I read flyertalk post for over a year before I offically joined and started posting. A simple comment I made about traveling with children was twisted. In defending my posts, I was accused of violating rules. I received private e-mails from members telling me the member "attacking" me was known for this.
Interestingly, I was censored and the some vile things the other person stated were left in his post. It became apparent that there was a definate double standard and how easilly "twisted" some people can become.
I was told I could write and appeal, but it is just not worth it. So the same content that I was censored for, was allowed to remain.

FlyerTalk depends on all our members to contribute information and opinion. When members follow the basic principles of interpersonal communications, it creates great dialogue for others to read and respond to.

Every comment a member makes like this gets my attention. Granted, I can't always get to a response in the time and manner I'd like, but i do browse the comments. I browsed yours as well and there's really an unfair balance of what you are saying here vs. the facts that I have read over.

First of all, we're all pleased that you converted from a lurker to a poster. We love it when any traveler joins the ranks of those who can contribute to the benefit of others.

But I've got to say, i think you left out entirely too much of the information regarding your post to make it a fair statement. So I'll fill it in for others reading this.

Your comments stem from this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=679222

Early on, you are engaged in comments with members Sirecca, timfid and later on very engaging exchanges with members vasantn and J-M. The Moderators tried to manage the thread but yet still allow members their piece of mind by posting warnings such as in post #248. But members seemed to ignore the subtle attempts to manage the thread. In the course of the thread nearly a dozen posts were deleted which were cutting things a little too far. In the middle of the thread, there is an exchange between you and member PTravel. The exchange was similar to exchanges you had with other members noted above. The Moderator tried to get yours and the other members attention by means of two different actions. They deleted two posts by PTravel which were aimed toward you and deleted a single post by you which was aimed toward this member. Both of you were given a warnings to disengage from sparring with each other, just as other members were warned similarly, though for different types of posts. Despite the efforts and warnings of the Moderators, individuals continued to spar and eventually it was decided that enough leeway was given and that it was likely a good time to close the thread. Honest effort by the volunteers, equal warnings given to a number of members with no bias - you got the very same warning as member PTravel. And while you point out that other members seem to say that PTravel is "know for this," the response of the Moderators is not about their actions, it's about yours. After reading the thread again, i'd say that you had exchanges with other members as equal to that of PTravel.

But let me say here, I really didn't see anything wrong in your posts that warranted some of the exchanges. You simply offered up your opinion. Now, there were others offering up their opinion as well in which you offered yours in reply. These types of topics have traditionally been difficult to mange and here's yet an example of why. The strange thing is that in a post like yours, it always seems to be the Moderator who are the bad guys, never giving any or very little responsibility to the members themselves.

BUT, the actions regarding you are not at all about the above scenario, though you would leave that impression. ACTUALLY, the decision to give you a break from FlyerTalk is based on something you failed to offer up in your post. Your formal warning was based on the fact that you then engaged in a purpose against this other member known as post stalking. Days later, you found a 6 month dormant thread in which this other member had posted in and proceeded to suggest he was unethical. Now, you had not participated on this other thread until this point and to find a post/thread that had been dormant for 6-months obviously took some work on your behalf.

Your formal warning for post stalking and a personal attack. You had absolutely no reason to search out this dormant thread/post. You had absolutely no reason to accuse him of unethical behavior for the types of fares he purchases. It was a judgment call (and i have to say, i would have supported the call of the Moderators) on the Moderators behalf to issue you a formal warning for this type of deliberate behavior. You could have simply left the matter in the other thread days before. You could have realized that you and this other member have nothing in common and in a manner of seconds, added him to your Ignore User screen. You could have done what a lot of us, including me do and that is to simply move on. Obviously the other member did move on as he did not seek out another issue personal to you and accuse you of anything. I don't know this other member but if there was a situation whereby he did the post stalking and accusation, he would have been issued a formal warning as well. But all that is aside. This is about your own actions and the facts are clearly stated above.

Your note how "twisted" some people can become. I'll leave it at that but in retrospect, post stalking is not cool on FlyerTalk and you are not the first nor the last that will likely be called out for it. Will we catch everyone? Not likely. But as long as I don't think it cool, then the Moderators will have leadership to try and control this as best we can.

As for the same content you were suspended for being allowed to remain. Nice try, but that's not what you were issued the formal warning for and to try and suggest it was is simply not true. As for that content in that other thread. Well, if you look closely you'll notice similar content from probably a half dozen or more members. The Moderators are not trying to be the police and it looks to me that their conclusion was to try and manage the thread than to try and start suspending everyone. You were given that break as were another half dozen members but yet you only want to focus on PTravel. Honestly, I thought J-M and vasantn had equal exchanges with you but you seemed to think that was OK as you don't refer to them here or from what I know, did not seek to post stalk them in a 6-month old thread.

You're a good member and can be an asset for others so i wouldn't let this incident spoil the value that FlyerTalk can be for you. Sometimes it's OK to admit you might have screwed up a little, make a slight adjustment to how you participate in selected topics (remember, just as Google is your friend, so is Ignore User) and this will be a great year for you on FlyerTalk. As I noted earlier, I did not think you posted anything that required a challenge so you can count on me for support in the future, but I will not support these other types of actions such as post stalking.

Cheers.