@marissa, so… what’s the story? Why were you suspended? Is there a link you can provide where we can ready some of the backstory?

Yeah, why’d you get suspended?

No, I haven’t been suspended, at least not at this point, but I want a place that all my friends will be welcome, so I’ve posted this, please forward it to anyone that would be interested. I know some are on Facebook, but I don’t really know how to use it. Also, just so you know, if I disappear from this discussion, I have little ones that might need my attention without me getting a chance to say ‘bye’ :0)

Ah… they’ve been identified as harassers… subject to a sudden reckoning against what apparently was previously lax enforcement of terms & use guidelines.

—

BTW, every time I go and look at Askville or Answers or whatever, it’s always so refreshing to return to the clean and elegant layout of the Fluther site. Seriously, I don’t know how those people get on over there.

I’ve posted that I suspended myself for 7 days in protest and probably won’t be back. Askville was lax with their policy, said in their blog they needed to clean it up—and then swooped in and cut off many heads.

PC Police!
SeekerSeeking… Oh, and I’ve asked others to join me in voluntary suspensions.

http://askville.typepad.com/askville_blog/2008/08/community-guide.html

Yes, but they are mostly good people, it is a long story. I don’t want to carry over the negativity here to Fluther.

Hi Seeker! I just wanted some place that we could all hang out together :0) I came across Fluther months ago and although I haven’t been here much, it is a great place and everyone I have met here has been really nice and fun!

Yes, it looks like I’ll be wanting a new space. I wish I had the real email addys for the suspended—anybody know any?

Thanks
Thanks for staring the site Marissa

Oh, seeker, I didn’t start this site, some other brillant people did that, I just came across it. Ironically, I found it while researching an answer for Askville…lol

Hello! I am one of the outcasts – was TurboB at askville. To clear up a few things – none of us got any advance warning that we were going to get the boot. Tried to log on and got a full page “you account has been suspended” message. I am not really too upset about being suspended, as I do admit that I had in the past harrassed members, and that is what the blog said was going to happen. What is upsetting is the 3 strike rule. I have been in contact with several of the suspended members, and all of them have stated they will not return after the 7 days are up. We have all joined other boards. I do have e-mail addresses of several of the other members, however, do not feel right about sharing them. If there are any messages I can relay, let me know!

Eureka, please just let them know that they can find me and some other here :0)

Hi all! I have been a bit out of the loop while moving but can you explain the problem to me , marissa?

Will do, Marissa. And Seeker – your protest suspension is very much appreciated by all of us “outlaws’!

Hi Marissa, Thanks for posting this question. I was suspended from Askville today. I just received an email from the Askville Team letting me know that the suspension will last for 7 day’s, beginning today. I have 3 strikes against me. If I receive one more strike within the next 3 months, I will be banned for good. After the 3 months are up, my standing will return to no-strikes. I hope to meet that deadline and rejoin Askville as a member in good standing.

I was able to find your question on Askville without signing-in. It was quite easy to find the question, because Askville allows one to not sign-in, but does allow one to read the questions and discussion boards.

I’m sad that I was suspended, but I’m not surprised. After the time a few of us, who also have been suspended, had with dealing with layyla, and not dealing well, we fell into the same kind of harassing tactics as she. I was no better than layyla was. Because I knew better.

BTW, this is Lin.

Ed, I emailed you. I don’t want to point fingers here. I want this to be our ‘happy place’...lol

Oh Lin, it is good to ‘see’ you! {{{HUG}}}

You are a very big person to be able to say that, however, I think the powers that be that let it get out of control hold most of the responsibility for the situation.

Hi guys! Yes…it’s me. Cak. I forgot I had this account!

BTW, here is a Q that I asked that the responses may help everyone that is new here.
http://www.fluther.com/disc/13820/im-new-here-can-some-one-please-link-me-to-what/

My apologies for the long link, but I don’t know how people do it where they have a word that is the link (like robmandu did above). If anyone can tell me how that would be great…hey I can ask that here!

Hi Cak!

Hi marissa! I’m confused, but going to figure this place out, eventually!

Thanks Marissa, my name on here is “bookmarks.” I’m just like Cak, I forgot I had this account, too. I took the name bookmarks after a creative writing story I wrote for a question asked by Late2Serenity, about her constantly losing bookmarks.

Hi Cak, Gosh, it’s only been a few hours and I miss my Askville friends so much. When I saw who was suspended, I couldn’t believe it. At that point, I hadn’t been suspended. My final words today on Askviller were “Oh my God!” That was when when someone wrote a comment letting us know who was suspended. Then, the hammer hit me! <boing!>

{{{{{{{{{{HUGS]]]]]]]]]]]]] To you, too, Marissa, and to Cak, SeekerSeeking, EdFoug and Trubo, yep! you, too, turbo! :)

I think I found an answer to my question “here“http://www.fluther.com/disc/19488/how-do-you-add-a-link-in-a-fluther-question/

oops it didn’t work….
here

Yeah, it worked!

Welcome outcasts! We at Fluther are proud to be the Australia of q&a sites. Take look at the guidelines, steep yourself in the culture, and welcome!

Remember as well, you can PM other users.

Will someone let me know how I can find this question once I sign-off? ~ bookmarks/Lin

Australia reference: um, where the criminals were sent back in the day? Nice!

When do I get my cool accent?

Oh wait. I already got one.

Thanks for the welcome Andrew!

@robmandu: Apropos, no?

Lin, I think if you go to your account, it should show up…but I’m still a newbie here, so maybe someone with more experience can help…

Lin! Bookmarks! I don’t know how to pm on this site…could you tell me or Pm me, I’d give you my email for you and all other outcasts! I’d like to write them or have you tell them I’d like to write them….hope my now unblinking green eye helps you folks know, it’s me the SeekerSeeking!!!

And thanks Andrew for the Aussie welcome, Mate! ;-)

@Andrew, certainement.

—

@seeker, just click on a person’s name or avatar to be presented with PM ability.

Hi, Andrew. Thank you for the welcome! :)

Seeker/Seeking, I’d recognize your eye anywhere! When I figure out how to get around this site, I’ll send you a pm with my email address and you can give me yours.

The best way for me to figure out who was suspended, was to go to Nutty’s friends list and scan each page. It’s wonderful that she has so many friends. It pays to be the leader of the Welcome wagon at Askville.

Andrew, Thank you for your greeting! BTW, we’re not all outcasts. Just Tubor and me, so far! Until the next shoe drops! ~ bookmarks/Lin

this thread is like a soap opera.. Or something along those lines.. But welcome outcasts! (is that your group name or something?)

Hey, I like that name—we be the OutCasts….if I may be so bold as to join you without [yet] getting suspended!!!

And thanks for telling me how to Pm…is it Robmandu??? They COULD made the names a bit bigger for us ‘reading impaired’ folks! hint hint!

Ahhhhhhhhhh…I’m happy to know this place…

SeekerSeekingOutCast

Oh blush, so it’s an Aussie Reference, sorry missed that. It’s late…

Thanks for the welcome TheHaight! (didn’t I tell you Askville guys the folks here are great and really nice).

heh… maybe a band name would work for you guys.

SeekerSeeking, I just sent you a PM on fluther with my home email address.

The Haight, Thanks for the greeting!

Andrew, Robmandu and TheHaught (and any other regulars out there reading this), just please let us know, if any of us newbies get too annoying or breach any Fluther ettiquette. I’m all about playing nice :0)

HI THERE!

check out the e-mail!

In response to feedback from the community we have begun stricter enforcement of our policy on harassment, and this includes retroactive enforcement for the sake of the greater community. Please review our current community guidelines and terms of service:

http://askville.typepad.com/askville_blog/2008/08/community-guide.html

We have reviewed your behavior and have seen instances where there was an intent to harass another individual on Askville. As a result we have suspended your account for a length of 7 days. Along with the suspension comes a 3-strike assessment against your account. These 3-strikes will be in place until a 3-month period of your behavior in accordance with our policy is observed, after which they will be removed from your record.

Be aware that this stricter enforcement has affected other members of the community. So long as we could see there was intent to harass another individual the result was suspension of that member’s account for 7 days along with the 3-strike assessment.

It’s with regret that we take this action as we clearly see that you’ve also provided value to the community. If you do decide to come back to Askville we’d ask that you abide by our terms of service and community guidelines. It is our belief that stricter enforcement on harassment will play a part in Askville being a safer place for people to interact.

Thanks,
The Askville Mayor

no warning, no nothing, just suspension. lovely!

oh yeah, guess who. bet it won’t be hard!

Hi avvoooo! We’re just having fun here getting to know some of the Fluther folk. Stick around here for seven days and you’ll see what a great place this is.

< < off to pop some popcorn as this drama unfolds…

Here is a Q you Askvillers might want to post on….

i had an accomplice post the letter on av. we discussed the possibilty of that putting her on the hit list, but she hasn’t done anything other… who knows? she’s on vacation for the next week anyway!

At least we can provide you all with some entertainment….

I’ll always remember this day as the famous Askville Boat Lift! Welcome to your new home.

WE’RE “THE ASKVILLE 17” NOW! WOOHOO!

Thanks for the welcome shilolo!

Hey avvooo, “The askville 17”, what about us who haven’t been banned, but just love you ‘bad boys’ (and girls) so much we can’t stay away from you :0P

Shilolo, LOL, the “Askville Boat Lift.” I hope it’s nothing like the “Cuban Boat Lift” to the US in the 1970s. Castro sent all the so-called misfits and crazy’s.

Thanks for the welcome!

Marissa, when you go back online to Askville, will you as “RG” how she avoided the suspension? ;)
~ Lin

How about the Askville 17 Plus——cause I want to be in the plusssss!! I’m outcastng my self….!

Lin, I’m not sure about ‘RG’ myself, perhaps she will be before tomorrow.

Okay, this rebel is heading off to bed…got court in the am! Wish me luck against disgruntled employee…

I’ll check in tomorrow. NityNite!

I think I’ll join you guys for the week, maybe even for good :)

I need a change of scenery

Avvooo….someone posted the letter

Good luck in court, SeekerSeeking!!

Marissa, I know “RG” hasn’t been suspended, I can see her Pooh avatar when I look into Askville’s window. I can peek, but I can’t enter the door! Say hi to mighty, autumn, rg, VB, smiley, alley and all our friends on the Party Board for me. I’m all partied out for at least a week.

KnottyNiki, How the heck are you? It’s Lin. Good to see some friendly faces here.

mighty’s out too… and i provided the letter to unicornx to post

I have a question for Fluther. When do you think Questville will begin? :-P

Mighty’s out??? How could that sweet chickie be out?

avvooooo, Mighty’s out. Oh, you’re talking about MightyCow. I meant mightymite.

