[Admin req'd] Banned from a forum for no reason

yomchi

I've been banned from the Martial Arts forum for no reason and without warning.

Here are the details.
A new poster asked where abouts in his area that there are clubs to train in. A few guys posted up clubs and web sites to access (as they do). The new poster decided to slag off one of the lads styles that offered him training by saying it looked like a piss take and joke. It was a South East Asian Martial art, steeped in South East Asian culture.
I posted saying it was immature to refer the martial art in that way when the guy had come on specifically to help you find some where to train. That was it!
The 'mod' then told me to stop whinging and in turn called me immature for asking the new poster to show a little bit of respect. After which I made a humourous remark... followed by an emoticon to show I was being humourous -next I get a PM to say im banned from the forum, because I didn't heed an 'official warning' - I received no official warning whatsoever, and why would I when all I did was ask a new poster to be polite towards someone who had offered him a venue to train in.

I've always posted in a positive fashion and endeavoured to help where I could.
Im posting here because I can't find any admin people to post to.

Can someone point me in the right direction please?

Jon

hullaballoo

Are you sure it wasn't a ban for this: http://dontlogin.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=52722614?

Looking through your posts in the forum briefly, I'd say that it was probably a mixture of your posts that earned you a ban.

What length ban is it?

yomchi

I can't view the link. I think you'll find my posts quite alright compared to some. If your from the right style in that forum you can get away with saying anything.
The length wasn't given, either was a warning.

hullaballoo

Try the link now. Perhaps you should try to sort this out with the mod in question. Find out exactly why you were banned, and for how long. If it's still unsatisfactory, come back here and we'll look at it.

yomchi

Hi,

No its not that thread at all! TBH thats nothing.
If you look in a thread where I think its 'Dardoz' asks for Martial Arts on the south side. You'll see Dardoz insult a person who posts his web site - Silat Liam is the name of the guy who posted his website- I then posted saying that its bad manners etc especially after Silat Liam was offering to help the guy. That was it. The thread continued and was going places, me and others contributed info. Then the 'mod' jumped in telling me to stop whinging and to get on with it and telling Silat Liam to stop whinging and that if he posts his website and his martial art is or looks crap expect to get insulted - (or to words of that effect). This is not on, and is not in the spirit of Boards.ie at all.

I then posted a humourous remark, as I've done in the past with the 'mod', who incidentally I have never had any diffs with. Then I get this:

"Jon,

You've been banned for the Self Defence/Martial Arts board.

Any post I make as mod is considered an official warning, which you didn't heed.

As a result you've been banned.

Colm"

There was NO official warning - nothing. If you can find any warning at all infact I will say no prob. Enough of this holier than thou nonsense from some mods.
On a side note I know many others on that forum who are browned off with clique that exists.

Thanks for taking the time
Jon
ps - i've asked Colm for an explanation and to point out his warning - 2 days ago, no reply. And I don't expect to get one TBH.

hullaballoo

Ok, aside from the fact that you weren't warned per se, do you take issue with the reason for your ban?

There's nothing that compels a mod to warn people before they ban them. It's sometimes prudent, sometimes unnecessary.

yomchi

I take issue with the fact that I was banned unnecessarily. I've over 1300 posts and I doubt I've ever been reported once. I also expect the mod to act in a reasonable manner. I also post frequently in the Fitness forum and the Buddhist forum without any hassle.

You'll also notice in the thread, he wishes he could ban people for idiocy. This is a snipe at good posters on the board - who moderates bad moderators?

You'll also notice in the thread, 'Forum Suggestions' the 'mod' declares that 'he's off to ban people now' because they didn't agree with him... I mean come on! Its like a creche for goodness sake.

Jon

yomchi

Hullaballo,
Thanks for your time on the matter. It appears im getting no where. There are significant numbers of posters from that forum who feel the same as I do. All of which have said they would contribute to the complaints procedure. I have been pointed in the direction of Mr Breslin, whom i'm told takes the moderation of his site and the behaviour of moderators seriously.

Thanks again
Jon

yomchi

http://dontlogin.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055050363&page=4

AND..

http://dontlogin.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055050631

at least im not alone in the criticism of that particular forum

hullaballoo

That comes across to me as some of your friends big-upping you, not as evidence that anyone minds how the forum is run.

I'll request admin input here, because I've no idea how to get this moving if Colm isn't responding to your PMs.

yomchi

hullaballoo wrote:

That comes across to me as some of your friends big-upping you, not as evidence that anyone minds how the forum is run.

I'll request admin input here, because I've no idea how to get this moving if Colm isn't responding to your PMs.

Hullabullo,
Your missing the posts that state the forum isn't friendly towards different styles, you're also missing the posts where posters state they'll be 'jumping ship' to another forum, its quite easy to see.
I've already contacted admin, Cloud has assured me he would look into the problem and has passed on the details to Devore.

As for them being my friends, I've met only one person from that particular forum. As you can see the posters seem bemused as to why I was banned. Something I've not gotten an answer for as yet.