Don,
I'd like to start by saying I've been staying out of most (ok all lol) of these threads lately, because well, I don't do well with drama anymore. After years of being a moderator of a large online gaming community, being one to hold the ban hammer, and being one that did a lot of behind the scenes legwork in troll hunting, I've pretty much seen it all from both sides of the coin. Frankly, it burnt me out. This is why I stay away, or try to, for the most part. That and usually by the time I see one of these threads, the basis of what I might have said has already been covered.
I don't want you to feel like I'm piling on, because really I am not. I'm here just to make a few comments, to hope they help in some way. I've personally not had any issues with you. You hooked me up with some 'gars I wanted to try and I appreciate that. You particapated in a fantasy baseball league and I believe after much discussion, we actually made a trade. All good stuff imo.
But this road your on now, I just don't get it. You yourself have experienced the moderation of this self moderated community, if that even makes any sense. You understand how things work and are done. Over the time I have been here, I would say the system works, suprisingly enough. It ebbs and flows like anything else, but it still works. I suppose you feel "stepped on" but it seems like you keep laying yourself down in the path of people, and I don't know why. If you are going to go to bat for someone, shouldn't there be a better reason other than you feel that they are being "piled upon"? Maybe I am short-sighted, but lately thats what I see you doing, coming to the rescue of someone who you feel is being piled on, after they have already made their mistake and been called out. They don't need a rescue for that. Thats what comes with screw ups. You make a screw up, and you get/take your lumps no matter how many of them for however long, and you move on. That may mean that some people stick around and make amends, that may also mean that some move on.
Some that move on MAY ACTUALLY BE GOOD PEOPLE! I put that in upper case, because that was one thing I remember clearly with being a moderator. Sometimes we (I) had to move people on, no matter how "good" they were, or how much they were liked. Sometimes they were friends with others. Sometimes they were trolls. They still had to go. Its not fun to deal with, but sometimes its a necessity, to protect the community as a whole. I made every effort to give these people the benefit of the doubt, and more times than not it came back to bite me in the ass. Once the decision was made that they go, that was it. Its kinda the same way here, though the community does it themselves. When things get really bad, and it necessitates it, Rod pulls out the ban hammer and its done.
At this point, I don't know if you have a desire to stick around here or not. If you do, my suggestion would be to relax and take a break from the boards for awhile. Try to come back with a different perspective. Don't bother with contests and bombs and whatnot, because if you are going to be welcomed back, it will take some time and frankly, its just not necessary to do if you really do want to be a part of here. Don't jump into any flamefests/callouts and the like, because its likely to steer you down the wrong path and dredge up old crap. There may be a day for that, but that day isn't now and it won't be if/when you take a break and return. Who knows what the future has after that.
If your just here to "fight" with others because you feel wronged....be it the issue about your job...so be it, but its not going to last forever. Eventually you may find yourself as one of the ones that just "has to go". You may have already moved to this point. I'm sure its coming closer and closer, from what I can tell. I don't think your a bad guy per se but I've banned plenty of good guys in my time for being overzealous just like you have been as of late. If this is your tact though, you may want to save yourself some time and frustration and stress levels and just stop visiting here altogether because your not going to "win" in the end. This community is self moderated, and this is how it reacts to certain things. Like it or not. You may want to change it....you can try to change it....but you won't change it.
Now if you feel I've piled on (assuming you have read this far lol), or jumped on the moderation bandwagon, or whatever, thats fine. I don't think I have. I really have no malicious intent whatsoever. Take it for what its worth or throw it out like yesterdays trash.
(no relation)
