Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Recent Forum Dust-up



Summing up from my side:

The Islanders publicly declared that they were coming over to the AML Community and going to raise a ruckus and see how long it takes to get the mods’ panties in a bunch.

Then they disrupted the Forum Addiction thread by dozens of pages. The mods decided to keep an eye, but as long as they didn’t cross the TOS line, to do nothing. Sara, Robert, and Judy were snotty, as usual, and James fell for the baiting, as usual.

Then they howled and demanded that the mods should move the tangent and put it in FH. The mods dug their heels in, saying that they shouldn’t kowtow to the schoolyard bullies who are intentionally causing trouble just for their own jollies, as they had earlier declared was their intention.

A power struggle ensued, with both sides being stubborn and unwilling to compromise—over something really really stupid—a bunch of pithy, off-topic posts in the FA thread.

At first I said, oh fuck it, move the thread for the babies. But then Terri, a very sane and wise person, pointed out that the FA thread had veered off topic many times before, and if we’re now going to clean it up, we could clean it all up, or else we really are just being puppets dancing to the brats’ taunts and jeers.

I tried to find a middle ground—starting a new thread for the wild conversation to continue in FH and not forcing the mods to do the tedious editing of 20 some odd pages. My goal was to not back the mods and slap the Islanders, and to not undermine the mods by overriding what they want in order to please the Islanders—who started the trouble in the first place. Everyone gets some of what they want, and everyone gets to save some face.

Within 4 minutes of this compromise, Sara pissed in the soup. She claims she was just trying to help, but oh puhlease…. When someone declares war, initiates a battle, and shoots at every opportunity, why on earth would her offer of “help” be seen as a genuine attempt at kindness? Did she really think I was going to take the time to train her as a mod on how to work the technology for doing the surgery—to clean up the mess she and her gang of bullies created?

Mensans hate the notion of anyone, anywhere making rules and having authority. Well, suck it up, people, you can’t have anarchy with 54,000 geniuses.  Too many Mensans are just plain nasty. I take the brunt of the hatred because I have the title. I keep my eye on the big picture, which is doing what is necessary to make the overall community comply with the standards and vision set by the Communications Committee and the AMC. And they don’t want Mensa to pay for a community overrun by a small group of bitches and bullies.

As for my treatment on the Island—ugh. So much for being welcomed. I certainly got to see their true colors, that’s for sure. They may think of themselves as a " fun and playful lot with a full load of brains and reasoning power," but what I see are  horrid, mean, vindictive, perseverating, self-important, highschoolers! Not the sort of people I want in my life, thank you very much.

6 comments:

Bewildered Bystander said...

Either you're a masochist, or just generally sick in the head. I'll never understand why you bother to deal with these yahoos.

Mensa is like a daycare for adults, where more than half the people involved soil their diapers on purpose, then fling their filth EVERYWHERE.

Run, Robin! Run! (I am, my membership will be lapsing this spring!)

Bill Loytty said...

I, more or less, agree with Marie; I can't believe the manufactured drama that happens on the forums. It's kind of interesting, from an anthropological standpoint, to watch it though, so I'll probably not let my membership lapse :-)

Unknown said...

I had no idea that's the way you saw it. It didn't look at all that way from my view. I guess that's why the fights get so heated.

I defended you when some of my friends tried to lay all the blame at your feet. I defended you.

Sorry to hear about your dad and your dog. It sounds like you've been having a really rough time lately. I hope things get better and easier for you.

Anonymous said...

I am also sorry to learn of your personal problems, Robin. My best wishes to you and yours.

I am also sorry to read of your many mistaken impressions of me and the others, and particularly Sara. She has always defended you and your role in all of this. I'm dismayed that my friend and I (and many others) were in for such a rude awakening.

Judy

Robin Crawford said...

Defended, me yes, as long as it was thought I was about to do what the Islanders wanted. The moment I didn't comply 100%, the claws came out again.
.

Anonymous said...

Amen Marie! I've already given the money I would have spent on Mensa to the people of Haiti.