Lucasfilm to fans : Fuck You!

[Ubiquitous]

It's almost as if they are trying to provoke us into flaming. In fact, I'm preety sure it's what they are trying to provoke.

Don't fall for the bait people. We need to keep this good work up.

[Phil Skayhan]

Can someone who still has an account simply start a new thread, please in the "Official Fanclub ( )" section asking Pablo for a frickin' address? We have the one from "Insider," but the confusion over the change is so evident it would be good to have one from Pabs himself.

Done. Though I do not mention Pabs or the topic. I'm not going to give them an excuse.

[Master of Ossus]

Done. Though I do not mention Pabs or the topic. I'm not going to give them an excuse.

Thanks, Phil.

[Master of Ossus]

This one's good.

The Mods admit that the rules of conduct when dealing with them are different from those required when talking with other members

+http://forums.starwars.com/thread.jsp?f ... ead=174894

Even though they don't hold themselves to any higher standards of ettiquette.

[CaptainChewbacca]

I'd like to help, but Mike won't let me unleash my army of trolls.

Oh well, at least here there is intelligent discourse and only a few mods ban for arbitrary reasons

[Mange]

It's almost as if they are trying to provoke us into flaming. In fact, I'm preety sure it's what they are trying to provoke.

Don't fall for the bait people. We need to keep this good work up.

Yes, exactly. That is what they are aiming at. There's absolutely no way to communicate with the mods at the official site. I tried a more diplomatic approach in the Pablo/Endor thread, but still received veiled threats:

Hey, Dark Moose, no offense, but are you aware that you're rude towards the posters? I hope that people responsible for this forum takes a good look at how you treat people in the forums, and stop banning people without reason.

I think it's up for everyone how they view and interpret the Star Wars movies.

The forum mod Lad answered:

For your own sake, please know what you are talking about before you open your mouth/type. No-one is banned for no reason. Everyone banned in this thread has been a sock of a banned user. Which is prohibited by the Terms of Service.

Also, Pabawan is one of the people who are responsible for this forum. Since he's posting in this thread, and he's yet to chastise Moose either here or privately (You'll just have to take my word for that), you'll just have to accept that Moose is behaving without acceptable grounds.

On top of this, Dark Moose edited my initial post and added the following:

>You are aware, of course, that you're defending the currently tripled iterations of the same banned poster, yes?

DM out<

When I discovered this, I took it to the forum feedback and wrote that I knew that the posters accused of socking indeed were separate individuals. Of course, I could only speak for myself. I also wrote that, from the perspective of a paying Hyperspace customer, fan and consumer, the behaviour displayed by the mods was unacceptable and why. No reaction was posted. They don't seem to be aware of checking IP addresses, flame people with a difference of opinon or bans them on false grounds.
I think Pablo is doing a good job on the Episode III section of Hyperspace, but he should really need a crash course in PR. After all, he's also LFL's Internet developer.

[Master of Ossus]

I don't even think they're capable of running an IP check. Now that I've been banned, why shouldn't I just sign up again for a different account? It's clear that their "sock-hunting" is just another snipe-hunt, so it's not like I would be causing any more trouble, but more importantly they wouldn't be able to do anything about it! This is just pathetic.

[General Zod]

if you signed up under a sock account and tried using a different pattern of behavior, typically avoiding the current discussion, and wind up getting banned anyways, then you'd know that they can indeed tell the difference between accounts and were doing it out of sheer spite. That might give some ammo to use against them in proving their dishonesty. If you don't get banned, then maybe they don't have a way to check addys after all.

[Slartibartfast]

For your own sake, please know what you are talking about before you open your mouth/type. No-one is banned for no reason. Everyone banned in this thread has been a sock of a banned user. Which is prohibited by the Terms of Service.

I know *I* am not a sock of a banned user. I was banned and no reason was given. All my posts were deleted, and after the fact I kept posting on the FF forum and I was ignored. I posted there as Slartibartfast76.

[Rightous Fist Of Heaven]

Fuckin Lol!!

Posted this:

I find it increasingly disturbing how moderators see their powers as something of a toy with which to play, rather than a tool with which to make a forum work more smoothly. Now i post at many forums, about a dozen or so different ones. And so far, none of them have prohibited one from stating an opinion.

