What's with all the ban requests?

[runic knight]

I love how people think they have a moral high ground on Brandon Morse when they will defend Bob "There are (almost) no bad tactics, only bad targets" Chipman to the bitter end. I came back to The Escapist because there is finally enough room for different perspectives to make the site engaging. And as long as this happens, I will maintain my paid subscription. Because gods know the online landscape needs more political and intellectual diversity and genuine openmindedness.

That hypocrisy goes both ways.

Because I often see the very same people who were decrying and condemning Bob for the things he said on twitter, saying that Morse should be given a free pass for the things that HE said on twitter.

And I recall a number of people explaining the difference between the two personalities in relation to the sort of comments they made as well. Sort of funny how that sort of thing gets overlooked. Regardless, this thread is not the place for that discussion. Both sides have some people with selective application of their opinions, and both sides have people with nuanced views that remain consistent. How about we try to avoid yet another thread derailment of "but they...!" please?

On topic, why are people requesting bannings? Probably because, as others mentioned, they want to stop their feet and make a scene because they dislike things. Petulant childishness when they do it via insults, curses and stupidity, but there is value in making a statement explaining why you are going. Hell, I remember a lot of people who were upset with Tito's handling of things 6 months back requested bans as well. I still think it is dumb, but some people like the melodrama of it all I guess.

 

[EvilRoy]

Look at Zachary Amaranth... He just left in the quiet of the night without saying a word. That's how you leave.

I thought it was quiet around here. And less smug.

I don't know, I liked the guy. He had a knack for putting people in their place.

True, but he did it whether or not the person had it coming and usually with extreme stubborn prejudice. I appreciate that he was having a hard time with stuff, or at least I gathered as much when I read his last couple posts, but he was treating people more and more like crap for the sin of having an opinion - and like others it bugs the hell out of me that this kind of stuff can be done here without getting modded. It ended up burning out any goodwill I held for him.

OT:
I think people just want to believe that others care they exist. Its not a bad want to have, and it works in real life, but it just doesn't translate to the internet. There are a ridiculous number of people on this forum and over the time I've been browsing there have been a lot coming and going. Rest assured that somebody will probably notice that you leave, but they might not care - and I think that is kind of what leads to the whole "I'm leaving forever" idea. Surely if as many people as possible notice you leave, one of them will care, right?

 

[Haerthan]

Ok, so you don't like the way the site is going any more, and you don't "want your voice to be heard here any longer".....ok? So...just stop coming to the site? Seriously, I don't understand the requests to be permabanned I'm seeing all over the place now. Is it some attempt to show them how many people are directly leaving so they have some metrics of lost members? 'Cause I don't think they're really going to care. Is it some form of protest? Odd format, since it removes your ability to have your voice heard in protest on the site that you have issues with.

Seriously, I just don't get this bit of intentional internet drama.

Banning is usually permanent, so it gives an incentive not to come back. Me? I would like to completely remove my presence from here if I did leave, as most of the content I digested here practically left, but without getting banned. Only Yahtzee and LRR is still here and I don't need an account to watch them.

EDIT: if the site does change for the better, as I believe the site is changing for the worse in direct violation of the creed that they had at the beginning (not that I was there, I lurked from 2010 till 2014, joined in 2014) then if I am not banned and I still remember my password then I will come back. Otherwise the site clearly stopped catering to me and I shall do what any responsible person should do: NOT READ IT WHEN IT ISNT MEANT FOR ME. or throw a fit (hint hint nudge nudge)

 

[Brownie80]

It's adding an element of suspense to the forum. Who's going to flounce off next?

It's like the last seasons of Lost where the characters started dropping like flies.

Well, it's not like all users who leave are being sent to hipster purgatory.

OT: Well, I've onlu been back for two days, so I haven't seen any of these ban requests. It seems kind of juvenile though, that if you can't stand the site anymore, if you can't be civil about leaving, don't go through the trouble of ranting and raving. It just looks bad.

