sinaplenty said:

'K, so it's just the donuts...I'm cool with that... 8)

Aerogram said:

I'm glad you have come to your senses sir

ian said:

nice to see that things can and should be worked out!!!

ian said:

I often wonder this myself...as Anxiety so eloquently stated, it's only a website... altho when the fighting starts it gives my friends some laughs as I tell them what happens here..

pejman said:

weee!!!

sometimes it seems tho, if certain other 'cyberbullies' didn't push first then none of this would happen...

but yeh it's just a website..a website that's gonna suck a whole lot if all the people that are gone stay gone and if things continue the way they are...

it's easy for people to look at this as if some of the people gone are just being trouble makers when the threads where they've told their side of the story just disappear...

people keep talking about the npgmc allegedly deleting threads of people for not agreeing with them..but the frequency of that is moreso here lately than it is on the npgmc...

most folks don't really know what's goin on because threads that challenge certain moderator decisions vanish...so before you say 'grow up' or 'get over it' or whatever...learn the whole story...

as for the rumor about somebody's relationship with somebody being the cause for any of this..that's something i didn't know anything about at all til it was mentioned last nite..there is no conspiracy at work in creating my disappointment with the way things are handled here...i'm going only by what i see...

i'm disappointed to see that people who have contributed to this site for a long time are being deactivated in an increasing number and other people are leaving...and usually there is a common denominator...

as for people being abusive & being deleted for that reason..if that was grounds for deletion i don't understand how some folks who post here got past the first week..constant baiting of people for their beliefs, belittling people for not dressing in a way they think is 'cool,' or making fun of people for liking prince..when it is..er..was a prince site...eh..and not in a way that could be perceived as anything other than abusive...and only recently without naming names...tho leaving little doubt who they were aiming it at...

but you know..it's your site, your rules...and it doesn't really matter what i've just said cos it's gonna be deleted anyway...

have fun...

well it's good that rdhull is back..but you know..for how long, and who's next?

Gone for a couple of days aqnd miss all of the drama. Damn.

I love the Org and Ian too.

rio said:

Hi everyone. I was going to start a new thread but when I read this I thought I'd put it in here.

I'd just like to thank the moderators here for all the time and effort they put in for us.
I didn't realise they had to put up with this nasty shit aswell. They do the job very well out of the goodness of their s and I just wanted them to know how much I appricate it.

PS, Matt, sorry to hear that U R having some problems. I wish U a speedy and easy fix. Take it easy man.

Sincerely, Camille.

wtf? what did i miss?? am i better off not knowing?

ian said:

Very Well Said

Can't we all just get along?



Sweeny79 was playing nice when she edited this
[This message was edited Tue May 27 13:42:40 PDT 2003 by Sweeny79]

rio said:

VERY well put rio... i agree 100%
[This message was edited Tue May 27 13:57:30 PDT 2003 by MrBliss]

rio said:

Well said.
[This message was edited Tue May 27 14:06:00 PDT 2003 by minneapolisgenius]

rio said:

and I thought you were just a joker like me rio... nicely done

Hi rio,

I'll do my best to address some of your points...

rio said:

I disagree. We've lost a couple of bullies, one of which was supposed to be banned anyway when Ben made the decision last year. The Org will keep rolling on, business as usual. Drama subsides and those that like the site will keep hanging around.



Er, no. The threads that were removed weren't "their side of the story" - they were the flames, dozens of them. Believe me, if we kept that stuff up on the site, you might feel less charitable towards the people who caused all the trouble.



Yes, this site is moderated. Heavily moderated. It's for the better, I believe, and although it isn't perfect it is a damn sight better than the "free for all" approach. We do make it clear when people set up an account though, what the rules are.

Ultimately though our site rules are very clear - we do state that posts may be edited or removed at any time, for any reason, and we aren't obliged to give an explanation. Obviously our site rules won't suit everyone, but they reflect the type of service that Prince.org is equipped to provide (i.e. a free one). If our site rules don't suit people, of course they are free to post on another site that better suits their requirements in terms of moderation etc.



You seem to have things a bit backwards. I think pretty much everyone who visited the site last night saw the flames and the abuse in this forum. That is the "whole story", those actions speak for themselves. As for challenging moderator decisions, that wasn't the purpose of last night's fiasco at all... anyway our rules state quite clearly that people may discuss moderation decisions in private with the moderator concerned, if they wish. We don't allow threads which challenge moderator decisions, because as per our rules "moderator decisions are final". Sorry to get the rulebook out, but that's just the way things are. It's not perfect but it is as good a service as we can provide. If you want something better, you can pay $25 to NPGMC and see what your money gets you.




Like who? EllisDee was deactivated for flaming, and he had plenty of warnings in advance. TheC chose to leave of his own accord, after he got tired of ruining the GD forum for everyone last night. That's about it... As I've said before - not all account deactivations are permanent, but we do it because it is necessary for the site. If we have someone posting dozens of abusive messages, you have to take some kind of action to stop them abusing the service this site provides and being inconsiderate towards the other people here.



