Apology to moderators

[darlak]

I’ve tried to step back and gain a little perspective on this whole situation. Tried to see it through glasses that were untarnished by hurt feelings and the desire to make a stand for my friends here that have been treated unfairly.

For those of us that remain, I would like to have a definitive answer to exactly where the line is drawn in the sand, so to speak. Please don’t advise us to turn to the Dis guidelines, because reading those just confuses me more in light of the many banned posters who did nothing to violate those very guidelines.

So just what lies on the ‘other side’ of this board’s line in the sand? Is it mentioning the ‘place that cannot be mentioned’? Is it posting a comment like this one questioning the reasoning behind the mass banning of over 100 of our members? Is it simply posting on too many other questioning threads? Does the line change according to the moderator that’s reading a post? Is it being a member of any other internet message board? Can it be statements we make in a PM? Is this new line in the sand permanent or apt to change without notice at any time?

Sometimes you just have to make a stand for what’s right. What has happened here isn’t right. I don’t even care about where the fault lies.

We were told that an explanation will be forthcoming. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect just that to happen. I also think that if the possibility now exists that we may be banned for reasons other than those we agreed to we joined the Dis, then we are entitled to know exactly what those new guidelines are. I believe that most of us are reasonable people reacting to what appears to be erratic behavior on the part of TPTB. As reasonable people, we expect a reasonable response to our concerns. So far, that has not happened.

 

[Rence]

I firmly believe that the owner of a forum has the right to run their forum as they see fit. If as a user, I disagree with how things are run, I am free to move to another forum, or even to start my own. I've checked out a few other Disney oriented forums, and keep coming back here, because this is far and away the best.

However I have to admit that I am rather disconcerted by what is going on. I feel like I am playing a game where I don't know the rules. Right now, the word going around is that folks have been banned for engaging in activity that is no where listed as prohibited. I don't know if this is true or not, but I think that everyone can agree that it is very difficult to follow the rules, if one doesn't know what the rules are.

I do think that the moderators would do everyone a favor, themselves, and the forum users, by clairifying what exactly the issues are that can result in a banning. Right now everyone is relying on rumors as to what is going on. I do understand that the moderators would not want to discuss specific cases involving specific forum users, but I do believe that the rules of the game can be posted and clairified in a general sense. Then forum users can then ensure that they are playing by the rules, or if they do not care for the rules, they can make the decision to move on.

 

[lilyv]

I’ve tried to step back and gain a little perspective on this whole situation. Tried to see it through glasses that were untarnished by hurt feelings and the desire to make a stand for my friends here that have been treated unfairly.

For those of us that remain, I would like to have a definitive answer to exactly where the line is drawn in the sand, so to speak. Please don’t advise us to turn to the Dis guidelines, because reading those just confuses me more in light of the many banned posters who did nothing to violate those very guidelines.

So just what lies on the ‘other side’ of this board’s line in the sand? Is it mentioning the ‘place that cannot be mentioned’? Is it posting a comment like this one questioning the reasoning behind the mass banning of over 100 of our members? Is it simply posting on too many other questioning threads? Does the line change according to the moderator that’s reading a post? Is it being a member of any other internet message board? Can it be statements we make in a PM? Is this new line in the sand permanent or apt to change without notice at any time?

Sometimes you just have to make a stand for what’s right. What has happened here isn’t right. I don’t even care about where the fault lies.

We were told that an explanation will be forthcoming. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect just that to happen. I also think that if the possibility now exists that we may be banned for reasons other than those we agreed to we joined the Dis, then we are entitled to know exactly what those new guidelines are. I believe that most of us are reasonable people reacting to what appears to be erratic behavior on the part of TPTB. As reasonable people, we expect a reasonable response to our concerns. So far, that has not happened.

You put it very well. I think it's time for gentle reason to be applied in this situation. I hope there will be room for discretion as decisions are made about member (and former member) status-temporary or permanent. I always think cooler heads prevail.

