How Mr. Smoogj is using moderator powers to blackmail forum members...

Larry Cruz51 said:I’m hoping for the same thing myself, since I actually had some contact with His Nobility🙂

If you’re loud enough, stay persistent, and back up everything you say with solid arguments, he’ll eventually back off...
I guess I’m just speaking from my own experience here...
I dealt with him personally a few months ago, and things have been quiet ever since...

He didn't actually target me personally; he just wiped my post, which isn't a huge deal in isolation. But honestly, he’s constantly throwing these half-baked threats at people while acting incredibly condescending in his own posts. He selectively deletes anything that calls out his behavior, effectively silencing any criticism because he's clearly the "golden boy" here...
Today, the man decides to threaten someone, hands out a ban, starts picking fights, and then scrubs any comments questioning his conduct. Sure, I was off-topic, but let’s be real, I’m certainly not the only one who drifted off-subject😉...I don't feel comfortable at all whenever I see him popping up in a thread. Thank goodness he’s managed to worm his way into the inner circle of so many people, landing himself a moderator spot on about four subforums—and unfortunately, those are the exact ones I actually enjoy hanging out in...

Just strip the moderator status from him and call it a day. Not even mentioning his little buddies who hold "official" roles on this board.

I got slapped with a permanent ban for something way less stupid than what northerncrane4 could've easily shut down if he’d just stepped in and reined in his favorite, Gugi, sooner.

Thank god this place still has:

a) smart admins who actually know how to check their egos at the door

b) enough backup to handle any loose cannons

Larry Cruz51, dear, it’s quite kind of you to quote the specific posts my comment was actually addressing—or perhaps you could have mentioned that the user in question was about to get a troll ban from another moderator via PDF. 👋

As for you, Roger Wright—why don't you go ask the brilliant administrator who personally authorized the lifting of your permaban? 👋

Larry Cruz51 said:...whose opinion they actually disagree with. Either stop commenting on stuff you don't agree with or prepare to get banned:

..

🤣

..Larry, I honestly think you interpreted northerncrane4's post exactly the way Groucho Marx would have understood a movie... and not only did he get it, but that's exactly why he'd be totally pissed off at the flick too..😁

northerncrane4 even threw in a few comic-strip style emoticons in that post just to be safe, but... clearly, it didn't help one bit.

..and hey, maybe he really did take the whole thing like Groucho? 🤷

As for everything else, I haven't had much run-in with the moderation team personally, but as a fellow regular here, I truly believe northerncrane4 is one of the most fair and spot-on moderators out there, and he's got enough chill that it seems to me he doesn't take himself nearly as seriously as some other folks do.

Sorry for jumping in here when this thread is pretty much wrapped up, but I really didn't want to see the topic die out completely.😳

I posted on this thread last night and deleted it pretty quick because I didn't want to get dragged into the drama, but if there's a "con" side, someone's gotta present the "pro" 😁

The level of trolling Groucho was pulling in that thread was next-level provocation—even the biggest trolls on this forum wouldn't be that obnoxious. Honestly, northerncrane4's approach was actually a decent move, even though the user ignored the good-faith warning and just kept pushing buttons. It’s not even hard to see what kind of trolling we're talking about when someone claims the foundation of a movie should be changed to fit "reality"—which is basically stripping away whatever makes the film unique in the first place. Imagine trying to scientifically dismantle the fantasy elements of a story. It’s like halfway through Harry Potter, suddenly someone starts explaining that Harry isn't doing magic, he's just shooting fireworks out of his sleeve. (🙂) He got handed a card featuring a catatonic beaver, and honestly, it was deserved. Since the user kept being provocative, they "earned" those cards. Actually, things went pretty smoothly considering how some moderators act; usually, they don't even warn you or ask for your reasoning before they just hit you with a strike. The mods over at "Cinema" are actually pretty chill and approachable, so there isn't really much ground to stand on for an appeal like this. If it were up to me, this whole topic would've been shut down from the jump 🙂

I suppose I should add my name to the growing list of those dissatisfied with the moderation provided by this self-appointed tyrant, northerncrane4.
Blatantly biased!
His approach to moderation is completely arbitrary; he hands out deletions and bans entirely at his own whim, seemingly driven by personal antipathy or simple disagreement with anyone who dares to hold an opposing view. He goes so far as to fabricate accusations, labeling dissenters as "trolls" just so he can justify docking their points...
Not to mention the condescending attitude he maintains toward the rest of us users—he even resorts to outright insults on occasion!
And please, I am not merely referencing the old drama involving Grouch! This is my own observation gathered over a significant period of time, and it appears I am certainly not alone in feeling this way...

Raymond Sanchez7, do you even know the forum rules regarding user clones while someone is under a ban?

This isn't a nickname clone,😉 just so we're clear,
this is essentially what Larry Cruz51 was getting at...😉

Brenda Carter24 said:This isn't a nickname clone😉

You're lying.

Incorrect!
You aren't even privy to the full context of this situation, let alone any part of it that actually concerns you...😉

The supermoderators and I—specifically ZgSasha, mirrorball, and myself—settled this matter quite some time ago; therefore, I see absolutely no reason for you to intervene, especially given your lower standing in the moderation hierarchy, since the issue is long since closed... which is more than can be said for your own approach to moderating.😉

But here, my esteemed supermoderators, is yet another prime example of how the "highly skilled" moderator perch operates.
This is what he spends his time doing!
Instead of pausing to reflect on the very accusations leveled against him, he chooses instead to dig through my profile and my past posts, desperately attempting to extort my withdrawal of the claim that he is an incompetent moderator!
That is simply his modus operandi—pure blackmail!😉

A total self-inflictedown goal on home turf...🙏

Brenda Carter24 said:Wrong!

