FictionSmith and the other spammers

mistystag99 NewcomerOP

1 message
joined Mar 2012

#1 · Nov 21, 2011

I’ve been following him over in the ban corner, and honestly, he comes across as this mildly amusing character—one of those people who seems to operate with a hundred different clones, driving everyone crazy whenever you finally manage to catch one of them 😁

I really don't think we should be quite so draconian with these types of persistent users. I’m not entirely sure what triggered his permanent ban, but I can say with some certainty it wasn't anything egregious like hate speech or the kind of vitriol you see constantly in political threads... yet these guys still find ways to keep posting 🤷

It’s the same story with Rick and others like him—they are essentially harmless spammers and trolls at most. They aren't actually threatening the community or the integrity of the board, so there should probably be some consideration for lifting bans after a certain period of time... especially since the community seems so eager to have them back 🤷

Taylor Gonzalez79 Active Member

78 messages
joined May 2008

#2 · Nov 21, 2011

I have to admit, I’m noticing it too. It’s pretty obvious this isn't just some random forum user who can't keep their emotions in check—it's clearly calculated. He probably churned out those hundred clones because he felt slighted by how things were handled. But honestly? I don't think anyone is going to tear down the entire PDF structure just to let him back in through the front door. At the very least, we should stick to Sasha's method—tell him to reach out in a month, two months, maybe six... and if there hasn't been a single complaint by then, we consider letting him back on.

Sandra Lee84 Member

15 messages
joined Nov 2011

#3 · Nov 21, 2011

So, he got slapped with a three-day ban and just couldn't wait it out, so he went ahead and made a clone. 😁
That’s basically how this whole mess started. Look, just unban him like you did all those other
clones people were racking up while they were sitting out their bans.

Rules should be rules, right? They need to apply to everyone, whether you're handing out permissions or taking them away. 👍

And for God's sake, please just lift the ban on Faspy—he's seriously not FictionSmith.
It’s pretty obvious from up here. 🤣🤣

Steven Reed Regular

354 messages
joined Dec 2014

#4 · Nov 22, 2011

Look, I’m on board too. Give him a shot—you can always toss him into the ban corner if he screws up. 🙂

And FictionSmith, listen—if you end up getting slapped with another three-day ban, don't go making burner accounts. 🙂 Three days without the forum isn't exactly a death sentence. 🙂

Daniel Ward87 Active Member

195 messages
joined May 2023

#5 · Nov 22, 2011

The admins have decided that FictionSmith isn't getting unbanned. That’s the final word on it, regardless of how many times he tries to pop up under a new handle or how much we debate it here.

Sandra Lee84 Member

15 messages
joined Nov 2011

#6 · Nov 22, 2011

I mean, the admin team’s decision wasn't exactly a shocker, but man, it would’ve been a nice gesture if we actually got a real, logical explanation as to why he isn't getting his privileges back,
especially since he basically walked away from his mistakes without any real consequence.

Maybe if things were handled differently, he’d stop constantly cluttering up the corner with those endless threads
just fishing for a reaction or some kind of handout
from the mods.

Anonymous Veteran

3.6K messages
joined May 2005

#7 · Nov 24, 2011

Daniel Ward87 said:The admin team has decided that FictionSmith's ban will stay in place. This decision is final, regardless of how many times they try to make clone accounts or how much we argue about it here.

I don't see you actually debating this, Ward87. You don't even seem to have an opinion; you're just parroting whatever you're told. So, stay out of it.

Look, Tyndall, during my own unfair five-month ban, I became a very attentive reader of the ban corner.

There was a whole catalog of offenses: spamming links to other forums, hate speech, doxxing, cursing out the admin and mod teams, criticizing moderation, and personal attacks—calling people losers, idiots, morons, Mexicans, and so on. Every single person who got banned was given a reason, even if it was just because an admin woke up on the wrong side of the bed and a user mistook them for someone who doesn't exist.

I spent five months under a permanent ban without breaking any rules; I even made clones while I was out—which is funny, considering how everyone on certain PDF threads who's protected by the mods gets away with doing the exact same thing.

