Another disillisioned past contributor

I noticed that poll just this morning~ and after making this posting I didn’t feel adding my input to the poll was appropriate. Why didn’t I see the poll before? Probably for the same reason I did not read the latest, newest edition of the rules again~ I was busy. Another straight A semester at college thank you very much! I’ve not posted or read much at all in the last couple months.

As far as your belief that I want “special treatment”~ exactly what is the Feedback forum for~ if not to provide feedback? I never asked you not to fine me, I never asked you for my money back. I never asked you to make an exception for me.

I posted my feedback on the situation. I’m not happy with the situation. I feel that I was treated badly. I feel that BANNING someone for the first offense is extreme. I feel like if you’re going to BAN me for a rule violation I should be allowed to read the rules I violated (Not the whole bloody site, the RULES). I feel that after I posted my displeasure with the situation you have then treated me unfairly by stating that I asked for any “Special treatment.” I feel like you have been nasty by implying that I am part of the “CRAP” you’re trying to get rid of. I feel unwelcome and unappreciated for the contributions (not just financial) I’ve made to this site.

I’m angry and getting angrier by the moment. If I post negative feedback I am requesting special consideration??? Is there another rule I missed that states we can not post feedback in the feedback forum unless it is positive feedback? Or only if we have read every word in every post on this site?

I wasn’t asking for “Special consideration”~ I was venting my anger over what I feel was an inappropriately harsh reaction to my ONE rule violation.

That’s my feedback. It’s a feedback forum~

Shrap~ the e-mail I got this morning said I was BANNED. Yes, I am angry over it. I know~ It's just a WORD~ but I was BANNED over just a WORD too. And you must understand that once I paid my fine and looked at my account~ my "Karma" which used to be "Rep Power" was ZERO. That "Karma" reflects my contributions to the site as a whole for the 4 years~ so yes~ when I posted this morning I did feel that I had been well and truly BANNED. Afterall~ thats what they e-mail I have says. I have no idea why Rich decided to give back the Karma points~ sometime during the time that he was calling part of the CRAP he wants to get rid of~ but it has since changed.

Cheryl,

I am fully aware that the email did say banned.... but we both know NOW that it did not mean banned. It meant suspended pending payment of a fine. I think that has been cleared up now as a poorly worded form email that Rich is going to look into changing. No point getting bent over it when it was nothing more than a miscommunication that has been addressed.

Yeah he zapped my "points" once or twice too without ever issuing a warning point, explanation or email..... and I did not care one bit. "Points" do not define who I am as a person or what my contributions are to my fellow herpers. Because that is not why I am here. Not for Rich, not this site and certainly not for some "points". I am here for my fellow herpers. To help them and to teach them and get help from them and to learn from them. Everything else is just ego, status and politics and I don't want any of that.

I admit that it is nice to be acknowledged by my peers and the points are a way of doing it, but the more important way is through the friendships that have developed and grown through fauna. That is the biggest acknowledgment I could ever ask for.

Cheryl,

No I am not going to take the time to explain to you why your initial post comes across the way it does. You can read it yourself when you are in a less negative mood and see for yourself. Even the title "past contributor" says volumes in implications. I mean WHY did (and are) you bringing up the fact of your contributions unless you think it means that some sort of special consideration should be attached to it? You think it is unfair, don't you? Well that has implications as well, now doesn't it? How can you think it unfair if you were treated exactly as anyone else would have, under the circumstances?

As for reading the rules, I think it wise for everyone to read them BEFORE getting in trouble with them. Not afterwards. I have no other choice but to assume that everyone has read the rules and that is the way I need to treat anything that is deemed to be a violation. Speaking of which, you DID get that broadcast email, didn't you? If so, didn't you bother to READ it? I sure hate to think I wasted my time sending out that notice..........

The reason I brought up the financial contributions was in the paragraph I meant to read as what I was "Hearing" when I read the BANNED email. And yes, the word BANNED was the initial problem.

Your were right. I was wrong. I still don't like the way I was treated. If that’s the way your treating everyone~ well I guess that explains a few of the notes I've gotten today, and why it seems like every time I come to this site I see another post with someone complaining.

Oh well, life goes on. We both have better things to do than bicker about this. My intent with my initial posting was to point out that the way that was done "You are Banned" was nasty and alienating your long time participant. But it sounds like that was your intent~ to get rid of the "Crap."

