Terrible moderation on this forum

Arthur Anderson49 said:I fail to see why you would direct those remarks toward me.

Because you are the only one here to whom he expressed such fondness. And we have all seen how that unfolded.

His second post on the "Bread..." thread was:

"Oh, will anyone else ever accept me on this subreddit? I am lonely, small, a miserable wretch, and a narrow-minded little man. What must a person do to be accepted by this online community?

The truth is, I am simply trying to establish some connection with you all so I don't feel so isolated living in this godforsaken backwater.

I like many of you: Judas, Arthur Anderson49, silvercyclist32, Hercules, Lester, and so on. I feel a certain kinship with you (...). I just want to feel like I belong somewhere..."

Justin Newman38 said:Because you’re the only one—out of everyone he actually admitted to liking—who's left. And well, we all saw how that turned out.

His second post over on the "Bread..." subreddit was basically this:

"Man, is anyone even going to accept me on this sub anymore? I'm just a lonely, tiny, pathetic little guy and a total jerk. What does a person even have to do to be accepted by this community?

The truth is, I'm just trying to connect with you guys on here so I don't feel so isolated living in this freaking middle-of-nowhere wasteland.

I really vibe with a lot of you: Judas, Arthur Anderson49, silvercyclist32, Hercules, Lester, and so on. I feel a real connection with you guys (...). I just want to feel like I belong somewhere..."

Look, Sarah Garcia46, that whole thing was just his first attempt at playing the victim—right after he’d spent his previous account being a complete nightmare to everyone. You get what I mean? It’s like a husband who beats his wife until she ends up in the ER, and then he starts sobbing, "Please don't leave me, please! I loooooooove you, and *sniff* I can't live without you!" After that, he kept doing that exact same thing—constantly flipping from being a total piece of trash to acting all sweet, then back again.

wanderingbadger44 said:You really ought to grasp what it means to be a crybaby. Neither I nor Arthur Anderson49 fall into that category. We weren't out there whining about our problems; we were simply handling them ourselves. In fact, Arthur Anderson49 ended up shouldering my portion of the burden as well, enduring a relentless barrage of insults just to cover for me.

Is this some kind of internal setup? Look, I’ve said this more than once before: when I’m putting a team together for a bit of mischief, Catch—in all its various incarnations—simply doesn't make the cut.

The notion of "assistance" offered by that woman—where she essentially forced us both to carry a heavy basket together like some sort of indignity—was nothing short of insulting.

Look, I suppose I should offer my apologies once again for my inadequate and rather offensive moderation. If I must provide an explanation, it is simply this: a continuous conversation left unchecked by reports began to look like nothing more than a series of jokes at everyone else's expense.

silvercyclist32 said:Look, I really want to apologize again for my clumsy and offensive way of moderating things. All I can say is that when a conversation keeps going without any reports being filed, it starts to feel a bit like people are just messing around.

Silver, I am truly sorry that you’re taking this so personally. It makes me feel terrible because that wasn't my intention at all, let alone trying to lecture you. Honestly, I'm an adult; I understand that people miss things sometimes for all sorts of reasons, and I don't expect anyone to jump through hoops for me. You said it, it bothered me, but I'm not someone who makes a mountain out of a molehill—I moved past it and didn't hold a grudge. I'm only bringing it up again because someone called me out on it. I could have just stayed quiet if I had realized how much this would sting for you. I just didn't think, and for that, I'm sorry. It's probably similar to how you didn't intend for Finnegan's posts to bother me, even though I don't make a scene or report them. Again, I'm not holding this against you. Please don't hold it against me for mentioning it.

It’s hard for me to feel like I've suddenly become your critic, especially since you're apologizing to me for "offensive moderation" when I've never actually voiced a single criticism outside of that one brief note on the Suggestions thread back when it was still active. I wrote it, and then I let it go. It feels like that one little comment is being treated as more significant than anything else, even though you can see plenty of other users on Reddit constantly nitpicking everything. That weighs on me.

I just want you to know that I never would have typed those words if I thought they would hit you this hard. Our connection matters to me far more than being right about some minor rule.

