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I have requested that moderation re-ban my account on or after 8:00pm this evening.
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@Vader
My return is only temporary. But it's nice to see you as well.
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@Danielle
Boudica, Theodora of Byzantium, and Catherine the Great. There are many other notable contenders, like Elizabeth I, Olympe de Gouges, Queen Christina of Sweden, Zenobia, Greta Thunberg, Cleopatra, Simone de Beauvoir, Marie Curie, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, Rigoberta Menchu, and Mary Wollstonecraft, but if we're talking badass, I think those first three take the cake.
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@RationalMadman
yes I flirted with someone I shouldn't have, I meant it as a crude joke and it didn't cross my mind how grave an error I was making. I am seriously sorry and it won't happen again
Also 100% sure I said that already. So much for keeping tabs on me...
On an entirely separate note, nice avatar. It really is too bad Swinson won't be PM. I'd rather her than Johnson or Corbyn.
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
I hope you all are doing well. As I have said previously, I am back for a few days. I plan on spending about 2 days here, and certainly no more than a week, at which point I will be permanently leaving. This return will be brief, and I do not intend to be active in the forums. If you have something to discuss with me or want to chat, please PM me. Thank you.
That is all. Please return to your previously schedules forum posts.
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@RationalMadman
He is online.
Hi, RM. Glad to know you are keeping tabs on me.
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
I hope you all are doing well. As I have said previously, I am back for a few days. I plan on spending about 2 days here, and certainly no more than a week, at which point I will be permanently leaving. This return will be brief, and I do not intend to be active in the forums. If you have something to discuss with me or want to chat, please PM me. Thank you.
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This is intended to be my final post on DART.
I am now no longer a mod. This will be the first time I can say this since, essentially, the inception of moderation on the site. I am not sure how to take it yet, but I just need to keep moving, and doing my best to survive. I think with all the recent controversies (e.g. Hammer, Press), some family issues, and a few other factors, this was the best time to step aside. I am not sure that stepping aside was best for me, but I believe it will be for DART.
I have said my goodbyes to most of you. There are a few of you I have yet to reach out to--you are the ones it is hardest for me to say farewell to. When I return for a day or two at Christmastime, I will say those last few goodbyes then. I can't really bring myself to face that prospect yet.
I just want to say that I loved DDO and DART and the community's the made them so vibrant. I have made so many friends here--I appreciate you all. I have also made some enemies, and to them I say, touché. I will now need to be en garde for the next phase of my life.
But I will--and I mean this with absolute sincerity and sadness--miss being here every day, talking to you every day, posting here every day, working here every day, and debating and playing mafia with you when I could. This place and you all have literally been a constant feature of my life for almost a year and a half, and so it is impossible for me to walk away now without feeling pangs of regret.
Please don't remember me for my failures--which were many and spectacular. Please don't remember me for my successes, which too were spectacular. Instead, remember me not at all. For if I never existed here, really, as I feel now that I have, then it will be easier for me to fade away.
With that, I want to wish all of you well. Live large, live free, live happy. Never stop discussing, never stop debating, and never stop being a community that cares about each other. DART is awesome; keep it that way. Goodbye.
Aloha with love,
Brian (Bsh1)
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Good luck with mafia everyone! I hope you keep it alive and well :)
VTL DART
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Also: Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll.
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@Wylted
Fair point. But the thing is I can see the crow, but when I try to load the mod page it stalls out. Maybe I just have too many tabs up and it can't process.
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@Wylted
Actually, I was mostly trying to see if I still had mod powers, because I had trouble accessing the mod interface, and when I tried to do it to you, Coal, and Annie, I got error messages. I picked test subjects that I found amusing, but now that I know it worked, your rights are restored. Apparently, I still have mod powers...
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@Annie_ESocialBookworm
You obviously haven't been reading my posts closely enough.Bsh1 refuses to remorsefully admit that he is wrong
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@Speedrace
Don't do that to your kids. Let them eat cake. Dress them as Marie Antoinette even.
Halloween is the best <3 It's spooktacular!
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My uncle passed away tonight after slipping into a coma two days ago. He was an entrepreneur, a lover of history, a proud New Englander, and a good man. May he rest in peace.
