*** Were you recently banned? If so, read this! ***

[Webmaster]

OK - we had a yuckster come on with an inappropriate user name and we IP banned him. Course, he was on AOL and so that resulted in several people being banned.

I went through the IP ban list and removed AOL IPs, for now.

In the future we may block some AOL IPs temporarly to discourage a particular trouble maker.

Also in the future, we are reporting any AOL trouble makers to AOL to get thier accounts removed. Dont wanna be jerks - but its the only way to keep control - to surgically remove the problem. Too many people use AOL that one IP ban can block a dozen members.

Also - if you ever email me - NEVER just have in your subject line "why r i banned". Hate to tell you, my crystal ball is broken. PLEASE for the love of God, include your username at least and explain to me the problem in as much detail (error message you get etc). Also - dont get pissy with me! If you feel like you shouldnt have been banned - perhaps email me and see if there is some fowl up before you go off flaunting your l33t haxor skills and how you propose to circumvent the ban.

Finally - everyone who is supposed to be here should have access. If you are still banned - email me again. Make sure you make it clear that you have read this message, yet you are still banned. Make sure you give me your ISP and user name.

thank you

[Restola]

I love l33t haxor skillz.

[BartManSr]

Also in the future, we are reporting any AOL trouble makers to AOL to get thier accounts removed.

I don't think so!
I've email AOL a dozen times about receiving X-rate crap from other AOL members and they done nothing. AOL doesn't care!

If I'm wrong, please email me and tell me how to do it. I would like to see AOL get cleaned up, but I really think they don't care!

[Hasty8]

Bart. You are wrong. Not to flame but please alloow me to explain.

When you (and by you I mean us), a single, individual person complains to AOL they sort of just shrug it off saying, "What? You're gonna cancel your account? o ahead, we still 16 bazillion other members to scre over."

When a corporation makes a complaint it is taken a wee bit more seriously. Especially when you (the company) says that someone using their service is messing up their boards.

AOL will be much more likely to respond positively (and politely) to Tom Kaye, President or AirGun Designs then Tom Kaye regular joe.

Sorry to say it but that is just how it goes.

That's why I like using Outlook for my mail program over AOL and other web-based software. I can create rules that automatically delete email being sent to me from a specific address or I can even create a rule to delete incoming mail based on content. It does have it's drawbacks inthat I can only access my mail from my home computer but does any one really have the need or desire to check email while away from home?

[BartManSr]

Every day I get a dozen x-rated crap and half of it is from AOL members (using AOL as there ISP). It makes me mad because AOL could stop it. They pay no attention to my emails that lists all of the abuse.

Thanks for the information anyhow. Maybe someone with more time can start a consumer group and get AOL attention.

[Webmaster]

Bartman - you may be right - but we will try to get problem users banned from thier ISP.

The problem we have right now is a couple AOLs cauing problems - but if we ban thier IP - we loose a dozen other good members.

So - um - hey I know - why not just have all the members behave - yeah - that would be cool!

[RomulanAle]

Originally posted by Webmaster
OK - we had a yuckster come on with an inappropriate user name and we IP banned him. Course, he was on AOL and so that resulted in several people being banned.

I went through the IP ban list and removed AOL IPs, for now.

In the future we may block some AOL IPs temporarly to discourage a particular trouble maker.

Also in the future, we are reporting any AOL trouble makers to AOL to get thier accounts removed. Dont wanna be jerks - but its the only way to keep control - to surgically remove the problem. Too many people use AOL that one IP ban can block a dozen members.

Also - if you ever email me - NEVER just have in your subject line "why r i banned". Hate to tell you, my crystal ball is broken. PLEASE for the love of God, include your username at least and explain to me the problem in as much detail (error message you get etc). Also - dont get pissy with me! If you feel like you shouldnt have been banned - perhaps email me and see if there is some fowl up before you go off flaunting your l33t haxor skills and how you propose to circumvent the ban.

Finally - everyone who is supposed to be here should have access. If you are still banned - email me again. Make sure you make it clear that you have read this message, yet you are still banned. Make sure you give me your ISP and user name.

thank you

HI GUYS i JUST WANTED TO STATE WHY I THINK THE WAY YOU HANDLED IT WAS NOT RIGHT HERE IS A COPY/PAST OF A THREAD ON OUR SITE:
Topic subject Any AO people on the site? Please respond...

