EllisDee said:

You must be kidding, we don't hear just one side of the story. There have been and still are many complaints by people who have never been banned by the NPGMC. As someone who believes in the right of free speech it hurts me everytime when people just see it as acceptable what is going on there as nobody should accept it, no matter how much they like the music of an artist. The sad thing is as long as people support Prince by buying his records, going to his concerts and joining the NPGMC things won't change.

KeithyT said:

I am not reading that much on the NPGMC board to be able to say if the people you mentioned act the same "here" and "there". But I know for sure about one person who also posted on this thread who definately writes completely different on the org than on the NPGMC, and I am quite sure that person is not the only one.

Serious said:

yes, i do use completely different language here than i would at the npgmc... it's about respect... they don't want me to curse over there, and i don't - plain and simple... my personality remains the same, as KeithyT stated earlier... everything is the same... i just watch the language...

it's just like going into someone's house that doesn't like cursing... i have a lot of friends that don't curse, and in their house, i respect that and i don't do it around them... hell, if they come into my house, i try not to do it around them out of respect... that doesn't mean that i'm a different person or that i have a different attitude... i just use different words to say the same thing... it's not that hard really...

theblueangel said:

read my previous post... it's about respect... the same respect you would show for a friend that doesn't curse, or a grandmother, or whoever... if people ask you not to curse around them in their house, you shouldn't do it out of respect...

i'm not in prince's house right now, and ben has never asked me not to curse in here... so, i will curse as i damn well please... but over there, i don't do it... it doesn't bother me not being able to curse over there... it's respect and self-control...

EllisDee said:

It's not just about not cursing (though trying to control the language people use is not a good thing IMO) They try to brainwash everybody into sharing just one opinion ("the goal is unity"). At a place without room for disagreement there is no room for honesty. They don't want people to think for themselves, but control everything including the fams' (what a terrible word) minds

EllisDee said:

It is also a question of respect for others to accept the kind of language I use as long as I don't disrespect anybody by the words I use. The words that are not allowed at the NPGMC are neither racist not sexist nor hurting any other minorities, so I don't see any problem why they should not be used
Moreover you are not at Prince's house. You are at a club that charged you for a membership, so how can you compare that to being invited to a family's or friend's house ???

EllisDee said:

I assume I mostly just get one side of the story. However, I have seen complaints from people who are still members as well.

theblueangel said:

EllisDee said:

I didn't curse on the boards...so I'm not sure why this is the only point that you took from my post. I find it interesting that the most caustic, bile-spewing opinions on the org generally come from people who are most at home in the npgmc environment, is all I was saying. You talk about respect, but then you say the club is better off without certain paying customers - er, muthafuckas, whatever. Where's the respect you were just talking about? I've got it...the club is the perfect meeting ground for hypocrites in every color, every nationality and size!!

Seems like the only thing that I can do is just roll my eyes...

KeithyT said:

Cool, but see my answer above. I think there have also been members with complaints. It seems logical to me that these people voice their complaints here at the org as they really feel, since the pp's reserve the right to ban you for anything that they may find offensive, rude, disrespectfull or any other vague term in any way.

I would hope some folks at NPGMC are monitoring this site & see the complaints about NPGMC forums & decide to just shut them down completely. I don't see any good coming out of the forums & I sure see a lot of bitching. It doesn't seem worth it for the amount of discord it makes.
Just shut those forums down completely.

Anyhoo. To answer theblueangel's original query. No I don't think his post on its own was enough to get him banned (or re-banned if that was the case).

Unfortunately theblueangel is known to the PPs and now has a "history", maybe even a "rap sheet" . They have him down as a potential stirrer of trouble. Maybe this thread in their view had the potential to become yet another thread where some members moaned again, about the same issue of random deletions and freedom of speech. They must be fed up of reading the same old complaints and threads that just spiral downwards into one team against another.

theblueangel frequently took the combative stance when posting on the NPGMC boards. I am not judging here just observing, and when I say combative I mean taking the PPs on. He directs his complaints right at them and IMHO (please correct me if you think I am wrong blue) often has a thinly veiled sarcastic tone in his questions. The queries appear rhetorical as if he already has a clear idea of their stance and will not listen to any explantion from them. He is also a Prince nut, knowledgeable and extremely passionate about the music, and trying to make positive suggestions about how we can all get to hear it. I can see that too.

I just think that his history is now working against him and I feel sure that another member, rdhull, is in danger of the same thing happening. I know I can come to prince.org and read their passionate, funny, and insightful posts but I wish they felt able to participate at NPGMC too.

KeithyT said:

You know, I think that this may have a lot to do with the extremely limited freedom of expression they grant members there. If they could losen up a little bit and only delete the truly indisputable "disrespectfull" messages they would get less flack from PAYING members. I mean..., I've heard quite a few stories that people's threads were deleted only because they dared to ask a question about customer service or the lack of new songs... That shows that their vague and very far reaching rules are being applied whenever they wish so including, or perhabs even especially, in cases when they would feel embarassed to admit mistakes and gosh... even apologize for it...

KeithyT said:

Damn straight yer wrong, Keithy!! I NEVER veiled my sarcasm. I wrapped it around my waist and wiggled it back and forth!

Thanks for your post and for sharing your thoughts...you just took away a little bit of the negative energy that place holds for me. Thanks for giving a good, unbiased description of The Banishment. Of course I was tough on the PeePees...hell, someone's gotta be. At least when I was in the club harassing them we got them to release Reflection for download in high quality. Looks like "What do you want me to do?" is gonna be relegated to 96kbps mono forever...which, you know, might not be a bad thing.

