Raise up, ye heroes!

[Irishbookish]

No kneecapping...but to be honest, if someone spoke to me the way Gurrier did I would kick off. Some people wouldn't, and to them it's like water off a duck's back - but some people would. It's a perspective and should be respected. I think all of us could use a healthy dose of respect at times, because I've seen too many Forums lower the standards where people end up frightened to post for fear of being abused. There's good and bad on this forum and we do tend to get passionate about what we feel or think is happening and sometimes get carried away in a rip - unable to get back to shore.
I like Gurrier, and not only cos he lives in my birthtown and aul' stamping ground and I hope that once the dust settles that he can come back.
PS, Gurrier, it was never me who threw that gherkin on the roof of McDonalds in Parramatta near the plaza...

Never a mistake was ever made and learned from, that was for nothing.

[Guest]

> From: dzm@dzm.com
> To: irishtrad@hotmail.com
> Subject: A short time away from Medusa
> Date: Fri, 8 Feb 2008 09:44:04 -0800
> CC: dzm@dzm.com
>
> Hello Gurrier -
>
> You may have noticed by now that you can't get onto Medusa. This is a
> one-week situation. A week from now the ban will lift and you will be
> welcome back if you want to come back.
>
> I'm not happy that we're in this situation. I've enjoyed your
> participation over the last two years and I hope that you will come
> back.
>
> DzM

I haven't noticed actually. You should really take heed. The fact that you enforce these "rules" for one person and not another (i.e; yourself) show that you're quite the hypocrite and no amount of "banning" from "the janitors" from a bleeding messageboard will change this despite the fact in may quell your own pricked ego. Some truths are just eternally evident. Set in stone even. The only reason I was banned was due to the fact that I had a valid point which encroached upon your own actions and you took a disliking to this. So please don't engraciate me with your patronising following of the "rules" as we both know what the true case was in these circumstances. You say you're open minded about what people have to say about this "collective" but as soon as their is opposition to a plainly "broken rule" you ban them. That doesn't really seem like the actions of a fair, "rule abiding", individual but a fascist

The Pogues and Irish music as a whole has an unwritten under-current of "earthiness". The language of the people. Fucking, drinking and fighting all emblazoned under a banner of history, pride and spirit of place and it's people. It's obvious you have no bleeding clue about any of this and would much prefer to spend your time creating conceptualised ideas of "janitors" and "rules of conversation". Or perhaps just ragging on people with a true sense of the spirit of things i.e; Oirish. He may be a bit eccentric but Jesus Christ, is he harming anybody? No, he's not. As strange as this may sound to you he's probably more "Irish" than you'll ever be. For sometimes it's not just about the birthright, it's the spirit of things. Something that unfortunately seems to have flown well over your head

Go burn a book you fraud

Despite banning me my point has been made

[DzM]

I haven't noticed actually. You should really take heed. The fact that you enforce these "rules" for one person and not another (i.e; yourself)

I don't really see where I've been inconsistent in how I deal with IrishRover and how I've asked you to behave. You obviously disagree, so there we are.

show that you're quite the hypocrite and no amount of "banning" from "the janitors" from a bleeding messageboard will change this despite the fact in may quell your own pricked ego. Some truths are just eternally evident. Set in stone even. The only reason I was banned was due to the fact that I had a valid point which encroached upon your own actions and you took a disliking to this.

No. You were banned because you became abusive and, when warned to back off, responded with "So ban me." Who am I to argue?

So please don't engraciate me with your patronising following of the "rules" as we both know what the true case was in these circumstances.

What? That I've treated IrishRover badly, and am outraged that you've pointed it out? Please.

I have made a long effort to make sure that I treat IrishRover fairly. I also caution others to back off when their bullying becomes uncivil. Should I resist harder the temptation to bully IrishRover myself? Probably. Sometimes I'm better at it, sometimes I'm not. Should I jump in earlier when people are bullying IrishRover? That's impossible to say. You may think so, others may think IrishRover should get banned. There's a balance to be struck between letting people do whatever they want and stepping in to protect everyone from any bad thing that might get said to them.

I can't speak for or defend how anyone else deals with IrishRover, but I can say that by-and-large I have nothing to be ashamed of.

