"Queen Bees" and "Invading Poland"

The following more recent Moderation of yours truly was born out the situation where on two recent occasions a forum member somewhere created topics to try and rabble rouse to get members they didn't like or get along with, permanently banned from membership of that forum.

Their second attempt actually succeeded ... but with an opportunity cost that included a long standing and well respected Moderator renouncing their own forum membership and moderating hat.

Obviously using the "ignore" function wasn't enough for the rabble rousing member, and unfortunately my suggestion to "piss off" to "go and invade poland" fell on deaf ears too.

Now as this particular rabble rousing forum member had made such a big thing about their advancing pregnancy (with a forum topic dedicated to it even) and had shared far and wide various problems that had cropped up on the home front, and because this forum member had also expressed in various ways their desire to be stress free, I penned the following as a reasonable suggestion that could see her more important concerns suitably dealt with and without having to make the entire forum conform to her way of thinking.

[userid snipped] said: "a call was put out a few months ago by ADMIN of this place, asking for donations to keep the board going - doesnt that give us mere members some kind of right to air a grievance or concern?"

[derspatz replied]
No.

Doing the right and responsible thing doesn't entitle such "rights" ... and such "rights" can't be bought either ... and nor should they be.

Also, perhaps it is time you started thinking a bit more about the unborn you've rendered yourself responsible for the well-being of and chose to clear off from this stressful and conflicting (etc, etc, etc) online environment that is so obviously provoking your ire and causing you so much grief and inspiring your repetative "wah, waa, waa"ing and desire to stomp your jackboots over anyone and anything that isn't to your liking, regardless of what anyone else wants or likes.

Why not use the remaining time between now and a certain precious birthday coming up to nick off from here and at last take care of all the crap in your much publicised offline life that has been allowed to slip and come back and bite, so that by the time the new mouth arrives to suckle, all is at peace and calm in your life ?

I doubt if anyone would mind if you took such a break, especially seeing how I suspect most would probably think it would be a good idea if only for the sake/wellbeing of the child you are carrying.

This is derspatz speaking frankly and sincerely here. I really don't think these forums are a healthy place for the unborn of a pregnant woman with a short fuse and the nature thus far exampled ... and I *definitely* don't think that the membership here should particularly change or moderate to accommodate one such as you as you are now, especially seeing how there are more suitable forums out there for ladies in your condition.

Why should we ?

regarDS

Obviously this sensible suggestion and solution didn't go down well with the person busy trying to get members kicked out, and nor with the rabble being roused, and before anyone could say "go and invade poland" three times quickly, poor little me was slapped with the following:

Date: 24-07-2009, 08:32 PM
From: [A Moderator]
Subject: You have received an infraction at [location snipped]

Dear derspatz,

You have received an infraction at [location snipped]

Reason: Harmful action against another member
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Personal attacks against other members will not be tolerated. You have no right to tell another poster when and how often to post, and certainly no right to bring their personal life into it.
-------
This infraction is worth [snipped] and may result in restricted access until it expires. Serious infractions will never expire.

Original Post: [URL snipped ... and I've just reproduced it above anyway]

All the best,[location snipped]

And here is my reply I logged to that Moderation notice.

Date: 25-07-2009, 10:57 AM
From: derspatz
Subject: Re: You have received an infraction at [location snipped]

>> Dear derspatz,
Goodmorning [member names snipped] and/or the Mod Team. I'd like to log a reply for the record. No worries on the holiday, BTW. Tis your forum, your rules, and I continue to respect that even in the face of what I feel to be a mis-judgment this time around.

>> You have received an infraction at [location snipped]

Presumably because a certain gang up preferred to push a "report" button rather than actually properly read something. Ah well, my bad for not expressing myself a more clearly.

>> Reason: Harmful action against another member

I both disagree with and dispute that for I've not done any such thing as what follows in what is quoted below that:

>> Personal attacks against other members will not be tolerated.

Nor should they be, yet meanwhile we've got two threads [url snipped] and: [url snipped] created by a member here for the EXPRESS purpose of rabble rousing in order to get members they don't like, run out of here. A member who then used those threads to post [url snipped] and [url snipped]

Is it really a "personal attack" to calmly suggest to somebody who is so busy rabble rousing to get other members driven out that a well respected member of the Mod team renounces her position and membership here, that rather than try and drive out others, this place may not be the healthiest and best place for them right now ?

Seem kinda out of wack that an infraction should come my way on that.

>> You have no right to tell another poster when and how often to post, and certainly no right to bring their personal life into it.

I agree, which is why I've not "told" ANY other poster when or how often to post, ever.

The more posts, the better AFAIC - I'm all about trying to inspire more posts not less ... as opposed to the member(s) who seem to be more about shutting various folk up forever. I've also not brought anything into the online discussions regarding [userid snipped] in particular that she isn't busy sharing about herself and inviting comment on, complete with a thread dedicated to it.

Yes, one of my comments to what she is putting out about herself, questions as to whether this place is the healthiest place for her if she finds herself so in the need to run out of town other members who she chooses to have a problem with, just so she can have her peace and quiet and associated love-in.

Obviously the recent and repeated individually targetted upset [member name snipped] has brought to this forum lately doesn't sit right with me. Yes, it bothers me the kind of direction she appears to want to take this forum in ... and it obviously considerably bothered [resigned mod member name snipped] too.

I'm all for the accommodating of all points of view (especially when it leads to robust and lively debate and discussion), but these recent attempts by one person to drive other members out, is getting to be a real downer ... and are surely against Forum Roolz ?

That she also used both the [topic name snipped] and [topic name snipped] threads she created to basically suggest that donating to the upkeep of this free forum should entitle a say in its running, demonstrates at least to me where her mind really is.

The reign of "Queen Bee" in the Prisoner series springs to mind.

Anyway, for the sake of some peace and quiet while a few things die down, I'll cop this one sweet (and I suspect sweeter than if the ruling had gone in another more justified direction) and cheers for your time and patience.

I do like this place and I shall continue to promote and support it as far and as wide as my regular online travels take me, and hopefully it will never go down the path of exclusivity that the likes of [member name] seem to want to take it.

regarDS

[repeat of original message snipped]

Feel free to comment, but (as per usual) don't expect outright abuse to be published ...

regarDS