"e" to Skip

[Fyrenza]

Just fired this off to Skip:

Hey, Skip,

Listen. Things are gettting WAY out-of-control in the Politics Forum ~ Balbus and Aristartle are just flipping actual Political threads over onto the Conspiracy board, and when i asked for their "criteria" for deciding, they just ignore it.

i'd like to suggest that you replace them as Mods for the Political Forums, AND ban them, since all Balbus seems to be able to do is draw references from whatever to Hitler and/or Nazis, and Ari just keeps saying ANYTHING, without backing it up with ANY resources, not to mention the FACT that she is insulting, arrogant, and surly towards ALL posters, subscribers or not, who don't agree with her.

Add to that the fact that BOTH can troll threads and remove them to the conspiracy area, AT WILL,

and you've hit upon an EXCELLENT recipe for disaster.

Neither of them is even FROM the USA ~ why do they even CARE, one way or the other?

It's an explosive ~ AND pathetic, imho ~ situation for a major forum site to have going on, you know?

[hippiehillbilly]

well you forgot that ari demands you produce links then scoffs at them on top of refusing to back her own statements up..

to be quite honest,i highly doubt it will get any results except maybe a warning to you to butt out..

skip is pretty set in his ways and something tells me balbus is there for a reason,his politics and skips are pretty closely aligned from what i can tell.

i dont think you were around when skip used to post a lot there,but i can tell you it was pretty much the same,tis why i quit going there the first time..

[Jaitaiyai]

Neither of them is even FROM the USA ~ why do they even CARE, one way or the other?I don't know if you've noticed but the USA affects most countries one way or another. Just because they're not from the country itself doesn't mean they shouldn't care about it. Heck, I care about America and I've never even been.

And I don't know about the Politics forum or about Skip's personal politics but I know this won't work. You want him to listen, you need to be a lot politer about it.

But, I guess, good luck. :leaving:

[stinkfoot]

The fact that passionate political junkies- whether or not they're neo-conservatives- will tend to cherry-pick the criteria they use to discredit and attack anyone daring to oppose them is a HUGE reason why I don't participate more than I do (almost none). Just because I lack the time and inclination to research issues does not disqualify me from having an opinion but this seems to be a common undercurrent in the attack style discourse that goes on there- where combatants operate under the misguided assumption that bludgeoning folks with their presumably incontrovertible points of view qualifies as effective persuasion. That manner of self-important arrogance has a way of pushing my buttons to a degree where I tend to get dragged down to the personal insult level and invalidate my own perspective as indefensible.

I would think that traffic statistics would be more telling than a personal message to Skip- that a inhospitable moderation style in any forum will discourage participation and kill traffic. This is his site and if the goings-on in Politics meet with his approval then there isn't jack-shit that we can do about it apart from initiating a round table discussion on the Front Porch. :)

[Fyrenza]

well you forgot that ari demands you produce links then scoffs at them on top of refusing to back her own statements up..

to be quite honest,i highly doubt it will get any results except maybe a warning to you to butt out..

skip is pretty set in his ways and something tells me balbus is there for a reason,his politics and skips are pretty closely aligned from what i can tell.

i dont think you were around when skip used to post a lot there,but i can tell you it was pretty much the same,tis why i quit going there the first time..

If Skip left, you can be sure it was for a reason ~ too much heartburn and heartache.

Now, if he starts getting "reports" from all of US,

voicing a lot, but not all of, the same concerns,

what do you think he'll do?

Ban a bunch of site supporters? (Follow the Money! :rofl: )

Or maybe consider getting a different Mod in there to settle things down, a bit? Someone who truly doesn't give a care?

i mean, Balbus is pretty easy for me to ignore ~ nowadays, as soon as his post uses the words "Nazi" or "Hitler," i'm outta there ~ but i don't have that much personal experience with runnin' up, head-to-head with him. :o

Anyway, if y'all consider "e"ing Skip, y'all might cite some personal examples of Balbus' Mod misconduct, also.

It IS sort of out-of-control ~ i'm posting in here and Conspiracy, for the most part. And when i DO post to a Political thread, you can rest assured that it's going to get moved, especially since OTHER peeps considered persona non grata have usually posted before me, so i make 3, and

WHAM!

There MUST a CT in there SOMEWHERE!!!