You say you're open minded about what people have to say about this "collective" but as soon as their is opposition to a plainly "broken rule" you ban them. That doesn't really seem like the actions of a fair, "rule abiding", individual but a fascist

Nobody has ever been banned from here for saying things critical of how these fora are run. People have been banned for being abusive, people have been banned for being spammers, and people have been banned for being complete jackasses. In each case there has been much discussion behind-the-scenes as to whether it's the right thing to do, and we've taken our criticism from the community of users when it's happened.

In each case there has always been a community of people that would gladly step up and defend that person's right to remain here, and there has always been another group of people complaining that the ban should have happened weeks earlier. Whatever we do there will be a group of people unhappy with our action.

The Pogues and Irish music as a whole has an unwritten under-current of "earthiness". The language of the people. Fucking, drinking and fighting all emblazoned under a banner of history, pride and spirit of place and it's people.

I don't recall ever telling someone that they couldn't use "earthy, colorful language." I've been known to use it too. What I object to is abusive language. I have no problem with "I was fucking all Saturday night." I do have a problem with (by way of examples, not necessarily your own) "You fucking arsehole" or "Is there a free moment when you too are not tonguing eachother's balls."

It's obvious you have no bleeding clue about any of this and would much prefer to spend your time creating conceptualised ideas of "janitors" and "rules of conversation".

Frankly I'd much prefer it if people would make more of an effort to get along amicably and I, Zuzana and MacRua didn't have to waste our time with this bullshit either. I hate being stuck in a position where I have to be an arbiter of what is good taste and bad. All I want to do, and all I've wanted to do, is create a friendly set of fora where fans of a band that has brought me joy can get together and share their enthusiasm. Nothing would make me happier than to not have to tell people to treat each other with a little decency.

Or perhaps just ragging on people with a true sense of the spirit of things i.e; Oirish. He may be a bit eccentric but Jesus Christ, is he harming anybody? No, he's not. As strange as this may sound to you he's probably more "Irish" than you'll ever be. For sometimes it's not just about the birthright, it's the spirit of things. Something that unfortunately seems to have flown well over your head

Seriously, what have I done to discourage IrishRover from his dream? I've encouraged him. I want him to get to Ireland. I want him to be a successful musician. I've asked him, many times, "what can we do to help you?"

I'm well within my rights to choose not to bother reading his writing any longer, but that has nothing to do with what I think of his dreams or desires. That has everything to do with finding his writing a chore to read and choosing not to take on that chore. I am as much within my rights to choose not to receive it in my mail box (or PM, or IM) as anyone else is.

I suspect that you are blaming me for how others have treated IrishRover. That's your prerogative, but it seems to me you're pissed off at the wrong person.

Go burn a book you fraud

Yeah yeah. I'm a fascist. Yeah yeah. I'm a Nazi. Yeah yeah. I'm a fraud. Thanks for your input.

Despite banning me my point has been made

And what a fantastic set of points:

• Anything that anyone has done here that you don't like is my fault
• I, personally, am responsible for IrishRover being mistreated
• I am a hypocrite and don't like "earthy" words
• I capriciously ban anyone I don't like
• I lash out at anyone that criticizes me and, despite claiming otherwise, will brook no dissension from the commoners
• Etc etc etc

You've obviously got a lot of pent up resentment toward me. It's a shame that you didn't confront me before you got to the point of exploding. Maybe we could have had a constructive conversation if you had.

[TheIrishRover]

Oh, fuck's sake. So what, you'd rather have someone tell you to go fuck yourself in a 500 word essay full of Bowdlerisms than someone tell you frankly? To quote my great-uncle who died the other day, "If you're going to think God-damn, then say God-damn."

DzM and the rest, quit acting like a bunch of overly-sensitive rejects and get fucked.

[TheIrishRover]

Criticism is always welcome, but let’s try to stick to civility, please.

Which basically means that you can think as long as you're nice enough not to tell us the whole truth just partial truth and hope we figure the rest out on our own. I see. You just want a lot of softening, sugar-coating and euphemisms. When in doubt, refer to the quote by my great-uncle and fuck what anyone thinks when confronted with the truth.

The rules of this forum are far from being strict

Unless you disagree with DzM, of course...