 

[Dragonbums]

I couldn't tell you about the people who make hissy fits, but I know that when some people do it it's because they want to let their friends or those who potentially care what has happened to them if they drop off the form planet flat.
I mean does it really matter? Those threads get locked so fast that nobody can even comment on them.

 

[Nowhere Man]

I silently left for a few months because I was letting the forums get on my nerves, not that I posted much anyway. I'm more of a lurker. And I doubt anyone even noticed. I always figured that people who request bans felt they lacked the self control to not post. It seems like kind of a silly, dramatic way to go that one may regret later but hey whatever, it's their choice.

 

[Vlado]

intentional internet drama.

You answered your own question. These people believe they're special, and want attention. Don't give them any. Problem solved.

 

[Sarge034]

To answer your question in turn - you could. But nobody else, so far, has.

I only ask because the only one I've seen so far (haven't been perusing the forums in a while) was rather tactful for the most part, but none of these are going to be 100% tactful. It didn't have any discussion value, but it wasn't an OP so it didn't really need it to keep the thread alive.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.871295-Zero-Punctuation-Evolve-One-vs-Multiplayer

That's pretty all of the "please ban me" threads, really. Not all of them were even really rude, in fact, but more or less exactly said "please ban me".

So why not ban the person and leave the thread there if there are any civil conversations? I've seen many a thread OP be modded and the thread be allowed to live on because other were handling the topic in a civil manner.

For a forgiving person, you were awfully fast to jump and accuse the mods.

I actually never accused them. I asked for a clarification because based on my knowledge of their previous censorship attempts this sounded off. This is word for word what I said, "Just out of curiosity what is the reasoning behind deleting those threads? I mean specifically what rules in the CoC were they breaking? Because if it's simply the mod's prerogative to cull all the dissenting opinions, or drama as you put it, that's some REAL shady shit there..." No accusations yet. I haven't gotten a reply from the mod(s) about this (surprise surprise) and I haven't seen one of these threads myself. That's why I haven't accused anyone OR ceased my suspicions.

 

[IceForce]

I haven't gotten a reply from the mod(s) about this (surprise surprise) and I haven't seen one of these threads myself.

I've seen a couple, I think, before they got deleted.

I asked for a clarification because based on my knowledge of their previous censorship attempts this sounded off. This is word for word what I said, "Just out of curiosity what is the reasoning behind deleting those threads? I mean specifically what rules in the CoC were they breaking? Because if it's simply the mod's prerogative to cull all the dissenting opinions, or drama as you put it, that's some REAL shady shit there..."

Well, considering Brandon Morse has officially/unofficially become a banned topic on this forum...

The first thread about him was locked because it "didn't have enough information". But the next thread which DID have plenty of information about him was also locked because ... I don't even know what reason. Because a mod took a personal dislike to the subject, I guess.

And since then, every Morse thread has been auto-locked, with no reason given.

So... yeah...

 

[Sarge034]

I've seen a couple, I think, before they got deleted.

So what did you think of them?

Well, considering Brandon Morse has officially/unofficially become a banned topic on this forum...

The first thread about him was locked because it "didn't have enough information". But the next thread which DID have plenty of information about him was also locked because ... I don't even know what reason. Because a mod took a personal dislike to the subject, I guess.

And since then, every Morse thread has been auto-locked, with no reason given.

So... yeah...

That does nothing to help my confidence in this situation but idk. They could be playing fast and loose with the CoC in that you can't say bad things about the site staff, even though he's not really staff yet I don't think. He does already work for the parent company though so there is that...
*Sigh* I guess all that's left to do is wait and see what we see, unfortunately.

 

[Vigormortis]

While some instances are people calmly voicing their grievances with the site as they leave, most are simply juvenile grandstanding. They are the digital equivalent of throwing a tantrum and storming out the door.

Even worse, I'm willing to bet a number of them will return to the site with new accounts, JUST to see if people are talking about them leaving.

