Gotta agree with Tuba this time. I won’t express my own opinion of the guy since he can’t defend himself. But let us just say that I regret asking the horribly conceived and dastardly evil question, “What channel is it?” Apparently, it is a question on the level of “Did you screw your daughter?”.
Nobody disagreed. After seeing the threads in question I have no idea how any one could disagree with the banning. The problem was no announcement which left some confused. There have been other obvious bannings which were announced here. A simple question which could be answered simply and to the point.
And stop asking those evil questions. What were you thinking?
I’ve said my 2 cents and then some, I’ll let others continue the post-mortum equine assault.
While I can’t speak for TubaDiva, I can say that I, for one, am tired of members questioning EVERY SINGLE STAFF ACTION AND DECISION. Each time we ban a spammer, troll, or returning sock, we get a question in ATMB asking why we did so. The answer is ALWAYS the same, folks…if someone is banned after only a few posts, it’s a returning sock, or a troll, or a spammer. You didn’t see the troll or spam posts because we removed them. How many times does this question have to be asked and answered? Sheesh. And every time we make a decision, whether it’s to change the color scheme or move a button, it has to be nitpicked to death. While you claim it’s just curiosity, when it’s put on the message board it looks a lot more like it’s questioning motives. Simple curiosity could be better answered in an email, as we have repeatedly asked people to do.
The poster in question was not a poster who brought anything positive to the message board. I doubt that anyone will miss his contributions. He was not in any way noteworthy, except for his ability to stir up shit. He doesn’t deserve the attention an ATMB thread gives him.
Rectum?
Until everyone’s seen it. Which, let’s be realistic, is never going to happen. This is a big message board, with a high rate of posting. Even here, in ATMB, it’s rare for a thread to stay on the front page for more than a week or so after people stop- posting to it. With the number of users here, and new ones coming in all the time, there’s always going to be a significant segment of the posting population who haven’t seen the question asked or answered–even long-time members. There’s always going to be others who, for whatever reason, just feel it’s easier ask the question in a thread, rather than an email, even if they are aware you prefer it that way. I understand it gets old answering the same sort of questions ad nauseum, but that’s part and parcel of message board administration. Regardless of how many times you answer the questions, or however many stickies you post, or put great big flashing red warnings in the FAQ, I cannot realistically seeing the situation changing, as much as you might want it to. That’s just the way people are. If dealing with it grows too tiresome, well with all due respect, it’s not like you have to keep doing this.
Now that sounds a little pissy, doesn’t it.
**Maybe a note could be added to the Sticky for ATMB: **
If you are wondering why a poster was banned:
- Check ATMB for notification.
- Check their profile, If there is a handful of posts they were probably a troll or spammer
- if many post check the last 25 threads they posted and you will probably see the reason for banning.
- If none of the above apply please post to ATMB to inquire if you really care to.
- If you disagree with the banning you might wish to start a pit thread, but please be reasonably polite about it.
Jim
I don’t buy this. The people who keep asking the questions generally HAVE seen this answer before, because they’ve asked it before. No, I think that this behavior is more akin to a six year old who keeps asking “Why?” to every statement a parent makes. The kid knows it’s annoying, and after a while the parent will say “Because I said so!”, and then the kid goes into a pout, claiming innocent intentions. Nope, I think that these sorts of questions are not as innocent as they are made out to be. I think that mostly they are meant to aggravate the moderation staff, because the questioner knows the answer already.
Maybe I’m just a bit less cynical than you, but I find it rather unlikely that people ask these questions just to annoy the staff. I can buy laziness, ignorance or naivety but malice? Come on. No offense intended, but that says more about you than it does about the posters in question, IMO.
I think the suggestion above is a good one; I doubt if it will eliminate these types of questions, but perhaps it will cut down on their frequency.
Ok, that came out a little more pissy-sounding than I meant it to be. I’m just saying maybe dealing with the membership for so long has jaded you; you’re seeing antagonism where, IMHO, none exists.
Good catch 
I agree with Q.E.D., I don’t think most of the questions have any other motive.
Rereading the OP, it isn’t even a question about why Andrew was banned, just why it wasn’t announced? It looks honest enough to me.
Jim
Damn near killed 'em…
I get tired of this, too, only I get tired of it from the other side. I get tired of every single question, even one that’s never been asked before (like whether Andrew’s banning inaugerated a policy change) is turned into another opportunity to nitpick to death everything posters do that staff find annoying. This was a perfectly innocent question, and it has nothing to do with any of the things you and Tuba are complaining about. You’re actually doing the things you accuse members of doing–harping about irrelevant problems, jumping to conclusions, and presuming to know (and automatically question) the motivations of others. When members start doing this, especially in threads where it doesn’t belong (if it belongs anywhere) you usually suggest taking a break from the boards. I’m NOT implying that anyone should be fired, put on leave, or reprimanded, but just honestly saying that it really is good advice that you give. (And it almost always is given as advice long before it becomes an official issue.) If anyone is really as stressed out by their work as you claim to be (by something that–like rude customers in any bussiness–isn’t ever going to go away) I’d be inclined to suggest that something be done to destress, including a vacation.
That should be “every single question about the boards.” Even my hyperbole has some limits!
I’d have to agree that the OP was a straightforward question, and does not seem to imply any criticism, nor do any of the follow up posts. No one is questioning the banning, which was well deserved.
**Dex’s ** reply, I think, fully answered the question, and was all that was needed. I don’t know why TubaDiva’s felt it necessary to post her tirade, which was not responsive to anything anyone said, or even implied, in this thread.
I admit that I myself was slightly curious over why no announcement was made in this case, as it has been for others of its kind. I assumed that it was either an oversight (as it seems to have been), or that the reason for the banning was so obvious that it was felt to be unnecessary. (If it had been the latter, I wouldn’t think it was a good idea, since it was only obvious if you happened to have been following the bannee’s threads, which I had been.)
This board is by its very nature Nit-Picker Central. The admin has my sympathy for having to deal with all the crap that is constantly coming their way. But it’s never going to go away - it will always be this way. If you’re tired of dealing with it, the solution is simple - take a break. After all, you’re volunteers - you don’t have to put up with it if you don’t want to.
Damn y’all. Tuba, Lynn, what up? The only mention in this thread about why he got banned was to support the banning. I just wanted to know if there had been a policy change. Seems like a while back a atatement was made that bannings would be announced in this forum in order to forestall speculation and pile-ons in other forums, with the exception of trolls, spammers, etc. andrew did not seem to fit the latter criteria. For the third time, I was questioning whether that policy had changed, not why he was banned. Dex provided a perfectly good answer. Then you two jump in pissing and moaning about something that had happened in your minds, or in another thread, but not here. Sheesh. Feel free to close this at the request of the OP.
I think it’s about time for CK Dexter Haven to mosey back into this forum, fire a warning shot, and send everyone home for the night.
The OP has been answered. The banned poster went overboard again and again and again. He was a jerk and begged to be banned. The second guessing–especially between mods–is unsightly, serves no good, and only gives the bannee something to gloat over.
That is all.
That was not the question and never was.