[LittleCupcakes]

DzM and the rest, quit acting like a bunch of overly-sensitive rejects and get fucked.

Translation into civil-speak:

"DzM and the rest of our patient Janitors, I think your reaction to Gurrier is overblown and I strongly disagree with your banning and reasoning behind it. I think that when strongly worded opinions are directed at you and the Crew, you tend to take those personally, and react emotionally, while simultaneously ignoring (in my view) similar transgressions directed at other Medusans.

Get fucked."

[Jon]

....and you'd think between the Brits, Aussies and Yanks that we'd all be speaking English?
To the casual observer, there's some clear 'culture' ideologies / sterotypes being played out here, I reckon.

My only 'gripe' if it were one, was the lockdown of the Amy Winhouse thread which seemed a bit of a knee jerk reaction, and really would only end up with a similar thread being started.

[philipchevron]

....and you'd think between the Brits, Aussies and Yanks that we'd all be speaking English?
To the casual observer, there's some clear 'culture' ideologies / sterotypes being played out here, I reckon.

My only 'gripe' if it were one, was the lockdown of the Amy Winhouse thread which seemed a bit of a knee jerk reaction, and really would only end up with a similar thread being started.

In contrast to all their reasoned and reasonable claims to the contrary, I'm afraid the summary lockdown of the Amy Winehouse thread sent out one single and very strong message. It said, effectively, "Free Speech and Open Discourse is all very well and good, as long as you understand that we, the Moderators, always reserve the right to express The Last Word". This is unfortunate.

[The Duke of Ingmar]

I don´t actually understand what´s going on. I don´t feel anyone has ever been attacked or - in the end - banned just for uttering their opinion. And as far as I´ve seen it nobody ever got banned straight away. There was always discussion about it.

And even if someone feels that he´s misunderstood or our janitors are oversensitive (which I´ve never seen, actually) there´s absolutely no right to insult anyone.

Everybody has a chance to behave.

[Sportin' Life]

If Gurrier's insults just rolled off the thick hide of the moderators, most people would now be thinking that Gurrier was just an ass.

[Heather]

I don´t actually understand what´s going on. I don´t feel anyone has ever been attacked or - in the end - banned just for uttering their opinion. And as far as I´ve seen it nobody ever got banned straight away. There was always discussion about it.

I'm with you on this Duke, I can't actually see what he's done wrong, and I'm not sticking up for Gurrier because he's a friend of mine on other sites either, I just don't see it.

In terms of there being a discussion about whether we should ban people, I always find it sad when we get to that stage, it's obvious by then that the person is going to get banned and so what is the point of having the discussion in the first place?

[Fionn MacCool]

Wahay! I'm loving this. Viva La Revolution! and all that malarky!

The only reason Gurrier should be banned is for wanting to dick that Winehouse bird, because she's an ugly abomination. And he should be banned from opinions, not just this message board. Other than that, he did owt wrong.

DzM didn't do anything wrong either, he hasn't been 'out of order' with Oirish, in fact he did well not to ban him months ago - which would have made this forum a much better place.

The only people on here who come close to pissing me off are OirishRover, TheOrangeRover, Irishbookish and jennylois (the latter two seem to have just chirped up recently, for worse).

[soulfinger]

Yer can't beat a bit of a barney. Strikes me the mods are behaving like a bunch of Salvos. Mind you if buggerlugs had've put a damper on it instead of chuckin' a spaz it'd all be bonzer.

[Eric V]

I missed this development.

And since Gurier said that thing about me and DzM doing ass to mouth...well, tongue specifically.....my only reaction was to think it was nonsensical piss taking and walk away. Having read through this new thread I see the guy insulted the owner of this site, essentially stuck out his tongue and practically dared DzM to ban him, ....so what the fuck? If you act like an ass and then say "ban me" when someone asks you to settle down, then you really don't deserve to complain about it.

As for free speech and all that, I think everything is fine. And I don't think DzM is heavy handed at all.

Geez....all this over Amy Winehouse.

[Benno]

it is always hard to know what's "too far"
for example
if i said DzM had a vagina
would this be an insult?
if he saw it as an insult, then i'd accuse him of being misogynistic
and he'd have to ban himself right after he banned me


this is stupid