Posts by Betty Fowler

Could I get an explanation as to why I received a partial ban, and which moderator issued it?

Sabaa?

Morgan Peterson, what’s your take on this?

So, am I really being offensive in five out of six posts? Where exactly are you getting that from? Can you actually back that up by showing those specific posts where I’m supposedly being abusive? Or is it possible you're just hyper-focused on my comments and losing your objectivity? How else can we explain why this post from last night went totally unpunished, yet I get hit with a massive 500-point penalty for "being aggressive"? Since my very first day on this sub, you've been threatening me with partial bans just because I had the nerve—believe it or not—to ask someone who made a public claim to actually prove it. If I was being offensive, like I was yesterday, then give me a standard warning or a fair penalty. Don't stack imaginary offenses in your head just to justify handing out draconian punishments that don't fit the actual violation.

Morgan Peterson just slapped me with 500 points for "grossly insulting" someone. I was responding to a user who claimed he intentionally buys bacteria to build up immunity, telling him, "Why don't you just go get HIV and let us know how that immunity thing works out for you?" This guy said he does it purely out of spite, and since we're talking about COVID, he was pretty much implying he wants to spread the virus on purpose. So, yeah, that’s why I reacted the way I did. Look, my response wasn't classy, and I fully expected a warning, but 500 points for an insult feels like overkill. I see much harsher insults floating around here all the time without anyone getting flagged, but whatever.

If another moderator could take a look and tell me if this penalty actually makes sense, I’d appreciate it.

Morgan Peterson said:I already replied to you in the main thread—you got flagged because you’re essentially "offering money" in exchange for private details that nobody is obligated to share. It’s not about whether you actually get them; it's the intent behind it that's considered bad faith.

I'm not hunting for private info that he hasn't already made public. I'm looking for confirmation of things he brought up himself. You make a fair point that he doesn't owe me anything, and that's exactly why the choice to verify his own claims lies entirely with him. There's a massive difference between me going public with someone else's medical diagnosis and asking a person to confirm their own statements based on patterns in their own posts. The "private information" argument doesn't really apply here. If I recall correctly, people on other subforums share specific medical records all the time when they're looking for second opinions from the community.

Morgan Peterson said:If you don't believe him, well, that's your prerogative. This is a public forum, and everyone is free to post what they want as long as they follow the rules, but you don't have the right to demand evidence that someone is willing to release publicly. It's like stopping a stranger on the street to offer them cash for personal details; anyone would see that as harassment. You brought this idea to the thread, but I have no intention of letting this become the standard for how others behave.

With all due respect, that comparison doesn't quite work. He isn't some bystander stumbling onto this topic; he entered the discussion voluntarily, and I simply asked him a question within that space.

It’s almost ironic that in a thread where wild conspiracy theories and debunked falsehoods are permitted, you find my request for someone to back up their own claims problematic. But fine.

Aleta Ogord;87455161 said:And your "free assessment" is just that—that he's trolling and that the side effects aren't real, because I haven't gotten that impression, nor do I have any reason to based on his previous posts.
Sometimes, as an exception to the rule, it matters less of what is being said and more about who is saying it.

Does this look like the writing of someone who was actually vaccinated? Would someone who supposedly suffered such a severe reaction—dealing with a pulmonary embolism, blood clots, and four days in the ICU—really hop onto a forum to ask for advice about getting a second dose?

Morgan Peterson said:I suspect that PDF operates mostly on a handshake basis. At the end of the day, anyone trying to pull a fast one is really just lying to themselves, not you. Remember that.

That’s exactly why I didn't bother asking you or some of the other regulars—who have clearly earned their reputation here—for hard evidence.
The issue isn't that someone is deceiving themselves; it's that people with similar mindsets present these subjective experiences to others as if they were established facts. That's precisely how you get those "I heard about this one case..." stories starting to circulate.

tool

If my past interactions with this user give me the distinct impression he isn't being honest, why is it an issue if I ask him to back up his claims?
Why such an intense reaction? Why bring up partisan politics over a simple question? Who did I actually threaten? Who did I offend? Is it acceptable for certain users to post whatever nonsense comes to mind, while any attempt at questioning them is strictly forbidden?

From where I'm sitting, he’s either trolling at best, or worse, maliciously scaring people—which ultimately puts thousands of lives at risk and stalls our collective return to normalcy. My father is in a high-risk group, and it's precisely because of statements like these that he hasn't gotten vaccinated yet. He heard a rumor from someone who heard about someone else having a bad reaction. Like I said before, I have nothing against discussing rare adverse events following vaccination, but that isn't what is happening here.

