# Who do I contact concerning SDMB harassment? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 26, 2000, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904 "2000-07-26T14:48:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/21 "2000-07-28T02:18:06Z")
PRISM, pal, let me remark that you have been asked a question by Tuba; to wit, **are you the same person who formerly posted as Mark Serlin?** _The following are my own thoughts and I have no official affiliation with the board administration, i.e., I **do not** speak for the admins._ If you are, tell her so by email. You have riled some, as MS did, but variant opinions don’t get one banned so much as how one deals with their detractors. Sock puppets are a no-no (What did MarkSerlin get banned for? I just searched his name and he shows up as a Member - i.e., not BANNED) We have a few formerly banned posters who’ve come back and you might as well, if you are MS. Get your stuff straight with the board folks and you may be able to clean up the past and come back. To just leave is weak, even though, as I acknowledge, it’s tough to stare down a lynch mob. If you are _not_ Mark, say so. ---
**Author:** ![PRISM02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@PRISM02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PRISM02)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/22 "2000-07-28T08:11:50Z")
I’ll make a quick reply here as I ponder a few things. Why have I not yet contacted TubaDiva? Because no matter what I say, it will not be believed **unless I _admit_ to being MSerlin.** The jury, I have observed from watching the board these past few days, has decided. (Now they are turning on each other in a feeding frenzy.) Sorry, but no ‘experiment’ here. I was having fun in relating past times, cruising the board, commenting here and there, occasionally plagiarizing some opinions and comments. Now the thread is shot beyond recall and the fun is gone. **Even if TubaDiva defends me, the harassment will continue because not all will believe her and hot little minds will scour the SDMB archives seeking any phrase, statement or suggestion that might be similar to Serlin’s and then triumphantly popping up to righteously accuse me again.** It is obvious that the Moderators do not run this board, but a small clique does. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/23 "2000-07-28T09:21:03Z")
Hey, Prism, there’s still plenty of folks who _haven’t_ made up their minds, too… I’m one of them. I personally haven’t seen any evidence that you’re this Serlin fellow or any other troll… but it would be nice to see a straight answer to the question, now that it has come up. True, if you come out and say explicitly that you’re not Mark Serlin, there’s some folks who’ll still think you are, but then, those folks will also think you’re Serlin if you continue to not say anything. Then again, there’re a few folks who just might believe you if you say so. On the other hand, there’s the possibility (I’m not saying that this is true, or even that I think so; like I said, I don’t have enough info to say) that you are, indeed, Mark Serlin, and are currently working through the proper channels (e-mailing Tuba) to try to get legitimately reinstated. If this is the case, and you just want to keep it private in the email, hey, that’s fine, too. Just be aware that a lack of a public confirmation or refutal might make some folks suspicious who wouldn’t be, otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![PRISM02](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@PRISM02](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PRISM02)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/24 "2000-07-28T11:22:21Z")
Agreed but I have a few other things to consider here. I don’t like leaving a fight, but I know when there is no winning. Now I have an a–hole mimicking me in the thread I used and the thread itself, which I enjoyed, is shot to hell. No matter if you or TubaDiva believe me or anyone else, the fantastic 4 of the SDMB will periodically harass and argue with me, waiting for anything even close to MS’s past posts that they can slam me with. (Like I do not find fat women attractive. Neither did MS – neither do about a million men, but if I mention it in a thread, then because MS mentioned it – I must be MS and the fight begins.) I like the word ‘pouf’ – I picked it up an old MS thread. It sounds good. If I use it anywhere, then I’m MS. From what I’ve observed on the board, once the SDMB posse gets rolling, the mods do little to stop them and, if I am correct, some mods used to ‘hang’ with them. Like Uncle Beer and Slyth. Diane was allowed to slander me with ease – something she should have been reprimanded for – anyone else would have been, but she was not. Byzantine harassed and provoked me into an argument – something she should have been called on, but she was not. Plus, after the SDMB Posse attacks, suddenly slyth - the moderator, decides the thread is nothing but a wet dream by me and kicks it into another slot. This is a no win situation. I’m still thinking over a few things. (Another difference here. I seem to have noticed that Mark/Sentinel/whoever in his old threads did not take much time to think things over. He attacked right back.) ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/25 "2000-07-28T12:30:40Z")
