Posts by coppernomad28

Timothy Morgan38 said:

It’s fifty-fifty, really. Some stuff holds water, some doesn't...

First off, you can't compare forum drama to IRL situations, period...
Because with the kind of nonsense happening here, in the real world, someone would have already lost their mind... 👍

But that’s exactly the point... everyone acts like a hero online, but in IRL, they're smaller than a grain of sand... I could probably list half the people in this thread alone... so loud on the forum, but the second they actually have to speak up publicly, they start stuttering...

See, on a forum, thank God there's this buffer where you don't have to respond instantly. You get to sit there and craft the most brutal insult possible without any fear... but in IRL, your first thought is whether you're going to get punched in the face if you say the wrong thing... plus, in the real world, it's pretty easy to tell who's full of it and who's just being played...

You shouldn't compare IRL and the forum in a literal sense, but it would be nice if people on the forum behaved the way they normally should in real life...

Otherwise, why do you think someone who isn't even a registered user can still participate just by reading?
I can't trigger all this garbage when a person is looking for actual answers or advice, yet the old guard just ignores them and keeps rambling about how much gas they use in the winter, even though they've never seen the car in person, let alone owned one... 👍

I know I can be provocative, but NOT TO THE EXTENT OF INSULTING SOMEONE... unless we're talking about a totally mentally unstable person who can't handle the fact that other people exist in the world besides themselves...

I am dead certain that Stinger is the perfect example of what you're talking about.
When you actually take a sober, realistic look at things, how could a guy like him even survive five minutes in the real world without getting his teeth kicked in?

If I were closer by, it would be pretty entertaining to see that guy walk into a local bar just to see if he actually has the balls to try and run the moderation crew face-to-face.

Actually, I bet there are plenty of forum users who are secretly itching to show up at a pub and have a one-on-one chat with Singer. Hey Stinger, if you're such a big shot in RL, do you actually have the guts to show your face at a dive bar?

Michael Lee4 said:I'm not going to address everything because there's zero point... you're just talking in circles.

As for User, he dug his own grave long before I even showed up. It happened right in that chat that both yours and his were eventually removed from. Get it now? That's another issue with having chats on the forum. Clear enough?

Right when I arrived, reports started flooding in on his clone, so per the forum rules, it had to go. How much this forum misses User is proven by the fact that I actually personally convinced him (breaking the rules myself!) to make a nickname that wasn't linked to User just so he could keep posting. He did that several times because he'd always give himself away with his specific writing style. If you want to judge my character based on that... let's just say we're still in regular contact and he reached out to me today about this. Any guess how?

Regarding the poll, it says right there that it's irrelevant... the reason it isn't matters. Honestly, I have no idea how one would even change a poll, but I certainly wouldn't touch it. Why? That's just not how my brain works...

What I said about the old guard stands. You spoke your piece as a member of the old guard, and they'll do the same. What's not clear about that? Am I supposed to leave just because you said so? Not happening, especially since I can't wrap my head around how you manage to twist everything I say...

Let me ask you one more time—have you ever actually considered that maybe there's a mistake in your own damn post?

It's always some random person on Reddit misinterpreting you... honestly, it's weird.

Michael Lee4 said:Alright, here’s a guy who can't stand me. We’re constantly at each other's throats, arguing about everything under the sun. He’s easily one of the most penalized users on this site—and he had plenty of reasons to be—but even after getting hit with a permanent ban once, I still keep him around for one specific reason.

Unlike most of you lot, despite all the constant attacks on me and everyone else, the guy actually knows how to write a high-quality post. Plus, he never whines when he gets a warning because he knows exactly why he earned it. It's not exactly a virtue, but I respect it.

Personally? I don't give a damn about the card.
What actually gets under my skin is how you communicate and how you enforce the rules whenever you feel like it. It's just pure inconsistency. Arrogance. Narcissism. A total lack of self-awareness.

Basically, all the exact traits a moderator should never show toward the users on this site.

Michael Lee4 said:Taking things out of context again... read what I wrote one more time, maybe it'll click.

It’s not even a matter of twisting my words, man. You’re just giving me the same crap you keep throwing at me.

Besides, your whole post is right there above, so everyone can see exactly what you're doing...