 

[MushyMushy]

I totally agree with choirfam and want to give a big to the moderators. It seems to me the meanness has reached epic proportions and I think everyone's under a bit of a strain right now. Heck, even I lost a bit of my temper yesterday when someone accused me of looking down my nose at them and I'm almost always a very calm person.

I'll be glad when everything settles down and we can get back to the friendly, respectful discussions about our lives that we've all come to know and love about the DIS. In the meantime, here's to you Moderators. It's a thankless job and I, for one, would like to thank you for doing it.

Friendly and respectful? Geez, I remember my first interaction from you was NOT friendly or respectful.

This post is just ironic, is all.

Hi.. grin that is the problem with the internet. In my first post I did not mean to imply that they were evil. In this post I did not mean to impy that they were saints. They are just people. I just posted this because I was afraid I may have hurt the moderators feelings and since I don't read most of the board, I had no idea about many of the other things going on so my post was hasty. Does that make sense?? I just really didn't want anyone to get upset over what I said.

I think you're making sense. You wanted an outlet to voice your frustration without realizing that it just wasn't a good time for it. Now you're trying to make up for it.

 

[Noel&Cleo]

 

[kirbsam]

i must say this is the first time i have seen dems and reps, conservatives and liberals, supporters of mccain and obama/hillary totally united about a subject. so if there is any good that is going to come out of this, i see this as a positive. bringing the entire dis together, united, around a common cause.

 

[AuntieM03]

i must say this is the first time i have seen dems and reps, conservatives and liberals, supporters of mccain and obama/hillary totally united about a subject. so if there is any good that is going to come out of this, i see this as a positive. bringing the entire dis together, united, around a common cause.

 

[happygirl]

I'm sorry that so many people had friends that were banned I find it next to impossible to believe that 40 or so people were totally innocent and were banned for no reason Wasn't it only last week that I believe it was Alex said he would get back to those that wanted a explantion to what happend?? A week isn't very long give them some time. Even in the best of circumstances, now with Bob death it might take a little bit longer

 

[Val]

I have been a long time lurker and infrequent poster (look at my join date and my post count!).....these boards, like one's job and family, go through cycles. We are currently in a "I think winter has been too long and I am feeling snarky" cycle.....OTH, sometimes these boards are soooooo sweet I feel like I might end up in a sucrose-induced coma! What I do know from experience is that this, too, shall pass. Soon peace will fall upon the community board, and the DISBoards circle of life will have completed another rotation. And so it goes!

 

[JennyMominRI]

: I find it next to impossible to believe that 40 or so people were totally innocent and were banned for no reason

40? It's over 100 now

 

[mickeysgal]

I find it next to impossible to believe that 40 or so people were totally innocent and were banned for no reason

The number is over 100 and here we still sit waiting for answers that we were promised would be given.

To me it's an integrity issue. Do what you say you're going to do. If answers were promised, then deliver them. If the posting rules have been broken, then tell us. If the posting rules have changed, then state them. If there have been mistakes made in the bannings, then fix them. But to sit here, day after day, leaving the rest of us wondering, guessing, and scared to type anything for fear of being banned is just wrong regardless of whether this forum is public or privately owned.

 

[luvmy2sams]

The number is over 100 and here we still sit waiting for answers that we were promised would be given.

To me it's an integrity issue. Do what you say you're going to do. If answers were promised, then deliver them. If the posting rules have been broken, then tell us. If the posting rules have changed, then state them. If there have been mistakes made in the bannings, then fix them. But to sit here, day after day, leaving the rest of us wondering, guessing, and scared to type anything for fear of being banned is just wrong regardless of whether this forum is public or privately owned.

 

[MareQ]

I'm sorry that so many people had friends that were banned I find it next to impossible to believe that 40 or so people were totally innocent and were banned for no reason Wasn't it only last week that I believe it was Alex said he would get back to those that wanted a explantion to what happend?? A week isn't very long give them some time. Even in the best of circumstances, now with Bob death it might take a little bit longer

Guess you haven't been paying attention. Some of the people banned were on vacation when they were banned. No reason given, emails questioning it go unanswered, they did nothing wrong except post on a board the DIS happens to despise.

