To Durf (open letter, if you will)

[Titanoboa]

First off Durf, I've played this game with you a couple of times and you're a nice guy, fun to chat with. I like you as a person. Now, what I want to say:

I don't have time to read everything on these forums anymore, but I skim through what I predict to be relevant from time to time. Durf, this is aimed directly at you (could be said in pm but I don't have anything to hide, and as far as contaminating the forum goes, you're doing that pretty well without my help anyway). At first I read all of your posts, now I just skip them. Mostly because of their length, but also because of your stubbornness.
So I've probably missed all your current/recent posts. Although, nevermind all that and please take this to your heart:

I feel sorry for the mods (as well as (co)founders and long-term maintainers) of these forums because they are too good to just ban you forever and be done with it. It would save them so much time and energy, but they really care about this game, this forum and its users. They really do, but they're not obliged to kiss our asses.
Of course, they can speak for themselves (and they're better at it than I am).
So, would you kindly start behaving around here and stop dragging these forums down.

I wanted to skim these forums a bit this lovely afternoon to catch up and I see many threads started by you, seemingly because most of the previous ended up being locked. I'm not trying to put duct tape over your mouth and shut you up, but I do want to slap you across the face and tell you to behave. You're currently trying to ruin a place I like.

Thank you. That is all.

[takburger]

lock it inb4 durf's over 9000 word essay.

[kyle]

I'd like to add this, because I think that is is what durf has trouble with.

Durf,
You have your clear scene of what is right and wrong and you fight for what you see as right, but at times you take this way too far. Some people are just not going to see things your way, you don't need to keep fighting them over what you see, just accept it as something you disagree with them on and move on to better things.

(P.S. no 200 page essay in response, keep it simple and short)

[Durf]

@Titanoboa: I disagree. I think you are ignorant as to what is going on.
The simplest way I can put it is, I was banned by a badmin out of rage/hate (Lucifer).
Being that the ban wasn't justified, I try to dispute the ban - which will either turn out as them being able to prove how I broke the rules, so that I learn how not to do it again, or them not being able to justify the ban.
I haven't been asking for any ass kissing as you implied, nor have I been harassing about it either.
But when someone is going to go out of their way to call me something that I'm not, I'm going to get to the bottom of it. Ban or no ban, you don't try to label me a sexist or racist (if you do, be prepared to prove it, otherwise stfu and sit down)

Overall, I'm not trying to ruin a place you like. If you think I had anything to do with the spam that happened, then you're just as ignorant as the others. Not worth the time to try to teach.
Asking the moderators to elaborate on the rules, such that I wouldn't break any more, shouldn't be considered misbehaving.
I asked for people not to buy into their propaganda meant to deface me; looks like you ignored that request.
If you want this place you like to stay in tact, then ask the moderators why they show favoritism/treat users unfairly.

You can call telling the truth "stubborn" all you want. Unless you're willing to get to the bottom of it yourself and actually go through all the posts to see what has been said, you lack the credibility to make such an assumption. In other words, you're stubborn about being close minded on the situation.


@takburger: How would locking it make any sense? What reason would you be locking it? (the assumption that I'm going to write a long post? Please..)


@kyle: When you have been banned (without warning) and being accused of doing things you didn't, having people try to ruin any reputation you have, having trolls try to bait you and fail, etc.. then come talk to me.
I'm well aware of the option of "agreeing to disagree"; however that's not really an option when moderators are going out of their way to abuse their power over me.
I don't expect you to understand since you don't know what's been going on.
Put simply, there is a clear case of favoritism and certain users get treated unfairly (example: my ban(s)).
Furthermore, when moderators go out of their way to insult, I won't stand for it (Lucifer claiming I'm a sexist woman-hating pig, he relates me to a Nazi and implies that I am involved in some way with white-supremacy - who says I'm even white?).

Kyle, I get where you're coming from, but sometimes moderators go too far. Where is the quality assurance?

[takburger]

because it is just for you and the community to see, not to create another senseless post like all others that led to the void.

[Durf]

because it is just for you and the community to see, not to create another senseless post like all others that led to the void.

^ I don't know what you mean.

[kyle]

@kyle: When you have been banned (without warning) and being accused of doing things you didn't, having people try to ruin any reputation you have, having trolls try to bait you and fail, etc.. then come talk to me.

For at least the first 2 points, I basically had that happen to me, Arguing about what happened, only gets you into a bigger hole. Just drop it and regain your reputation for who you are and not by arguing about what people say you are.

[Vogue]

This is an intervention, Durf, we're all very concerned for your wellbeing (me more than others because I'm more caring than anyone on this board.) We want to ask you to please, limit your posts to a few sentences. Thank you, my friend and I hope you feel better soon.

