I was banned twice this week

Did you say anything against Israel? That’s an automatic 2 day ban.

Curious did you post with a user name? I have noticed there's this thing where if you post with a name, sooner or later one of the snakes in here will F&F your post over and over and over until you get banned. It is a ridiculous problem. Posters have said they told the DL staff about it but to no avail.

Me, too, OP. Came off a 72 hour ban on Tuesday, only to receive a 24 hour ban which just ended a few hours ago.

The hot house flower MAGAts and anti-trans trolls sure can dish out the slurs and insults, but they hit the F&F button as soon as their delicate sensibilities have been triggered.

I was too, OP.

Remember how Della was banned?

If you're a woman, I am convinced that there are individuals who are trying to get women banned from this site, be they lesbians or no.

R2 is right -- I'm going to stop signing my posts and see if that works, even though anyone will be able to figure out who I am from my posting history.

This is the slow demise of DL.

It’s sad but true, if somebody else wants to zap you out of here like a bug, all they have to do is hit that FF button on you repeatedly until you get greyed out. Seen it happen for valid reasons and seen it happen as a form of malice.

Webmaster knows and apparently doesn’t care. La tristesse, la tristesse!

Yes, I post anti-Israel always.

No, I don't have a user name.

No, I'm not female.

I only hit ff people when they are attacking other posters in a deranged, profane way.

OP, I would be mortified.

R3 Really? I get banned for hot takes on shitty liberal logic. But liberals eat their own, that’s why they’re losers and we’re living in Trump’s America now, which is insane.

R4 Highly doubt it. The increase of women on here is probably what’s causing the bans. It’s not the gays banning you, it’s your own people!

Porn and nudity are dead on here cause it’s a bunch of radical women on here today who hate men and like to take over gay and lesbian spaces to “feel safe”.

And then you have mentally ill liberals, most likely women too, who still believe the liberal myth that they’ll be sent to concentration camps.

There are definitely one or more magat trolls at work here. Possibly a few far leftwing trolls too. They actively try and get people ff'd. One posts on reddit and has dick pics. I believe that's the infamous seacow and he's straight.

I got two days earlier this week for suggesting a certain someone maybe shouldn't be shilling a book less than a year after getting trounced. DL loves its ineffective establishment politicians, it's a love story for the ages! And then they're all gooped when someone like Trump keeps winning. It's not him, you see, it's spelling it out that's actually the problem.

OP yeah that must have been you taking a side (either side!) in Israel / Palestine. Anybody can get anybody else put on time out, it only takes a few minutes of FF, refresh, FF, refresh, etc. You can do it, I can do it, POS trolls and bullies can do it too -- and they do!

Pathetic. Part of me loves this place and part of me resents the negligence and the way it's still stuck in 2005 on the back end.

I use FF judiciously and sparingly same as you, OP, but it is very easy for anybody else not to.

Posters shouldn’t be allowed to have other posters banned by using f&f, that feature needs to be removed. The number of mental cases and prisspot delicate snowflakes here are too many.

I complain to Muriel using the Help button every time I’m banned so they get sick of me.

They used to respond to me, but now they just reverse the ban quickly.

F&F should be deleted. If you don’t like a poster, just put them on ignore. F&F is being abused by groups with an anti-LGBT agenda

I’m sure many of us are being targeted. It’s easy to see who makes comments and F&F then whenever they make a comment, no matter how innocuous

I left for about a year, and people complained that the posts were getting boring.

I’m sure many people left about the same time because we were all getting F&Fed too much

Agreed R16. I never use FF. The block feature works for obnoxious trolls.

[quote] I left for about a year, and people complained that the posts were getting boring.

So you're suggesting it became boring because you were gone? That whether Datalounge is fun for others depends upon whether you're able to enliven us with your wit and sense of joy?

Jesus Christ. Haven’t you people realized that all you need is five FFs to get grayed out and it’s very easily manipulated by anyone (which is almost everyone here) who has at least two devices and two browsers.

One solution could be if each of us is only allowed 1 FF per week. If you want to FF somebody it has to have been at least 7 days since the last time you did. Simple auto-calc. DL does it for the banning so they could easily do it fo rFF. Creating a culture where you do have FF power for extreme pieces of human filth, but you don't want to waste yours. And so only the worst of the worst gets banned.

I've seen other peer-moderated sites use a similar approach and it works pretty well.

did you support zohran or criticize centrist democrats? i got nearly a dozen bans this year for that.

r23 there are no moderators here, this website isn't being actively managed in any way.

R21, don't be disingenuous, that poster went on to say they think there was a mass exodus of posters around that time for same reason.

R25, right, but that's the kind of auto-calculation that can be set up once and it runs itself. Like the current, flagrantly-abused FF and banning system.

I got a two day time out this week as well. And that was after not signing my posts. It's probably due to criticisms of the Orange Anus.

And may I offer Muriel a suggestion? The FF and WW buttons should be on opposite sides of the post. I tend to give out WW's like Halloween candy, but occasionally have accidentally hit the FF button. Who am I kidding? Muriel is on her 6th martini of the morning.

I think I have that mok troll blocked.

[Quote] Did you say anything against Israel? That’s an automatic 2 day ban.

Yeah, I suspect that one of the crazier and more zionos here have multiple accounts and will bomb you with FFs if you criticize the ethnic cleansing of Gaza.

There’s also a possibility that it’s Israel itself doing it. They have a cyber warfare unit in the IDF, abd one of the responsibilities of that unit is online propaganda. I know that seems far fetched but Russia, China and Iran have already been proven to do it on social media.

R28 there is no muriel. there is no moderation. there is nobody managing or administrating this website. isn't it completely obvious? have you seen any evidence of that whatsoever in the last 4 years? i have not. i want courts to investigate where the fuck my money is going actually.

^^^ “and more obsessive Zionos”

conspiracy - teacake murdered muriel 7 years ago and all of our subscriptions are redirected to his bitcoin wallet

the account that takes our subscriptions auto pays the domain host, i really think that. there is nobody in charge of this.

I was banned for asking if there was a term for the non-binary types who go to ComicCon (emo was the best suggestion). I thought it was a pretty innocuous question. So it's not just Gaza issues. I'm guessing the trans/non-binary community is very proactive about F&Fing.

this website is so poorly ran it makes the 4chan janitors look like fortune 500 executives

R30, do you think Matt is still here? He used to scream zionist shit all over this board and spam the hell out of it.

if this website had moderators the people abusing ff would be ip and device banned quickly

Isn't that teacake troll responsible for 90% of the trolling here? I blocked him ages ago but I know he's still trolling with his sockpuppets.

Threes a charm!!!

Anscher is absolutely still here. He’s the one who was saying he wanted more Palestinian children to die.

He’s mentally ill abd a Zionist - a toxic brew.

And he is internet savvy. He has launched several DDS attacks against the DL when he was throwing temper tantrums that people were defending the Palestinians.

R39, teacake was one of Defacto’s many cosplays. He also ran GermanGayGuy for a while. He obviously has no life outside the DL. Well, that and going (by himself of course) to take pictures in the picturesque decay of the rust belt.

When you see maga moron ideas being expressed here, 90% chance it’s him. Hes the one pushing Breitbart idiocy, claiming nyc is unsafe, and posting black crime stories. He's openly admitted he thinks black people are subhuman.

This was the thread wherein mok (the OP) and I each got FF’d and banned by the poster who goes after me for weird reasons unknown.

R42, how sure are you? I’m pretty sure Teacake is Black for real.

I knew a girl who got banned a lot. But then she died.

R42 really are you sure, i think it's a just a black guy who doesn't give af about grammar which makes dried out queens who think they're the king of the 1962 5th grade class upset

Teacake is not black. It’s Defacto 100%. He adopts mannerisms to ridicule black oeople. It’s why he runs that cosplay.

i'm surprised i never became a controversial troll, it's because i have the sense to not sign my username ever

Some of you people are so easy to fool.

I got 2 days as well. Seemed to happen a lot this week.

I'm confused by how it works. I've figured out that a certain number of FFs equals a timeout, but I gather that it's not a lot of people FFing, it's one person with multiple accounts. How many accounts do these people have? And now that we're in pay to post all the time, how much are these people paying for all of these multiple accounts?

I’ve always valued the DL for the diversity of opinions expressed here. Some members, apparently, do not.

It would be a crying shame to see it morph into a boring echo chamber like so many other online forums these days.

If you’re stalking other members and trying to get them suspended or banned? Get a life. You are the reason the “touch grass” meme was invented.

r50 it's literally just the anti zohran troll. go block him and discover how he posts a dozen times in a row. he's hysterical and completely retarded. i think chris cuomo is logging on when he hits the tina.