For instance, why is this user allowed to call the vaccine "poison" without consequence? Why aren't posts like these—where a user invokes global conspiracies and claims the vaccine is a tool for upcoming tyranny—subject to any sanctions?

I'm not complaining about the penalty. I realize I didn't get banned because of you, but rather due to an accumulation of points. I just want to understand how the rules actually work on this subforum.

dustypilot11 Asks:
Once again, we’re missing the point entirely. I actually have to ask, just so I know who I'm dealing with here: what's your IQ?

What exactly is this?

dustypilot11 said:I can't really weigh in on the situation between steelridge58 and the moderators since I don't know the full story, but regarding the link you shared? I definitely have thoughts. If someone spoke to me the way you’re speaking to me, that’s exactly how I’d judge them, too. 🤷

It seems like you aren't particularly well-versed in several of these matters, yet that doesn't seem to stop you from acting like an expert. You keep zeroing in on one specific post while completely ignoring everything that came before it. Is there really any point in debating someone who is this selective about what they choose to criticize?

dustypilot11 said:I don't see how one frustrated forum user's screeching serves as proof of anything. Do you people in the Philosophy department just abandon logic the moment you start typing?
And this whole "argument" about whether a woman "gave" him something—whether she actually did or if she would have been calmer if she had—is the kind of thing people bring up when they've run out of actual points to make. Even if she were sleeping with the entire hospital staff, how does that prove anything? Aside from revealing something about your own character by attacking her like that. There’s no need to be bitter. 🙂

What now? Are you feeling targeted too?

You're ignoring the entire reason this thread exists, and you're brushing off the insults thrown my way, yet you seem deeply offended by the way I'm discussing a woman who earned that specific style of communication. Great.

Michelle Bennett14 said:So she did it just because some random guy sent her a DM? Wow.

Is that really an argument? And we're actually supposed to tolerate that level of logic? Is this what passes for a debate in a Philosophy department?
Good grief...🤦

@ Enchy 👍 everything you mentioned about the forum and the exchange of ideas is true. But that assumes we're dealing with adults.
This isn't a preschool; it’s more like a chaotic flea market where people throw rotten produce at each other and quickly forget why they even showed up in the first place.

This isn't philosophy.

But what I wrote in my opening post actually is. It's the kind of discussion your colleague seems to think belongs in a Philosophy seminar.

And frankly, I couldn't care less whether he was half-way there or not. I have my reasons for thinking he was, but it doesn't move the needle for me. Honestly, when I stop to think about the act itself, it's just revolting.

A successful Incel, I guess. Nothing more, nothing less.

Grace Edwards92 said:I didn't give the SD an inch. That’s exactly why you all hate me.

You're just not my type. Seriously, cut it out—it's starting to get awkward.

Grace Edwards92 said:He’s not some player. He’s an Incel. He’s been hounding me for years. And it’s not just me, either. I honestly thought he would have moved on by now.

Like I said, you know better than anyone what you were doing and who you were doing it with. You know exactly what you’re still doing to certain people who are just sitting around on their couches.

But if you’re labeling the guys you actually went out with as incels, what does that make the ones who never stood a chance?

Grace Edwards92 said:There, now you know one. How do you think I feel when someone who can't even wrap their head around who I am tells me they'd love to meet up? And they say it multiple times, in different places? And it all happens without anyone getting banned?

I'm angry. That's it.

🤣

Poor thing. 😢

Anyone who doesn't know you would pay a high price to find out. Anyone tired of spending a few days dealing with the topics you clutter this place with knows that you invite forum users to a physical confrontation more often than you'd invite them for coffee. Wiki knows. Alyosh knows. druid knows. And many, many others know.

Not to mention the people who have messaged my inbox after witnessing arguments just like this one, complaining about being led on, emotional manipulation, and sudden ghosting once you've gotten what you wanted. Some figured out who they were dealing with a long time ago, some have used you up, and some are still holding onto hope. You know exactly who I'm talking about, and you know exactly what you're doing.

How do you think I know about your old username? How do you think I know your name? Honestly, this isn't even really about you; it's just that I know how much you live for this kind of nonsense.
This probably feels better to you than any therapy session, and I'm sure you'll have a better complexion and more energy over the next few days. Maybe even your husband will have some luck after all these years. Don't mention it, Judo.

As for that date request, you can dream. But go ahead, keep lying—I want to see how far down you can sink.

bluecyclist64 said:Now that’s how you do it, expert!
I have a feeling your little whining session isn't going to get you much of anywhere—though I wonder why...🥳

If you actually took care of your wife and looked after her needs—both physical and emotional—you probably wouldn't be standing there complaining to me about some tragic end, hoping I'll give you the attention you should have been giving her in the first place.

bluecyclist64 said:Who would have guessed that someone so aggressive and always looking for a fight could end up crying a river of tears? 🥳

Sex is the last thing you should be obsessing over, and honestly, it’s probably the main reason your wife is acting the way she is.

