ColinEssex

[Vassago]

Normally I wouldn't publicly post information regarding the reasons why someone is banned, but in this situation I am making an exception.

1. He is not permanently banned. He has a two week vacation to get away for a while. After the posts he has posted for the last two days, the mods and many members strongly agree that he needs it.

2. It was not Bob that decided to ban him.

3. After his vacation, he'll have a chance to stop harrassing members.

One thing I love about this forum is the freedom to post your beliefs. Most technology forums would not even put up with half of the stuff posted here. We let a lot slide in the non-Access forums. Unfortunately, some members decide to take it too far by trolling into help threads and making personal attacks to other members unprovoked which in no way provide content toward actually helping the person who started the help topic. There were numerous complaints from these members who felt that the comments were distracting and taking away from the help they require, and the mods agree.

If he can keep it out of the Access help forums when he comes back, then he should be fine, but flooding the help forum with attacks is just not what we are about.

Thanks to all of you for keeping this site great. I usually rather enjoy everyone's company, including Colin's. I hope we can move forward from here.

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Thanks for the update.

 

[Banana]

If he can keep it out of the Access help forums when he comes back, then he should be fine

I'd like to say that I can't entirely agree with the idea that if it's in WC, then it's A-OK. I understand the desire to have the "anything goes" atmosphere, but I have hard time accepting that it also applies to personal attacks. It's well-established that it's desirable to attack the ideas, not the person and gratuitous abuse just serves to further inflame.

I hope that the situation will not have to happen again.

 

[Vassago]

I'd like to say that I can't entirely agree with the idea that if it's in WC, then it's A-OK. I understand the desire to have the "anything goes" atmosphere, but I have hard time accepting that it also applies to personal attacks. It's well-established that it's desirable to attack the ideas, not the person and gratuitous abuse just serves to further inflame.

I hope that the situation will not have to happen again.

I agree with you on personal attacks. I was thinking more along the lines of other nonsense he posts.

 

[Banana]

Gotcha. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[boblarson]

Given that he's got an obsession with me, I doubt he'll be able to refrain from personal attacks (at least in my case) and will end up banned permanently.

 

[KenHigg]

Banning someone from voicing their opinion is wrong. I want to know what everybody thinks, not who somebody else thinks is good enough. Anyway, if you think a 2 week ban on Col will make a difference you've been asleep for the last 5 years.

Sorry Vas... Just my 2 cents
btw - Thanks the time you spend mod'n the forum.

 

[Banana]

Banning someone from voicing their opinion is wrong. I want to know what everybody thinks, not who somebody else thinks is good enough.

I actually seriously doubt you will find anyone who will disagree with this sentiment.

The trick is in expressing them in such terms that it's polite, courteous and does not resort to personal attacks. That, I don't think is too hard to accomplish even with the most contrary opinion.

 

[boblarson]

Banning someone from voicing their opinion is wrong.

Banning people who are attacking others is not wrong. Banning people who have been warned before not to bring it into the help areas is not wrong. And just as a side note, I have remained silent in public responses to all of the rantings of Colin about me.

I'm glad that someone else finally had enough and took him to task. I do hope it will shake him up enough but you are likely correct in the assumption that it will not. The agreement he had with us last time when I was the one to banned him was that he was to keep it in the WC and anything in the help areas of the forum was forbidden (unless it was actual help). He violated those terms and I reminded him of it (but the ban came from another source and so my reminder was a little too late for that).

I hope that he will come back and stop doing personal attacks. But do I think that will really happen - no, I do not. Something (perhaps recent events in his life) has changed him into a very vindictive personality. I could share some emails and posts he made to me and on my website which demonstrate just how he has become. It is sad because I don't really wish anyone ill will. He does, however, make me long for a day when he isn't on these forums as a permanent thing (if he stays as is).

