# Reverend Mykeru banned. SDMB Pit vultures rejoice. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 26, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718 "2003-02-26T20:13:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Tee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@Tee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tee)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/262 "2003-02-28T16:51:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by kabbes \* > \*\*What I _have_ said is that he was spoiling for a fight, lashed out indiscriminately, assumed the worst in those addressing him and generally behaved in an exceedingly unpleasant fashion to all and sundry, regardless of tone, content or approach. I can’t believe anyone would dispute that! > pan \*\* Well, I am. I don’t even have to work at it, any exchange we had is there in print and I’m stating the obvious. Spoiling for a heated discussion is a different thing, I didn’t get ‘exceedingly unpleasant’ responses and I’m not mentioning it just because I’m bored and felt like being a pain in the ass today. Yeesh. **Dinsdale** : my complaint is with the people who feel they are above the “Don’t Be a Jerk” rule and simultaneously hold others fast to it. No issues with banning here I’m afraid. ---
**Author:** ![porcupine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ac91a4/32.png) [@porcupine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porcupine)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/263 "2003-02-28T16:53:12Z")
Ok, **Jeff**. I’ve just never seen an accusation of trolling that’s that innocuous. The term is generally a lot more loaded. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/264 "2003-02-28T17:10:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tee \* > \*\*my complaint is with the people who feel they are above the “Don’t Be a Jerk” rule and simultaneously hold others fast to it. No issues with banning here I’m afraid. \*\* I don’t know, **Tee**. I’ve seen some pretty longtime posters meltdown and get banned. And with the exception of blatant socks and trolls, I doubt many if any get banned without a warning. YMMV, but IME the number of bannings here is pretty low. And I sense quite a bit of latitude within which one could act like a pretty big jerk yet remain a member of these boards. Hey, act as you wish. But if you choose to act in a way that you know your audience might dispprove of, and your audience contains folk who have the capability of acting upon their displeasure, and those folk give you clear warnings that they will react to what they consider provocations or transgressions, don’t be surprised at the consequences. Go ahead and poke that dog with a stick. No reason to take his growling seriously. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/265 "2003-02-28T17:15:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*\*porcupine pined:\*\*\*The term is generally a lot more loaded. That’s more likely the way in which Ogre used it, not as you suggest, Jeff. I draw this conclusion from his comment “Man, how many rules does that violate?” Obviously, “wandering about” violates no rules. > [@](#): > > \*\*\*P.T. Smegma says:\*\*\*UncleBeer, you have my apology. I misinterpreted your motives. > > Seeing an unjustified, IMHO, pile-on usually punches my buttons pretty hard, and I’ll sometimes shoot blindly. Again, my apologies No problem. I’m happy to have the opportunity to once again explain what I did. I’m glad the I was able to get the idea across this time. ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/266 "2003-02-28T17:20:34Z")
:: Aside :: Thanks Ike. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/267 "2003-02-28T17:37:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > **There comes a time where you need to let it go. And even if he constitutionally couldn’t, I strongly suggest that, to the best of my vast Clique[sup]tm[/sup] knowledge, if he’d taken Coldie’s advice and _in addition_ to fighting in the Pit, posted elsewhere and shown that he could do so in a non-confrontational way, he’d still be here. Outside of those three magic posts people keep referencing, where did he show that he had any ability to contribute anything beyond a moderately competent ability to be sarcastic?** That reminds me of somthing that I’ve had on my mind. I suppose we could consider his banning to be a pre-emptive strike. Too bad we’ll never know if it was warrented or not unless **Rev.** petitions to be reinstated, which is about as likely as the Pope annouching he’s really an Athiest. As I said, he did demonstrate his ability to be civil toward the end. I’m sure if he could have kept it up he’d still be posting. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/268 "2003-02-28T18:23:33Z")