"i really think that. there is nobody in charge of this"

So Datalounge is a derelict website floating listlessly through Cyberspace?

he also gets banned frequently, that;s why those of us he targets can sometimes post freely for 3-5 days before he comes back, posts 40 times in a row in a zohran or israel thread, and ff bans a dozen paying members who have probably been here longer than him.

r53 can you point to any evidence of active management or moderation in the last 5 years

i think perhaps one jurassic mod is able to log in once every 3-5 months when under a particularly ambulatory spell and randomly redlines somebody. i haven't seen any other activity.

Whatever you do, don't piss off the Condi Troll!

Someone has figured out who you are they attack. Usually they would wait until Friday night to maximize your downtime, It's likely the Republicans.

Nonsense, r3. The pro-trans trolls are just as likely to f&f people into oblivion as the anti-trans trolls. It's that issue and the Israel/Palestine issue that see people on both sides of it get time outs. I think there should be a special rule for those threads. You shouldn't be able to give people time outs when the subject is one that is so controversial in this community.

Buck never would have gotten banned.

- Beth

I've used the F&F maybe five times since the beginning of the year because I know it can lead to a ban, of which I've had many and find very annoying. I have blocked several posters, including OP. I'm sure plenty of people have blocked me.

[quote]There are definitely one or more magat trolls at work here.

I highly doubt that.

People on the right LOVE to argue with those on the left. It gives them life.

However, those on the left don't like being challenged, don't like opposing opinions.

Some of the F&Fs/banning could come from the delicate flower posters who get bent out of shape over the Lizscha, Sum Ting Wong, or SJP looks like a horse comments.

Please, like this place is so high brow. I suggest the people offended take it over to the NYT comments threads if you don't want immature jokes and pointless bitchery.

Nonsense R62. There are magat trolls here.

What r64 said.

[quote]I got two days earlier this week for suggesting a certain someone maybe shouldn't be shilling a book

Well, who?

R50 I’m not sure if we all have the power, but I can get somebody greyed out from just one device and just one DL account and 1 minute of tenacity. I’ve only done it on extreme cases (one was a poster telling another poster to kill himself) but if it’s within my ability, it’s probably true for many others.

I think I know what you mean Torta r67 but I won't say how for fear it becomes rampant.

I am purposely going out of my way not to get anyone else or me banned to the point I don't even put threads or posters on ignore because I am afraid I will hurt people's karma, there by contributing to giving them a time out.

I don't use the FF button, though I am tempted at times, I just don't believe a paying member should ever be banned from posting even when I hate what they post. If a person needs banned it should be the owners of the site doing the banning but DL almost never changes so expect things to stay the way they have been.

[quote]Nonsense [R62]. There are magat trolls here.

No doubt about that. But they're not trying to get people banned.

That's what the far-lefties do and especially the pro-trans contingent.

The right, on the other hand, loves an argument.

It is sometimes puzzling when threads that seem to be perfectly normal end up getting derailed, with numerous grayed-out posters.

However, some of the posters who come back claiming "I have no idea why I got FFed!?" Then you go look at their history and it's full of hateful sweeping generalizations, or hardcore racist shit, or just general stupid shit-stirring. But, yeh, they have "no idea" what happened!

I think I was only put in timeout once, because I was going back and forth with the weirdo J-Bot person.

I wonder too if, in addition to malicious uses of FF, new users aren’t confused by the similarity between WW/FF here and the upvote/downvote system on platforms like Reddit. I only joined three months ago after lurking for a while and if I hadn’t carefully read the Help page, I wouldn’t have known the difference.

Not only that r72, but if one is carelessly scrolling on a phone or tablet it's easy to hit FF by mistake.

The right likes trolling. They don't actually like reasoned debate.

And they don't like being bested.

How do you know that you’re banned banned?

This week I got a message saying I wasn’t allowed to post “at this time” despite my monthly subscription still had a week to go before renewing. I just thought it was a software glitch, lol. I can’t think of anything I posted that was inflammatory (says I) but it might’ve been something about Trump. It lasted for a day, maybe two.

Which is easy to do R75.

R77 (thread:I was banned this week)

Whenever I am banned I open a word document.

I type my post to the document.

When I am released from time out I dump all of my denied posts, back on DL.

F&F timeouts are stupid.

r78 Well, that's. . . special.

I did get banned totally once for standing up for trans in a particularly nasty thread. When I complained on Help, they wrote back saying they didn’t know why I was permanently banned. At that time, you could be billed for a full year at a time. They actually refunded the year’s fee.

Then I just used another email to start another acct

There is also zero consensus on what the FF button is even for. Example — R70 in this thread, a conservative taking tiresome potshots at “the left”, got greyed out. Perhaps even given a time out, if the algorithmic thing kicked in.

Should that have happened, in your opinion? What should and shouldn’t be banned? (fwiw I loathe Trump and am politically liberal/semi-progressive but I lean toward free speech and know how to use the Ignore feature)

OP, me too..

Once because I said Stevie Nicks was an egomaniac- The loser who was offended told me to enjoy my time off, and was instantly banned. (I figured moderators here also post?)

And when my birds were killed by another bird in their nest, I called the murdering bird MAGA. Banned for 2 days.

For $1.99 a month I don't sweat it. We are not friends here. We are anonymous posters on a message board.

r81 "taking tiresome potshots"

I would give an FF for that, yes.

Also, There are some real dirty fuckers who will say the old "Nice Posting History R100!" shit so it taints your post and its validity. I think that they know that no one will run and check said posters posting history.

I had someone do that to me and I had never posted anything remotely related to what that poster was "hinting" at..

The site has seriously changed since the election- and there are alot of bitter and angry people- which I understand.

I have other things I should be doing but posting here for christ sake. Its basically a who gives a fuck situation for me. But it stings.

From settings re user karma:

[quote] Users with negative reputation (lots of flames and freaks and [bold] ignores [/b] on their posts) are restricted from posting, modding and voting in polls.

Note the inclusion of "ignores"

Even the "ignores" feature is ridiculous, R85.

If I say something is red, and you insist it's green then you turn around and put me on ignore is a stupid concept that shouldn't be allowed.

If you don't like or agree with something I said/posted, simply make like Dionne Warwick and "walk on by."

I think a lot of people here get a hardon by the fact they think they exercise some control over somebody they've f&f or put on ignore.

R86, I would suggest it's more about self-control or one's lack of it. If someone else's posts irritate you enough to risk losing it then better to not see it.

But I agree that announcing that you are putting someone on ignore defeats the purpose.

People who WW themselves (r17) are equally weird.

I remember when we had a moderator. Back then, if you were a troll, you got "red-tagged." IOW, your signature would have a comment (in red) next to it with a note from the moderator, i.e., "troll : talks to self."

Those were the days.

If your average comment is above 3.0 WWs then you should be immune from FF bans. Us ELITES won’t take it anymore.

Thank you OP for attracting all the DLers who deserve to be on my Ignore list into one convenient thread.

That's what I was thinking, R90. Many DLers really love my posts -- why am I getting banned?

There's no rhyme or reason to it. And you can't even contact someone and say, "For which post was I banned?" so that you have a chance not to repeat your "mistake."

R58 I can remember one poster of a decidedly liberal bent bragging that he had figured out how to identify anonymous posters he considered to be his sworn political enemies.

He would block and unblock one anonymous post at a time while browsing various contentious threads, thereby identifying the contributions of anyone he wanted to silence. His targets were then ceaselessly harangued and FF’d into oblivion across multiple discussions.

Like a particularly obnoxious hall monitor, I’m sure he reported his victims to support as well. He was clearly the owner of many socks accounts and thought of himself as a genius internet detective and tireless crusader for the cause of righteousness. Kind of pathetic, really.

I love the "you are blocked" posters. So dramatic. I have users blocked but I sure as hell don't announce it each time.

R93, is it still doing this or did it move on?

r92 see r71

I was banned for a full month last December. I blame the troll sock puppets.

Something needs to change.

r93 "one poster of a decidedly liberal bent"

Yeh, that comment's asking for trouble.

R98 Meh, DL is an occasional entertaining diversion for me not an epic struggle of good vs evil.

And, as an old school liberal I genuinely value uncensored yet civil debate and the unfettered ability to be critical of my own side. If anyone is offended by my little anecdote about some unhinged little lib patrolling DL and obsessively enforcing the approved party line? Fuck ‘em.

The worst here is this poster obsessed with "Defacto" who ever that is. He will accuse you and anyone of being this person and FF you. Totally nuts.

I’ve been battered, bruised, and exiled by the Big Liz Contingent. And all (in the interest of mending international fences and bringing families together) because I would meekly voice the faintest and most measured of rationales for a certain Montecito resident… a new mother who is trying to find her way in the world.

