Chris Unban Request

[Wist 376]

I'm going to rule on this since this has become a maze of anger, bitterness, unnecessary comments and baits, which doesn't help any of the parties involved.

Equally, I'm going to rule on both Landshark and Chris' ban here, as I feel they are directly related.

There are two rulings to make, and they are as follows:

Where the bans justified?

Was the length of each ban, and the means in which they were delivered, justified?

On point one: Both bans were justified. Before landshark was even banned, a warning had been given to stop trolling/brigading by people moving to the channel. Landshark then renaming to "muck fclovin" is an obvious bait to the previous warning - A ban was well in its rights to be given. On the second ban, again, directly baiting the same person who by this point had already banned Landshark and given the original warning should have been warning enough. The picture fell within rule one under anti-bullying. A ban was again, within it rights to be given, and should have been expected.

On point two: The argument that Chris should have received a forum ban is in, my opinion, ridiculous. A forum ban is not a punishment in the slightest, and in keeping in line with an initial teamspeak issued ban for what were a related set of events, a teamspeak ban was the only justifiable form of ban if a ban was to be given at all.

As to the length of bans - A one day ban for Landshark's name change I feel is fine. I haven't seen much complaint as to the length of that ban, so I think most people feel the same way (that is not to say whether they agree on whether it was justified to ban him in the first place.)

Chris' ban is more complicated. Every ban is made in context. Chris' ban came after three glowing warnings: The verbal one, Landshark's being banned, and the image Chris posted being not of his own making - A giant red flag that he was playing with fire. Chris posted the image in full knowledge of the consequences it would almost certainly bring about. However, seven days is to say the upper extreme of a ban for this kind of picture, and is not in keeping with the ban made for Landshark. It has been shortened to two days.

Admin oversight

I've called a meeting with the relevant powers that be, so I'll ask for some patience before we rule on this. This decision is largely out of my hands, because whatever decision is made will effect those who come after me. This, I feel, is theirs to decide.

A notice to all involved

To say that this thread, as well as several others posted on the forum over the past day have been a train wreck is probably an understatement. When these situations flair up, they are HUGELY exacerbated by unnecessary posts on the forum, be they images or text. Equally, individuals attacking people - joining rooms and yelling "F**k you" after heated words SOLVE NO PROBLEMS. They leave every part feeling increasingly angry at one another and make resolutions even more unlikely. The ban would likely be shorter if the forum had not seen the bandwagoning it has in the last day, as well as the bizarre actions of people hurling nigh-on-threats over teamspeak.

Each side has had legitimate arguments in this case, but those arguments are utterly lost when people insist on acting like idiots and riding the wagon out of the park. There should be a platform to air these debates, but this thread alone shows the reason why that ground is rapidly and totally lost under a flood of unnecessary comments, including demands for moderators, even those uninvolved, to post. Those same moderators were correct to reserve their judgement, and I question others, moderator or otherwise, who have posted without providing anything of use to the conversation that never had a chance to take place here.

This issue HAS to be solved by all involved, or else it is a ticking timebomb that will consume at the very least a small section of the community totally. I can only pray both sides find the willingness and patience and basic maturity to air these debates in the public sphere.

Thread closed. I'm more than happy to take any complaints, responses, questions or opinions as always.