Carl Davis said:Eh, I don't really agree with how this poll is set up... I actually voted for "YES—I agree, I just can't deal with Stinger anymore"—which, honestly, isn't even necessary to state... Look, it's not like I'm fundamentally against Stinger if he actually changes up his ways, and even his role as a mod isn't totally out of the question, but... if he doesn't change, then he really ought to be replaced, because otherwise, what's even the point of having this thread?

But why would they change?

The way things have been handled lately is the best indicator of how they'll be handled tomorrow...

Or, to put it simply, a leopard doesn't change its spots...

Michael Lee4 said:Because before I got here, this place was a disaster—a total mess, just a pile of garbage... and I was brought in to fix it. Look, if I managed to "survive" my first month after nuking three chat threads despite all the heat people gave me, and now those same people are laughing with me instead of at me, that's enough for me. If a "kid" like Giga figured things out at 19, and people twice his age still can't grasp them, there isn't much else I can say... and no, I'm not a perfect user; nobody is.

So, based on your logic, is the entire car PDF just your personal playground because you "cleaned it up"? Three chat threads? Those were the parts people actually wanted; that's why they were popular in the first place...

And you keep repeating phrases like "some things" or "the same things," which is incredibly vague. Honestly, if I were you, I'd start wondering if there's something wrong with how I'm coming across since so many people aren't taking me seriously. Have you ever actually tried being friendly toward someone instead of acting all authoritative and antagonistic?
Just try it once. Trust me, you might actually be surprised by the result....

@ HB, I set up the poll as anonymous, thinking maybe more people would actually bother to vote if their names weren't attached to it and everything was private.
Maybe that was a total mistake on my part?

Michael Lee4 said:None... I've never even been banned from a forum. If I actually messed up, I’d get the hint. Nobody ever had to spell out the rules ten times for me to figure out what's allowed and what isn't, or why.

That is just plain wrong!

Look, please just stop with this whole "10x" thing because you haven't done that to me even once...

Michael Lee4 said:Honestly, I was hoping someone calling themselves an intellectual wouldn't spend their time counting blood cells and judging people by where they're from. I thought an intellectual would realize how insulting that is to the members and visitors of this forum outside of America. It's the same deal as when I've tried explaining things multiple times to someone who claims to be an intellectual and asks for help, only to get no response. Now I feel the need to repeat myself just so they get it: Is it that an intellectual can't understand, or just won't? As for the fighting, I only get into conflicts because of people themselves and having to explain the same thing over and over again.

Do you notice how many times I've mentioned "explaining it so many times" or "explaining it endlessly" over the last few days? Do you notice that, Mr. Blood Cell Counter of the region's biggest forum?

😂😂😂 this is priceless 😂😂

Seriously, man, you’re the one who profiled me based on how and how fast I managed to spam 1,500 posts 🤣🤣🤣 and now it bothers you when someone gives you a taste of your own medicine?

Does it ever click in that head of yours just how inconsistent, hypocritical, and narrow-minded you're being? Is that really how you think? God forbid someone actually calls you out—then it's an immediate landslide of sarcasm, irony, and insults coming at you...

Do you even realize that everything you claim to hate about other users on this forum is exactly what you’re doing yourself? Do you ever just step up and admit it publicly: "Sorry guys, I went a little too far..."

Megan Cruz2 said:Honestly, it seems like not everyone here is using their head. Grown adults spending their time getting annoyed, picking fights, and wasting precious energy on some online forum—something that isn't even real life—really makes me think you all have way too much free time and not nearly enough sense.👎

You just don't get the vibe of this forum or why people actually show up here... I mean, seriously, would this place even be this popular if we weren't important?
Look, life isn't just about the stuff you can actually get your hands on, you know? It’s deeper than that. Have you ever heard about the Crusades? Seriously. They fought those massive wars over religion—over things you can't even touch or hold in your hand. Just abstract ideas and faith... crazy, right?

Michael Lee4 said:It’s not off-topic if you’ve already repeated it here and on other forums multiple times. I’ve explained the "how" and "why" to you both publicly and in private several times now.

If you’re still forcing this on me despite all my explanations, I can only assume one of two things: you're trying to provoke me, or there's something wrong with you.

