account bullshit

[PepperElf]

A while back on one of my message boards (not CS or fratching, so mods this isn't at you!), my account suddenly went into "moderated" status.

This meant that every time I posted it would be reviewed before they let it show up.

I tried emailing them to ask why but was ... I *think* I was ignored. I'm not really sure since they never replied, not even to tell me to fuck off.


So I stopped emailing them but kept posting. Perhaps not as much as before but I figured at least *SOMETHING* would get through. Once in a while I posted without logging in - it's an option they allow - and ... I noticed something.

My anon posts were getting through. And according to my profile page I hadn't posted anything since my account went "moderated". Hmm... At first I figured it was just a result of being moderated, that my posts would go through but they just wouldn't show up on my page.


Then I started thinking about it... and realized something.
ANON posts were moderated. They didn't show up until a mod approved them. So SOMEONE was approving my anon posts but NOT my logged in posts.


So I started being a little bit of a smartass. I posted anon but I used a nickname the others often called me, so I was unofficially making it obvious that it was ME. My post went through.

Then I said "fuck it" and posted anon using my username followed by another character ... and THAT went through too. So posting anon but claiming to be ME got approved...

Then I logged in and posted under my own username for realz0rz.



For the first time in over a month my posts are being shown. They still appear moderated but... they're even showing up on my profile page.


I don't know what happened but... it wasn't until I started posting "anon-but-as-my-username" that my own logged-in posts started to show up for real.



Ain't that some bullshit for ya?

[Crazedclerkthe2nd]

I can shed some light on this...to a degree.

I mod at another forum and have for many years now. Unfortunately, some mods are dicks. They abuse their power, ban people just because they don't agree with certain viewpoints, block and unblock accounts just to mess with someone and even occasionally call out other mods.

Now, in a well managed forum (like CS and Fratching) any mod conducting themselves as described above would earn themselves a one way trip to banland.

HOWEVER, not all web forums are as well run as this one. Although the forum I mod is in general run well, we've also had our share of issues. Awhile back some of the mods and one of the admins formed their own little clique and made it clear they were not to be fucked with...by anybody.

A different admin and another group of mods (including myself) stood up to them and after several weeks of bullshit, the first admin and some of his allies were sent packing, while others were allowed to stay but with a stern warning.

Mods at most forums (including this one AND the one I mod at) don't have any real training per se. We start out as posters, build a solid reputation and then get invited to be a mod. When I started modding, I had little direction in how to do it but figured it out on my own for the most part. We do have a "mods only" sub forum where we can discuss policy issues and whatnot.

I can't really speak to your particular case, but there's definitely a possibility it's NOT something you did and just someone being a jerk for the sake of it.

[PepperElf]

the one thing that annoys me however is... why not answer the emails? I mean yeesh

[HYHYBT]

Well, if the locked you out to annoy you and be obnoxious, ignoring emails serves the same purpose.

[PepperElf]

except that they didn't actually ban me. (yes they disable accounts of banned members)