Recently there was a sagga about a certain gentleman who was banned from MyBroadBand, which caused quite a riot. I did some reading and felt that there was more to this than meets the eye. With some more research, Halicon and I touched sides and the following statement was written:
“My actions and my banning have been misunderstood by many on the forum. My post on the MyBroadband forum, that i believe got me banned, has been republished uncensored on the forum, so kudos to MyBroadband for doing that.
The irony of this incredibly dramatised event (although thanks for the episodes :D) is this reality:
Long standing community members are banned in the aid of protecting the current community, and certain individuals in that community, as was correctly communicated to you by a MyBroadband Notice.
A lot of individuals are asking what am i going to do to get back at the forum, and I think they have failed to understand. I have no ill-intent toward MyBroadband and have never had. The matter of me being banned from MyBroadband is now closed.
i myself believe the perma-ban on me was uncalled for and completely unjustified and followed no real process, but then i have realised that I’ve lost interest in the forum as it seems to have lost a lot of its initial core value. The focus has slowly changed from a telecom consumer activist platform to a telecom news portal with a large community (whom help and share with each other), and commercial entities (to the likes of “Telkom, MTN and Vodacom”) who can purchase advertising space, which I am by no means against.
However I would urge the owner of MyBroadband to communicate to his membership what exactly are the core values and goals of his website, as his continuous silence on this matter has created in my opinion alienation of long term members, who helped, fund, build and grow MyBroadband into what it is today.
I would also like to remark on some fake ‘halicon-like’ nicks that have appeared (i only saw one) on the forum and a website or two online.
These are individuals using the ensuing tumult to voice their own protest. To the individuals doing this, you are only riding on the coat tails of my actions which only serves to create confusion around a personal issue I have with MyBB that is now closed.
I would like to clarify that the ‘legal threats’ that were mentioned by a MyBroadband announcement was a reaction (not response) to an email I sent to MyBroadband requesting that my photos be removed or legal action will ensue.
These perceived ‘legal threats’ were soon amicably dropped and my banning being a matter considered closed.
I was told my photos would be removed however I am not clear when as I see they are still on MyBroadband at time of writing this.
I hope the above resolves any questions, concerns and emotions around my banning and serves as closure to the matter of my banning.
I’m sure I will bump into some of you guys somewhere online.
I would like to add one more thing in closing to the membership of MyBroadband.
I am not sure why Debbie was banned, but I do feel it was a decision not agreed upon by all involved if any at all.
Peace halicon”.
I must admit, the whole situation interests me, it’s clear that Halicon is a good person and only wants good things to happen to MyBroadBand, so why he actually got permanently banned remains a taboo to me.
I caught up with another MBB member, Debbie, who put the following words together:
“Hi everyone
What has happened in MyBroadband forumland?
It is difficult to discern what is of importance here, and what was only of passing importance.
I do not wish to get too deeply into those matters which were only of passing importance.
DDV, we had a situation that occurred between us which was fueled by many, ourselves included. I consider those incidents to be of passing importance. In truth, what occurred between us just served as a catalyst for a series of events to ultimately come to an explosive culmination [well, in internetland anyway :)].
Several unasked questions and mysteries have been hanging around in the forum’s air for some months now. Over the past few days many these questions have been vocalised, and for some, mysteries have been cleared up.
Why, as one member put it, did “[forum]life carry on as if [debbie] were a mod”? It is true that I was a mod for several months. I decided to hand up the mod cap when I admitted that my over-involvement in the forum was taking too much from my real life (as many of you have found, the forum should carry a warning label that it May Be Addictive). It is also true that in this forum’s history I have played a role in much of the activism against Telkom, which ranged from silly to serious. A social authority in the MyADSL forum community came upon me – and this is why “forum life continued as if Debbie were a mod”, even when I wasn’t nearly as involved as I had been (most recent activity was sept at the telkom agm- I questioned the telkom ceo on his salary- though my involvement there passed pretty much unnoticed on the forum).
The above touches on another question that hung in the air: why is there some dis-ease around older members vs newer members? It is because, for the older members, we have built our home so large that what was the common driving spirit behind it has been dilluted, watered, disipated… and ultimately replaced by something more vague and unrelated to the commonality of passion and activism that we remember.
Newer members can hardly be blamed for this. All they did was join an awesome forum! there was no requirement on the forum ‘terms and conditions’ that required potential members to be interested and engaged in a particular subject.
From the perspective of many older members though, the common soul has been lost as MyADSL has grown into MyBroadband. We see changes- each will have their own perspective of these changes, but one thing we can agree on is that we as a forum have become a lot ruder to one another than we used to be.