I wonder why that bothers me? Oh, I know why~ I didn’t realize that was me. Sorry~ my mistake again.

Your were right. I was wrong. I still don't like the way I was treated. If that’s the way your treating everyone~ well I guess that explains a few of the notes I've gotten today, and why it seems like every time I come to this site I see another post with someone complaining.

Yes, exactly. Apparently some people don't realize that what they are doing on this site is just not acceptable on a publicly accessible message board. At least not this one. Silly me for bringing them to task for it. Honestly, I am seriously thinking of renaming "The Warning System" to "The Whine Maker System". Because that is certainly what it generates. Yes you were wrong. You violated one of the rules I was specifically cracking down on. The fact that you didn't bother to keep abreast of the stricter enforcement of the rules is irrelevant. The rules are there for everyone to read. Further, you were sent an email explaining this more stringent enforcement, which you either never bothered to read, or else read and apparently felt it didn't apply to you. And yet you are still telling yourself that this is all my fault and I am the big meany because I should have treated you differently because you have been a member here since 2002, and are somehow "gold plated" because even though you never bothered to read the rules, you haven't run afoul of them.

But yet you think it is perfectly acceptable here to say something like this to another member:

You've gone from being a little petty when you felt insulted ~ to just being a petty, nasty, little jack***.

What amazes me is that if that is typically the way you post, that you have not gotten warning points in the past. Or that you can post that way and think that this is acceptable here.

Well, you know, that's fine with me. I am going to get people pissed at me no matter what I do. But if the choice is between getting people pissed at me because I allowed this site to become a cesspool where antagonism and nastiness are the rule, or people getting pissed at me because I will not allow them to speak to or about other members in the manner in which YOU got fined and suspended for, guess which one I am choosing?

OK Cheryl, you've said your piece and inferred that the only reason you paid the fine was so you could read the rules, inferring that you didn't remember the derogatory slur you made towards another member, and couldn't imagine why the fine and suspension (or "ban" as the email stated) should apply to you. Now that you have done so, and we have had this discussion which has apparently opened up your eyes to the reality of how I am running this site, which you obviously do not care for, if you would like I will refund that $10 fine to you and put you back on the suspension list. You can make it permanent at your own discretion. If the way I now insist that you behave here is not to your liking then we can now part company. Your call.

Oh absolutly not. Keep the $10. I was wrong. I'm a bad, bad, bad person. My prior behavior SOOOOO reflects that. I get it, I'm the "crap" you wanted out. Very enlightening thread.

Keep the $10. The lesson was worth it.

Thanks for your time.
Have a nice day.

Originally Posted by Cheryl Marchek AKA JM

Oh absolutly not. Keep the $10. I was wrong. I'm a bad, bad, bad person. My prior behavior SOOOOO reflects that. I get it, I'm the "crap" you wanted out. Very enlightening thread.

Keep the $10. The lesson was worth it.

Thanks for your time.
Have a nice day.

If you wish to continue to post in the manner in which you did when you got the fine and suspension, yes, then you are correct. Sorry that you see the need to refer to yourself personally in that manner, but that is your choice of wording, not mine.

And you have a nice day as well, Cheryl.

I think I'm going to host a "Business Communication 101" course...anybody wanna sign up?

What also needs to be said here, Cheryl, is that you've shown yourself to be a valuable member of this community. You're one of the good guys, and there aren't nearly enough of those. You're helpful to newbies when you can be and you have a great passion for your animals. The fact that you used a word that broke the rules doesn't change any of that.

Yes, you're free to move on (as is EVERYONE, and EVERYONE knows it because it's mentioned ALL THE TIME), but you're also welcome to stay and continue to be part of the group.

Somehow, I think you might not have gotten that entire message, so I just wanted to clarify.

Cheryl,
I understand why you are upset and I think it has more to do with you not knowing how automated the system is now. You may have believed that Rich decided to give you an excess of warning points, then typed out that email and then banned you from this site. When in actuality, there is no leeway now in the warning points and once you are issued a warning for name calling everything is automated after that point. The warning points for that infraction are preset at ten points, When it is issued the system automatically suspends the user. It automatically generates the email and I believe also automatically removes your karma rating. If I am wrong, I am sure Rich will correct me.

Heck, I don’t even think Rich may know about a suspension if a moderator gave you the warning points, it would automatically set the system in motion with the same result.