Ugh, this whole situation is just exhausting. 😢

Good grief, everyone, give the drama a rest! 🤦

slywolf45 said:For crying out loud, everyone needs to chill with the drama! 🤦

I feel like I have to vent because I can't stress enough how much I thought Ella was doing just fine, and now it feels like I’m the one who pushed her away.

I also find myself needing to speak up whenever it feels like people are being totally unfair toward Colbert.

Plus, there's a certain simple joy in looking back at my own posts. :herp: 🤣

wanderingbadger44 said:I need to vent here because I can't adequately express how much I feel like Ella was actually fine, yet now it looks like I’m the one who pushed her away.

I find myself needing to be dramatic whenever I feel like the attacks on Colbert are totally unjustified.

Besides, there’s a certain quiet satisfaction in re-reading my own posts. :herp: 🤣

The bolded part is actually quite reasonable; everything preceding it is just tedious enough to be infuriating. ☕

If you all want to coddle each other, take it to the DMs. Feel free to copy-paste the logs back to me if you must.☕

😁

Justin Newman38 said:- Everyone has a certain responsibility toward someone with a disability, including you.

- It isn't just the first person who shouldn't be taking their anger out on a disabled individual; no one should.

- You failed to find an appropriate way to communicate simply because you didn't bother to recognize the actual nature of your interlocutor.

- In this day and age, people with disabilities aren't meant to be isolated; the goal is integration.

- That part I bolded was an insult directed at a user who isn't even here to defend themselves.

I don't see any reason to treat people with disabilities like children; in fact, treating them that way is exactly what leads to isolation. Arthur Anderson49, along with several others, treated him as a peer and an equal conversationalist.

Regardless of the specific illness or disorder involved, an online community offers one particular luxury: the ability to write what you want, read it over, change your mind, edit the text, and only then hit post.
On a platform like this, communication barriers caused by health issues can be bypassed—provided there is a genuine desire to do so.

And as wanderingbadger44 pointed out, if we decide to treat people differently based on their struggles—and why on earth would we take anyone's word at face value without proof?—then by all means, let them submit their medical diagnoses to receive special status so we can all enjoy their company, completely unburdened by social conventions.

P. S.
Based on my other experiences, I’ve come to realize that the issue isn't whether the user is a troll; the issue is that they are a malicious actor whose ultimate goal is to incite this kind of infighting among users who were perfectly happy socializing moments ago. They effectively weaponized every shared virtue of the regular DZ community to achieve that end.

Arthur Anderson49 said:The absolute worst part is how we’re all left here—people who usually get along pretty well and actually respect one another—tearing each other apart and creating this toxic atmosphere. It's all happening just because one jerk (whether he’s actually malicious or just mentally unwell, I guess, it doesn't really matter since the fallout is the same) wasn't called out and didn't face any consequences when he should have.

It’s not helping anyone. Definitely not helping me. So, I think I’m going to step away from this. I don't have anything else to add that I haven't already said, and honestly, participating in this debate feels gross. There's zero point to it, and frankly, it just stinks.

slywolf45 said:For crying out loud, stop the drama! 🤦

See? That’s the voice of reason right there. 🙏

Justin Newman38 said:Because you're the only one left—out of the people he actually expressed sympathy toward. And we all saw how that turned out.

His second post on the "Bread..." thread was:

"Oh man, will anyone ever accept me on this subreddit? I'm just lonely, a small, pathetic little guy, and a narrow-minded person. What does a man have to do to be accepted by an online community?

The truth is, I'm just trying to communicate with you guys and not feel so isolated living in this damn middle-of-nowhere town.

I really like many of you: Judas, Arthur Anderson49, silvercyclist32, Hercules, Lester, etc. I feel a certain closeness with you guys (...). I just want to feel like I belong somewhere..."

Look, this is Reddit. Reddit isn't the place to worry about self-diagnosed mental health issues. All this talk about "closeness" and "please let me stay, I feel so safe with you all" is stuff I've heard from plenty of trolls and flamers before. It's the same old "oops, I insulted everyone but I didn't mean to, that's just how I am" routine. The moderators aren't doctors, therapists, or parents; I think they might be taking themselves a bit too seriously.