What exactly is wrong? Are you just some clone of a banned user?

Honestly—I’d love it if one of the supermoderators or admins would actually step up and clarify who's lying here.

I am not😉
and my original handle was banned under the assumption it was a clone of this one, though that matter was settled ages ago with ZgSash and has absolutely nothing to do with you!
Since we are bringing up ZgSash, he actually owes me an answer; I made a polite request quite some time ago, and we agreed he would look into it and see what could be done regarding that specific issue.🙂

On the other hand, considering you are constantly handing out 45-point infractions, I wonder if you might consider awarding yourself a 45-point infraction right now for all this off-topic rambling and trolling?
Furthermore, you are attempting to sabotage the discussion about yourself by shifting the spotlight onto me.

Regarding point three, the post you’ve cited here was written several months ago; honestly, dear people, can you even fathom the level of obsession required to scour someone else's post history just to find something to derail the actual conversation...😉
Does this not lead you to wonder if northerncrane4 is simply trying to obscure and redirect the debate to prevent it from reaching the conclusion that he is, in fact, a poor moderator—a fact he seems well aware of himself?

Brenda Carter24 said:Not me.😉
My original handle was banned because they claimed it was a clone—but that whole mess was settled ages ago with ZgSash, and frankly, it has absolutely nothing to do with you.
Since we’re bringing up ZgSash—he still owes me an answer. I politely requested it a long time ago, and we had an agreement that he would look into the matter and see what could be done.🙂

And I'm personally looking forward to the public confrontation—can't wait.

Raymond Sanchez7 said:On the other hand—given that you’re handing out 45-point penalties like candy lately—why don't you just issue yourself one right now for off-topic rambling and trolling?

Forty-five points for an insult—really? I fail to see how I’ve offended anyone here.

Raymond Sanchez7 said:Furthermore—you're just trying to sabotage the discussion about yourself by shifting the focus onto me.

For a debate to actually happen, you need people willing to argue—period. To my surprise, everyone who was previously participating in this thread gave up on the discussion back when I first posted here.

Raymond Sanchez7 said:Look, this post you’re quoting here was written months ago—honestly, how sick does one's mind have to be to go digging through someone else's post history? It's pathetic. Just how much time do you waste hunting for old threads just to try and derail the actual conversation?😉

Not at all—since that link points to a post tucked away in a private section.

You're just spinning your wheels here...
Furthermore, if the link is properly isolated, you would also gain access to the exact date the ban was issued for that specific clone account, which, much to your chagrin, will demonstrate that there is absolutely no connection—no matter how you try to spin it—between that previous persona and this current handle.

As for yourself, don't you worry; there is an abundance of evidence to go around, which is further proven by the very way you are choosing to address me...😉

Brenda Carter24 said:Just pointless bickering.
Furthermore—if the link is extracted—you'll see the exact date the ban was placed on that specific clone. This will unfortunately prove that there is absolutely no connection—none at all—between that clone and this current handle.

As for you, don't worry—there's more than enough evidence to go around, which is further proven by the way you're addressing me.😉>

Fire away; I won't bother you with my "bickering" anymore.

So, we find ourselves returning once again to the subject of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Personally, I found the film quite underwhelming, and I can't help but notice its striking similarities to Forrest Gump. However, as you might have guessed,
northerncrane4 clearly had a much better time with it, making him a frequent participant in this particular debate, much like myself.

To provide some context, a certain user and I have been dissecting these parallels, leading me to offer this response:

to which I received this reply from northerncrane4:

Since I have been receiving warnings for "trolling" despite the fact that I am absolutely NOT trolling, I took the liberty of asking him if perhaps his behavior was actually the trolling, only to be met with:

In any case, let us overlook the fact that he is also incredibly active on this thread and has voiced his opinion approximately a million times already, as you can see...
given his well-documented sense of nobility, those condescending undertones, elements of personal insults, and, as I previously mentioned, the trolling itself...

northerncrane4 said:Look, we get it. We figured out what you think about this movie ages ago. This endless loop of repeating the same exact point is just straight-up trolling at this point. But hey, I see you’re clearly loving the attention, and since nobody actually takes you seriously enough to have a real debate anyway, I’ve decided to just turn a blind eye. ☕

Thank God someone finally said it. 😳

Raymond Sanchez7... man, how do you even deal with this? 🤷

I’ve run into you on a few different threads over the last couple of days, and this whole pattern is just repeating itself... perfectly... predictably.
And honestly... sorry... but you are just freaking exhausting. 😢
I know I love getting into heated arguments with northerncrane4 myself, but even I have to admit he does his job pretty damn well.
Even here...
Larry Cruz51 unfortunately picked a crazy example, though if she actually wanted to find instances of northerncrane4 being a "pain in the ass," 😍 she could definitely dig them up without much... 😁 effort.
But personally, I don't have an issue with it. 🤷

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is... just chill out and start talking like a normal human being for once. 😉

Brenda Carter24 said:And then I get this response from MrBeast:

At the risk of sounding completely clueless... I just don't get this whole S.B.S. thing. How does it even work? 😕

I'm not taking sides here, I'm genuinely lost... 🙂

It appears they have a handful of go-to phrases they tend to deploy quite regularly☕