Quote: zooo @ May 5 2009, 5:36 PM BSTJust Badge to go then.
When's he legging it?
I think (/hope) that Badge and I have had enough disagreements in the past to know that far worse stuff happens on the net, and that it will all be forgotten about by the end of the week.
(This is not a dig or otherwise sly comment about/to anyone else BTW.)
Oi Huge Bear no leave it out!
Or at least take me with you.
Quote: Graham Bandage @ May 5 2009, 3:20 PM BSTbut this is goodbye.
No! To you and Big Bear, stay around and add your qualities to this place 
Quote: Marc P @ May 5 2009, 3:25 PM BSTTROLLS I BSG 0
More like Trolls 1 BSG 5. We've had a few troll attacks in the past and successfully stamped them out. And even that 1 troll goal is a dodgy offside decision that may get voided during consultation with the linesman, eh?
Quote: zooo @ May 5 2009, 3:26 PM BSTI hope you change your mind.
We want the trolls to f**k off, not the proper members.
Yep.
Well this is all a bit of a rum do isn't it? As Aaron has locked the thread in which I might make my defence I will do it here.
I looked back through my posts and I couldn't for the life of me work out what I'd done to get an "official warning" (whatever that means). But I wasn't that bothered about it because clearly if my fellow offenders were the likes of Bandage and Huge Bear it can't have been that bad, and if Aaron wants to throw warnings around that's not a problem (it's his site after all). But having both Bandage (my favourite BSG poster ever, bar none) and Huge Bear walk away seems a bit of a price to pay for what I consider a bit of heavy-handedness.
I respect and understand their decisions, but I won't be joining them in a long goodbye because I've done that before during a previous sticky BSG patch and I was lured back later when things sorted themselves out. I don't want any of you celebrating my demise only to disappoint you by cropping up again in a while! But I might take a bit of a sabbatical to let things settle a bit.
If we want to debate double standards, it's interesting that I get thanked by Aaron for PM-ing troll suspicions to him, yet get given an official warning from him for saying pretty much nothing about any individual poster on the forums.
Also, if we are being encouraged to report things properly, you might like to consider this: only once have I ever used the "Report Message" button that Aaron says we should all use, in response to what I considered a deliberately provocative and offensive racist remark. I didn't see any action to give the person who made that remark any type of warning, official or otherwise, nor even did I get an acknowledgement of my concern. Maybe that's a reason why I haven't bothered using "Report Message" again.
Finally, let me be clear on one thing. I am not personally bothered about the - let's say "alleged" - trolling; I've gone on record as saying some of the posts are quite funny, and many are inventive. But in recent days it's become clear to me that it is putting off a lot of existing members from visiting a part of the site they have found useful in the past, and even more importantly it is putting off potential new members. That can't be a good thing, can it?
Quote: Huge Bear @ May 5 2009, 5:40 PM BSTpossibly the most mild-mannered person on the entire forum, yep Badge,
Oi! That's a terrible slur on my wickedness! I've got an official warning you know!
I'm with you lot. Free the BSG three!!!
Quote: Badge @ May 5 2009, 7:52 PM BSTIf we want to debate double standards, it's interesting that I get thanked by Aaron for PM-ing troll suspicions to him, yet get given an official warning from him for saying pretty much nothing about any individual poster on the forums.
You were thanked because you provided useful information. And I thank you again for that now. It is much appreciated. What isn't appreciated is that some people choose to make these accusations publicly, which only serves to stir up far more ill-feeling, tension, and controversy than the actions of those people who are suspected of, in this case, holding the multiple accounts. They should, as is set out quite clearly in the board rules, be reported to a moderator privately, either by PM or the Report button.
Which brings me on to my next point...
Quote: Badge @ May 5 2009, 7:52 PM BSTAlso, if we are being encouraged to report things properly, you might like to consider this: only once have I ever used the "Report Message" button that Aaron says we should all use, in response to what I considered a deliberately provocative and offensive racist remark. I didn't see any action to give the person who made that remark any type of warning, official or otherwise, nor even did I get an acknowledgement of my concern. Maybe that's a reason why I haven't bothered using "Report Message" again.
Following the point you've made here, I've looked into the reporting system and found a small bug which meant that some reports could have been 'lost', as it were. It sounds like your report was unfortunately one which did slip through this hole into the ether. Accordingly, I can only apologise to you and anyone else who has made a report at any point and not received a response. I will always endeavour to reply to any complaints (etc) as soon as I read them.
So just to clarify the present situation: the concerns raised regarding certain members have been noted. If anyone else has any further thoughts, suspicions, 'evidence', etc, regarding these alleged trolling and multiple-account users, then I honestly would appreciate if you could contact me with them. Neither I nor any other member of the moderating team can check and mentally cross-refernce every post in every thread, which is why that Report button is there, so that we can be alerted to something which we may have missed. I and the rest of the team value all of you as members of this community, and do take your grievances seriously.
Now, I'll be investigating the suspicions which have been raised as soon as I can, and again I thank those of you who have contacted me about the matter.
Quote: Badge @ May 5 2009, 7:52 PM BSTAlso, if we are being encouraged to report things properly, you might like to consider this: only once have I ever used the "Report Message" button that Aaron says we should all use, in response to what I considered a deliberately provocative and offensive racist remark. I didn't see any action to give the person who made that remark any type of warning, official or otherwise, nor even did I get an acknowledgement of my concern. Maybe that's a reason why I haven't bothered using "Report Message" again.
Yes, but you know reporting Aaron is not going to get you anywhere...
Quote: Timbo @ May 5 2009, 9:06 PM BSTYes, but you know reporting Aaron is not going to get you anywhere...
Ah you'd be surprised actually. 
Quote: Timbo @ May 5 2009, 9:06 PM BSTYes, but you know reporting Aaron is not going to get you anywhere...
Was it that obvious? 
Quote: Aaron @ May 5 2009, 9:03 PM BSTWhat isn't appreciated is that some people choose to make these accusations publicly
Which I don't think I did. Anyway, you make the rules and as I said I'll take your official warning. I'll try not to do in the future what I haven't done in the past - that's the kind of behaviour change I can cope with.
Quote: Badge @ May 5 2009, 9:16 PM BSTWas it that obvious?
Well it could only have been chip otherwise!
Not sure if he'll read this, but I'm saying goodye anyways. Bye Bandage.
Quote: Graham Bandage @ May 5 2009, 3:20 PM BSTI'm sorry to say it, especially as I'm tantalisingly close to my 5,000th post, but this is goodbye.
Quote: Huge Bear @ May 5 2009, 4:50 PM BSTNo thousand posts either! Love to the good ones.
Status: Annoyed.
So what is a troll anyway?
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Im new to this site. But really enjoy it...just wanted to say.
Quote: JuliaC @ May 5 2009, 9:45 PM BST
Status: Annoyed.
My status is 'baffled'.
Why are the good ones going!? Please don't. Or at least start a new secret site for the genuine members and maybe Aaron in his wizardry could leave a 'ghost' site behind for all the fakers to multiply in, and run amok* in, to their hearts' content?
*I await clarification of the correct spelling/ usage of the word amok.
Quote: Jane P @ May 5 2009, 9:57 PM BST
*I await clarification of the correct spelling/ usage of the word anorak.
As you spelled it.