Bye, Thread! See you somewhere else ~ maybe...

[MaryJBlaze]

I volunteer my services as new mod....

i'm easily bribed....

just saying....;)

[orison319]

The Hip Forums are intended for mature audiences for entertainment and educational purposes only. :rofl:

[Pressed_Rat]

skip is pretty set in his ways and something tells me balbus is there for a reason,his politics and skips are pretty closely aligned from what i can tell.


Yup.

It also appears the guidelines that apply to regular visitors do not apply to the moderators. Balbus has attacked me numerous times over the past 5-6 years and nothing is ever done about it.

I honestly do not give a shit about him talking trash about me, but now he is deleting my threads because he does not agree with what I say.

[Fyrenza]

I don't know if you've noticed but the USA affects most countries one way or another. Just because they're not from the country itself doesn't mean they shouldn't care about it. Heck, I care about America and I've never even been.

And I don't know about the Politics forum or about Skip's personal politics but I know this won't work. You want him to listen, you need to be a lot politer about it.

But, I guess, good luck. :leaving:

Oh, but i DO care whether other countries are concerned!!!

i'd LIKE to get your "take" on what's happening, both in YOUR country, AND here.

But that's for the members to discuss.

How many members are English As A Second Language folks? When a MOD starts dis'ing peeps for misspellings and grammatical errors, that would put them off from posting, don't you think? (That "polite" thing works BOTH ways, after all ~ or SHOULD)

Hell, to have Mods that have such definite views is off-putting!

Add to all of the above that they are unwilling to do what Moderate and Moderator really mean:

Main Entry: mod·er·a·tor
Pronunciation: \ˈmä-də-ˌrā-tər\
Function: noun
Date: circa 1560

1: one who arbitrates : mediator
2: one who presides over an assembly, meeting, or discussion: as a: the presiding officer of a Presbyterian governing body b: the nonpartisan presiding officer of a town meeting c: the chairman of a discussion group
3: a substance (as graphite) used for slowing neutrons in a nuclear reactor
— mod·er·a·tor·ship \-ˌship\ noun


and, again:

Main Entry: mod·er·ate
Pronunciation: \ˈmä-d(ə-)rət\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin moderatus, from past participle of moderare to moderate; akin to Latin modus measure
Date: 15th century

1 a: avoiding extremes of behavior or expression : observing reasonable limits <a moderate drinker> b: calm , temperate
2 a: tending toward the mean or average amount or dimension b: having average or less than average quality : mediocre
3: professing or characterized by political or social beliefs that are not extreme
4: limited in scope or effect
5: not expensive : reasonable or low in price
6of a color : of medium lightness and medium chroma
— mod·er·ate·ly adverb
— mod·er·ate·ness noun

One of the main things that is directly connected to a person's ability to Mediate is, of course, IMPARTIALITY:

last time, i promise!


impartiality
One entry found.
Main Entry: im·par·tial
Pronunciation: \(ˌ)im-ˈpär-shəl\
Function: adjective
Date: 1587

: not partial or biased : treating or affecting all equally

**synonyms : see fair

They violate the VERY DEFFINITIONS of the words, and therefore, the MOST COMMON (what?) -- understanding of the word,

and they don't seem capable of the grasping that CONCEPT, imho.

[Jaitaiyai]

Oh, but i DO care whether other countries are concerned!!!

i'd LIKE to get your "take" on what's happening, both in YOUR country, AND here.

But that's for the members to discuss.

How many members are English As A Second Language folks? When a MOD starts dis'ing peeps, that would put them off from posting, don't you think? (That "polite" thing works BOTH ways, after all ~ or SHOULD)?

Hell, to have Mods that have such definite views is off-putting!

Add to all of the above that they are unwilling to do what Moderate and Moderator really mean:



and, again:



1: one that mediates; especially : one that mediates between parties at variance
2: a mediating agent in a physical, chemical, or biological process

One of the main things that is directly connected to a person's ability to Mediate is, of course, IMPARTIALITY:

last time, i promise!



They violate the VERY DEFFINITIONS of the words, and therefore, the MOST COMMON (what?) -- understanding of the word,

NOR do they seem capable of the grasping that CONCEPT, imho.[/U]Oh yeah I'm not saying that what they did was right, like I said, I don't know about the politics forum. I've barely been in there. :D I don't think it won't work because the cause isnt there but because the way it's presented.