And what did I get? REBUKES and BANISHMENTS that sting like the prong of a blackamoor brooch.

[quote]R93 His targets were then ceaselessly harangued and FF’d into oblivion

I do like the word [italic]harangued!

The curious thing to me is that I was banned maybe twice in ten years... and in the last six months I was banned 3-4 times. I don't think my own behavior has changed. I assume the algorithm has changed.

Me too OP. The first time I got banned it was a day and a half. The second time it was just a few hours. I don’t recall posting any controversial or political.

Somebody right in this thread did it to Torta again at R17

There are two groups that attract the crazies: the British Royal Family fans and the #TrannyPanic crowd.

Both are made up of arch conservatives (aka the Klan Grannies)

It is so tempting to defend the underdog and reply to those threads - but like witnessing a vicious, bloody brawl in prison, you just have to keep your eyes forward and your feet moving. If you want to survive.

[quote]but I gather that it's not a lot of people FFing, it's one person with multiple accounts. How many accounts do these people have? And now that we're in pay to post all the time, how much are these people paying for all of these multiple accounts?

One person paying for multiple accounts just so they can troll and ban other posters is just one of the saddest and most loserish things ever.

r100 he's done that to me several times, and I have no idea who this DeFacto person is.

Everybody just be nice to everyone-I never FF anyone.

That's how I survive here!!

I went years without getting a ban but now yes once a month for the past 4 months.

[quote]One person paying for multiple accounts just so they can troll and ban other posters is just one of the saddest and most loserish things ever.

Whomever is doing this is truly pathetic andf has a seriously overinflated sense of the importance this site has in the typical poster's life. It's probably a reflection of his or her own pathetic attachment to Datalounge that they feel they are accomplishing anything with their little project.

I literally move the fuck onto the next site when I can't post.

r112 You literally do, huh? Yikes.

And no, I'm not the literally troll - it just seemed like a fun reply! I WWed you for the rest of your post, though. :)

I am big! It's the DataLounge that's gotten small.

I was banned recently and apparently I am no longer banned. I am going to cancel my measly subscription.

OP, Muriel is a virulent z-i-o. If you post anything other than hasbara propaganda, a ban is likely to follow. I've experienced it many times. Will probably get one for this reply.

I fear that some of us become irrationally invested in the Datalounge.

If we can figure out the FF zealots, I say we sent Melissa Gilbert to their house with the Shitbra.

r117, nice to know you think your posts are valueless.

But I SHALL bank my posts.

I have stated my boundaries!

It’s not one particular type that abuses F&F. It’s all types. People use it as a thumbs down. That’s not its purpose. It’s supposed to flag genuine trolls, not just people you disagree with.

I would not be surprised if many of the people quick to blame their perceived political enemies for censorship were not active FF abusers themselves.

Mom just off a 24-hour ban. What is this, CBS?

I also was banned for several days this week, and last week, too. I have no idea what caused it. I wish I did and then I'd avoid whatever it was that was bad.

The person who thinks Teacake and Defacto are the same poster is a special kind of idiot.

I’m sure Muriel is actively working on a fix which she’ll get to just after she finalizes the Notifications “test bench.”

Like r89, I go waaaay back here.

I remember the days when the DL would close for maintenance every 2 or 3 months for just a couple or 3 hours. The massive, collective withdrawal symptoms were palpable.

WTF does this even mean?

[quote] We are testing notifications for mentions and likes. This is a testbench page. Work in progress. Nothing to see here - yet.

Is it some weird psychological experiment?

Live from Muriel HQ:

Muriel is passed out on a heating grate somewhere.

I was just banned for 48 hours. No clue why

Thank you for your attention in this matter!

Gland for the record when I F&F I then immediately block them. I've got over eighty posters blocked

And, that is

I get banned for a few hours, a few days. No rhyme or reason why it starts or why it ends. This site is a mess.

I was banned last weekend and I don't know why. I decided to stay away from the political threads because some posters are so emotional if you don't agree with them 100%.

How can you get banned on here?!

I got banned for two days for saying the “good genes” Sydney Sweeney as was about her tits not her race. Lol. Is that really so controversial?

Teacake is Lipstick Lesbian. Same tone, a little different vocabulary.

I am as sure of this as I can be.

I don't mind abiding by the rules, if I know what they are. I love it here! But if I keep getting banned for no rhyme or reason, I'll eventually cancel my membership and stop coming back-- not because I want to, but because I won't be able to participate.

Maybe it was just a software glitch.

Muriel's "test page" has been under construction longer than the railroad to nowhere permanently under construction in California since before Gavin Newsom was fucking Kimberly Guilfoyle.

They should let you know which post was so offensive it got you banned. How else are we to learn?

Muriel built the Transcontinental Railroad. How dare you question her judgment?

Huh, well, that was an unusually short time out. And on a Saturday.

The great philosopher Ciccone was right, life [bold]is[/bold] a mystery.

How do you email the webmistress? I didn't see anything in the Help section about it.

Or maybe I'm just missing something.

"keep getting banned for no rhyme or reason"

There most certainly is a reason.

Times are tough. Still, Muriel treats you all to a lovely website… and she gets smart alec backtalk.

^^ I am not one of your FAAAANSSS!!

Yes, R142, but her clientele completed it by driving in a dildo rather than a golden spike.

Weird that so many have been banned

[quote]I got banned for two days for saying the “good genes” Sydney Sweeney as was about her tits not her race. Lol. Is that really so controversial?

I also got a timeout because of that thread. All I said was that people are mad because we don't teach homophones in school anymore. That maybe they should be focused on other stuff instead of an ad with word play. Then, boom. Lights out.

What people don’t seem to understand is there IS NO REASON you are banned. The process is automated. If some other users (perhaps even just one using sock puppets) FFs your post because they are a petty tyrant on a power trip and something you said sets them off, you get banned.

It’s a design flaw that needs to be fixed. Don’t take it personally

Sometimes Muriel reviews the banned posters and ends your time out early because you don’t deserve it. Sometimes she sleeps through the whole thing. Again, don’t rake it personally.

Add the fact that a lot of relatively well-meaning people consider FF to be like a down vote on Reddit, and it doesn’t take much to wind up banned

I don't take it personally, I just want to know what I did to offend people. I can't see anything in the past few weeks that I've said that would cause a flurry of FFs.

Same here.

Did you point out that another poster was wrong about something? That can be enough. But usually it’s just expressing an opinion (any opinion) on a topic on which other people consider themselves warriors for truth,

BTW—I think the relevant time frame is much shorter than weeks. It might be as short as hours. Not sure

[quote]R153 Add the fact that a lot of relatively well-meaning people consider FF to [merely] be like a down vote

Well, shouldn’t we do some public awareness stuff? It’s not that hard to organize a march. Banned people are suffering!

Possible slogans: [italic]“The ff is a No No” / “Buttons Are for Blazers” [/italic]… these aren’t very good, are they?

I've been on DL good 5 years or more and have been banned twice, only recently. I still have no clue why though i suspect once was Sussex trolls and another for slagging someone who used "bearking" in a thread title.

This site is crashing and burning. Its been overrun by trolls and fraus.

Also, what happened to the yearly subscription option? It no longer appears for me (not that I would commit for a year at a time at this point).

Does one get permanently banned after so many bans?

not sure

It would be nice to know we've been FF'ed and how many times. We don't need to know who - that would open another can of worms.

Some of the named posters who keep getting banned again and again, keep popping back up like mushrooms after the rain, R159. So probably not a permanent ban if other posters try to ban you lots of times. Assuming you weren't posting stuff that was way over the line.

" I just want to know what I did to offend people."

I stopped caring if I offend people. Now, I figured I haven't done my job if I haven't offended people, especially the anti-trans cunts and all of their gay erasure bullshit.

It's my civic duty and I wear my time outs as a badge of honor.

Permanent banning is done by Muriel alone.

Oh, you're FFing a paid DL subscriber into a timeout who has been orderly but posted something you don't like?

Well then, here: Your subscribing fee is increased per each time-out you've caused another paid subscriber to sit-out.

(Just a suggestion, Muriel)

Go ahead and be offensive, r163, but please don’t feel you should punish people who offend you by trying to ban them. Cancellation is the worst aspect of progressive ideology. It bends right around the ideological curve and meets up with fascism.

R75 "And they don't like being bested".

I was banned (unsigned), for a pretty grown-up anti-drugs comment (in an otherwise vicious anti-drugs post) because I dared criticize a "national treasure" though I calmly supported my point with two US medical journal links. Boom! Banned by, I suspect, a white-wimmin.