While I am agnostic, I would like to believe that there is more to life than this momentary existence we lead. If you are reading this, please do someone a kindness today in memory of someone who passed. Let's make our ephemeral reality a little easier for us all to bear.
Thank you.
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@PaulVerliane
You are not banned. If there is a technical issue, you should talk to the user DebateArt.com to resolve it.
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@Speedrace
And my parents never took me lol so I've never been, love candy though
Is it a religious thing?
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@Speedrace
Frankenstein IS the monster.
Also, how of you not trick-or-treated?!
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@Speedrace
No. In this scenario, I am Frankenstein. I mean, I do need a Halloween costume...
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@Speedrace
Until about 1:00am, yes. Then, my Frankenstein existence will run out of power.
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And I agree: Virt is a very compassionate person, and I think he will be an excellent moderator.
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The fact this is your 'real goodbye' speech
Nope. That one will be posted after midnight, when I am no longer a mod.
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Also, as I told Virt, the COC needs updating to reflect one of the MEEPs. The update was made only partially (though no omission was intended). The select winner system should state, in full:
To cast a sufficient vote in the choose winner system, a voter must explicitly, and in the text of their RFD, perform the following tasks: (a) survey the main arguments and counterarguments presented in the debate, (b) weigh those arguments against each other (or explain why certain arguments need not be weighed based on what transpired within the debate itself), and (c) explain how, through the process of weighing, they arrived at their voting decision with regard to assigning argument points. Weighing entails analyzing how the relative strength of one argument or set of arguments outweighed (that is, out-impacted) and/or precluded another argument or set of arguments. Weighing requires analyzing and situating arguments and counterarguments within the context of the debate as a whole.The voter may also consider conduct which makes the debate space extremely toxic and/pr breaches the mutually agreed rules of the debate in their analysis. A voter who awards points on the basis of toxic alone behavior must (1) provide specific references to instances of poor conduct which occurred in the debate (2) explain why the conduct made the debate space intensely hostile, and (3) compare each debater's conduct from the debate. A voter may choose to exclude or reduce the weight of certain arguments on the basis of rules breaches, but must explain which rules were breached and why those breaches justify the exclusion or minimization of the arguments in question. A voter who awards points on the basis of rule breaches alone must (1) provide specific references to the breaches which occurred in the debate (2) explain why those breaches were serious enough to merit a loss by explaining how the rules either mandate a loss for rule-breakers or how the breach made the debate unfair, AND (3) compare each debater's conformity to the debate rules.
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Not quite what I said, lol. I said I wasn't sure who you were, because I never was able to sort it out. I threw out some theories I heard, but I am not endorsing any of them.
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Aloha!
My term as moderator is officially ending at midnight. I just wanted to say a few things before I go about moderation.
First, just because there is a change in moderator does not mean that the COC has changed. All the same rules will still currently be in force once I leave, and those rules should only be changed via MEEP processes. Virt may see fit to change the MEEP process, but that will itself require a MEEP. I leave that up to him. But just remember: the rules have not changed, only the person enforcing them. Second, the Extended Moderation Policies and the previous MEEPs will still be binding unless they themselves are changed via the MEEP process. As status quo on the site, changing them would be a substantial adjustment to moderation policy requiring a MEEP. Finally, I want to wish Virt all the best as he takes over. He will be implementing a new team--I will allow him to say more on that--and I trust him to moderate well and fairly.
That's all really. If you have any issues from this point onward, Virt is the one to go to.
-Bsh1, Chief Moderator
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@Dr.Franklin
I knew his gay language would catch up with him
Lol. Touché.
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@Wylted
Castin hasn't been online in an hour lol...
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I am now going to lock this thread. Please do not seek to bump, memorialize, or otherwise make this thread widely available. This thread, and the one which caused me to make this thread, are my greatest shames on DART. I will not ask you to remember me for all the good I tried to do, because I lost the right to make that request. But I would rather not be remembered at all than be remembered for this error in judgement. Damnatio Memoriae. Let it be done.
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@Wylted
If you are quoting my resignation thread, you misquoted me.
I said, "to" anyone hurt...esp. Press. I did not say "if." I accept the absolute wrongness of what I did, and I apologize to anyone impacted, because it is those who were impacted that most deserve that apology.
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I absolutely did apologize. Everything else you said is, of course, correct. From my resignation thread:
I wish first to apologize to anyone hurt or disappointed by my actions, esp. Press.
