Request to remove an insane moderator

To "his" rules you’re so bitter about didn't actually bother me much back then
It's because my time there was so brief I barely even noticed them

I was actually looking back at the history of my own infractions yesterday, and honestly, it was pretty funny—about three-quarters of them were just over some silly balloon debates😁

The only time I actually snapped at a moderator during all those instances was just once

There is also this one rule that I find completely absurd and totally unhelpful for the users (and I wasn't even aware of it), so I end up breaking it, she hands me a yellow card... I reply, she replies back, drops a red card on me, and that's the end of the conversation

Why did it end? Because even though I thought the rule was stupid, well, that's the rule governing that subforum, and it applies to everyone
to both me and others alike
That was my one and only conflict with a moderator in fifteen years

The issue here is the hypocrisy regarding how Emily Myers8 is treating me (or anyone else); she punishes a perfectly normal post—even locking the thread so you can't ask again, and if you try asking in the chat, she wipes that too and locks the chat—while on the other hand, she lets her friends slide on everything, even when they openly insult and belittle regular users without receiving a single penalty🙏

The legend even leaves up a post where Mr. Ivek insults me (it's still sitting there!), yet my response to him gets deleted and I get hit with infractions just for replying🤣
And in my reply, I didn't insult him or anything of the sort; in fact, I wrote with the utmost politeness because I sensed more cards might be flying, and I wanted to see just how far she would go and if she was truly bold enough to punish that too

As it turns out, she was

I mean, it's just too much...

Emily Myers8 has put out so many solid posts and helped so many people—myself included—that it’s obvious she knows her stuff. She's an expert on all kinds of heating systems; if we ever need a new moderator, she'd be the perfect candidate. Yet, "Robert Martin23" went ahead and banned her for no reason at all for a long stretch of time (I usually get along better with him, so maybe it was just my lucky month?). It wasn't even for anything bad; he just felt like it. He'll never actually understand what she writes because he simply doesn't have the capacity to grasp it.

As for everything else, I unfortunately get where you're coming from.

You actually just reminded me of something...

I’ve been dipping into this thread whenever I get a chance (since, obviously, I haven't had the luxury of sitting down to binge-read five straight hours of this stuff)

So, I'm reading through, and suddenly the bickering and fighting starts to ramp up...
I was visiting some relatives the other day... sat down on the couch, and one of them asked me what I was reading.
I told her: a thread about building a custom smoker. Can you believe people actually managed to start fighting over this?

But hey, what do you expect? People can be idiots. 😁

And honestly, that was just the tip of the iceberg... everything that unfolded afterward surpassed all my expectations... I never dreamed things would descend this far within a single topic.🤣

Even your own posts were genuinely hard to believe, if I'm being honest.
I mean, you describe every single detail of the build... you post photos (which didn't show up, though now I realize why they were deleted)... you answer every question.

I genuinely thought the moderator would hand you a Medal of Honor for helping boost the reputation of this entire sub-forum on a global scale.

Instead, you suddenly see posts getting wiped and conflicts erupting... and out of nowhere, you're labeled a "narcissist." (That part really stuck with me, because it was fascinating to watch a moderator address a user who had earned the most "compliments" for their work in such a way.)

It felt like watching the movie "Life is Beautiful," where a comedy abruptly shifts into a tragedy without any warning.

That’s exactly how it felt to me while I was reading through it all at once.

😂

Exactly.

You want to know why I was posting every single day with such specific details and photos?

Because I was actually doing the work—getting my hands dirty (using SSM) for the first time in my life, specifically dealing with stone, tiling, and plumbing. I have a little experience with electrical and automation, but this was new.

I wanted others to see how it's done, so if I messed up, someone could flag it. That way, nobody else would repeat my mistakes, and they could show a better, faster, or easier way. That’s supposed to be the whole point of a forum, isn't it?