I love you Lin, but I may scream if I see Questville questions on Fluther….LOL

Oh so were talking about the mighty cow, not the mighty chick….

Marissa, Just kidding! I promise I won’t ask any more questions about that topic!

BTW, all you Fluther regulars out there, I don’t want us to appear ‘cliqueish’, you have all been so welcoming, if any of our comments are too ‘insider info’ like and you would like us to explain, please just ask.

But Marissa we are cliqueish!

But we are a welcoming clique (is that an oxymoron sp?)

Not if you wrote it.

So, if Mamasu, RG, autumn, mightymite and others are on Facebook, why aren’t we there?

My problem with Facebook is that it’s too busy looking with all that clutter all over the place. I think this site is nice, because all of us can hold a conversation, instead of one at a time, like on Facebook. Unless there is a way to hold a group conversation there, but we just haven’t been able to figure out how to go about it.

gallileo girl is on with another account… “gginexile”

Oh yeah, I saw that galileogirl was suspended, too.

i’ve had facebook for YEARS so i guess i’m used to it. it wasn’t bad until applications turned up

Do you mean galileogirl is on with another account on Askville? Or on Fluther?

She’s on askville right now. I just saw a post from her. She isn’t even trying to hide her identity. Too funny.

She’s going to totally be banned from Askville.

on as “gginexile” and signing all her posts with her “real name”

So far, I like this a lot better than Facebook. It seems cleaner, but thats just me. I like it a lot so far. :)

Me too!

I just hope this site doesn’t start to give out “gold.”

I definitely like it better here, I am sooooo confused on Facebook, I need a ‘Facebook for Dummies’.

LOL!!

Ya know, not to sound critical, because I don’t know what all they have on their plate, but what is with the Askville stuff that just keeps flopping….
Questville (I know – I should be screaming at myself)
Askville Town Square
Bonus Questions
Topic Bulletin Board feature

I think they just don’t have enough staffing.

Oh and I almost forgot that voting super power thing awhile ago….

Oh God, yeah!

Aaahhh…Big ideas, small staff

Marissa, KnottyNikki, You’re going to have to be our link to our other “world,” Askville. Let we “outcasts” know what the scoop is with the latest happenings there.

Question for the Outcast 17 Plus clique: what’s gold?

Is it similar to lurve?

yes, it is similar to lurve, but lurve is much nicer, because lurve is given freely and with love. Gold has to be earned by asking, answering and voting on questions. The higher the rating for your answer the more gold. Unlike here, only those that ask or answer the question can rate the answer, it is competitive.

I never heard of lurve.

@bookmarks, I just clicked on “Great Answer” for you. Which then gives you +5 lurve points. And now you’re up to 18.

Lurve is the number next to your name. You get it when folks click ‘great answer’ on your comments and for other reasons too.

Oh, Thank you, robmandu! That’s very sweet of you. ;)

luvre

you know, you can lurk still… but not being able to comment is frustrating.

Sorry, “luvre.”

avvooooo, I was lurking a bit, that’s how I found this question Marissa asked. I don’t know if you read one of my prior comments here. I found out who most of the Askviller’s who were banned are by scrolling through Nutty’s Friends list. She has over 1000 friends!

Good to ‘see’ you PnL!

VB, You found us! Yippee!! ~ Lin/lin/Lin_Boop.

Hellllllllllooooo all my Askville Friends! Lin, Marissa, Ed, VB – I have missed you guys :). I am glad to see you all here and hope you decide to stick around. If you people have any Qs, please feel free to PM me. I just logged into my Askville, and I haven’t been kicked out. Though the fact that I have been inactive there for the last few months, I would be rather surprised if they managed to get any dirt on me.

I have found fluther to be a better site in terms of web design and simplicity. I would recommend you all run through the guidelines real quick just to get a feel for this place. Once again, welcome!

Hi PnL, It’s wonderful to see you! I wondered what happened to you.

Where’s VB?
Here’s Nutty’s Friends

I’m not crazy, I saw VacationBoy crafting a response. Then he disappeared.

Hi Lin. I blame (thank) marissa for it completely! Her question on Askville about Fluther is what brought me here :) And I saw VB crafting a response too. Now why is my favorite bartender hiding?

VB!!! {{{HUGS}}}

I got kind of lost——shocker, I know. I was just thinking that “The Outcasts” is almost as good as “The Hugely Irrelevants”.
Hi everybody!

marissa – Who’s the stalker now…Mwahhaaaaa! LOL!

Hi VB! I was a bad boop and got spanked by Mr. Mayor.

PnL, thanks for the link to guidelines, I’m hoping this Q and discussion doesn’t violate this rule “Off-topic chatter or an inside joke”. I hope I’m behaving here.

Tsk, tsk…Lin/lin…You always walk right along the edge, don’t you? Ooops! Aree we not supposed to go off topic? What is the topic?

Yeah, you get to stalk me VB! I’m so excited!

Are typos acceptable here? I’ll try to do better…

I think this Q can be excused from the general guidelines since it involves a bunch of newbies (to this site) reuniting. As for general chatter, discussions don’t go as long here as they do in askville. But that’s because we have a real live chat room for that :). I am a chat moderator, and will PM whoever wants a chat room link. We don’t keep it public so as to avoid trolls.

VB, I was trying to be good, but then you left Askville for a while and I didn’t have your guidance to take me back to good side of the ville.

I’d love a chat room link. However, I think, if it is okay with the Fluther regulars, we should keep ‘visiting’ here, so if any other Askville newbies show up, they can see we are here.

soooo… question. don’t think i’ll use it, my style is too distinctive… if i switch wireless networks… does that affect my ip address?

Marissa, I think we’re following the guidelines here. If I remember, 2 of your topics for this question are “chat” and “Askville.”

@ marissa – i agree you should continue talking her to welcome the other askvillers.
@ avo – that will affect your IP address

I’m a super-newbie, so I’ll look to PnL to give us some guidance…Don’t want to mess up somebody’s nice clean floors..

ooookie dookie! good to know. i thought that was it, but didn’t want to post on av and give people ideas.

VB, Were you shocked when you went on Askville tonight and saw that some of your friends were suspended?

A question whose answer should be obvious, but I’ll exploit my ignorance for as long as I can. How do I find this discussion again? Is there a search feature? And why don’t I read about the site instead of vbothering everyone?

I was a bit dumbfounded as I hadn’t been on AV for a week or so..

@VB – to answer your Q, to find this discussion again, it will show under your “Activity for You” which can be found under your username in the top left hand corner

VB, it should show up in your profile, I also search ‘Askville’.

PnL, you are a doll, thanks for helping us all.

Also, I have made this temporary chat room especially for the new members, so you can talk instantly, if you would like to join it.

I’m going to have to sign-off. Got a lot to do tomorrow, and need to get some sleep. It’s been wonderful to see my friends tonight. I was feeling a bit low after being suspended. I hope to see you tomorrow.

PnL, Thank you for setting up the temporary chat room!

Night-night!

Woot!

post 28
I think you can access the comment even if you are banned.

Hi there Goldie!

Wow, went to get my hair done, came home and I’d been booted from AV.

hey goldie! join us in the chat room if you can spare the time

I guess I need to comment so I can find this again?

<anxiously awaits the flood of iPhone / favorite t-shirt / Mac vs. PC questions>

Welcome to Fluther BTW :)

Welcome mighty!

Thanks for the welcome Dave!

@mm – you can also follow threads by clicking “Start Following” under the Q description (for future use)

OK, thank you!

If you aren’t banned and have an Askville account, you can put http://www.fluther.com as your website on your profile, then folks will know where to look for you.

jaw drops!

Welcome new folks. Anyone PnL vouches for is OK by me. Enjoy our Zen simplicity.

@breedmitch – aww i appreciate that compliment :)

I have been spending the past week learning Facebook (and discovering how many people I know who are also on Facebook) but now I suspect I will be spending the next week learning to fluther.

I like a couple of the games on Facebook and the way to stay in touch with relatives and post fotos and such, but the question answering and writing is missing from there, so I imagine I will become active here.

Interesting site.

welcome darwin! if you have any Qs, feel free to ask me or leave a message in this thread.

I was actually going to bed when I stumbled on fluther and the Askvillians (meaning “bad” Askvillers) here. I am sure I will have questions eventually but right now I really do need to sleep. :-)

Hasta manana!

It’s manana. I found you guys. You can’t get away from me!

I wish there were time stamps on here. Hi autumn!

Hi mighty. Does this picture make me look fat?

Nope. It’s adorable!

Haha. I guess PC123 will be here any minute! (hopefully)

I better get back to work. I took a 15 min. break 45 minutes ago! SYWISY!

Good morning, AV17+. It’s like a ghost town over there.

<< looking around… looks nice here!

I love the little sayings they put up by your username (top left)...so funny.

hi mm! I’m learning my way around on here.

Me too…I’m afraid if I venture out of this question I will get lost! haha

Good morning folks! Thanks for the welcome breedmitch.
Good morning Divalicious (do I know you?)
Autumn, mighty and Darwin – great to see you!
I hope mamasu and the rest of the gang find us!
Mighty, I agree about time stamps :0)

Mr. M!!! Good morning!

I found you but I can’t say with certainty I’ll be able to again! :)

I’m paranoid this site will suspend my account! The Askville action has caused emotional abuse!

Believe me it is much easier than it seems. Since you have posted on this Q, it will show up on your profile under ‘activity for you’. You can also follow a question by clicking “follow this link” at the top of a question.

This site is hard to learn? I don’t know what I’m doing!

Can I make out on this site?

Good morning marissa and Mr M.

So is this okay that we are just making comments here and not answering the question?

Here is a question I asked that should help.

Yes, at this point, there is also the chatroom. Andrew, one of the founders of Fluther chatted with us last night and has been very welcoming.

Here is where you can all ‘sign in’ and also see other Askvillers.

@marissa When I joined this morning I had a banner directing me to you and PnL. Is big brother hovering, or is this actually a well-oiled, working site? Wow.

if you scroll up to PnL’s post and click on ‘chat room’, you will enter the chat room. I am there right now :0)

The banner is what Andrew put together for us last night to make everyone feel welcome. It isn’t ‘big brother’. Askville and Fluther are not associated. This site isn’t as big as Askville and the people here are really nice. It is also very well attended by moderators, so you won’t find the nastiness that you find on Askville.

Andrew rocks, and it definitely worked. Thanks!