If you see abusive posts like that, please feel free to report them using the "report msg to moderator" link. Since this site is a free service, run in our spare time, we don't have time to read each and every post. This isn't a 24/7 service, and I don't have time to scour every forum looking for flames. We rely heavily on our users to report stuff to us, so we can deal with it and maintain the site as best we can.

Regards

ian

ian said:

I think that this is the issue that most upsets people Ian. There is a well known orger that baits and baits on certain issues and you know who that person is. This person has started many fights yet everyone that fights back gets banned or de-activated.

It has become THAT obvious.

wow. must have been some heavy stuff.

i guess i pity the moderator who had to deal with whatever happened. it sounds emotionally super-charged. pity ANY moderator on here, for that matter. what a drag to have to vacuum up at the ORG.

ORGgods: i'm sorry for my part in this. i've been in some heated discussions about the lyrics to The Moors, and i'm sorry i was part of what led to whatever happened. after all, no one can know what prince was thinking but prince, perhaps he wants us to be puzzled. .

anyway in the future i'll refrain from arguing and making sarcastic remarks about other people and their posts. it's fun, and when i'm with my siblings/friends we roast each other all the time, but maybe here with strangers, and without the benefit of eye contact for sensitive issues, it's quite possibly a very bad idea.

so, thanks again for the free website and your generosity in letting us use it. sorry about . . The Thing That Happened and how you had to spend time to fix it. and i promise i will not be sarcastic and rude again. probably. that is, i'll really try not to be.

matt - i hope your situation works out. sorry about the hassles

ian said:

i did, i have..and so far there was one deactivation..and he was reinstated the same day...but the point is...people act as if they have so much freedom of speech over here, but it's not looking that way lately...

ian said:

and nupwrsoul, and azurestar, and bad, and blackcat, and rdhull (who may or may not be back), and 2the9s not all that long ago...and i'm sure there are more..some left of their own accord, granted..but there is a common denominator in all instances...

whatever the case there are as many 'guests' online as there are members right now...

and i just typed about 3 paragraphs and deleted them all..cos i don't really wanna argue with people but i don't think this is necessarily as cut and dried as you put it in your post..but yeh..i hear ya...rules are rules, report to moderator...got it...

and just for the record...nupwrsouls thread stating that he was leaving was flame free, but it's gone now too...

(edited for an afterthought..)
[This message was edited Tue May 27 18:35:07 PDT 2003 by rio]

I am so emotional... this thread brought tears to my 's, Matt I truly wish you all the best, honestly I do. I have been pre-occupied lately, I have not been here for a few days... but then again, I am not usually here too often.

Whatever you are going through, always believe the power within. At times I stray (I succumb to weakness), although taking the "time" to reflect, "prioritize" is at times... critical. This is my honest opinion, and I talked to Byron/WB about this today... but taking some time to focus on "you" free of other influences (especially people who do not truly know you) and focus on the area's where people close to you (pesonally) can help guide you.

Here, I have met so many beautiful people... (I have), several I would love to meet face-to-face. I have nothing to hide, I am who I am... and one thing for sure... I have met and fell in love with the most beautiful, wonderful man of my life. Besides all else, I come here when "time" permits... although, what I truly want/desire... is a real life (new life), most definitely with the man of my dreams (Byron)(I am making all possible steps presently), and here is not the place where that dream will take place.

Within Prince.Org, it has/can contain some very real moments... but it also can bring about much else as well, same as life in a physical sense... although in a physical sense, it is a bit more defined to the visual eye.

*sigh* Matt, there are "people" who care... even if, in a real sense "we" are literally strangers. I care, here or anywhere else (I believe it exists)... but "here" is not where I would recommend the disposal of necessary energy that is needed in direct life. (No offense to anyone)

I wish you profound peace/clarity and goodness to come you, dear Matt. Best Wishes!

eh,its a website.

i wont b losing sleep over it

Freespirit said:

So, so true...

matt said:

Matt, my sincere condolences 2 whatever U R going through. I'm going through something "heavy" now myself & have been 4 the past yr. too. I know several others on this thread have also. U will bounce back ( & forth too ) so hold onto ur wig, but U will come back stronger I am told. Set backs and pain always seem to do that, AND prayer if U R into God. I dont know what all has been going down on the org either of late, but there seems 2 b competition btween the org & the new npgmc sites that start most of the heated debates & arguments? Not sure. It's a real shame this is happening & saddens me. I am pretty sure prince is NOT intentionally trying to divide fans, nor is he racist, or hateful 2 ppl other than JW'S. I dont know him, but I feel this. I believe HE is going through his "own" personal journey at this point in time in his life, and what HE is feeling transcends upon the fans. He is very passionate these days about his african american heritage, his ancestors, his views on war, and of course his "ongoing" love 4 God. It is coming out in his music, his club, concerts, and every day life. He isnt "forcing" it on anybody, just "sharing" it and choosing ppl in his life that basically feel it too, and that he feels comfortable with. That MAY leave some ppl OUT unfortunately. But he was always about whats going on in his life, ( like it or not ) & is so now. He is not joking. He feels deeply, and IF one doesnt agree with him & whats in his soul, he wont have the patience 2 deal with U. Thats probably just the way he is. ( take it or leave it ) No one said that way of thinking isnt selfish, but its the facts 4 him. I have seen the org nosedive deeply of late, and its sad, I love BOTH sites, even though I myself havent been on it yet as I still have webtv & ppl with computers r even stumbling through it. Not easy 2 get on. One thing must b said 4 his site...Lots of ppl have left the org KNOWING prince is conducting lots of religious and "doing right" type of threads and chats, and yet, feel drawn there 2 do the "right" he believes in. This is a very positive thing IMO. No one is forcing U. Hopefully, the org will not sink, but "goodness will guide us when love is inside us". It's guiding ppl to the music site. I do feel if prince wants 2 help ppl, he should allow everyone in. no matter what race, religion, age, beliefs, opinions, size, height, education, income, past, etc. etc. etc. No one should b left out of the "LOVING CIRCLE", but made 2 feel welcome, and important, worthwhile. We all R worthy of "love41another!" We all need that. ESPECIALLY "the bannished ones!"

Matt hears some love something is around the corner be strong in whatever the matter may be

ian said:

I'm not at all up on the drama, please someone explain what the hell happened?

I guess me not knowing all the org drama and gossip makes me less of an "orger", right?

Funny thing is, i have never once been in trouble on the org...and i'm supposed to be a trouble maker and CONtroversial figure in the Prince community.

Maybe i've been listening to my PR team too much, p.s. I'M LEAVING THE ORG.

bkw said:

Not true. The person you are referring to is under strict orders to behave, and I haven't had a SINGLE complaint about him in recent weeks. Not one. He's been behaving himself lately, to the best of my knowledge, because he has already been deactivated a few times and is keen to avoid that again.

All the flames were coming from the other side of the fence.

Ultimately we can't allow people to take matters into their own hands and decide when they will and will not respect they site rules - they have to use the system, and reported the flames and flame-bait.

The person you were referring to uses the system, by reporting flames against him. As he is supposed to - that is the way the site is run. People can't just sit there, never report any of the flames against them, but then bitch about our inaction in dealing with them! The frustrations of those people who were screaming for IceNine's blood - these people are failed to use the system appropriately. They chose not to report any issues, they chose to dish out some vigilante justice which clearly isn't acceptable.

Bottom line is that if you want an issue sorted, you need to report it. That goes for everyone on the site.

Hi rio,

rio said:

True enough. There is no freedom of speech here - we reserve the right to censor and remove posts as we see fit. Sorry but that is just the way it is. It won't suit everyone, so if you know of some better site, feel free to go there instead. I say that respectfully - if the Org doesn't suit your needs, go elsewhere. Why waste your time on a site you don't like?

Ultimately we are only equipped to provide a certain level of service. What you are getting now is as good a service as we are capable of providing you with, for free. We all have full time jobs, families, and other shit to do in our lives. We can't do any better or any more for the Org, in fact we're doing far too much already.



The common denominator is the ones who were deactivated (and didn't leave of their own accord) broke the site rules, repeatedly, by flaming. They disregarded moderator warnings, and so we had no choice but to deactivate the accounts.

You do realise - deactivating accounts isn't "punishment". I'm not a fucking school-teacher. We do it to prevent further problems being created on the forums (and therefore more work for the mods) so the moderator and user can resolve the matter before the user is allowed to continue posting. It is rarely permanent - in fact there have only been 2 or 3 permanent deactivations in the history of the Org. Rdhull and NuPwrSoul are entirely welcome back on this site, should they choose to come back.

Ultimately, this is how we run our site. It's not bad for a free service, I feel. If it doesn't suit your needs though, I respect that just like I respect people's reasons for leaving. Prince.org will keep rolling, business as usual. All we can do is keep proving this free service to the best of our abilities. We have some site rules which we created for the benefit of all here, and we enforce them as fairly and evenly as we can. If that's not good enough, go somewhere else.

WOW!!! After reading all of this, I'm glad I'm just a lurker (for the most part ).

Ian, I get a little disturbed when I read the "if you dont like it then leave" line being trotted out. I think that prince.org is about community and people dont want to leave, they just want it better.

I know you are a good bloke Ian and I have always got on well with you but it is not an understatement to say that sometimes your moderating can be a little arbitrary and difficult to fathom. I think everyone realises that it is a thankless task but maybe you need to consider whether you are particularly good at it. Just a thought.

I hope you take this in the constructive manner in which it is intended.

Brett

Phantasy said:

don't let it scare you! this too shall pass!