Instead, I came off as some narcissist who posts massive photos every single day just because he's working with a tiny phone. It ended with a bunch of useless messages flying back and forth and me getting banned again.

My buddies from my weekend league were genuinely baffled; nobody understood why I got kicked off. A few people even chimed in with their own comments about the situation.

Whatever. I don't regret a word I wrote, but I won't forget how "Robert Martin23" treated me over a single-handle mixer cartridge.😁

We’ve hit a bit of a stalemate here, but I suppose someone in charge will eventually take notice of this thread.

I got shut down when I asked why we don't just pour the slab instead of using precast pieces.

It might sound trivial or even basic, but I am actually quite proud of the concept.🙂

In fact, every contractor I consulted about this gave me a thoughtful nod, agreeing that it was a genuinely clever approach.

(To put it simply: it would be faster, easier, and cheaper. While the load capacity might be lower, it remains more than adequate for a backyard grill.)

Why isn't anyone doing it? That is exactly what I posed to this forum.
I wasn't sure if there was some legitimate technical barrier preventing it, or if people just don't do it simply because "that's not how it's done."

It turns out to be the latter. Traditionally, everyone just hauls in slabs and pours concrete around them, yet nobody seems to have considered this alternative.

Since I was a complete novice in this area, I was merely looking at things from a different angle and noticed a glaring inconsistency.

And rather than receiving any recognition for my creativity—given that this idea would significantly simplify life for future DIYers building outdoor kitchens based on these forums—some guy had the nerve to claim my question was nothing more than a provocation.🤣 🤣

We aren't just chatting here—we're explaining why Robert Martin23 needs to be replaced immediately. He’s unilaterally moderating outside the actual forum rules, driving away well-meaning users and tanking the post count on the Adobe PDF. That directly hurts J. A., the owner of this platform, by cutting into ad revenue since there are significantly fewer posts because of him.

What kind of moderator wants to stop people from writing much on the very Adobe PDF he's supposed to be running? What's that about?

He doesn't feel any pressure to step down himself. If it were me, I would have been too embarrassed to show my face on the first page of this thread a long time ago. Probably years ago, actually.

Using pre-fab raised beds—why bother? In my humble opinion, it doesn't make much sense because you still have to buy the kits, cut them to size, build the forms, and then pour the concrete anyway.

It's easier to just build the forms, reinforce them with mesh, and pour the concrete. You skip the hassle of sourcing and cutting specific pre-fab pieces, the weight difference on that surface isn't even significant, and it's just simpler.

Everything after that stage is exactly the same (sand, firebrick, building up the layers)....

There is absolutely no reason to be out there hand-cutting a raised garden bed. You simply purchase the exact dimensions you require; they come in every possible size imaginable, so you just pick the one that fits your space.
The footprint for a raised bed is also minimal, making it an incomparable advantage.
Additionally, you’ll deal with significantly less concrete mixing—which is a massive relief if you don't own a mixer, a situation I personally find myself in quite often.

Beyond that, everything else remains the same, obviously.
And let's please refrain from turning this thread into a "DIY enthusiast" debate; we all know how many people here would lose their minds over such topics. 😁

You're right, my bad. Not just you, either.

I'm done here; I've got nothing left to say. Just waiting on a fair conclusion and some "expert" resolution to this whole mess. 😁

mellowraven8 said:😂

Exactly.

You want to know why I was posting every single day with such specific details and photos?

Because I was actually doing the work—getting my hands dirty (using SSM) for the first time in my life, specifically dealing with stone, tiling, and plumbing. I have a little experience with electrical and automation, but this was new.

I wanted others to see how it's done, so if I messed up, someone could flag it. That way, nobody else would repeat my mistakes, and they could show a better, faster, or easier way. That’s supposed to be the whole point of a forum, isn't it?

Instead, I came off as some narcissist who posts massive photos every single day just because he's working with a tiny phone. It ended with a bunch of useless messages flying back and forth and me getting banned again.

