So you thought the witch hunt was over?

It has come to my attention that Pathfinder was in chat on the IRC channel (whatever that is, and wherever it is), with a bunch of players who were on, including a number who wish to see Prokofy Neva banned from the forums.

For those who would like to read the transcript, it's posted on SL Universe, at:

www.sluniverse.com/forums/Topic5145-18-1.aspx

I personally DO NOT LIKE that these people want me to NOT READ PROK AGAIN. Who are they to say who I can read on these forums and who I can't? There are definitely some people who I think are the bottom of the humanity barrel on these forums, but I don't campaign to get RID of them, on the basis that they make my wittle head hurt and my wittle bwood pwessure cwimb.

I DO NOT WISH for a group of people to be able to CENSOR WHO I CAN READ.

Pathfinder, I would like you to know that I don't think these people should be able to run off one poster. You need to know that not everyone thinks the way they do.

They've apparently done so by a consistent post-reporting campaign - one which, had it been turned against some of them, would have gotten their butts banned in no time.

For those of you who read these forums regularly, I ask you:
Who has done the most personal attacks? Prokofy, who talks about groups in a less-than flattering light? Or those who call him every name in the book, DIG UP HIS PERSONAL RL INFORMATION and PUBLISH IT on THESE FORUMS, call him mentally ill, and dog his every post, on whatever innocuous topic, to do it?

The person who revealed his real-life information on these boards only got an "informal warning." Revealing rl info HAS to be the most horrible crime anyone can ever commit on any message board. Yet Prok gets suspended for seven days, with NO written communication to him as to why.

While those who want to see him gone discuss with Pathfinder their ideas of the best way of getting rid of him permanently.

Why did Prok get this suspension? I figure it is because these people report every post of his they don't like, usually (not always, but usually) claiming that they're offended on the part of some group he is discussing, not from any personal attack. Enough of them are doing this that it amounts to such a number of post reports that it automatically has to be acted on - that is my guess.

Now, I don't agree with half of what Prok says, and I know how he can go on and on.

But do I want to be next? No. Do you want to be next? I doubt it.

Do you want a few people getting together on IRC to talk to Pathfinder about how to get rid of YOU?

And to plot - yes, plot, scheme, and go through whatever ideas they can come up with - to get rid of YOU?

Things didn't stop after the shunning. They just went more underground.

I don't recall being invited to give them MY opinion when they were trying to get Pathfinder to get rid of Prok.

Do I not count?

I really, really, REALLY don't like a group of people getting together to get rid of someone, especially someone harmless.

"He bothers us, make him shut up!"

You know, the problem isn't the person who is bothering them; it is THEM. Right now they are crowing with delight that Prok has been suspended from the forums.

What these people are doing is far worse than anything Prokofy ever said about the FIC or anything.

Do you want them crowing with delight when they get rid of YOU?

Do you want a bunch of people reporting your posts every five minutes, so they can get YOU suspended?

I can think of only one thing we can do to combat this. And that is to report each and every post that contains any kind of attack on Prok, his mental stability, or his sex. I'm normally not a reporting person, but I can tell you, finding out that people have been leaning on Pathfinder to ban Prok - without my even knowing it! - has me ready to start with those reports.

coco

prokofy.

Perhaps you could post some highlights of the transcript in this thread.

Link - Page can not be found...

Fixed. Try again.

coco

That might be against the rules, Blaze. I've fixed the link. It's part-way down the page.

Wow!

Just wow!

As one of those evil IRC users, I have to say that I hope you all have more faith in Linden Lab's ability to moderate their users with their ruleset. If you honestly believe that the IRCers talked Pathfinder into banning anyone, there's more paranoia running rampant here, than I first thought.

Anyone can report anyone's post. Tons of them. If LL is actually, ya know, reviewing those reports instead of just blatantly clicking "Okay ^^", then blame the poster of the postings in question, first.

No, I don't think they talked Pathfinder into banning anyone.

coco

I think this is one case where I'll just wait and watch for both shoes to drop on this one.

Lindens enforced the TOS. What part of that don't you understand?

Prok hung himself.