So how did I earn my permanent banning? From my perspective, I didn’t. The forum evolved from a place where I was invited because of my outspoken opinions, to one where I have been banned because of my outspoken opinions.
What may surprise some is that, prior to my banning, I had already made the decision to check out of the MyBroadband forums. Two days before I was banned I had copied all mods and rpm to inform me on whether a particular member received an infraction for his general behaviour & his posts that had been reported as “bad posts” by myself and at least one other member.
My ‘ransom’ message read as follows: “Please give [mybroadband forumite] infractions for his behaviour in this thread. If not, please inform me and I will be quitting the forum. Thanks, Debbie”.
It was ambiguous, and I apologise for this cheap shot on my part considering I had already come to a conclusion on the decision of whether to leave the forums.
A few hours after the ‘ransom’ message I copied the mods, rudolph and cara and three close forumites in on a request to ban my username. It was not banned, I was 100% ignored. Later, and on thought I asked for time to post a “checking outta here thanks for everything” thread, I also assured a mod I was not bluffing about checking out.
The disturbances on the forum the following day were a result of the older members vs newer member saga coming to the fore.
In my banning, I was not subjected to a process of warnings or infractions- and for what anyway? Ok, I think I reposted one deleted post in protest of halicon’s unfair banning. But it was when I asked that rudolph allow people to speak on this issue, that I was banned. I do not know who banned me, but I do not believe it was a mod.
The crux of my reasons for leaving the forum are as follows:
The site has shifted from being a consumer and activist community to being a media agency with a consumer community. And that’s fine, it’s great in fact that we are seeing such an initiative in the SA internet community. However Rudolph, you have never discussed the evolution of MyADSL with the members who have been along with you on the ride. The “site creep” that happened occurred very slowly, a bit here and a bit there. Rudolph, the matter of accepting Telkom’s advertising, and the way in which those discussion were handled, was when I saw the turning point – the vision of MyADSL that you had, and how the path that you were choosing differed to what I would want. I tried to get on board after that, but by this week, realised that what I wanted was off. The silence on the site creep culminated in a blow up.
Rpm, it is your forum and your right to lead it in the manner you choose. I have felt the loss at no longer having a fit in MyBroadband, and I accept it. That I had to be banned in the unfortunate circumstances that then transpired is saddening, but maybe fitting in that this high energy ending is not unlike the high energy beginning.
I will miss the participation, the forum has been a huge part of my life, and I thank you all for your support over the years, and especially the support I have felt over the past few days. To the mods- you guys did a great job, you are, 99% of the time :), reasonable and fair, and I will miss you guys terribly, as I will miss all whom I have shared this time with.
I hope that this answer satisfies all outstanding questions. I urge all forumites, both new and old, to try to work together to find the common vision for what MyBroadband is, and where it is going in the future.
Debbie
(Telkom is the Devil!!!!!!!)”
From these two statements, it’s clear that MBB is going through an interesting trasition.
Long live Debbie and halicon!!!
What do you all think of this?
I couldn’t agree more with what you wrote ( about advertising and money). I strongly objected to having Telkom advertise on Myadsl.
You are dead right, we have become what we were trying to so hard to fight against.
We dare say anything negative about people advertising there.
I must say that it is really sad but in the end, all the guys who fight big corporate greed, become big corporations filled with their very own greed.
I must admit, I’ve seen a huge number of websites which have always stood up against the pure ‘making money’ concept are now doing exactly that..
I can say that I have followed the happenings on this site for a few years now.
I too have seen it grow and change. Many of the more interesting personalities have left, only to be replaced by those more interested in high post-counts and derailing threads with LOL-posts than meaningful contributions. I believe this has brought about the conflict between the old-timers and the scruffy new lot.
Personally, I blame a lack of leadership from rpm and his generals. They seem more interested in deflecting criticism of the untouchables and their soundalikes than keeping order.
After many complaints, constructive and destructive, instead of seeing some sort of reform, we saw a crack-down. The infraction system was revised to give moderators more firepower, which they begun to use with great gusto, especially ic.
If one were to ask which person has caused the greatest amount of disharmony and distrust on the forum, I would say ic is, without a doubt, top offender. The things I have seen him do and the brazen lies put forth as fact have made me see red on many an accasion.
Sure, he spends a lot of time on the forum. But what good is that time if he can’t be impartial? I won’t even go into the blatant double standards and warped logic!