Every administrative decision comes with a justification, even something as minor as avatar size. Everyone who is convicted—whether they're a rapist or a serial killer (to use Sasha's flashy, baroque prose)—has the right to know the reasoning behind the verdict, and I deserve that too.

Please provide a meaningful and specific response. Thanks.

Daniel Ward87 Active Member

195 messages
joined May 2023

#8 · Nov 24, 2011

Anonymous said:I don't see you actually arguing a point here, Daniel Ward87. You aren't even taking a side; you're just typing whatever pops into your head. So, maybe just sit this one out.

Give me a response that actually makes sense and gets to the point. Thanks.

Actually, I do have a stance: No mercy, the permanent ban stays.

Gerald Rivera17 Member

38 messages
joined Oct 2005

#9 · Nov 24, 2011

Daniel Ward87 said:Actually, I’m sticking to my guns here—there's no room for mercy... the permanent ban stays.

There’s an old saying floating around... something along the lines of "screw anyone who refuses to change their mind." 😉

Sandra Lee84 Member

15 messages
joined Nov 2011

#10 · Nov 24, 2011

Why on earth are you guys deleting him? All he's doing is asking for some actual reasoning behind the call. 🤷

Sandra Lee84 Member

15 messages
joined Nov 2011

#11 · Nov 25, 2011

rustydrifter10 said:Look, if you feel like a specific topic is missing from a subforum where it doesn't belong, feel free to start a thread right here. You can lay out your reasoning, and then the mods or the admin team will take a look at your suggestion. Just don't go thinking a new thread is a guarantee, but if they decide against it, they'll tell you why.

But shouldn't that same rule—you know, the one in bold—apply to people who've been permabanned without even getting an explanation?

I mean, seriously... why is it that on this forum, you aren't allowed to openly talk about admins or mods abusing their power? Every time someone tries to bring that up, the posts just get nuked instantly.

rustydrifter10 Regular

693 messages
joined Apr 2011

#12 · Nov 25, 2011

I honestly don't know where to start with this one, but I feel like we really need to sit down and have a real conversation about what's happening lately. It feels like everything is shifting so fast, doesn't it? I was just sitting here thinking about how much things have changed, and I couldn't help but react to some of the stuff being said in the other threads. You know how it is—one minute you think you've got a handle on things, and the next, everything feels completely upside down. I was reading what Taylor Gonzalez79 mentioned earlier, and man, they really hit the nail on the head regarding the chaos. It’s like we’re all just trying to find our footing while the ground keeps moving under us. And then you see someone like Steven Reed jumping in with those intense takes, and suddenly the whole vibe of the discussion shifts from casual to high-stakes in a heartbeat! It can be a lot to process, especially when you're just looking for some common sense in the middle of all this noise. I’m not trying to preach or anything—I just want to offer a little perspective because it feels like we're losing that sense of community we used to have. We should be able to talk about these things without feeling like we're walking on eggshells, right? I miss those days when we could just hang out, share some thoughts, and not worry about every single word being dissected by a critic. Anyway, I'm curious to hear what you all think. Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like we're all just collectively holding our breath right now? Let's talk it out. kaže:
Shouldn't that same rule—you know, the one in bold—apply to those who have been permabanned too?
So, wait—are we actually being denied an explanation here? Is that really how this is going to go down?

I mean, yeah, absolutely. Honestly, everyone who’s been banned should at least get a clear explanation as to why it happened. It just feels right, you know?

