Threat against Amiga sites?

[Wayne]

If Doomy is on right now, why don't you just out him?  And even if you don't, why don't you apply the TOS to the attacks that are continually heaped on the guy?  As far as I can tell, he is an Amiga.Org made villain.  How bad could he have behaved that would be worse than calling for a real life in the flesh beating?

I'm going to give you the benefit of doubt, seeing a join date of 2002, but in case you don't remember your history, Doomy, let's call him "Mr. Campbell"  actually threatened at one time to "come down to my neck of the woods and sort {me} out" (paraphrased, since the original resides with an attorney friend of mine) since he "had family down here".

Historically speaking "Mr. Campbell" had repeatedly abused this forum system (by way of multiple accounts), and it's members (by way of ripping them off on eBay), and it's staff (by way of threat over being banned) to the point where it was unilaterally decided by myself and the admins at the time that his presence was no longer tolerated.

Since then, I'm certain that George, aka "Mr. Campbell", aka Doomy, circa potentially you, has continually kept several accounts in violation of the posted rules of the site.  Traditionally, we have tolerated "him" until such time that his antics have invariably surfaced enough to ban whatever account he is using at the time.  He ALWAYS slips up and reveals himself.

Generally speaking, "We" can't stop people from reading the forums.  That's what AO is here for, but we can work towards making it a better place for the community here by way of managing any given nutbaggery on a given day.

When I say "we", of course I mean the site owners, Bill P, and the site's current list of site admins.  I gave all this up for lent, and while I have nothing seriously against "Mr. Campbell", I do think anyone this deeply attached to any hobby, while using a forum to rip off its' members may sincerely need a psychiatric evaluation by professionals.

Regards, and Merry Christmas,

Wayne Hunt
-- former site owner, now retired blogger and podcaster.
-- segwayne.com

[Wayne]

@Belial6

The issue is pretty irrelevant at this point.  George is banned.  He has been banned for years.  Whether or not he stays banned is now no longer up to me, but from what I see on the net (Youtube, etc), his tactics and demeanor have not changed.

I don't care that he threatened me.  I pretty much think, and thought at the time, that it's all laughable.  

For God's sake, I'm old enough to take care of myself, and I have enough firepower within easy reach to take care of pretty much any nutbag who bangs on my door in the middle of the night.  This is Alabama after all.

What I don't forgive, or forget, is someone who knowingly abuses a community that I had a large part of, to the extent of ripping off my friends.  Yes.  Personal friends.  People I physically know, as in "stayed in my spare bedroom while looking for a job locally" friends.  That's not heresay, or conjecture.  That's fact.

You say we're being kinda rough on ol' George.  There are times when I might agree with you that it goes too far.  That being said, when "Doommaster" put on the proverbial clown suit and painted a proverbial target on his forehead, he's pretty much made the joke out of himself over the years.

Youtube videos with him wistfully pining "Only Amiga" badly off-key have only served to reinforced his reputation as "someone we don't want around".

My advice to you here sir, and I'm being honest, is to re-read this thread with an objective mind.  Realize that it's not just me, or the admins, or the new owners, or Bill P that dislike the guy.  It's everyone pretty much universally.

As such, there's got to be something to that (we cannot all be wrong).  If you insist on continuing to play the role of his knight in shining armor here trying to defend and save him, I'm afraid you might be disappointed, as you're going to find it difficult to find any friends on this site, let alone "convert" anyone to thinking George is a good guy.

Just a thought, and I wish you a Merry Christmas.

Wayne

[Wayne]

Are some of the old crew still there then?

A lot of the "real Amiga community" (those who were around YEARS ago).  

Wayne

[Wayne]

Even though my posting count is pretty low (Think I might actually have a life )  I can not imagine life without this site.  Despite its recent increase in hostility.  The old guard seem to be keeping an even keel though.

That's the weird thing about perspective.  You see an increase in hostility.  I -- as an outsider now -- see Amiga.org as regaining a LOT of it's lost glory and sense of humor lately.  Odd.

Wayne

[Wayne]

I need to start poaching them back from whyyzat :lol:

Sorry Wayne

You keep your mis'rable grubby hands offa my posters mister, or thar's gonna be trubble like you ain't neva seen before....  

:roflmao:

[Wayne]

It seems to have carmed down again recently.   But there was a few months were its seemed nearly every post had someone shouting someone else down or being negative for the sake of it.
 