Oh and it's over 100 people banned now.

 

[Carly_Roach]

40? It's over 100 now

I've seen this number thrown around several times and have to wonder how many of those "over 100" user names were people who were banned and came back deliberately intending to attack this board and the posters who disagreed with their assessment of the situation. When these users were banned again, many of them several times over, they just kept adding the new name to a list to inflate (and inflame) the situation. I can easily see 80 new names in the course of 10 days - all made with the intention of keeping the agenda front and center.

I suspect the real number is probably closer to 20, if that. Maybe we'll get an explanation about why those 20 were initially banned. Maybe we won't. But I have to agree with Robin: If you don't something, vote with your feet. It's the only way to get the owner's attention.

 

[lilyv]

I'm sorry that so many people had friends that were banned I find it next to impossible to believe that 40 or so people were totally innocent and were banned for no reason

I guess that would be your opinion. I'm not going to judge.
I think the strength of this community is it's hospitality. I'd like to hope that others feel the same, and want to work toward setting aside whatever the problem was and head in a positive, genuine hospitable path.
It would be great if there was a bit of forgiveness, tolerance, and a fresh start for all.

 

[luvmy2sams]

I've seen this number thrown around several times and have to wonder how many of those "over 100" user names were people who were banned and came back deliberately intending to attack this board and the posters who disagreed with their assessment of the situation. When these users were banned again, many of them several times over, they just kept adding the new name to a list to inflate (and inflame) the situation. I can easily see 80 new names in the course of 10 days - all made with the intention of keeping the agenda front and center.

I suspect the real number is probably closer to 20, if that. Maybe we'll get an explanation about why those 20 were initially banned. Maybe we won't. But I have to agree with Robin: If you don't something, vote with your feet. It's the only way to get the owner's attention.

The original number was around 80 different posters, most of them with very high post counts. I'd post the list, but I've heard that gets people banned.

 

[smartestnumber5]

I've seen this number thrown around several times and have to wonder how many of those "over 100" user names were people who were banned and came back deliberately intending to attack this board and the posters who disagreed with their assessment of the situation. When these users were banned again, many of them several times over, they just kept adding the new name to a list to inflate (and inflame) the situation. I can easily see 80 new names in the course of 10 days - all made with the intention of keeping the agenda front and center.

I suspect the real number is probably closer to 20, if that. Maybe we'll get an explanation about why those 20 were initially banned. Maybe we won't. But I have to agree with Robin: If you don't something, vote with your feet. It's the only way to get the owner's attention.

I'm wondering how you could possibly be in any position to know how many "real" people there were?

I assume you don't visit the-site-which-must-not-be-named (so you don't actually know who in fact has been banned), but if there were only 20 real people then wow those folks must literally be magic . They somehow knew this was going to happen and created 80 names all 2-9 years ago and then made 1000s of post with those user names! And they made sure to give their aliases completely different personalities, family pics in their signatures, and political views--and kept up the charade for years!

Maybe they were banned for witchcraft!

 

[Carly_Roach]

The original number was around 80 different posters, most of them with very high post counts. I'd post the list, but I've heard that gets people banned.

I'm sorry to disagree with you but eight or nine new user names per day is totally believable. Especially since this topic has been posted about ad nauseum and has been kept on the first page for over 11 days now.

WMAlex used the word agenda when describing what's going on. I have to agree with him.

 

[DisneyBeagle]

The word on the street is that the banned posters had accumulated over 400,000 posts in their time on the DIS. That sounds like a heck of a lot of posts per person if there were only 20 people. I would think that there would be more than 20 banned posters.

 

[monkeyboy]

I'm sorry to disagree with you but eight or nine new user names per day is totally believable. Especially since this topic has been posted about ad nauseum and has been kept on the first page for over 11 days now.

WMAlex used the word agenda when describing what's going on. I have to agree with him.

I DIS-agree

this board is HUGE many people join daily.
Some lurk and then join
Others just read and never sign up

Things have been slow as of late, we need new talent