And vandaronas, it doesnt seem that there is a coherent order of rules at all, merely that most of the moderators excersise their powers at their will. Ofcourse, this is just my observation regarding the matter. Also, somehow the word "playground" seems very fitting indeed.

To which Vandaronas replied with this:

Also, somehow the word "playground" seems very fitting indeed.

Yeah it does, since a lot of our members have the maturity level of a four year old.

It's awfully curious that you have such a biting opinion of this place with all of ONE post. I wonder what banned former member you are? Hmm...

Paranoid little fuckers arent they.

[Bob the Gunslinger]

I think it's time for a letter-writing campaign. As Pablo himself pointed out, nobody cares about people posting on a webboard. They care more about people who lick stamps and mail envelopes, because that suggests a greater level of commitment to the idea than a post on a webboard which costs nothing.

What's the address? Who should we address it to? And what points do you think would be most effective in a letter?

[Master of Ossus]

Paranoid little fuckers arent they.

Ask them to write a fucking IP check, then, and find out which banned user you are.

And get the letters in the mail as soon as we get an address.

[Slartibartfast]

Paranoid little fuckers arent they.

Ask them to write a fucking IP check, then, and find out which banned user you are.

And get the letters in the mail as soon as we get an address.

I've noticed that the horrible lack of features in that Forum is likely because they don't use any kind of pre-packaged forum module at all, it was probably custom made by some guy who knew some server-side JAVA.

Just that they aren't able at all to make IP checks just betrays this notions even more. Heck, the program probably doesn't even have a log or a way to make different mods/admins have different sets of permissions and so on.

[seanrobertson]

For your own sake, please know what you are talking about before you open your mouth/type. No-one is banned for no reason. Everyone banned in this thread has been a sock of a banned user. Which is prohibited by the Terms of Service.

I know *I* am not a sock of a banned user. I was banned and no reason was given. All my posts were deleted, and after the fact I kept posting on the FF forum and I was ignored. I posted there as Slartibartfast76.

Ignore Lad. He was talking about Ossus and/or me.

And is it just me, or is this "Please think before you type/response/talk" a catch-phrase at Wars.com? That's about the fourth different person I've seen say such a thing there.

Hmph. Maybe they're all puppets


Ossus:

I don't even think they're capable of running an IP check. Now that I've been banned, why shouldn't I just sign up again for a different account? It's clear that their "sock-hunting" is just another snipe-hunt, so it's not like I would be causing any more trouble, but more importantly they wouldn't be able to do anything about it! This is just pathetic.

Good ideas, all.

I've read through Forum Feedback a bit this evening, and I can't tell for sure if they can run an IP check or not. I know I saw a thread in which a moderator caught a legit sock-puppeteer, then rattled off a list of the sock's aliases. The handles didn't sound very much alike, but it's possible the guy's topics of choice, behavior etc. were similar enough to tip someone off.

On the flip side, I've also seen threads in which an IP check would make moderators' jobs easier, but they didn't use them--at least, that they'd admit. Instead, they recited a number of less conclusive reasons that poster D was formerly poster A-C.

None of that's conclusive, though. I'm inclined to believe they have problems with checks...you know the best way to verify that already

[Darth Wong]

What's most infuriating about this is that there was a fairly good conversation going before they decided to storm in and bait everyone by tossing put-downs and false accusations of sock-puppeteering. One must wonder if this was coincidental or not; one night I left the thread and it looked like people were starting to come around to our point of view, and then the next night a whole horde of Pablo-friend mods are all over the thread pushing peoples' buttons.

Almost as if they saw somebody being a bit too successful at promoting a viewpoint they didn't want to see, and decided to take a shit all over the thread in order to make sure that this viewpoint was buried.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

This is really disgusting. I haven't even read a single thread over there and this whole thing is still getting me incredibly pissed off...

[seanrobertson]

What's most infuriating about this is that there was a fairly good conversation going before they decided to storm in and bait everyone by tossing put-downs and false accusations of sock-puppeteering. One must wonder if this was coincidental or not; one night I left the thread and it looked like people were starting to come around to our point of view, and then the next night a whole horde of Pablo-friend mods are all over the thread pushing peoples' buttons.

