First off I want to note some great things:

I presume this moderator could just ban me. They haven't. They haven't done anything at all besides issue verbal warnings. They seem to be bending over backward - along with devoting a lot of their own time - to try and avoid things escalating. So big props to them on that. That's awesome modding.

But it appears we are rapidly heading toward escalations and I'd like to avoid that.

At this point the moderator is giving me instructions I simply cannot follow because they are so vague and subjective. I'm sure they are clear to them but they are not clear to me. It's seems clear as day they are unhappy with my conduct in their forum but how to fix it they are not being clear about.

For example I reported a post. I explained to them it was a sincere report and their response was effectively to tell not to abuse the report function. I repeated that it was sincere and explained my reasoning and once again they repeated that I was abusing the report function and don't do that.

That's an impossible to follow instruction. I didn't think I was abusing it and so now I have to read this moderators mind every time I report something? I can't read minds.

Now an issue in the forum has come up and they are instructing:

That isn't simple because I have no idea what they consider being obtuse, nor incessant trolling. And they aren't explaining what they mean. Once again they are instructing me to read their mind anytime I do something.

I am requesting specific, actionable instructions for what I can and cannot do in their forum.

To be clear: I'm not objecting to any of their requirements. It's their forum, they make the rules, no problem.

I'm asking for clear instructions for what they are permitting me to do - and what I am not permitted to do.

The forum is Sporting Events. The moderator is All-inMcLovin

I am the moderator he is referring to.


I under no instances or circumstances instructed him to "read my mind". So don't put words in my mouth and make up things because you think you can get away with it. Lying about what a moderator tells you is very wrong. I referred to 2p2 policy; I said if a post violates 2p2 policy then report it. That isn't "instructing you to read my mind". Perhaps you should read the forums rules and guidelines before you post in it.



ethbtc88 reported a post for reason "trolling". I told him there was no trolling whatsoever in the post that he reported. Therefore it was abusing the reported post function. The post he reported was this:

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/9...btc88-1833501/


As you can see it was a post discussing Brock Purdy, the 49ers QB. There is no trolling in the post. "StoppedRainingMen" is a 49ers fan and he expressed his arguments listed one by one. Passionate posting while possibly drunk is not trolling.



ethbtc88 on the other hand appears to "play dumb" over and over to the point that it really appears he is being "obtuse" on purpose to have a trolling effect (mostly to frustrate other users, making it nearly impossible to have a reasonable conversation with him). One clear troll he has been doing as a 49ers fan is to throw in a "Go Chiefs!!!" post every so often. It appears he is posting in a way to garner as much attention to himself as possible.



He is also very sensitive when posting, taking offense to other people's viewpoints and opinions. He is also very insensitive while responding to other members here, seemingly going out of his way to be rude. This can be interpreted as a means of trolling (incessantly, as he is posting in this manner quite repeatedly and consistently) or at the very least posting against the guidelines of the SE Forum. Sure people joke around and have fun from time to time in there, but overall it is a very friendly and jovial subforum of 2p2.



Bottom line is this user, ethbtc88, needs to:
1. Drop the act of repeatedly/consistently playing "dumb" on purpose to frustrate others (i.e. being obtuse)

2. Stop attention-whoring nearly every chance he gets. The thread involves ethbtc88 but it doesn't revolve around him. He is not the Sun in the SE Forum.

3. Stop being so sensitive against other posters' viewpoints. He is allowed his viewpoint on the Super Bowl, Brock Purdy, etc. while others are allowed theirs. No one is attacking his viewpoint if they disagree. Disagreements in sports fandom is incredibly common where there is often no "right answer". It's part of what makes discussing sports so rich and great.
4. Stop being so insensitive to others when posting, i.e. being rude at almost every single opportunity given. This reminds me of famous sports movies with a coach telling his players "You don't have to like each other, but you WILL respect each other." That's how I moderate the SE Forum. No one has to like everyone else, but they must respect everyone else and their viewpoints.

Correct. Those were my words.

You seem to be defending yourself from a perceived accusation.

There is none. I think you're a good mod. You've done nothing wrong in my opinion.

I'm just asking for clear instructions on what it is you want me to do and not do. As presently you're being very vague.

No they weren't "your words".


This is exactly what you posted:

Once again they**** i.e. All-inMcLovin, are instructing me to read their mind.



You're honestly incredibly full of it. And I caught you in a lie while you were trying to make me look bad as a moderator.

Do you know what the term obtuse means?
Do you know how to have a discussion with someone without lashing out verbally with an attack?
Do you know that everyone is entitled to their opinion on sports and it has no bearing whatsoever on your opinion?

