We have a serious problem here...

Regardless of my feelings on the ban itself, I think it's fair to say that no one really misses gturner. But we have to find a way to get Paladin back.

Without logical, thoughtful people like Paladin to balance out folks like Ramen on the right, this really will turn into an echo chamber. I personally think that sounds terrible. If we can't bring back gturner, what can we do to get back??? Ideas?

Show him yer bewbies?

@Paladin:



Come baaaaaaaaaack!

If that doesn't bring him back, nothing will!

I think this is what he had in mind:

I say gul should try stepping down.

Steve:

I know - and he's not a drama queen at all, so I'm sure it'll be hard to get him back, but I can't just give up. He's my homie. We trade guns for food stamps.

maybe you should look at the cause of the problem...

You first.

Unban @gturner. Simple.

Gul stepping down is something that *should* happen, but won't. As long as his ability to engage in personal feuds via banning folks is neutered, maybe that will be enough to draw Paladin back.

Demiurge coming back would also be nice. And actormike. And Uncle Albert (prick though he was, he was entertaining). And marathon.

Mmmm. Bewbeeees.

I'm not sure what you mean. I don't have any authority to reverse the ban on gturner. I'm wondering what else we could do to get Paladin back.

And while we're at it, where the hell is faisent?

I think it's time to welcome back gturner.

Have rules.

Apply them consistently.

Unban @gturner.

Make a blanket rule that nobody is allowed to create more than 3 or 4 threads in the Red Room per day. This takes care of the (bogus) complaint that he (or anyone) could dominate discussion in the Red Room (although his thread creation frequency wasn't the problem JAG-ER claimed it to be and posting frequency has never been the basis for any kind of discipline or ban in the past. Also, the RR has always operated on the rule of survival of the fittest - bad threads die fast, good threads stick around for a few days).

Was there anyone here that actually felt they needed to be protected by the staff from @gturner and that their voice wasn't being heard? I seriously doubt it, unless we have some real "safe space" Generation Snowflakers hiding in the bushes.

The answer is clear in his last post. He wanted members treated fairly and in accordance with the tiles. There are two potential answers:-

1) Unban gturner - with admission from the mods (including Gul) that this whole affair was wrong and poorly handled; or

2) The remaining mods/owners that signed off on gturner's ban step aside.

He left for a reason and while you try and flatter him by wanting him back, you actually demean him but not appreciating his protest.

After a week there has still been no explanation as to who gturner was driving off, so the answer is clearly a resounding no.

I hope he doesn't see it that way if/when he returns. I do appreciate the reason he left. I'm just being selfish, I guess. He's my friend.

Chup's overwrought.

WTF is this nonsense?

I don't think he drove anyone off, but he sure blocked traffic.

It's like Baba got the medication he needs.

That "nonsense" is also what you've been arguing yourself.

Dummy.

I can't disagree with this. I'd like them all back.

You can add Demiurge to the ever growing list of people driven off by moderator actions under Gul's watch.

What's funny is that Gul whined like a bitch that gturner was making bad threads but Gul and the others were in those threads constantly bumping them and keeping them from dying.

Exactly, Quest.

Humanicentipede or something.

Wonder if he would've self-immolated if he'd seen this troll to the 14th pedoDoc:




Ahh, Maurice.

You're an idiot, bud.

Nothing anyone has said even remotely - in any way - demeans Paladin's point.

It's like you're a speech writer for a bad politician.

Demiurge left over this image....

And what of other, thoughtful posters who got sick of wading through the bullshit in order to have a sane conversation? Unbanning gturner alone doesn't stop better contributors from reducing participation, it just changes WHY they did so.

We've had folks walk away before, good and bad, and while I think Palidin's contribution was, on the whole, the sort we need more of, no one poster is too valuable to lose.

Personally I ignored gturner but the benefit was limited when Volpone parachuted back in and took up the mantle - there's about 4-6 members now who would have to be ignored to get the desired effect and If I'm ignoring half a dozen posters (when I've virtually never used the feature before) then I have to question whether it's worth it to come here and try to navigate the bullshit (other than to visit MC)

Now, I'm not threatening to leave or promising to stay, I'm not interested in making any of this about me - I'm just saying it's not a zero sum game y'all are discussing. Like I said in the help desk, get used to golden showers or turn off the tap - all anyone can ask is consistency rather than randomness, otherwise there's not a "right" way to do it - whichever you choose, someone will get pissed off and leave. You can't really let that possibility drive your decision making.