Bad Moderation

throwaway4124

New Member
Joined
Apr 22, 2019
Messages
7
This forum is contradictory to the basis upon which it is founded. It has come to my attention that if someone says something unpopular here, their posts are banned or their accounts are banned.

A user, fiver6962, over the course of the last 3 days was really active in the community and said things that were unpopular, but true. He did not use hate speech, derogatory terms, or anything of the sort. His posts were all deleted and his comments were removed on certain threads. He was a former cadet who left to pursue greater opportunities outside of the academy and had the urge to inform people of these opportunities.

Whoever is banning these users are so blinded by "golden ticket" that is the academy and prevent any form of letting people find life and opportunity outside of here. This needs to stop.
 
Actually sometimes there are reasons you cannot see as a typical poster.
For example, long ago there was a poster that was banned. @ 6 months later a poster with strikingly similar background joined under a different name, this is a violation of the forum. They were banned within a week. They returned again @ 6 mos later under a 3rd name. They were banned again after about 3 days. As a new poster you would be wondering why? As an old poster you immediately knew who that poster was from their very 1st post, but the mods had to make sure that it was the previously banned poster.

Although the mods cannot see your pms, if a certain poster pms you in an antagonistic way, you can approach the mods privately and tell them that this is occurring. This may lead to being banned.

Finally, the mods typically will pm the poster giving them fair warning prior to a banishment, and sometimes it is not a permanent ban, just a time out.

OBTW, the mods probably need to move this thread to Off Topic.
 
Whoever is banning these users are so blinded by "golden ticket" that is the academy and prevent any form of letting people find life and opportunity outside of here.

You are not going to like reading this, but if you look at my posts, you can see that I am someone that is not blinded by the "golden ticket" . I post on here and ROTC quite frequently. As you can see from my info I have been here since shortly after this site was created. I have never been slapped on my wrists for my opinions. Thus, I really don't feel that is true at all.
If you check out some of the mods, you will also see that some are SA alumni, some are ROTC commission. Some did not commission, but their children did. The point being is the mods are from across the board, they are not just SA grads, if anything I would see those mods being in the minority of all of the mods.
 
Disclaimer: I am not a cadet. I have not personally experienced most of the things that take place at the academy.

Throwaway4124, I agree with you.

I think it is not only beneficial, but necessary for aspiring cadets to see the good and the not so good parts of USAFA so they can make an informed decision if they would like to apply. When people remove negative, but true comments, they are helping to paint a picture that the academy is great experience for everyone who attends and has little to no downsides. Thus, wasting appointments on people who didn't know what they were getting themselves into and drop out. Hate speech and blatant lies shouldn't be allowed on the forum, but negative comments are good for this forum because they put they give applicants more than one perspective on the academy and the hardships that come with being a cadet.
 
This forum is contradictory to the basis upon which it is founded. It has come to my attention that if someone says something unpopular here, their posts are banned or their accounts are banned.

A user, fiver6962, over the course of the last 3 days was really active in the community and said things that were unpopular, but true. He did not use hate speech, derogatory terms, or anything of the sort. His posts were all deleted and his comments were removed on certain threads. He was a former cadet who left to pursue greater opportunities outside of the academy and had the urge to inform people of these opportunities.

Whoever is banning these users are so blinded by "golden ticket" that is the academy and prevent any form of letting people find life and opportunity outside of here. This needs to stop.

This website if for those who want the chance to obtain the golden ticket. Many of the mods on this forum are the founders of this site and it is their right to delete comments or any user of the forum. I read some of the posts you mention and they were contrite, bitter and at times condescending. It was obvious the kid was not happy, didn't want to be at the academy and I genuinely felt for him. However, the discussion of his unhappiness had no place on this forum and his views on politics is not the purpose of this forum. I found all of the posts attention seeking and a better use of time would be to have an honest discussion with his family or school to discuss his feelings/issues.
 
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I also read the thread. There ARE forum rules. IMO the rules were broken. Additionally a Mod posted that ‘should the rules be violated, the thread would be yanked without warning’. To include private
messaging.

Healthy discussion is the key. That thread and poster was not interested in healthy discussion. And violates the rules/mission of the forums, IMO.

I may be off, but it seems like there has been a plethora of these kinds of posts and comments this year. Revisiting the rules/mission of the forum would probably be a good thing every now and again.

I suppose some of it is subjective. But c’est la vie. Just because one CAN say something, doesn’t mean they should. And all were warned.
 
Pima, post: 670536, member: 918"]Actually sometimes there are reasons you cannot see as a typical poster.
For example, long ago there was a poster that was banned. @ 6 months later a poster with strikingly similar background joined under a different name, this is a violation of the forum. They were banned within a week. They returned again @ 6 mos later under a 3rd name. They were banned again after about 3 days.