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@David
@ResurgetExFavilla
That crosses a line. To suggest that I was "grooming" Press is to suggest that I intended to commit some kind of sexual assault. This discussion of statutory rape implies that I somehow engaged in or intended to engage in that kind of action, which is way out of bounds. Whether you found what I said to be inappropriate--and I acknowledge that it was--do NOT make me out to be some kind of child predator.
I made a joke I should not have made because I was not considering the age of the person to whom I was saying it. It literally did not occur to me. I should have been more cognizant of what I was saying and who I was saying it to, but there was no intent behind what I said beyond humor. That is the extent of what happened.
It is one thing to disagree with or disapprove of what I said. It is a whole separate thing to make the kind of accusations that are implicit in what you wrote. That is absolutely beyond the pale and should be recanted.
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This is the note that I sent to Mike just a few minutes ago:
Mike,I just wanted to thank you for trusting me enough to appoint me as DART's first moderator. I truly appreciate the opportunity to serve--it meant more to me than you probably realized.I think, however, given the recent controversy, it is time for me to step down. If you will accept it, I would like to offer my resignation, effective at 11:59pm, US Eastern Standard Time, tomorrow (Oct. 28, 2019). If you are amenable, please let me know so that I can make the community aware of the next steps in this process.I recommend Virt as my replacement for Chief Moderator and Castin as a replacement for Virt as Deputy Moderator. If either of them are unwilling or unable to serve, or if you would prefer someone else, please consider [redacted], [redacted], and [redacted]. [Redacted] and [redacted] would also make excellent deputy moderators.Again, thank you so much. I wish you all the best with continuing to make DART awesome :)-Brian
Again, I expect him to accept this resignation. When he does, and I am aware that he has, I will update this thread with that information, as well as any other information as may be pertinent.
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I will post my thoughts on this tomorrow before I leave. My mind is a bit too jumbled tonight to really process anything.
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@PressF4Respect
I am heartened that you didn't take offense. I think the resignation is necessary. I reached out to a few people to get their perspectives--sometimes that's necessary just to shake your mind free of it's own defensiveness--and decided that this was the best step.
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@Speedrace
You had nothing to do with it, so do not be sorry. They were my errors.
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Aloha, DART!
This is, I believe, the final time I will be addressing you as Chief Moderator, or indeed a member of this site. I am about to submit, via PM, my formal letter of resignation to DebateArt.com (Mike) in order to allow the site to move beyond my modship.
In the last few days, there have been several controversies regarding my tenure as moderator. Some of these controversies--particularly those regarding the Hall of Fame--were manufactured. Others, particularly that regarding Press, were not. The latter case was a genuine and serious error in judgement on my part that cannot be undone, and that will forever undermine my credibility and standing on this site. For that reason, I can longer be a moderator.
Moderators must be above the fray, not within it, and certainly not the cause of it. They must exemplify the kinds of behaviors we seek to promote on this site, and not lower the bar with their mistakes. They must be unifying, active, encouraging, and well-liked. And, importantly, they must have the support of the community. I have lowered the bar beyond what I--and others--consider acceptable, and I responded to the problem in a way that was itself reprehensible. I must acknowledge that, and in that acknowledgement, I must understand that it is time for me to step aside.
I wish first to apologize to anyone hurt or disappointed by my actions, esp. Press. I wish them and him well as they move forward. I wish also to thank those who have been so helpful to me during my time as a mod here, including Mike, Virt, Castin, Speed, Supa, and others. They are good people who will continue doing an excellent job of handling the site's business. Good people can be hard to come by, and I will forever count myself lucky to have stumbled into their paths. Finally, I wish to thank the users here, who have created such a fabulous, caring, and truly wonderful community. It was an honor to be part of it.
In my last official act as Chief Moderator, I will be recommending to Mike that he replace me with Virt and replace Virt with Castin. I will suggest a few other names for the Chief and Deputy Moderator positions in the event that either is unwilling or unable to serve or in the event that Mike would prefer to choose someone besides them for those roles. It will ultimately be up to Mike and the parties he chooses to consider to decide how those positions will be filled.