Hi all! I just wanted to post that I’m here too even though I wasn’t suspended. It’s a mess on AV.

Yes, Andrew does rock and Hi BarbieM! I really love this place!

The only bad thing is that I’ll spend even more time online now!

Yes, but at least you’ll be in good company :0P

Hi Barbie! I thought I had a lot of windows open before…and now…geesh!

I know mighty, windows, windows, everywhere…lol
There are some more folks in the chat room, including Poppet, Jason and Avvvooo

Ah-Ha! I found my banished askville friends!

Hi tedibear!

Shilolo – thanks for the welcome! I see a few more of the askville 17 and some others also found their way here. It is nice to see old faces and make some new friends!

Hi, everyone.

YEAH!!! I found you!!! I felt lost!!! I logged in to AV this morning… and whoa…. crickets
I was off AV yesterday b/c I had to work registration… a sure sign school is about to start.. SIGH… when I logged on Av this morning… whoosh…..
BTW Paradise T is also suspended.
Thanks for the idea of posting the fluther website on AV, marissa.. heading over to do that now!

Hi empresspixie and readtolive!!!

https://fluther.campfirenow.com/room/171049

we are in the chatroom for Askvillers, if the above link doesn’t work, scroll up on this Q to PnL’s ‘chat’ link.

I just joined this site a few minutes ago after findling your link on AV….. still trying to navigate, so the links are helpful!!:-)

Hi kids. Popping in to say hi before I hit some have toos in the real world. I’ll pop into the chat room a little later

Hey.. looky
http://askville.amazon.com/17-people-suspended-askville-needed/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=13865436
If you can…:-)

oops.. ParadiseT did it in protest….

Alright, first off, hi…shout out to all my suspended peeps.

If a second post shows up under my name, it’s because I typed my “answer”, then joined, it said it would save it, but it doesn’t appear it has, but my luck, it will show up anyway when I least expect it.

Re my avatar, didn’t pick it, but I kinda like it.

I read some of these comments last night, but was trying to get a better handle on what was going on before I popped over.

Re the suspensions, wow, don’t know what to say. Still not sure how to react. From what little I do know, I am guessing this has a LOT to do with the back and forth between the majority of the AV17, and one particular person who shall remain nameless (as she already has too many names over at Askville to begin with). A lot of the back and forth I know was about how this person was gaming the system for more gold. As I never really cared about the gold, and I never personally had a run in with the person, I stayed out of it, so I’m admittedly a bit out of the fray now. But I saw enough of the back and forth to draw a few conclusions.

First, though I’m not going to judge who crossed the line and when. If I am to just assume that you all did cross that line, here’s what I have to say about that. It seems to me that the same people suspended were the ones absolutely SCREAMING for Askville to take some action. They did not, and y’all got frustrated (understandably).

So, in a way, Askville itself was the catalyst…had they acted, some of you may not have gone off the deep end per se.

In light of this, I think a 3 out of 4 strikes and a week suspension is way too harsh, particularly when there is no warning given.

It also seems that they are giveing everyone the same treatment, regardless of who set this off, and who went the “most” crazy (who threatened to sue over having their feelings hurt for example). Doesn’t seem consistent or fair.

And I’m never a big fan of retroactively applying new rules. There were perfectly good rules already in place to deal with the behaviours they wanted to punish. If they had consistently and fairly applied them, they could have given some people one, two or three strikes, taken away set amount of gold, etc. No one had any way of knowing in the heat of the exhanges that they could get snared in the same net and now be one step away from a lifetime ban.

I also worry in that it seems many of those on this list were the most vocal critics of Askville. For example, OldHippie who hasn’t as far as I see made an appearance here, I know went as far as to call the Askville Mayor out in question form to say, looks like you aren’t going to do squat. I worry is this retaliation…is it not HOW you leveled your criticism, but at WHOM? I can’t back that up with anything but a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I’m hearing others say they don’t think that’s it. But if anyone feels targeted, I’d be interested in knowing.

As for me, I’m not leaving AV just yet, but I also won’t stick around if it becomes a facist regime. I’m sticking around to see where the chips fall, to show solidarity, and to serve as a link between these two communities. I’ll have to see how I like this place.

I heard Poppet was inquiring about me, so hi Poppet.

I’ll be back.

I followed the link. Several people changed their avatars, and then got scared they would also be banned, so they changed them back. I get the feeling that some of the people over there are walking on eggs, wondering if they, also, are gonig to be suspended. I cannot complain about my suspension, as I did what they are saying I did. It would have been nice if they had followed the actual procedure for suspension, instead of changing the program and booting us out in a 2 hour period. What tickles me is the people that were not suspended – one even still has a post showing that insults anothers Mother with an obscene word. What bothers me the most is the suspension of the users that did NOTHING except copy the actions of a long time abuser. Goldie and Poppet, in my mind, did nothing to warrant this treatment.

Thanks for coming by Dale! I agree with your comment, I wasn’t banned, but I am trying to keep folks in touch, by being here and at Askville.

My avatar over there is staying what it is until I say otherwise. I ain’t walking on no eggs for no stinkin’ mayor.

Dale, that’s a great point. I fully admit crossing the line a number of times, quite some time ago. The problem is, I sent dozens of PMs to the mayor and begged for help. The few responses I received were to tell me they didn’t want to get involved in disagreements and were leaving it to us, as members, to handle. Now I’m serving the same consequence as someone who threatened me and harassed me endlessly. I don’t mind the suspension. Frankly anybody who crossed the line should have the same consequence. It should be equitable. I asked for equal treatment and accountability for all. I don’t think the carryover of 3 strikes is equitable. I never had a post removed or any warning in over a year. For months, I have treated layyla with respect, even when disagreeing with her. She and her pawn used PMs to threaten me and askville did nothing. I say we should all be held accountable for our behavior. That’s fine. Continuing to punish us after we have served our time is ridiculous, especially given how far back they had to go to find a reason to punish some of us.

It’s definitely shaking my faith in the site. I agree with accountabiltiy for all, but I guess I see a difference between collusion combined with PM harrassment and threats, and calling someone out in a rather combative manner because the powers that be tell you to deal with it yourself. Could be a net positive, but I’ve lodged my complaint, we’ll see what happens.

hi everyone i may never want to go back.

i received a pm from one of the instigaters asking me what he could do to help get you guys back.

Just wanted to poke my head in and say hi.

So what does everyone else in fluther think about the flood from AV?

Talking about those of us who have left in disgust, Feisty?

I really must eat lunch, but the live chatting and quick responses have caught me in the net.

yeah, i told him if he wanted y’all back to pm christian and he said he did. i told him i might be suspended in the next few days and thought he should be too..

I told Christian in a PM that I’d be back when the suspensions are over. not before.

Christian showed up somewhere to say that playing with the Suspended avatar was A-OKAY with all of the workers. They totally expected it.

i am still on but watching, i sent christian a pm and told him they were wrong especially when some of the people who started it are still there.

Just so you know, the folks at Fluther have been more than welcoming. The cofounder, Andrew, chatted with us all last night. He even set up a special message for us from Askville.

i saw that Empress, but i did not change mine back for fear of suspension, i did it because you could not tell who was who, an o was suspended and who wasn’t.

i have to get used to this site and figure out how to pm, as most of you know i am not computer literate. i am lucky i got this far.

Sorry guys, but “you know who” was harassing a number of the suspended people for a LONG, LONG time. Overtly and in secret PM’s. Legal threats, even. We can’t even conceive of everything they put up with, yet some are saying those people acted the same as “she”??! You’re wrong. NO WAY. Meanwhile, these same people bothered NO ONE. NO ONE. Eventually, like the kid who gets beat up by the bully in the school yard, when the teacher’s not coming around, you have to defend yourself. And if I see someone getting a beating and I think I can help, I will. If I saw YOU getting a beating and I thought I could help, I would. I just realized, I’m even doing that NOW. And the people I’ve helped appreciated it greatly. In turn, people have helped me in some “discussions”. And I appreciated it greatly. That’s what it’s all about.

I responded to the email I got from AV challenging them to tell me where I “harassed” anyone that wasn’t in direct response to something the OTHER person said first (either in the same board or a prior one). What? I should feel guilty that I sometimes wiped the Askville floor with the person who first attacked me? No. I won’t. That’s how it works sometimes, i.e., the bully picks on the WRONG kid. Because you like the person that started it with me, I’M the bad guy? Too bad for YOU. That’s why I won’t go back to AV. I have no intention of doing anything differently.

The reason I think I was suspended? When I posted the question calling attention to the repulsive, evil remark she told Cak, a woman with cancer, of how her God would make her sicker if she dared be “negative” with her. And I, on the other hand, can’t imagine why someone would just do nothing and allow someone else to say that to Cak. Screw them. I’d do it all again.

i agree with you Mr_M and i told christian the same thing. it was wrong and i expect more suspensions to come down.

Chimp, up until yesterday, I was in the moderates’ camp, even where she-who-must-not-be-named is concerned. When I looked all the “suspendeds” on my friends list this morning, I decided I needed to act. Enough is enough.

sorry i don’t know who most of you are, with all the name changes, but i did not change mine so my friends could pm me and let me know who they are, and you may notice my puppy is not laughing right now.

Mr_M, you’re right. How often did we beg the Mayor and team for help. They ignored us or told us to handle it, but tied our hands and took away the tools to ‘handle it.’

I will accept responsibility for my behavior, but I will not apologize for doing their job for them or for standing up to a bully. When I was told to just take the threats Layyla and Rufus handed out via PM, it was the last straw.

What they allowed to be said about CAK was when they lost all of my respect. Even if I stay active on Askville, I don’t I’ll ever be able to respect them. I wasn’t banned, but had I been around when that was going on, I know I would have said somethings that would have gotten me banned.

hello all yes it is me hammer thanks for the invite cat

How do you get to the chat room from here?

Just go to the Fluther main page. At the top, there’s a welcome message to the Askville Outcast 17 Plus, as well as a link to the chatroom just for you guys.

Chimp, it’s https://fluther.campfirenow.com/room/171049

@ichthe, that link won’t work consistently. Campfire redirects you from the “real” link to one of those “room” links. And they start to fail.

You’ll want to bookmark: https://fluther.campfirenow.com/ae568

Thanks Rob.

Thanks!

Heh… the welcome I just mentioned has already disappeared from re-appeared on the main page. Oh wells. Glad I linked the chatroom in here directly.

Are the new posts at the top or bottom?

@aie, new Questions appear at the top of the list. While new Quips always appear at the bottom.