Or look at it another way if you prove to the Admins. satisfaction that your not MS the Admin. would back you in your original post _“concerning the very annoying and potentially TOS violating cross subject harassment which goes beyond the level of a general disagreement and borders on persecution?”_. The “_the fantastic 4 of the SDMB_” would most likely just ignore you from then on and you could go about your business . Hey you never know they might even eat humble pie. What wont help is just saying “I don’t know what to do” because this just reinforces the idea that you are MS just playing more games and dragging this out to the n[sup]th[/sup] degree . I know if I was being accused of being somebody I wasn’t I’d be mailing my life story. It isn’t just a user name on a message board they are questioning it your very integrity. So if you in the right start fighting . If your in the wrong give up and leave(No matter what the truth is if you choose this path PRISM02 will always = MS ). ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/26 "2000-07-28T12:31:01Z")
Definitely curious now. I’m gonna be about the fifth person to point this out–all ya gotta do, sport, is step up to the microphone and say, “I am not now, nor have I ever been, nor do I ever intend to be, Mark Serlin.” Is that asking so much? We’ve had cases in the past where posters were accused of being boomerang posters, and in my experience, the first response of the unjustly accused is always–simple astonishment. Then amusement. Then anger, if the denials are not accepted by the board. You seem to have skipped a couple of steps there, sweetie. And anyway, what’s the worst that could happen? If you admit to being Mark Serlin, you get banned (again). You chalk it up to a learning experience (you did learn something, didn’t you, mainly to quit telling the same stories over and over again, Grandpa? 😃 ), and presumably you come back in a month or so under yet another user name. What’s the big deal? Or is it just too much fun, keeping us all in suspense like this? BTW, how’s about a link to the thread with the “a-hole mimicking you”? If true, you surely don’t think that a board regular (one of the SDMB “Fantastic Four”) would whip up a sock puppet just for that. And even if you aren’t Mark Serlin, I would think you’ve still got enough posts under your belt to know how to ignore something like that. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/27 "2000-07-28T12:34:55Z")
And FTR, as far as I’m concerned, if it does turn out that you aren’t Mark Serlin, you will NOT “always be MS” to me. You’ll just be PrismZeroTwo not PrismoTwo. (But I personally think Prismo has a better swing to it. Sounds like an X-men guy. What would be “Prismo’s” mutant ability?) ---
**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/28 "2000-07-28T13:08:02Z")
Would it help if \*_I_ denied being Mark Serlin? (Winnie-the-pooh voice) I thought not. On a related point, does anyone have a master list of our trolls? I’ve been here for a while, and I can’t remember the difference between Mark Serlin and Michael Masterson and whoever else. It would be nice to know what people are talking about without dredging through several thousand k-bytes of old posts. I can’t for the life of me remember anything that MS did, but it must have involved changing the earth’s gravitational pull, or perhaps cornering the imported Stilton market, to attract such vituperation and bile. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/29 "2000-07-28T13:14:46Z")
I advised you to email **Tuba**. Go on. Tell us you are not MS, show her. If Tuba comes back and says that you aren’t MS and people don’t accept it, she will have 'em for breakfast. I think you won’t for the obvious reason. picmr ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/30 "2000-07-28T17:00:45Z")
OK, **PRISM** , one last time. I’m sorry you feel that everyone is out to get you. I’m sorry you feel that a clique runs the message board. I disagree, but that’s neither here nor there. I find it very interesting that you are unwilling to talk to \*\*Tubadiva[/n] via email because you think she’ll dismiss you out fo hand, yet you still start this thread asking for assistance from, well, **Tuba**. That’s just odd, innit? Again, _if you are unwilling or unable to answer **Tuba** ’s question_, you have two choices. Either 1. Quit complaining about it or 2. Don’t let the door hit you in the ass. You’re not going to get a whole lot of sympathy unless you’re willing to actually _do_ something. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/31 "2000-07-28T19:19:52Z")