Well, Coco, it looks like you've been taking lessons from the most relentless troll these forums have seen and you're now inventing drama to boost your own "fame". To be honest, I doubt the sincerity of your post, as you've been Prokofy's unquestioning cheerleader right from the start. Why are you surprised that poeple will talk about this outside of the forum?

As you well know, Coco, Prokofy has posted endless pages of outright lies and misrepresentations about other SLers that are meant only to discredit, demean, and libel. His only goal is to cause as much damage as possible with lies and rumours. When someone attacks relentlessles and baselessly, there comes a time when people stop being amused at the ridulousness of it all and ask if these vicious, self-serving attacks have a place in the forum when they have the potential to damage innocent parties.

This isn't just a poster who "bothers" certain people. It's a poster who is malicious and relentless and completely unjustified. It's a poster who writes irrational lies just for his amusement at the reactions, including yours, Coco, that it evokes. This isn't constructive, and it's not something that deserves any place in conversation.

To suggest that LL wouldn't have taken any action against Prokofy if it hadn't been for a conversation in IRL is ludicrous and ignores the obvious fact that dozens of people have been wrongfully and repeatedly impugned in his rants. Nobody can miss that. If Prokofy is now suspended from the forums, don't you think it's because of relentless trolling?

Seriously, this thread seems a lot like a troll-wannabe riding a troll's coat-tails. One troll got what he deserved. We don't need another.

How dare you accuse me of being a troll-wannabe.

How dare you suggest I wish to "boost my own fame."

Those kinds of comments indicate total ignorance on your part, Cubey, of who I am and what I stand for.

How dare you doubt the sincerity of my post. I would do the same for you, Cubey, were you the object of this mass neuroticism.

I disagree entirely with your assessment of Prok.

And I very much disagree with your assessment of me.

Don't you dare tell me that "we" don't need another troll, meaning me. I am part of "we," whether you like it or not.

coco

Let me CLEAR SOMETHING UP. Not because it wasn't clear in my post. But because people are making connections they know full well I didn't make myself.

"To suggest that LL wouldn't have taken any action against Prokofy if it hadn't been for a conversation in IRL is ludicrous."

I absolutely never said that. For the second time, let me correct that notion. I said I believed the actions were taken against Prokofy mostly for the volume of reports he received. I could be wrong about that.

But do not - I repeat - do not - claim I ever said any such a thing that Pathfinder acted from that conversation, when what I actually did say is perfectly visible to everyone at the top of this thread. NOR DID I INTEND TO INFER IT.

You know perfectly well I'm talking about witch hunt behavior - YET AGAIN - by people who sadly think they are morally and ethically right to take part in it. And it is shameful.

coco

Perhaps you should do more research into what a "witch hunt" is. A witch hunt was what Prokofy specialized in -- that is, trying to root out an imaginary cabal of evil players. What we saw in the forums is a natural reaction to a constant stream of lies. Consider that this person was at it for months before the reaction turned from amusement, to annoyance, to anger. It takes a lot of effort and a lot of lies to build that kind of backlash. There's no "witchhunt" there -- only a justified emotional response to constant, paranoid attacks. You can't point to the response to months of his daily attacks and say *that's* the cause of his suspension. He caused his own suspension.

Tell me, do you think that lies and libel deserve a place in forums? Are they constructive?

Coco, no matter if you're right or wrong, if you didn't want to get hit by the train you shouldn't have sat on the tracks. If you didn't expect any neg feedback for this thread, then you obviously didn't think twice before posting it.

As far as Prok goes, I felt sorry for him many times for getting picked on so much, eventhough he asked for everything he got. I think it's because he's carried on so much that it's blatantly obvious he has some kind of problem, and that makes me feel sorry for him. I say this sincerely, not in attempt to be offensive to him.

Everyone who has jumped on Prok has been provoked to do such though.

It seems to me everything would've been more peaceful if people made use of "ignore" and "report." Sure you end up seeing bits and pieces when people quote posts in reply, but just ignore it. It's hard refraining from flinging mud right along with Prok, but it's so obvious you'll never reach resolution with him, so it's just so much wasted effort.... and too damn much drama!