What I meant was that saying they're not from the USA and that you don't know why they even care is not going to help your argument. It shouldn't either, it doesn't matter whether they are or they aren't. If you're trying to get them banned this sentence just comes across as a bash against foreigners. And if you want Skip to listen to you and ban them, it doesn't help to order him about. I mean your first word in that letter was "Listen" !

I don't know, maybe I'm completely wrong. *shrugs*

[hippiehillbilly]

well the way i see it is its skips ball, if he wants to make balbus and ari quarterback aint a whole lot i can do about it.

except as stinkfoot said,go play somewhere else..

[earthmother]

My own experience with Balbus has been that he is a pompous ass. He pokes and prods at you if he disagrees with you and pretends you don't answer his questions when you do. He pretends not to understand what you are saying when you are being clear enough that a second grader could understand. He picks apart posts one line at a time and behaves as if he were the ultimate authority on everything and someone who we all must answer to. Kind of like God. Yea, that about sums it up.

Far as Skip goes, he just seems to be a-ok with Balbus... I tried to get that thru to him before and he just makes excuses or tells me to drop it or I'll get banned. I do know there are enough of us who don't think he has any business being a mod that it SHOULD make a difference, but it hasn't yet. So, I guess we're back to either ignoring him or boycotting the politics forum...

[orison319]

the person in (?) has 2 friends and a zero pictures, thats not even human to me..
Sounds to me like a robot. or maybe the dood is blind. ;p you can pun that all you want. :)

[Fyrenza]

Oh yeah I'm not saying that what they did was right, like I said, I don't know about the politics forum. I've barely been in there. :D I don't think it won't work because the cause isnt there but because the way it's presented.

What I meant was that saying they're not from the USA and that you don't know why they even care is not going to help your argument. It shouldn't either, it doesn't matter whether they are or they aren't. If you're trying to get them banned this sentence just comes across as a bash against foreigners. And if you want Skip to listen to you and ban them, it doesn't help to order him about. I mean your first word in that letter was "Listen" !

I don't know, maybe I'm completely wrong. *shrugs*

Nah, you're probably right.

But i would HOPE he'd take a look at the sitch, and maybe consider a change of pace...

And if the ones "e"ing him weren't aka Conspiracy Theorists, that much the better!

Just saying...

[Aristartle]

Ban me? Fyrenza.

I just approached you the other day through PMs to talk about it and took your concerns very seriously.

I just merged the Obama Deception thread with the existing one in the Politics Thread.

Do you not feel comfortable to approach me at all and address your concerns?

I don't want to further annoy you or to further convince you that Balbus and I are trying to censor you.

This is part of what I expected when we advertised that conspiracy theory in the Politics Forum was stone-walling political discussions.

Skip's laid out a couple guidelines for forumers and Mods:


Respect: The Hip Forums has an excellent staff of experienced, volunteer moderators who work very hard to keep the site free from spam and trolls. In order to do their job efficiently and effectively they require RESPECT from our members for the difficult and often thankless tasks they must perform daily. They've dedicated countless hours to keeping the forums running smoothly and an attractive place to hangout for so many people. So we won't tolerate ANY disrespect for our mods and admins, and those who do will be dealt with as trolls. If you have a problem with a mod, we suggest you first contact them thru PM and try to work out the issue. If you cannot, you can report the mod to an admin for further consideration of the problem. In no case will a public attack on our staff be tolerated.

[Pressed_Rat]

I don't really have a problem with you, Allison. You have been a bit more fair lately. It's Balbus that needs to go.

[stinkfoot]

Nah, you're probably right.

But i would HOPE he'd take a look at the sitch, and maybe consider a change of pace...

And if the ones "e"ing him weren't aka Conspiracy Theorists, that much the better!

Just saying...

Because I have made the decision to subtract myself from politics I would be unqualified to contact Skip either way. As I alluded to- the seemingly preferred debate style in politics is verbal blunt instrument because the lions share of debaters argue under the assumption that their argument is above reproach and any difference of opinion suggests a lack of intellect.