My buddies from my weekend league were genuinely baffled; nobody understood why I got kicked off. A few people even chimed in with their own comments about the situation.

Whatever. I don't regret a word I wrote, but I won't forget how "Robert Martin23" treated me over a single-handle mixer cartridge.😁

I completely missed this 🤣

Locking the thread about removing a single-lever mixer cartridge as a sticky topic (one where you can't even comment) is truly peak performance 🤣

It felt strange to me from day one, but I just figured people were asking about it constantly and the moderator got tired of seeing the same questions over and over, so they just pinned it to stop the repetition.

Now I see that wasn't really a valid reason for that topic 🙂

Sure, that's a brilliant topic for him since that's clearly his intellectual ceiling. A cartridge. A damn washer leaking after ten years (when a new one costs a couple of bucks), for God's sake.

He’s acting like a plumber from Žika Pavlović's Žikine dinastija 😁 (not that it matters—it's not like my degree or training is anything special, but you can't be narrow-minded and stuck in your own little bubble).

And my thread—which covers my own water, electricity, produce, and a solid annual income from tourism managed on a shoestring budget via an SSM arrangement, all under full IoT control—was cannibalized right at the start. First, they moved it to some generic, mindless category, and then through a PM, they CONVINCED me how and what I'm allowed to write. Naturally, I got banned when I refused to shut up and lost my cool; I was a complete jerk to him in those private messages. He really knows how to bring out the worst in people. That's his talent.

HE CANNOT.

I write what I want, when I want, politely and within the forum rules. Occasionally there's a hint of humor, sarcasm, or teasing, but it's always meant well for the benefit of whoever I'm talking to.

I PRIVATIZE only my own thread —others can use it if they care. If nobody cares about a thread, it dies. That’s a problem that’s never been efficiently solved.

When a discussion develops and the topic helps even one person, great. That’s what this forum is for, and why it exists. I get value from other people's posts too.

If that isn't the case (in my view, according to the general rules), then it isn't. I'll just walk away and erase every trace I possibly can.

People keep asking why we even need moderators who also jump in to comment.
We all have to follow the rules—mostly just being decent and civilized, which most of us have already figured out by now.
If someone actually breaks the rules, any self-aware user can report them to a moderator who isn't posting publicly.
Then, the moderator decides how to handle it.
Right now, we have moderators relying on knowledge from a while back, but honestly, that might not be enough anymore since there are so many new gadgets and solutions out there now.
Real progress comes from those who keep learning and actually apply their ideas; take mellowraven8, for example, who’s always coming up with creative stuff.
Being imaginative is what matters; just relying on what you learned in school doesn't last forever.
Punishing people for repeating themselves or trying to help others find quick fixes is old-school thinking; that shift depends more on the users than the mods.
And digging up posts from years ago to call people out? That's a dead idea. This forum isn't some static history book; things change every single day.

slycyclist342 said:We’ve hit a bit of a stalemate here, but I suppose someone in charge will eventually take notice of this thread.

I got shut down when I asked why we don't just pour the slab instead of using precast pieces.

It might sound trivial or even basic, but I am actually quite proud of the concept.🙂

In fact, every contractor I consulted about this gave me a thoughtful nod, agreeing that it was a genuinely clever approach.

(To put it simply: it would be faster, easier, and cheaper. While the load capacity might be lower, it remains more than adequate for a backyard grill.)

Why isn't anyone doing it? That is exactly what I posed to this forum.
I wasn't sure if there was some legitimate technical barrier preventing it, or if people just don't do it simply because "that's not how it's done."

It turns out to be the latter. Traditionally, everyone just hauls in slabs and pours concrete around them, yet nobody seems to have considered this alternative.

Since I was a complete novice in this area, I was merely looking at things from a different angle and noticed a glaring inconsistency.