Because, again, I can't wrap my head around how you can have something explained to you ten times, and instead of understanding it, you just completely ignore it.

Same goes for everything else—I’ve told you guys countless times: if you want to joke around, go to the jokes section; if you want to mess around, hit the men's corner; if you just want to chat, go to Off-Topic... someone comes here looking for actual answers, and it's up to you whether you choose to give them one.

I've said all this a million times in various posts and private messages to some of you... so, are you just trying to get a rise out of me, or is there actually something else going on?

Why are you so obsessed with forcing jokes, sarcasm, and random chatter away from car topics? Why does all that stuff have to be shoved into some separate little box?
What, are we all robots now? If you actually think you're some kind of perfect forum moderator, man, you're dead wrong.

And what kid are you even watching Top Gear for? It's not exactly high-brow serious stuff anyway....☕

silverviper44 said:I’d say Michael Lee4 is about 80% an incredibly good moderator, but he falls into that other 20%—the kind that carries enough weight to tip the scales against the majority.

Michael Lee4, if you don't plan on drastically cutting down that 20%, you might as well just resign. The issue lies with you and how you treat people; you aren't treating everyone the same, and a moderator is supposed to be NEUTRAL AND FAIR.

Of course, some level of tolerance is necessary since we're all just human beings here.

You're probably right. Stinger does most of the heavy lifting behind the scenes, but then he totally blows it the second he steps onto the stage and starts typing.

Michael Lee4 said:The poll is completely irrelevant; what actually matters is who’s talking and what they’re saying. You should realize that a poll on Reddit is pointless since anyone can just make an account and click whatever they want. Is that clear enough for you?

So you only caught the "blah blah blah" part of my post? You’re completely missing how weird the reasons are that Noah Perez9 keeps hounding me on Reddit. Like, does only the "blah blah blah" matter? Are his ramblings and my invitation to just lay it all out right here totally irrelevant?

That's exactly why I talked Grace Turner into joining me on this job.

Since this place started, those two haven't posted a single thing without using a different account.

Michael Lee4 and Grace Turner are basically the only active moderators right now. Setra is technically here, but rarely shows up, and little User has been MIA for ages... Grace has been slammed with private work lately, but even then, she jumps in to handle what I can't get to. And as much as Grace and I might differ on things, we pretty much think the same way overall...

Look, if what Noah Perez9 is saying actually bothers you, then act like an adult and give him a straight answer instead of whining about it. Most things can be settled with a few words, some basic decency, and a little bit of good faith.

Also, for the record, I’ve never gone around publicly labeling your posts as "toxic," "nonsensical," "stupid," or "braggadocio"—even though, honestly, I’ve thought it plenty of times. Just... tone down the subjective labels. Your opinion is just your opinion, man; it’s not some objective fact just because you write it in a post.

Timothy Morgan38 said:Yeah, man, but try seeing things from his perspective for a second... when you have to spend your entire day deleting and editing posts because of a stray image quote, or repeating the exact same thing a hundred times over... it gets incredibly irritating. It becomes exhausting...

And it's even worse when the same group of people keeps saying the same things constantly... at that point, even the stones would start crying...

I get it. I only had to deal with that once.

Grace Turner said:Alright. I’ll leave this open just a little longer before I lock the thread. A lot of people jumped on the poll quickly, and there's really no point in keeping this active any longer than necessary, for the reasons I already laid out. Results are right there.

Seriously? Are we really seeing a bunch of randoms with one single post showing up now?

Give everyone a chance to vote until at least tomorrow morning. It hasn't even been three hours since the topic was posted...

Timothy Morgan38 said:Come on, guys, let's not start a war here... just follow the forum rules and you won't get banned—it's that simple!

Here’s a quick example of why I actually got banned on a different subreddit. Compare that situation to this one and decide for yourself if the moderator here is really such a villain or not...

A doctor should be what a doctor ought to be... calm, composed, and most importantly, they actually LISTEN to what you say and want to explain everything you're curious about...

Basically, I got flagged because I used CAPS LOCK to emphasize a point that was crucial—the very thing people on that subreddit complain about most: being ignored when they talk about their issues...

