I have not seen a post from Rug for awhile ..... ??

[Angry Dragon]

[Rhiannon12866]

1. Apparently he had hidden posts:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=158448

[Angry Dragon]

2. thank you for answering ......... he must have been a bad boy

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Here's hoping he contacts the admins

These days, that's the only way of coming back from Flagged for Review. And it does look like most of it happened awhile ago. I'm used to looking things up here and I thought you deserved an answer.

[Voltaire2]

4. I read in the ask the admins forum that they aren't bringing back the dead.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. I guess it depends on what kind of case can be made

It's certainly worth a try.

[Lordquinton]

7. Knowing what was posted

not a strong case.

[trotsky]

24. Admins can look at his entire posting history.

Odds aren't good.

[hrmjustin]

9. It appears not, but some have come back with new accounts.

[Angry Dragon]

6. I thank you again .......... Have a nice weekend

[No Vested Interest]

8. Is "flagged for review" the the same as "banned"?

[Rhiannon12866]

17. No, it's a kind of limbo

Previously, posters were Flagged for Review and unable to post after 5 hides in 90 days, but became "active" again after one or more fell off the list.

Apparently the admins changed that after the animosity of the campaign and now those who are FFR are unable to post again until or unless they can make a case to the admins that they're willing to follow the ToS from now on.

Of course, the policy could change again, but Skinner has posted that the "amnesty" they gave FFR posters during the campaign didn't work as they had hoped. So, for the moment, FFR is as good as being banned for the foreseeable future. Hope that helps.

[Bretton Garcia]

19. The very damaging hack of DU during the election

... undoubtedly has rightly increased concern for security, and internal threats.

[Rhiannon12866]

21. That's true

And, unfortunately, a lot of DUers had trouble coming back after that - didn't remember passwords, e-mail changes -
including me. It took me awhile. Some even decided to start over, but that has to be rough if you've been here for years. I was lucky to have help from another DUer and the admins.

[SWBTATTReg]

26. I was really nervous about signing on as a member to DU, after hacking

I am still nervous...and very protective (we all need to be)...however, after hacking, I definitely plan on donating funds to DU, who deserves it, to help maintain this website and associated community.

[hrmjustin]

10. I hope the admins let him back.

There are several posters here believer and non-believer that are flagged that I hope are allowed back on. The religion room is not the same without them.

I really do miss chatting with rug through PMs but since he is flagged he can't do that.

[Jim__]

11. There's definitely more discussion when Rug is here.

I hope he comes back.

[No Vested Interest]

12. The Religion group as well as the Catholicism & Orthodox Christianity subgroup have been very dull

in the last months.
The Catholicism subgroup was usually full of new articles with all manner of subjects, a group to which I subscribed.

[Angry Dragon]

13. what you say is true

[Iggo]

18. Far as I can tell, it's exactly the same with him or without him.

[trotsky]

23. It's actually quite a bit more civil, IMHO. n/t

[Iggo]

25. Good.

[NeoGreen]

27. I see a far greater diversity in those who post...

...without rug than with, i.e. there is a greater diversity of opinion being presented here for discussion.

The forum is not being dominated by one person.

I think the change is for the better.

[hrmjustin]

14. I am going to send a pm to Skinner asking Skinner to let Rug back.

I hope others do as well.

[Angry Dragon]

15. add my name as well

[No Vested Interest]

16. I support your pm to Skinner asking Skinner to bring Rug back.

[AtheistCrusader]

38. You should sponsor him in some way, so that if he gets banned again.. i mean... uh...

You know, so he has a chaperone to keep his passions in check.

[hrmjustin]

39. you of all people know what a bad idea that is.

[AtheistCrusader]

40. Oh I heartily encourage it.

It's good for... the soul?

[hrmjustin]

41. lol troublemaker!

[guillaumeb]

58. An excellent idea. I will do the same. eom

[snooper2]

90. I guess that didn't work out

[Bretton Garcia]

20. Rug was a useful foil to argue against?

Maybe.

[trotsky]

22. rug's account has been suspended.

There is a reason for that. He is FAR from an innocent victim.

[hrmjustin]

28. Well at least he didn't use his profile to say nasty things about DU members when he got

Flagged.

