Ripped off. Moved from Polls.

[JDarvall]

How about this situation Groggy.... how would you deal with this ?

Say a favourite member, that your good friends with, writes a very detailed/informative thread on whatever...... everybody chimes in with 'well dones' and ' great work ' etc.

Then from out of the blue, another less liked member, writes a post in that same thread hinting that those ideas weren't origional..... that the ideas used in that thread were pinched from his own...... Doesn't get nasty. Just makes that point with a wink.

Then in response that favourite member (your mate) denies it entirely. Saying no its not possible. That its entirely his idea. etc etc

To which the less liked member gets quite offended at, and gives the favourite both barrels......begins to post proof....that begin to show that what he has to say, may actually (god forbid) be true.....ie. the favourite pinched his ideas.

Would you defend your mate ? Would you ban the bloke who accused ? Would you close the thread before it became completely obvious your mates in the wrong ? (and anybody else became aware of it).......

Because, thats what happened to me in the UKworkshop forum. A favourite member had read my threads, taken ideas (and there was no doubt about it. Not only concepts, but pictures, and phrasing was similar)......and now I'm banned......because that favourite member, all his buddies, and the moderator are biased by mateship.

sorry to put you on the spot. Its just a hypothetical question. If anything I can see how it make your job hard (and your not getting paid for it either eh)

[Groggy]

sorry to put you on the spot. Its just a hypothetical question.

Jake, I'd like to think that no matter how much I like or dislike someone I try to let the facts speak for themselves. It may also depend on how much time I have available and how grumpy I may be at the time ( ). Another thing, challenging people on where they source their information is darn difficult. We like to think we are the only ones with an idea but it does happen that people who frequent the same places and gather the same data can occasionally join it together to derive new information which is essentially the same. Deciding who got there first is difficult, deciding if plagiarism is involved, on the internet, is nigh on impossible.

However, that said, I'd try to follow the facts, and being well liked has nothing to do with being accurate, as we have seen on a number of occasions.

To answer as to what the type of "punishment" would be, I don't know, really. I guess it would depend on what the intent was that lay behind it all. If deliberate and antagonistic then maybe a ban. If probably accidental then something much less. Perhaps removing the posts and requesting a clarification, I don't know, again, it depends.

[JDarvall]

Deciding who got there first is difficult, deciding if plagiarism is involved, on the internet, is nigh on impossible.

yeh, I think your right. But part of what bothered me was that I new she had. And she new she had. That because it was nigh on impossible like you say, it was easy to deny and retain that feeling of origionality.

But it was all way too similar this time. Hadn't written about things prior (she couldn't actually use the tools. hinted that herself).....then within a few months after my threads she implying she's been doing it like a pro that way for years.....and presented a thread with a professional tone(unlike mine apparently )

And I had the pictorial/text proof. I said ' would you like me to post proof ? '.....as soon as I said that the thread was axed and I didn't get a chance.

I've learn't more info from these forums than I've given. Why can't people just say where the info came from ?...I do ....when I get ideas from others, thats the first thing I'll write.

Is it understandable you think to get cross when somebody lies to you about such a situation? .... I just can't stomach being lied too.

[Groggy]

An alternative to making an outright accusation is to describe your previous work and provide links. Others who follow those links should arrive at their own conclusions, and they will, not everyone is a sheep. Subtlety usually wins over a shouting match, the trick is to stay in the game long enough to win. My avatar shows a good example of that.

[Gumby]

My avatar shows a good example of that.

I just thought you'd been out in the sun too long and lost some weight

[Cliff Rogers]

...... the trick is to stay in the game long enough to win. My avatar shows a good example of that.

I think you may have stayed too long 'cos you've nodded off & some bugger has pinched ya wig.

[JDarvall]

An alternative to making an outright accusation is to describe your previous work and provide links. Others who follow those links should arrive at their own conclusions, and they will, not everyone is a sheep. Subtlety usually wins over a shouting match, the trick is to stay in the game long enough to win. My avatar shows a good example of that.

I tried to be subtle Groggy.....My first post to the thread looked like this...

'see you've been pinching a few ideas

.no matter. Good to see you got that 55 going '

Didn't yell at her. Didn't throw up all the proof at the beginning. Didn't want her to feel bad. Wanted to give her a chance to be truthful. I thought it was quite natural to draw ideas from others.

.....what I should have done.....is posted the truth from the very beginning. Blasted the screen with the pictures and text, so people get a chance to read it. Cause now I'm banned theirs a whole bunch of poms and yanks thinking I'm just another troublemaking prick aussie. ....' oh mate, are you ok.....that aussie won't make ANY more threats anymore. I promise.' wankers.