Good question highlighting an interesting interface conundrum!

Thanks Rob! Welcome Hammer!

Good Morning Everyone!

Well, I wondered if I’d feel differently today about being a self-indicted BadAsk and banning meself. But I don’t. Only difference is I know I won’t be going back after my 7 days self-imposed, except to tell them bye.

Good to see everyone, I hope I’ve gotten you all on my ummmm “fluthers list’, ie friends… I didn’t know Andrew was the co-founder until this am! Why, thank you Andrew! and also to PLn.

I will admit to a bit of paranoia…but I’m working it out! At least and at last there are no more BONUS Questions…LIKE “How many fingers are on 1 human hand?” hahaha,
Just wanted to say good morning, er…afternoon…
SS

Hi Seeker! Folks are chatting in the chat room again :0)

Seeker, you aren’t going back?

Hm, I just realized I fat fingered my screen name here. Oh well, you all know it’s me. Seeker, those of us in self-imposed exile have to go back. It’s the only way to let them know we aren’t going to be bullied out, even by the powers-that-be.

Please come back . . .

weeeeeeee!

Hi friends, It’s Lin_Boop. I just wanted to say hello to all my buds from Askville. Hi autumn, mightymite—my Party Board bestest buds. Love to all of you. This is a drive-by hello. I have an appointment which I’m going to be late for unless I get a move on!

Update from an outcast! Marshall tried to e-mail Christian for some explaination – only to find that Christian had blocked him from sending e-mails. funny, since Christian was always e-mailing Marshall wanting tips on monitoring!!

Hi all
I just wanted to enter this db. I’m trying to get you all included into my Fluther. I’m going to have to go out for a bit, but from what I’ve seen, I like the layout of this place and the fact that you can do live chat easily. So I’ll be back later. Just wanted to say hey and
happy day

I wish Marshall would join in here.
I emailed to the email addy that sent me that canned “explanation” but no response. It didn’t bounce back though.

we all have to go back to try to take care of what the others can’t . i am now waiting for a response from Christian to my pm, also Goldie’s letter has been posted by Katy, and last the word is that Christian as pm’ed several folks that are not involved asking them what they think.

I hope this gets straightened out soon. . . but I feel like there will be some fallout.
Some folks may not come back.

Once again, welcome AskVillians. We hope you enjoy your stay here.

Feisty, as of last night, I was one of those he PM’ed asking what I thought, so I hope it added some weight to what I told him this morning. Haven’t been back to check my messages in a while.

Hey, Andrew, thanks. I like the neighborhood. I might build a house here.

Andrew, very kind of you. Thanks!

thank you andrew.

Hey guys! It seems everything has been said. I feel action was necessary but I don’t agree with specifics of the action and how it was taken.

Dale- As soon as I saw there was a loooooong post I realized it should be yours!! :)

And btw, this is Paradise.t!

Paradise.t! Nice look . . .

OK, I’m getting a little lost here. I might have to explore more when I get home this evening.

Is there a way to get to the most recent post without scrolling to the bottom?

As for going back, I don’t think ANY of us 17 should EVER go back. Why? Anyone I want to reach from AV I CAN. And they can reach me.

I had it bookmarked somehow, but I don’t remember how.

@mr_m – when you come to thread from “Activity you are following”, it takes you to the latest quip that you haven’t read.

@Mr_M, when you visit the “Activity for You”, the links there will automagically take you to the newest quip you haven’t seen yet… even if there are 40 that follow. So that’s nice.

But short of scrolling, no, there’s no other way to get to the bottom.

Jinx, @PnL! You owe me a Coke!

Thanks for answering so quickly.

I lost the chatroom…is there a way to get back in?

;-P

Is this it?
https://fluther.campfirenow.com/ae568

@ goldie – here you go.

ooops. missag got it too!

Did my screen name change?

YESSS ! THANKS ANDREW !!!

is there a way to reply to a reply?

well evidently it ws believed by one individual that I was “calling her out” when I posted to a db. It would have been nice if she had simply pm’d me and asked me about it. But Christian evidently believed HER and he didn’t bother to Pm me either. I just has to say folks that I have a very very sick feeling in me tummy.

did anyone look at the evidence?

I’m telling you I have had NOTHING from anyone at Askville except that “canned” so-called explanation. I’m getting very very saddened by this.

And I’lll say this NO ONE, not me, poppet, layla, Marshall or ANY of the 17 should be given that much power from Christian or any PTB

i agree cat, but i am really ticked also because he will not respond to my pm. he hands down crap and disappears.

PTB is what again?

Powers That Be – sort of like the true Kings of Askville. ;-)

Hey, I’m beginning to think layyla used rufus to put legal pressures on AV and was empowered by that.

Might not be off base there, Mr. M. Business people react to business concerns. Rickisgirl posted a cc of a PM layla sent to Rufus in which she said that Christian had asked her who was bothering her, and essentially the list of names she gave were the ones that were suspended. She almost bragged about her power in my view, seemed like she was saying that a couple people who should have been suspended weren’t because she didn’t name them. So much for them not taking sides.

Hello lovelies!

hello RebeccaLove, i am feisty.

Hi feisty, nice to meet you :-)
Are you from AV too?

yes, just came in today. are you new here too?

yes…kind of liking it!

are you feisty on AV too?

that is SOOOO awesome when you can see someone “crafting” a response!
Great!

yes feisty/sugar with the laughing puppy, but he isn’t laughing now

i know, but it is so different, have you been in the chat room?

not yet…I’ll have to go check it out sometime. Must go now…hope to see you soon :-)
thanks for the short chat :-)

you are welcome, i enjoyed it.

Me too :-)

Welcome Rebecca and everyone else who joined recently! Hope ya like it here, and feel free to ask me any Qs about the site :)

i think its funny that some of the people who led passive aggressive attacks on askville are coming on here and pretending they’re “nice”

well i am not passive agressive, i was lonely avoooo, no one to have fun with

Hi everyone!

hi mits.

I seemed to have missed all the drama

avoooooo i missed y’all, an i know what you mean

another reason tearing 8 ligaments in my kne was a bad thing

yeah you did mits, i am waiting for the ax to fall on me. are you doing ok? silly of courseyou aren’t.

hey FS how did Diva get suspended?

how did i not get suspendedafter the way I acted?

she didn’t she is just wearing the avatar, paradise didn’t either

see how much I missed?

it’s not over yet sweetie. and scorpio is still there.

I was on the beach on Sunday playing in the surf and a wave flipped me ass over teakettle and bent my knee backwards

whoo, bet that hurt like heck. and still does.

cant even use my crutches at worek so I have to stand on it

though doc orders are off feet till saturday

that must be hard to do.

Huh? even MitsuNeko is here!!!

hi boxing…................

LOL gee thanks boxing do I seem that clueless?

fs, try pure agony 9+ HRS a day and they only gave me 6 painkiller tablets on Sunday

can you ask for more?

hi feisty..

no, Mitsu I just meant that you had been so quiet lately…

she has been working like a dog.

Can’t tell which of these was posted last or how long ago, but I just stopped by to say hey. “HEY!” Okay, I’m good…

hi WD

Feisty, I think I may really end up liking this place!

me too if i ever get used to how to get around.

Well, I just now found this so I’m definitely behind the curve. However, this is really cool!

it is but the chat room…..i can’t keep up and type too.

Me either! Crazy action going on there. I feel like I’m an octogenarian in a kindergarten class! I’ve gotta run, but hopefully I’ll see all of you later tonight.

later…...................

I am not a chat room person LOL

Hi WD
I was joking boxing
fs it cost 325 for the short appt and I am not paying that plus gasd to drive 350 miles just for a few pills

gee Cat we have the same name sorta

oh mitsu – feel better fast – yeah I know light kitten ;-)

I still feel so lost here! I was so annoyed today that I just DID sign on! I posted my feelings on AV and came here!

hi cak

hi cak – hang out for a bit, you’ll get the hang of this and it’s actually very nicely put together.

Remember, it’s me. Sometimes, finding my way out of a paperbag is difficult! :)

are we twins separated at birth?

oh gosh i understand cak – i like the live chat aspect of that here. and it’s amazing to be able to do live chat in one tab and this DB in another

LOL…FS, sometimes, I wonder!

Can someone send me a message w/ instruction on where to find the chat?

here ya go cak
https://fluther.campfirenow.com/ae568 – you need to bookmark THAT link, not what will show up in your browsers address

hey cak!

i get lost sometimes even after both ends are cut off

follow the link to the chat mitsu – you can right clik and it will open in a new tab

I dislike chats

i meant sometimes I get lost in conversations like a cat lost in a bag with both ends cut off LOL

hey bosM – OK mitsu

no problem this works good too

So this is where the AV16 are hiding! Miss you guys. I’ve PM’d Christian and also posted to several DB’s about not liking how they handled this. Too bad, they’ve got some real governance issues.

Hey Mutsu BRB, dinner time!

hi bos

hi bos

hehehe…there yall are!! this seems like a nice neighborhood.

hey jemsmom. welcome!

thanks!! I have blue and green ribbons tied to my mouse in support of all but 2 of the AV 17.

i need to catch my gerbil named Mou and tie ribbons to him?

The PTB on AV said they will be retroactively suspending more ppl, I might be on that list as I know I have flirted around with some dirty jokes, etc…oh well..

yeah..mitsu..if you can catch him…tie one on him

Mouse*

jemsmom dare I ask which 2 are not on ribbon favor with you

ya know, there’s enough of us, we could pick a yahoo chat room and take it over

between my politician joke and my ranting during layyla’s circe act…..I may be gone soon too

i dont do chat rooms

hmmm….they would be the evil maggitrocious and galileo girl whom I recently took a minor disliking to. there is another av who should sure as heck be kicked off for her nastiness but we shall see on that.

the one good thing about a yahell chat room is that you can put all the retards, lamers and bots on ignore and you are left with only the ones you wish to bs with

i never had an issue with #2…........

but i liked my joke that got me in hot water in OA

but anal sex never went over well there LOL

gg started making really off the wall mean comments here and there and it really seemed like she was smoking something . one post she was nice and the next she was a bit## out of hell.

they dont like anal sex because they are too anal. (not that i can say i like it ..but i know i am not anal)

so let’s go for it….................

I posted a joke I was emailed about a woman asking if it was safe to have anal with her husband and he asked if she enjoyed it. She explained that it was peasureabl and the doc asked that they always use condoms to prevent pregnancy right?
The woman was baffled and said she thought you could not get pregnant during anal and the doctor looks at her and asks “Where dou think politicians come from?”

LOL..that’s funny!!