Bobby?!? Lol

The recently banned poster that had the threads deleted, seemed to only have an axe to grind. They just kept up the same rant in every post. That negativity is unproductive. I would welcome discussion by anyone who has an unpopular opinion/experience of an SA to share it, but in a constructive way. It’s important for prospective attendees to know and understand as much as they can about their SA (even the “bad stuff”) before they commit themselves. I didn’t want my DS to only hear about all of the great things at USMA and think it was going to be a picnic. I wanted him to be as aware as he could possibly be as to the good, bad, and the ugly about the path he was choosing. He went there with an open mind, and “embraced the suck”. It is not easy, but he is where he wants to be. Ultimately an SA is a great path for many people but not all.
The SAF continues to be a very helpful resource for prospects and parents to learn all things SA and how to navigate the process. Let’s keep it that way![/QUOTE]
 
A user, fiver6962, over the course of the last 3 days was really active in the community and said things that were unpopular, but true.
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If I remember correctly fiver6962 was making statements such as the AFA giving low gpa so cadets could not successfully transfer to other school (or something similar to that effect). I'm not sure how you are stating that his comments are "true." This is one person's opinion. If that was the case, wouldn't every cadet be getting similar gpa's? Is it possible this particular person just wasn't doing well in the classes for whatever reason and just found it more convenient to transfer the fault onto the "system?" I have never been to the academy and we are not a military family. My DS is honored and excited to be a part of c/o 2023.

I find this forum to be extremely helpful and supportive as we started this new journey into the AFA application process. I am grateful for any insight current or previous cadets and family can offer as advice to an incoming cadet to succeed at AFA. But ranting comments about "not liking most people in your class" (from a different poster) or unsubstantiated accusations should be removed from this forum.
 
A user, fiver6962, over the course of the last 3 days was really active in the community and said things that were unpopular, but true.
.
If I remember correctly fiver6962 was making statements such as the AFA giving low gpa so cadets could not successfully transfer to other school (or something similar to that effect). I'm not sure how you are stating that his comments are "true." This is one person's opinion. If that was the case, wouldn't every cadet be getting similar gpa's? Is it possible this particular person just wasn't doing well in the classes for whatever reason and just found it more convenient to transfer the fault onto the "system?" I have never been to the academy and we are not a military family. My DS is honored and excited to be a part of c/o 2023.

I find this forum to be extremely helpful and supportive as we started this new journey into the AFA application process. I am grateful for any insight current or previous cadets and family can offer as advice to an incoming cadet to succeed at AFA. But ranting comments about "not liking most people in your class" (from a different poster) or unsubstantiated accusations should be removed from this forum.
I couldnt believe he actually wrote that the academy was purposely giving cadets low gpa so that they couldnt transfer. That would either means that everyone has a low gpa at the academy or the academy was lowering the gpa of cadets they thought were to going to transfer. I would assume that the first part isnt true and the second part is ridiculous. While it is true that that the forum is a rah-rah for the academy and Rotc (military in general) it tends to be realistic especially from those who have served and know that the military has its own issues. I would add that whenever someone posts that they are thinking of quitting an academy, most people here are very supportive especially if the cadet has been in the two years. 90% of those here understand that the academy or the military isnt for everyone and prefer that those that are unhappy being at the academy should leave. It will be better for the cadet and better for the military. Lets be honest, as an applicant or parent of an applicant or even a cadet, after spending the last two years strugging to get into an academy,
the last thing you want to hear from someone that the academy sucks or is biased or whatever. As for this particular person getting banned, I used to work for the largest home theater forum in the world, unless you are in the loop, you never really know what goes on in the background and why someone was offically banned. Most of the time, there is a very good reason
 
There are obviously, more than one side to every story. With the amount of anonymity associated with a forum, I highly doubt that many people here have "All Sides" of the story. OP; you said in your opening post: "It has come to my attention that if someone says something unpopular here, their posts are banned or their accounts are banned." Sorry if I'm "Not Buying" your claim. You're new to the forum, but for some reason, you're so respected that people have brought such things to your attention. Of course, you "Could" be one of these people that Pima mentioned, who "Re-Registers" on the forum multiple times. Either to present differing positions that contradict previous opinions; or because you yourself were banned previously.

Now; I admit, I have posted on one or two threads here on this forum over a few years. In that amount of time, I can honestly say that I have seen some very "Heated" discussions with a lot of disagreement and some unpopular opinions. I admit; I've been involved in my fair share of some heated discussions here. I'm sorry to disagree with you Throwaway4124, but you're wrong. And no, this isn't a matter of us simply disagreeing with each other; you're actually wrong.