I know its always been like that here, maybe just noticed it more recently as been feeling down so maybe negativity was more apparent as had more of an effect.  That make sense ?

Online "Anonymous" forums (like this) are weird.

It's sometimes difficult to maintain order without being called "censor" or "nazi" or even "anti-Christ" (I always LOVED that one).  What I learned over the years of running Amiga.org is fairly simple.  Even wonderful, saintly people who inhabit online forums tend to adopt a "group-think" or better stated, a "mob". mentality.

Take the recent cries to forgive Doomy for example.  One guy brings up a valid point about us going to the other extreme (we do tend to slam on doomy at the slightest mention of his name) and we all jump on board to decry the poster for it.

Let's face it though, the Amiga situation is not without its' drama.  Red versus blue, we versus them, me in a steel cage match with Bill Buck.  

The list goes on and it's easy for everyone here to take sides, even though we're all really just after the same thing.  A usable, new Amiga without the $2000 pricetag or the outdated PPC hardware.  I know, I know.  We can't even all agree on that, which just further illustrates my point.

I can't think that my leaving has anything to do with the lightening up of everyone around here.  At least I hope not.  It's been more a case of no one really driving the bus, and the mods just doing their best to be jovial, to encourage people to have fun, and to contain the madness that is the AO community.

Merry Christmas Dammit.

Wayne

[Wayne]

Must... resist... prodding... sleeping bear...

:roflmao::laughing:

[Wayne]

Actually in the latter satages of a good book that is really about group/mob mentalitty.  Under the dome by stephen king.

"The Amiga Curse" by Stephen King.  Would be a great and scary read.

[Wayne]

@Wayne

I feel it was all downhill since you changed that forum 'xoops' thingy and left not long after.

OMELG!  Are you still harping on that bleep?

Sigh..  

Wayne

[Wayne]

@Wayne
Relax... It's not your problem any more

I'm not "buggin'" (my word) as much as I'm laughing that someone is still apparently hung up on it after all this time..

Wayne

[Wayne]

well, I'm not saying that new look was the cause.
still, reading one of your posts back then made me think maybe we should all just 'move on' too.

btw, you (or current owners) probably got some statistics about usage, why not share it with us?

Can't speak for the new owners, but before I left (which is now 1 year, 4 months ago) the stats were definitely up, as is bandwidth, which was interesting considering the fact that the current site is actually "lighter" graphics-wise than the old one.

Wayne

[Wayne]

And this surprises you?!

Better said that I'm "easily amused" these days...  

In all seriousness, if it were "my problem", I've been wondering why someone (anyone) out there hasn't taken the vB theme framework which is readily available and build a much more modern looking (ie - "non-look-like-every-other vB-install-out-there) theme.

I mean, why not take all the documented calls out there and make the site look much more like CNN, or even a good WordPress install.  Some things, like the forum itself would ALWAYS look like a forum, but given the time and effort, it could look SO much better/different.

Looking at this site and knowing what I do about skinning it, I often consider the idea of replacing PHPBB on Whyzzat with vB and doing exactly that.  Trouble is, I don't have $300 laying around for a new copy of vBulletin 4.

Wayne

[Wayne]

@Wayne

I feel it was all downhill since you changed that forum 'xoops' thingy and left not long after.

Just to be clear about it, I am not in any way trying to make fun, jab at, or otherwise disrespect your opinion.  I am just in a position now where I find it both intriguing and humorous that it still bothers some folks.

I do have to say -- now that I'm an outsider -- there are in fact some things about vBulletin that I really don't like (as opposed to say, a package like WordPress) but as someone else has rightly pointed out, my opinion is now worth a lot less around here than it used to be, and that's a good thing.

Wayne

[Wayne]

Sorry to play net nazi on this one here, but I just felt like I had to step in and delete 4 posts here which clearly violated the rules about insults and abuse.

Don't take it personal, and I'm SO sorry that it's *me* that stepped in, but I figure that Karlos has to sleep sometime and it couldn't wait.  The real mods here are absolutely free to override my deletion.  It's entirely up to them.

Please breathe deeply, exhale, and don't get started down the wrong path here.  We're having such fun and I hate to spoil it.

Wayne

[Wayne]

Wayne would've taken pride in his site. DiscreetFX clearly don't.

I can't say that that is, or isn't the case really.  I do know that if the new owner(s) actually made any change whatsoever, you guys would truly call for a lynching..

Wayne