Anyhoo...there are certainly many NPGMC members whom I respect and admire, and you're one of them.

i think what some of you are missing, or failing to respond to, is the fact that no ones terribly bothered by the ban. what bugs me is that there is no contact between employee and customer. if you don't like what i say and you want me out of there, that's fine. according to the law, it is your site and you can do as you wish with my membership. the only thing i am entitled to, as the paying cutomer, is a reason the explains why the decision was made.

let's put aside all of this cultish talk about 'they should practice what they preach" and "they need to keep the vibe positive" and yada yada yada. i am talking about money and business here. i could care less about being able to post 'my thoughts' and all that. i want the updates that i paid for. sure, i can get them here just as quick but this is not the point. the point is i paid to get the news from them. now, the news is part of a forum that i am banned from. banned from posting on message boards because they feel offended them. fine, ok. i can't post messages. but the news updates and info on getting tickets are now included in that ban. that is fraud. they advertised something and do not provide it.

that's the bottom line. and it really doesn't matter what anybody else says on the matter because, no matter how you justify your unhealthy agreement with everything ol' p does, the business ethic over there is non-existent.

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

according to your first statement an explanation is all they owe you. according to your second statement the commit fraud adn breach of contract for not providing you acces to news.

What's it going to be?

Abrazo said:

its curious tha you chose to omit other parts of my post. here it is, just in case you missed it:
i want the updates that i paid for. sure, i can get them here just as quick but this is not the point. the point is i paid to get the news from them. now, the news is part of a forum that i am banned from. banned from posting on message boards because they feel offended them. fine, ok. i can't post messages. but the news updates and info on getting tickets are now included in that ban. that is fraud. they advertised something and do not provide it.

what its going to be is this. i just want them to stick by what they say. if you want to ban me from the whole site, in general, than do that. if you want to ban me from only the message boards, fine, then do that. but make up your mind and explain the decision. otherwise its contradictory. i don't even get the emails they send out.

oh yeah, and y'all are some argumentative muthafuckas up in here.

imnotsayinthisjust2bnasty said:

Well, if this is about what you're "entitled to" then you're entitled to what the membership agreement (or CONtract ) says you're entitled to. If it says they can ban you at will, without explanation, then that's what your entitled to. If it says they can ban you, but only with an explanation, then that's what your entitled to.

Now I'm not saying that it's good business practice to ban members with or without explanation, I'm just saying that the membership agreement outlines what you are and are not entitled to.

Universaluv said:

you're absolutely right. from what i understand, they can ban you at will if you break a rule. conveniently (and this is why i have mad respect for l.londell) there are no rules set in stone. this way, they can be created as they go.

the sad thing in all of this is that we are talking about a music club.

Music club? Oh yeah, Prince used to make music, didn't he? Waaay back in the day...

EllisDee said:

"personally, i don't miss any of those muthafuckas that got banned from there"

How is a quote like this about respect?

thedoorkeeper said:

I think this is actually a very good idea.

Anxiety said:

Doubt that will happen cos nowadays the only posts over there are sickening sycophantic drivel sucking up to all things Paisley. For the most part those folks who used to post interesting things or constructive criticism have all grown tired and left, or been booted.

Anxiety said:

it's not... that quote is about how i don't miss any of the people who have been banned... that's what it says... it's not trying to be anything other than what it is...

EllisDee said:

So respect is a subjective thing, then. That's what you're saying?

gsh said:

I go read NPGMC forums for laughs.
The last group of posts were from people writing how happy they were to be part of the NPGMC community & how it brought tears to their eyes thinking about it.
I can't decide if these people are serious or just posting the most extreme kiss ass messages because they get some kicks from it.
I'm afraid to post over there.
FAMS are scarey.

EllisDee said:

i never cursed in there. not once. i simply and politely expressed my opinion that prince was charging to much money to meet him in australia. i said that there were people who saw him as an icon and, by charging that much to meet him, he was approving of that. jehovah's witnesses do not recognize false idolatry or iconolatry and i said that i thought it was inappropriate for him to support such behaviour. i was banned for that. how was i to know that went against any unstated npgmc rule.

really, in the end, it doesn't matter. he didn't tour the states this year so it was all worthless anyway. i won't join again. unfortunately for prince, i have seen that even his religion is subject to his own justifications and his hypocrisy is as alive as ever. year one seemed cool (though i wasn't a member) and year two was great (i didn't complain once). this year was so crap. for one, it didn't start until, what, april? and then it ends on 31 december? what kind of year membership is that?

sorry, the club became lame. prince can have a blast with his club and his ever dwindling base of followers. i'll just stick to the music.

people, he's gone. prince has left the building and entered the kingdom hall. i believe he will spend less and less time putting out music and more time on religion and/or religiously influenced music from here on in.

imo it's no sense looking to the *old* prince for the things we used to love about him. obviously he's moved on and so should we. just my 2c when it comes to us grieving over the way things 'used' to be and hoping for normalcy as far as the club is concerned.

XxAxX said:

oh, i'm way cool with the religious music. i actually prefer it. i mean, i'd take lovesexy or rainbow children over any other prince record, any day! i only thought prince had changed, along with his religious beliefs. apparantly he hasn't, he's merely using his religious beliefs to support his actions (and vice versa). to me, a religious epiphany should help you evolve and change as a person. prince does not feel religion in this regard, it seems. its all good. like i said, i'll stick to prince the musician and not prince the person.

is that why you're complaining about the club?

XxAxX said:

it is exactly why. i was suckered. but, i can only be suckered once. and now i'll go back to only buying the music as opposed to joining some club.