So that is my view. And to everyone who is wondering what happened with me coming back - I had requested Jon to remove me as Moderator as I had thought I would not be coming back. He felt the need to post a thread saying goodbye. I worked out the issues that I had with my family and making sure I didn't stay on the forums as long each day (in fact, I rarely do at home anymore). So, I started moderating spam again and then I started wanting to post to help again. So I did. If that is wrong, so be it. But I am back and I have made a great effort to not respond to anything Colin writes about me, no matter how bad it gets. I will continue to attempt to do the same for him and others. You can all have your opinion of me, good or bad, but keep the attacks out of the forum help areas. It does nobody any good there (as if it does anybody any good in the WC either, but you know what I mean).

 

[KenHigg]

I actually seriously doubt you will find anyone who will disagree with this sentiment.

The trick is in expressing them in such terms that it's polite, courteous and does not resort to personal attacks. That, I don't think is too hard to accomplish even with the most contrary opinion.

IMHO - Anyone who deletes 10K+ posts out of spite deserves a personal attack. Where was this polite & courteous rule then?

 

[Banana]

Again, I seriously doubt you will find anyone who disagree that such behavior was unacceptable and the same rule applies as well. The consequences has been dealt out. But to claim that it deserves a personal attack... well, I'd say that if we were to apply "an eye for an eye", everybody would be left blind.

 

[boblarson]

IMHO - Anyone who deletes 10K+ posts out of spite deserves a personal attack. Where was this polite & courteous rule then?

Ken, I never deleted 10,000+ posts. I deleted two users (which didn't delete the posts if you hadn't noticed). Now, in case you hadn't noticed, I have changed. I have put up with way more than what pushed me over the edge back two years ago. I have said nothing. I've done nothing. And yet you and Colin and others seem to think that I am still the same person as I was then. Are you saying that people can't change?

So, anyway, you can think what you like and you can say what you like but my CURRENT actions speak louder than your words.

 

[Brianwarnock]

IMHO - Anyone who deletes 10K+ posts out of spite deserves a personal attack. Where was this polite & courteous rule then?

Bob has expressed his remorse at that, recently saying that he felt that ruled him out of any position on the forum that would allow it to happen again. When did Col ever admit to being wrong about anything?

And just for the record it happened whilst Bob was undergoing a prolonged personal attack, it doesn't justify it and Bob has never tried to, but it helps to explain it.

Brian

 

[stopher]

Banning someone from voicing their opinion is wrong. I want to know what everybody thinks, not who somebody else thinks is good enough.

This is what springs to my mind:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullying

 

[Vassago]

Banning someone from voicing their opinion is wrong. I want to know what everybody thinks, not who somebody else thinks is good enough. Anyway, if you think a 2 week ban on Col will make a difference you've been asleep for the last 5 years.

Sorry Vas... Just my 2 cents
btw - Thanks the time you spend mod'n the forum.

Opinions are okay. The trick is when and how to display them keeping in mind that this IS a professional forum. There's no reason to go into a help thread where a third party user is asking a question that Bob and Doc were helping with and call Bob names/attack him without adding anything constructive to the problem the OP had. Even the OP and a few other members responded on how unprofessional it was and it took away from the help that was needed and/or provided.

Maybe I should undelete the posts that were made and transfer the thread here so everyone can see what NOT to do. You should also see the multitude of reported posts that were made in response to his trolling over the weekend.

I didn't say I think it will make a difference. I also didn't come to this decision on my own. It's also only Step 1. I hope it will be enough.

Thanks Ken, it's an honor to help out in any way I can.

 

[Vassago]

IMHO - Anyone who deletes 10K+ posts out of spite deserves a personal attack. Where was this polite & courteous rule then?

As pointed out, no posts were deleted. Removing their user ids was definitely a poor decision that I'm sure Bob regrets. It seems to me that everyone involved in that fued has moved on except one. Hopefully he can see it's futile to harrass someone who has no interest in responding and he can get over it. How long ago did this happen? Seriously!

 

[KenHigg]

Well there you go. I never knew it was in issue outside the cooler.

 

[boblarson]

How long ago did this happen? Seriously!

August 2008

Almost 2 years ago.

 

[Vassago]

August 2008

Almost 2 years ago.

I know when it happened. It was rhetorical.

 

[boblarson]

I know when it happened. It was rhetorical.

Well, for the benefit of those who didn't