Why does this forum have double standards?

To the Administration,

In all honesty, I am at a complete loss as to why certain users—and I am primarily referring to Google—are consistently permitted to derail discussions, resort to ad hominem attacks, and essentially mock anyone who doesn't happen to share their specific worldview.

It has become a predictable, yearly ritual for this particular individual to swoop into a thread just to toss out condescending provocations. Most often, his "wisdom" is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to personally discredit his interlocutors rather than addressing any actual arguments. What’s even more infuriating is that he frequently escapes consequence thanks to what feels like administrative leniency (though I must offer my sincere praise to Nick and DJ, who have been the epitome of impartiality, decency, and professionalism since this platform's inception).

The most recent outburst from Mr. virtual Butković occurred within the discussion thread regarding the burger joint Rosemary Inc., famously known locally as "The Port."

His post was

to which the response provided was

"Do you honestly believe this is constructive writing?

You’re sitting there, practically a ghost on this forum, claiming that the content doesn't matter, only the person writing it?!

And you actually have the nerve to lecture me on the constructiveness of the gastronomy pdf?

Is it somehow more 'constructive' to descend upon every single thread to spout your little philosophies that have zero connection to the real world?

Have some shame; frankly, you lost all credibility on this topic a long time ago. You are tedious and arrogant—two traits the real world has absolutely no patience for... good day."

And yet, in the end, *I* am the one who receives a warning? So, let me get this straight: this gentleman maintains a style of engagement where the substance of a post is irrelevant compared to the identity of the poster, and this behavior is tolerated. If that's the case, what is the purpose of this forum? Does this platform exist merely to serve a handful of culinary pretenders whose only claim to fame is their post count, making their entries automatically "superior"? I’ve spent quite a bit of time with the owner of this site—should that factor into my standing here? Am I somehow inherently more valuable than another user because of that association? Can I simply wage war across the boards without consequence just because I know the higher-ups? Or should I perhaps act like some uncultured hillbilly from the Midwest, or does having a larger ego somehow grant me immunity?

Every single thread has a section where this individual decides to veer off-topic.

On most topics, he relies on ad hominem attacks to personally smear those he disagrees with, yet he walks away without a single penalty (just look at how he treats Krkimir). His posts remain as nothing more than hollow grains of "wisdom" he chooses to scatter among us poor souls who, unfortunately, possess actual lives and don't have the time to rack up twenty thousand posts just to be immortalized in some digital archive for future generations.

I will stop there, but I sincerely hope for a response from the members of the administration who actually understand their roles and don't operate with double standards. I realize managing people isn't easy, especially when it's unpaid work, but there is nothing I can do about that. I can only appeal for an end to this hypocrisy and ask that this gentleman finally be held accountable for treating every single discussion like his own personal playground for idiocy.

Just one final thought. I am a regular at that burger establishment (if you can even call it that anymore, given its evolution into a much more elevated dining concept). I go there at least once a week, sometimes more. I’ve experienced the best and the worst of it, but I keep going because the food is genuinely good and I know the staff, who are truly top-tier, despite the occasional hiccups that occur in any growing business's lifecycle. However, I have never once felt it was my place to personally discredit someone just because they hold a different opinion. I have never tethered a person's viewpoint to my personal feelings toward a specific user. That is what democracy is, and that is what a forum is meant for: the expression of diverse opinions.

Google, please don't take this personally; I truly have nothing against you or your posts. I actually enjoy them when they are genuinely related to gastronomy, but everything else—all those petty provocations—is utterly inexcusable.

Thank you for your time, and I wish you a pleasant day!

You’ve been flagged, and it isn't just because of that one comment, but because of these as well:

Man, I really feel for you... even DJ would have poked fun at you if he wasn't a moderator. You spend all your energy focusing on everyone else and overdoing it. It's exhausting.

Exactly. Everyone is just out to get Rosemary Inc. I actually saw an apprentice there pick up a pastry right off the floor nearly two years ago. They served it without a second thought. And what? You think I'm going to cry about it? I didn't eat it, so it didn't matter to me, but I still went back there countless times. Now, heaven forbid we offer any criticism, or people just jump at the chance to trash the place on the forums? Give me a break... you're just as draining as Google...

Michelle Evans said:You’ve been flagged, and it isn't just because of that one comment, but because of these as well:

Man, I really feel for you... even DJ would have poked fun at you if he wasn't a moderator. You spend all your energy focusing on everyone else and overdoing it. It's exhausting.

Exactly. Everyone is just out to get Rosemary Inc. I actually saw an apprentice there pick up a pastry right off the floor nearly two years ago. They served it without a second thought. And what? You think I'm going to cry about it? I didn't eat it, so it didn't matter to me, but I still went back there countless times. Now, heaven forbid we offer any criticism, or people just jump at the chance to trash the place on the forums? Give me a break... you're just as draining as Google...

Do you even comprehend the question being asked here? Because if you don't actually understand the inquiry, then please, for the sake of everyone involved, refrain from answering it. Look, I truly appreciate the time you took to write back, I really do, but please—I am asking a very simple question: why does this esteemed gentleman get a pass when he goes off-topic and resorts to ad hominem attacks, while others are handed out warnings without a shred of mercy?