Retrotrek
Member

Total Posts: 789
Last Post: 5/15/2002
Member Since: 3/22/2002




Hi there! Just discovered that I have been banned from your site, but can't for the life of me, figure out what I did... could some one email me an answer? Whatever it was, I was totally not aware that I was doing it, so PLEASE tell me what it is, so I can correct the behavior before I get banned from other sites, like this one.

No bad words, no name calling, no personal attacks, no attacking paintball... I'm racking my brain, and I just can understand what I did to get the boot!!! HELP! I promise I won't go back there, just want to know...

It was really fun playing with you guys, and whatever I did, I apologize. I just wish SOMEONE would tell me what it was... It's really bugging me.

Thanks!
Good luck in August!
Retrotrek

Email = Retrotrek@aol.com



"Beans and bourbon. An explosive combination." --Kirk, ST5



Did you reply to Retro's e-mail yet? Was she just banned for being a AOL user? If so no fair!!!!!!




WAS Webby relly banned for a silly picture???? Why??? What kind of pictures are not allowed on this site???
Banning with no warning wasn't verry fair was it???
I don't mean to be a trouble maker. Sorry if I came across that way. I like this site but not better than Shatner The Supremes,and I would be verry disapointed to be banned expesialy if I didn't know why Like RETROTREK.

websuspect
Member
Total Posts: 561
Last Post: 5/16/2002
Member Since: 3/18/2002
I been banned also. I posted a graphic I made for Iron Chef.

"Absoloute power corrupts absoloutley."

[cphilip]

websuspect was banned for inapropriate languge in chat Saturday night. He was asked to apologize or explain and he did not. He may still do so if he wishes. In addition he used out site as a picture host site. And placed it in an inapropriate forum to boot! It was not the content it was the use of the site inapropriately. So those things combined got him a ban. He may appeal that to an Admin if he likes. Please refrain from over dramatising things and read the post you refer to as it was completely explained there. If he is your Webmaster then you deal with his behaviour on your own. It was tastless and crude.

All others were banned accidentaly including a group of our own members. The should presently be free to post.

It has nothing to so with whats right here or not it has to do with AOL's use if Router IP's.

[shartley]

RomulanAle
First off you are taking things out of context. I would advise going and reading what happened again. I mean actually READ it this time. It is pretty clear that Webby banned an IP that effected more than it was suppose to. Chances are, the individual you point out was one such person. He apologized for this and explained why it happened.. seems pretty clear to me.

As for your wonderful “websuspect” being banned. Look, he openly used AO as a HOST for a picture for something else. AO is NOT a picture hosting service.. sorry. His own words in that thread were as follows…

Sorry I needed a place to stick this image.
You think that is appropriate? It has NOTHING to do with what the picture was, but WHY he posted it. It was NOT to show AO what he did, it was NOT for AO, it was simply because he needed some place to put it.

Please also keep in mind that “websuspect” has made his own bed. He has also tried to play the victim over it all as well.. which has not been the case. He would do well to relax, let some time pass, and then maybe he will be allowed back.

I think you are missing the whole story and listening to websuspect will not get you any closer to the truth, he has already been proven to be a bit less than honest.

(oops.. phil posted faster.. LOL)

[Webmaster]

Romulan Ale:

I have already emailed and apologized to Retrotrek in an email.

I had another admin re-instate some of the AOL IP bans last night. Ive told him to stop it and removed them again this morning.

The reason I posted this here is because not everyone who was banned emailed me - they may have had other thoughts in their head or what not - I wanted to explain fully what happend and make it publicly easy to see.

If you are STILL are banned - email me and I will see what I can do.

Websuspect *IS* supposed to be banned - at least for the time being - for reasons cphilip already outlined. If he wants back in - he will need to talk to cphilip and comply to his requests.

PS - with the acception of your critisism, I am very impressed with the way a majority of the shatner people have handled themselves. The handful of people who where effected in the ban from shatner were very polite in their inquiry to their bans. Heck - retrotrek even apologized even though he/she wasnt sure what they had done!

PSS - for people who I thought were stereotyped as "geeky" and "techy" - usually very into computers - alot of you shatner folks sure use a lame ISP (and I was on AOL to try it out, its LAME)

PSSS - Im not much different from you shatnerites - I was a 2nd Lt. on the USS Jeanette Maddox in Wichita, KS many years ago, and even had my artwork on the cover of the official Starfleet Newsletter - even had a college scholarship from Starfleet - so bleh - Im a geek too!