I will say it again. Prok hung himself with his own rope. There is no witch hunt.

No, he didn't, he is still posting. That's why this thread based on righteous indignance is so comical.

The thread starter defends Prok where ever Prok goes. SL forums, TSO forums The Herald, etc. It's like that cartoon where the big dog Spike has that little dog jumping around at his feet, saying, "Hey Spike! Hey Spike!" But only it's not, because the dogs in the cartoon aren't real.

I want a straightforward answer from you Coco; do you think that Prokofy did not bring this on himself? Yes or No. No long "but they did it too" spiels, no excuses, just a Yes or a No.

Meaning no disrespect, but I think at this point, the answer doesn't matter. I'm reminded of the closing scene in Romeo and Juliet, where the Prince looks down on the bodies of the two "star-crossed lovers" and then shouts at both warring families: "All are punished! All are punished!"

I would hope that Pathfinder would be severely reprimanded by LL for clearly discussing a customer's discipline, or resultant discipline caused by that customer, with other residents of SL. This seems a pretty clear violation of their own privacy rules. Pathfinder has shown himself to be naive and, further more, has shown that he is willing to discuss discipline matters where at least one customer is concerned, with a group of other customers. That cannot be allowed to go on, especially in view of how LL have always hidden behind the privacy rules where discipline is concerned.

Personally, reading Pathfinder's words on that IRC transcript makes me think that he should be removed from his post. Either they respect their own privacy rules or they do not - there can be no middle ground there.

Sorry Pathfinder but, think what you like about Prokofy, your action stinks.

I would be highly pissed off if I found out that any LL employee was talking about the status of my account to any other player, for any reason what so ever.

I have no opinion on what Prok's has or hasn't said;

That is not the issue here.

Thanks for bringing this out in the open Coco.

Hugz

Cat

Yeah cos this is all really helping isn't it

Lets face it Prok has trolled nearly EVERY single thread with her/his/whatever 349823098 page long posts, half the time, completely changing the subject around. These posts usually contain personal attacks (thinly veiled albeit), complete gibberish about stupid conspiracy theories that should have stopped TIME and TIME ago.

I personally don't have any problems with Prokofy, but ffs ppl, you reap what you sow, if you sow shit seeds, they are gunna turn into shit trees and drop turds all over your head.

I personally think, if you contribute to the locking of more than 6 threads in ONE week, your ass should be suspended and or banned from the forums along with all your alts.

If your gunna be a troll, at least be one that can take the fallout graciously.

EDIT: Pathfinder was mentioning Prok but it was hardly slander was it, and it wasn't exactly 'discussing the account', it was discussing the actions of the poster and the reasons WHY they cannot always be warned/banned. If anything Pathfinder was trying to reason with the 'lynch mob' as to why Prokofy is still around.

Don't you think that by Pathfinder discussing the discipline around a customer with other customers on IRC (and let's face it as an LL employee, it should make absolutely no difference that this is a 3rd party network not owned by LL) that, to a certain extent, he's actually validated what Prokofy has been saying all along? Can't you see that he's done exactly what Prokofy has been accusing of happening with the FIC, conspiracy theories etc. Pathfinder has validated some of that by openly discussing what LL always maintain should be private.

We can't quote it here, for obvious reasons, but Pathfinder definitely steps over the line in discussing a customer with a group of others, I can see no grey area in that at all.

Well, since the whole discussion took place on a 3rd party website you *can* quote it here, I think.

Well then lets rally a mob together and go lynch him too!!

Two wrongs don't make a right, ppl should realise that when they hit 18.

I am not saying Prok, Pathfinder or anyone was right, wrong, mental, whatever.

What I am saying that carrying on with this idiotic farce is just dragging things out, for all parties involved. This thread ISN'T help Prok, it ISN'T getting Pathfinder the sack, its simply baiting.

Well I'm not so sure, especially seeing as it's a Linden who I would be quoting. I'm not comfortable enough to do that, as discipline here often happens in bizarre ways and rules are so voluminous and fluffly that you never quite know.