[Daddles]

The moderators have their own forum and it's not unknown, quite common some times, for a mod to ask the others about a post or a thread. In the sort of case you're outlining apricotripper, where I felt I was too close to the posters to be even, I'd pass it on to the other mods.

Richard

[RETIRED]

Generally in a case like that I show no fear or favour. I am still friends with most that I have had to "sort out".

I close the thread and move it to our section wher I can go over the whole thread at leisure. I PM both parties and try to get their phone numbers to ring them and speak to each of them if it can't be dealt with in a PM.

Depending on their responses the thread is either deleted or returned with some editing done.

I have tried to handle all disputes (and yes there has been a few) this way.

[Honorary Bloke]

Cause now I'm banned theirs a whole bunch of poms and yanks thinking I'm just another troublemaking prick aussie.

He11 jake, you're not banned here, and we Seppos still think your a trouble-makin' prick Aussie.

[Wild Dingo]

The moderators have their own forum and it's not unknown, quite common some times, for a mod to ask the others about a post or a thread. In the sort of case you're outlining apricotripper, where I felt I was too close to the posters to be even, I'd pass it on to the other mods.

Richard

yeah but your just a wee woos aintcha daddiddlydaddles As they say in the classics "tuffen up son" get to grips with it an blast em toss em overboard!! make em walk the plonk! hey I'll join em!! Nah just takin the phiss ol son

Jake... mate that sorta thing happens constantly no matter the sort of forum... eg: 2 years back a fella in the states decided in a thread on another forum I used to attend that he started that he had decided to start learning the guitar... START LEARNING... in his words he had never played before EVER... so a year go by and suddenly hes doin concerts playin all sorta of riffs an so on... when asked nicely about it he responds "Whadda you know you dumb Aussie? Ive been playin for over 20 years an professionally for the last 10 played with XXXX blah blah"... yeah yeah okay whatever I say thinkin its just not worth the effort... but he goes on and on... so I quietly search the forum find that thread and post it... bangoh! a day later whoosh goes the thread he deletes it... so I start another thread and ask what was up with that... a few yobs respond along the lines of "why are you bein such a jerk Shane?" etc but of the git himself narda... so along comes a mod makes a short post something along the lines of "This thread is against the forum rules and will be deleted the poster can contact the moderator to discuss this action"... yep ahhuh riiiight... so I do "so whats the go?" I ask but instead of a reasoned response I get the same short shift you got... banned... whaaaaahooo!! I mean like I give a purple rats bum??? not likely! they want to pander to a lyin git? they can have it an shove it where the sun dont shine

One forum discussion on a particular boat forum I used to attend turned quite nasty after a bloke was asked if his wee boat he was building had been launched yet the bloke went of the deep end ranting and raving about people not respecting him not respectin his boats his talents yarda yarda went right of the handle and the other bloke simply kept stating his case with a few other bods jumping in an asking the bloke to let them know cause they too were interested but no off the rails this bloke goes ...until the forum owner jumped all over it gave a days notice locked the thread and then deleted the entire thread 24 hours later... no ban nothing said just zap gone

Im happy with that... they want that sort of censorship and bullshyte then have at it Ive been back just once since and that was a month back... and guess what? that bloody wombats a favored son... can do no wrong... so... pukem!

So mate let it go... Sure its good to get involved in forums that were interested in but mate to be honest theres really only a very few forums worthwhile... this is one of those few

But I still say theres buggar all bias in the moderators here... Neil picks em well he do... or is that ? who picks these gits anyways?? An why havent I been picked? mmmm I spend enough flamin hours in here!! ... ooooh right cause I said I didnt want it no worries then

[Cliff Rogers]

...whaaaaahooo!! I mean like I give a purple rats bum??? ...

Good line Ding... can I borrow that one the next time we have a poll?

[rrich]

Jake,
Look at it this way. You being banned is good for us. Now you'll be able to spend more time here and we can benefit from your wisdom.

[Iain]

Good line Ding... can I borrow that one the next time we have a poll?

It goes well with pink rainbows

I have seen the same thing happen inclubs for years, someone comes up with a new idea and the old stalwarts come out with a line such as 'look, he's pinched Arfurs idea' or something similar then they start talking about how they did that years ago.

Incidentally, are purple rats unique to WA as I have never seen one?

[RufflyRustic]

HI Jake,

Being a moderator, is akin to being a manager. As a manager you can't be friends with everyone all the time. It just doesn't work. There will be times the manager will make decisions that are best for the team, that some of the team won't like. The team may not be aware of the confidential information or appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes to have come to that decision. Having to moderate a friend can be a difficult situation, but one that gets faced and dealt with anyway. There are times when the right thing needs to be done, regardless of the manager's personal feelings or opinion.


Same goes here for moderating for me, IMHO.

Cheers
Wendy