Banned... No good deed goes unpunished

Don't let it bother you, Michael.  It's a bit unfortunate that they are totally lacking in any professional ability to handle community relations without going nuclear, but it's their problem, not ours.  Someone will write a book about it one day.

Have to be honest, this is one of the whiniest threads I've read here, populated by people banned from what appears to be a very popular forum with 10 of thousands of members - with how many banned people? Not many it seems, and they all seem to be here crying about it! You really don't do yoursleves any favours with stuff like this. Buck up, pull yourselves together, stop whining over spilled milk (that you probably spilt), and get on with it.

As for the OP's banning - was this a first offence? Judging by some of your comments here, maybe the people in charge over there must be reading here as well...worth considering.

Back to beer now. It's late.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion, Billy. You, me, anybody. On the Foundation's forum you're not permitted to always express it, admittedly, but everyone's entitled.

I don't think you've quite understood what my problem is with the ban... First, no warning or notification. Second, most important, as far as I'm concerned, this wasn't in any way an 'offence' unless you call an attempt to spur someone into responding to a journalist's criticisms an offence. I had nothing to gain from posting it in the first place, I'm not a current RS customer, I have no orders outstanding. I was simply trying to get across that not responding to an article that claims to have asked for a response is a 'bad idea'.   I'd rather not have the spirit and reputation of the Pi sullied from a lack of action on anyone's part.

I would've had no objections to my post being deleted, or even to being asked not to post things like that. But it was the fact that I tried to login to a forum I've contributed extensively to and couldn't all of a sudden.

As I said, 'offence' doesn't describe the post I made.

@Billy

I believe you've misinterpreted what I said. I was implying that YOU were entitled to _your_ opinion. Thanks for that article, if only because it was relatively interesting, though not particularly relevant to this thread.

What I posted on the RPi forum was not opinion, it was a statement of fact - that there was an article that said what it said, that it stated no response had been received. I guess the only opinion I expressed was that someone ought to respond. I didn't particularly _care_ if they did or not, just that if I were them, I would. I didn't expect to have to defend posting it. What I was hoping was that someone would actually respond to the article, not to my notification of having found it, which they probably still haven't.

As for my not having an objection to the deletion of the post, I still don't and didn't. It's got nothing to do with thinking it would cause trouble, just that once read and dealt with by someone it wouldn't be relevant any more. If I was running the forum (and I have run one), I would consider deleting an offensive/misleading post as part of a warning, if it was appropriate. I certainly wouldn't just throw a ban out without letting the person know why they were banned. In fact, I probably wouldn't even ban someone for swearing unless it really started getting out of hand, and I know some forums that do.

As for Steve... well, if it's the thread I think it is, then _that_ ban was justified. Accusing people of running a scam is libellous and therefore inappropriate behaviour. And anyway, doesn't really matter whether it's a scam or not - the Pi is a good product regardless - buy it or don't.

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Mike

@Billy

I believe you've misinterpreted what I said. I was implying that YOU were entitled to _your_ opinion. Thanks for that article, if only because it was relatively interesting, though not particularly relevant to this thread.

What I posted on the RPi forum was not opinion, it was a statement of fact - that there was an article that said what it said, that it stated no response had been received. I guess the only opinion I expressed was that someone ought to respond. I didn't particularly _care_ if they did or not, just that if I were them, I would. I didn't expect to have to defend posting it. What I was hoping was that someone would actually respond to the article, not to my notification of having found it, which they probably still haven't.

As for my not having an objection to the deletion of the post, I still don't and didn't. It's got nothing to do with thinking it would cause trouble, just that once read and dealt with by someone it wouldn't be relevant any more. If I was running the forum (and I have run one), I would consider deleting an offensive/misleading post as part of a warning, if it was appropriate. I certainly wouldn't just throw a ban out without letting the person know why they were banned. In fact, I probably wouldn't even ban someone for swearing unless it really started getting out of hand, and I know some forums that do.

As for Steve... well, if it's the thread I think it is, then _that_ ban was justified. Accusing people of running a scam is libellous and therefore inappropriate behaviour. And anyway, doesn't really matter whether it's a scam or not - the Pi is a good product regardless - buy it or don't.

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Mike

My jaw has just hit the floor...

Someone from the Foundation (jamesh) responded to the original article trying to do damage control.

Oh, irony, how you mock me

Stepping back a little and thinking about the situation as a whole, what surprises me a lot more than the actions of a handful of banners and hatemongers over there (you can't really call them "moderators", since they're not moderating but doing the exact opposite) is that the Pi community at large on that forum puts up with it.

It's not something I really understand.  Don't the majority value open discussion about all related topics as long as it is carried out politely, and cordial relations expressing multiple shades of opinion rather than a harsh police state?

Morgaine Dinova wrote:

 

Stepping back a little and thinking about the situation as a whole, what surprises me a lot more than the actions of a handful of banners and hatemongers over there (you can't really call them "moderators", since they're not moderating but doing the exact opposite) is that the Pi community at large on that forum puts up with it.

I suspect people have twigged that if you want to talk about community issues, RasPi forum is not the place for a long discussion.  RasPi forum in still a great place for some technical issues, and I found it very valuable for getting my Motorola Atrix Lapdock working with RasPi after reading Draw Fustini's 'blog about it here.  Stick to (most) technical topics and keep it technical and you'll probably be OK.  It is what it is.