[Act_of_Reparation]

30. Is this something trotsky did?

If not, I have to wonder how it's relevant.

[hrmjustin]

33. A few former members who used to post in this room used their profiles

To insult Rug and others in this room after they were flagged.

[Act_of_Reparation]

34. So what.

[hrmjustin]

35. you weren't the target of it.

Rug and I was.

[Act_of_Reparation]

36. I'm asking how it's relevant.

What do those two have to do with trotsky's post?

[hrmjustin]

37. because I felt like making the point!

That's why!

[Bretton Garcia]

29. The religion group at DU is a group, not a forum

This means that we don't have to put up with persons very strongly opposed to the basic orientation of the group. Which in our case is a critical, usually atheistic perspective on religion.

Though, maybe some diversity, mild controversy, is useful. So long as we all are clearly liberal, and democratic?

[hrmjustin]

32. People with all sorts of views on religion are allowed to post in this room.

[Rob H.]

42. FTR, he also figured out the real name of an atheist poster here

Last edited Thu Aug 17, 2017, 03:23 PM - Edit history (1)

and used it in a response to that poster. He then refused to delete it after the poster asked him to. Doxxing should be grounds for an immediate ppr, imo, so good riddance.

Edit: this is the post I'm talking about. Note that admin had to step in and delete it.

[Bretton Garcia]

45. Useful info; thanks.

[trotsky]

46. GREAT point.

Had forgotten about that. Hope the Admins haven't.

[edhopper]

43. Rug gave the best reasoning

for my continued atheism.
His posts affirmed the nonexistence of God.

He also reinforced my contemptuous view of the Catholic Church.

[Bretton Garcia]

44. : ) Well said.

[trotsky]

47. Amen, brother! n/t

[Fix The Stupid]

62. I actually pity the man...honest truth.

Imagine living your whole life believing this nonsense...I mean your WHOLE life...

I think in some people the realization that they could have been deluded for SO MANY YEARS is just too much for their minds to comprehend and this is how they act...it's all projection with him.

Once you noticed the patterns, it became obvious to me.

One thing is clear - he was a very smart man. Very witty. I also respected his anti-war positions - he took on many of DU's sacred cows in other forums...he was definitely not afraid of engaging them and I admit I agreed with him probably 100% of the time - except for anything in this forum

I'll admit I goaded him a bit on exorcism...I just wish he would have stated something like this, instead of the usual snark..." Yes, exorcism is a part of the catholic church - Yes, it's a hold over from centuries past and it is one of the facets of this religion I think is silly and needs reformed..." Something along those lines would have permanently made me stop posting about exorcism and the catholic church - he just could never get there...

FYI - I was raised catholic, stopped going when I was around 11 or 12 - I saw thru it then and my parents let me opt out of all that stuff - a few years later, they got out too...so I know a bit about the catholic lifestyle.

[edhopper]

64. I really think

he felt it was his mission to defend the Church and was going to be graced by God for doing so.

Which is sad.

[hrmjustin]

48. I know it wasn't your desire but this thread should probably be deleted.

Some are using this to make accusations that rug can't defend himself against because he can't post now.

[Angry Dragon]

49. I was just wondering where he was........had not seen him in awhile

[hrmjustin]

50. I know. My point was not about you.

Others who don't like him are using this thread to bash him.

[Lordquinton]

51. There are statements of facts

But I haven't seen any accusations.

[hrmjustin]

53. I can't say what they are. All I can say is he can't defend himself now.

[Lordquinton]

54. Well, they're facts

Not much to defend really.

[hrmjustin]

55. And my point still stands.

[Lordquinton]

56. It really doesn't.

[hrmjustin]

57. Whatever.

You guys got your wish in the end.

[Lordquinton]

59. What do youean "you guys"

This was self inflicted.

[hrmjustin]

60. Oh he would be the first to say his hides were his own doing.

And you guys I mean those of you who have made clear your dislike for him.

[Mariana]

61. If Rug hadn't made his intense dislike of some DUers so obvious

maybe he'd still be here.

As you say, it was his own doing.

[Lordquinton]

63. Also his own doing.

I do agree this thread should be locked, hard to get more meta than this.

[Bretton Garcia]

67. It serves a useful memorial function? Or a chance to...

Publicise and support DU rules.

