obelix2 Registered User
Posts: 1
(12/12/03 8:58 pm) Reply
JK: Me
I would not be here except for your declaration that no poster will ever be banned.
You are taking a major risk here, for there are people like me lurking about.
As you know, I was a major opponent of the banning of lcb, Abby, and -- now probably Nimbo -- from Adrian's board.
Still, I can't refuse your invitation, and I won't abuse your generosity.
I note that Abby is posting here, and that is a joy to me; I have missed her. Returning from a long absence, I found she had been banned, but I could never find anyone to tell me why that was.
I have nothing objectionable to say now, for I haven't got the feel of this board yet; but I probably will have.
minusRusty Registered User
Posts: 60
(12/12/03 9:37 pm) Reply
You!
Heh.
Abby hasn't posted here in a very long time.
Near as I can tell as far as banning is her penchant for being a lightning rod.
-Rusty
obelix2 Registered User
Posts: 2
(12/12/03 10:37 pm) Reply
mR: Nothing really to say
I just didn't want to stop the thread.
If she hasn't posted here either for a long time, then I have to tell you that Abby was REALLY fun to argue with. She posted photos to make her look stupid, but she was anything but that.
btw: I don't intend to abandon Adrian's board altogether, unless this banning business gets truly serious. In which case, I shall find myself banned as well
Hello, Obelix!
Thank you for the very kind words! It's nice to see you here. I, too, have missed seeing you around. I am aware of the nice things you've said in support of me, especially over the last month or so. For that, I am very appreciative.
I didn't realize that you were unaware of the circumstances of my banning. Here's a very short version of exactly what happened . . .
As you know, my theological/political views have always been controversial. Several people considered them intolerable and began to call for my banning. Adrian consistently refused to ban me because I wasn't breaking any rules. Manda, Pot Pie and one or two others began following me around the board, making one-line "pest posts" beneath each of my posts. They also started new threads about me everywhere (many of them hurtful, such as the one by Hume titled, "What should be done with Abby's rotting carcass?"), and whenever a new visitor would post something, they'd quickly tell the poster to stay away from me. The board literally filled up with "Abby posts" and "Abby threads" and people who wanted to have some intelligent conversations on the board began to complain at how Manda and the others were spamming up the board. Adrian kept asking people who didn't like me to just ignore me, but the three or four people who were causing all the trouble wouldn't let up. Finally, Adrian got fed up. Suddenly, right in the middle of an intelligent discussion I was having with some serious posters about art censorship, Adrian banned me. He was very apologetic to me and left the following entry in my Web site's guest book:
Quote:Name: Adrian
Email: [Removed by Abby for the reprint]
Web Site: The Wasteland
Date: Sunday July 07, 2002 16:21:18 GMT
Comments:
Abby, I tried to find an email address for you but couldn't, so I'll write this here. I banned you without warning or provocation and fully recognise that it was unfair and no doubt quite hurtful, and for that I am sorry. I do not feel good about my actions and also realise that they may well come back to haunt me. However, things were getting bad on the board and it became necessary to take action to clear the air. The repurcussions of this will obviously be around for some time and it remains to be seen whether I did the right thing.
Adrian
I was very understanding and I told Adrian that it wasn't his fault, and that he had to do what was necessary to bring peace to his board. (You can read these entries here.)
During the following year and a half, I asked Adrian twice if I could be reinstated. He said no both times, because he felt the same mess would happen again. I told him that I still respected his decision and that there were no hard feelings.
That's what happened. I was banned, not because I broke any rules, but because of the actions of others.
Obie, I wish I could tell you that everything eventually ended happily, but it didn't. Although you didn't ask for this information, I'll tell it to you since it's relevant to what happened earlier . . .
About a week ago, I was posting on another board, and Adrian came over. We had some pleasant/fun exchanges like we used to have, and we even had a mini-debate about comedian Al Franken. Meanwhile, I mentioned something that JanMichael once did or said, and Manda suddenly popped in, claiming that she needed to "defend" J.M. She then began following me around the board again, re-posting things that had been said during the Wasteland mess. I made a post telling everybody that I was going to ignore her so that the board wouldn't turn into what the Wasteland did. Several other posters said that they, too, didn't want Manda to spam up the board. (Even Adrian, who had up to then steered clear of the controversy, posted a link to what he considered "funny" quotes of mine. But Adrian's post didn't bother me too much because he seemed to be just caught up in the "fun" of the moment.)
After things had settled, I decided to ask Adrian, one again, if I could be reinstated at the Wasteland. I asked it in a very polite and friendly way (you can read it here). Adrian again said no, but he threw in this hurtful--and completely unprovoked--line:
Quote:I consider you to be a repugnant individual with truly vile and reprehensible views on most subjects
I was shocked at this, and I replied that it was hypocritical of him to talk to me there but not allow me to go to the Wasteland to talk to him, so I told him goodbye. I hated to do that, but how long am I supposed to be "understanding" and friendly toward someone who, in return, treats me like a doormat?
If Adrian ever decides to unban me, that's fine. But I'm no longer going to ask him to.
Anyway, that's what has happened up to this point.
I sincerely appreciate your asking about what happened. It always makes me feel a little better to talk about it.
As J.K. knows, I've been trying to limit my Ezboard activity, due to a disagreement I had with the company a while back. But I'm beginning to reconsider, mostly because I keep running into folks such as yourself. I think I'll try to poke my head in here and see what you and J.K. are up to!
Obie, thanks again for the nice things you have said! It really means a lot to me.
Abby Aaron, Little Miss Soapbox, petitecute Edited by: Abby Aaron at: 12/15/03 3:33 am
Registered User
Posts: 26
(12/16/03 7:11 am) Reply
Hi Abby!
Quote:As you know, my theological/political views have always been controversial.
Yes, Abby, your theological views are delightfully reminiscent of what I was taught in Methodist church kindergarten Sunday school class. Not so much controversial as shallow and childish.
Quote:As J.K. knows, I've been trying to limit my Ezboard activity, due to a disagreement I had with the company a while back. But I'm beginning to reconsider, mostly because I keep running into folks such as yourself.
I'm really not sure what your beef with EZboard was, and I suppose the details are none of my business. At any rate, you're always welcome over on my board but I won't blame you if you never visit me again because I've given you so much abuse and probably will continue to do so.
obelix2 Registered User
Posts: 8
(12/29/03 4:05 pm) Reply
OP: Abby
My point was not that I agreed with everything Abby said (I sometimes did) -- but that her posts were fun to have around. Regardless of your personal point of view (or mine), she brought life into debates, a life which is no longer there.
Caveat: I have also opposed the banning of Nimbo (unless he really did destroy all of his own posts) and of lcb (even though he was often abusive). Abby did neither of those things.
I am not a Christian, but Abby's posts on Adrian's board, while she was allowed to make them, tended to reconcile me with Christian thinking.
That is not to say I became a Christian (I didn't) but made it far easier for me to understand Christian thinking.
mR: Nothing really to say
It's nice to see you here. I, too, have missed seeing you around. I am aware of the nice things you've said in support of me, especially over the last month or so. For that, I am very appreciative. 
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