I am poster R163, as well as R86 on this thread. I don't f&f posters, nor do I put people on ignore. It's a zero sum game and its childish and stupid. If you can't even bear to see or hear other opinions, especially those on an anonymous message board, you probably shouldn't be getting out of bed in the morning. I don't know how some of you hyper-sensitive people make it through the day.

The idea that it’s just the right that doesn’t like to be bested is pretty funny. I don’t get into arguments with MAGAs. What’s the point? But I do sometimes get into arguments with progressive social justice warriors (the kind who will insist I must be MAGA simply for using that term) and have been banned for it.

How difficult would it be to implement a system, similar to seeing your posts which have been favorited (if you’re a paying member), that allows you to see your posts which have been F&F? At least then we’d have a better idea. Right now it seems so random.

Sometimes, you have to keep trying. If even you are on your 3rd email address.

Re: R167 re: R75

...And then the medical condition I linked was pointed out in a completely separate thread to be generally associated with porn-star coke-heads. THEY didn't get blocked!

I’m likely to get banned again soon it seems. . . .

[quote] The idea that it’s just the right that doesn’t like to be bested is pretty funny

I said the right didn't like being bested. I never said JUST the right.

R90 is that correct about the WW average? It would explain a lot.

Muriel’s ways are mysterious, but I’d be at sixes and sevens without this site.

I was moo-lested on DL!

I read and post. I don't go any deeper than that.

I just got back from a second 2 day ban in 1 week. J was one of the early posters in this thread and here I am, back. So this thread and calling out crazies who like to ban people hasn’t resonated. They’re just fucking crazies.

But it sucks cause at the end of the day, these people are controlling the board which is why DL is declining in entertainment.

I have received periodic messages saying that I am "unable to post at this time." I never know what I have done wrong--or is this some glitch in the system?

I don't appreciate being banned or receiving the unable to post messages. In addition to the "unable to post" message, I wish DL would simply give a one-line or even just a few words explaining why I cannot post. Then I would know which rule or topic that I have violated.

What determines the length of a timeout?

It's the pro-trans trolls, white women "allies" who silence gay men and lesbians. Despicable fascist cunts.

I was banned for 48 hours and I had no idea why. When I reached out to the DL support team, I got the reply: "your Karma score tipped over the limit".

What does that even mean?

Posting something negative about MAGA will def get you timed out. Tread carefully on political posts. Jus sayin

[quote]When I reached out to the DL support team,

WTF? I've been here 20+ years and didn't know that was an option R182?

That’s what they tell me as well, R182.

I think it’s their way of saying no human judgement was made; an algorithm did it. But as we are saying here — anybody with motivation can torpedo anybody else’s “karma score.”

And some do. Repeatedly.

R184 Apparently, it's not.

I didn't know you can reach out to DL to ask why you're being put on timeout.

I mentioned on another thread months ago that I had to sit in a corner twice within a period of a week.

I had no idea why it happened the first time; but the second time it happened, it was after posting only once - and it was only a sentence.

Prior to that week, I hadn't been denied posting privileges in years.

R187/ TomServo, maybe consider posting anonymously. If someone has it out for you they'll probably FF not matter what you post.

I've also been banned without any obvious (to me) reason why. I get that paying shouldn't immunize you to consequences, but I also think there should be some requirement to at least be informed as to the reasons.

I always post anonymously, btw.

I've never received any response when I've tried to contact support to find out why I've been banned.

I think posting anonymously probably makes it worse if the karma score is based on some ratio of ww and ffs. The people who have it out for you will still block and stock to ff and other people won’t realize it’s you so no extra wws.

OP should have ran a poll

Like this post if you’ve been suspended in the last month

ElderLez, that’s what happened to me. Stalker dug up all my past comments, tried to publicly shame me for posting anonymously in some of the porn threads (like wtf, this is DL not the Harper Valley PTA), and got me banned 2 more times anyway.

VICIOUSLY FACE SLAP THEM

Would someone please muzzle the histrionic harpie @R181, and make the bitch take her gay erasure and gay boys are being given female hormones bullshit with her.

R193 DL has definitely been hijacked by straight women. Absolutely. This isn’t up for debate.

I knew it when I saw the results from the poll on “how much do you weigh”

R188 - I post anonymously about 75% of the time.

In fact, the 2nd time I was talking about @ R187 was an anonymous post - a comment I thought was a relatively benign wisecrack.

I get banned every few days now. It always happens now after I post something defending trans people or criticizing Israel. Last week I posted something for the first time in days and within 2 minutes I was banned. It lasted 2 days.

Fair enough.

Torta, my feeling is it’s harder to shame a person who is visibly unashamed and you should use your authenticated name in the porn threads.

Obviously, they aren’t my thing, and I appreciate being able to hide the threads themselves, but this is DL and sex negative harpies who would ff the posters don’t belong here.

Learn the difference between stating a fact and stating an opinion, R196. You have no factual basis for your claim that DL has been taken over by straight women because its an anonymous internet message board.

The only thing that "isn't up for debate" here is that you're bat shit crazy with delusions of grandeur thrown in for good measure, as well as being an arrogant, pompous asshole.

I have been banned at least once a month on here after years of never being banned at all. There are people who, if they don’t like you, work the system. First they ignore you. Then they go to their ignore list and see every post you have made on DL in every thread. Then the FF all of your posts raising your karma level and getting you put in timeout. I have no idea who has time for al of that.

They should remove the feature that allows you to see all of the posts of someone that you choose to ignore. It’s an odd feature anyway.

The 3 practices that seem to result in immediate bans are:

1) Defending trans people or just challenging anti-trans rhetoric

2) Criticizing Israel

3) Criticizing the failed establishment political party and its ineffective politicians.

I stopped posting here for 2-3 years, roughly 2021-2024. Before that I posted regularly for years, only getting banned a few times. Took 2 years off and just lurked without posting. Rejoined before the election last year and have been posting ever since. I now get banned weekly.

Something big changed in the way this site runs in the past few years and it's killing the site.

R204 Add:

4) Any anti-drug posts

5) San Franciscans

6) Any "ally" who has occasionally donned drag

R26 How could they possible know that?

*possibly

R205, WTF are you talking about?

It works, too, because after I've been banned I've avoided the threads that I think I was banned on. Politics, usually. Someone will always ban you if you don't follow the, sort of, New York Times/MSNBC centrist party line to the letter. They don't just FF right wingers, it's anyone to the left of or maybe just disagrees with Rachel Maddow. And then there's not being 100% pro-Israel. How can you have a free exchange of ideas when some posters can make it like a police state?

No boards on boards!!

[quote]They don't just FF right wingers, it's anyone to the left of or maybe just disagrees with Rachel Maddow. And then there's not being 100% pro-Israel.

💯

It's not MAGA trolls causing these bans. There's too few of them to reach the ratio needed, and we'd see the likes of the "Mighty Joe Biden" troll and similar corporatist, DNC-stans banned left and right if it was simple red vs. blue, which it never is anymore.

No, it's those exact types - the strident "centrists" who can't stomach any criticism of an Amy Klobuchar or a Mark Warner, the type who excuse Andrew Cuomo and endlessly bemoan the loss of Al Franken, but will go full attack mode on AOC, Mamdani, Bernie, et al. - these are the types behind the bans. This is why they coalesce around trans-supporting posts - these types want to blame trans for everything wrong with the Democratic party - and, of course, criticism of Israel. They literally team up with the MAGAs and that's how they reach the ratio needed to ban otherwise mainstream posts from regular DLers.

R211, sadly I can tell you from experience that even a single poster who decides to go predator/prey on you, can get you banned.

The system is beyond flawed.

I would say in most cases it is in fact a single poster getting another poster banned.

How is one poster getting anyone banned? You can only f&f someone once.

Damn, R202, that takes some dedication. I'd have never thought of that. I've got people blocked but I can't imagine scrolling through every post they made. I'm too lazy and uninterested. To me, that's almost mentally ill and indicative of a semi-pro online troll with no job.

R179. Read this thread. It contains the answers you are looking for.

“Support team”

Hah!

[quote] The 3 practices that seem to result in immediate bans are:

[quote] 1) Defending trans people or just challenging anti-trans rhetoric 2) Criticizing Israel 3) Criticizing the failed establishment political party and its ineffective politicians.

Or doing the opposite.

What you describe are just what gets YOU banned. Those who agree with you are just as censoring as those who don’t.

[quote]To me, that's almost mentally ill and indicative of a semi-pro online troll with no job.

Exactly. We have some real nutters here with no lives and very little social interaction.

Another (possible?) change is... this thread. I believe in the old days when someone posted a thread criticizing "Muriel" or the site, it would get erased. There is a Reddit group of DL posters who discuss the pitfalls and quirks of DL, but it's... interesting.... that this thread is still alive. I take this as a good sign.