Arthur Anderson49 said:Why should I feel obligated to be tolerant toward someone who was straight-up insulting me? Why doesn't everyone else get that same pass? I'm certainly not the first person to lose my cool with him. Honestly, I kept trying to engage with him—which actually got me banned, since they interpreted my persistence as 'feeding the trolls.'

Look, when a psychopath is talking trash, I don't expect people to keep arguing with them—but when someone lifts a skirt like Michelle Flores40 did, I fully expect them to get punched in the face.

Rachel Gray said:Look, when a psychopath is just talking trash, I don't expect anyone to sit there and keep chatting with them. But when they go around lifting skirts on people like Michelle Flores40? Well, I definitely expect them to get their teeth knocked out.

It honestly took me a while to wrap my head around the fact that the guy is just a straight-up psychopath. Seriously. And man, I am totally with you on the whole "broken nose" part.

Anyway, let's move on to something a little more intellectual, shall we? This Reddit thread is dying for some actual substance!

Arthur Anderson49 said:The absolute worst part is that all of us remaining—people who generally maintain a very tolerant relationship and a certain level of mutual respect—are now digging in our heels and practically inciting hostility toward one another.

I’m not sure if you caught that thread where some guy completely lost his mind and started screaming bastard at pretty much every woman on the forum.

And then, get this, Colbert comes along and holds him up as some paragon of decency. Give me a break.

The guy is unhinged; Colbert isn't. Surely there’s a shred of responsibility left. Apparently, she values those two minutes of feeling validated by someone telling her "you're right to be mad," even if everything goes to hell afterward.

I can accept that he’s dear to you; I suppose not everyone defines loyalty the same way. Personally, I consider a truly loyal friend to be the one who actually tells me: you messed up.

Arthur Anderson49 said:It took me quite some time to realize he was a psychopath, honestly. And I completely agree with breaking his nose.

You continue to maintain the exact same attitude—and even worse, the same tone—specifically in the sections I have highlighted here.

You have published seven posts here that are incredibly offensive toward Catch-22, yet he remains a member of this forum. Furthermore, he is currently absent.

1. In your first post on this thread, you wrote: the fool was banned.
2. In the second: when I was struggling with that jerk
3. Then: this man spreads stench everywhere
4. Followed by: everyone can see he is an idiot
5. And: just because one jerk
6. Then you added: he pivoted from crap to lavender
7. And finally: it took me a long time to realize he was a psychopath. I entirely agree with breaking his nose.

You assume he is a psychopath, yet everyone else here is aware that he is a person with a disability, and you claim to support the idea of breaking his nose? Are you suggesting that such treatment is acceptable for them?

And yet, you haven't been sanctioned for these seven posts. I truly hope that you will be.

Where, then, is this sense of American civility that you claim to uphold?🙂

Would anyone be kind enough to pass along the texts from those deleted posts to Sarah Garcia46?

Justin Newman38 said:You’re still using the exact same approach, and honestly, what makes it even worse is that you haven't changed your tone either—it's still exactly like the part I bolded here.

You wrote seven posts here that are just incredibly offensive toward Catch-22, and yet he’s still hanging around this forum. Plus, he hasn't even shown up to defend himself.

In your very first post on this thread, you wrote: What an idiot. It got banned.
In the second one: back when I was really struggling with... What an idiot.
3. then: Man, this guy just reeks. Seriously. Just look around you. Seriously.
So then: everyone can see that it's... What an idiot.
5. i: just because one... What an idiot.
Well, you actually added: he was dodging his way out of... Total garbage. I guess I’m just feeling a little blue today.
And finally: it took me a long time to realize that... Psychopath.I totally agree with... Breaking someone's nose..

So you’re basically calling him a psychopath, and I think everyone else here realizes he's actually dealing with a disability, yet you’re sitting there saying you agree with breaking his nose. I guess what you're really doing is suggesting that we should all treat people like that.

And you still haven't been sanctioned for those seven posts. I really hope you get what's coming to you.

So, where did all that pride you have in being European go, then? 🙂

Why do you buy into his self-diagnosis just because it makes people feel sorry for him? It seems like you don't give any weight to anyone else's diagnosis unless it pulls at the heartstrings. I mean, obviously you didn't see the deleted posts, but at least you can see that people are complaining about how long it took to get them taken down.

