Yeah, I got this as well. Safe to say it's being passed around.
My response (9:08 Pacific).
Okay, Eric is not a homophobe -- that's a bit far. However, it was a poor attempt at levity on his part.
Here's what I'm reading, RR: there was an issue with calling people out, and how people were handling interacting with people they didn't like. (This seems to be at the crux of all problems online communities face, doesn't it? Sometimes I wonder why we can't all get along easier. And mostly, people seem to...) Eric made a good faith effort at addressing this, and it appeared to be well received initially. Then he said something that set SW off, and SW requested that his account be deleted.
It's a real shame, because it wasn't related to the issue in the first place, and the manner SW chose to address it was first by telling the admin working with him to f--- off, and then by taking it out on the rest of the board. Like I said, a shame.
As for the bannings themselves, this came from discussions that happened above the moderator level. The appeals will have to go there, and I know, I know, they don't seem to be responding that quickly, but as tense as it is, there's really nothing to do but wait. Allow them the time to respond properly to whatever appeals, questions, whatever else they are being asked by these three. I do hope they will get their answers soon enough; they are not intentionally being left in the dark, and ought not be left hanging. Keep in mind they are dealing with volunteer staff who have had and maybe still have many other things both board related, and in real life, that could be getting in the way of a reply.
Please don't ask any of the mods about these guys anymore, or about unbanning them. None of us on the mod team know if they are considered as having any chances remaining or if that was it. That, I suppose, is (or was...) partly up to them, and partly up to the admins based on what they had seen so far from their responses.
I hope that wasn't out of line. Want to leave the message about the bannings, ultimately, to Eric. But maybe simmer people down a little.
As for the comments, as long as they're in the Woodshed, I guess we can just let them vent. Coming down heavy-handed would not be a good look anyway. When there's a statement to be had, they can respond and vent some more, but it should die down by then once A) people understand what it's about -- us, needing members to handle people they dislike without causing problems themselves, and B) AtB, SW, and Polo have gotten their say in and responses to their e-mails and have much less of a martyrdom card to play. Hopefully, that's all sooner than later.
If there's someone who really wants it -- dumping this all over the forums, etc. Then we can politely entreat them not to fall on their sword over this, and let them hang by their own rope in the end if they
truly intend to go full committal down that road. If they want to be a martyr, the more chances they are given, the less they are able to claim it.
