Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Peter · Dec 23, 2008, 01:51 PM

It being christmas and all.

seanc · Dec 23, 2008, 01:55 PM

Doofy · Dec 23, 2008, 02:07 PM

I'm not banned (it was only for a week).

I'm simply on strike until a certain moderator (who I believe hasn't got the judgement required to be a moderator) hands his notice in.

Happy Christmas Pete!

Big Mac · Dec 23, 2008, 02:15 PM

Take care, Doofy.

lexapro · Dec 23, 2008, 03:13 PM

Can I take this opportunity to advocate on behalf of a now-banned but previously long-time member?

Cold Warrior · Dec 23, 2008, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by lexapro

Can I take this opportunity to advocate on behalf of a now-banned but previously long-time member?

It's Feedback, you can push just about any topic.

lexapro · Dec 23, 2008, 03:41 PM

Originally Posted by Cold Warrior

It's Feedback, you can push just about any topic.

Ok then. I am a friend of a banned user, bstone. He has said really great things about this site and still uses it for the news feed. He has indicated to me his great distress at being banned after being a member for several years and is telling me (as I write this) that he vows to behave and be a model MacNNer if allowed back. He says he is very remorseful for the idiocy he exhibited and he truly sorry.

There ya go. Perhaps in this holiday season you can find it in your hearts to give him another chance?

Cold Warrior · Dec 23, 2008, 04:02 PM

It's best to PM our admins with this, reader50 and ghporter and demonhood. Please note that I'm not implying any sort of opportunity or action -- just the raw fact that admins are the points of contact for this stuff.

Maflynn · Dec 23, 2008, 04:34 PM

well now this leads to the next question, why was he banned - bstone that is

lexapro · Dec 23, 2008, 04:40 PM

I don't know if he wants me to get into the reasons why he was banned. I think he just wants to move forward and make amends with those he offended.

kylef · Dec 23, 2008, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by lexapro

I don't know if he wants me to get into the reasons why he was banned. I think he just wants to move forward and make amends with those he offended.

...

turtle777 · Dec 23, 2008, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by lexapro

Ok then. I am a friend of a banned user, bstone.

O'Rly ?

Hey mods, how about a quick IP check

-t

brassplayersrock² · Dec 23, 2008, 06:34 PM

what did bstone do?

lexapro · Dec 23, 2008, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

O'Rly ?

Hey mods, how about a quick IP check

-t

I came here to assist a friend in apologizing for the wrongs he has done and to hopefully smooth over problems. Accusing me of being this banned user is not very welcoming or kind of you. By all means run the IP check. When it comes back showing I am not bstone will you please apologize?

lexapro · Dec 23, 2008, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by brassplayersrock²

what did bstone do?

I asked him if I should discuss this and he said that he doesn't think it's worth it. He just wants to apologize for his stupidity and try to become a good member again. I think he said he has been using MacNN since 2000 or abouts.

hyteckit · Dec 23, 2008, 09:05 PM

About a month ago, I requested to be banned. My requested was declined.

So good luck in getting someone to be unbanned.

besson3c · Dec 23, 2008, 09:43 PM

I think we should just ban everybody, wipe the slate clean and start over. I'll be bessonGR in my next life.

ThinkInsane · Dec 23, 2008, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by hyteckit

About a month ago, I requested to be banned. My requested was declined.

So good luck in getting someone to be unbanned.

I would point out that we don't really have a process in place (yet) that would compel members to post. The repercussions of one leaving of their own accord are quite miniscule. It's not like Demonhood is going to show up at your house (well, probably won't) with a cat o'nine tails, a volatile attitude and sporting a t-shirt that says "until morale improves the beatings will continue" (again, it more than likely wouldn't happen. I mean it might, but probably not. But maybe...).

SSharon · Dec 23, 2008, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Hey mods, how about a quick IP check

well check my IP too, because I support bstone coming back as well. In fact, other than spammers I think I have always supported giving people more and more chances. I know that on multiple occasions I have supported unbanning ca$h.

there really isn't such a danger of unbanning him. this isn't a store he was kicked out of for breaking things so it isn't like he can cause any real damage here.

well enough in this thread, time to send some PMs.

Big Mac · Dec 24, 2008, 12:40 AM

I had no idea he was banned. Strange, I never saw him engage in any arguments.

Maflynn · Dec 24, 2008, 08:23 AM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

I had no idea he was banned. Strange, I never saw him engage in any arguments.