I don't think Asperger’s should be used as an excuse for being a jerk. Honestly, you see so many people self-diagnosing these days—it feels like everyone claims it—and even if someone actually has a diagnosis, that still doesn't give them a free pass to be rude or insulting to everyone around them. It just isn't a valid justification for acting like that.
Even if someone’s dealing with a disability, man, the country is just absolutely crawling with people suffering from PTSD these days. I mean, seriously, should we just adopt every single one of them onto Reddit so we can sit here and listen to them vent their rage all day? And honestly, maybe before anyone even tries to register, they should probably just go take their dose of Normabel first.

Justin Newman38 said:You’re still using the exact same approach, and what’s even worse is you haven't changed your tone at all—it's still exactly like the stuff I highlighted here.

You’ve written seven posts here that are incredibly insulting toward Catch-22, yet he’s still a member of this forum. Plus, he’s gone MIA.

1. In your first post on this thread, you wrote: this moron got banned.
2. In the second: when I was dealing with this jerk
3. Then: this guy is spreading stench everywhere
4. And then: everyone can see he’s an idiot
5. And: just because one scumbag
6. Then you added: he went from crap to violets
7. And finally: it took me a while to realize he's a psychopath. — I totally agree with breaking his nose.

You’re assuming he’s a psychopath, but everyone else here knows he’s a person with a disability, and yet you claim to agree with breaking his nose. So, you're basically advocating for that kind of treatment toward people like him.

And you haven't even been sanctioned for those seven posts yet. I really hope you will be.

So, where is all that "American decency" you love to brag about? 🙂

Look, I don't brag about any kind of "decency." I’m just a pragmatic pig with a massive interest in moral issues.

All these terms you're throwing at me fall perfectly within the bounds of normal forum talk when dealing with trolling on this scale. The fact that this guy might be ill is completely irrelevant to this discussion. This conversation would be identical if he were perfectly healthy but just malicious. That's why I decided to stick to my guns regarding my choice of words.

And as for that guy—if he is indeed sick, there’s simply no place for him here. All respect to a man in a wheelchair; he’s just as worthy as anyone else, but he shouldn't step onto the track while people are running a sprint. He’ll just put himself and others in a terrible position. And nobody else should be blamed for that. People will have every right to be absolutely livid with him. A handicap doesn't excuse acting like garbage. And Catch-22 (in all his various iterations) has done things that just aren't tolerable.

EDIT:

People here tend to take arguments personally. I trust you won't, but just in case... All this intense disagreement we just showed doesn't change my opinion of you one bit. I view this as a simple difference of opinion. I still respect you just as much as before.

Since you’ve voiced an unusual amount of grievances here, I have to assume that some of this actually hit a nerve for you. Who knows; maybe you have someone close to you dealing with similar issues? Or something along those lines. If that's the case, I'm sorry for poking at your sensitivities. That wasn't my intention, and I apologize.

Without backtracking on anything I said above.

Michelle Flores40 said:The guy’s a nut job—Colbert actually has some sense. He's got a shred of responsibility left. I guess she just prefers those two minutes of feeling right when someone tells her "you deserve this", even if everything else goes straight down the drain afterwards.

Honestly, man, that accusation of yours feels totally uncalled for.

Good grief...

Let’s take this one step at a time...

Arthur Anderson49 said:Look, I really have no desire to get bogged down in the minutiae of these nasty little squabbles... I am simply telling you that things don't look the same from everyone's perspective. I'm talking about how when I'm stuck dealing with some absolute idiot—and anyone within a ten-mile radius could tell you he's an idiot—nobody even lifts a finger to react. Furthermore... Well... I ended up getting hit with a penalty, even though it was rescinded later... Colby, if my memory serves me right, that wasn't exactly how things worked back then...

Look, the whole point is that you simply shouldn't waste your breath arguing with an idiot... You don't have the authority to act like some self-appointed spokesperson deciding who belongs on that subforum and who doesn't, though we've already gone around in circles on that subject quite extensively. If I recall correctly, you and this "idiot" went back and forth on just about everything, and it wasn't even that personal... Sure, he called you full of yourself and threw a few other jabs your way, but that’s still just a legitimate opinion. He didn't descend into actual filth, so really, what more do you expect the rest of us to do here?

