"Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others?" Topic

I have to admit that I chuckled when I read this (apparently serious) comment from one of our members:

As the owner of the site clearly has no issue with the trolling and spamming problem (as long as it is coming from certain "some animals are more equal than others" type prefered members anyway…) it's a moot point as nothing will be done about the issue.

It reminds me of something that happened years ago, when a certain English fellow used to post after having taken a few drinks, and would come onto TMP and complain about rampant cronyism. His rants were often incoherent but always passionate.

It seems to me that it is human nature for some people to imagine that others are conspiring to exclude them.

There is no secret cabal on TMP. There is no secret handshake. There is no secret sub-forum. There are no Illuminati here.

Some say that I am biased in moderating the forum. If I am, it is unconscious; I certainly try to be fair to everyone. Sometimes, Editor Julia moderates the forum instead. She has no interest in Western politics! But even when she's the moderator, the complaints about bias come in.

Some even say that I hate "brown people." That seems a bit crazy. After all, I'm of Mexican-American heritage, married to an Asian. I think I'm rather post-racial.

My focus each day is on running a great website. I don't have time for spreading any political agenda (if I had one). If you got kicked off TMP, I probably don't remember you any more or why I asked you to leave. (Someone got mad at me a few months ago, when I couldn't remember him or his "crime"!)

I enjoy my job running TMP. I have some great co-workers. (Editor Hebber marks her first anniversary this week!) I enjoy my relationships with many of you. I love to read about your games and your projects and your dreams. I hope to have time to share more photos from my workbench.

If you feel like an outsider at TMP, there's an easy solution: Share your love of the hobby. Post about your games and your projects. Soon, you'll be on the inside.

That's how it works.

There is no secret cabal on TMP. There is no secret handshake. There is no secret sub-forum. There are no Illuminati here.

Fnord

Bill, you don't, but I do. I've established my Shadow Empire that I run from Cyber Persepolis right under your nose. Bwaa-ha-ha!

Fnord? My boss drives a Tesla with Fnord license plates, and the Illuminati are an inside company joke. I'm lilly white and grew up in El Paso, TX, where 'whites' were a minority…. that hardly ever occurred to me. Chuck Crain of Ral Partha told my future fellow employees that I was 'Hispanic' on (I guess) the basis I came from Texas and had a decent tan.

We all belong to a Organisation so secret, the President isn't allowed to know of its existence until his/her 4th term. We are not aware of such a Organisation, nor can we confirm or deny any or all protocals, procedures etc.

If we don't know what we're doing, neither does anyone else.

We're Comfy Chair Commandos, Supine Strategists and Think Tank Commanders.

Our minds work in a non-Euclidean Box which is inverted when we think out of the Box

All our cars are Transformer Fnord Fairlanes.

Our Blades were forged in Orbit, Firearms are Mithril-plated. We have Stasis-Compacted Green Slime Grenades.

Our MRE's enhance our DNA.

We are three buttons from the sum total of all Human Knowledge. And know how to apply it.

We are TMP..Too Many Panzers…Temporal Military Police, Too Many Paranoids etc.

Area 51 is our Casino/Resort/HQ. (How do you know if all those secret bases aren't resorts?)

We roll blank dice because we memorised where the spots are.

I'm not crazy, I LIKE to eat brains!

Wink, wink, nudge, nudge,

English, you say? Drunk? Passionate yet Incoherent?

I recognise that description… It's 'England'.

At least once, mabye more times, there has been suggested bill has a man crush /feeling pity / soft spot for me, as they felt I've gotten away with things that should have dog housed me

English, drunk, and incoherent? Well that narrows it down to about 25 million people…..

There is no secret cabal on TMP

That you know of…

Suspicions confirmed then?

I'm probably making a mistake by replying to this thread…

>>I have to admit that I chuckled when I read this

Glad I could provide you with some amusement.

>>There is no secret cabal on TMP. There is no secret handshake. There is no secret sub-forum. There are no Illuminati here.

I never made such an accusation. Hyperbole actually serves to undermine your point.

My point is that trolling, spamming, and other misbehavior seems to have a blind eye turned to it as long as it comes from certain members.

Look, Armintrout. I actually like you and value the site as a resource and source of entertainment. But I do feel that you are far too permissive in your moderation and do tend to show a bit of (possibly unconscious) favoritism. I suppose it could be far worse.

But what do I know?

Martin

It would help if you provide specifics. Are you referring to Tango 01?

If so, why would he be a "favored" individual? I've never met him.

If his posts are on topic, how could they be "trolling" or "spamming"?

I would like to see some specific examples as well. I keep reading from some people how the members here are pretty much the spawn of Satan, but I just donīt see it. Of course, I do have the UM board turned off, but if this boorish behavior is so widespread it cannot be limited to there.

Hey There TJ.!Did ya notice that my Stormtrooper boys are back? LOl

I did indeed Bill, er, Robert.

LOL I thought I had to retire them LOL. But I am not surprised really that they had to make a comeback LOL.

>>>It would help if you provide specifics. Are you referring to Tango 01?

You're just trying to trick me into violating the "troll rule" so you can toss me in the Dog House! ;-)

But seriously, yes, he's certainly one of them. But there are several high profile TMP members who are little more than trolls.