The ONLY time I've seen posts deleted, and the poster temporarily or permanently banned, is when that poster totally "Disrespects" the other posters. Applicants and others interested in the academies can find all of the "Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" about the academies here. There are discussions about every topic imaginable. Including problems with and concerns for racism, sexism, drugs, alcohol, academics, athletics, favoritism, bullying, hazing, religion, and anything else you can think of. And these topics, many times, can be quite controversial. And there is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with disagreeing with each other about any topic. Keep communicating, and Keep learning.

They key however, is "RESPECT". Sorry; but I'm old school. What that means is; I don't believe that respect and your feelings mean the same thing. I believe in debate, active discussions, arguing a case, and trying to persuade your position of a topic. If a person's "Feelings" get hurt, then maybe they aren't strong enough of an individual to be at the academy. in the military, or having a debate or discussion. There's parents who come to the forum who are interested in the academies for their kids. Sometimes they get into discussions and debates and their feelings get hurt. The point is, every day in our lives, someone, somewhere, probably says something that bothers us, offends us, hurts our feelings, embarrasses us, etc. That doesn't mean the individual is being disrespectful. Understand the difference. Unfortunately, some of those offended or have their feelings hurt, react disrespectfully in return. I.e. We've all seen the discussions where two people are disagreeing about something, and the one person gets frustrated, and instead of replying with a retort that is germane to the topic, they get PERSONAL. E.g. Well, you're an idiot.... You don't know jack ****....... etc.

The point is Throwaway4124; you have no idea about all the posts that may have been deleted; and/or any poster that may have been banned; or the "Full Story" behind it. Neither does just about anyone else on this forum. Sorry, but I'm not buying when you say that these things "have been brought to your attention". Sorry, but why would anyone bring such a topic to a brand new poster to this forum. Of course, you could be getting anecdotal feedback from an isolated individual who got one of their posts deleted; or they got banned. It's also possible that you're not brand new to the forum and you've re-registered. In which case, we have to know your full story. Again; forums and such are anonymous. We only THINK we know who all these other people are. PERSONALLY: I know about 30-35 people on this forum. Of the thousands I've spoken with here, I've only MET a fraction of these people. And very few that I'd recognize on the street. (Unless we were at Thudgate with some Jeremiah Weed). So take a lot of the posts you read with a grain of salt. The more people that validate the posts, the more salt you can give it.

There are a number of forums, facebook pages, websites, twitter, etc. for individuals interested in attending the military academies and ROTC. There is no doubt, that this forum "Service Academy Forums" is the most popular and most successful of all other resources. Percentage wise, more individual who have received appointments to the academies, have spent time on this forum than at any other site. Just look through the "Accepted" threads. You'll see a very high percentage of posters here receive appointments. That's because the information given here is very accurate; for the most part. And the TRUTH (Meaning the BAD as well as the good) is also given here. No one is hiding anything. You are free to search my user name on this forum. You will see me many times telling interested people "How it really is". Even as an ALO, I told applicants BOTH SIDES of the academy. And having spent more than 20 years in the Air Force, I definitely feel I can attest to a lot of the good AND the bad.

Of course, if a person doesn't like the tone or attitude here, there are quite free to move on to one of the other sites. Have a great day.
 
This forum has much stricter rules than many other online groups. I personally appreciate that. Not being able to say whatever you want however you want, without regard to whether your comments are actually contributing something helpful, takes some people longer than others to get used to. I also have seen some who are banned, later have that ban lifted. I assume they promised the mods they'd behave. :) Always nice to have a second chance to improve.
 
I kind of see both sides of the debate here. For example, I have added some value to the forum discussion and I have added some dribble that was plain and simple, just axe grinding material:) I got banned and that was o.k., lesson learned. What one needs to understand, this is not your sandbox, this is someone else's sandbox. Very similar, if you try and grind an axe over on youtube, you are going to get banned for life, so perhaps axe grinding is a waste of time......although...... did anyone watch that movie "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri". Now that was truly impressive, lease your own sandbox, and send whatever message you want, within the letter of the law of course! Better have deep pockets though, billboard leasing is expensive.
 
There are obviously, more than one side to every story. With the amount of anonymity associated with a forum, I highly doubt that many people here have "All Sides" of the story. OP; you said in your opening post: "It has come to my attention that if someone says something unpopular here, their posts are banned or their accounts are banned." Sorry if I'm "Not Buying" your claim. You're new to the forum, but for some reason, you're so respected that people have brought such things to your attention. Of course, you "Could" be one of these people that Pima mentioned, who "Re-Registers" on the forum multiple times. Either to present differing positions that contradict previous opinions; or because you yourself were banned previously.

Now; I admit, I have posted on one or two threads here on this forum over a few years. In that amount of time, I can honestly say that I have seen some very "Heated" discussions with a lot of disagreement and some unpopular opinions. I admit; I've been involved in my fair share of some heated discussions here. I'm sorry to disagree with you Throwaway4124, but you're wrong. And no, this isn't a matter of us simply disagreeing with each other; you're actually wrong.