[NeoGreen]

68. It can function as a means for both...

...options you presented.

And both have some measure of value.

[Iggo]

65. Them ain't accusations. Them's anecdotes!

[No Vested Interest]

66. Rug contributed to other groups other than Religion - the Lounge, Catholic & Orthodox Christianity,

Humor, GD, and likely others of which I'm not aware.
By banning him, in effect, because of an offense in Religion group, we who appreciated his many contribution to other groups no longer have the benefit of his contributions in Catholic & Orthodox Christianity.

Others are contributing OPs, but nowhere near the volume of Rug's work in that group.
I would like to have him readmitted, with whatever caveats necessary.

[NeoGreen]

69. I would vote to not forgive unrepentant Doxxing...

Last edited Fri Aug 18, 2017, 04:57 PM - Edit history (1)

...i.e. the posting of real world personal data on another user without their permission and the subsequent refusal to remove the offending information.

Offending Post: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1218&pid=240117

The request for removal for the offending information and the refusal follow that post.

I would characterize what happened as Aggravated Doxxing: It wasn't a mistake, there was no mea culpa, there was no attempt to correct.

The DU admins had to step in and fix the problem.

The rules of DU have been applied appropriately.

[Lordquinton]

72. Nope

Fact is fact.

Look it up.

[Iggo]

75. I believe it. I was there for some of it (although I threw in the towel years ago.)

Probably should have said, "Those aren't accusations. Those are reports of what happened."

But that wasn't as catchy.

[Lordquinton]

76. I got ya.

Just feeling a little sensitive today.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

70. You are opposed to threads about ffr'd Duers who can't defend themselves , eh?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=9474298

[hrmjustin]

71. Yeah you caught me. But in all farness this thread is actually against the rules of the room.

But yeah that is hypocritical my part.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

92. But.... bla bla bla

[True Dough]

52. I started a thread about Rug in the DU Lounge a few weeks ago

It was deleted by a mod within 10 minutes and I got a message indicating not to interfere with the moderation process. I also got a hide.

I had disagreements with Rug several times but still respected him. I figured he'd written a few things in anger and that got him flagged, but I didn't know about the doxing. That's really unfortunate.

[hrmjustin]

73. Well I just got my fourth hide so if I get a fifth you know what happened to me.

So if I get flagged to all the posters in this room don't take anything I said too personally. I always enjoyed the give and take.

I stand by my recent hides and I wish you all well.

[Angry Dragon]

74. I got two out of one thread

[MineralMan]

77. From time to time, I reconsider my decision not

to post in the Religion Group. I've been doing that reconsideration again. Although I'm an atheist, I have a lifelong interest in religion in general and Christianity specifically, in all of its sects and denominations.

Still, I haven't yet decided whether to return. I'm still waiting to see whether I'll be able to post here without seeing posts removed for disagreeing with others about things.

[Angry Dragon]

78. take the plunge

[MineralMan]

79. Perhaps I will.

I'm still undecided.

[Angry Dragon]

80. Fear does not become you

[MineralMan]

81. Oh, it's not fear. I have zero fear of posting online.

It's a matter of how I spend my time, which is limited, as it is for everyone.

In the past, I've found posting here to be of little use, thanks to forces I could not control. But fear did not play a role in my decision to avoid this DU group.

The matter still hasn't been decided, though. I'm still thinking about it.

[Angry Dragon]

82. whatever

[edhopper]

83. I have found

it is not what someone posts, it's how they say it.

I think any subject about religion can be broached here. As long as it is framed in the right way.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

84. Finally an answer to a question no one has been asking.

[trotsky]

85. *snarfle*

[trotsky]

86. If you do decide to post again, it would be nice if you responded to this:

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1218&pid=251927

[MineralMan]

87. I responded in that thread already, at the time.

So, no, I'm not going to revisit it.

[trotsky]

88. You did not respond to that post.

Nice try though.

[hrmjustin]

89. I see the snarky welcome wagon came to greet you.

I agree with angry Dragon that you should post here. Some people here live to be snarky and we'll argumentative to the point of being mean.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

91. I didn't know DU had a Welcome Wagon

I do know DU has a system to toss repeat trouble makers out on their ear.