It's just an online community, but...

[seebs]

So. ChristianForums, as most people know, has occasional bad apples on the moderator team.

A couple of people just managed to get me banned for a month based on three, shall we say, questionable warnings. Frankly, I'd call one of them just ill-considered, and two of them spite warnings.

But here's the neat thing.

Many other users have acquired my avatar. That weird little fractal thing I use.

So, you can have whole threads (http://www.christianforums.com/t1133144-a-thought-for-all-saints-day-and-election-eve.html) in which every avatar in use is my old avatar.

This is a very quiet, polite, protest. No one is demanding that I be unbanned. (Although, you may rest assured, many people are questioning the sanity of the staff involved.) No one is rioting. All they're doing is changing their avatar picture.

But it's still neat, and it's a kind of community activism.

It's not the first example, either. When ChristianForums briefly banned all under-18 users from GeneralApologetics, a lot of people adopted the age of 100 in their profiles to be allowed to post. This got them in trouble.

So I set my age to 1.

And when I did it, a bunch of other people did it too.

The key here is that CF has a rule against falsifying profile information to gain access to restricted forums. It doesn't have a rule against joining the outcasts. So we did. One of the users even started a thread called I am one (http://www.christianforums.com/t737005-i-am-one.html) discussing the symbolism of this.

Anyone else do any message board activism?

[lisarea]

Um, that I am going to talk about in public?

OK. Here's one. You might even remember this, seebs. This guy who went by henry on alt.religion.scientology who attracted particular ire from the scientologists. I don't remember all the details now (this was probably ten years ago), but suffice it to say they were ruining his life.

During his ordeal, many if not most posters on the newsgroup changed their From: lines to henry's. Maybe it didn't do any real good, but if nothing else, it caused the private investigator they hired to tail him a little extra work.

Oh. Wait! Another one. I totally know the guy who wrote deCSS. Not the original one, but the one that helpfully removed cascading stylesheets from webpages. Again, it was just a diversion tactic designed to waste the time of the dickweeds who were out trying to find the other deCSS.

[seebs]

My mom wrote about the guy who did the DeCSS algorithm in haiku, making it protected speech.

[LadyShea]

I have been away from CF a very long time, but I think that quiet little protest is about the coolest thing ever.

Dunno if this counts or is what you're looking for, but I am active on several infertility/IVF support boards. One is enormous with over 100 separate forums ranging from diagnosis discussion to baby names and everything in between. There are no PMs and no profiles, not even a way to track an individuals posts. The busiest are the 3 IVF ones, Beginner's, General, and Vets.

Okay, this is fertility treatment we're talking about, and everyone has some juju....they may pray, visualize, meditate, wear lucky socks to treatment, wish you "sticky vibes" or sprinkle you with "baby dust", wail against God's punishment, question their past behavior to see if karma is fucking with them, drink wheatgrass juice, do accupuncture...you name it. The rule is whatever gets you through the day, and no wishing of baby dust/sticky vibes, no saying "It only takes one" and no general questions on the Vets Board (someone who has had 10 failed cycles doesn't want to answer your questions about eating pineapple to ensure success).

So, one day there is a thread on the General board titled "Do not read if you're religious". Well, hmmm, that seemed out of place, and I had to double check I wasn't on IIDB. This girl announces she is an atheist, fine, she then goes on to basically ridicule all infertile women everywhere for their superstitions and wants to discuss only with other atheists. Well, that would be me, and, um, me. Of course everyone jumped her shit because she was rude and insulting. Then, she starts posting on all the accupunture/alternative medicine threads about how everyone is deluded and it's quackery blah blah blah.

So, the Vets start a thread to talk shit about her, and it was decided that since I was also an atheist, and I was the only one who felt familiar with her debate style (nobody debates like that on that support board), I would take her on...on her level.

So, I started refuting her arguments very methodical like...as if I was on IIDB. I posted various studies regarding acupuncture, but did my citations formally rather than link ;). She had gone on and on about being personal friend with James Randi and being an experienced debate researcher but she had never heard of pubmed, and was livid that I didn't post my sources (she thought only a link was correct). So I explained to her the proper format was full, formal citations which she could look up online or in a paper copy of whatever journal. Then she started throwing complete bitch tantrums and really upset a lot of people who simply weren't prepared for something like that.