So, I’ve been seeing people ask lately why we can't just have an open, free-for-all discussion about people abusing their status on this forum, and honestly, I feel like I should clear the air on this because there seems to be some confusion about how we operate here. Look, I totally get the frustration—it feels like if someone is acting entitled or pulling rank, we should all be able to call them out and vent about it without feeling like we're walking on eggshells. But there's a reason we don't turn this place into a constant grievance session regarding power trips. The thing is, once you start making "status abuse" the main topic of conversation, the whole vibe of the community shifts from being a place for actual discussion to becoming a toxic courtroom where everyone is playing judge and jury. It becomes less about the topics we actually care about and more about pointing fingers at specific users or moderators. If we opened the floodgates to debating whether someone is "using their influence" too much, we'd spend half our time arguing about personalities instead of ideas, and frankly, that’s a recipe for a massive headache that nobody wants to deal with. I know some of you might feel like certain people are getting special treatment, and trust me, I hear you. But rather than turning the forum into a battlefield over perceived hierarchies, we try to keep things focused on the content. We want this to stay a space where you can hang out, share your thoughts, and enjoy the community without having to navigate a minefield of accusations every time you log on. It’s not about protecting anyone's ego; it's about preserving the actual purpose of the site so it doesn't devolve into a mess of drama and infighting. Let's just keep things civil and focus on the real stuff, okay?
Wait, so when it comes to moderators or admins, does the system just wipe their registration data the very second they get deleted?

I really don't think posts should be getting wiped just because someone decides to call out how the admins are running things. Honestly, if anything is being deleted, it’s probably not the actual criticism itself, but rather the way people are choosing to deliver it.

Sandra Lee84 Member

15 messages
joined Nov 2011

#13 · Nov 25, 2011

rustydrifter10 said:Yeah, they totally should. Everyone who gets banned deserves an actual explanation as to why it happened.

So if that's the rule, why didn't anyone bother giving FictionSmith anything besides a "you're permanently banned" response? And why does everyone just ignore
his questions about those privileged three-digit clones—you know, the ones who are allowed to post all over the forum today while he’s stuck out in the ban corner?

Posts shouldn't be deleted just because they call out how the admins run things. If they're being wiped, it's probably because of the tone used, not the actual criticism.

In his threads over in the corner that kept getting nuked, the only thing "problematic" was the stuff
he posted showing exactly how those three-digit clones talk, and his
pointing out how those long-time privileged clones are active everywhere while the original accounts are sitting in the ban corner.
Even after all that, his posts were still wiped.

Since cloning is the whole reason he's not allowed to post here, why
won't anyone actually answer his questions instead of just constantly deleting his stuff?

Steven Reed Regular

354 messages
joined Dec 2014

#14 · Nov 25, 2011

Look, I’m all for letting FictionSmith provide an explanation. Honestly, I think he deserves a second chance—especially since, if my memory serves me right, his reason for being banned wasn't even about insults or anything like that.

My only request is that you leave the "clone" accusations out of this regarding the Zidić crew—that whole situation is a bit more nuanced, and frankly, we’ve dragged it out across the forum far too many times over the last year and a half. (I'm bored of the constant bickering and nitpicking over it, quite frankly. Those users were removed, the reasons behind those bans were what they were, and that's that. If the women who were previously permabanned from the forums could move past it, then there really is no need to drag this drama back into the spotlight).

edit: Ben, you're a 503 🙂 🙂

rustydrifter10 Regular

693 messages
joined Apr 2011

#15 · Nov 25, 2011

I can't give you the exact reason why FictionSmith got hit, mostly because I wasn't the one who issued the ban and I don't know all the gritty details of the case. But from what I gather, it isn't just about how many clone accounts were created—you can't just point to a number and call it a day. It’s more about how those clones were actually being used and the overall way he was behaving. Honestly, it seems like it's been explained to him several times now why his ban isn't being lifted. If anyone wants the full story, the moderators whose PDFs he earned those bans on can weigh in, or you could just head over to his thread on the community forum and see for yourself.

Sandra Lee84 Member

15 messages
joined Nov 2011

#16 · Nov 25, 2011

Elizabeth Anderson63 said:Look, I’m totally on board with letting FictionSmith explain himself. Honestly, I think he deserves a second chance, especially if his reason for being banned wasn't actually about being offensive or whatever (if my memory serves me right, at least).

Well, your memory serves you pretty well then. He doesn't really go around insulting people; that's just not how he talks. 🙂

I just ask that we don't drag the Zidić crew into this whole "clone" accusation thing, because that whole situation is way more complicated than it looks, and honestly, we've dragged it out across the forum way too many times over the last year and a half. Seriously, I'm tired of the constant bickering and nitpicking about it. The perms were removed, the reasons they were handed out were what they were, and that's that. If those former female users who got permabanned can move past it, then there's really no point in dragging this old drama back into the light.

edit: Ben, you're a 503 🙂 🙂

Personally, I'm not a fan of calling anyone out, and I really feel like everyone should have the right to
one more shot. But if we make exceptions for certain people, it starts looking like the rules of this
whole forum were basically written just for FictionSmith.