R202 has cracked the code and it is indeed one or two people who are doing this. The execrable v8fairy is one of them.

I just went through my ignored poster list, it was only a handful of posters. A few were blank (not sure how that happens) and a couple had subsequently posted completely innocuous comments so I un-ignored them.

Dear, sweet, naive r220.

What day is it?

Has anyone ever seen Muriel sober on a weekend or awake on a Monday morning?

r202 has added a wrinkle that didn’t occur to me. Banning happens so frequently to so many people that I wonder if it really takes such dedication. My theory has just been that a lot of people (not one or two dedicated trolls) are overusing FF as a kind of “thumbs down” and that is what triggers the bans

Most of the DLers over on Reddit are very right leaning and just whining about their magat shit not being tolerated here. Gee, what could possibly happen if you post anti-lbgtq screeds on a gay website?🤔

SLAP THEM VICIOUSLY!

I stopped using my authenticated name a long time ago and I try to watch my manners when possible.

I've been on a "time out" a couple of times and I never knew why. I've made peace with "you are not allowed to post" scold.

So was I. I’m letting my subscription expire.

R225 the entire DL Reddit is conservative transphobes. They're all convinced they're the real victims of, well, everything.

I really wish someone would start a DL Reddit that was pro-trans and anti-MAGA.

Being “anti-trans” on DL includes not completely towing the progressive party line. That contains a spectrum of attitudes that does not mean someone is MAGA.

My biggest complaint is not know how things work here, you get a time out and you don't know for sure why.

You don't know how many FF's it takes to get a timeout, or over what period of time, does someone who FF'd you last month or last year count, does a timeout wipe out your accumulated FF's and you start over fresh, or does just one new FF get you timedout again.

Lets say it is 10 FF's that gives you a timeout, 10 FF's in what period of time, a day, a week, a month, does an FF drop off your record after a period of time.

Does getting 25 WW's negate an FF in any way.

Not knowing why you received a timeout, doesn't allow a poster to change their behavior.

Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown

R231 thinks this is the UN. DL is held together by duct tape and rubber bands. And Muriel is always three sheets to the wind.

R231 Sooo, to summarize the findings from this thread:

1. There is an algorithm which determines when members are banned, and for what period of time.

2. That common experience suggests that that algorithm must have changed recently, given that the frequency of bans is much different now than it was in the past.

3. There is no Muriel.

The UN works like a finely tuned instrument compared to DL.

[quote] 3. There is no Muriel.

Oh but the is, or at least there was at one time. She would start threads but that only happened a couple of times, answer questions, one of which was "what do you want to be called?" and she replied, call me Muriel because she didn't like Webby or Webmaster or something like that. Her posts thereafter were with the authenticated red signature of Muriel.

Muriel was eaten by her cats years ago.

I believe it was webmaster wounds.

And when was the last time you saw that, R236? When was the last time "Muriel (authenticed)" actually posted?

2016?

The site layout hasn't even been updated in close to 20 years.

I've only ever had temporary bans on the anti-trans/JK Rowling topics. I think those subjects attract people who have multiple sock puppet accounts and FF en masse.

And just for saying this I'll probably get another. See you in (at least) 24 hours, all!

The DL support person who has replied to me a couple times since I rejoined mid 2024 is named Tony. He’s been minimalist, helpful enough to me, and not-unfriendly. No Muriel vibes, though who knows, people can contain multitudes.

r230

[quote]towing the progressive party line.

The phrase is to [italic]toe[/italic] the line, not to [italic]tow[/italic] it.

Now that TOTO song is stuck in my head.

[quote] And when was the last time you saw that, [R236]? When was the last time "Muriel (authenticed)" actually posted? 2016?

It was quite a while ago that is why I said "or at least there was at one time' but it isn't like I marked it on the calendar so I don't remember when but the point was that Muriel did exist, it isn't a creation of the posters here, even when she posted it was very rare and for very short periods of time and when she was done she would close the thread. The couple of times that she started a thread were still available for a while but eventually even those threads were deleted. I can't be the only here who remembers this.

[quote]There are people who, if they don’t like you, work the system. First they ignore you. Then they go to their ignore list and see every post you have made on DL in every thread. Then the FF all of your posts raising your karma level and getting you put in timeout. I have no idea who has time for al of that.

Poisoned Dragon (remember him?) used to do that constantly to posters, including me. He was always accusing posters of having multiple sock accounts and attributing posts to us which we never made. He was a total paranoid nutcase. He hasn't been on DL in months, perhaps he's deceased.

I remember a handful of times during a short period, maybe all within a year r244.

I remember threads where Muriel was authenticated. It's been years since I've seen any.

DL fave Cheryl and Muriel have been bumpin' pussies for decades.

And you are grayed out again, OP.

Just off of time out myself.

I was BANNED

I was SLAMMED

I was WHAMMED in the ass

It's absolutely insane that OP is grayed out. Who are the people f&fing this?

You can't tell me we don't have bots here.

R201 You’re so offended by my R196 post because you probably fit the description. You’re definitely not a gay male because you have no sense of humor and are super emotional.

Oh, Muriel exists.

She’s just toying with us.

R249 & R251 - Typical!

Not to puncture the Myth of Muriel, but I looked around some… the following might get me banned again but, what the hell, I already get banned for just being here.

Tony who has replied to me (and probably to anyone who got a reply from Support) is not an outsourced tech-support rando. Tony Travostino is the Principal of Mediapolis since 1994 per LinkedIn. Mediapolis is an NYC-based website creator and provider. Not sure how active the company still is now, compared to a few decades ago when the Web itself was young. Tony is its sole linked employee on LinkedIn.

In other words there’s only us… a slowly aging Datalounge website floating on algorithmic autopilot…. and Tony himself writing back cordially albeit minimally when we write to Support with an issue.

That’s it.

I’m still quite fond of it, though. Going back 26 years. So thanks Muriel.

The number of times I've been called "a frau" here is ludicrous. It's usually over a disagreement that has zero to do with gender, but the misogynist hurling the "insult" imagines everyone who disagrees with him is a mean mommy so I must clearly be "a frau."

One thing killing this site is everyone thinking they know everyone behind every single post and assuming some interloping "other" is behind everything they don't like. Everyone projects their own version of "the enemy" onto everything they don't like. Probably inevitable with any minority community online but I really wish some would take a deep breath before letting their imagination run wild.

R252: I'm offended because your posts are so fucking stupid and ignorant, it's almost as if you have no functioning brain cells.

"You’re definitely not a gay male."

And just when I think you can't get any stupider, you manage to top yourself and make yourself look even stupider and even more ignorant. One would think that is not humanly possible, but you proved me wrong. You also have the very annoying tendency to make broad, sweeping generalizations based on precious little fact.

Gasp! Torta outed Muriel. Now we’re in for it.

Duck!

I'm definitely not a gay gurl

BTW—Not everyone gets a cordial response when writing to customer support.

I moved the marker to asbestos eyeballs and OP is still grayed out. Was nice knowin’ ya OP

R208 R205 was for R203

R204 fat fingers

^ R208 R205 was for R203

I could see a bunch of Gen Z incel dipshits coming here and FFing people just to cause trouble. Like the same types that were "debating" Medhi Hasan and gleefully saying they were pro-Nazi.

And no, I'm not saying all Gen Zers are bad--just these Aryan Youth types.

r241 same person responded to me.

R184 and R185 I just went to google and searched the datalounge support, it gave me a link, which when you click opens up a form you can fill out to address your grievances.

Several years ago, I contacted DL customer service and a very nice young man assisted me promptly and efficiently.

I was so grateful for his assistance, i offered to blow him, but he politely declined.

DL Customer Service = You'll take what you get and you'll like it!

[quote]R263 I could see a bunch of Gen Z incel dipshits coming here and FFing people just to cause trouble.

[italic]Why must they persecute us ? ?

I'm just coming off a 2 day ban. I assume it's because of the comment I made in R1

R255 R256 If people keep accusing you of being a woman, it’s because you’ve mastered every single negative stereotype and turned it into your whole personality. When I read your posts, I just hear a shrill voice in my head that would make any man retreat to the basement.

OP, you are nothing but a MUDSILL

The site needs a fucking update, period. What’s it been, 15 years?

I DEMAND you fix DL!

R241 I also emailed with a guy called Tony the first time I got banned. He took a little while to reply, but when he did, he said my karma was "a bit wonky for a time" but assured me it was OK at the time of replying and, sure enough, I was able to log in.

I've emailed the general email address maybe twice since then and never received responses, so I suspect the mailbox isn't actively monitored these days.

Cunts HATE being identified as cunts.

Never mind how it doesn't take a bloodhound to locate them.

