Greg

Cut the off-topic trolling out. Greg Admin

Please do not use insulting terms like, "Fiberals" in this forum. Thank you, Greg Admin

I'll look into merging them, Thanks Greg

Please note that it is illegal to even discuss the particulars of Jean Brault’s testimony at the Gomery Commission in Montreal, Canada. Any links, quotes, or discussion of the testimony will be immediately removed from these forums. Sorry folks, my hands are tied. We're not risking criminal charges so that a few of you can get a sneak peak at what is being said. Be patient, everything will come out with time. Cheers, Greg Admin

Because it is against the law to discuss anything that is contained in the testimony. Greg Admin

I intentionally left this thread open so that everyone could air their grievances in the open. As I think its important that everyone who participates in this forum get a chance to openly discuss those issues they feel strongly about. However, this discussion forum is not a democracy, nor will it ever become a democracy. Having said that, MS will not be returning to these forums. I've repeatedly given my reasons for his dismissal, and I'm not going to waste another valuable minute explaining it any further. August (or anyone else), If you do not like this decision and you feel you can't participate in this forum anymore, then please feel free to leave. If your participation is that dependant on the activities of someone who can't follow the rules, then I assume you'll feel right at home in the many troll ridden forums available on the Internet. Of all the things I've been called in this forum and in private, this is easily one of the most insulting comments to date. Apparently being Canadian means you've got to settle for immature and disruptive behaviour from those who don't repect the rules. I personally will not be shedding any tears for those who choose to leave this forum over this ridiculous issue. Now, lets all cut out the petty and childish bickering and get back to some intelligent political discussions. Greg Admin ps. The University of Lethbridge is only a partner of Maple Leaf Web. The University does not own or operate any portion of this site.

Lets avoid comments like, Stick to the facts, not insults. Greg Admin

I don't like this kind of talk. As I've said in the past,, Reading your post, your problem seems to be with leaders from Quebec, not actual Quebecois. Greg Admin

Regardless of your personal opinion of the American government or its citizens, this isn't intellegant debate. As is stated in the forum rules and guidelines, Cut the petty insults out. Greg Admin

What makes you qualified to make that accusation?

You are not allowed to post material in this forum if you've posted that material in another forum on the Internet. No. I've clearly stated in this thread and in the rules that it isn't allowed here. If you are going to participate in this forum, then please post something original. If you want to repost materials you've previously written then do it somewhere else. Again, the reason we do not allow cross-posting in this forum is because we cannot reliably confirm whether the re-poster is actually the original author. Plagiarism and copyright infringement is a serious problem and we'd like to avoid any potential problems that could occur if we allow such submissions. Also, this forum is a community and I think it is rude of someone to simply use this community as a method of transmitting their previously recorded ramblings. If you've got something interesting to say, then strike up a debate with others and actively join the community. Greg

Read the rules and guidelines of this forum, As to the question of copyright infringment - I have no idea whether it was actually you who was the original author. Which is precisely why we do not allow cross-posting in this forum. If you're post is not original, then don't bother posting. Greg Admin

Just to clear a few things up, As Project Manager for Maple Leaf Web (and all of our other web properties) I am given full discretion and authority over any activities that take place in these forums. Maple Leaf Web is funded entirely by private contributions from three charitable foundations and has never accepted funding from any level of government. The Univerisity of Lethbridge only provides Maple Leaf Web with administrative support, network access and office space. True - I answer to a board of directors who assess the quality of the website as a whole. No hidden agenda here or outright dictatorial control - its just me trying to make sure the forum as a whole survives the outbursts of certain individuals.

Consider this issue dead. Due to a number of incidents between my last post and today, MS has now been banned. Greg Admin

To answer everyone's question, MS has not been banned. His posts have been placed into a moderation queue and every morning - when I get around to it - I either approve or delete his postings. The reason for this action is simple - MS, after repeated warnings to curtail both the profanities and the trolling, choose to ignore the basic rules and guidelines of this forum. MS was unwilling to censor himself, so now I'm saddled with the responsibility. MS brought this upon himself - I gave him far more leeway that I should have and all he has done between his earlier suspension and now was increase his disrespectful and disruptive behaviour. If he is able to curtail the poor behaviour, I'll release him from the moderation queue, otherwise he will be banned permanently. Greg Admin

I suspended Common Sense because he chose to ignore my repeated warnings on posting ignorant slurs. The ban, as I said in the thread and typical for this type of behaviour, is for one month. If s/he decides to continue to ignore my warnings after the suspension, s/he will be banned for life. Its public knowledge if you followed the thread, otherwise, no. It's neither a bureaucracy or a democracy. Disciplinary actions like this one are made in an attempt to minimize the destructive behaviour some posters bring to this forum. As I mention in the forums rules, I try to use this power judiciously and fairly, but my decisions are final. Greg

As Krusty said, I can view a posters IP address, which allow me to compare and resolve (gives me the ISP and often the location) multiple posters IP's. I can also ban IP addresses from using the site, but this can cause problems, as not everyone has a static IP address. In some cases if you are using a dialup account, a different IP address is assigned to you each time you dial in. We also require each new posting account to have a unique (and functioning) email address. Which again, isn't foolproof, as someone can simply go and signup for multiple different free email addresses (hotmail, yahoo, etc). But in the end, these steps along with my monitoring make it rather difficult for banned individuals from returning. It will happen from time to time, but I'll do my best to minimize the damage. Cheers, Greg Admin

What did I just say about using words like Fiberal? See you in a month Common Sense. Greg Admin

As I've said in the past, it is unacceptable to use these types of words in this forum.

He's surely old enough to realize that you are indeed being a snob. Cut this patronizing talk out. Greg

Is this supposed to be intelligent debate?

Strike two Maplesyrup. Keep this up and you'll be banned from these forums. Greg Admin

While the ignore function is not a "bad" idea, it is unfortunately not something that can be implemented very easier. Because the software the runs this board isn't a custom solution, we are unable to simply add this feature. But to be honest, I do not think trolls have had much of a negative effect in these forums. Sure there's a been a few of them, but I've managed to ban them before they did much damage. Remember, the secret to marginalizing trolls is to simple not feed them. If you don't respond to their antics, they'll slink away to find a more responsive audience.

I apologize for not responding quicker to this thread. I have however, read over everyone's opinions, which I think have been extremely positive and useful, and will be responding in more detail in the coming days. The workload involved with MLW and Policy.ca, along with the looming deadlines of my Masters thesis, have been increasingly heavy of late, so please understand that I appreciate everyone's opinions and I would like to provide a detailed and well thought-out response. You all deserve as much, Cheers, Greg Admin

Cya, BigDookie6 You are now banned from these forums. Greg Admin