Off-Topic Forum

I think I wasn't visiting the site when the forum calmed down, and now I have an explanation as to what happened.  As someone who seemed to end up a target of Bob's comments quite often, I'd say....

Everyone deserves a voice....as long as you use it wisely. 

Anybody who adds constructive and helpful comments should be allowed to.

No.  Attacks on other members cannot be tolerated, that alone is enough for a ban. That hurts the reputation of the site and drives away members. It has now been revealed he has done that several times, on the boards and in a PM.

Aside from that, I have found the boards much more enjoyable without him. He could never accept a "no" and would always have to argue, even after Admin would make a decision or another member would correct him. He would always just keep arguing and complaining, often trying to get others to go along. He would hijack threads and start arguments, often burying good conversations and information. At least once he defied site rules to do things his way, creating problems others had to fix.

I really don't feel strongly either way. I remember reading and getting pulled into some of Bob's posting and I will say that there were many instances where those threads created a toxic environment. I also believe he was given plenty of opportunity to tone it way down or else and the or else hit. I haven't had many communications with Bob since the ban but when I have things have been very civil. I wouldn't have a problem with the ban being lifted because I assume it could be reinstated swiftly if there were issues.

My hesitation would be that I don't feel confident the old issues wouldn't return because as I said before the ban "that's Bob being Bob". Bob (I'm sure you are reading this thread), I think you are a good guy and you can always PM me and I would feel free to PM you. I think the risk to the site in reinstatement is minimal due to the ability to ban again. I'm more concerned with you Bob and your ability to live within the parameters that would be set. I would really hate to see you reinstated and banned again because I'm sure that would be permanent. Good luck to you Bob no matter the outcome.

I have no clue what happened but I've always liked Bob and I miss him on here. I hope he and Miss T are doing well. He must have killed a truckload of puppies to get banned from the site. I'm a dog person so I understand it if that was the case.

No more Bob, no more switzr, no more Billy, no more hphillips...at least we still have Dan (whose son will be golfing in college and making his dad proud) and Chuck (who spreads cards and cheer like a year-long Santa Claus) and Big Ed - who is some sort of  a card savant. (Seriously, Big Ed go to the movies and forget about cards for two hours.) And thanks to admin for looking the other way way while we sling feces at each other. And thanks to sandyrusty (or is it rustypetty?) for bringing this up. 

And I hope that everyone is well and healthy and doing their best in this crazy new Fanatics world that we have been told that we will live in. And you baseball collecting members still have my warmest thoughts because evicting Topps is just wrong. 

There are a lot of good people on here and this is the nicest website on the internet. This website leaves a key under the mat so you can get inside at night.

 I am " no third-grader at recess".......This" vote" is EXACTLY the type of stunt Bob would use while trying to circumvent the site rules. 

You realize by saying that, you're questioning the credibility of sandyrusty, who started the thread and said that he posted this on his own? 
Sadly, if even a conversation with the topic "What About Bob" (sorry to drag you into this, Bill Murray) brings people to accusing each other and name calling and becoming defensive, perhaps the ban must remain. I still contend a year is too long, and I mostly hated Bob's posts and what he brought out in others. 
V3

(I wonder if this will win the 2021 favorite thread award...)
 

engine614 wrote:

 I am " no third-grader at recess".......This" vote" is EXACTLY the type of stunt Bob would use while trying to circumvent the site rules. 

Hawthorne61 wrote:

Sorry, Bruno, you’ll not get a countable vote from me.  This has nothing to do with the ‘popularity contest’ that ~bob~ may or may not have requested be put forth.  This has everything to do with the fact that ~bob~ needs to deal with Admin’s decision.  By himself.  On his own merits.  The rest of us have no part in that.

42+ of our community have now ‘picked sides’, like third-graders at recess.  To what end, I have no idea, but eight months later we’re all in again, rehashing the ugly past.

I’m not naïve enough to think that cliques don’t form within our community, but the forums here are for social, civil discourse.  As someone said earlier -- much more eloquently – “man up and own your behavior!”  Or something close to that….

jupiterhill said ” He has been here almost everyday since working as diligently as he can to make the site better. “.  Kudos to ~bob~ !!  Those are the merits that may sway Admin!

Now, back to sorting…

I will only add my 2 cents, or letters... N O.

I question the credibility of sandyrusty (Bruno) when he starts the first post of this thread with a false statement, "Over a year ago, one of our members, BOBSCARDZ was banned from the forums..." (emphasis mine).

I don't know where Bruno got that timeline from but perhaps it's just an unintentional mistake. Vvvergeer, I really have the utmost respect for you, but as Dan stated in the 16th post of this thread, " Bob (BOBSCARDZ) was suspended from the forums on December 9, 2020. " (emphasis mine again). That was about 8 1/2 months ago (so far).

I know this "petition" probably carries little or no weight with Admin but I do like the fact that most of those who did vote 'Yes' still respect whatever Admin decides. With all that Admin provides for us, it's no wonder that Admin has an outstanding reputation with the members.

I understand that. But I'm willing to give Bruno the benefit of the doubt that he just got the time wrong. Nowadays, for many people, time has been warped. I take him at his word that he's not acting on Bob's behalf. 
Anyway, looking at the poll results so far, if I were the admin, I'd leave the ban in place. The support for Bob does not seem so overwhelming as to overturn what was probably a well-earned ban. 
v3

bbcardz wrote:

I question the credibility of sandyrusty (Bruno) when he starts the first post of this thread with a false statement, "Over a year ago, one of our members, BOBSCARDZ was banned from the forums..." (emphasis mine).

I don't know where Bruno got that timeline from but perhaps it's just an unintentional mistake. Vvvergeer, I really have the utmost respect for you, but as Dan stated in the 16th post of this thread, " Bob (BOBSCARDZ) was suspended from the forums on December 9, 2020. " (emphasis mine again). That was about 8 1/2 months ago (so far).

I know this "petition" probably carries little or no weight with Admin but I do like the fact that most of those who did vote 'Yes' still respect whatever Admin decides. With all that Admin provides for us, it's no wonder that Admin has an outstanding reputation with the members.

Vvvergeer wrote:

You realize by saying that, you're questioning the credibility of sandyrusty, who started the thread and said that he posted this on his own? 
Sadly, if even a conversation with the topic "What About Bob" (sorry to drag you into this, Bill Murray) brings people to accusing each other and name calling and becoming defensive, perhaps the ban must remain. I still contend a year is too long, and I mostly hated Bob's posts and what he brought out in others. 
V3

(I wonder if this will win the 2021 favorite thread award...)
 

engine614 wrote:

 I am " no third-grader at recess".......This" vote" is EXACTLY the type of stunt Bob would use while trying to circumvent the site rules. 

Hawthorne61 wrote:

Sorry, Bruno, you’ll not get a countable vote from me.  This has nothing to do with the ‘popularity contest’ that ~bob~ may or may not have requested be put forth.  This has everything to do with the fact that ~bob~ needs to deal with Admin’s decision.  By himself.  On his own merits.  The rest of us have no part in that.

42+ of our community have now ‘picked sides’, like third-graders at recess.  To what end, I have no idea, but eight months later we’re all in again, rehashing the ugly past.

I’m not naïve enough to think that cliques don’t form within our community, but the forums here are for social, civil discourse.  As someone said earlier -- much more eloquently – “man up and own your behavior!”  Or something close to that….

jupiterhill said ” He has been here almost everyday since working as diligently as he can to make the site better. “.  Kudos to ~bob~ !!  Those are the merits that may sway Admin!

Now, back to sorting…

^^^^ I totally agree.