Perhaps I’m just blind to it, or maybe you all have much sharper eyes than I do, but I simply cannot see these alleged catastrophic flaws in her moderation... In fact, Charles Davis88—and I will be quite explicit here—is personally more than happy to have her around, more so than perhaps almost any other member on this forum. And honestly, in the last year or two that I’ve been lurking here, I haven't seen anyone else step up to moderate significantly better...

You want the cold, hard facts on this particular situation? Euripides didn't issue any sanctions against the posts... around 10:00 AM, Charles Davis88 was still busy nitpicking spelling errors, only remembering at nearly 11:00 that the content actually warranted a ban. Then, almost immediately, she went right back to harping on about the exact same thing over in Ban Corner... and now she’s acting surprised that the clown finally lost her temper. Those posts sat there unmoderated until 2:00 PM, which gave the individual enough time to create a clone account and repeat every single one of those vile comments. Once they were finally scrubbed, she actually had the nerve to respond to the clone's post by lecturing about "artistic impression"...

All things considered, her presence tends to cause more friction than anything else, even if you set aside my other grievances... In fact, looking at it objectively, most of what she does boils down to nothing more than casual trolling and mockery, which inevitably sparks a massive flame war that someone else has to clean up. Once she gets bored, she starts handing out bans like candy, and honestly, if she’s going to be the one playing judge and jury, she might as well issue them to herself... On top of all that, there is an endless, grating quality to how utterly convinced she is that she can never be wrong. That is really the heart of the matter. Instead of sitting there sipping her coffee and acting smug, she could have just had the decency to admit she messed up...

Justin Newman38 said:I disagree. Catch-22 mentioned having Asperger, which means he’s technically disabled in that regard—though I suspect "Asperger" might just be a polite euphemism...

Elementary schools focus heavily on teaching kids how to be tolerant toward anyone living with any kind of disability...

You’ve grown up, surely, so you should have been able to grasp this through sheer maturity alone... though I must say, what I’ve highlighted here feels a bit peculiar... 🙂

🤦

Sarah Garcia46, look, I’m not exactly known for my infinite patience. Honestly, this particular forum user seems more than capable of being insulting on his own. It isn't my responsibility to police whether he writes this or that, and frankly, I have no intention of feeling sorry for him.

wanderingbadger44 said:You really should be able to tell what a crybaby looks like. Neither Emericzy nor I fit that description. We weren't whining; we were just dealing with him ourselves—in fact, Emericzy carried my share of the load and endured piles of filth on my behalf.

Internal banter? Look, I’ve said it before: when it comes to picking a crew for a laugh, Catch-22 and all its variations aren't it...

Well, if memory serves, you were actually the first one to confront him.

Wow! Like he's going to suffer! Give me a break... What exactly is his "suffering" going to be? That he wasn't banned immediately, but instead was allowed to linger on the platform for months through her misplaced mercy, contributing absolutely nothing at all.

No, the point is that you can't treat him like a child by constantly giving and taking away his toys. As far as I'm concerned, she can either write her posts or let the moderator handle it. But there's no need to show a kind of mercy that only ends up digging an even deeper hole for him later. Though, I suppose we've already covered that...

Rachel Gray said:When a psychopath talks nonsense, I don't expect anyone to keep engaging with them, but when someone acts like a total tramp, I expect they get called out properly.

Alright now, let's not go to extremes. But yes, certain people have stepped up to manage these kinds of situations, so they might as well carry on doing so.

Rachel Gray said:To be perfectly honest, your accusation feels completely unfounded to me.

I suppose I'll have to agree.

Arthur Anderson49 said:I claim no allegiance to any sort of Europeanism. Is such an identity even necessary?

Am I not simply nurturing my interest in matters of morality?

Are all these terms you are criticizing me for not actually within the standard bounds of normal forum communication?

Is it not a fundamental truth that being human entails certain inherent struggles? Perhaps? Is such an individual even relevant to this discussion?

Would the discussion be any different if the individual were healthy? It seems the outcome would remain exactly the same.

Is it not possible that he is simply being malicious?

