Since this thread has gone so far off-topic, I thought it only appropriate to open a new one to discuss Pundit's behavior in banning a user for having forgotten their password and not responding to his challenge within 24 hours.

Quote from: RPGPundit;227739It has to do with all of the factors put together: the fact he was an admitted sockpuppet...

"Sockpuppet" means, "someone who forgot the password to their old account they barely used?" I'd rather assumed a different meaning. Could you be more clear about the sockpuppet guidelines here, and precisely what the administrative actions one can expect are? I think banning - essentially, the ultimate reduction of freedom of speech on a forum - is a serious matter, and I'd like to be as informed as possible in regards to actions I might take which would lead to that eventuality.

Quote from: RPGPundit;227739...didn't reveal his other ID...

Is there a sort of 24-hour grace period, after you admit you had an account here previously whose password you've forgotten, after which you're banned and thus unable to do so? Perhaps you might consider extending the "answer any question RPGPundit has" grace period, in the event people don't have an opportunity to check the site daily.

Quote from: RPGPundit;227739If someone who hates you from some other site comes to theRPGsite for no purpose other than to annoy you and names themselves "Engine-Douchetard", you would be well within your rights to ask me to do something about that.

Oh. You have a very different idea of what constitutes "freedom of speech" than I do.

Quote from: RPGPundit;227739RPGPundit

Seriously, it really is very inconvenient to have to delete these extra lines at the end of your posts. Could you please add your signature to your signature?

[edit: And now I see the previous thread has been locked! Is this what passes for "freedom" on this forum? Forget your password, don't tell us your old account within 24 hours: get banned. A thread moves off-topic: don't request that discussion be taken off-topic, administratively force is there. Talk about RPGPundit in a less-than-flattering way: lock the thread. This isn't the freedom I know.]

Good Grief, talk about overstating things.


If the guy knows his old account, he can re-enable it. I've had to a couple of times, it's not rocket science. Given what people here think of my intelligence, I'm certain that they've give him excellent chances of managing it.

In the meantime, the ban is only forcing him to undertake an effort he should have done in the first place.

And I'm of the opinion that certain names should be off limits even in a lightly moderation forum.

I think this guy was playing dumb. Seriously, who is so dumb that they can't click the "Forgot your password" link under the login box? I call BS.

Quote from: Mcrow;227756I think this guy was playing dumb.

That's Engine for you.

Quote from: gleichman;227751If the guy knows his old account, he can re-enable it.

I've been in similar situations, and it's just fine, so long as you're still using the same e-mail address, which the user may or may not have been doing; we don't know, because instead of the administration saying, "Please use your old account; if you are unable to do so due to a change in e-mail address, please let us know, and we'll work something out for you." And then you wait. Longer than 24 hours.

Quote from: gleichman;227751And I'm of the opinion that certain names should be off limits even in a lightly moderation forum.

I was once a member of a forum so free-speech in nature they had a guy named "abortion_engine," and the administration took no action. You don't think that name was in direct response to my own? So I suppose "RPGdouchetard" doesn't strike me as something deserving of exceptional treatment.

I guess my expectations for freedom are simply greater than those the former revolutionary RPGPundit are willing to grant.

Quote from: Engine;227758And then you wait. Longer than 24 hours.

RPGPundit is under no requirement to treat someone like that with such kid gloves. He has his old account, let him enable it and get to posting.

Quote from: Engine;227758I guess my expectations for freedom are simply greater than those the former revolutionary RPGPundit are willing to grant.

There are in line with what RPGPundit promised up front, and IMO reasonable (and I hate the guy on many levels).

Quote from: gleichman;227759RPGPundit is under no requirement to treat someone like that with such kid gloves. He has his old account, let him enable it and get to posting.

Or atleast follow the instructions of the mods regarding his accounts.

Engine, you are either being extremely disingenuous or are yourself a member of the Animalball team, because your assumption that he actually couldn't find his old account is deliberately naive.

Now you may have a point that RPGPundit should have just left him his sockpuppet, just for the sake of having a truly neutral mod policy, but trying to argue that the guy was a real poster is just pathetic.  Frankly, I'm a little surprised because you usually seem so rational.