OBTW…they already have the anonymous answerer till final ratings in deal going on. Its only 2 am here…hmmmm and this was just done within the hour.

well..i will catch up with yall later. the butt crack of dawn comes pretty early around here. (dawn really needs to wear pants that cover her crack if you ask me.)

LOL – you have a great evening and thanks for the supportive comments you’ve left at AV

i know the feel jem…its 830 and I get up at 4 am

I am waiting on a reply about the aspects of freedom of speech and how it applies to askville since askville is based in the US. If anyone around here knows…let me know and give me solid evidence.

night yall!

night jems

I have to sign off now, but this will be here tomorrow.
I said it in the chat https://fluther.campfirenow.com/ae568 and I’ll say it here as well. YOU folks are the reason I stuck around in Askville and I am very happy to be part of a community that is bold and brave in their thinking – that is diverse in opinion and that can share laughter and tears. Thank you all! You many not know how you touch the lives of others. You certainly have touched mine.

Oh by “this” I meant this DB – LOL

Hey all, sorry for not responding earlier but I’m back. Good to see some friendly faces. Sorry about all the grief this week. That decision AV made blew me away. Too bad. Hey if they look back 3–4 months I’m gone too, I got into it with MTC pretty good at one point. GTG

hi bos, we might all be gone, but the fact is they did not get the main ones.

You have a good point Feisty. I think they said there are more to come. How’s that for building anxiety in a community? What are they thinking? I’ve said it all along, they’re a group of young developers, not a group of leaders who know how to run an organization. Too bad.

i should be goingf to Bos

And they DID get layyla fs. It is a start. maybe Spenn is next

Did anyone see the mayor post from 5 minutes ago? They’ve reduced the 3 strikes to 2 based on community feedback.

http://askville.amazon.com/other%27s-join-Pat_Alli-protest-suspended-matter/DiscussionBoard.do?requestId=13847542&page=9&scrollToLatestComment=true#db

The Mayor’s post is #89

Hi all, L2S here, I’d forgotten I was a member here, it is so long since I posted…. At least I can keep up with my friends who won’t be around for a week or two.

what friends?

you have friends?

I’m beginning to wonder, seeings some people have been telling me one thing and then denying that they said it to others.

nope. that’s not OUR game. neither is making stuff up out of thin air to “prove our points.”

Excuse me, what is it you think you’re talking about?

do you think we can’t read the dbs?

I know you can read the DBs, so what.

we can read the spiteful, untrue things that you’re writing. NOBODY that i’ve talked to, and i’ve talked to almost everyone, says that they said jack to you. i have no idea why you weren’t suspended, but if i were you i’d be keeping a lower profile. round 2!

Really, so when Lin posted that she understood why it happened to her, she was lying? And I need to make this up because….

@ avoo and tantigirl – please let’s not get askville anger onto fluther. Let’s just enjoy this site without getting into any personal attacks? Thanks..

“them” is plural

I haven’t attacked anyone, I was however accused of making stuff up, as though I need to do that.

Yes I know them is plural, and just because they haven’t told you doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened, it just means you don’t know about it.

i’m not the only one who has talked to other people. there are a LOT of us, some have talked to some people, some to others. but so far, its pretty much down to layyla, lin, and gg (who shows no “remorse”) that could have talked to you. and nobody else wants to. simple truth.

you’ve been diging your own hole with people’s opinions of you on the boards the past 2 days.

You don’t know anything really, so it should be left at that. I don’t intend to get any further into a “he said, she said” argument.

Take the drama to another place. Like http://gizmodo.com. We don’t need or want your drama.

We’ve stopped, won’t start it back up.

I personally always thought that though we may not see eye to eye part of a good relationship is areeing to disgree and acting like we are all mature adults. And yes I am aware I act like a big baby sometimes. And I agree with John,,,,, no drama here please. We have enough of it on Askville, and if we wanted more we could just go to myspace or as I clled it last time I was ther -myspaz

those were supposed to be…. not ,,,, oopsie me

Hi everyone, Lin_Boop, here. I was peaking through the window into Askville, and read the message Mr. Mayor posted on a comment board. It appears the powers that be have decided to rescind the 3 strikes against those of us who were suspended and lower it to 2 strikes. I don’t know what that means. I guess it’s good news. I wonder if he’ll send we suspendee’s an email about that?

It’s great to see so many old friends here. I “left” Askville so abruptly, I wasn’t able to say “So Long.” I must say, when I was scanning the Questions and Db’s off and on since yesterday, I was rather surprised to see so many who should have been suspended still there. Don’t get me wrong. I should have been suspended. Probably back in the beginning of the layyla/blue haired old ladies day. If it is true what someone wrote about Layyla giving names to Christian about those who have been harassing her, fine. But, I believe Christian should have given equal time to those she named.

I am just awaiting an ax to fall on my head one day

Mitsu Neko, I don’t believe any ax will fall on your head. For the most part, the ax fell on those of us who were deserving of it.

avvooooooo, Regarding your comment to L2S, you can remove my name from your guess of who has been talking with her. I don’t know how to reach L2S. She and I have never exchanged email addresses. I wish we had.

@L2S, Now that I do know how to contact you on this site, I’m going to send you my home email address. Just in case I decide not to return to Askville. Thanks for being such a good friend to me. Did you notice the name I selected as my ID on Fluther? “bookmarks.” It was because of your question about your losing your bookmarks, and my taking a chance on a “creative writing” challenge by answering your question. Your question gave me the opportunity to realize I just may have a bit of skill in writing stories. Thanks again, friend. Love ~ Lin

I didn’t say we spoke either Lin, she assumed it I think. Anyway, I don’t want to start this up again here, we can talk about it in the chat room. Avvoooo I’d like to talk about it there other than here.

Yep, I did notice your name here LOL.

“Really, so when Lin posted that she understood why it happened to her, she was lying? And I need to make this up because….”

She posted it publically avvooooooo, that is what I was talking about.

Alright, where is everyone tonight?

WDLittle…good to see even a relative newbie (compared to these longtimers) has come over….

Been hanging since last night! Definitely a newbie here. And, I’m actually liking this alot more than AV, (except I’d like to be able to see when the previous post was made. I don’t know what’s active and what’s stale). Cool site though!

Quick announcement about the temporary chat room that we made for you guys. Today, Aug 7th, will be the last day that the temporary chat room will be open. For further information about this, please check out this link

Thanks!! And hope you jellies like it here :)

fascinating. I skip fluther for a day… And there’s 257 new responses on this!

Looks like I missed a lot. Serves me right for having a life (i.e., a 3-year-old at home) after working hours.

Note to all, I signed in on Axedville this morning, checked my action items, and signed out. It’s like the place has been stripped of its soul. I pledged that I would not participate in the community until my friends were back, but at the moment, I’m not even interested in lurking there. I might not go back at all. That’s kind of a flip-flop for me after all the times I’ve sworn I wouldn’t let the trolls and bullies run me out. I can deal with them – but how do I stand up to my own contempt?

PnL – I like that the moderators are quite involved in the DB’s and chat rooms. I would bet that it keeps the harshness to a minimum. From what little I’ve seen, everyone still talks and says what they feel/think/believe without fear. A very nice combination.

Just popping in to say good morning. I can’t seem to open this page on my other computer. It just opens a blank white page. As this computer is not convenient, I won’t be on much.

While I’m on here, may I please request that the bickering above not be brought here? The folks at fluther haven’t just been welcoming, they have creating special circumstances to allow us a forum to be supportive of one another. Bringing the bickering is a slap in the face to those who have bent over backwards to be good to us. Not very gracious. I don’t suggest we all have to like one another, but take the dislike and need for rebuttal elsewhere.

hello everyone, just dropped in to say hi.

Hi! I just didn’t want this question to die out yet. :>

maybe i can help, missag.

I don’t think they expire, missag. I think tempers have settled a little, but every time I look over at Axedville, my blood starts to boil again.

I was just thinking, though, that we ought not to make this nice place an extension of Askville by talking only of that. Why don’t you post some of your great brain teasers for the benefit of the flutherites. I think they’d go over pretty well here, although I don’t know how well they’d work with all the answers being immediately visible.

That is a brillant idea Ich! I hope everyone is takening a swim in this wonderful ocean by asking and answering questions here.

whoops ‘taking’ not ‘takening’ my brain oh where oh where is my brain

that sounds great missag

I guess the first to get it correct, gets the “Great Answer” checked by me. : > Let me see what I can find. (you know I had to buy a few books to help me out).

I put one out there under Brain Teaser. ; )

hey guys! it’s great to see you all settling in here :). as for being unable to see this Q, it’s not the computer, it’s the browser. Firefox has a height limit, but browsers like IE (Internet Explorer) do not. The Fluther team is aware of this problem and it’s on their “to fix” list. But until then, you can use IE or other browsers to view this Q.

I can view it in IE, but it doesn’t bring me to the previously unviewed answers, not since it got so big. It does for every other question, but this one it just brings me to the top of the page.

I love that it takes me right to where I need to start. I always hated paging through on AV when I couldn’t remember where I had left off.

Ok. The fluther chat mods have been discussing this and we have an announcement: The chat room will NOT be closing today. Stay tuned for further update. Thanks.

sweeeeeeet

Whoa, need some time to digest some of these suspensions. I intentionally got myself banned, because I didn’t like the direction the site was headed. Thanks for sending this to me, Marissa. I’ll be back, but I’m slammin’ busy these days…

Hey all! Just stopping in to see what’s going on. Thinking about calling a moving truck… I think I like this site better than Assville. Oops, typo… really.

Good to see so many of my fellow Askvillers here! And, thanks for all the kind welcomes from the Flutherers. :D May take a while to learn to navigate my way around here. Look foward to talking with you all when I know what I’m doing. :D

It is so fast paced at times, it will take me a while to adjust to the change. Everyone has made me feel so welcome here, that I really don’t miss it over there anymore. This is the 1st site that I pull up now. : ) It helps to have all of you guys here too, though.

missag – we really enjoyed your brain teasers Q. hope to see more activity from all of you :)

Hi Joe, haven’t seen you for ages my friend.

Good Morning
Cat – lost as usual – here :-)
My entire system was in complete disarray yesterday. Phooey on that.
Anyhoo – I’m wondering IF the chat room is still available and since I can’t remember what email and password I used to open it in the first place – if anyone can help me figure that out.

It IS. My advice is to click the link in PnL’s comment above.

Flippy here, hi all. Howzit? Had a few minutes to get on the computer and all I gotta say is how do I keep up with y’all? whew! Be back home wednesday and hope to chat more than.

hi flippy, howzit?