Turns out she was a troll, and I got her riled enough that she got herself banned. So she emailed someone and said she was writing a freelance article for the NYT about how atheists are mistreated :rolleye1: . I felt being elected to do a job, and doing it well, was kinda cool on that particular board.

[lisarea]

My mom wrote about the guy who did the DeCSS algorithm in haiku, making it protected speech.

Have you seen the archive? (http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/DeCSS/Gallery/wsj-04-12-2001.html) The songs are good. I don't see the hillbilly one on that archive, though.

Remember the Perl-RSA shirts? They had the code on one side, and a warning that the t-shirt was a controlled munition on the other. That wasn't really online, though.

Oh, another scientology one: Distributed release of the Fishman documents. A whole bunch of guys took completely reasonable fair use sized portions of their big "trade secrets" and used them as their .sigs. I was in the first batch of people to get the big scary C&D email from Helena Kobrin for that. Ha ha! Just for letting people knwo that:

A pink-striped white shirt with sleeve garters was the uniform of the Hoipolloi. Such a figure often rode on the roller coaster cars. Monkeys were also used on the cars. Elephants sometimes formed part of the equipment.

I larfed at her and told her to shut up.

Also, once, local scientologists sent operatives out to steal all the newly printed copies of the local free paper, which was running a big cover story about them. I got a copy, and got permission from the author and the newspaper to reproduce it on Usenet.

[seebs]

Nice going, LadyShea!

I seem to recall that Kensington once defended one of their employees, who ran the "Usenet Kook of the Month" award.

I have occasionally considered running for UKotM.

[livius drusus]

I've seen several fund raising drives on forums - usually to pay for necessary forum maintenance or support - but other than those, I think the JREF forum's scholarships (http://skepticalcommunity.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=3418) for people who want to go to The Amazing Meeting but can't afford it is a fine example of online community activism.

The have an auction as well as take donations, and it's totally a grass roots thing. The JREF supports the drive, but it was thought up, run and financed entirely by forum members.

[Godless Dave]

Someone at CF also has a signature saying "I'm a seebist".

What's the old avatar that's part of the protest, seebs? I'll join. I am continually amazed that I have zero warnings at CF. I just called Carico a liar, though, so that might change.

[seebs]

Someone at CF also has a signature saying "I'm a seebist".

What's the old avatar that's part of the protest, seebs? I'll join. I am continually amazed that I have zero warnings at CF. I just called Carico a liar, though, so that might change.

The fractal avatar; just browse GA looking for a lot of people with a purple on black fractal pattern, that's it.

I have seen staff defend an insult on the grounds that "it's true"; perhaps this would be the right defense if you get a complaint about that. :P

I have one "unofficial" warning which is legit, and three spite-warnings.

[Roland98]

So wait, you're not a mod there anymore?

And damn, it took me a few minutes to look over all that garbage just to find the avatar! :) But very cool.

[livius drusus]

Yeah... Weren't you helping write new guidelines or some such thing? :eh?:

[Adora]

Nope. Never done anything like this. When you have the innate ability to piss of everybody it kind of makes you lacking in the ally department.

I've seen people do similar things on deviantArt though. In the end, they just got banned too, because the nazis... I mean mods and admins have a "What goes on between a member and an admin stays between the two of them." *breaks Godwins Law all over the place because they deserve it*

[One for Sorrow]

I have never posted at CF but I did lurk for a while, and it seems like most of the posters I admired have now been banned or stopped posting for other reasons. I'm sorry to hear that you got banned for frivolous reasons, too. :(

The community activism you mentioned is awesome, though. :yup:

[ApostateAbe]

CF is an argument for separation of church and state. The moderators use vague rules to act out their prejudice and spite against people who don't share their religion. I got banned from CF twice.