Is there truly a place here for someone who is unwell? I have nothing but profound respect for a man facing physical challenges—he is every bit as worthy as I am—but should he really step onto the track while the race is already in progress?

And should the second party be held accountable for that? Of course not. Is it any wonder then that they will be absolutely livid?

A disability is no excuse for poor behavior. Hasn't Catch-22—in all its various forms—committed acts that simply cannot be tolerated?

Since you have voiced an uncharacteristically large amount of criticism here, I am forced to conclude that you have been...

Ultimately, all of this has managed to strike a personal chord. Does anyone else feel that weight?

That was never my intention, and I offer my sincerest apologies.

I maintain my previous positions without exception. Is there any reason to deviate?

Do you truly uphold such gentlemanly conduct? Is that not a relic of old-world European tradition?

Is it not fascinating how your supposed interest in moral philosophy always seems to culminate in physical violence against those with disabilities?

I am uncertain whether my use of the bolded terms above aligns with standard forum etiquette. Will the moderators of this thread be the ones to decide?

You claim that a man is... Perhaps? The patient? You used to diagnose him with just about everything. Do you not even follow your own train of thought anymore?

So, you would dare to direct such a vulgar vocabulary toward a healthy individual? Even then, you would face immediate sanctions. Yet here you are, directing those same insults at a person living with a disability, and you haven't even been penalized yet. Is this truly how justice functions?

In his second post, the individual was simply offering sincere, straightforward communication. Was there any actual malice intended? Not at all.

Are you once again arguing against the integration of people with disabilities? Does modern sociology not demand exactly the opposite?

Will others be held accountable if they fail to act appropriately? They must be, and without any anger.

Is it not the height of irony when those without any disabilities claim to understand the struggles of the disabled, only to dismiss their actions as nonsense?

I certainly have grievances, but I refuse to react to every triviality. Should I not reserve my indignation for such blatant inhumanity?

You have a point; I am quite sensitive to these kinds of issues. This is based on my own personal experience, as I work closely with various professionals in social services, education, healthcare, and civil rights organizations. Is it not vital that we acknowledge these patterns?

Modern society faces a profound struggle when it comes to reintegrating individuals with disabilities. Why did you abandon peaceful communication with him so abruptly, only to pivot toward such different tactics?

You have nothing left to say to me? Then perhaps you should offer an apology to the individual you offended—the one who pushed you past the brink of mere frustration and into true resentment. Is that not what justice requires?

Once that threshold is crossed, what truly remains? Is there anything more unsettling than a total breakdown in behavioral order? How can we possibly find stability when everything seems to be spiraling out of control? Is there any greater mystery? Is there anything more devastating than the systematic destruction of a person's character? Can we truly recover once our identity has been dismantled?It was clearly evident in his final posts. Is that not precisely what you would find studied in an American high school psychology textbook?

You are apologizing without retreating from your previous positions. Bravo, this is truly excellent! 🙂

Michelle Flores40 said:I don't know if you saw that post where this guy totally lost it and started screaming "dog" at basically every woman on the forum

And then Charles Davis88 tries to shove him down my throat as some paragon of virtue. Seriously?!

Are we talking about the same person? 🤔

Here’s a little sampler of the "compliments" this multi-clone sent my way over at PZK:

Stupid Charles Davis88, a moderator from the Social Science Ban banning me because of an insult thrown at me by that user polymer.

Listen here, you fake idiot. Dimitri mentioned there's a thin line between me and Vrapče.

The only thing that could reach you is a heavy blunt object. You're just an old, fat, nagging hag, sitting here acting like a schoolteacher lecturing us on good behavior and discipline. Ugh, I'd love to just lay hands on you. Screw you!

So yeah, who knows—hardly seems like I was shoving him down your throat as a role model... 🤷

He's crazy, Charles Davis88 isn't. So she obviously has some responsibility. Clearly, she values those two minutes of feeling righteous when someone tells her "you deserve it" more than anything else going down the drain later.

Who said "you deserve it"? It wasn't me, and it wasn't anyone else.

Just as a reminder, I gave the guy three strikes—banned him (not the first time, either). Euripides deleted his posts so he wouldn't get any "soul food," but hey, this thread exists, so he can always come back here to scavenge when he runs out.

👍