I just saw this discussion about my leaving now (Politics site in the thread should Mulcair go). It is true that I said to Art that while once the majority of people here were NDP supporters or those further left, now the majority of posts are from Liberals. A thread about the NDP might have 80% posts from self-declared Liberal/Trudeau fans not discussing so much as advocating their brand. This is not why I left but it made it easier. At the time I left, there were even some productive exchanges between myself and Pondering. Terry Towel and I seemed to be up and down but I never asked that he go.
It is absurd that someone would suggest that my not posting has anything to do with Mulcair. Leaving the NDP would not be a reason to leave babble and I left the NDP not just because of Mulcair’s leadership either: I left because the NDP is on the same “middle class” vote-getting kick the Liberals are on while many people in this country are struggling with less. Rhetorically they write off anyone falling below the middle income range when their leader claims he was there BECAUSE of the “middle class.” I want a social justice party that does not place “middle class” voters above those of lower income just because they are more likely to vote. I will not support a classist party.
The reason I left babble came out of a situation with a troll. His posts were not just against babble policy, but the definition of what this place was -- they were: ageist, sexist, homophobic, challenging poster’s mental health, harassing people who were not engaging with him... The moderators allowed him to do this for weeks, defending him, ignoring the flagged posts and criticizing those who took issue (much of the board). Long-time posters who have been given temporary bans were punished for far less (including myself). This made a mockery of the anti-sexist, anti homophobic, progressive policies of this board since all through this the Mods NEVER reminded him of babble progressive policies until he finally irritated them (or someone they gave a crap about) and got banned for that. I wanted them to defend this place by at least reminding him and the community what the standards were. The only explanation is that the moderators’ standard is not babble policy but pissing off the moderators. A defense of the non-sexist, non-homophobic, nature of babble was the minimum and that is why I left. By the time they got around to banning the troll, weeks of his behaviour had been reported and ignored. It is not about the troll it is about the way it was handled.
I did not want to enable a so-called progressive site unwilling to defend the very policies that made it progressive.
I have never asked for any regular long-time poster to be banned. Moderators simply ignore messages from those they don't like while telling people to message them, falsely claiming they will deal with those messages. I have asked that the Mods not apply personal history and bias to exchanges. I have asked that the moderators, given that they use their power to silence people, defend the policies that can make this place what it wants to be. My leaving came down to their refusal to do so. Their bias shown even when it came to a defense of the progressive, non-sexist nature of this place was too much.
I would love a babble with the same rules for everybody without bias or history. If one person cannot do something neither should another. And most of all, a place that calls itself progressive should be exactly that. That means responding to any poster related to concerns about policy. It means defending in a positive way the progressive nature of the site and not waiting till a troll is no longer tolerable and then suddenly banning that person. It means leaving no reason for people to believe there is a double standard or personal biases interfering with fairness or application of the rules. Each post regardless of the person posting should be handled on its own merit applying the rules. Perhaps an improvement would be moderators who can’t see who is posting and judge the posts for themselves alone.
I don't need a debate about whether I was right to hold this opinion. I am not trying to change anything other than my participation in a place I do not see as good for me. When I left I did not start a thread about this -- it was covered already and the result was irreconcilable for me. You don’t have to like why I left as that is only up to me and I am not asking to come back. Maybe a few months from now I will feel differently. I don't now and I don't think I will. But please do not blame fellow posters. This was about my opinion about moderation policy of a so-called progressive site. Period.