The ONLY time I've seen posts deleted, and the poster temporarily or permanently banned, is when that poster totally "Disrespects" the other posters. Applicants and others interested in the academies can find all of the "Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" about the academies here. There are discussions about every topic imaginable. Including problems with and concerns for racism, sexism, drugs, alcohol, academics, athletics, favoritism, bullying, hazing, religion, and anything else you can think of. And these topics, many times, can be quite controversial. And there is absolutely NOTHING WRONG with disagreeing with each other about any topic. Keep communicating, and Keep learning.

They key however, is "RESPECT". Sorry; but I'm old school. What that means is; I don't believe that respect and your feelings mean the same thing. I believe in debate, active discussions, arguing a case, and trying to persuade your position of a topic. If a person's "Feelings" get hurt, then maybe they aren't strong enough of an individual to be at the academy. in the military, or having a debate or discussion. There's parents who come to the forum who are interested in the academies for their kids. Sometimes they get into discussions and debates and their feelings get hurt. The point is, every day in our lives, someone, somewhere, probably says something that bothers us, offends us, hurts our feelings, embarrasses us, etc. That doesn't mean the individual is being disrespectful. Understand the difference. Unfortunately, some of those offended or have their feelings hurt, react disrespectfully in return. I.e. We've all seen the discussions where two people are disagreeing about something, and the one person gets frustrated, and instead of replying with a retort that is germane to the topic, they get PERSONAL. E.g. Well, you're an idiot.... You don't know jack ****....... etc.

The point is Throwaway4124; you have no idea about all the posts that may have been deleted; and/or any poster that may have been banned; or the "Full Story" behind it. Neither does just about anyone else on this forum. Sorry, but I'm not buying when you say that these things "have been brought to your attention". Sorry, but why would anyone bring such a topic to a brand new poster to this forum. Of course, you could be getting anecdotal feedback from an isolated individual who got one of their posts deleted; or they got banned. It's also possible that you're not brand new to the forum and you've re-registered. In which case, we have to know your full story. Again; forums and such are anonymous. We only THINK we know who all these other people are. PERSONALLY: I know about 30-35 people on this forum. Of the thousands I've spoken with here, I've only MET a fraction of these people. And very few that I'd recognize on the street. (Unless we were at Thudgate with some Jeremiah Weed). So take a lot of the posts you read with a grain of salt. The more people that validate the posts, the more salt you can give it.

There are a number of forums, facebook pages, websites, twitter, etc. for individuals interested in attending the military academies and ROTC. There is no doubt, that this forum "Service Academy Forums" is the most popular and most successful of all other resources. Percentage wise, more individual who have received appointments to the academies, have spent time on this forum than at any other site. Just look through the "Accepted" threads. You'll see a very high percentage of posters here receive appointments. That's because the information given here is very accurate; for the most part. And the TRUTH (Meaning the BAD as well as the good) is also given here. No one is hiding anything. You are free to search my user name on this forum. You will see me many times telling interested people "How it really is". Even as an ALO, I told applicants BOTH SIDES of the academy. And having spent more than 20 years in the Air Force, I definitely feel I can attest to a lot of the good AND the bad.

Of course, if a person doesn't like the tone or attitude here, there are quite free to move on to one of the other sites. Have a great day.

I had an unexpected bonus from joining the forums about 2 years ago: I met another mom of an applicant, and we are now BFFS’s. Our sons friends. Families have spent time together. So beyond very insightful and valuable information, I have gained a friend for life!
 
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Well. I think the guy said he was a civilian Doctor now, if I recall in one of his posts (maybe it was another) .... Anyway. He should join some AMA Forums and start bashing them.
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As some posters rightly remind us, USAFA & the other SA's are for getting you to your goal which is to be an officer in the military; being a graduate of the SA therefore, is an achievement towards that goal. The SA is not the end, it's just the beginning. If you're not accepted to an SA, ROTC is usually Plan B. Then there's OCS & LEAD. Most appointees want to become pilots; that will change for many as they move thru the AFA & that's OK. There are worse places to "embrace the suck" then the AFA. After 2 years, if it's not for you, you can move on student-debt free. That's a pretty good deal. Lastly, can't imagine every semester is Shangri-La at State U either.
 
..... Lastly, can't imagine every semester is Shangri-La at State U either.
It is for the Deltas at Faber College .... Toga, toga ... toga

But seriously .... His comments ruffled me a bit.
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Very similar, if you try and grind an axe over on youtube, you are going to get banned for life
Off topic here but YouTube is actually very biased. I’ve seen people post some extremely hateful stuff on YouTube that doesn’t always get removed because of their political agenda, while the rants on the other side of the aisle seem to face more scrutiny.
 
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