely hearts (including those posting the Trash ads)—then, frankly... 🤦

One could easily get into a debate regarding the comparative "sinfulness" of a fake advertisement versus just broadly labeling an advertiser with everything they’ve already been accused of—essentially comparing the actual damage caused by one action versus the other. As such, you are stepping into some incredibly sensitive territory here.

BTW, I stated it quite clearly: the individual probably isn't cut out for the US as it stands today, just as the current state of the US likely isn't for them; the mods have every right to issue a partial ban, case closed.

mistywolf17 said:I guess you've already bragged about how you set that up. I guess it looks like there’s a fake ad circulating involving some kind of clone. It's probably just a scam, but you have to be careful.Honestly, you really should have been sent to the ban corner for this, but here you are. You weren't, either. I guess it’s happened plenty of times before, too. Messing with people on the classified ads and turning everything into a joke just doesn't look good on you, you know.

👎

Cut it out with the lies, kid.

I really won't. 😢

Do we really need to spin up a whole separate topic just for that? 😕

To put it in sports terms—it's a total "overplay." I mean, look, if a player picks up ten yellow cards in a single month and still acts surprised or claims they don't see what's happening, then maybe—just maybe—they aren't cut out for the big leagues. It’s not exactly a deep philosophical mystery at that point.

Besides, the mocking of the ads has already been happening—it was just in a different thread, which doesn't make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.