Those guys at Animalball seem like nice, funny guys.  They are playing a prank.  Did you listen to the podcast where they interviewed Zachary the First?  There was a bonus contest for anyone who used the words "RPGDouchetard" in a post on this site or theirs.  It's clearly part of a prank (and kind of not that funny really; it lacked any real energy).  Maybe RPGPundit is crossing a small line by banning the sockpuppet, but nobody is getting hurt here.  You must know that.

Quote from: gleichman;227759He has his old account, let him enable it and get to posting.

Perhaps you missed the portion of my earlier post in which I explained how that can be impossible without administrative aid.

Quote from: gleichman;227759RPGPundit is under no requirement to treat someone like that with such kid gloves.

No, no, he's certainly not. He's within his rights to ban me for spelling "bullshit" incorrectly, if he so chooses. I can only object to behavior I find unnecessarily arbitrary and capricious; we all have differing definitions of "unnecessarily." Pundit's threshold for restriction of freedom is simply lower than my own.

Quote from: Engine;227764Perhaps you missed the portion of my earlier post in which I explained how that can be impossible without administrative aid.

He has the email of the Admins, let him work out his own problems. Only the sockpuppet was banned.

Quote from: walkerp;227763Engine, you are either being extremely disingenuous or are yourself a member of the Animalball team, because your assumption that he actually couldn't find his old account is deliberately naive.

It's not an assumption; in fact, it's a lack thereof. Following the original thread, we do see the poster denying having another account, and then admitting to it after realizing a difference between reality and his or her statements; you choose to assume that means the action is intentional, whereas I choose to prefer verification.

I mean, what harm is the guy doing in the meanwhile, that we should ban him? [Damn gender-neutral language! I say it's a "he!"] Ooh, his name uncreatively makes fun of RPGPundit! Oh, no! Not our sacred cow! Please. Who cares?

For what it's worth, I'm definitely not a member of "the Animalball team." Though I used to be a member of their community, I left their forum long ago over profound differences of opinion, and I suspect you'd have to search far and wide for someone besides Pundit who represents their opinions less.

I think there's an assumption that this is all some sort of Animalball-driven prank, but looking at their website, the times involved are all incorrect to support this conclusion; that's not to say the poster's new name wasn't inspired by their insipid podcast, but what's that got to do with anything? All sorts of douche bags listen to their podcast, and I don't think Animalball controls them all.

Anyway, am I concerned about the "harm" to RPGdouchetard? No. I'm concerned about restriction of freedom based on administrator caprice, something I believed the founders here were against. It turns out, though, that they're only against other people's caprice. And I believe that to be shameful and worth note.

This is a ridiculous thread. The poster was clearly part of a prank. His story regarding the account changed and he never provided his original username. Furthermore, he added nothing productive to the thread in which he was posting. Then more of his friends arrived to cause trouble. If he wants to post here, all he has to do is either use his old account or contact an admin to get it working. He clearly does not wish to do so.

Quote from: brettmb;227770This is a ridiculous thread.

Agreed. It's a child's view of freedom of speech taken to an extreme beyond any reason. All too common in today's world I'm afraid.

RPGPundit was within his rights and within the rules he put forth when he took over this site. End of question.

I'm glad you're so outraged at the lack of free speech here that afflicts spammers and sockpuppets. Seeing as how you have such a strong opinion on this, I'd strongly recommend you go over to the Help forum and vote on the poll I started as to whether or not I'm now an evil fascist who's no different than RPG.net in my drunkenness of power for banning spammers and sockpuppets.

Also, Engine? If you are so utterly shocked by the state of authoritarianism and oppression here, feel free to leave. Why don't you go to RPG.net? Its bigger, and apparently no different in any way from here as far as free speech policies.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;227777Also, Engine? If you are so utterly shocked by the state of authoritarianism and oppression here, feel free to leave. Why don't you go to RPG.net? Its bigger, and apparently no different in any way from here as far as free speech policies.

Or he could go back to AnimalBall now that he has "profound differences of opinion" with this site as well.