[RomulanAle]

Thanks for taking the time to reply to me. I'm sorry I sounded so critical. I had not read websuspects post (exept what he said about being banned for a picture that he said on our site) and I had posted a picture that has been removed and labeled: "nobody wants to see that" So I was curious if we were posting to many pictures or inappropriate ones. I didn't mean to sound so harsh sorry.

[RSUAVE911]

yeah I am sure AOL is going to delete someones account, does not matter who tells them to do so, by deleting someones account they will be losing money, so AOL would never want that. Webby you may have all the control in the world on AO but on AOL do not control the way a internet provider does what they do AT ALL. You can not say delete that account because he did some bad stuff on my site. AOL legally would say your site your problem. LMAO. Especially when you are not even an aol member.

[retrotrek]

Thanks webmaster! I was so sad yesterday... I had no where to go when my site was slow... I'm glad everything was cleared up. One of the other non-AOL users pasted your explaination on my thread (that RomulanAle posted here), so I did figure it out, but of course, that was AFTER I freaked out...

Anyway, I'm so glad to be back and catching up on all the juicy stuff over here... Thank you again for your response!

Retrotrek

PS She
:)

[shartley]

RSUAVE911
Actually I hate to tell you that you are wrong, so I won’t. I will however say you are greatly mistaken. I have had several AOL accounts terminated. I did not do so as an individual, but as a business. I have also had at least one of the account owners terminated from not only AOL but 3 other ISPs as well… but that is another matter.


AOL legally would say your site your problem.
Not even close to being correct.

Guess what, AOL (and any ISP) is ultimately responsible for any and all actions taken by its members, and if they are made aware of problems their clients are causing (and such problems are against AOL Terms Of Service.. which most are) and do nothing about it, they can be taken to court quicker than you can say “Show me the money”. AOL does not want this and it is SO much easier to terminate an account or two and lose pennies VS what they would lose over Court costs as well as bad publicity over it.

Think what you want, but if you pull the right strings and make your intent clear enough, AOL will cooperate with you… and in fact it is not that difficult. You can trust that they could care less about one or two accounts. They are in it for the long haul. Sure they tend to blow off Joe Smith, but they don’t for other businesses.

[raehl]

I've adminned a few systems, and my solution to AOL not getting rid of problem users who attacked systems I adminned was to just ban AOL and instruct all the AOL users who got banned to inform AOL that they'd been banned because AOL USER X had been being a problem.

If your ISP doesn't deal with problem users, don't be surprised when you can't get to certain places on the internet. It's partially your fault for choosing to get internet access through an irresponsible company.

- Chris

[the JoKeR]

Originally posted by RomulanAle
Thanks for taking the time to reply to me. I'm sorry I sounded so critical. I had not read websuspects post (exept what he said about being banned for a picture that he said on our site) and I had posted a picture that has been removed and labeled: "nobody wants to see that" So I was curious if we were posting to many pictures or inappropriate ones. I didn't mean to sound so harsh sorry.

If the picture in question is the one I remember seeing (Shatner in flesh colored tights???) I don't know why anybody would call it "inappropriate" since it was clean (although weird) and in the friendly forum. Frankly, I enjoyed laughing at Shatner the Not Quite so Supreme and giving the Treckies a new picture caption for their "God". "They stand 'em up, we knock 'em down!"

My opinion.

[shartley]

the JoKeR
Actually that was not the image in question. It was an image that had nothing to do with Paintball, Shatner, or AO. He was simply using AO as an image host. That is what made it inappropriate.

[the JoKeR]

Originally posted by shartley
the JoKeR
Actually that was not the image in question. It was an image that had nothing to do with Paintball, Shatner, or AO. He was simply using AO as an image host. That is what made it inappropriate.

Ah, I stand corrected. Let's take him out back and beat the snot out of him then!:D

[TooDamnSweet]

PSS - for people who I thought were stereotyped as "geeky" and "techy" - usually very into computers - alot of you shatner folks sure use a lame ISP (and I was on AOL to try it out, its LAME)

My ISP is lame? I'm a trekkie, probably geeky, but not very technically inclined. I don't even know what an ISP is. Do I get to pick my own ISP? Can I get one that's not so lame? Do I sound really stupid right now?

[RomulanAle]

Originally posted by TooDamnSweet
PSS - for people who I thought were stereotyped as "geeky" and "techy" - usually very into computers - alot of you shatner folks sure use a lame ISP (and I was on AOL to try it out, its LAME)

My ISP is lame? I don't even know what an ISP is.

Idaho State Police...and yes they are lame.
:D

[Webmaster]

Disaster adverted - unlocking this post.