I hate to me-too, but I saw the same thing. I know one of the users...Tresk-something (?) with the Leia avatar, was paying quite a bit of attention to your posts.

Immediately after that, bigwigs Hidalgo, Dark Moose, Lad and Bonniegirl chimed in to ridicule "tech-heads'" methods. Some idiotic posters/suck-ups like JangoADK took that to the next level with the "get a life" stuff (that was the point at which I first, and very respectfully, noted the double standard in play...I never got around to quoting JADK, though. *shakes head* Quoting his dumb-ass was going to be my ace in the hole).

So no, it wouldn't surprise me if they tried to instigate a flame war. It definitely afforded Hidalgo some cover: around the time other mods started distracting people with talk about sock-puppets and such, Pablo slipped out the back door with his "just write a letter" b.s.

Almost as if they saw somebody being a bit too successful at promoting a viewpoint they didn't want to see, and decided to take a shit all over the thread in order to make sure that this viewpoint was buried.

Yep. And that's not to forget that they temp-banned you. I guess they wanted to be good and damn sure their asses were completely covered.

Figuratively, anyway. They might not know our Sith Lord's feelings on anal

[Meest]

If you read the feedback forum section, can see plenty of examples of mods admitting to temp banning just to get people's attention. What the hell is that? Alot of people posting, "why am i locked?" etc. One mod even egged people to make fun of some of the banned people. Some are trolls but granted can see general view, do as we say or bully you into acting how we want you to.

[seanrobertson]

One mod even egged people to make fun of some of the banned people. Some are trolls but granted can see general view, do as we say or bully you into acting how we want you to.

Wow

Do you remember which mod egged people on like that? We can't direct link to those posts, but I'd like to see exactly what was said.

Great avatar, btw

[Master of Ossus]

Check this out. On the Forum Feedback section, a user was recently upset about his temp ban. After he had settled with the mod who banned him, he agreed to shut up for a little while. Another mod then posted, making fun of the user and egging him on. To that, SMBguy responded:

Yes, you are totally correct Mike and I am sorry, because I forgot the new rule: No voicing ones opinion. ...So I am the first out of what should be many who come to apologize for breaking this new rule.

Also, I greatly appreciate how after Moose and I have reached common grounds and were on good terms again with our last chat.... You had to go and say something negative. .....Just keeping the peace. I salute you for a job well done.

Another mod then stepped in.

Then you're REALLY going to appreciate this.

I cannot, for the life of me, understand why you can't comprehend that by not SHUTTING UP you are just making the situation worse for yourself. If I were the mod that banned you, I assure you it would be permanent by now simply because of the rude and sarcastic manner of which you CONSTANTLY KEEP posting to FF.

Why can't you just take their advice and take a few days off?? It's not that complicated.

[Lord Poe]

Ok y'all. I've been asked by several of you to host a page about the idiots at sw.com, and I've asked for submissions. But I haven't recieved one submission yet.

Send me your thread observations on Dark Moose, screengrabs, etc. Whatever you want as an easy point/click to refer people to.

Also, give me a name for this webpage. Should it be Mooseshit? What?

[Phil Skayhan]

Without any type of search feature on the board it is difficult to catalog their behavior. The Endor Holocaust thread is, of course, the most revealing in terms of their opinion of tech sites like your's, Mike's, Brian's, and even Saxton's. That combined with the wall of silence from Pabawan following his challenge and the stonewalling of Mike and Conner? in the forum feedback should be enough to start the page.

Pabawan's article and challenge should be the focus of a page on all our sites/boards I believe. I'll try to whip something up tonight. Have we found where letters to the editor of SW Insider should be addressed? My post on the board there netted no answer, only a link to IDG which was uninformative.

BTW, I have only just figured out who you were over there (the lack of profanity was a stumbling block). Love the bio.

[Lord Poe]

BTW, I have only just figured out who you were over there (the lack of profanity was a stumbling block).

Hahaha! Everyone says that!

Love the bio.

I'm suprised no one's bitched about it. Let's see the mods find something about THAT in the TOS!

[Illuminatus Primus]

Anyone notice how much more reluctant they are to ban Hyperspace subscribers?

They did ban Mike though, didn't they?

[Lord Poe]

They did ban Mike though, didn't they?

Only a temp ban.