> [@](#): > > You must be a saint. You are all to keen to point out provocation to the poor ol’ Rev and yet seem totally unwilling to see his provocation to us in response. Because he didn’t “provoke” you. He responded to the challenge that you (general you) issued. > [@](#): > > Despite your insistance on seeing us as a faceless mass of Rev-haters, we are actually all individuals, you know. Individuals that were each disgustingly insulted by that excuse for a human being - many of us long before we responded in kind. Thanks for putting words in my mouth. Any illusion that I see a faceless mob is your own. I know you’re individuals. Why does it matter? > [@](#): > > See the word I’ve colored red? That’s where his argument falls apart and that’s why he was banned. “Forever”. > > There comes a time where you need to let it go. And even if he constitutionally couldn’t, I strongly suggest that, to the best of my vast Cliquetm knowledge, if he’d taken Coldie’s advice and in addition to fighting in the Pit, posted elsewhere and shown that he could do so in a non-confrontational way, he’d still be here. No. I disagree. Anyone who starts a thread calling a newbie a “fucking tool,” with the express purpose of lambasting “the clown of the week,” even though that newbie has expressed a perfectly valid (and cited) opinion, deserves whatever asswhipping that newbie can hand back. If it means that the OP’er ends up a bloody, trodden lump under the newbie’s metaphorical heels, well, that’s just too goddamn bad, and it’s no more than he asked for. > [@](#): > > Outside of those three magic posts people keep referencing, where did he show that he had any ability to contribute anything beyond a moderately competent ability to be sarcastic? The entire Pat Robertson issue. You may not have liked what he had to say, but he said it well and intelligently, and cited his claims. Ergo, contribution. And sweet Jesus, **Unc**. Here’s what you said: > [@](#): > > I have no doubt that you do not shy from controversy. I would go further though, and say you seem to court it. As for what views I’ve seen from you that I don’t really believe you hold, how about [this one](http://www.cybersoapbox.com/csb/viewtopic.php?t=170&start=25) (scroll to the very last post) where you are speaking of teens shooting (and blowing up) their schoolmates: You were trying to make him explain on this board something he said on another board. What would happen if I called another poster out about what he or she meant by something that I linked to on the UnaBoard, or Fathom, or the Pizza Parlor, or the Left Behind board? I’d get my ass handed to me, that’s what. Plus, as an extra bonus, he even explained that the poster in question was a well-known conspiracy kook on those boards. I apologize for impugning your motives, but you did something in pursuit of an argument none of the rest of are allowed to do. > [@](#): > > No. Read the link in my last post. He was posting antagonistically about this board, its moderators and its members before the Pat Robertson thread was even a gleam in its originator’s eye. No. Search his name and display results as posts. His _first appearance_ at this board was in the Pat Robertson thread. > [@](#): > > Oh, he responded in kind all right. Responded in kind^10. Perhaps you expected him to be the Very Soul of English Restraint in the face of abuse? Nope. I still don’t blame him. I’d have done my level best to toast the idiots with my vituperation as well. > [@](#): > > There’s a definition of “trolling” that fits in nicley with what I perceive Ogre intended: > > 1. a. To wander about; ramble. b. Slang. To patrol an area in search for someone or something. Thanks, **Jeff**. That was exactly what I meant. > [@](#): > > Go ahead and poke that dog with a stick. No reason to take his growling seriously. Trouble is, it was the Dopers who poked first. > [@](#): > > That’s more likely the way in which Ogre used it, not as you suggest, Jeff. I draw this conclusion from his comment “Man, how many rules does that violate?” Obviously, “wandering about” violates no rules. Splitting hairs? “Wandering about” violates no rules, but specifically calling him down _here_ about something he said _on another board_ does. > [@](#): > > Too bad we’ll never know if it was warrented or not unless Rev. petitions to be reinstated, which is about as likely as the Pope annouching he’s really an Athiest. Interesting thought. I wonder if he ( **Mykeru** , not the Pope) would do that. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/269 "2003-02-28T19:42:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ogre \* > \*\*Perhaps you expected him to be the Very Soul of English Restraint in the face of abuse? \*\* I wouldn’t go that far. All he had to do was tone it down a bit, [like he did here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=3050205#post3050205). Something sure happened somewhere to cause him to change his style and, as I’ve said, if he had stuck with it I’m sure he’d still be posting here. [His very next post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&postid=3052089#post3052089) already shows signs of reverting to his napalm style but it’s not as bad as the bile he had been posting previously. Maybe he had finally started to find a balance that he - and the rest of us - could live with, maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/270 "2003-02-28T20:54:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ogre \* > \*\*Interesting thought. I wonder if he ( **Mykeru** , not the Pope) would do that. \*\* Doubtful. Have y’all checked his site lately? ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/271 "2003-02-28T21:28:33Z")
Well, the good reverend’s site is quite interesting now. He musta stayed up all night writing and copying that information. (Speaking of which, he DID get permission from the Chicago Reader to copy all those posts, didn’t he? I mean, the Reader has a notice at the bottom of every page that says, in part, “No material contained in this site may be republished or reposted without express written consent of the Chicago Reader, Inc., except that message board users retain the right to republish or repost their own work.” Surely the good reverend wouldn’t be jerk-y enough to ignore that little legal problem, would he?) And I note that I, too, am lampooned (poorly, but lampooned nevertheless) on his site for attempting to help the good reverend. **Ogre** , what say you now regarding the late, unlamented reverend? Poor, misunderstood waif that should have been nurtured and allowed to grow, or attention-seeking troll? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/272 "2003-02-28T21:46:56Z")
Well, I just finished reading it, and I have to say I find his account funny and accurate. It’s pretty much precisely what happened. ---
**Author:** ![Infectious\_Lass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e56c9b/32.png) [@Infectious\_Lass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infectious_Lass)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/273 "2003-02-28T21:55:24Z")
FWIW, I too think that the loss of Mykeru is a shame and a waste. However, it was pretty stupid of him to ignore Coldfire’s advice (as well as several other’s) and then start a thread that was more or less daring the mods to ban him (never a good move…) I still think he was just a feisty person with strong beliefs rather than a troll…sometimes it is all too easy to slap the ‘t’ label on anybody who has an unpopular opinion and I think we are the poorer for that… about a week and a half ago, I was banned from another message board (yeah me, miss inoffensive 2003), basically I got paranoid (as I sometimes do with my depression/psycological problems) and I had a little outburst. Which was actually pretty mild, but the real reason I got banned was because something I had written in anger on my Livejournal was taken out of context and used against me. I thought that was really low and stunk to high heaven. If any one objected to what I had written on lj they should have taken it up with me there, not banned me from the mb without a single warning (which you would get on the sdmb, and yes, they are entitled to ban whoever they like but I think at least a warning is only good manners, and I had said I was sorry bah…) And what I am getting towards is in my long winded way is: what someone writes on thier own site/journal/whatever is their business and no one else’s. To ban them from somewhere completely different is low, and I shall never change my mind about that. (I was banned from that mb because it was judged as if I had posted there what I wrote on lj, I used ‘foul language’ poor little flowers…I always respected their rules about language on their board, where do they get off telling me how to talk on \* my livejournal\* Hits a little close to home with me lately, that whole business. FWIW, having read Mykeru’s website I can advise him that being bitter over being banned from an mb is painful and horrible but being bitter over it isn’t a good idea. (just ask the girl who had a miniature breakdown and week of horrible depression and who nearly lost her boyfriend of one of a half years over it, having been inspired by the madness that resulted to do something that I was not proud of…with my psychological problems and depression, it affected me rather badly, more than it would a ‘normal person’…as much as it hurts, and as much as you feel it was unjust the only thing you can do is forget it and go on with your life…all you can do is just let it go, or you will go mad (literally). It’s rotten but that’s life… ---