I honestly couldn't care less about the ban itself. The real issue here is the blatant double standard: none of her slimy comments ever get flagged, yet my posts are being sanctioned day after day. If I point out that someone is talking nonsense, I get a strike and my post vanishes. If I engage with someone on Slack about a topic she doesn't like, my contribution gets wiped. Meanwhile, when her colleague starts provoking people, using crude insults, and dragging the conversation into the gutter, nothing happens. It’s pure bias and a total lack of integrity.

Unfortunately, you drove the wizard away. If there were any doubt about it, he would have agreed with what was written, even if he actually liked you. He had character—something you can only dream of possessing. He even opened up to you once, though you didn't deserve it since you escalated the argument, just like you always do. And out of pure pride, you wouldn't even accept an apology. Well, that’s something you’ll just have to live with. You might want to notice that I didn't ask for any sanctions against you in my opening post; that's because I don't consider you a responsible party. You are a woman completely ruled by your emotions and lacking any self-control, which is why it’s up to the moderator to manage you.

Even though you screwed me over on the subforum where I spent most of my time—the one where I felt most relaxed and which actually helped my overall health while managing fibromyalgia—I never showed you any hatred. I simply ignored you. Your outbursts of malice are completely out of control and entirely unprovoked.

For a while now, the moderator over on the Philosophy subforum has been abusing her position—not just with me, but with several other users as well. Today, however, she finally crossed a line.

Personally, I think she should be stripped of her moderator status. It’s not just because she almost never contributes anything constructive to the discussions (and if I may say so, she doesn't seem particularly suited to the subject matter itself, though that's just my opinion and not an objective fact), but because she clearly lacks the character and self-control required to moderate fairly (now *that* is an objective fact). She has already sabotaged several threads by inappropriately interfering, locking them, and deleting posts.

Today, I was issued a warning for making this post regarding Druid:

I’m not sure what’s more amusing: the collected works of the late Druid, or the author herself, who insists in her opening post on the importance of maintaining a dignified and solemn tone for this thread, only to immediately take it upon herself to post those very same works which, while certainly the cream of the crop, are anything but solemn or dignified.

And then she tells me my diagnosis is wrong!

...which was in response to a user named Joseph Bailey41, who just a day earlier had posted a list of all the insults (which I referred to above as his "collected works") that the deceased user had written on the forum.

As justification, she cited: Trolling and divisiveness, and continuing to debate the Druid thread repeatedly.

Well, whatever. A warning isn't my first, nor will it be my last. I simply wanted to point out the contradiction between her first and last posts, but fine.

Later that afternoon, Joseph Bailey41 (whom I’ve been avoiding for some time because she staged a similar situation against me in the Psychology section—starting a fight full of nasty insults and lies before enlisting a fellow moderator, Almost Rosie, to ensure I got banned, but that's another story) started a conflict here. First, she implies that I'm full of crap without any provocation, then she dehumanizes me and my family by calling us cannon fodder, then she implies that, in her words, I sleep with my sister (she only knows about her because years ago in a chat related to a debate, I posted a childhood photo of my sister and me at ages six and eight. This isn't the first time she's used this to insult me, which is why I said she's predictable and why this whole thing is bizarre), then she mentions that people will leave her funeral happy, and finally wraps it up with Screw you.

Despite all of this, the user in question didn't receive a verbal warning, a strike, or even have her posts deleted. Nothing. The moderator was online and tolerated the whole thing. Yet, for my response:

http://www.forum.com/showthread.php?p=87153589

Quote: Joseph Bailey41 said:
It’s far too little, far too late. But I’ll give you this much: by the time your funeral rolls around, people will actually leave feeling happy. 👍

Look, when I started this thread, people left feeling good because they realized it was all a joke—they knew you were perfectly fine. I can't tell if it's the heat or if you're just having an off day, but you seem to have taken what was meant as a compliment as a personal insult.

Looking at the mess you've cooked up today, my only real grievance is the hypocrisy. Every single day, the mods wipe away my posts and hand out warnings for "communication styles" that are significantly milder than yours. But fine.

...I get hit with a massive 25-point penalty instantly. Of course, this isn't really about the points; it's about the blatant hypocrisy and double standards. A moderator shouldn't be displaying this kind of bias, especially on a subforum that is supposed to be built on logic, reason, and basic human decency.

I hope you'll take this into account and weigh things fairly. Thanks.