[hurt voice] I thought that sarcasm was VERY eptly applied.[/hurt voice]
If you’re going to accuse people of “mutual masturbation” and “inconsistent moderating” in the Pit, as part of such a feeb’s argument, you better be ready to have folks make fun of you.
The very latest post there is one of them, but the original was here. They “count” because they were referenced in the former pit thread. All you gotta do is click the link.
Well, when someone shows up in this thread with a valid concern, I guess we’ll find out. Whining about the SDMB Clique using their Secret Magic Clique Powers to get an obvious troll banned doesn’t quite count, IMO.
That’s all?
He gave an opinion on Scott Peterson’s strange behavior.
He talked about why people might not have been able to escape from the nightclub fire.
He appreciated the costs of running a board and asked for examples of how the Chicago Reader might be liable for opinions. This turned into a flamefest after kabbes wrote a couple lines that could have been interpreted as a flame.
He defended another user against a mischaracterization of ripping MP3s that one owns (as opposed to the SDMB being used to assist in theft of music).
He discussed creationism and Intelligent Design with others.
He gave some input on conspiracy theories about the JFK assassination.
He stated an unpopular opinion, in line with the now-banned BURNER, that maybePat Robertson got his just desserts, which, of course, convinced everyone that Mykeru was the new face of evil and must be punished accordingly.
When he refused to kowtow, the regulars continued the escalation, to which he responded in kind. Did you expect him to just roll over and take it? Good lord, the admonitions that he should just walk away and blend into the board stink more of encouraged groupthink than anything else.
Did he spent a lot of time in flame wars? Yes - because he was dragged into them. Don’t insult someone and not expect them to defend themselves.
Having conversed with him via e-mail, he seems quite an amicable and intelligent sort - he should be a welcome addition to a place like this, but since he dared to wish ill upon Pat Robertson, we’ve ended up here.
Somebody overreacted, and it wasn’t Mykeru.
I seem to recall him accusing me of the same thing. I think that says something but I’m not sure what. 
Really? It’s not possible to be insulted and just walk away? On a message board? Huh. Whoda thunk.
BullSHIT.
Returning flames in one thing but what Rev. did was drop napalm.
Yes, he could have turned off the PC, surfed for porn, or stolen MP3s, but why should he have to? Why is it ok for regulars to pile on because he has an unpopular opinion and just expect him to go away?
Because those are the rules of the clique?
If so, they suck outright - which is pretty much what he said.
Ogre you misunderstood what I meant.
When I said:
What I meant was that we are not normally allowed to accuse people of trolling, but as Lynn had already done it, then so could I. It is my own opinion that he is a troll - I’m not just saying that because Lynn said it.
This doesn’t prove a thing. Message board trolls aren’t all evil people in real life. The thing about a troll is that he/she joins a message board to start fights and flame wars, because they think it’s fun. And the point about intelligence: so what? I didn’t get the impression he was any Einstein. In any case that’s not the point, is it?
Which is simply the final phase of the Galileo Complex.
Come in, say controversial stuff while proclaiming your intelligence. Insult people then use returned insults as proof that the less-intelligent people can’t handle a man who dares Speak Truth to Power.
When other posters actually point out flaws in an argument as opposed to merely flaming start yelling about how it’s not important but others are too stupid to see that.
Then start a new thread proclaiming that you will be banned because the Man can’t handle the Truth. This behavior is familiar to anybody who has posted on a message board for more than a month. These guys are a dime a dozen.
To be honest, I thought the first thread about him was a little harsh. But he had other opportunities and was consistently bellicose even with people who didn’t attack him. He seemed fairly intelligent but that’s not all it takes. He’s not so blindingly original and intelligent that it’s a great loss to ban him for being a dick.
Please tell me you’re not one of those brain-dead idiots who actually believes there’s some all-powerful clique on the SDMB.
Why is it okay for a newbie to continue to engage in behavior that he knows is frowned upon by board members and moderators?
Sure, it can be a never-ending circle. But you gotta ask yourself – how do so many people join this message board every day without getting caught up in that circle themselves?
Sure, no problem. But I reserve the right to shoot back.