The nature of politics requires moderators with the stomach to deal with that kind of crap- and likely the willingness to dish it out. No moderator is perfect... and I'd guess that despite some very unpopular moves, Balbus and Aristartle are the best suited to deal with the steady stream of crap that seems to transpire there- I'll concede that my avoidance of politics here means that It's only a semi-educated guess as to what has to be dealt with. I do know that Skip will bend over backwards to support those who are helping keep things orderly here because that frees him up for other projects. I would infer a strong reluctance to get involved in moderating issues- .if direct contact has failed to produce an agreeable resolution to the matter then I would recommend taking pertinent discussions to this personal forum and avoid referencing moderators with whom you might have issues.

[Aristartle]

I'm a little side blinded.

Wendy and I formed a truce to each other in PMs just the other day and I was under the impression that we are both very willing to work together.

I know you've had a very rough couple weeks, Wendy. You were in my prayers this morning.

[Aristartle]

The Politics Forum is one of the most challenging Forums to moderate, as oftentimes it entails mediating the conflict of personalities and arguments on a regular basis, unlike other Forums here such as the Fashion and Crafts Forum for example. But it's good practice if one is aspiring to be Speaker of the House. :D

Sometimes, I think it's a lot like that. I don't have to agree with everyone's opinion or ideological arguments, but Balbus and I are still required to keep the discussions in order and while we leave wiggle room for giving each other a little guff every now and again, the issues are for the most part being addressed during Question Period, and that's the most important.

It's crucial to keep the avenues of dialogue and open debate accessible for everyone; and that is why we have been moving conspiracy charged threads to a part of the Forum where they are likely to have more life and more dialogue and still remain accessible for all Forumers to participate in. We have a problem where conspiracy can become extremely esoteric in political debates. Part of keeping some of those debates within the spheres of the Conspiracy Forum is an asset to the welfare overall of political debate and discourse in the Politics Forum.

As Balbus is concerned, he has been a tremendous help to me although we disagree on political issues, and was a good mentor before becoming a Mod. Balbus has always taken the extra time and effort to respond at length to my concerns and has provoked insight to me with a few fairly valuable questions. Balbus has seen literally thousands of posters come and go from the Politics Forum and his experience is invaluable to Hip Forums.

He knows the ropes of the Politics Forum inside and out. He and I are always available to discuss with you through PMs, and I suggest that you utilize those avenues of dialogue and make willing attempts to keep them open. I have gone out of my way to PM people and check in with them every now and again to work out some of the mediation often involved in moderating the place. If one doesn't feel comfortable approaching a Mod, please try approaching us anyway.

We are here for you guys.

[hippiehillbilly]

balbus is a fucking joke. he is a self absorbed troll ,you can defend him till your blue in the face,thats not going to change the way people feel about him..

thousands come and go.. lol and how many came and went because of him??

right...

[Aristartle]

balbus is a fucking joke. he is a self absorbed troll ,you can defend him till your blue in the face,thats not going to change the way people feel about him..

thousands come and go.. lol and how many came and went because of him??

right...

Bill, you are always able to approach me. I want you to know that.

[hippiehillbilly]

ill just go back to avoiding the politics forum.. like i said,im sure balbus is there for a reason.

not my field,not my ball,ill just go play somewhere else..

[Fyrenza]

Ban me? Fyrenza.

I just approached you the other day through PMs to talk about it and took your concerns very seriously.

...

Yeah, well, i wrote this big, huge, long post back to you, but it got lost on its way to this thread! ;) (Hey! i might have posted it in the wrong thread...)

Anyway, here it is, from the time we PM'ed, until now, in this thread:

Balbous, 3-12
Post #48 Time=0829 Sort of orders everyone to forget the OP because he's interested in { .*. blank .*. }.

Fryenza, 3-12
Post #56 Time=2239 i ask for ANY proofs, give an opinion that, imho, wasn't insulting.

Fyrenza, 3-13
Post #58 Time=0456 i ask a couple of questions and imagine up a scenario that would sort of explain Why? Obama might want to ARM Americans. A ridiculous little story to (hopefully!) put some humour into the mix.

i don't guess it worked, by your reaction, now.

Moving right along:

Balbous, Time = 0709
Post #59 3-13 Here, Balbus asks questions that are already being addressed and/or answered.