I emphasize something in CAPS LOCK and suddenly I'm banned... There wasn't any tension in the thread, no fighting, nothing... In fact, the tone was totally peaceful, just someone asking for advice on which specialist to see...

That is what you call lazy moderation—where they don't even try to understand the context of what's being said... If you want a car forum moderated by people who just hand out bans without reading a single word, but will snap at you for forgetting a capital letter—then BE MY GUEST!!!!!

As for the other "issue" mentioned, I won't comment, as I'd rather not seem biased...

My vote in the poll is: NO - STINGER IS A GOOD MODERATOR

What happened to you is pretty much identical to how Stinger operates. I accidentally tried quoting a post with an image once and, bam, instant strike. No warning, no nothing (I had zero clue it was such a sin).
It’s not even a big deal if someone hands out a strike. If they’d just come up to me and said, "Hey, I'm giving you a strike because of this..." I would've just told them, "Sorry, didn't know. My bad." amen.

George Gray3 said:What are we getting from the shift change, is there any kind of swap going on?

The poll is up, but I guess we should all just chill out. Michael Lee4 has been around forever and I was definitely redlining too (on other subreddits and stuff), but that's why the President is there to explain things—everyone makes mistakes sometimes.

Michael Lee4 isn't the only moderator, but he's definitely the one in the spotlight—and not just because of how things are measured in this subforum.
Grace Turner joined us just a little bit ago, too.

Dennis Carter9 said:Well, since we're talking about free discussion, he didn't delete your constant whining about the NEW Spark, so minor design critiques regarding the POLO should be fine.

One specific little example...

Edit: Honestly, I'm done commenting anything else here...

We all have our issues to deal with because, at the end of the day, we're just human beings.😬

Personally, I don't think a moderator even needs to step in and penalize users like CJ7, because honestly, he’s more than capable of embarrassing himself and shooting himself in the foot.

And back in the day, I actually asked Mr. Stinger why it was such a massive ordeal when someone accidentally posts a quote containing an image. Is it a storage capacity issue? A server bandwidth thing? The answer was just that it had nothing to do with that, and then... nothing. No further explanation. Just silence.

Gary Lewis5 said:Maybe I'll jump into this discussion as well...😁

So, looking back, I used to spend all my time in the automobiles sub-forum, and I genuinely enjoyed it before things started devolving into absolute nonsense from various sources, including Michael Lee4... At first, I didn't mind much because I was still getting a feel for the local customs—like how I wasn't supposed to quote an image just because you, coppernomad28, forgot to comment on it—but lately, I’ve found myself increasingly frustrated with the moderator of the same name. He keeps deleting comments that were actually contributing to deeper, more nuanced discussions, and honestly, I still don't quite grasp his reasoning. Thinking out loud, since the server seems to go down quite frequently, perhaps that's his excuse for pruning comments—just trying to save some disk space or prevent the forum from being overwhelmed...
I’ve wandered through other sub-forums too, and it feels like absolutely nothing happens over there. The moderators rarely step in; they aren't nearly as strict or meticulous, and conversations often drift wildly away from the original topic or title, yet they just let it slide...

The takeaway here seems to be that every moderator operates on a completely different set of principles. I was actually surprised by a few users who jumped into the fray without any critical thought (like that very first comment that followed). The issue is that most people don't really care about the core of the argument they're fighting over; they just want to protect the "weaker" side, so the easiest way out for them is to just bark, "close the thread." Michael Lee4 clearly has his own way of doing things, and you probably have yours too... As for me, I'm staying pretty restrained (for now).

If I felt like I was alone in my frustration with Michael Lee4, I would've just stayed quiet and bit my tongue. You can't fight windmills by yourself. But once I realized that while there aren't many of us, at least we exist, 😉 I couldn't just let it go.

I hang out on other forums too, so I've seen it all. Honestly, you have to toughen up; if you don't, some user is going to come along and absolutely wreck you. Around here, that's more the rule than the exception.

Dennis Carter9 said:Look, man, you said what you had to say. You did what you thought was right, exactly like people suggested you should. Don't let anyone drag you any deeper into this. There’s just no point.

heheh, thanks!

you know how they say it in poker: I'm all in 😬

and if I lose, whatever... it's not the end of the world. What matters is doing what you actually believe in.