>>If so, why would he be a "favored" individual? I've never met him.

Meaningless.
Do you really think you could only show favoritism toward a member you had met in person? But I have no idea why you have a double standard when it comes to certain members of the site. I could speculate, but I'm not going to try to read your mind.

>>If his posts are on topic, how could they be "trolling" or "spamming"?

It's quite possible for on topic posts to still be spam. What would you call posts that duplicate news items that have already been posted elsewhere on the site, for example?

But as I point out in the post you quote above, this is pointless as you don't even perceive there to be a problem. Thus the problem is not going to be addressed. I suppose I just have a lower tolerance for idiocy than you do….

It's probably best if we just "agree to disagree" on the issue. It's really not that big a deal in the end. As I've stated before, TMP's trolls are fairly mild compared to those on other sites. We really don't have the serious hard core "only here to disrupt" type of trolls. (the kind of creatures that go on cat lover sites and post pictures of kittens being burned to death for example) Our trolls just tend to be idiots with a low signal to noise ratio; annoying, but not as bad as they could be.

Martin

I used to belong to a secret organisation on TMP, but the other voices in my head kicked me out.

I'd be more interested if the people who are getting special treatment were named, otherwise there is no real way to debate the truth to the claims…..and Tango isn't a spammer, he's over zealous in seeming to post everything he sees and he does repost news items (and various things) right next to topics already discussing them (a few minutes reading new posts would reduce that annoyance Tango). But he is breaking no rules and he is not spamming the site with non relevant posts or disturbing pictures. Having encountered real spammers elsewhere, its a claim that doesn't really hold water.

As I've stated before, TMP's trolls are fairly mild compared to those on other sites. We really don't have the serious hard core "only here to disrupt" type of trolls. (the kind of creatures that go on cat lover sites and post pictures of kittens being burned to death for example).

You must have missed the photo of the human being burning to death then Martin. Or maybe you didn't ……….

>>>>he is not spamming the site with non relevant posts or disturbing pictures. Having encountered real spammers elsewhere, its a claim that doesn't really hold water.

That's not really logical. It's rather like saying that a murderer who only kills a couple of people is not really a murderer because Jack the Ripper was worse. There are different degrees of misconduct. Thus spamming is still spamming even if it's not the more extreme version of the behavior.

>>>You must have missed the photo of the human being burning to death then Martin.

I must have. It's something I would have reported had I seen it. But again, that's unusual for this site.

Martin

That's not really logical. It's rather like saying that a murderer who only kills a couple of people is not really a murderer because Jack the Ripper was worse. There are different degrees of misconduct. Thus spamming is still spamming even if it's not the more extreme version of the behavior.

Not really since in my view at least it not even spamming, nor is any misconduct involved, so no your comparison makes no sense.

Claiming someone is a spammer, despite the obvious problem that your not pointing out any spam topics, just that he post to much…..I think most people agree that Tango favours the shotgun approach to posting topics and that it would be better if he put some thought and effort into his topics, as well as actually posting more than a first post and then a thank you.

The problem with using Tango as an example of favourable treatment is that anybody could post just any many topics as him and they wouldn't be breaking any rules either.

>>in my view at least it not even spamming, nor is any misconduct involved

Then you're in the same boat as Armintrout. You don't even see that there is a problem. So I'm wasting my breath and there is nothing further to discuss.

Martin

Sokath, his eyes uncovered.

I have to agree – Tango generally posts items that are gaming or modeling related, or newsworthy in some other related way. Agreed again, he does not bother to look and see if something has already been posted. Now, if you think I'm a fanboy, let me tell you his posts (as well as his attitude) annoy me so much, I have him not only Stifled but Ignored as well. So there! (And, btw, Bill has DH'ed him when he's broken the rules, so no, I don't see any favoritism there either.)

members here are pretty much the spawn of Satan

That should be spawn of "The Great Satan".

What would you call posts that duplicate news items that have already been posted elsewhere on the site, for example?

I call them targets. I nuke them when I see them, or when someone hits the Complaint Button.

Again the issue should be ones choosing privately and of no one elses business, and could be resolved with a 100% functioning ignore button or the posted name with the title. I am a bit confused at why this can not be done, I personaly do not have an issue with Tango01, only the frustration of having to sift through it all, it seems a bit excesive in my opinion and have tryed to utilize the function designed for this very reason (privately) but it is flawed and does not work properly therfore causing further discussion.

Then you're in the same boat as Armintrout. You don't even see that there is a problem. So I'm wasting my breath and there is nothing further to discuss.

Martin

So no examples of any spam posting by Tango then?

A personal problem with the way someone overposts new topics (and then doesn't take part in any discussions that follow) does not equal misconduct…..the fact is that he isn't breaking any rules, therefore he isn't committing any misconduct and when he has broken the rules he's been DHd.

I find it annoying, but not annoying me isn't a rule on TMP.

Well back to talking to TMP in general.

I've changed my settings to avoid most of Tango shotgun postings (since I found the volume annoying), so I'm hardly a fan but trying to claim favoritism when ANYBODY can post in exactly the same way without breaking the rules is a little bit silly.

I actually don't mind the duplication of news since its on different boards and the news ones can disappear quite quickly when there are a lot of news items, I'd prefer it if there was more substance to the posts but that's just my preference.