The last update, this one, the one that everyone bitched about for a year straight, was the last time the site was updated, and that was to make it compatible with mobile devices. I highly doubt there will ever be another site overhaul or bug fixes.

I don’t trust the people in here calling people MAGA because I’m a registered liberal and have never been conservative or Republican in my life and I get called MAGA on here once a week if I disagree with radical left ideology or think Democrat politicians are idiots.

How do you register as liberal R276?

"I hate the people who call me MAGA even though every work I post is 100% MAGA talking points. I also heard you can "register as a liberal" in the United States, or something like that. It was in the training."

If people are constantly feeling like you are MAGA, you might want to reasses your liberalness?

I on occasion get called out as MAGA when someone misinterprets a sarcastic or ironic comment I make.

I was banned this week for about 24 hours. I expected it, honestly. Meanwhile, a poster was complained about not knowing how to access the SSA site. I knew the answer but couldn't tell him. Someone else eventually did.

The FF is really useless. People are going to post what they think, no matter what, as it should be. Why are other people so offended by different ideas to the point of deliberately trying to get someone banned? It is so childish, but I there are more than a few childish, bitter queens on here

The people offended at being called MAGA are, in fact... MAGAs. If someone's entire posting history is criticisms of Democrats, labeling everything they don't understand as "woke," claiming some wacko post they saw on "X" is in the platform of the Democratic Party, misinformation about crime in cities they have no intention of ever visiting, and, of course, the constant obsession with the .06 percent of the population that identifies as trans, then, yes, that is very obviously a MAGA, and any claims otherwise are just part and parcel of their trolling strategy.

These trolls really think we're as dumb as they are. They think we'll believe anything we see online without one second of critical thought, just like they always do. They're so dumb that they can't imagine anyone could be smarter than them. Just total blithering idiots not worth the time of day.

The “MAGA” label has replaced “freeper” and similar terms as a means for the intellectually lazy to say “I dismiss anything you have to say.” We do have a few MAGA trolls spouting crap from Fox News, but not many.

[quote] "I hate the people who call me MAGA even though every work I post is 100% MAGA talking points”

Unlikely such a person would object to being called MAGA. They probably wear it proudly on their head.

As others have reported, I have been called MAGA for any departure from progressive orthodoxy. Throwing the label around reflects laziness and intolerance

What happened to those Little Green Footballs?

Someone grayed out I thought was from the moderator. When you ignore someone they disappear completely from your feed. That’s why some responses will skip numbers in a thread. I learned this when someone referenced a post I couldn’t see. But if you hover over the reference you can see it. I sometimes do that to see if the person is still a dick.

You know how you will have those random people who will reference a poster’s other responses just to blow them up? “R 7 is the same guy who said bla bla bla in this other thread…” Those creepy people get all that info from the ignore function. They are creepy people and will spend the hour it takes to FF all of your posts one by one to get you banned. They must start jacking off once they see from the ignore list they you’ve stopped posting for 24 hours.

r284 the posters who do that, in an attempt to "shame" the poster who is their target, are absolute losers. If you don't like a post just scroll past it.

Posters get grayed out from too many f&fs. There is no discernible "moderator" and hasn't been for many years, as has been discussed throughout this thread. The site runs on auto-pilot which is why trolls run rampant and many game the system by excessive use of f&fs, resulting in gray-outs and eventually time-outs.

I have not F&F'd anyone in weeks, but I did W&W someone and was timeout the next day.

R195 Anyone who disagrees must be obliterated.

Why do fat unfuckable heterosexual Caucasian women feel entitled to muzzle homosexuals?

Why do they think they have right to silence lesbians and gay men?

R214 The auto ban/timeout feature works off one person getting multiple FFs, usually in a relatively short space of time because that generally indicates a troll.

The problem is that people can game that system by registering multiple accounts and then logging each of those accounts in one after the other to FF the same poster repeatedly until they hit the limit on each account.

Many of them also WW their own posts - or those who agree with them.

Like others, I've been timed out in anti-trans threads and, when it's happened, the anti-trans posts usually have WW votes going into double digits only minutes after being posted. So it's pretty clear it's not natural.

I love my DL as much as the next person, but who has time for that, r289?

[quote]The problem is that people can game that system by registering multiple accounts and then logging each of those accounts in one after the other to FF the same poster repeatedly until they hit the limit on each account.

I just can't reiterate enough what fucking sad losers these people are. Paying for multiple accounts just to FF people, using ignoredar to find all of that person's posts and then going into each individual thread multiple times under a different account just to get them banned. It's batshit insane.

They're not losers, they're bots.

R292 Haha, quite possibly. I certainly wouldn't put it past some people to create simple programs/scripts to do mass FF-ing for them.

I officially was banned twice this past week too. it was just lifted. no clue what is going on.

I recall ten, fifteen years ago, you could get banned for like a month if unlucky, but I get the impression that if you post TOO much in a certain perdue of time you are banned for a short spell.

very odd

I usually only FF for true assholes, racist stuff, etc. Every once in a while when someone is being overly stupid with the played-out/unoriginal/stupid posts (bearking, liza, royal family), I will waste one of my FFs on them. Apparently those bug other people too because invariably those get greyed out quickly.

I know why I've been FFed. Those saying "I have no idea" - I think you're lying. I used to get FFed when I was a major grammar troll, but then even I got tired of myself calling it out, so I've let up.

I'm just a cunt in general, but I don't think over the top. I do think it's funny when people announce that they've blocked someone. I used to get blocked every once in a while, and it just made me laugh when someone would announce it. Ok, thanks for sharing?

Oh, also - I don't ever purposely NOT sign my posts, but 99% of the time I'm too lazy to look if the little box is still checked... and it constantly gets unchecked - I guess if I quit Firefox or restart or something. Or maybe it's just user error on my part - highly likely.

I wish I could change my username. Way back I thought it sounded funny, but then people thought/think I'm female, plus Teri Garr died, so now I'm just stank.

[quote] I know why I've been FFed. Those saying "I have no idea" - I think you're lying.

I don't think they're lying.

[quote] I'm just a cunt in general

That doesn't mean everyone is.

I only know that all of my bans follow a post where I defended either Trans people or Palestinians.

[quote]The problem is that people can game that system by registering multiple accounts and then logging each of those accounts in one after the other to FF the same poster repeatedly until they hit the limit on each account.

I now no longer think this is what is happening. As another poster noted upthread, it is more likely that this person is using ignoredar to find and flag multiple user posts across different threads. I think F&Fs are cumulative and applied at the UUID level, rather than for any specific thread.

[quote]I'm just a cunt in general, but I don't think over the top.

You are probably the single biggest asshole who signs their posts. If you are going to self-reflect, at least be accurate about it.

So here’s a thought. I think ffs used to be capped at maybe four per day per user, but sometime a few months ago I noticed that I seemed to have an unlimited number.

Now I don’t intentionally try to get people banned and most days I don’t even use the old cap so I am not sure if the cap is back or not, but maybe if the cap on giving them out went away and has stayed gone that might explain the change in user experience.

I believe it's only within a single thread, Elderlez

I've used 3 f&fs across multiple threads and then the f&f button is grayed out for days. I don't know how some people get more than 3 votes, and it's less than that a day because when I use all 3 it will be days before the button comes back.

I firmly believe it's bots. Each one runs on its own IP address so they're essentially individual posters using up their 3 votes immediately. Then a different bot adds 3 more, and so on and so on.... I don't think it's one person clearing cookies or juggling different devices for each post. The bannings happen too quickly for that. It's a program written to generate a large amount of f&fs from what appears to be individual posters but it's all bots.

All of this is a good reminder to stay light and not so attached to what happens in here.

If it’s bots then Primetime should stop them.

R304 The internet was a mistake.

It's not, R302. It's cumulative, and after four, I'm done for the day no matter what threads I put them in.

[quote]If it’s bots then Primetime should stop them

Primetime has no impact on f&f or w&w votes. You need to be a member signed in to receive those functions, though. So any bots are already members, and whoever is behind such an operation probably has no trouble funding however many individual memberships they're using @ $1.99/month, but they would only need to do that if the bots are actually creating threads and posts.

That's not part of my theory, though. I wouldn't doubt that we have twitter-style bots that engage and post and argue back and forth, but I think that's separate from the f&f brigading. I don't think it's quite that sophisticated and complex of an operation. I think it's just bots programmed to hit f&f on certain posts over and over. The human behind it might be directing them to specific posts.

Just a theory. Datalounge wasn't anything like this 10 years ago. We had trolls clearing cookies and juggling devices back then, but it was small potatoes compared to what it's like now.

r300 Well, that was unnecessary.

FF for you! (kidding, kidding)

r297 They are lying.