[Durf]

@kyle:
I actually don't think my reputation was all that affected (to anyone that mattered anyway).
I couldn't care less about my reputation in the eyes of people who cannot see (figuratively).


I would agree with you in that arguing only makes a bigger hole (this became evident when talking to Z-Man, finding him to be unreasonable, and when presented with any argument that would prove him wrong, he dismisses it with, "don't argue with me; everyone that gets banned thinks its unjust" - paraphrasing); as Clutch said (pretending to sound like dev/null/): the mods always win so enjoy your ban.


While I would agree with you on that, I don't see it as arguing (in the angry way) since I'm open to the possibility of being wrong. But understanding is required before admitting. I can't apologize for something I don't know I even did. So they will have to prove it to me if they expect me not to do it again; it also wouldn't be fair to ban me again without understanding of where the limits are, what the rules are.

Even if I was sexist / racist / white supremacist (I'm not btw), banning me for that reason is martyring (which does wonders for a reputation btw) me unless I've actually committed an offense against the forums rules. So far they haven't been able to prove that I committed any offense to any rule.


@Vogue: I'm glad you care about me; but I don't think you're qualified to care for anyone.
Also what does the number of sentences have to do with my well-being or overall health?
By the way, I could still write amusingly long sentences such that my overall response to what you say conforms to your desire for my posts to contain only a few sentences while using an inordinate number of words such that you wouldn't have the same reasons to complain about my posts anymore.
This response to you contains less sentences than your post does, so, you should take your own advice; use less sentences.

[Vogue]

The mods and admins don't owe you anything though.

[Durf]

What's your point?

If they want to ban me unjustly or simply for disliking me, try to cover it up and fail, then simply avoid it by playing the "I own this place" card, they are free to do that.
You're right, when you put it like that, they don't owe me anything.

At which point I would ask if it's any wonder why this community is so small.
I've been supporting a argument of tolerance for that very reason.

Now if you instead assume they are decent human beings that might have been mistaken, and/or can understand that not everyone perceives things in the same way as them, then they cannot justify any legitimate ban when the banished cannot understand the reasons why they were banned in the first place. That is unfair since the banished would most likely return to break the same rule since they don't see what the problem is.
...Let alone the lack of proper warning (a warning implied in a post doesn't constitute a reason to immediately ban someone. Warning+ban is not one action; warning needs to be received, understood, and the rule being broken again before there's sufficient reason to ban)
If they had any honor; any respect for others and one's self, they would owe everyone, or at the very least the banished (me), an explanation.

If you got banned suddenly without any apparent reason, wouldn't you like to know why?
If their reasons were complete bullshit, wouldn't you debunk them?
Or do you just bend over for a corrupt moderator? Show them that you can play ball. Because THAT'S rewarding >_>

They may not owe me anything, but I'll be happy to shine a light on their hypocrisy free of charge.




Shall I post some PM history?

[Monkey]

Durf and I definitely don't agree on everything (especially on 2v2 public fortress tactics), however, I do like Durf, I'm glad that he participates in these forums and I actually agree with many of the points/statements he has made recently. I think that he is brave for speaking his mind and being true to himself, especially when he is in the minority.

@Durf:
I will say that I think you should try to express yourself in less words if possible and find ways to avoid repeating yourself. Also, don't feed the obvious trolls. However, I do agree with you (at least I think I'm agreeing with you) that these forums are not run by a democratic group, as unfair as it may seem. You either accept this, in which case you will have to alter the way you post (at least to some extent) or you don't accept this, in which case you probably wont last long here.

[Durf]

Yea, I should try to figure out how to be concise. You'd think my vocabulary would be able to do that by now. :s

Trolls don't bother me. People say ignore this and ignore that, but if a mosquito is flying next to your ear, don't you swat it away? It's not a lot of effort to swat their attempts away. Perhaps others dislike that I indulge in their stupidity; I'll take it into consideration to avoid (or separate) the unwanted nonsense.

... these forums are not run by a democratic group, as unfair as it may seem. You either accept this, in which case you will have to alter the way you post (at least to some extent) or you don't accept this ...

Well if that is the way things are, I will inevitably be the person to find that out. That is a part of who I am and I am not entirely sure if I can change that (or if I'd want to).

Which means, if things are so corrupted, you might be right about this part:

in which case you probably wont last long here.

To which I only have one word:
Martyr

[Phytotron]

Martyr

Teryl Fraiser larf.gif (679.2 KiB) Viewed 5000 times

[dinobro]

Martyr, lol.
How much attention do you need? And why you seek for it here? Geez, kid...