How do we Remove a Malcontent?

[Anzio]

Moderator John,

Tried to send you a Private Message, but your mailbox is full (hopefully with similar content).

What is the process for the community at large here to report an offensive individual and get them removed from the room?

I realize that all decisions are up to you and others, but if enough people get tired of being insulted and harassed, how many "votes" does it take to "out" someone?

This situation needs to be dealt with so that we can all move on. It will not get better. Eventually the entire room will get involved in off-topic flaming and complaining if people like this are not made into an example. I've unfortunately dealt with guys like this before, who seem to enjoy the turmoil in their otherwise empty lives.

Not making demands, just defending rights and seeking your intervention.

This will be my last post of this nature unless the person in question decides to commit another offense to the room. I am willing to let things be if they would do us all a favor and quit harassing others.

Thanks,

Steve
SRG

[holywolfman]

(as Holywolfman reads on/ nodding his head....popping about 10 aspirins for his head-ache!) :D

-Nick- smile.gif

[onslaught]

Moderator John,
I fully agree with GetStraffed. The person in question called all soldiers murderers which obviously insulted a great many of us. My father was a soldier, so the person in question is calling my father a muderer. How are we supposed to react?
Secondly, the game is about WWII. It's a war game. Of course we're going to talk about soldiers. If the game was about Nascar we would talk about drivers. Football, the players, etc......well, I'm sure you get the picture. The person in question needs to get along with us, or leave the boards, because what they're asking is not going to happen.
Thanks

[ April 15, 2004, 09:33 PM: Message edited by: onslaught ]

[Zero Pilot]

Well put, onslaught. ~ZP

[DY]

The person who shall remain unnammed (thanks for the link Gorak) is entitled to his view. Freedom of speech, remember that?

Now his freedoms on these boards are limited because, as Moderator John has pointed out, there are guidlines which must be followed.

I disagree with much of what he said (eg "all soldiers are murderers") but I also agree with much of what he said (paraphrasing: "while the Axis sought military world domination, the US of today seeks economic world domination with use of limited force on occasion to meet that goal").

Anyway, agree or disagree, Moderator John has spoken and posts that don't adhere to forum rules should be edited or deleted.

I believe persistent rule breakers should get 1 warning and then have their account suspended or banned.

However, as long as the unnamed person sticks to the guidelines, he is entitled to express his opininon here.

It's not as if most threads don't divert off-topic at some point anyway.

[onslaught]

DY,

I too strongly believe in the "freedom of speech". But the person in question posted, and I quote, "I find this subject to be offensive, and it has nothing to do with the game. I ask that the moderator please consider whether this kind of talk should be allowed in this forum. Thank you."

The thread was talking about soldiers. So he's asking that we don't have discussions about soldiers. It's a war game, of course we're going to talk about soldiers, and tanks, and planes, and everything else about the war. I think it would be "lame" if everyone lost thier "freedom" to have discussions about soldiers, or anything else that deals with the premise of the game because it offends this one person.

Maybe you only read the posts where this person stereotypes soldiers, thus insulting anyone that is a soldier, or has family members that are or ever have been soldiers.

What if the person in question stereotypes people from other cultures or religions than thiers, maybe it just hasn't happened yet because those topics haven't came up yet, but if they happen to, would it be alright for them to stereotype them as well? If they can stereotype one group of people, why not another?

But you know what, your right DY, he does have the "freedom" to stereotype people.

All I ask is for the person in question to allow the rest of us the "freedom" to have discussions about soldiers, and maybe, just maybe, refrain from using stereotypes that insult other people and thier family members, I don't think thats really too much to ask for.

Thanks

[ April 16, 2004, 05:24 AM: Message edited by: onslaught ]

[DY]

Onslaught, he has the right to make these claims (provided he adheres to forum rules) and we have the right to ignore him, or challenge him, as we see fit.

One thing we can almost certainly say is that had the Axis won WWII, he wouldn't have the right to publicly express dissenting opinions.

I find it ironic that these "murderers" he speaks of, killed others and sacrificed their own lives to protect his right to blacken their names and their deeds.

[AllWeNeedIsLove.]

Onslaught,
If you believe in freedom of speech then you would not want anyone removed from this board for expressing thier opinions. Zombie has "stereotyped" soldiers because they can be. Each soldier made a decision to enroll in thier organizations and this collective decision can be stereotyped.

Stereotyping is wrong when it belittles a persons ethnicity or religion. For example when several members of this board posted anti French-Canadian remarks. These attacks are based on peoples backgrounds not decisions that they made. For anyone who makes these attacks they should be ashamed of themselves.

[onslaught]

DY,

I agree with your last post. And yes, I too see the irony in his statement.

AllWeNeedIsLove,

Theres a basic, innate problem with stereotyping. Example: Not every soldier VOLUNTEERS to join the service, and not everyone kills someone. My grandfather was a merchant marine in WWII, are you trying to tell me that he murdered someone? Really? So it's alright to stereotype him? It's alright to call him a murderer? My great, great, great......grandfather was Dr. John Fisk during the revolutionary war who served as a doctor for the Continental Army, are you telling me he was a murderer as well? As a doctor, trying to save lives? He must have been an "EVIL" man to want to become a doctor. So it's alright to stereotype these men as murderers because they "decided" to be in the service? Of course NOT. One was taking supplies to England while the Germans were trying to starve England into submission and the other was a doctor that saved peoples lives. Your defending the right to stereotype these good men with a false accusation just because they served in the armed forces.

All, and I mean all stereotyping is wrong. In any situation. There's no excuse for it, and you know what? That's my opinion. Obviously not yours. Enjoy your "freedom" to insult my ancestors and family with your false accusations. Disgusting.

" It's better to be thought a fool than to open ones mouth and remove all doubt."

[DY]

Thanks G-man, never noticed that before.

[msjells]

I would like to thank you all for the opinions expressed. I know that there are many strongly-held, sincere beliefs on this issue. My Private Message box, which holds 60 messages, reached its capacity. I have now cleaned it out and it should be able to accept messages again.

I have contacted several individuals asking them to reconsider the way that they state their positions. At this point, I do not wish to ban anyone from the boards, particularly as all involved have made valuable contributions on gaming issues. While I do not like to delete anyone's post, I have removed several and will continue to do so if necessary to preserve some semblance of civil behavior.

I am closing this particular thread, as it is designed to address a particular situation that hopefully will now be resolved.

Thanks,
Moderator John

[ April 16, 2004, 12:08 PM: Message edited by: Moderator John ]

[DY]

Can someone please PM me a link to the thread where this guy is calling soldiers murderers? I'd like to know who you are all talking about and exactly what he said.