And if it isn't too much trouble, could you please cite those other posts as reasons for the warning next time? You didn't mention them here, so I was strictly referring to the post at hand. You also mentioned "thread hijacking." I would love for you to define exactly what "thread hijacking" means to you. How many posts am I required to write before I am allowed to respond to someone else in a thread? Is there some magic number I need to hit before my contribution isn't immediately branded as "hijacking"?

I was under the impression that the whole point of this thread was constructive communication—that’s what Google thinks, anyway—but it seems he is the very person actively undermining any chance of a productive discussion. Yet, he doesn't get a warning. I do. He mocks Krkimir, who gets nothing more than a slap on the wrist, while he walks away scot-free. Now, I would dearly love for you to explain to me how that is considered fair play.

How is it that Nick and DJ never make biased decisions? (And believe me, I know this firsthand, having dealt with my own share of their warnings and reprimands, and I have never once found cause to complain about their impartiality).

Have a pleasant day, and please, don't take this personally. This isn't a post about me whining because I got flagged; this is a post about the fact that the same standards are not being applied to every user. That is an objective fact. Thank you, and have a good one.

The gastronomy pdf is a pretty laid-back and chill corner of this site.

We generally let people drift off-topic, throw a little troll at someone, or engage in minor mischief—think of it like how a highway patrol officer might ignore you if you're just doing 5 over the limit, or how a fast-food joint might label their burgers as "98% beef"—you just squint, plug your nose, and pretend you didn't notice that tiny gap.

The mod team almost never reaches for the ban hammer here, mostly because we want to keep the conversation flowing and the threads active without constant interruptions.

After checking in with the rest of the crew, moderator Michelle Evans (so, a lady, not a gentleman ) laid out exactly why you caught a penalty.

To put it bluntly, you jumped into a thread where nobody had contributed anything meaningful lately, and then you went ahead and called another user out specifically for being "unconstructive."
It’s kind of like if you were cruising through a residential zone with a speed limit of 31 miles, decided to blast past some guy going 37 miles in your own car, and then immediately ran to a cop to report him for being a slow driver. 56 miles 😵

I honestly can't think of a simpler way to justify your 40-point penalty.

Given what you actually brought to the table, that number could have easily been much higher.
But, like I said at the start, our gastronomy pdf is moderated loosely and liberally; handing out penalties is definitely not our idea of a good time.

Any well-intentioned, constructive post is always welcome on this board.
Catch you guys around later. 👋

velvetmoose9 said:The gastronomy pdf is a pretty laid-back and chill corner of this site.

We generally let people drift off-topic, throw a little troll at someone, or engage in minor mischief—think of it like how a highway patrol officer might ignore you if you're just doing 5 over the limit, or how a fast-food joint might label their burgers as "98% beef"—you just squint, plug your nose, and pretend you didn't notice that tiny gap.

The mod team almost never reaches for the ban hammer here, mostly because we want to keep the conversation flowing and the threads active without constant interruptions.

After checking in with the rest of the crew, moderator Michelle Evans (so, a lady, not a gentleman ) laid out exactly why you caught a penalty.

To put it bluntly, you jumped into a thread where nobody had contributed anything meaningful lately, and then you went ahead and called another user out specifically for being "unconstructive."
It’s kind of like if you were cruising through a residential zone with a speed limit of 31 miles, decided to blast past some guy going 37 miles in your own car, and then immediately ran to a cop to report him for being a slow driver. 56 miles 😵

I honestly can't think of a simpler way to justify your 40-point penalty.

Given what you actually brought to the table, that number could have easily been much higher.
But, like I said at the start, our gastronomy pdf is moderated loosely and liberally; handing out penalties is definitely not our idea of a good time.

Any well-intentioned, constructive post is always welcome on this board.
Catch you guys around later. 👋

Sounds like someone's just talking out of their ass...

So, users are allowed a certain amount of off-topic nonsense and trolling?

Which users? And how much? Are you saying you have a rule that you just apply selectively?

I called him out for the exact thing he was calling others out for. Is that really so hard to grasp? Isn't this whole analogy just proving that instead of worrying about the cheating, you're just upset that we got caught?

So, what, am I supposed to post in a thread within some specific timeframe so my comment isn't considered an "intrusion"? What is that timeframe? Is there even a rule against "intruding" on a topic? There isn't...

So, the warning itself isn't the issue, but whining about my "intrusion" just shows that you're essentially defending and protecting a clique that lacks any actual logic.

Do you also think snapper is better than sea bass or perch? When I said that before, it was just banter and nothing happened. But the second you poke fun at some forum regular, the warnings start flying. I don't care about the points, but the double standards are glaringly obvious. I never contact the police, so your analogy totally missed the mark. Deedy is a user who spams every single thread and then whines when someone replies to him, but whatever—you're the admin, and you're sticking by your crew. It's honestly ridiculous.

Anyway, thanks for wasting your time on this response. Next time, save yourself the trouble and just go grab a coffee downtown.

Regards,