Of course senior members like Debbie and Halicon would never have seen the full interactions. Much of the head-chopping is done quite secretively, so one only sees the events from a narrow perspective. The lack of explanation, the lack of accountability for disciplinary actions is much cause for concern. The mods claim they don’t have time to explain things. I say, don’t do these things if you can’t or won’t explain them! The fact that a moderator can change your posts, without leaving any trace is also worrying, and I’ve seen ic do that many times and then deny doing so.
I agree that MyBB has lost its way. rpm has shown very poor leadership, and now we see the result. I don’t blame him for accepting advertising, just the way he panders to those companies.
rpm had better watch out, because the forum is his baby. It’s also his moral authority and basis for his campaign for better telecommunication in SA. If he doesn’t regain the moral high ground, what remains of his reputation will be in tatters and he may as well cancel all his speaking engagements and stay at home.
As one of the “older” members of the MyADSL forum, I would just like to add my voice to these concerns.
Most of what I have to say has been voiced in a post on the MyADSL forum and echoes views of a similar nature to those of “concerned citizen”.
Like Halicon and Debbie I have no reason to harbour any ill will towards MyADSL, but have to agree with their point of view. I accept that things change and not always in a direction that we would wish.
I do however believe that some open honest communication from the forum and it’s owners regarding it’s direction and objectives is in order at this point.
I’m a new member of MyBB, but I’ve been using the Internet for longer than most, and BBSs before that. It’s always a sad day when a community you’ve contributed to changes in a way that now excludes you. I feel for Debbie and halicon, having written a similar eulogy following the demise of my favorite BBSs (all BBSs, actually). They will be missed.
However, from my experience, a field is only interesting when you’re at the bleeding edge. The Internet, forums and online communities have matured over the years I been involved. It’s no longer an enthusiasts playground, and as previous comments state, it has become a corporate domain, owned, controlled and managed by corporates. To me, computing (I’ve been involved since the 8088), the Internet and telecoms is boring now. They’ve become just tools.
I don’t know where the next “big thing” will be hatched, but once I find out, you’ll find me there. It’s a lot more fun.
Farewell Debbie and halicon, and good luck with any new ventures. You’ve got the time now that you’re banned :-)
“In my banning, I was not subjected to a process of warnings or infractions- and for what anyway? Ok, I think I reposted one deleted post in protest of halicon’s unfair banning. But it was when I asked that rudolph allow people to speak on this issue, that I was banned. I do not know who banned me, but I do not believe it was a mod.”
Sad, and whether you agree or not, weird.
Read between the lines Debbie. Stick as close as you can…. *sighs…
toady
I agree strongly with kb’s point about there needing to be a clear statement of the forum’s direction and objectives. I also don’t like the emphasis on postcounts – one would think these people had lives outside of the forum.
A site mentioned on the chat site that does not look like it was posted is kakkerlakker.com. There is some similar criticism there.
With regards to the , Halicon isn’t as innocent as he claims – I’ve seen him (while sitting as a guest in their little chat room) saying “Rudolf can suck his hairy…..”, etc, etc., etc., doesn’t quite fit in with “I have no ill-intent toward MyBroadband and have never had”, does it?
In response to the above comment…the chat room did not require registration and at a few times there were more than one person with the nick Halicon. One person in particular took it upon him/herself to make threatening remarks while posting under Halicon’s nick. So in future…..please try to keep up!
There’s nothing to keep up with, he was going on for almost an hour about mybroadband, giving his side of the story, etc, etc, etc, and then he got ugly, if it was another member impersonating him, he would of said so at the time, considering he had been moaning for the last hour or so and was in the channel.
So – I guess you try keep up… kay? He made similiar comments whilest the ‘real’ debbie was in the channel at various other times.
Let me guess, you’re all going to claim innocence now?
I also Jesus Christ on that channel talking about the second coming AND it was really Jesus Christ because before that he spoke versus from the bible.
Yes I said that remark – because I had been freshly banned and was angry but have since mellowed out. Just because someone is angry does not mean they have continued ill-intent.
You are referring to a statement made almost 5 days ago… ALOT has calmed down since then.
If I had ill intent there would still be legal threats pending but those have been dropped.
But I appreciate the naive-wool-over-my-eyes-generic-mybb-formite sharing his/her opinion on the matter – a reminder of what i do not miss.
later
Halicon
ROLF – so you being ‘angry’ makes it right? Sorry, thats not justification. I’ve been there about the same time as you, maybe a bit less, and don’t react the way you did when things don’t go my way. I have also been given infractions.
You behaved like a child after getting banned, and that alone is justification for a permanent ban. Children won’t be missed from the forum either.