Steven Reed Regular

354 messages
joined Dec 2014

#17 · Nov 25, 2011

I agree—if I’d seen evidence of someone losing their permanent status while others dodged it, I probably would have called for heads too. But honestly, what happened with the old admin scandals and those account cloning incidents is a completely different beast. You can't compare them—they have entirely different contexts 😉
it happened, it's over, and it hasn't recurred 😍
all I want is for FictionSmith to get his permaban lifted so we can actually get back to the discussion 😉

edit: well, Smith 🙂 what am I even supposed to say to you??? Just go ahead and cite the old admin drama then 🤷 😢
(context for the rest of the massive forum population: I'm responding to Smith on the main thread)

Sandra Lee84 Member

15 messages
joined Nov 2011

#18 · Nov 25, 2011

rustydrifter10 said:Look, I can't give you the exact reason why Smith got banned because I wasn't the one who pulled the trigger on it, and I don't know all the gritty details of the case. But from what I gather, it wasn't just about how many burner accounts he made—you can't just point at other people to justify it—it was more about how he actually used those clones and his whole vibe while doing it. Plus, I'm pretty sure it’s already been explained to him a few times why the ban isn't being lifted. If you want the real scoop, the mods whose threads he messed up can weigh in, or you can just check his thread on the main US forum again.

He was using those clone accounts to post on the forum, specifically in the TV/Reality section.
Doing it in that classic forum style, you know, acting like one of those "elite" members.

Smith has been told several times now that being a VIP member is one thing,
but that doesn't mean the rules don't apply to everyone.
Obviously, hearing that is a tough pill to swallow.

@Steven Reed, "every situation is different. Forget about the guys in Jersey, forget about Murmilla, forget about
Bob...is Smith really the only scapegoat on this whole American forum?
Whatever names you drop, Smith deserves an exception too."

Steven Reed Regular

354 messages
joined Dec 2014

#19 · Nov 25, 2011

Ugh, I am honestly exhausted from trying to explain the same logic over and over—it’s clearly hitting a brick wall 😉 so, I’m stepping away from this one. FictionSmith, best of luck getting that permanent ban lifted 😉

edit: since you’re insisting 😍 Lillian—the user you keep bringing up—was permanently banned for being a nuisance clone (though we never actually established who, whose, or what). Lillian was her original handle (before she managed to hack her way into the jaffa account). Long story short: she wasn't a clone, and none of her previous accounts were banned before her own permanent ban hit.
Oblica was banned for being a miseducate clone—and I'm fairly certain even you know those are two different people 😉
and so on and so forth.

Look, I get that you're frustrated, but I’ll say it again: your precedents are totally wrong.
Regardless, I truly hope you manage to clear your name; I'm done talking about the fence 😉

Joshua Hughes4 Member

13 messages
joined May 2013

#20 · Nov 25, 2011

Maybe this guy is just another example of someone getting banned unfairly.
I’ve chatted with Smith before, and honestly, I don't recall him ever being abusive toward anyone here. 🤷

Word is he got hit because he supposedly insulted some BB participants. 🙏 🤣

But look, it’s just not right. It’s going to cause a massive backlash. We're looking at a situation where a mod just swoops in out of nowhere and bans a clone who was actually being chill and having decent conversations in the off-topic section—all because they happen to be a clone of someone permanently banned.

And let's not forget that whole dramatic scene in the mod corner: "Here he is, shoot him! I'll do it, you do it, hold him down... he's ours now."

I get it, clones aren't allowed. But there really should be some unspoken rule about letting people back in if they've genuinely learned their lesson and are behaving perfectly fine without breaking any rules... especially when they clearly care this much about being part of the community. 🤷

FictionSmith and the other spammers

🔗 Similar threads