Hence my question

lexapro · Dec 24, 2008, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by Maflynn

Hence my question

I asked him again if he wanted me to discuss this in public and he is emphatic that he does not want to beat a dead horse. He is incredibly apologetic to those he wronged and begs for forgiveness from them. He promises not repeated his past mistakes.

I feel a little silly writing this but he is a good friend so I said I'd do it over the holiday season.

Maflynn · Dec 24, 2008, 01:49 PM

I can understand that.

Its probably not a bad idea that the mods/admins review bans at the end of the year and see if there's any possibility of commutation. If the president is doing it, why not Macnn

Mrjinglesusa · 02:24 PM

Or better yet, place nice with others and don't do or say things that will get you banned and you won't have to worry about having people solicit on your behalf to be unbanned.

I mean honestly, it takes quite a bit to get banned from this place in the first place.

turtle777 · Dec 24, 2008, 02:43 PM

Originally Posted by Big Mac

Strange, I never saw him engage in any arguments.

I do remember, he spew out some nasty sh!t in the PWL.

-t

lexapro · Dec 24, 2008, 04:14 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

I do remember, he spew out some nasty sh!t in the PWL.

-t

Hmm, that's not so good. Him and I never talk politics and in real life he doesn't like the topic. If you PM me some of the nasties he said then I'd be happy to smack him a bit and say "don't do it again!". He seems to listen to me.

turtle777 · Dec 24, 2008, 04:55 PM

Originally Posted by lexapro

Hmm, that's not so good. Him and I never talk politics and in real life he doesn't like the topic. If you PM me some of the nasties he said then I'd be happy to smack him a bit and say "don't do it again!". He seems to listen to me.

Just search for all his posts, and look at those shortly before he got banned. I'm sure you'll find some stuff.

-t

lexapro · Dec 24, 2008, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by turtle777

Just search for all his posts, and look at those shortly before he got banned. I'm sure you'll find some stuff.

-t

I did an advanced search for political lounge posts made by bstone. A few pages came up. Random selections show that he was engaged in political debate. Some of it was pretty bitter but others seemed to show he was avoiding personal attacks, with somewhat silly posts like this: http://forums.macnn.com/95/political...e/#post3383897
and
http://forums.macnn.com/95/political...e/#post3383980

which were both in response to things like this: http://forums.macnn.com/95/political...e/#post3383923

He also made funny political lounge postings like this: http://forums.macnn.com/95/political...l/#post3360090

From his posts- which I am shocked to see as he NEVER talks politics in real life- it seems he has a different view from others and engaged in some rather serious and bitter debate. However I don't think he broke too many rules about staying on topic and avoiding personal attacks. Of course I have not made an extremely indepth investigation but just took a random sample from the first page.

I think I'll tell him to avoid the political forum and stick to tech topics. Do you think that'd be a good idea?

ThinkInsane · Dec 24, 2008, 05:41 PM

If I remember, it was nothing to do with the PWL, or at least not much of it. I believe it was a problem that was developing in other areas of the forums, and I have no doubt that he was given multiple warnings and infractions before his plug got pulled.

lexapro · Dec 24, 2008, 05:55 PM

Originally Posted by ThinkInsane

If I remember, it was nothing to do with the PWL, or at least not much of it. I believe it was a problem that was developing in other areas of the forums, and I have no doubt that he was given multiple warnings and infractions before his plug got pulled.

He told me about that. He was given warnings and stupidly didn't listen. He has admitted that to me. At the same time he says it's been a really long time (over 1.5 years) and feels he has matured and changed.

turtle777 · Dec 24, 2008, 06:02 PM

I'm not against giving him a second chance. I always felt that perma bans are a stupid thing. It's not like those members pose a real threat to society, and need to be locked away for good.

If they are allowed back in, and still can't behave, then give them another extended vacation.

-t

Peter · Dec 25, 2008, 03:59 PM

I love the feedback forum

reader50 · Dec 25, 2008, 04:43 PM

Would that be for the OT thread hijack, the lack of admin response, or the general atmosphere?

seanc · Dec 25, 2008, 04:46 PM

The atmosphere could be improved with some Christmas stamps...

Simon · Dec 26, 2008, 12:28 PM

Some serious banination action would be more effective at 'improving the atmosphere'.

Laminar · Dec 26, 2008, 01:26 PM

Originally Posted by seanc

The atmosphere could be improved with some Christmas stamps...

Or a Christmas theme! I should make a threa....oh wait.