First-It’s “slythe”, NOT “Slyth”. Second-The thread was transfered because it turned into the adventures of “Prism02 in the Sex Shop”, and my forum is for minor debates and polls. It was my opinion that it was better suited for MPSIMS, and it still is. Third-I have never met any of the Staff of the SDMB, nor do I correspond on a regular basis with any of them outside of SDMB business. They are NOT old pals I used to “hang” with. Fourth-_Are_ you Mark S.? ---
**Author:** ![Diane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/2acd7d/32.png) [@Diane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diane)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/32 "2000-07-28T19:36:35Z")
> [@](#): > > Diane was allowed to slander me with ease – something she should have been reprimanded for – anyone else would have been, but she was not. HEY! No fair! UncleBeer, I want my spanking now!!! Oh, and Prism? Prove to me that you are not Serlinal and I will retract my statement calling you a liar, although I will still find it extremely hard to believe 95% of the things you wrote in that thread. A good friend of mine has run a porno shop for many years and I have to say, your “shop” must be located on a different planet. If you fail to make me believe you are someone other than Serlinal, I will continue to think and make comment to the fact that I think you are a liar. Oh yeah, if it will be so tough for you to stick around - THERE’S THE DOOR! Bu-Bye. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/33 "2000-07-28T19:43:24Z")
> [@](#): > > I did not start this mess, nor encourage it (re: the initial I’m outing you Prism thread). As the one who started that thread, I’d have to say that the validity of this statement depends on your definition of the word “encourage.” In [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=29547) thread in Great Debates, you said: > [@](#): > > (Looking about suspiciously.) > I’m beginning to suspect that one or more of you is Mark Serlin in disguise, judging from the length of repeated posts. Now, until this point, I was keeping my mouth shut. After that, my conscience just wouldn’t allow it. The sheer audacity of you even jokingly accusing other people of being you is matched only by that which you’ve displayed by starting this thread. As for what you said, **beatle:** > [@](#): > > (What did MarkSerlin get banned for? I just searched his name and he shows up as a Member - i.e., not BANNED) Check out [this](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=25181) thread, in the Pit, posted by the banned troll/sockpuppet **Sentinel.** In it, he said: > [@](#): > > MarkSerlin, Rainbowcsr, AnitaJ, and the others were screen names used not only by myself, but my compatriots in these observations. We had to kind of keep up on what each one said. Sentinel was banned. Serlin was not. Not sure about the other ones on that list. Not sure why only Sentinel got the ax. Point is, all of them were run by the same dude, Sentinel being the most recent. And any returns of MarkSerlinelcsrJ02 after the banning, according to board rules, should be banned as well. The only time I can think of a banned troll returning is Silo, and he did 3 things. 1. Apologized. 2. Made it perfectly clear that he was the banned troll Michael Masterson returning for a second chance, to both the posters and the mods. 3. Despite tremendous abuse from folks who couldn’t let it drop, hasn’t returned to his old ways. I bet they’d let Serlin back, as much of an asshole as he is, if he did those three things. Other than sock-puppetry, the only thing he’s guilty of is holding unpopular opinions. And we can argue unpopular opinions with assholes all the time without them getting banned. If you break board rules and have sock-puppets, then you get nailed. 'Course, you’d have to get that from the mods first. I’m not one. But I’d be willing to bet that they’d help you out if you were willing to do what it takes for them to trust you. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2000, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904/34 "2000-07-28T21:37:22Z")
I have to say, **Ace,** that I think one of the most depressing prospects in the world would be having a Master Troll List here. Can’t we all just get on with our lives? Must we have a Vietnam War Memorial-style roll call installed somewhere, to eternally remind us of the sock puppets who died? Maybe if you can’t keep them all straight, your brain is trying to tell you something. It’s supposed to do that, you know–dump the unimportant files from the hard drive every so often, to leave room for the good stuff, like your phone number and your wedding anniversary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-do-i-contact-concerning-sdmb-harassment/26904.md?page=1)