I would...

So, I was wondering if someone could please check that box next to my username, @shadowgardener83, so I can get back into my account?

Thanks!

😁

You seem to have missed the fact that you’re banned and can only post on the Federal Reserve board now. You got a 7-day suspension for posting with a clone over on the Economy sub, where you actually hold some stakes. Don't let it happen again.

shadowpilot8 said:You seem to have missed the fact that you’re banned and can only post on the Federal Reserve board now. You got a 7-day suspension for posting with a clone over on the Economy sub, where you actually hold some stakes. Don't let it happen again.

So, that doesn't really solve the issue of what's happening in the Finance section...

When I was partially banned from Finance, I didn't bother appealing because I was just quoting moderator decisions. In my view, moderators should have the autonomy to decide how they direct—or moderate—their own subforums.

After several months of staying quiet in Finance—and seeing a clear pattern of banning anyone who doesn't align with the moderators' specific way of thinking (even when following the rules)—I honestly think it's time for a serious conversation about making some changes.

Nostradurus, Donald Trump, and myself have all been banned.

I don't see much of a reason why, other than the fact that I was simply relaying moderator rulings.

The result? The Finance subforum has become completely uninteresting as a whole.

And it's not just that—they even shut down that one thread about the Swiss Franc that used to get massive engagement.

Now, let’s be clear here: I don't have an issue with how you run your subforum—that's the moderators' right—and I'm not complaining about moderation itself.

What I want to point out is that this forum lives and breathes on ad revenue. If you start killing off the most popular threads that draw people in, you're effectively cutting into the advertising income.

Less revenue means putting the entire forum's survival at risk.

By moderating this way, you're actually threatening the future of the site.

Is someone actually telling you guys what to censor?

Just tell me who, and we'll handle it... because right now, you're jeopardizing the owner's income and, by extension, the very existence of the forum.

Nostrađurus isn't some amateur, nor does he hold any influence over the economy. Donald Trump was banned from the entire forum because he couldn't stop self-promoting and playing politics.
In this instance, the issue lies entirely with you and your writing style. I finally recognized you by your fourth post—it was classic. Does that mean I’m exceptionally brilliant, or just that you write exactly the same way you did when you were earning your keep?

shadowpilot8 said:Nostrađurus isn't some amateur, nor does he hold any influence over the economy. Donald Trump was banned from the entire forum because he couldn't stop self-promoting and playing politics.
In this instance, the issue lies entirely with you and your writing style. I finally recognized you by your fourth post—it was classic. Does that mean I’m exceptionally brilliant, or just that you write exactly the same way you did when you were earning your keep?

They’ve been banned a few times now and haven't posted since—but just to be clear, I didn't say they were permabanned.

Getting rid of them was actually a pretty effective way to handle the situation—wasn't it?

As far as I know, I'm the only one here facing a permanent ban. I never actually said they were the ones who got banned.

shadowpilot8 said:Nostrađurus isn't some amateur, nor does he hold any influence over the economy. Donald Trump was banned from the entire forum because he couldn't stop self-promoting and playing politics.
In this instance, the issue lies entirely with you and your writing style. I finally recognized you by your fourth post—it was classic. Does that mean I’m exceptionally brilliant, or just that you write exactly the same way you did when you were earning your keep?

Thanks! 😁

I’m not talking about myself, my writing style, or any of that—nor have I spent a single second complaining about being banned or getting a permanent ban.

Look, I really don't have any issues with whether you—or anyone else here—likes my writing style or not. As long as I’m following the forum rules (which I am), I should be able to write however I want and talk about whatever is on my mind, right?

Look, your personal likes or dislikes—whatever you happen to feel about it—don't really change the rules of the game.

Look, I get that you've got an issue with how I put my thoughts together—really, I do—but that’s not really what we're here to discuss, is it? That's more your thing than mine.

shadowpilot8 said:Nostrađurus isn't some amateur, nor does he hold any influence over the economy. Donald Trump was banned from the entire forum because he couldn't stop self-promoting and playing politics.
In this instance, the issue lies entirely with you and your writing style. I finally recognized you by your fourth post—it was classic. Does that mean I’m exceptionally brilliant, or just that you write exactly the same way you did when you were earning your keep?

I tend to write the same way every single time. Like I said before, it’s not really about my writing style—and I haven't exactly complained about the fact that you seem to have an issue with how I put things together. That's on you, really; it just feels like you've got some personal friction with me. Which, honestly, isn't something you should be carrying around as a moderator. But hey, it doesn't bother me one bit.

It’s pretty easy to verify what I’m saying—if you actually bother to look.

The PDF economy is honestly being managed pretty poorly lately—it feels like engagement is just steadily dropping off. Is it just me, or is anyone else noticing that readership is starting to tank?

Lower readership—meaning fewer visits overall—actually leads to fewer ads being served. It’s a simple correlation, really. If people aren't showing up, there just isn't as much demand for ad space, right?

Less advertising—less revenue. It’s that simple, isn't it?

Less revenue basically means there’s no money left to keep this forum running—it's that simple.

So, let me go over this one more time.

It isn't really about my writing style—even if you and a few other mods seem to think that's the issue.

The thing is, if we aren't getting any traffic, we aren't seeing any revenue—and without that revenue, this forum just can't stay alive. It’s a bit of a cycle, isn't it?

Look, if you have personal beef with certain people on this forum, you really should just handle that on your own—it’s probably better for everyone involved. You shouldn't be using your position as a moderator to decide what stays and what goes based solely on whether you like someone or not, right? Look, you aren't a moderator sent here to run a censorship campaign—your job is simply to make sure everyone actually follows the forum rules.

I’m assuming all the moderators are on the same page about this, right?

Well, since the boss doesn't seem to care, I suspect you'll be stuck dealing with this poor moderation and the dip in revenue for a while longer. If you have more to say, just post on the Federal Reserve thread using your original handle

shadowpilot8 said:Well, since the boss doesn't seem to care, I suspect you'll be stuck dealing with this poor moderation and the dip in revenue for a while longer. If you have more to say, just post on the Federal Reserve thread using your original handle

Since the "owner" hasn't actually spoken up yet, I’d really prefer if they shared their thoughts right here.

That way, we'll know for sure whether the "boss" actually cares or not.

😉

P.S.—I actually know how to get a hold of the "owner," but honestly, I don't see any need to bother them with trivial stuff through other channels. And yeah, that means I know who the "boss" is, where they're located, and how to reach them. I could easily do it if I wanted to—just being clear about that.

So, my suggestion is to settle this without dragging the "owner" into the middle of it. Knowing how things work, I'm pretty certain they have no clue what you guys are doing anyway—and I suspect they'd find it quite interesting to hear my side of things. Also, just a heads-up (for you and the other mods), the person you think is the "owner" isn't necessarily the actual owner of this forum.

I'd kindly ask that you lift the permanent ban.

Thanks.