Banned from Cork City forum for alleged pro-Nazi sympathies

constantg

Ok, firstly this is the last place I wanted to come as I feel that no matter what the outcome, it will reflect poorly on me. But I was recently, unfairly IMHO, banned from the Cork City Forum for 1 week.

I commented on an old thread. I genuinely did not see anything wrong with commenting on an old thread (it related to buying a suit in Cork City, something which I am currently trying to do, hence the interest and the 'oh, I wonder if this thread will have anything interesting/useful').


I saw a number of comments in the thread relating to Hugo Boss suits and clothing. I then remembered an interesting and often overlooked fact which I had heard a number of years ago, that Hugo Boss had actually supplied uniforms to various arms of the Nazi Party and German Armed Forces during the Second World War.


I posted accordingly;

Hugo Boss, purveyor of fine clothing for the Brownshirts, the SS, the Hitler Youth and the general Nazi Party since 1924....

with the accompanying link directing subscribers to the article in support of my point;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Boss#History

THIS is the ad itself http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Boss_1933_adv.jpg


I was then banned from the site for 1 week.


I asked the mod, politely, if they could explain their actions to me as I was genuinely dumbfounded over the banning.

They explained that I had 1, bumped an old thread and 2, mentioned some pretty offensive things.


THIS is my initial PM to the Mod;

hi mod,

look i know my banning period is over and i'm not trying to be funny, but i genuinely can't remember what it was i said. is there any chance you might be able to show me the text that was considered so offensive please?

thanks,




constantg

Firstly, I am a professional historian, I deal with bias and offensive articles on a daily basis. My original post in the thread was intended to be sarcastic and illustrative at the same time. Perhaps I misjudged my audience, but I am NOT a NAZI apologist.

Secondly, if this was an old thread, then why wasn't it locked? Why leave it open? If it's open someone will be able to post in it. Is this a trap of some sort, to lure unsuspecting posters in to slap them with a ban? That was sarcastic by the way.

Thirdly, why was I actually banned? For opening an old thread that was left open? For highlighting that a fashion designer had links with a group of genocidal lunatics in his past? Or for libeling said fashion designer? I don't think it's libel if its true is it?


Look I genuinely feel that I have been hard done by in this ban. The ban is over so I'm not appealing the sentence itself. I am appealing the fact that damage has been done to my good name however and professionally or personally that it something which I cannot allow slide.

I would appreciated feedback.


Thanks





constantg

constantg

Hello,

I was just wondering had there been any movement on this matter CMod.


con

Zaph

I've PMd a link to this thread to the Region CMods

constantg

Zaph wrote: »

I've PMd a link to this thread to the Region CMods

Thank you.



constantg/eamonn

Dub13

Hi,

Sorry about the delay I have been away and am going away again tomorrow so will look into this now.

Dub13

Dub13

constantg,I am not sure what you are looking for here your ban was up 2 days before you started this thread,you don't have an infraction,nothing was posted on thread about it.So I am not sure were your good name is been damaged.

castie

Hi Guys,

Just like to add that "alleged pro-Nazi sympathies" was never made by me.

Regards,
Daniel

constantg

I suppose I'd like to know why I was banned really. I don't think highlighting the past of a business in a straightforward manner is cause for a banning!

I also never said that anyone said anything about alleged pro Nazi sympathies, but it can be inferred from having been told I said 'some pretty offensive things' that it was what the mod intended.

Correct me if I'm wrong, and at least give me a reason for the ban. Opening up and old thread doesn't usually get a ban as far as I'm aware. There was no PM warning me to stop if this was the case.

Dub13

All I can do here then is to get castie to explain the ban and the reasons behind it,I cant undo the ban,there is no infraction to overturn so nothing else I can do.

constantg

Dub13 wrote: »

All I can do here then is to get castie to explain the ban and the reasons behind it,I cant undo the ban,there is no infraction to overturn so nothing else I can do.

Thanks, an explanation would be a good result. Can I ask is this normally the calibre of thing which people are banned for?

Also if my ban was in error, would an apology be out of the question?

castie

From PM dated 12/09

Re: Banned from Cork City
Hi,

You were banned for resurrecting a very old thread and making an inappropriate comment regarding a company.

Regards.

User then decided this was not a good enough explanation.
Thread was over 2 years old and in my opinion the post was off topic and dragging up history on the company that I determined was to their detriment.

castie

constantg wrote: »

Thanks, an explanation would be a good result. Can I ask is this normally the calibre of thing which people are banned for?

Also if my ban was in error, would an apology be out of the question?

Also please point out where I mentioned "pro-Nazi sympathies".
This is a baseless accusation by you.

constantg

castie wrote: »

From PM dated 12/09

Re: Banned from Cork City
Hi,

You were banned for resurrecting a very old thread and making an inappropriate comment regarding a company.

Regards.

User then decided this was not a good enough explanation.
Thread was over 2 years old and in my opinion the post was off topic and dragging up history on the company that I determined was to their detriment.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15008682


Seems pretty straightforward to me that the company in question decided what would or would not be to their detriment when they published details of it and also apologised for it....or rather would be to their detriment but still made the knowledge publicly available anyway.


If the post was old and off topic then why wasn't I at least given a warning; there is a system where you get a yellow card or a PM right? First i heard of it was I was banned for a week and I had to go back to the thread to figure out why.

constantg

castie wrote: »

Also please point out where I mentioned "pro-Nazi sympathies".
This is a baseless accusation by you.

Fair's fair, you never said I had pro-nazi sympathies. I apologise to you for that. Better now?


Also fair, I don't have them, am at a complete loss why you went for the nuclear option of a ban straight away and also am at a loss as to what was so offensive in the first place. It's clearly proven and well documented historical fact mod, what is the problem with stating it??

I mean for god's sake, one of his first major contracts was supplying the eponymous brownshirts to the Brownshirts!! You don't really get much more self evident than that do you?


Also if it was off topic, why not warn me? Or PM me? Or yellow card me?


If it was an old thread and you or the CMod didn't want people posting in it then why didn't someone lock it? Or at least post that it was an old thread?

The thread is STILL OPEN without any warning or notification that you would not like people to post there by the way.....http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=74333519#post74333519

castie

Did you read this before posting?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055919850

constantg

castie wrote: »

Did you read this before posting?

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055919850

No, I didn't, to be fair and give you your due. Now can you explain why that thread which was a year old was locked and the other one wasn't?


Plus if I'd been banned outright for the year plus thing, then why the mention of 'offensive' things?

castie

constantg wrote: »

No, I didn't, to be fair and give you your due. Now can you explain why that thread which was a year old was locked and the other one wasn't?


Plus if I'd been banned outright for the year plus thing, then why the mention of 'offensive' things?

We do not lock old threads.
The warning was locked as it is standard for things like this and charters to be stickied and locked. It was locked immediately after the post.

The other issues mentioned for the ban were in addition.
No time was added for these but merely as a this is what you also did incorrect in my opinion.

Zaph

I'm looking into this issue so I'd appreciate it if both contantg and castie refrained from any further posting for the moment. Thanks.

castie

After discussions between myself Zaph,Dub13 and the Admin team it has been decided that the warning in the forum should be removed.

Since constantg's ban was mostly based around this infringement and this warning is now considered to have been incorrect, I have offered an apology to him by PM to resolve this matter.

Zaph

Thanks for that castie. I'm going to leave this thread open for another day or so in case constantg wishes to respond and then, if there are no objections, I'm going to close it as resolved.

constantg

Thanks guys, I have sent one final PM on the issue regarding the use of the word 'mainly'. I have outlined my argument in this matter in the PM.



constantg