[ApostateAbe]

Anyway, I once got the non-Christians at CF to wear masks on their avatars. It started with Zoot and Malevolent_Milk_Man, but I got one myself and spread it around by photoshopping other non-Christian's avatars with a mask. After a few days, it looked like an atheist conspiracy in General Apologetics.

When some Christians started wearing the masks, I mandated that they stop, and that killed the whole trend, because it looked like it some sort of cult.

[seebs]

Oh, I remember the masks.

I think some of the staff were GENUINELY afraid of that "movement". I kid you not.

Roland: No, I stepped down. I have since found out that they were planning to kick me out for "being a source of conflict". Since then, about half the mods I was a "source of conflict" with have been fired. :P But I stepped down 'cuz I'm a polygamist (by intent, anyway) and therefore can't accept the stupidly legalistic crap about "one man and one woman" in Rule 4.

Adora: If you want some advice on not pissing people off, I'd be happy to give it. I have seen both sides of you, and I'm not sure how to express it, but I think it's probably a thing you could change.

Anyway, it's gotten ridiculous, with well over 20 people joining in. Meanwhile, I got an update on one of my appeals: A staff member said "thank you for using the appeals process, we'll be looking into this". That only took about a week!

[ApostateAbe]

Seebs, I didn't know that you are a polygamist by intent. That's great! I hope to be a polygamist too. It is the only sort of marriage I would ever accept.

[seebs]

Seebs, I didn't know that you are a polygamist by intent. That's great! I hope to be a polygamist too. It is the only sort of marriage I would ever accept.

Well, I've been happy with monogamy for quite some time, and if that's how things end up, I have no complaints. Long story. Note that I don't mean an "open marriage", but "polygamy". Different things.

[ApostateAbe]

Seebs, I didn't know that you are a polygamist by intent. That's great! I hope to be a polygamist too. It is the only sort of marriage I would ever accept.
Well, I've been happy with monogamy for quite some time, and if that's how things end up, I have no complaints. Long story. Note that I don't mean an "open marriage", but "polygamy". Different things. I seriously doubt I would be happy with monogamy, or even open marriage. Too many men have regrets about it. But it is neccesary if I want children. If I want children, then polygamy is the way to go. But it is also probable that I'll never have the desire to have children either, so I'll most likely remain single.

[Zoot]

Yeah, I switched my avatar from the masked Noodle Boy to Seebs' fractal, but I was banned about a day later. All three of my warnings on CF were spurious to say the least (in the final one, I was accused of trolling for paraphrasing almost word-for-word what some lapdog of the US party line had said to me.)

Abe's masks were great, and it was hilarious and bizarre when some Christians started applying them. Also, Abe's references to atheists as good ol' boys cracks me up, especially as he generally made the reference with no explanation. "I'd had to break it to you, but Chris Reeve was one of us good old boys," for example.

The Internet is the perfect place for these kinds of memes - including quiet protests - to spread. All your base are belong to us, after all.

[Sycophant]

I feel so left out for not having been banned from CF yet.

But, in the immortal words of Emiril, I think I will kick it up a notch.

I'd change my avatar to the seebsist fractal, but he's obviously unbanned now, so it seems a little late to jump on that bandwagon.

[Corona688]

I'm curious. What'd these mask and fractal avatars look like? I dunno where to look or find them, if someone could link them or attach them I'd be thankful.

[ApostateAbe]

http://www3.christianforums.com/images/customavatars/avatar2070_0.gif

This is seebs' avatar.

The masked avatars are gone except for a few. Grizzly on CF still has it. (http://www.christianforums.com/t1136241-christian-beliefs-and-the-government.html)http://www.christianforums.com/t1136241-christian-beliefs-and-the-government.html (http://www.christianforums.com/t1136241-christian-beliefs-and-the-government.html)

[wade-w]

A red x? I thought seebs said he used a fractal pattern.

[Zoot]

This just in. My CF warning was revoked and the suspension lifted upon review by a senior mod. She conceded that "things were not handled fairly". I'm staying out of Current Affairs, man. To quote David Gould, "That's where the anger is."

