Sorry Ritchie but it does break the rules. I posted them here for you. See if you can guess which ones they are that you broke.
"Rule #1 : The Moderator is ALWAYS right.
Rule #2 : When it appears to you that the Moderator may be WRONG, refer back to Rule #1.
Overveiw : Simply stated, this board is run via committee. If any individual on the committee finds any post or any part of any post inappropriate FOR ANY REASON he/she is authorized to remove any portion or all of the post in question. This forum is not to be used to air personal grudge matches or attacks of that nature. Such posts will be removed and repeated violation may cause the suspension of an individuals access privileges. This board is NOT A PUBLIC FORUM, nor is it a democracy. By coming here and registering to post, you have agreed to abide by the guidelines set forth by the moderators. You can trust in our discretion, honor and desire to do our best to remain impartial and open. However, don't push it."
We all sincerely hope you enjoy the forum and find it as entertaining and useful as was our intent when we created it.
His final post that noone was allowed to respond to cuz he wanted to have the last word.
"Point #1:
After having received 30+ emails from almost as many different individuals over the last couple of weeks, all asking me why I continue to tolerate the mudslinging and a few questioning the surreptious advertising ploys engaged in by certain dealers, I have decided to change forum policy as is my prerogative. From this time forward I will no longer allow these abuses. This is completely subjective decision, one for which I alone bear the entire responsibility. This board was born of a disdain for censorship. Therefore if these actions are viewed by some as hypocritical, I understand and accept that reaction. Should others choose to abandon the forum because of my actions, although you may (dependant upon your level of contribution) be missed, so be it.
Point #2:
Ben Siegel to you I say that one can do 1000 good deeds daily and virtually none but those directly affected by such actions will ever care or even know of them. However, screw up only once, and everyone it seems will be paying strict attention. Unfortunately, it's train wrecks that people want to know about. I DO remember, long ago wrote off but now, as you have insisted on this line of discussion will readdress what happened between you and I. I have no need to be told, no blanks requiring a fill in, no guesswork whatsoever to muddle through in regards to what happened. You may say whatever you like (but not here), attempt to put whatever spin on it you choose. The bottom line is you screwed me, and in so doing yourself. Up until that time, I had been a very good customer. I had been pleased by the service you provided. I had spoken highly of you on the board as well as privately and had frequently recommended you both publicly and privately. When you made the decision to renege on the very policy you yourself publicly outlined on the forum, (i.e. the price point associated with your health guarantee) it was YOU that made that decision. Although you’d like to shift the responsibility for that into the lap of others, it was one you and only you made that call. Now you what to use this board, yes Ben, MY board, to whine about the effects of that decision. Nope, sorry Bubba, not any more. I'm not your mom (If I were, I would have stressed a greater appreciation of the salad bar.) and am done listening to your whining. If you don't like it, you still have options. Either fix the problem, I’m still here, or start your own forum. When I became disgruntled with the censorship policies on both Kingsnake and the Corallus list, I took action and started first my own list, and subsequently this forum. If you’re feeling slighted by this, then I suggest you do the same.
Incidentally, I think it's lovely that you and Matt treat each other well. In your business, I would think it a necessity to value your customers and act accordingly. I know I do exactly that. I certainly hope that both you and Matt continue to as well. Perhaps it may even spill over a bit to some of the less fortunate of that customer base, however, as of today, I'm still waiting for my refund from you and have not received as much as a call back from Matt. But don't worry, I'm not holding my breath.
Point #3: This is NOT the "Board Of Inquiry" and should not be used as such. One such forum is quite enough I should think. Here, when a person get screwed, scammed or mistreated by someone selling reptiles, we do want to hear about it. If some individual has a legitimate request for information about another individual, a breeder or a dealer, those posts too are welcomed. What is NOT welcomed and will no longer be tolerated are obvious and poorly veiled attempts at self-promotion advertising on the part of dealers. The forum has legitimate sponsors. These are individuals and dealers who have paid for the privilege and I will not allow shiftless lame advertising in the guise of information to usurp our valued sponsors. Should you wish to become one of them, I welcome you to do so. Both you Ben and Matt obviously continue to make use of the forum, which is fine. The problem is, your idea of "use" is just that, an indolent USING of this resource to promote yourselves and your businesses while contributing nothing but an occasional string of negativity and BS. You guys are both herp professionals. If you wish to advertise, then pony up. I'll gladly supply both of you the dealer ad rates. You want to bitch, then earn that privilege by adding something more than your usual brand of squalid whining to the info pool, something of value to the forum instead of what your usual nothing. Your abuse of this board and of me will no longer stand. If you wish to continue to be able to view and utilize the forum, (God knows why you would? You have already indicated that neither the forum nor I are of any use to your business.) my recommendation is that you heed this final
warning. Your actions have already negatively affected board policy. By becoming the first to actually cause messages to be deleted, you have diminished its viability if only by a fraction, it is a fraction too much. My next move in that direction will be to begin the use of the ban list with you as the first honorary inductees, yet another distasteful and restrictive behavior that, up until now, has also never been utilized. You may consider yourselves so advised. I have chosen to say this all publicly so that there will be NO misunderstanding. You are advised to keep any and all negative, smart ass, inflammatory rhetoric and BS replies to yourselves, because from today and forever into the future any failure to do so on YOUR parts will result in immediate unconditional expulsion from both forums. So, if you’re planning on any more of your usual fare, then I recommend you make it a well structured, well thought-out, entertaining piece, a real humdinger so to speak. At least that way you will go out with a bang, even though from then on you'll have to have one of your many loyal customers email you my replies and everything else written here, because you will no longer be capable of accessing it your computers.
LASTLY :
I realize that none of you to whom I am directly referring (not only Ben and Matt) have made any public claims of inherent wisdom, but this is a word to you the “proverbial” wise anyway. No more Mr. nice guy, no more Bend Over Billy. And for those of you wondering or in doubt as to weather or not this message actually applies to you, it probably does.
And Tim, you were exactly correct when you posted "A violation of forum rules 1 & 2!" . You got a problem with that?
To everyone else.... I'm sincerely apologetic for not only this change in policy but also for this protracted rant. I hope this type of thing and the thankfully rare events necessitating it, in no way diminish your enthusiasm for the species or for the great folks involved with it most of which are a great bunch. For them, arboreals are a labor of genuine love, not a matter of money. I also hope that MY DECISIONS as the board moderator will not reflect negatively on the forum itself which is nothing greater than it's subscribership and values nothing more your participation. It is I alone that have made these decisions, NOT the forum, the other moderators or anyone else, and I who should be regarded with respect to their effects. Please feel free to email me privately with your concerns, criticisms or comments. As always I accept full responsibility for my actions and will answer your reactions, be they positive or negative, promptly and to the best of my ability."
Seems as if the only one who can have an agenda on his forum is him. He is one of the biggest hipocrits you will ever run across. To prove that comment he later posted this after deleting tons of posts that called him out.
"Any "BAN" on my opinion is an inordinant violation of your civil liberties. Restriction, liscensing, management and provision responsibility are one thing. I find all of those quite acceptable and even reasonable when representive parties on all sides of the issue are allowed to sit down and draw up comprehensive legislation. However, banning anything I find offensive and a gross infringment upon my personal freedom. Prohibition has never worked and it never will. The only effect prohibition will have is to promote/create criminality where none previously existed. Whom will that benefit?"
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