You use the excuse of ‘anger’, I didn’t see debbie behaving like that, at times she even stated she won’t support you if you continue.
Thanks AnotherForumMember – Once again I appreciate your insightful yet generic response and regurgitation of what i pretty much said.
the matter is closed – I am sure there is something else happening that you could lend your third rate dramatics too?
luv n fluff
Halicon
Just for the record, I was 120% on halicon’s side until the above started.
Lol. Okay guys… Now it is getting silly. Goodluck and goodbye.
Hi all,
I would appreciate it if this thread could be dealt with in a mature manner. It was not setup to flame anyone nor make rude remarks.
halicon and Debbie needed somewhere to express their side of the story, so I provided that, have some respect please.
Thanks!
It’s over…..
because HALICON said so!
and that’s the bottom line.
I’ve subsequently read some excellent posts on this farce by kb, JRFrobisher and Gru, that were really appreciated. The suggestion of a pole was the one that got the thread closed so quickly IMO. Well done for the efforts guys….
Be careful of what you say on the forum. They are in a mood to ban people. There’s a guy called DJK who seems to have some some emotional problems and wants to accuse and provoke people into a fight. Don’t take the bait, he’ll go behind your back to the mods. Brown noser!
Why did it have to come to this. For years this sh*t has been going on and no-one believed me, but, banning was the method of choice of dealing with people on Mybroadband.co.za, infringing on people’s rights was their method.
I am quite frankly sick to death of the stuff that rpm gets away with. It is high time he is exposed and put in his place. I think rpm and his power-trip forum is beyond its sell-by date.
Perhaps it’s time to start a new local forum, run by someone who isn’t so driven by revenue?
Chris has the idea. We need a rival site that is better managed. They are banning the wrong people and innocent people are getting wrongly accused.
ic has announced that they are going to get tough ban more people. I can tell you now that that is not the way to go. It just causes resentment and rebellion. The mods and managers on the forum have little clue about human behaviour, which is the underlying problem!
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against rpm nor the way he does things, I know how much time and effort he puts into the forums to keep them going and everyone has to eat at the end of the day, so he’s doing what he needs to do to survive.
However, people are always going to criticize those doing well and in this case, it’s him. My opinion would be to allow those people annoyed to join a new forum, not as competition, but as another fantastic South African gathering, as they say.. “two minds are better than one”..
Not that it’s linked, but I find the forum is going downhill since Halicon and Debbie left.
The **** are indoctrinated not to question their ******, and most likely threatened with a reduction of the number of virgins they get when they die, if they question it. Now these *** are getting away with tons of BS on the forum, because they report any mention of *** or *** as abuse, and don’t dare mention *** or *** in the same post as the word terrorist, because that’s taboo on MYBB these days.
I hope the sponsors see the decay and the revenue declines acordingly.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against rpm nor the way he does things, I know how much time and effort he puts into the forums to keep them going and everyone has to eat at the end of the day, so he’s doing what he needs to do to survive.”
Yes Chris I think most people would agree that he has to put bread on the table someone. I don’t think that is where most of the criticisms are coming from. I think most people just want some honesty about why the forum is really there. If it was ever for free criticism and activism it certainly isn’t for that any more.
Making people see that is my mission and my only mission. After that they can draw their own conclusions and participate or not. I choose not to participate as that does not fit what I joined in the first place.
Mybb has become the beast it was fighting. It holds the monopoly in the forum market. Yes I did say market because it is not about free discussion. There needs to be some competition to make people see they are not all there is. We can do that if we spread the word.
[QUOTE]Don’t get me wrong, I’m not against rpm nor the way he does things, I know how much time and effort he puts into the forums to keep them going and everyone has to eat at the end of the day, so he’s doing what he needs to do to survive.
However, people are always going to criticize those doing well and in this case, it’s him. My opinion would be to allow those people annoyed to join a new forum, not as competition, but as another fantastic South African gathering, as they say.. “two minds are better than one”..
[/QUOTE]
Well, as far as I know, rpm is a lecturer/head of department at RAU, so why does he need the forum to earn a living? As I recall, the forum started as he was disgruntled with Telkom about the cost of ADSL.
The big thing you need to remember is, that success, it all goes to to the head, and in this case it is so clearly obvious it has. Any old fool can start a successful forum, I’ve done it, my friends have done it, so big whoop.
But what is going on there is wrong, and I won’t have any of it!
[quote]The mods and managers on the forum have little clue about human behaviour, which is the underlying problem![/quote]
Well what do you expect of computer geeks who have risen to this position of power?