Thread Ban - Donegal Forum

MrMusician18 · 12-10-2021 12:41am #1

Hi,

I wish to appeal my thread ban from the Mica thread in the Donegal Forum. Mod Muffler has accused me of trolling because I stated that I believed that the protest I witnessed (I was there) was about 2500 people in size. Given that the crowd I witnessed was congregated in a place about 100m long and 20m wide and reasonably packed on average I don't believe my estimation to have been that far off. I did expect to see more people there, given the reported size of previous protests (which I did not attend).

Mod muffler did not sanction other posters who made wild claims about the crowd size, so I believe my sanction was him ousting posters from the thread that he personally disagrees with.

I have tried to discuss this with him via PM, but his response was effectively no response. It is disappointing that he wouldn't engage so that this could not be sorted without a DR process.

I'd like this case to be looked at please, and the thread ban lifted.

Spear · 12-10-2021 2:13am

Moved to the proper place.

MrMusician18 · 12-10-2021 2:32am

Why has this been moved? This is about an individual dispute between poster and mod, not a general commentary or comment.

Spear · 12-10-2021 2:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118007327#Comment_118007327

The DRP forum is for forums bans and infractions, hence this isn't for DRP.

Shield · 12-10-2021 3:00am

@Gaspode As a CMod for Regional, can you either review this appeal or ask a fellow Regional CMod please? Thanks!

MrMusician18 · 19-10-2021 11:53am

I'm wondering could someone please look at this as I would still like it to be resolved.

In relation to the ban itself, I was banned for giving an estimate of the crowd size. I should note that I personally observed this event. So to address and further expand on how I came to determine the number I estimated at the protest: The protesters gathered outside the customs house for a rally at 1pm. At 1:30pm I was passing on the opposite bank and observed for a few minutes. The crowd gathered was between the loop line bridge down as far as the centre of the customs house (go check out the photos of the rally on the various FB and twitter posts). That distance is 100m (go check it on google earth if you don't believe me). The protest took place on a street that's about 20m (also from Google earth) wide when you include both footpaths. The protest has a density of somewhere between 1person/sqm and 2person/sqm, so somewhere between 2 and 4k and at the time I eyeballed it at about 2.5k and posited it as a question. Maybe there were more there, or maybe more turned up later. thats why I asked it as a question.

One poster later said that there was 30k at it. Unless the protestors stacked themselves 3 high, there wasn't 30k there. That comment received no reprimand.

I got a ban for providing a realistic estimate of attendance, the other went unsanctioned.

MrMusician18 · 21-10-2021 11:56pm

Any update on this review @Shield ?

Shield · 22-10-2021 4:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118055752#Comment_118055752

I believe in transparency. What you see is the update so far. I’m going to ask @Beasty to review this since it’s been over a week and I haven’t heard anything back from any of the relevant CMods. The new site doesn’t have a facility to allow us to browse for CMods anymore. I’m hopeful that Beasty will know the names of other CMods for that category or may even be able to resolve the matter himself.

MrMusician18 · 22-10-2021 4:42pm

Thanks for the update @Shield. Appreciate the effort.

MrMusician18 · 28-10-2021 12:00pm

Bump. I'd still like this to be looked at, thanks.

Shield · 30-10-2021 11:35am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118084564#Comment_118084564

No problem. It looks like Beasty missed this. Perhaps either @Mickeroo or @hullaballoo can take a look instead? Thanks.

Beasty · 31-10-2021 11:50am

Apologies but I've had a lot on both elsewhere on the site and indeed in real like

I'll try and have a look at this later

Beasty · 31-10-2021 8:16pm

You posted this in the forum on 6 October

"If that's the advice their solicitor gave them, well then all I can say is they need a new solicitor. Not holding insurance has no bearing on liability. If you could only be sued if you had insurance then no one would have it.