[Julie]

I belong to a parenting BB, a very free place where you can freely speak your mind. It has 5,979 members, Threads: 183,041, Posts: 2,811,763. It's a great place (even if you do have to pay to have AVs and get into some forums it's well worth the $15)

They held auctions and fundraisers and just from this little community they Raised just under $60,000 US for the 3-day walk for breast cancer this year. It was the BEST example of a internet community getting togeather to support a cause I've ever seen.

[LadyShea]

I belong to a parenting BB, a very free place where you can freely speak your mind. It has 5,979 members, Threads: 183,041, Posts: 2,811,763. It's a great place (even if you do have to pay to have AVs and get into some forums it's well worth the $15)

They held auctions and fundraisers and just from this little community they Raised just under $60,000 US for the 3-day walk for breast cancer this year. It was the BEST example of a internet community getting togeather to support a cause I've ever seen.


Hey Julie, you must be a Sybermom :) Welcome!

I was very impressed with their fundraising...now if I could just get this "mom" thing down I could join in over there instead of lurking.

[Julie]

Ha! I knew it you are a sybermom! Fess up which one are you? I'm Dieing to know! LOL It was actually a post by Olive that led me here, It was in reference to something you had said! hehehe

[Roland98]

I belong to a parenting BB, a very free place where you can freely speak your mind. It has 5,979 members, Threads: 183,041, Posts: 2,811,763. It's a great place (even if you do have to pay to have AVs and get into some forums it's well worth the $15)

They held auctions and fundraisers and just from this little community they Raised just under $60,000 US for the 3-day walk for breast cancer this year. It was the BEST example of a internet community getting togeather to support a cause I've ever seen.

Not wanting to derail this thread, I don't suppose you'd be willing to start a new one giving more info on that? That sounds like a very cool idea.

[LadyShea]

Ha! I knew it you are a sybermom! Fess up which one are you? I'm Dieing to know! LOL It was actually a post by Olive that led me here, It was in reference to something you had said! hehehe

I am a member there, think I have posted maybe 10 times under LadyShea. Got my points robbed twice. I don't think the reference was me

Because I am not yet a parent (on third IVF cycle, we'll know Wednesday whether this one worked), I haven't felt comfortable posting. I lurk a lot though, 'specially when I need a laugh :)

[seebs]

Ironically, I have been un-banned, and re-banned, already.

I'm gonna start a little cheering section!

[wildernesse]

How'd you get re-banned already? What is that all about?

[seebs]

How'd you get re-banned already? What is that all about?

Well, see, only one of my three warnings was overturned so far.

One of the others was "upheld" by a moderator who, to the best of my knowledge, did not actually read my appeal at all, and ruled on an entirely unrelated issue. So it's been re-appealed.

Anyway, since then, I have made some noises about a moderator, and complained about her behavior. By strange coincidence, we have the following timeline:

11:09 PM (CST): Brewmama closes a thread, with the following message:

Author : brewmama
Date : 7th November 2004 11:09 PM
Title : CLOSED: Thank Allah for Little Girls

I think this thread has run its course. You Islam apologists might want to review the murder last week of the film director in Europe that dared to make a film showing Muslim aggression and cruelty to women.

I post about this elsewhere, and PM another staff member expressing concerns. The thread is trashed.

11:45 PM (CST): I receive the following email:

Date: Mon, 08 Nov 2004 16:41:45 +1100
To: christianforums@seebs.plethora.net
From: no-reply@christianforums.info (No Reply)
Subject: You have been suspended for 1 Month.


You have been suspended for 1 Month from Christian Forums by brewmama.

The person who suspended you entered this comment:

3 warnings in less than 1 month

This is an automated email.

If you have any questions, you can reply to this email by clicking on this link
:

http://www.christianforums.com/contact

Looking at my warning list, I find that I have been warned for "flaming". The post in which I allegedly flamed has been trashed, so it is impossible to read it and confirm or deny the allegations, but I have a suspicion about which post it is, and, well, the warning is bogus. As you might expect.

There is, of course, absolutely no connection between these events. The man behind the curtain is a lowly functionary. Really.