[Nohbdy]

I'm leaving the site for a while. It's not anything against the group as a selection of individuals, but something against the group as a whole.

I cannot participate in a community that actively turns a blind eye to known and proven scammers. People like Rhythm who claim to sell one thing and give an entirely different and inferior product to what is advertised. This issue with scamming needs to be nipped in the bud with some sort of statement that scammers cannot be tolerated in the community.

I cannot participate in a community where the leadership is hypocritical, and later denies any sort of hypocracy. I love you dearly Anar (no homo), but by starting spam wars and then claiming it's not ok and denying that you started it is not ok. Being low quality and attacking other members then saying it's not ok and denying that you do the same is not ok. Own up to your errors in judgement, at least give a reason, don't just claim you're a perfect little star that doesn't do any of that activity.

I cannot participate in a community that has vague, non-specific rules. Saying "have understandable grammar, but don't worry too much about it" is vague. Having a specific minimum, such as "Sentences must begin with a capitol letter and finish with a period" is better than "eh, try to have grammar but don't worry much about it".

I cannot participate in a community where people besides those I'd wholeheartedly endorse and assist maximally ask me for favors that would put them at a standing above my own, such as voting for them for MotM or giving them +rep without offering me some sort of benefit.

I cannot participate in a community that cannot take a friendly joke. If you're so immature that you cannot handle me making a comment like "Rule 37: There are no girls on the internet." or similar jokes, I have no business being in the same community with you. If I went to far and said "I'm going to rape you, your family, and your dead ancestors you fucking nigger", that'd be going to far, but making short, non-threatening, non-stereotypical jokes about a person should not bring you down to tears enough to make you drop out of a chat room.

I'll come back sometime in the near future. I hope by then you can improve upon your issues as a community.

Adieu.

[Oni]

Sad to hear.

The issue with the situation between you and Rhythm is that the deal was done offsite and I don't really have specifics. In situations like these, I could very well ban his account - but that's not necessarily fair. You could ask for a refund, although I can't really force him to give you one. What was particularly nasty about this situation is that it could have happened to anybody and I doubt his intent was to slight you, however that is the result of the deal you made. Personally, I think you should have dealt with the deal differently, but I'll talk to Rhythm next time he's online. Again, the deal wasn't done on site, and I'd be doing this as a favor. I normally do my best to moderate on-site and off-site, but it's not always possible.

As for me being hypocritical, sometimes I like to have fun. I might make jokes that are a bit politically incorrect, offensive at times, or just downright awful in the Skype chat. I know I've stated that the rules apply in Skype chat, but that is generally in situations where we have people use programs to intentionally spam the chat, or where someone is genuinely offended. I do my best to only intervene when it's preventing communication or gets annoying. Obviously there are times where I will mess up, make a joke that's extremely awful, or spam one message too many. Just like any other member of the site, I slip up sometimes. The rules aren't there for people who occasionally slip up, they are there for people who break the rules constantly.

The vague rules on grammar are my fault, as they should be considered separate, even though they aren't. For the most part, I don't mind a few typos or a lack of capitalization in one or two sentences. However, I do get annoyed when reading posts that are barely in English. Up until now I have examined posts on a case-by-case basis and decided whether or not to take action on grammar. I do my best not to warn people if it isn't necessary. The rules state "your post must also be legible, have decent grammar, and be in English." What I define as legible, is up to me, and that's how it's always been. The grammar on Anarchy Forums is fairly decent, so I haven't had to really elaborate on the guidelines.

People shouldn't be asking you for favors without giving you something in return. I'll admit, you're a pretty cool guy, and I've known you for several years - so I have asked you a fair share of questions. Sorry if I had anything to do with that complaint, haha. Additionally, asking for reputation or Member of the Month votes is against the rules, and you should report that kind of stuff to me. I am aware of the fact Devil_Child asked for votes in the Member of the Month contest and he was given a warning. If you see someone begging, just tell them to bugger off, and report them if it's against the rules.

As for friendly jokes, some people find certain jokes offensive. We all know there's a female in chat, yet some of us make foul jokes (myself included). It's considered polite not to make foul jokes in front of women. Generally I know where to draw the line, but as there isn't a clearly defined line - people sometimes pass over it without noticing. I have considered the idea of making a separate chat for people who are interested in talking about less friendly topics or making offensive jokes. Generally I only tell people to stop if someone complains or if someone gets offended. If nobody is offended, it's not a problem. However, when people are leaving chat - it's a problem.

I will welcome you back in the future (which I'm assuming isn't too far).

[Bannedshee]

Both Anar and Nohbdy have really good points. Especially about the scamming thing. And I kinda have to agree with Anar being a little hyportitical SOMETIMES. But I guess that's just how the internet goes. We can try to fix problems but its going to take more then Anar banning people...