I'm going to preface this by saying that the following is not meant as a challenge to or against the mods here. I believe that you guys often have your work cut out for you. In fact, I wouldn't give some of the shit you guys have to deal with to the proverbial "monkey on a rock!" And in the wake of the recent hurricane of drama, it could not have been an easy decision to ban not one, but two paid advertisers. In fact, I applaud you for having the fortitude to show that the paid advertisers are not above the rules that the rest of the membership here must live up to.
I also understand that the mods rulings are final and I don't believe that anything I'm about to write will change or sway their decision. Having said all that, the following is simply my opinion. If anything, feel free to think of it as a statement by a character witness.
I was in the process of reading the now deleted thread that led to the bannings at around the time the mods locked it. I think I was somewhere between page three and page four of it when it was locked. Audrey is a strong and intelligent woman and from what I read, I believe that she handled herself with the utmost decorum, dignity and diplomacy in the face of what she quite rightly referred to as venom from another member. And just to add some balance to this from my perspective: quite honestly, I've actually been on fairly "friendly" terms with that other member. In fact, by posting this now, I may be burning a bridge with that member. When challenged with the outing of very pesronal information, Audrey showed incredible restraint in her responses. Where many other members have resorted to turning a thread like that into a flame fest and hurling personal attacks at another member, she showed a strength of character that those of us who have been lucky enough to spend some time in her company have come to appreciate her for. She opened up about what must have been painful aspects of her life that she should not have felt compelled to share. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that she bared a part of her soul. Certainly not the actions of someone who was characterized as some kind of dispassionate automoton in that very thread.
In my experience, Audrey carries herself with poise, elegance and grace and her posts on this forum have always reflected that. She is one of the most respected members of this community because she's earned that respect. And she unfotunately got caught up in a drama hurricane only because a relatively new member to the forum saw slights against her where I'm sure the rest of us saw that Audrey was only trying to be constructively helpful to that member and where certainly no slights were intended. Unfortunately, by banning both of these members for a month, I believe that it inadvertently equates Audrey's posts through that whole sordid affair with those of the other member, who was holding the knowledge of private and personal information over her head like a weapon and showed no restraint about being willing to post such information. So, in my opinion, I don't believe that Audrey's ban was warranted. Certainly not a ban of equal time.
But again, I'm not a mod and I don't envy the position that the mods were put in in this case. I realize that this must have been a very difficult decision to make. And, as I've said, Audrey is a strong and intelligent woman. She doesn't need me or anyone else to come to her defense. And she has certainly garnered a well deserved stellar reputation here. When she returns to this forum from her time out, I'm sure that those of us who know her will continue to hold her in the same high regard as we always have.
(And on another note to anyone who will feel the need to comment after this: Let's please not turn this into an opportunity to attack that other member. She's still relatively new to this and will hopefull learn from all of this only to live up to the potential that some very well respected ladies of this community see in her. Let's try to keep this positive and not dwell on the negative. Thanks for understanding.)
I also understand that the mods rulings are final and I don't believe that anything I'm about to write will change or sway their decision. Having said all that, the following is simply my opinion. If anything, feel free to think of it as a statement by a character witness.
I was in the process of reading the now deleted thread that led to the bannings at around the time the mods locked it. I think I was somewhere between page three and page four of it when it was locked. Audrey is a strong and intelligent woman and from what I read, I believe that she handled herself with the utmost decorum, dignity and diplomacy in the face of what she quite rightly referred to as venom from another member. And just to add some balance to this from my perspective: quite honestly, I've actually been on fairly "friendly" terms with that other member. In fact, by posting this now, I may be burning a bridge with that member. When challenged with the outing of very pesronal information, Audrey showed incredible restraint in her responses. Where many other members have resorted to turning a thread like that into a flame fest and hurling personal attacks at another member, she showed a strength of character that those of us who have been lucky enough to spend some time in her company have come to appreciate her for. She opened up about what must have been painful aspects of her life that she should not have felt compelled to share. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that she bared a part of her soul. Certainly not the actions of someone who was characterized as some kind of dispassionate automoton in that very thread.
In my experience, Audrey carries herself with poise, elegance and grace and her posts on this forum have always reflected that. She is one of the most respected members of this community because she's earned that respect. And she unfotunately got caught up in a drama hurricane only because a relatively new member to the forum saw slights against her where I'm sure the rest of us saw that Audrey was only trying to be constructively helpful to that member and where certainly no slights were intended. Unfortunately, by banning both of these members for a month, I believe that it inadvertently equates Audrey's posts through that whole sordid affair with those of the other member, who was holding the knowledge of private and personal information over her head like a weapon and showed no restraint about being willing to post such information. So, in my opinion, I don't believe that Audrey's ban was warranted. Certainly not a ban of equal time.
But again, I'm not a mod and I don't envy the position that the mods were put in in this case. I realize that this must have been a very difficult decision to make. And, as I've said, Audrey is a strong and intelligent woman. She doesn't need me or anyone else to come to her defense. And she has certainly garnered a well deserved stellar reputation here. When she returns to this forum from her time out, I'm sure that those of us who know her will continue to hold her in the same high regard as we always have.
(And on another note to anyone who will feel the need to comment after this: Let's please not turn this into an opportunity to attack that other member. She's still relatively new to this and will hopefull learn from all of this only to live up to the potential that some very well respected ladies of this community see in her. Let's try to keep this positive and not dwell on the negative. Thanks for understanding.)
Indeed, Hubba. And you were right to spell that with a capital 'C'