And rather than receiving any recognition for my creativity—given that this idea would significantly simplify life for future DIYers building outdoor kitchens based on these forums—some guy had the nerve to claim my question was nothing more than a provocation.🤣 🤣

I caught wind of this thread, but honestly, I just don't have the bandwidth right now to dive deep into all the posts and figure out exactly where everything went sideways. If it isn't super urgent, would you mind bearing with me for a bit? I'll try my best to sit down and get through it all properly before the end of the year. 😁

Of course it isn’t urgent 👍

If my colleagues were clearly able to "endure" this for years, they can certainly manage a little longer 😁
It is their own fault for failing to act sooner 😁
(I have to poke a bit of fun at them, because I honestly cannot wrap my head around why nobody lifted a finger while reading all this)

For me, it’s a minor issue

I’m hardly a veteran here anyway, and if they had just left me alone for a few days, I probably would have moved on from this subforum already🙂

A pseudo-moderator of that caliber would certainly be a welcome addition to the Religion section on the Adobe PDF. 😬

rustydrifter10, look, you might be going crazy, but you still need to fix this properly and end this years-long streak of unfair moderator bias.

You know I’m always right, except when I’m talking about traditional gender roles at home—which is mostly just me messing around since I actually listen to my wife like a total pushover.😁

But hey, if I deserve a penalty, I take it on the chin (and I usually do, because I have zero self-censorship, so whatever).

I’m not complaining about you, even if you did sneakily and unfairly ban me more than once. Actually, I kind of like you; you remind me of those ladies with cats from back in the day.😁

But I see how it is.😂 So it doesn't matter.

Robert Martin23 is completely biased and repulsive toward the entire Adobe PDF community. What does that tell you?

A few people teamed up against the same thing on a thread that nobody even realizes exists.

That says everything.

It’s just another typical day of chaos, exactly as expected.

"Let's keep moving," says our good friend Ante 😁

Man, has it really been that long already?! 😲 Time just flies when you're lounging around, eating way too much, and basically baking cookies every other day. 😬
I'm kidding, obviously—life has just been absolutely swallowing me whole, and honestly, that wasn't part of the deal! But look, I’ve got it on my radar and I'll check it out as soon as I possibly can. My bad. I know this is a serious complaint, but things have been pure madness lately; between work chaos and everything going on personally, even this forum hasn't taken a vacation this year. I swear, I actually miss those old servers we used to have. 😳

Cheers, rustydrifter10.

The whole crowd is waiting on you, rooting for you to make the right call here 👍—just please don't tell us we all need to split up 😂
.
(And don't even suggest we should break off; let everyone decide for themselves).

This isn't just about one guy filing a complaint—shout out to slycyclist342 😁—this is about years of constant harassment directed at Adobe PDF.

You'll never truly know how many people stay silent, or how much potential Adobe PDF huge as it is, is losing because of him.

mellowraven8 said:Cheers, rustydrifter10.

The whole crowd is waiting on you, rooting for you to make the right call here 👍—just please don't tell us we all need to split up 😂
.
(And don't even suggest we should break off; let everyone decide for themselves).

This isn't just about one guy filing a complaint—shout out to slycyclist342 😁—this is about years of constant harassment directed at Adobe PDF.

You'll never truly know how many people stay silent, or how much potential Adobe PDF huge as it is, is losing because of him.

Well, regarding the first point, you aren't wrong....
you're basically calling me out... I just got here and I'm honestly irrelevant...

But as for the second part, it doesn't look good on you all when it appears someone has been harassed for years without anyone actually stepping in.😛

Since this topic is heating up again... I’m dropping this post here because I didn't get an answer on the other sub

http://www.reddit.com/showpost.php?p=9...&postcount=733

Can someone please point out which specific community rule was violated? Or was this just a blatant display of power—or should I say, a bit of a temper tantrum?

Just to be clear, I knew there was a 99% chance I'd be flagged (since I was getting hit with them constantly back then), so I made a genuine effort to write the most polite and civil post possible, but apparently, it wasn't enough. 🙂