My resignation will be submitted at 1:00am, EST, on 10/28/18. This brief delay will allow me to formulate my letter to Mike and bring all moderators up to speed on certain pieces of information that they will need to know prior to my departure. I believe that Mike will accept that letter of resignation. I will be asking Virt to close my account once I have confirmed that Mike has accepted my resignation. I believe my remaining here will not be in anyone's best interests--though I may briefly return at Christmas in order to wish a few people well and to provide them with details so that we might keep in touch.
Again, thank you to everyone who has been so helpful in getting this site going and in helping moderation develop. If you have any questions about these developments, please post those questions here and I will attempt to answer them to the best of my ability. This community, both on DDO and on DART, has been a part of my life for 6 years now, and I would not be who I am today without it. For parts of my life, this community has been the best part. You all mean the world to me, just as this place does, and I am sorry I couldn't be better for you. I am deeply disappointed in myself. I know that you will continue to thrive without me, for I was never that important anyway, and it is my sincerest wish that you do continue to thrive. Show the world and the web that good, honest debate by good, honest people isn't a thing of the past. So, this is where I tip my hat and bid you all farewell. Goodbye, and godspeed.
Aloha,
Bsh1, Chief Moderator
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@PressF4Respect
Well I guess we're now even
?
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@Annie_ESocialBookworm
I DM'd him
I only just read your PM, given the post I was writing.
And yes, I am happy to apologize if anyone felt wronged by my statement. It was meant as a joke, and it's intent was never to cause distress, harm, or discomfort.
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@PressF4Respect
I'm 16, 11 months, and 364 days, and I dunno how many hours
So, you're basically 17?
If you felt that my remark to you was inappropriate or harassing, I encourage you to report it to Castin or Speed. They would have the purview to make decisions in this case.
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@Annie_ESocialBookworm
I am going to respond to your post, and to the various other comments relevant here, and then I will withdraw from the thread. I am not going to engage in a prolonged debate about this, because I think the reactions here are going overboard.
I happen to remember just a few years ago when you went after Wylted for his rape debate
Correct. I did that because I, like you, believe that actual rape is vile and immoral. I do not believe we should be defending or applauding actual cases of rape. But what I said was not an intimation of rape. It was a BDSM joke. As you know, BDSM can be perfectly consensual. Unlike making light of rape, making light of BDSM is not intrinsically wrong. At no point in this thread did I talk or joke about raping anyone, nor did I endorse or make light of rape. As we all know, BDSM =/= rape.
A moderator should be a respectable member of the site and not someone who jokes with teenagers, MINORS, about bending over.
I already addressed this. This site--like DDO--allows people to argue for pedophilia, to post sexually risque content so long as it doesn't stray into the realm of porn (e.g. threads asking about the best way to masturbate), and to make racially controversial and bigoted statements. Nothing I say to anyone here is something that they could not encounter elsewhere on this site. In fact, nothing I say to anyone here is something that they probably are not already familiar with. I understand you feel strongly about this, but I think you are overreacting.
The bottom line: A 16 year old does not need to be sheltered. They are already exposed to so many of these things, not just in the world, but also on this very site. I mean, I played Cards Against Humanity the other day with a friend and her brother--who is 17--and he had a dirtier mind than I did. Maybe if Press were 13, you would have a legitimate point; but he's not, and I would not knowingly say what I said to a 13 year old. 16 year olds are not little children, Annie. I am not going to treat 16 year olds like they're 5 year olds.
I want to be clear - are you saying that this website allows people to justify pedophilia?
Again, just like on DDO, yes. There are free speech concerns at stake that people like Resurget advocated for loudly during the initial months and weeks of moderation. Even Wylted's rape debates would be allowed--utterly devoid of taste and morality though they are--because there is no point to a debate site that does not allow people to argue in favor of controversial views. While I agree with you that such debates are vulgar in every respect, I cannot begrudge people the right to voice such views without becoming a censor of thoughts, ideas, and opinions. My job is to keep debate civil. In that respect, I largely moderate how you say what you say and not what it is that you are saying. Obviously there are limits--you can't post porn, for example, and if any user feels harassed, they have every right to demand that interaction stop. But those conditions don't apply here.
I understand your objection. And I understand why you are objecting. But I think your approaching this from a moral perspective that is far more prudish than my own. Let's not pretend that you are the final arbiter of morality here.
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