Balbous, Time = 0912
Post #67 3-13 What OlderWaterBro said is ALL TRUE ~ if you hear about those things, and don't want them to happen to YOU and yours, THAT doesn't equate to FEAR, anymore than buying insurance*, making a will, having a savings account, etc., is motivated by and/or sold to us based upon fear.

*** Mama? Post #73 ~ Great minds! :rofl:

Anyway, if you read those posts, and any occurring in other threads during that time line, i think you'll find that i haven't been ugly, nor obnoxious, to anyone. But if i was, i'm sure y'all will find it! :rolleyes:


Misheard Lyrics

THE MISHEARD:
The ants are my friends,
they're blowin' in the wind
The ants are a-blowin' in the wind.

THE REAL LYRIC:
The answer, my friend,
is blowin' in the wind
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

Artist Bob Dylan
Song Blowin' In The Wind

Gotta love it! ;)

[Aristartle]

Yeah, well, i wrote this big, huge, long post back to you, but it got lost on its way to this thread! ;) (Hey! i might have posted it in the wrong thread...)

Anyway, here it is, from the time we PM'ed, until now, in this thread:

Balbous, 3-12
Post #48 Time=0829 Sort of orders everyone to forget the OP because he's interested in { .*. blank .*. }.

Fryenza, 3-12
Post #56 Time=2239 i ask for ANY proofs, give an opinion that, imho, wasn't insulting.

Fyrenza, 3-13
Post #58 Time=0456 i ask a couple of questions and imagine up a scenario that would sort of explain Why? Obama might want to ARM Americans. A ridiculous little story to (hopefully!) put some humour into the mix.

i don't guess it worked, by your reaction, now.

Moving right along:

Balbous, Time = 0709
Post #59 3-13 Here, Balbus asks questions that are already being addressed and/or answered.

Balbous, Time = 0912
Post #67 3-13 What OlderWaterBro said is ALL TRUE ~ if you hear about those things, and don't want them to happen to YOU and yours, THAT doesn't equate to FEAR, anymore than buying insurance*, making a will, having a savings account, etc., is motivated by and/or sold to us based upon fear.

*** Mama? Post #73 ~ Great minds! :rofl:

Anyway, if you read those posts, and any occurring in other threads during that time line, i think you'll find that i haven't been ugly, nor obnoxious, to anyone. But if i was, i'm sure y'all will find it! :rolleyes:



Gotta love it! ;)

I really don't understand what's going on. How does this involve cause for banning me in your view?

[Fyrenza]

I really don't understand what's going on. How does this involve cause for banning me in your view?

Not exactly banning you ~ more like being able to put you on Ignore... :o

But there may BE folks that want to troll the forum,

so if, in my forum, i can ban a Mod,

then i can FOR SURE ban a troll! :rofl:

Also, if it IS my forum, then i should be able to keep anyone i want to OUT, eh? Just Mod it, myself.

It's just that threads you and Balbus get mixed up in sort of go down the tubes,

for the rest of us, imho.

Just sayin'...

[hippiehillbilly]

i am pretty sure you can make your forum private and have only invited people there,but that doesnt seem like much fun..lol

[Fyrenza]

i am pretty sure you can make your forum private and have only invited people there,but that doesnt seem like much fun..lol

No kidding!

The More,

The Merrier! :sifone: :cheers2:]

[Fyrenza]

I really don't understand what's going on. How does this involve cause for banning me in your view?

i think i'm finally beginning to see what y'all're talking about:

The Politics Forum is for anything "real,"

that can be cited, from, i.e. NBC Nightly News,

and put together with other "real" happenings

that are in the paper,

and THAT's a political discussion, to y'all.

Only one thing...

If you choose to LIMIT the choices to

SELF-ADMITTEDLY BIASED "sources,"

you are buying into propaganda

and selling out on what is NOW the NewS World Order.

Not only that,

it's CENSORSHIP, of the most BLATANT KIND!

At least in HippieHillbilly's Forum, folks can say what they like,

cite what they choose,

and THINK about what it all really means,

all mixed up like that, 'cuz that's how it IS.

Oh. btw ~ it's blindsided. ;)

[mamaKCita]

well the way i see it is its skips ball, if he wants to make balbus and ari quarterback aint a whole lot i can do about it.

except as stinkfoot said,go play somewhere else..

yup.