Chat room link has changed. Here’s new link for AV Chat room – https://fluther.campfirenow.com/c9fc8 best way to not lose it is to bookmark THIS link that i just pasted!

Hi1 Flippy! Wow – you look really thin! from(Turbob)

greetings all – just wanted to stop in to say hey. I need to work in the garden today but I’m thinking of you all. Make it a happy day

Hi everyone.
I was in the midst of joining the AV site when I thought I best check it out first. I’m glad I did. It seems to be in a bit of a conundrum. Yes?
I have decided to join this site and it appears quite wonderful.

very boring and very quiet on askville.

a few strikes have been handed out by the mayor…but its a virtual ghost town.

hi jemsmom, haven’t kept up, anything new?

Hi jems mom! a ghost town over there? according to sardi, loulou, and kyashi, the new users ar ejoining in droves!

i haven’t even paid attention to the questions and answers. i go in talk to everyone at “come in and sit a spell” check my pm’s and leave.

I’m about as active as I was. I check through new questions, and maybe answer one or two, but the DB are not nearly as much fun. There aren’t any crazy “parties” going on. :)

What great spirit and dedication you all have.
Welcome.

i sure do miss the parties, can we have a good one here?

I’m always up for a party!
This is definitely the place to get your ya ya’s out!

My ya ya’s only come out if you buy me a drink!

What’s your pleasure…...?

Strawberry dacquari, please….

SS..Daquiri coming your way…
I also make a killer dry Martini….if it’s not to early in the day…..

Thanks mee, I can’t hold me liquor like I used to….one will get me quite a buzz on! Weeeeeeeeee…ou, I’m feelin’ it!

mee ouch, never had a martini in my life, maybe i should try yours,

I just got loads of free wine I’ll bring to the party.

i have salsa, dip and chips. along with some margaritas.

Hey, everyone! I’m having kind of a hard time knowing where I landed…trying to learn FaceBook, Fluther and create a new myspace page for my Askazon rants. Does anyone know the answer to this question: Can I be suspended from Askville for things I say on other sites? I am totally serious about that. I know it can make me a target, but if I mind my p’s and q’s on Askazon to the letter (easy, just let Layyla and her evil minions run the shop), can they build a case against me based on things elsewhere? Because last I checked, I can still express my views on other parts of the ‘net.

I can’t for the life of me see how you could get trouble from one site to the next Goldie.
They are independent of one another – and let’s face it. Someone named XYZ on one site can be an entirely different person that XYZ on another. I’m NOT – repeat – NOT Cat every where I go, because – uh – the names been taken. Phooey on that ;-)

I like FaceBook – I sue Myspace, but mostly to keep track of my kid and his friends. ;-) I relaly like Fluther and quite frankly I STILL am not sure I even want to return to Askville, since the PTB over there haven’t given me so much as the simplest of courtesies.

Oh and as to the wine party here! Our grapes are almost ready to pick and that means in about four weeks, we’ll be bottling. So uhm we’ve got a whole bunch of wine that needs to be drunk. Come on down!

Barbie, Fiesty…..glad you’re both able to attend. Wine and snacks….this is going to be some blow-out!
I’ll tend bar. Fiesty, I’ll make you the best Grey Goose Martini….Perfectly chilled with a twist. You’ll think you’d died and gone to heaven.

D.J. or live entertainment?

Yummmm, Grey Goose martini? Sold!

glad to see you all. hi goldie ,cat and mee ouch, let’s have a PARTY!!!!!!!!!! hey Goldie surely they have no say over what you say or do somewhere else.

Hi Friends, I don’t see how Askazon can possibly suspend you, Goldie, or anyone for that matter for using their “Freedom of Speech” rights anywere other than on Askville. We still have our rights, no matter if some try to do away with our Constitutional rights.

i agree bookmarks, forgive me if i slip up and call some of you by another name?

Feisty, You can call me Lin. It’s okay.

i forget where we are some times. but thank you.

I know. Half the time I don’t know if I’m on here or Facebook. Although, I do like the fact that we can post comments here in real-time.

I do wish this site would have a date and time clock, so we can see when comments were posted.

Did somebody say Grey Goose Martini? It’s like a beacon, and…voila, here I am.

Goldie, to hell with Askazon. They can’t do anything about anything you post here or anywhere else. Great points on the FB db, by the way.

I’ll go back to tidy things over there, but I’m not feeling the love for Assville anymore. I’m no longer feeling invested in the site and they can do what they want. Fluther has been fun for me, so far, and I’m all about having fun.

i agree with you mamasu. i go check my pm’s and check in on come sit a spell, but ?‘s and answers, it seems like in the last few days scorpio must have asked 100 stupid questions. i don’t know if i will go back, alot depends on what the 16 do, hope you come back if not ok.

I’m not going back, I’m going to sit in the Fluther and drink my drink! But really, I’m done there——I can’t abide blatant unfairness…So I’m floating in a tranquil sea of fluther now…

I’m not going back. We were targeted for the wrong reasons. Plus all it’s gonna take now is for one jealous person to report me twice and they remove my account! I don’t think so!!

I’m feeling more and more strongly that I’ll just pack up my penguins and come here. I will never feel comfortable posting there so why waste the time and energy.

Fluther has welcomed us with open arms. The people here are great and I can keep up with my aksville friends here and on FB.

Yeah, Mamasu, this is the perfect environment for penguins!

I’m going back. I have a few points yet to make, and a few responses to some of the half-truths that have been posted regarding the suspensions and Askazon’s policy. And also to post a link to my new blog on my profile page. If I have to censor myself from the thought police, I need somewhere to vent and I will vent away. I already have a section called Hits, Shits and Hypocrites. The AV16 are at the top of my hit list and I’m trying to get everyone who has supported us on there as well. Layyla, Dufus et al are on my shit list. And Sardis and the Askazon Team are topping my hypocrites list…

Who is Patrick Henry (on AV)? Does anyone know?

Hahaha, GoldieAV16——I love your section called Hits, Shits, and Hypocrites. Too cool! We who are leaving should coordinate our ‘door slamming’ and all post on the same day at the same time on AV, saying we are the BadAsks, and goodbye!!!

I’m such a creature of habit. Really, it will be hard for me to leave, if I do. But I’ve had a couple of great experiences with Fluther, already, and they have some features that for the life of me I cannot understand why Askazon doesn’t have them! Of course a time and date stamp on these “answers” ie comments would be nice, but I like the way you go right to where you last left off (see? I knew that could be done!) and that you don’t have to refresh your page constantly to see the latest post…

I don’t know who PatrickHenry is on AV….now I’m curious….

I really have spent the last week almost completely distancing myself from AV. All q’s I’ve answered have final ratings, I’m just peeking in on the DB for any responses, following up on any action items and that’s about it. Once I have no discussions that have had a response for 7 days, I may peek in every week or so to see if anyone PM’d me, that’s about it. It’s way more fun here.

Please tell Patrick Henry for me I salute him and his support!

I’d love to know. He “appeared” right after the suspensions, but knows the whole story, so I’m guessing it’s a suspendee that snuck back in. If so, I’m proud of him! I suspect Pseudotonga, but not sure. (He’s on my “hit” list, Mr_M, as is SeekerSeeking)

Oh no, please don’t hit me, GoldieAV16!!!! I’m a lover, not a fighter!

Goldie: I was wondering about Patrick Henry too. He seems awfully in the know for someone who’s just joined.

I’m wondering who Patrick Henry is also. He just joined but knows the full back story.

Goldie, where is your blog. I want the hits shits and hypocrites link. I know that will be fun.

Nope, you’re a huge hit with me. A perfect ten!

I’ll be honest. I thought about sneaking back in. But I really am someone who plays by the rules. Honestly? When I crossed the line with Layyla was when she made the remarks about Cak, and AV played deaf dumb and blind. And then her idiotic bq stunt. I just decided to give her back as vile as she was giving out. I have NO regrets for that. NONE. If they think I’m remorseful, or “learned” anything, they are SO far from the truth. I have learned plenty about AV, though, and my game is going to shift.

How do I google this Patrick henry on askville without getting the books on amazon?

Here’s “Patrick Henry’s profile”: http://askville.amazon.com/view/ViewUserProfile.do?userId=13961541

“http://www.myspace.com/askvillegoldie” and I’m just getting started. If Layyla says ONE word that pisses me off, I will be writing about it. No gloves, and all the obscenities I like. Dufus, too. I already want to blast the shit out of him for that question about Paradise “why are suspended people posting?” I want to say “How the hell did you graduate law school, you bucket of hair???” And someone just posted “I don’t understand the hostility over a simple question…” Sigh. See, the history. And can you tell someone the history without being reported for abuse? I doubt it. Are we all supposed to play dumb there now? Before you know it, we’ll be making the BQ’s look cogent!

But isn’t Texas, like a separate, and not equal, part of the USA—like a foreign country within? [apologies to anyone else from the state!]

Eureka: what are you referring to?

Eureka, That’s not “layyla’s” last name.

Hey Goldie, I’ve been reading the DBs, Q’s and answered questions on AV. What’s up with Melia? Is she that afraid of being suspended that she’s back-stabbing her “supposed” friends? I nearly choked when I read a comment she wrote complaining about Dufusses final rating. Someone should remind Melia that it was her comment which “helped” to turn the “Toe Cleavage” db into such a firestorm, which even planes dropping flame retardant wouldn’t be able to put out. Don’t get me started on Sardis and Tulip! Ugh!

I read that too. We have to remember that name, along with Sardis, GON, and Gary4Books. If I WAS to ask another Askville question it would be “Should AV allow space for TWO avatars for the two faced people?” Then I’d get suspended again! :)

Sardis seems particularly gleeful about the whole thing.

It IS dead there. Do you notice how much time passed on the “active” discussions?

Hey! I JUST received, FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, an issue of the Askville Newsletter. It gave me an option to unsubscribe. I did!

I REALLY like the answer length on this site. I felt the evolution of longer and longer answers on AV was a strong negative and I told them so. It would make the answerers non-random, i.e., only people with time on their hands. Busy professionals, whose input would be valued, would avoid answering if the norm were long answers. I usually didn’t read long answers (except on MY questions since I’d vote on them).

Hey there Mr_M
You cracking me up this morning.

happy day to ya

SeekerSeeking, have you tried a Google site search on Askville: enter
site:askville.amazon.cöm Patrick Henry
Into the Google search box.

Thanks IchtheosaurusRex—I’d tried it, but didn’t know how to put it in…you solved that!