It's clear some people take this site way too seriously, and probably rarely log-off.

I think what happened to me for criticizing Stevie Nicks (I mentioned this way above) is a good clue as to how easy it is to ban someone.

The poster responded to me (calling Stevie an egomaniac) and said I hope that you enjoy your time off!

INSTANTLY banned-- I thought it was a moderator and later blocked the poster. So maybe they just FF'ed all of my posts like someone mentioned above.

It was definitely a poster (not Muriel) As I still have them blocked and can see all the shit they post.

It was a fun 20 years and the place owes me nothing!

Its a shame that we pay to post here and that we get banned. If this was free it would not piss me off.

R312, that is fucking pathetic and ridiculous and I’m a devoted Stevie fan going back 4 or 5 decades. Shame on that person.

p.s. a similar thing has happened to me. I’m convinced some people have figured out ways to hit you with unlimited F&Fs, and fast. A website like this is probably a sitting duck for manipulation — and clearly at least a few posters are more than a little obsessed with playing troll/gotcha power games.

All i know is that I was banned twice in the past week, I’m not the OP

[quote]R312 It was definitely a poster (not Muriel)

[quote]R313 that is fucking pathetic and ridiculous and I’m a devoted Stevie fan going back 4 or 5 decades.

Has it never occurred to you two that Stevie may BE Muriel?

I was banned! (Not molested this time)

Ya know something.....R312 here. (Former Stevie fan who thinks that she is an egomaniac)

GUESS WHAT! The prolific poster is INSIDE OF THIS THREAD- I only have one asshole blocked- And its this twat. I can point them out and have them explain the process if you'd like???? I think I should! Its worth another 48 hour timeout or forever timeout...

Here were their posts to me after calling Stevie an egomaniac (the joke was they accused me of being Lindsay' Buckinghams kid!)

Did Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham bury the hatchet- Is the thread

r47 You ok, sweetie? How's your dad?

I then replied (I was R48)

r49 When you're taking a break, I hope your day improves.

Instant ban.

And guess what! That shitcunt is in THIS THREAD.

Hey fucker R295, R296, R309, I hope YOUR life improves.

Fuck ME? NO. FUCK YOU.

I play the long game.

I dug in and read this asshole's posts and they are generally a nasty twat.

This is how I'm going out.

R209's post and their own words- What a douche.

I usually only FF for true assholes, racist stuff, etc. Every once in a while when someone is being overly stupid with the played-out/unoriginal/stupid posts (bearking, liza, royal family), I will waste one of my FFs on them. Apparently those bug other people too because invariably those get greyed out quickly.

I know why I've been FFed. Those saying "I have no idea" - I think you're lying. I used to get FFed when I was a major grammar troll, but then even I got tired of myself calling it out, so I've let up.

I'm just a cunt in general, but I don't think over the top. I do think it's funny when people announce that they've blocked someone. I used to get blocked every once in a while, and it just made me laugh when someone would announce it. Ok, thanks for sharing?

Oh shit R209- is female and was that TerryGarfish poster from 2009. I remember you. And now I SEE you.

I guess she has a ladyboner for Stevie.

Their words:

Oh, also - I don't ever purposely NOT sign my posts, but 99% of the time I'm too lazy to look if the little box is still checked... and it constantly gets unchecked - I guess if I quit Firefox or restart or something. Or maybe it's just user error on my part - highly likely.

I wish I could change my username. Way back I thought it sounded funny, but then people thought/think I'm female, plus Teri Garr died, so now I'm just stank.

Oh look. Such a kind soul.

R209's response when Simply Sarah died

DL fave and YouTube creator Simply Sara is DEAD TO ME!!!-

Aww, Rest in Reese's Pieces

Sorry R209. I owe you a coffee.

I was so bullshit that I am giving the wrong person-

It was R295, R296, and R309 in this thread- They are the shitcunt.

And those are replies 319, 320, and 321 that I am referring to.

R209 is INNOCENT!!!

I REPEAT R209 is innocent!!

So if this asshole TerryGarfish posts under that name again, know that she is a banning troll helping to run this place into the ground.

Not banned yet, So- I feel terrible about R209

AGAIN R209 is INNOCENT.

The shit cunt HYPOCRITE is R295, R296, and R309.

R209 IS INNOCENT. I was a dummy in a roid rage posting like a madman.

However, R295, R296, and R309 are the very banners that we are discussing.

And what PISSED me off is that WE PAY TO POST HERE- And this thread shows that ALOT of folks are getting banned- in really cunty ways. Haven't gays been BANNED enough- from society? So we now ban each other because we are disagree?

So fuck Terry's garfish. Or whatever the fuck her name is. Interesting to me that they are likely a woman.

I have never banned anyone here. And I am no innocent. (Read my posts)

So yeah, fuck this.

And R209 is INNOCENT!

Sorry guys, The cunt is a guy. She said that because of her user name people THOUGHT that she was a female..

I am re-reading their posts.

R295- You ARE a female. You are a total female.

Good lord!

R295- Let me assure you, you have not had jizz on your face other than your own in 20 fucking years.

And there is no cream that will save your repulsive face-

Hope your fucking reunion was a huge success. 2 Paper Bags would have been better..

Skin-tightening or plumping creams that work? My 20-year HS reunion is coming up. Are there any creams that actually (temporarily even) make your face look a bit fresher and/or plumper? I thought there were some that did this and the effects lasted a month or so, but now I can't seem to find any. I can't afford botox or any of that, but would splurge on a nice topical.

I've already tried jizz, hasn't helped.

Boy this thread has been like flypaper for the shut-ins on meds. Are you still wearing your Covid masks?

I've offered the grannies from websleuths a generous reward to get to the bottom of whatever the fuck everyone is talking about now.

R328 and R329 took me out.

Excuse me peoples, WTF happened, I was only gone half a day!!

Did everyone have a stroke? Have you read what you all have posted?

Ha, interesting.. R318 and R324. I did notice that, more than once, the Terri Garrfish persona has popped up to fling a little acid at me right when (or right before) I get banned.

Strange and sad hobby. As Ms Nicks once warned in a song.. “There’s people runnin’ ‘round loose in the world… ain’t got nothing better to do….”

I thought I was banned, but then I realized the card I use for this site had expired.

Torta, you are a class act.

R333 that happened to me as well recently.

Banned again twice this week—24 hours each time. Not sure why

Is loving Audra in Gypsy a cause of banning?

Or Cynthia Erivo as Jesus Christ, Superstar?

You will be banned if you speak ill of The Lucy Show.

It could be fun to test this.

e.g., starting a thread, "What's so bad really about TikTok Influencers? I like them"

[quote]It could be fun to test this.

Oh yeah? You first.

I feel like responding to any poster who criticiizes the anti-trans bloc with a invitation to join this thread after their inevitable time-out.

I'll probably be banned this weekend because I called out some MAGA trolls. Plus it's the weekend tomorrow and the DMV isn't open.

Banned again for 24 hours—a record 3x in the last week. Maybe writing in this thread causes bans

Ban roll-on deodorant!

No r344. I briefly put you on ignore (sorry) to see your posting history and I believe your posts against the "anti-trans" are what did it.

Now I expect a time out. Lol.

If some groups want to play games we can always turn the tables. Starting now.

Got off of time out, made my six timeout posts, and I feel pretty good that I have a workaround for crazy people F&Fing my posts.

I see OP is on another time out.

A post greyed out does not mean a time out. I've had countless timeouts but never a greyout.

I think we all need to be a lot more generous with our w&ws for the posts we agree with: pro-trans, pro-Palestine, etc. When you see a post you agree with, don't scroll past it, w&w it. Don't respond to it without w&w-ing it.

Then go back and give it a few more w&ws.

We all know a big part of this problem is smooth-brains treating f&f like a downvote on Reddit. We need to counter that by treating w&w like upvotes. If this really is a matter of ratios then we need to our-ratio them. It seems like the trolls have figured this out so it's time to fight fire with fire.

I we have to pay to post here, the banning should not be allowed- period.

The trolls are generally the people doing the BANNING.

So its fucked.

Also, I'll add, that unlike f&f, you can give multiple w&ws to the same post and there is no limit to how many you give in a time period. If we all adopt this stance, the problem could be at least mitigated.

And that’s why I think consistently authenticating could a good thing for the folks who are getting banned inappropriately.

Authenticateds are targeted. I also like anonymity. I don't need or want that attention. Never.

r348, if you are an OP and get set on timeout, your posts get grayed for the time-out, it happens to me.

And it is kind of a victory lap for the F&F fuckers.

The last of the COVID posts, which I was the OP on, was greyed out and as far as I am aware, I’ve only been on a timeout once and that wasn’t temporally related.