There are some very obvious holes in the protesters story, and quite frankly they need to be honest with the rest of us on why they haven't gone legal, when the ask is this big. Why have they not sued this company out of existence before seeking state support? According to the above, they have a pile of cash, big cars and big houses??"

The mod posted this warning in direct response to that post:

Let me be very clear about this. You are asking questions of the wrong people. You and others seem to think that you have some form of entitlement to answers in this thread. You and others should ask the mica action group, Donegal County Council or Cassidy Brothers who may be in a better position to address your "genuine" concerns.

You then made a number of posts that can be described as "negative" to the cause of those looking for full redress. Now this is a regional forum - specifically Donegal. I do not know if you have any links to the county, or indeed if you post regularly in the forum (the new platform does not make searching straightforward).

A couple of days later you posted:

"Just passed the protest at the customs House. Thought there'd be more there, maybe 2500?

Maybe not every householder is holding out for more?"

I can understand how regulars in the thread/forum may have found those comments offensive. You were downplaying the protest - trying to imply that those who supported the "cause" could not be bothered turning up to protest in Dublin. I can understand how the mod saw this as trolling

So let me ask you what you think you can contribute to the discussion if allowed to post again? Is it going to be a case of trying to play down protests and tell locals their "cause" is not valid/appropriate?

As I have already posted in another thread, this is not "neutral territory" for discussion. It's a place for locals to discuss things that are relevant to the community. Are you part of that community, or an "interested observer"? If the latter I would suggest observation is more than adequate and there is no need for you to post further in the thread. If you are a local, and in particular a local affected by this particular issue I may have a different view. I suspect that is not the case, but would invite you to comment on why I should allow your posting privileges to be reinstated.

MrMusician18 · 02-11-2021 8:46pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118099103#Comment_118099103

Hi Beasty,

Thanks for taking the time to review my thread ban. I do think I have lots to contribute to the discussion. This problem will eventually end in a compromise, and discussion around the colour of that can be interesting.

I don't accept the contention that I attempted to downplay the protest, or say their cause is not valid. I have said on thread that I support state assistance. I was there, and saw that there was a loosely packed crowd confined to about 2000sqm. Given that there was a reported (by the protestors, granted) 10k at the previous one, I was wondering that if the hard line 100%'ers had as much support as was being suggested on thread, or had lost support. It was a legitimate question to ask.

I don't also agree that this is not neutral territory - if you think it is, is that not akin to greenlighting an echo chamber? The moderator changed the charter unilaterally without informing anyone, so that aspect of the charter is not valid. As long as posters are being respectful and on topic, there should be no reason why they cannot post.

And yes, I do have a stake in the eventual outcome of this, not that should matter. Forums here are meant to be open to all, aren't they?

Beasty · 02-11-2021 9:53pm

It's a forum for people from Donegal to discuss local issues. As I've said elsewhere it should be considered in that light and is not "neutral territory"

Based on your comments I am upholding the threadban

MrMusician18 · 02-11-2021 10:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118109484#Comment_118109484

Hi beasty,

Thanks for your response. You wouldn't mind dealing with the other points I raised. Are the forums not open to all? The Donegal forum is fairly unique in that it is "locals only".

You do recognise that if you don't permit legitimate dissent, that is the defacto creation of echo chambers?

I don't really see why where I'm from matters. If I told you I was from Donegal, would that change anything about my posts?

MrMusician18 · 02-11-2021 10:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118109484#Comment_118109484

If you could also address the ninja editing of the charter, I'd appreciate that. Surely you have an opinion on that?

Shield · 02-11-2021 10:55pm

Mod note: Do not post on this thread unless you are the OP or the admin(s) reviewing the appeal.

Beasty · 02-11-2021 11:46pm

I never said that regional forums are for locals only. Anyone posting needs to understand it is a regional forum and by it's very nature will highlight and discuss local issues as the locals see them

I have dealt with other complaints about moderation elsewhere. I have dealt with the threadban here. So far as I am concerned this is now a closed matter

Thread Ban - Donegal Forum

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