Sadly, some people have egos that bloated.

I don't know, I liked the guy. He had a knack for putting people in their place.

Mmm, I'd say it was more a knack for talking down to people rather than of 'putting them in their place'. He also had a tendency to conflate opinion for fact on certain matters.

I'll give him this, though: He was quite knowledgeable on a number of topics, and could be really stubborn about what he thought and believed. If he thought a certain way you can bet he'd make certain you understood his point of view. There'd be no confusion.

 

[Vigormortis]

People request bans?
I just keep swinging wildly until the screaming stops.

It's a good thing some of us have learned the art of "duck and weave".

 

[PainInTheAssInternet]

Snip

Snip

The reason those threads were locked was because they were turning into fighting arenas which would inevitably lead to infractions. The mods thought it better to lock the threads rather than let people get suspended or banned.

 

[IceForce]

The reason those threads were locked was because they were turning into fighting arenas which would inevitably lead to infractions. The mods thought it better to lock the threads rather than let people get suspended or banned.

That argument would normally hold water, and I would normally agree with you, if it weren't for a certain megathread on this forum that has become the biggest "fighting arena" on this site with more infractions in it than any other.

 

[IceForce]

I've seen a couple, I think, before they got deleted.

So what did you think of them?

Not much to say, really. The threads were basically as others in here have described. No real discussion value to speak of.

 

[Sarge034]

That argument would normally hold water, and I would normally agree with you, if it weren't for a certain megathread on this forum that has become the biggest "fighting arena" on this site with more infractions in it than any other.

GOSH, we all know what you're talking about so you should just come out and say it! It's obviously the Anita Sarkeesian thread... No? Well, the infamous "Jimquisition which must not be named"? No, really? Oh, the gamer gate and anti gamer gate thread, gotcha! Lol, this isn't Voldemort guys, we can say their names. Oh, wait... did I say Voldemort?

Spoiler: Oh shit. I did say Voldemort, didn't I?

But, if they were as bad as you say then I can understand the mods locking them. If there was no legit discussions happening in them then the CoC permits the thread be locked down.

 

[DoPo]

So why not ban the person and leave the thread there if there are any civil conversations?

Conversation about what? If you want a random converstation thread, why don't you open a thread, title it "Conversation" and put "see topic title" as the OP. It would actually make for more of a conversation than a "please ban me" thread, as, theoretically, people can discuss the nature of conversation. Chances are, they wouldn't, but hey - you had more faith in them discussing...well, presumably whatever in an unrelated thread.

For a forgiving person, you were awfully fast to jump and accuse the mods.

I actually never accused them. I asked for a clarification because based on my knowledge of their previous censorship attempts this sounded off. This is word for word what I said, "Just out of curiosity what is the reasoning behind deleting those threads? I mean specifically what rules in the CoC were they breaking? Because if it's simply the mod's prerogative to cull all the dissenting opinions, or drama as you put it, that's some REAL shady shit there..." No accusations yet.

Allegation, then. But you were really fast to go from "I don't know, can you clarify" to "There be shady shit". Which doesn't really fly well with your statement that you were forgiving.

Or can I say, "Can you clarify what you mean by forgiving, because if you murdered somebody in cold blood for not saying hello to you, this would be really untruthful". No accusation, yet, right? ButI hope you see how it's not really a request for clarification, either.

 

[Random Fella]

I honestly haven't seen that many ban requests...
At least after that Sarkesian thing. *shudder*

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I love it! Their departure doesn't have any effect on me what so ever, and I get to see their passive-agressive attempt at matyrdom! It's great...

'Pah. I don't like this site so much because of 1x minor disagreement and therefore I will state my opinion and mildly inconvenience someone whom will have to do a couple of mouse clicks to ban me. Viva la revolution'

Good riddance. In my eyes they are probably yhr same people who bought 'action packs' for Kony 2012.