[quote]We all know a big part of this problem is smooth-brains treating f&f like a downvote on Reddit. We need to counter that by treating w&w like upvotes. If this really is a matter of ratios then we need to our-ratio them. It seems like the trolls have figured this out so it's time to fight fire with fire.

I'm just not sure the assumption that W&Ws act as a counter to F&Fs is correct. They sure haven't kept me from being banned.

Well I wasn't banned for the moment so I am following the WW protocol and doing this here!

Elder Lez and Torta always impress me.

I am WW'ing almost everyone.

And Torta, Stevie IS an egomaniac but that does not negate from her success or talent. Most celebrities have an ego.

And again R209 IS INNOCENT!!!!! My humblest apologies. I was so mad.

It’s interesting that usually these posts about issues with Dl (Boards on Boards!!) get taken down quickly but this one has been up for a week.

I think the Muriel bot is amused by these threads.

I just came off a 2 day ban. It was right after I posted a "Britney has a wet spot on her dress" thread with a poll. I was also active in the thread about how many US cities people (from the US) had visited and had asked OP if they were surprised by how many people answered more than he expected.

However, I had been posting in other threads (no trans or political threads, nor did I express any of those views in any threads I was posting in). I suspect someone bombed me with FFs thinking I was someone else in the US cities thread, because someone was giving OP a bit of a hard time, and it certainly wasn't me.

Oh, well...such is life. It's only the second time I've been banned since I started coming here 13+ years ago. The first time was when I told the Heartstoppers a few years ago that their multiple, nonstop threads were annoying and I was sick of them.

The Heartstoppers are fucking nutcases, but we've always had those types on DL. They attach themselves to some talentless twentysomething C-Lister and after a cycle of about two years they find a new one to be obsessed over.

[quote]R357 And again, R209 IS INNOCENT!!!!! My humblest apologies.

Are any of us truly innocent?

I wonder.

I think I am over a dozen THIS YEAR.

But I now simply save my posts in word and bulk copy/paste when the evil veil of The Timeout is lifted.

I will fear no evil, for you are with me, DATALOUNGE; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.

[quote]R358 Usually these posts about issues with Dl (Boards on Boards!!) get taken down quickly but this one has been up for a week.

I find it healing to have this Safe Space where we can share the hurtful experience of being banned.

Being attacked in one of the Big Liz/British Royal Family threads is like being encircled by mad villagers armed with pitchforks. They poke and prod mercilessly, shrieking as they push you to the edge… and then suddenly your very capabilities are gone! You are SILENCED - - while THEY keep linking to awful videos by “the right honorable” Lady Colin Campbell, of the fused labia and barren womb.

R364, the KGs are relentless.

When rich ch, racist, white, gays get in high dudgeon over the Princess Henry, they never fail to realize how obvious they are.

The level of angst about being FFed, or OMG I'M WWING EVERYONE LET'S ALL DO THE SAME FOR OUR SPACE is a bit dramatic and puzzling. It's just a goofy website.

I rarely comment, just usually browse, but I do see people who dive in with so much strange anger at fairly innocuous posts then, I think, claim later that they don't know why they were FFed so much.

"Your opinion is stupid, mine is the only accurate one" followed by "Omg, why did I get FFed?"

$1.99/month is a pretty cheap way to be treated like a common shop bottom!

I just got out of time out. I wasn't really counting but I think it was 3 days. Also got banned for a day last weekend.

R322, you're right, I'm INNOCENT. But someone didn't think so, I guess.

Do any of you think that we formerly banned members might have legal recourse for financial renumeration? I really did experience pain and suffering during my ban - it was a very lonely weekend!

And what about my Constitutional Rights? I was censored!

Did Muriel get laid off at some point?

Was she fired?

I hope she's okay. I'm just picturing her being led out of Mediapolis's spawling corporate campus with all her things in a box and a security guard escorting her. Maybe some of the gals in the typing pool started a GoFundMe for her. I hope she lands on her feet and gets a new gig at another gay message board soon. She has invaluable experience in that area.

The depositions would be a hoot R369.

Attorney: Who is Cheryl?

DLer: A lady with a cat.

Attorney: You stated Cheryl's pussy stunk? Is that correct?

DLer: Yes.

These depositions could take decades and think of the petty topics-Madonna, Vivian Vance, Poo Shoes, Megan Markle, draining pasta, etc.

Thank you all for allowing me to post for 5 days without a banning. Although I was called a "racist piece of shit" for saying blue collar workers have been having too many kids for decades.

But if your jobs are going to be replaced by robots soon, should you be having 4 - 5 kids?

I think this is exactly why DL stopped offering the $20 for a year deal. It had to give so many prorated refunds midyear because the trolls blocked people. It figured that no one would as for $1.99 back.

That makes a lot of sense R373

It never made a lot of sense to me that people who don't pay to post can probably ban paying posters.

Can posters who aren't subscribed even post here now R375? I didn't think so. I thought DL had been on lockdown for years now.

r375 They can't anymore.

I'm surprised how many people say, I was banned for ... I never have any real idea. I don't see how any kind of frequent poster could know. It all just feels so random, which actually defeats whatever purpose the whole thing was originally set up to solve. All I know is some crazed and bitter cunt had some moronic trauma about something I posted on some subject at some point.

Just about any other comments section will let you know immediately why you were flagged-cursing, name calling, etc. Here it's all a mystery wrapped in a enigma, much like Muriel herself.

But the wondering does make for interesting discussion.

R78 Exactly.

I just got off of my THIRD ban in one week.

Someone is going CRAZY

The problem are trolls with multiple sock puppet accounts who have the time and the energy to manipulate the system which, if you have life, won't be able to do.

I’m tired of this. I’ve been coming to the DL for over 20 years. It’s annoying that after all the snark I’ve been serving up over the decades that some poop is trying to kick me out

We should organize a march.

This thread isn’t bringing Our Cause the changes we demand!

I’m mad as hell!

r383 Because you are a retarded Mudsill, maybe?

There goes OP again...

Got banned for over 60 hours starting Friday for criticizing a foreign government's hold on the less fascist corporate party. But I'm back, baby!

I think I'm just avoiding DL on the weekends and posting what I want M-F. The bans only happen on the weekend anyway. Fucking trolls.

Nope, I’ve gotten banned at any time

It depends on which shifts the trolls work.

Разве это не правда, Борис?

I was banned again, this time by the OP of the thread where an AI generated fat girl jumps off a boat

OP, what's a Mudsill?

I love using the retarded word again.

[quote] some poop is trying to kick me out

Are you Katherine Hepburn?

It’s a nasty way for socially insecure folks to refer people they believe to be (permanently) lower class than themselves.

R393

It's Katharine

Funny joke, though.

To R394- I never heard that word before, I thought I have been called every word since "marrying above my station" in the 80s.

It's always been the "lower middle-class white trash" that were the nastiest to me, but I would FUCK one of their boys& let them know about it.

There should just a WW button and a REPORT button. If Mediapolis gets enough reporting on a certain post or thread, they need to investigate it.

Did this shit start getting worse when the klan grannies swooped in and took up residence? If you ever stumble into one of the royal threads without enough asslicking towards that ridiculous family or enough hatred of Harry and Meghan, I've noticed a gaggle of them swoop in and get people grayed out or disappeared.

One of my theories is that a koffee klatch of old hags has made this their hq and work as a team when their delicate sensibilities are offended which is easy to do. You can also time them. Most are active when most of us are sleeping giving them lots of time to spend ffing.

r399, the KGs are a special breed of gay racist.

As if Log Cabinettes weren't enough.

As if...

R397 I had never heard it either. It’s a civil war era term that is tied to a pro-slavery and eugenicist world view.

I guess the incel nazi tech douches are looking to bring it back.

I hear something

[italic](looking around)

This thread is an unsafe place!

[quote]It’s a civil war era term that is tied to a pro-slavery and eugenicist world view.

it's from the gilded age, granny grunt

Mudsill?

It’s from 1858. The gilded age doesn’t start until the 1870s.

I'm back after a 12 hour time out.

My time out began shortly I posted about KKKlan Grannies in the Joy Reid thread.

As I said up thread, I now wear my time outs as a badge of honor, and feel I'm not doing my job if a DON'T offend the KKKlan Grannies, MAGAts, Libertarians, Trump Cultists and all the other effluvia that insist on stankin' up this place.

r407 I don't know your posting history (and am too lazy to figure it out) - but I wish I could give you multiple WWs just for using the word "effluvia."

I'm not doing my job if I DON'T offend the KKKlan Grannies, MAGAts, Libertarians, Trump Cultists and all the other effluvia that insist on stankin' up this place.

Sterling, I applaud the combination of effluvia and stankin' up.

Thank you r407.

Brilliant