Then if you want to "vent your spleen" without hearing from those who disagree with you, don't post it here. Rather, I would concur with ScottC that the best way to deal with moderation issues is to e-mail the moderators or Randy rather than take it to this type of public forum. Only Randy Peterson is public - in fact, MORE public than OMNI since nobody needs to be approved in advance to post here - and so if you choose to post opinions about moderation or postings of FT members, you have to be prepared for those who disagree with you to also post their feelings/opinions.

Fair's fair.

OMNI's rules are clear - generalized remarks are okay, personal attacks are not. "Tin foil hat crowd" and "drink the Fox News kool aid" are not personal attacks.

Yeah, sure - whatever. I see at least two TOS rules that these statements violate that have nothing to do with personal attacks.

Nonetheless, I think that this only validates the double standard. It's okay to resort to name calling, so long as you don't name any names on FT.

I'm done with this place. This isn't worth it.

Mike

[This message has been edited by nako (edited Jan 14, 2004).]

Mike, I think you just need a break. I'm on these boards way too much and just aren't seeing what you're seeing.

Keep in mind this quote:

"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously"
- Banky, in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back



[This message has been edited by skofarrell (edited Jan 14, 2004).]

Mike,

I don't get it, you have already decided not to participate in Omni, so why is "this place" not worth it? If you don't come to Omni then surely what happens there doesn't influence or bother you? There is much more to Flyertalk than Omni and anyone leaving "this place" over what happens in Omni is making an unwise move.

Basically correct, except for racist or anti-semitic posts, that sort of thing.

I don't know - perhaps people like me have a higher tolerance for negativity and bad language? I've been participating on FT for, what, 1.5 years, and what I've seen over the course of time in almost 100% of the cases is that those members who cause problems or stir up trouble have paid for it, whether people calling them on their cheap shots (even in those threads in which the person objecting to a post has no opinion about the larger thread), or timeouts or even denial of OMNI posting privileges.

Karma.

I repeat. Your opinion is plain wrong on that.

People may have left because of what happened on OMNI, but their leaving was a direct result of their own actions.

I'll stand behind that.

[edited because I initally misread the reply]

[This message has been edited by skofarrell (edited Jan 14, 2004).]

Well, yes, oz is right in this case.

The distinction here is subtle but important, IMO (and correct me if I'm wrong anywhere here, oz). The TOS you quote addresses circumstances under which a member is forcibly ejected. Oz's point concerns situations in which the member voluntarily departs due to abuse/harrassment from another member during the course of a thread in OMNI.

skofarrell, you should know that Randy is never wrong! (and I think he can confirm that for us all... )

[This message has been edited by anonplz (edited Jan 14, 2004).]

False.

I can think of three members ("he who shall not be named," a very left-wing member from CT, and a right-wing Republican from LA) who each left due to unfair abuse directed at them in OMNI.

Well at the very least that put to rest the arguments that the moderators are promoting a left and/or right wing bias.

I have been directly invovled in all the cases you cite, and again, I cannot disagree with you more.

I can understand your unhappiness of the departures, and I admit that I'm unhappy about it too, but I stand by the OMNI moderator's actions.

That's interesting. I guess since I'm not privy to the internal moderation discussions at FT (nor do I participate in Chat, which are essentially the same two things, as I understand... just kidding), I can't pretend to know the sequence of events, so I guess that's that.

skofarrell I don't know you or even think we've crossed each other in threads. Nonetheless, by virtue of the fact that you quoted J & SB Strike Back makes me respect your posts that much greater going forward.

I thought I was the only FTer in history to have quoted from this great movie in OMNI many months ago - though I can't find the thread



[This message has been edited by nhila (edited Jan 14, 2004).]

I do agree and I would also appreciate a posting from moderators/Randy when an FTer is suspended from posting here, along with a brief explanation. That thread could even be permanently locked or, to allow for discussion, moderators would not be expected to defend their actions. Posts such as this might really cut down on the rumours and ill-will that tend to circulate around here when a member suddenly leaves or is asked to leave.

The posts could go something like this:

The moderators of the [blank] Forum, [name]and [name], have suspended [member name] for [number] days because of posts made on [link thread]. The personal attacks made and inappropriate language used by the member, violations of Flyertalk TOS, are the reasons for this action.

Or, if people are not sure if a member was banned or left, the moderators could post something like:

[Flyertalk member] has not been given a suspension by the moderators of the [blank] forum.

That said, I realise that the moderators and Randy are busy people (who do a lot of great things for this community). This might be an unneccessary burden. It might, however, be something to consider.

Thanks, sko - that's pretty much how I have understood things to have happened.

I wouldn't like doing this because it will create the situation we have now in this thread, someone is trying to convince you that a timeout was issued based on just one post, in Omni we take our decisions often based on many posts, we can hardly link to every time we read an offending remark. If anyone is going to make these things public then that should be a task for Randy, not the moderators, all we do is enforce the rules of HIS house.