**Author:** ![super\_head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d6d6ee/32.png) [@super\_head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/super_head)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/274 "2003-02-28T21:57:33Z")
The “stolen CDs” bit was brilliant, I thought. I know, I’m not helping. Anyway, having conversed fairly often with **Mykeru** this last week via the magic of e-mail, I can say I think he meant well and thought the SDMB would be a cool board on which to participate. I can also say he doesn’t suffer fools and flames (just sayin’ is all - not pointing fingers at anyone). I find him quite a likeable sort. ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/275 "2003-02-28T21:57:59Z")
Fine. He is also breaking a rule of the SDMB. You know, the one I quoted up there in my earlier post. Should the Reader decide to pursue it, I would imagine the good reverend could be sued for violating that rule. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/276 "2003-02-28T22:05:57Z")
Actually, he directly addresses your objection in the introduction by claiming Fair Use. To wit: > [@](#): > > Use of copyrighted material is allowed under the Fair Use provisions of United States Copyright law of 1976 [17 USC § 107] for purposes of criticism and comment and provisions for works of parody as described in Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc. (1994) . ---
**Author:** ![Sauron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@Sauron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sauron)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/277 "2003-02-28T22:06:22Z")
**super\_head** , you have seen a side of **Reverend Mykeru** that many of us have not. (Possibly **Ogre** , too – I forget whether he said he’d communicated with him via e-mail.) You get to know a person, it’s easier to see their side of things. That’s all I was trying to get **Reverend Mykeru** to do here – get to know the board without participating in fights. Yes, he was picked on. I believe he brought some, if not much, of that on himself. Is it difficult to walk away while being Pitted? Sure. It can still be done, though. I’ve seen examples of that numerous times in the past several years. I’m having a hard time reconciling your statement that the reverend thought the SDMB would be a “cool” board with what he’s posting on his site, though. Your definition of “cool” and mine must vary considerably. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/278 "2003-02-28T22:09:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by super\_head \* > **Anyway, having conversed fairly often with Mykeru this last week via the magic of e-mail, I can say I think he meant well and thought the SDMB would be a cool board on which to participate. I can also say he doesn’t suffer fools and flames (just sayin’ is all - not pointing fingers at anyone).** He could have been here purely to collect fodder for that pissant webiste of his. Or am I just being paranoid again? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/279 "2003-02-28T22:10:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ogre \* > \*\*Well, I just finished reading it, and I have to say I find his account funny and accurate. It’s pretty much precisely what happened. \*\* Now THIS is the funnier than any of the insulting crap **Mykeru** spewed. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/280 "2003-02-28T22:12:43Z")
Goodness! That took some effort! Of course, I didn’t bother to read it all, but the scales have fallen from my eyes and I see myself surrounded by whores and hypocrites. _Rest easy elite SWAT team of defensive and hypersentitive regulars - I’m posting from work!_ Of the parts I read, my fave was his criticism of any “regular” as a 20-ish, living with the rents, mac n cheese eating loser. Yet he somehow found the time to compose that treatise. I guess he had to find a way to masturbate at such extreme length without chafing… Unfortunately, if it is true that one can be judged by the quality of their enemies, then we truly may be a bunch of losers. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718/281 "2003-02-28T22:12:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sauron \* > \*\*That’s all I was trying to get _Reverend Mykeru_ to do here – get to know the board without participating in fights. Yes, he was picked on. I believe he brought some, if not much, of that on himself. Is it difficult to walk away while being Pitted? Sure. It can still be done, though. I’ve seen examples of that numerous times in the past several years. \*\* Hell, **handy** did that so often I don’t think anybody bothers to pit him anymore. I don’t think anyone’s been pitted more than **december** , which is why I was trying to get **Rev.** to follow his example. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reverend-mykeru-banned-sdmb-pit-vultures-rejoice/157718.md?page=15)