Please answer these questions, so I can further proceed instructing you. Here I am not being "very vague". These are direct question to help guide you in the right direction.



The #1 rule in the SE Forum is to "be civil to each other". Like I said, you don't have to like everyone, or heck like even ANYONE in the SE Forum, but you must respect everyone. Or it's really not the place for you to be posting. It's as simple as that.

Dude, you literally accused me of telling you to "read my mind", which I did not do under any instance or circumstance.



That is the accusation that you 100% made. So you can't backtrack and say you didn't make an accusation.

No offense OP, but if you don't understand what "be civil towards others" means, this forum is certainly not for you.

TBH, I've only read a couple of your posts in SE, and none of your interactions. The posting in the Nima thread isn't great, but given the thread's history of total insanity I don't think you deserve a ban for it.

Thank you for the specifics. What you're really saying here is I rub you the wrong way and you don't like reading my posts. By playing dumb what you mean is sarcasm, which I do a lot. You're the first person in my life to ever say something like that. I'm sure others didn't find me funny but nobody has put it into words or told me to stop before. These others are also just my personality. You're saying that you really just don't like me and seeing me post grinds your gears.

I can't just become a new person, this isn't going to stop no matter how hard I try. I'm still gonna grind your gears just being myself.

So that's that I guess. Nothing to be done.

Curious. How might you define terrible posting?

Here's another poster who chimed in about your posting:

https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=144




https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=146



https://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/s...&postcount=149



As you can see I'm not the only one who finds issue with your posting "style".


Don't be super sensitive, don't be obtuse to frustrate others when what we're all doing is just trying to have a fun and fruitful sports discussion.

Don't take every post personal.


Like Tuma says above:

100% right there. It has nothing to do if you rub me the wrong way or not. I don't know you well enough to have any discernible opinion of you. I see the way you have been interacting with others, which is in discord with how the SE Forum operates.


That's the crux of the matter. It's not that the big bad meanie moderator doesn't "like you". It's not that you "grind my gears". Unlike you, I don't take posts on the internet from random people personally.


Simply put: It's that you're not abiding by the rules and guidelines of the SE subforum.

I don't know, but I don't do it. I bring the customers in the door. Smart communities love me. They roll out the red carpet. The dumb ones ban me. Mods get territorial and their ego gets involved. I'm sure, being a dumb forum that killed itself being dumb, many here will tell me how wrong I am.

I'm not the one lying and posting that a moderator said to "read my mind" when in actuality he referred you to 2p2 policy.

Seems like you're the one making things personal.

He'll deny it and I can't prove it and it might even be wrong. But as soon as I posted that I was driving to Vegas for the Super Bowl, this mod went batshit on me. At that exact instant. That's when he just couldn't stand me anymore and started warning me all over the place and making threats etc etc.

That appears to have hit him right in the feels.

So you imply you're a smart guy, who is loved on smart forums. Yet you can't answer a very basic question about how forums work.

This is blatant, though harmless trolling. Because it's a silly "intervention" thread. When done in SE, where All-inMcJesus mods, it is against the law.

That wasn't a lie. Are you not American? That's a common figure of speech. You also don't understand my sarcasm.

I said communities, not forums.

For example Twitter is a smart community. There isn't a human at Twitter that says I love that guy but they let me attention whore to my hearts content. Because Twitter is run by smart people.

What's the question?

The question was,

"How might you define terrible posting?"

To which you replied,

"I don't know."

You started an ATF thread about a moderator.
You said the moderator instructed you to "read his mind".
That is not sarcasm, that is not a common figure of speech, that is painting a picture with lies. And for the record, even though it's none of your business, I'm 100% American.



I'm well versed in sarcasm as well and I don't care one bit that you're in Vegas. In fact, I am *happy* you are out there in Vegas and all things considered, even though you lied about me in the OP of this ATF thread, I hope you have a great time.

You misunderstood me, nobody ever tells someone else 'read my mind' - i'm sorry but this whole thing is ridiculous. That's clearly not what i meant.

That question is too broad and vague to answer. Thus why I tried to come up with something to give you rather than reject your question.

But ok, I reject your question. It's impossible to answer as phrased. It's like saying 'what is good?'

I had a great teacher in high school. He always stressed this with importance:
"Say what you mean, and mean what you say."


How about you rephrase what you meant then? So it's crystal clear for the other mods, the admins, and the owners of 2plus2 who will be reading this ATF thread.

I meant that you said things like 'don't be obtuse' and since I didn't know what you meant, my only choice was to try to read your mind. Again, that is my words and my view on the situation. You never said to read your mind.