For all here – it looks as though our chat room is still up, but there was no one else there as of 9:50 AM CDT. I’ll check back later.

http://www.vimeo.com/1250878

Please watch this podcast, just another reason to love Fluther and it’s founders :0)

I hope for the 17, if they do come back, their attitudes will have changed. I hope they can learn to ignore others who irritate them. It’s been okay they were gone, they haven’t been missed except for a few. Some others who are still on Askville need to follow in their footsteps.

“Ignore” is like the delete or scroll-by button in our heads….

davem,

exactly what would you do if you were harassed, stalked, threatened, maligned, etc. in Q&As on Discussion Boards, and even via Private Message by one person, who was doing the same thing to ten other people. Would you contact the management of the site and ask them to do something about it? And what if you did, and they ignored you repeatedly for months? And what if the other 10 people and then some did the same things and were ignored for months as well? What if when you finally did get an answer, you were told, “hey, this is like a dinner party…get along or deal with it in your own way?” Might you, feel that you had after months of this been given permission to give this person a bit of their own medicine? Yes, you might be wrong to stoop to their level, but you’d probably still be doing what any rational person would do at that point.

Wouldn’t you then feel you had a right to be offended if 6 months after the problem was put to bed, the same management that ignored you when the problem was brewing and even after it came to a head, suddenly painted you with the same brush as the person who started all the problems in the first place?

Would you then resent a judgemental prick who comes over to another site and spews his ignorance?

My question, also, is why would you post a pretty explicit description of how offenses will be dealt with, and then not follow it? The only person I know of who received written notice that she might be suspended, was Layyla. Unless she is lying about that, too, to stir up more shit. And therein lies the root of the problem. ONE person was acting solely to stir up shit. 16 were acting to try to stop it, as well as to shed some light on some problems AV was creating ie the Bonus Question Fiasco. Did the 16 get pretty desperate when it appeared that there was no enforcement of the TOS – when it came to this ONE person? Yes. Did they decide that since there was no enforcement, to try to subdue the flames on their own? Yes. And despite what anyone says, some of it worked. Unfortunately the BQ fiasco landed right on the coattails of the other one coming under some semblance of control, and whatever anyone wants to say or think, I find it way way too much of a coincidence that I get a written warning – first in two years – about BQ edits, and a suspension within hours. If you believe that is just coincidence, and that AV is really such a vast mgmt team that The Mayor was not aware that BOTH events just happened to cross paths the same afternoon, well, let’s just say I have a bridge I’d like to show you. Add to that the “coincidence” of that BQ blog coming down the same day, and the AV Team implementing other changes ie distractions, and I think you have a scenario that is just utterly implausible. And I am NOT a conspiracy theorist.

@davern

Hello – I am one of the exciled 17 but for the life of me I do not know why. I am not at all happy with the way this was handled by the PTB in Askville. I mean that quite sincerely. If I did something wrong – I’d like to know what it was EXACTLY.
Askville PTB cannot look into my profile there and find ANY Private Messages that are an exchange between one particular individual and me. I did politely ask to one particular individual in one DB why a particular Bonus Question was answered? That hardly qualifies as harrassment. Especially when one peruses the DB even today and I can see all sorts of sarcastic, downright nasty comments made to others, in DB after DB. I even see the “F” word (completely spelled out).
So why is my one perfectly reasonable question to a particular member considered “intent to harrass” which is the mantra being used by Askvillers repeatedly and by the AV PTB.
I quite honestly have not bee privy too whatever contention went on between one individual and another privately or publically sans what I may have simply happened to run across.
So I’m wondering if you would mind please to tell me personally just what sort of attitude you wish me to change?
Thank you kindly and
happy day

Hey, I feel sorry for an individual who could see “L” tell a person dying of cancer that if she DARES fight with her, God will make them die!!! There’s a word for a person like that. What is it?

Oh – and for the record as well. I have never gotten any sort of warning for any sort of thing. I’ve never had a note pulled – nor have I even actually had any sort of public dispute with anyone.

edited for a spelling error.
I need to remember to spellcheck FIRST. LOL

Cat, you know why that’s the case? Because we were targeted for speaking out. You know what’s sad? The people who, for whatever reason, have nothing other than Askville. They need Askville SO MUCH, that, to them, it can do no wrong, even in the face of it doing VERY wrong!

And folks like Davem not only just don’t get it, but they follow us here to stir up shit. Please, by all means Dave, stay on Askville, they’re more your kinda people.

As an aside, I’d say that other than on this particular question and in our own chatroom as long as it exists, we bring our Askville beefs back to Askville, and try to either live with it over there or assimilate here. They’ve been so gracious to us, and I’m starting to hear rumbles of resentment at having countless people who all know each other migrate all at once…let’s make them feel like we’re interested in fitting in with their culture rather than trying to change it…we’re not on beta here, nor do we have to be, the PTB here knows what it’s doing.

I say be loud and proud on Askville when your’e there (is it today the sentence is lifted?) and damn the consequences, and let’s use this site for what it offers, not as a tool to vent our frustrations with Assville.

Just a suggestion!

@Dale

I agree – In this question I will make my tiny little voice be heard, because I’m MAD dammit. But I am poking about Fluther and I will not bring up the AV subject elsewhere. I think it’s good to have a place to vent, but I’m not here in Fluther to disrupt a community. I want to be a member here – because obviously Askville doesn’t want me.

Ya know – even a criminal is required to understand the charges!

And we should use the fluther chatrooms and MINGLE!

Um, Cat, there are people on Askville who want you and most of the others back. That’s why we exiled ourselves in support. I hope everyone comes back, except for maybe one.

Wow, we can edit our posts here!

@Dale, thank you for your last post. I was wanting to chime in and say something similar but couldn’t think how to word it as eloquently as you did.
@Mr. M as far as the chatroom, yes, but make sure you keep Askville garbage out of the Fluther chatroom. Also make sure anyone that wants the link pms one of the moderators for the link, rather than us giving it out to folks.
People here are wonderful, they have allowed us to swim in their pool, so let’s try not to pee in it.

@Dale, I’ve answered a couple of questions here and I like it so far. Got one about battery chargers this morning. Trying to be a flutherite proper.

Ich, unfortunately the 16 are “marked”. All it will take is two jealous “abuse reports” (or none, actually. People were suspended withOUT the details once. What’s to stop AV from doing it again?) and out we go. Why bother?

AV didn’t just suspend. They suspended WITH STRIKES!

I’m not going down without a fight. For one thing, I’m posting a link to my blog so should I ever be suspended again, I’ll have a voice. I hate reading the speculation about PM’s, for example. People who can’t see where the obvious transgressions were, assume that there were PM’s that contributed to the suspensions. Well in my case that is simply not true. I have never been the sender nor the recipient of a nasty PM. I do all my fighting out in the open. And I have some fight left in me. If it leads to me getting banned, well, I can live with that. And I will consider myself in good company considering the others who are being driven from or choosing to leave AV.

@Ich
Thank you – you are the first person that has said that to me personally and I appreciate it.

I think there are probably a whole lot (most) of ppl on AV who don’t even know me. It’s the inhospitality from the Mayor et al that makes me feel the way I feel. I never had a beef with any of the membership on AV – but that being said – obviously someone had a silent beef with me – I guess.
If someone does disagree with something I say – for crying out loud, why not say so?

Goldie,

I’ve been told specifically by I believe 2 users that abuse directed towards them DID take the form of threatening PMs, and not just by she of a thousand names, but by her surrogates/alter egos. I’ve not seen those, but I take these people at their word. I have however seen off topic discussions become embroiled in legacy issues when someone comes in to resurrect the old disagreement in a new place.

Cat,

I have absolutely no idea where you fall into this whole thing.

As for me, I just despise favoritism, poor management and arbitrary punishment

Cat, I think they made a mistake in your case. Well, in 16 cases I think they made a mistake, but in order of totally bizarre, yours is the most. Then Hank Moody, then Old Hippie. You’ve never done anything that I’ve seen that could in any way be construed as harassment. Hank had even made peace with Layyla, so they’re going back MONTHS, if they’re issuing him strikes for something. And OH had a beef with Spenn and BQ’s, but I never saw him harass Layyla, so how the hell did he get on her list? I’m assuming that the suspendees were all on the list she gave the Mayor, but then I’m speculating, too. Here it is a week later: I still don’t get it.Dale, I’ve heard that as well, and from credible sources, but since I don’t have access to anyone’s PM’s but my own, and AV does, I imagine they know who was involved in that sort of thing. I have only direct knowledge of mine, and I never got one, or sent one, so I know that was not a factor in my suspension.

i have to disagree with Dave’s comment that the 16 aren’t missed, if this was the case why are people posting questions asking what has happened? “i have been gone and come back and everyone has been suspended”, all i can say is maybe he is friends with LouLou or sardis. i don’t ask questions, i don’t comment, it’s not even fun to be there. i have written to the mayor and Christian and so have my son and daughter-in-law and nothing. it’s not fair that no one was given warning an it’s not fair that they did not handle the abuse when it was first reported. i am suspecious of PatrickHenry, he talks a good game but there is something about him that strikes me wrong.

Hi Friends, After reading the previous comments to this question, it makes me feel blessed to know all of you, with the exception of Davem. I’m getting sick and tired of reading the DBs on AV, and finding so many people querying each other about Fluther, wanting to know if they should join, etc. Well, I would prefer the ones who have been sanctimonious in their judgement of we 16 suspendees not follow us here. If we 16 were such a hated, abusive group why would the hypocrites from AV want to join us here? I would desperately not want to see anyone of them come here. We’re well rid of the back-stabbing and two-faced members from that “other” site. If Tulip, Sardis, kyasi, LouLou, tuppence and their ilk despise us, then they should stay where they are.

Goldie –
I wonder if they would consider an apology then???????

Hi Lin – and what you said. :-)

It really doesn’t give you the sense that it wasn’t just plain arbitrary, does it? That’s my major problem with it. I was actually quite happy over there until this happened, and it didn’t even affect me directly.

I never had a direct argument with Layla, which is the only thing that set me apart. I participated in one discussion to say I thought the whole thing about worrying about people calling you by your old name was ridiculous, and we went back and forth with some play on words banter that was somewhat insulting but mostly all in fun. I too could have been taken down, but I stayed out of the gaming deal. I don’t care about the gold, and I had many people PM me to come over to discussions about coin gaming, and I just basically either didn’t respond or respectfully gave my 2 cents and moved on. It really appears that there was a hitlist.