The phenomenon I’m describing is this (and I’m hardly the first person to notice it, merely the latest, which perhaps makes me slow, although I prefer to think of it as “methodical.” :)):
There is a tendency here to roast newbies. Now, if those newbies are really trolls (see also, your garden variety “Evolution su><ors!” thread,) I really have no problem with it. But there have been a couple of instances lately of really ugly moderator behavior and Pit-cronyism. Nocktober’s banning was utterly unjustified, in my opinion, as was this one. Reverend Mykeru started off by stating an unpopular opinion about Pat Robertson. He was roundly flamed for it. He shot back, effectively. Who can blame him?
Good lord, if I got “friendly advice” to “just turn around and walk away,” it’d look patronizing and condescending to me too. In other words, it’d go like this:
Me: Unpopular opinion
Pitizens: You’re a shit-wallowing poor excuse for a human being!
Me: Eat me, you dick. I still believe <unpopular opinion.>
Random poster: Dude, just walk away.
Me: Fuck that. They’re still wrong.
<Pile-on begins>
Me: I’m not going to recant my opinion, and furthermore, I think I’m being treated unfairly (OK, throw some insults in there).
<Pile-on continues until my banning>
Yes, those are exactly the rules of the clique. I have them here written down.
And as for “regulars” piling on - a number of those “regulars” were defending the guy a week ago, saying maybe he’d been judged a little harshly. And even more "regulars " - the vast majority - never participated and probably don’t give a fuck about any of this. Some pile-on.
Samarm, if you’ll read the rest of my post, you’ll see that he did engage in discussions, not just looking for a fight.
I’m sorry that he had an unpopular opinion about Pat Robertson (one that I kind of share, actually - let the pile on begin!), that he was flamed and told to fall into line like a good little automaton, and that he refused to be shouted down in flames for having that opinion.
[monotone voice]
However, now I see that you are all absolutely right. His being banned was proper and just. I must go retrieve my Groupthink Badge and return to the boards. Must. Go.
[/monotone voice]
Hey, Ogre? You wanna complain about how I tried to help the guy, great. I didn’t notice you trying to help him any. Next time, how about actually posting to the thread if you don’t like the way things are going instead of faulting those of us who tried to help.
Heck, I thought it was kinda fun. But then again, I am one of those people you see at the zoo, giggling when the monkeys throw their shit. If you stare at the dominant male monkey for a good, say, five minutes. Man, you can guarantee a shit toss.
Sure, rev. was full of piss and vinegar, but he did hold our attention for a bit. Much like slowing down to see that car crash on the side of the road.
For my part, I jumped on him early, and only saw his merits after I falsley accused him of trolling. He wasn’t a troll. He was just a monkey, with a steaming pile of shit in his handing. Waiting for somebody to stare.
I thought the monkey had fairly good aim. But after flinging it for a while, he couldn’t help but get it all over himself.
He got off on the wrong foot, and posted more than he read. Never got a feel for things.
So he never got a change to get the chip off his shoulder. So he started trying to provoke enough people, especially moderators, so that he would be banned, which would confirm him in his belief that he was in the right, and persecuted.
I would say it was a shame, except that it seems to be what he wanted. As I said before, he didn’t necessarily act like such a jag-off on the Darwin Awards messageboard. Everyone else seems to have done, which is why I don’t go there very much anymore.
The more trolls we tolerate, the more likely this would be to happen on the SDMB.
Which would be a hell of a shame.
Regards,
Shodan
OK, I’m not. Happy?
Although I do think that the Illuminati actually run the SDMB as part of their plan for World Domination™. Most of you are just useful idiots who will be first against the wall when the day comes.
Or not.
Defending oneself is frowned upon? Well, I hope you have a big box o’frowns (ACME sells them) handy because you’re going to need them in the future as other folks refuse to bow to “do as I say, not as I do.”
Could be anything - they lack conviction, they just like to read, most of them never post, most of them just nod agreeably no matter what is said, most of them give up when the pile-on hits, most of them don’t give a shit … all sorts of ideas.
He was a Jackass who wouldn’t drop issues, so now he’s dropped. I shed no tears.
Ah, you misunderstand me, Sauron. I am not saying you were actually being condescending. I’m saying that from an embattled position, where one is not only trying to defend one’s initial viewpoint, but also dealing with egregious insults to one’s humanity, masculinity, family lineage, personal hygeine, and upbringing, a well-meaning interloper who posts that he should retreat from the field of battle may be seen (understandably) as condescending.
After all, why should he have to back off his opinion just because some one posts that he is “such a fucking tool?” Do you honestly expect him to say, if he still believes his initial viewpoint, that he does not?