I have no idea why i was not suspended but, if it were to come down to it and my friends were being attacked and PTB did not intervene i would do so again, this may not be the right choice for me to make but a friend should be a friend through thick and thin, and for someone to say something about a friend that is in the hospital fighting to get well, it just chaps my hide…......................

dale, You’ve mentioned the gold a few times here and in your recent comments on AV. Speaking only for myself, it never was about the gold, nor do I think most of the other suspendees who dealt with Layyla had a problem with the gold. Right from Layyla’s first day on AV she insulted one of our most respected members—edfoug. She posted comments on the db for a question ed posted, which ed posted tongue-in-cheek about a teenager having the word “Juicy” written across the bum of her jeans. From there, a bunch of us got into our usual fun db comments, which, as you know, can veer from subject to subject. Layyla brought herself into the db by calling out Ed as a pervert and dirty-old-man. We thought, at first, that she was kidding, but she proved by her latter comments on that db that she was serious. She came across as a prude, which made it even more surprising when she began her quest to be the all-time leader in the topic of “Sex,” My next encouter with her was when we both answered the same question about the death of the actress Deborah Kerr. I loved Deborah Kerr’s acting/films, especially the movie “An Affair to Remember.” After Layyla read my answer, she posted comments on the db accusing me of “cheating” when I answered the question. Claiming I cut-and-pasted my answer, she noted the red highlited words were hyperlinks, but I had not listed them as my source. Well, if Layyla had taken the time to click onto one of those “supposed hyperlinks,” she would have noticed they were NOT hyperlinks. For aesthetic reasons, I enjoy using highlights on certain words which I find to be importan/relevant to my answers. That’s only some of what upset me about Layyla’s interactions on AV.

No, I don’t think any of you were obsessed with it, I think Layyla is obsessed w/ the gold, which leads her to gaming, which also bothered a lot of you, not because it was about the gold or you getting less, but because it was a clear violation of the rules, and by that time many flagrant violations of the rules had occurred by her hand, this was just another piece that was being ignored. I don’t see the point in multiple user names and collusion, all for the collection of worthless or nearly worthless coins. So often when the subject of coin gaming came up, when I was not personally involved in the back and forth with this scourge of Askville, I opted to stay out of the fray…I was not invested in anything but helping out my friends, but I wasn’t going to dredge up old issues where I hadn’t been involved, and I had no moral authority on the gaming issue as I coudn’t have cared less.

I was angry about her rampage for gold with the BQ’s. She went on a feeding frenzy that dirtied the entire site. AV could have stepped in and asked her to stop, but because she included an amazon product endorsement in every one of her cut and paste answers, she was “playing by the rules”: edit a question to dumb it down, and then insult the community further by answering it with an amazon ad. Some days you could barely see the “real” questions, for the forest of idiot orange amazon ads. They would NEVER have made it to the site if not for Layyla, since nobody is that bored and that gold hungry. When the blog came out, not just condoning her practice, but actually praising it, I decided to play that game myself – as a demonstration of how wrong it is. The only difference is that I didn’t put an amazon product in my answers. I got threatened with suspension, and later that afternoon was suspended. If this whole thing isn’t linked to gold, I’m Mr_M’s uncle. You can trace almost every problem back to Layyla, and her purpose is to rack up as much gold as possible, and trample on the community as often as possible in that mission. Askazon has never had such a great spokesperson for amazon, and I’m sure it was with regret that they included her in the list of suspendees.

the first face to face i had with Layyla was when she made the comment we were all mentally unbalanced because we have pretend parties, and pretend drinks, whit pretend friends and i told her that we have fun and i did not consider my friends pretend, the ones i had contact with on askville have been better friends than most of the people in my real life.
i think she said we needed to get a real life, i don’t know about y’all but my life is real.

Um, and then she had her “pretend” elopement with Dufus. That still makes my skin crawl! They plotted that prank for months with sleezy questions filled with innuendo. Talk about mentally unbalanced!
;-P

goldie, wish i had thought to mention the pretend elopement to her.

My “real” life is a little sucky at the moment, so I look to all of you to boost me up, even if you don’t know you’re doing it. I like our pretend parties, so she should just stay away if she doesn’t like them.

barbie, i agree, y’all were there when my life was bad and i am there if anyone needs me. it’s nice to know that smeone is there if you need a friend

Has anyone else noticed that on the home page weekly gold leader board, I do not have the suspended avatar? I swear, it’s nothing I did, and if you click on my profile page it’s the suspended avatar, but somehow my rage is generating enough juice to override their programming and insert my presence! ;-P

There is nothing pretend at all with having friends in the online world. They are no less friends in my opinion than the ones I can come face to face with. Better in many ways b/c my friends in the online world take the time that friends in my community, don’t have the time to take. You KWIM?

I do KWYM. I love my online friends.

I entered into the online world back in 1991 – I’ve made beautiful friendships with ppl all around this country. Met them face to face and been through the good the bad and ugly and the sad with all of them. I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything

I KWYM too. and i love all my online friends too.

the only experience i have wih online friends is after my husband died and i found you all by mistake and it was the best mistake i ever made.

Here is a pm that I just received from AlexD (Askville staff). I thought you all might like to know. I asked when exactly the suspensions will be lifted.

“The suspensions were for 7 days so it should be around 4PM PST tomorrow. ”

How come they respond to you Marissa but they don’t contact us?

you know what?, the 16 ( and i know not all will) should walk in there at 4:01 and shake LouLou and sardis off their thrones because they do not think you will be back. don’t get me wrong i don’t mean argue or anything to get in trouble and it’s nothing they have said, it’s just the attitude that they are the big shots now.

Feisty – reaching out to find solice and comfort in a time of tragedy is one of the things I do truly love about that online community. I personally don’t know you, but I also personally and first hand know the pain of losing a spouse. I am sure my friend that you did find some help in that you ran across people who really did/do “know how you feel”
Peace be with you

Wow, that is amazing that they don’t tell the ones who were suspended. There is just something wrong with their communication skills. And I plan to be in as soon as I have access. Unfortunately it might not be at 4:01, as I have an IT guy coming to work on my network this afternoon. I’ll try to get him off my machine first.

thank you cat, you are purrfectly sweet.

Cat, I don’t know. I just sent a pm to Alex and asked him and he answered my pm. I figured you all that have been suspended might want to know when you’d be able to log back in to Askville, if you were going to do so, especially if you plan on voicing your opinion there on what has transpired :0)

Oh – tomorrow! Okay, scratch my last comment.

oh yeah – duh marissa – i’m unable to send a pm to anyone LOL

there is a lot of speculation going on over there that should be cleared up and if you don’t want to stay that is understandable. but some people really want to hear from you all.

Feisty – I guess for me my concern is that would we be believed? if we desired to “state our case” to the public. It seems to me that a good bunch of ppl have rushed to judgement (oh gawd – I thought I’d never use that phrase in a sentence) It seems to me that a whole bunch of ppl who don’t have a clue about any behind any scene activity are acting as if they are privy to all sorts of lurid details which are non-existant. And it also seems to me that whole lot of ppl are just laying low out of fear of reprisal?
The thing that is really rubbing at me though is the mere fact that I know I am innocent yet I have no defender and no means with which I am allowed to defend myself. We’ve been tried, convicted, sentenced without any sort of ability to say a word in our defense. Now in the REAL world that would never stand the smell test. And while it’s true that we’ll be let out of exhile, we’re still pretty much required to wear an ankle bracelet for the next three months and again without benefit of even so much as a parole officer looking out for us!

oh and ps – I study the use of metaphor, so forgive my use thereof. ;-)

Cat, I have Christian’s email and that is how we have communicated, never via PM. He doesn’t answer me.

I want to jump in here and give you all this link. I think registering and then voting for Ben (cofounder of Fluther) would be a great way for us to show our appreciation to them. You can read about it on the Fluther blog, too ‘shameless plug’. Anyhow, follow this link, register and then come back to this link to vote for Ben. (There is probably an easier way, but I don’t know it). Thanks!
http://blog.fluther.com/blog/2008/08/08/shameless-plug-vote-for-fluther/

cat…...... i think the majority of the people are on your side anyway. although i haven’t been reading the db’s lately, the last time i looked most thought you all got a bum deal.

I gave my vote yestersday to that Marissa – thanks for addding the link here.

Feisty – I’m going to give it some serious thought – there are some things I really do want to say – so I’m going to really think about it. But I’m very glad for Fluther and other sites. I learned some very valuable things about groups on the internet because of this and I ain’t too old of a cat to learn new tricks. hee hee

i agree cat, and you can always come back, hey i’ll come with you…......

i wonder if we come back will answers to unbelievably incomprehendible questions make a come back as well?

As a non-suspended member, I volunteer to do the following if you are all interested.

I leave work at 5 central time, so just before I walk out the door, I can post the following question, and any member of the AV17 will be welcome to post…

“Askville members who were suspended, please tell us how you feel on your return?”

In the details section I’ll probably say something like…

I’ll give a 5 to anyone who was supsended and answers the question honestly. If you run out of spaces, go to the DB. Please be candid as you would like.

Any interest in having that Q be your first stop?

Dale, if the kids allow me the time, I’ll pop in. I can’t guarantee it. Kids don’t frequently work according to my most desired schedule. LOL

Marissa, I’ll vote.

On a completely separate note, and I’m probably shooting myself in the foot by posting this, I would like to comment about some behavior I have seen from Askvillers here. Note, I said some, meaning not all.

I have been a little discouraged to see some of the less than gracious remarks made in various places about fluther or the difficulties in adjusting to something that is unfamiliar. I’m not going into details or case by case and I’m not pointing fingers at specific individuals.

I’m just asking my fellow Askvillers to please remember that this is not Askville. It will be different. That’s not something to criticize. The people here have been extraordinarily gracious and welcoming. They have bent over backwards to give us room to gather, commiserate, lick our wounds and pull ourselves up by the bootstraps.

May I please request 2 things. First, let’s not start getting critical just because we haven’t taken the time to get to know the place and second, let’s break out of the Askville circle and start participating throughout the site. A number already have begun doing that and are enjoying themselves. It’s a nice place with nice people who were here enjoying themselves long before our group showed up on their doorsteps.

We’ve had nearly a week to isolate a bit and go over this stuff. We can go back tomorrow if that is our wish. While here, I think it’s time to start letting some of the Askville stuff go and start being more open and gracious in our behavior here.

Again, I’m not saying everyone has done anything wrong or even that there is a preponderance of this behavior. It’s just something that I have noticed here and there and figured this would be the most central point to share my thoughts.

Now I’ll hobble off to mend the foot I just shot. ;~)