So I too am now banned on watchuseek...

[watchpalooza]

Sorry to see anoher member banned. At least you got a ban message that was respectful...mine simply said “You are banned and you know why.” Some of the admins are just dicks, and really make it hard to want to contribute there anymore. They tell the us that we should be grateful for the privilege of being members...but they should be grateful for the many contributions from members that make the place what it is (and generate the site’s advertising income). Without those contributions, WuS is just another sales channel for the watch companies who purchase adspace there. And without members, that is not a very good sales channel, and ad dollars will go elsewhere. What is needed is a viable alternative site that attracts members and has a sizable amount of expertise and content. It is not likely to be an all at once switch, but as this site grows more people will dabble / try it out alongside WuS. Eventually they may find the character of this site more tolerable and start spending more time here than there, we are a long way off, but it is not out of the realm of possibility,

[Robotaz]

I can understand temp bans for promoting another forum.

It's going to take time, but do it the right way. Contribute here and it will grow.

[MoT]

I can understand temp bans for promoting another forum.

As can I. However, what I can't understand is the need to be (in many cases) petulant and un-diplomatic when communicating to the user the reasoning.

Maybe I'm too old fashioned.

[Robotaz]

I can understand temp bans for promoting another forum.

As can I. However, what I can't understand is the need to be (in many cases) petulant and un-diplomatic when communicating to the user the reasoning.

Maybe I'm too old fashioned.

I think a lot of them are burned out.

[watchpalooza]

I can understand temp bans for promoting another forum.

As can I. However, what I can't understand is the need to be (in many cases) petulant and un-diplomatic when communicating to the user the reasoning.

Maybe I'm too old fashioned.

I think a lot of them are burned out.

Spot on. This view is not old-fashioned, it is a reasonable expectation and a standard of respect and decency.

[USMChawk]

I’ve had a couple of posts deleted, both of which were pointing to this forum (although I still have the ‘likes’ they generated). I haven’t been banned and I haven’t had any warnings. That said, I’ll follow MoT’s lead and stop poking the bear, as I never had an issue w/Bo until the one that created this forum. In fact the only mod that ever rubbed me the wrong way was Mike Stuffler in the German forum. An incredibly knowledgeable man who is clearly tired of answering questions and suffering fools.

[TheJohnP]

I’ve had a couple of posts deleted, both of which were pointing to this forum (although I still have the ‘likes’ they generated). I haven’t been banned and I haven’t had any warnings. That said, I’ll follow MoT’s lead and stop poking the bear, as I never had an issue w/Bo until the one that created this forum. In fact the only mod that ever rubbed me the wrong way was Mike Stuffler in the German forum. An incredibly knowledgeable man who is clearly tired of answering questions and suffering fools.

"Have you tried using the search function?"

[MissileExpert]

I agree that a more detailed explanation of the reason for getting banned is in order. Right now, it's almost like a drop down menu with a canned list of infractions. It would help - in any forum - if a PM or similar method was used to educate a member.

[seaboogers]

At least you only got a 30 day ban.

I got a perma-ban after being a member of 2+ years. I got an "infraction" for calling out a user by calling him a "jack-wagon" since that's exactly what he was being...they deleted my post.

I posted that someone must have cried to the moderators....Instant PERMA-BAN, ZERO recourse. I hadn't had an infraction or even a post removed at any other time since I joined.

They went so far as to ban my entire IP range so I couldn't even make a new account to plead my case.

That's how PETTY they are...so now I just lurk while running an Ad-Blocker. I refuse to allow them to make a single cent on my "eyes" because of how they reacted.

[AndroidIsAwesome]

At least you only got a 30 day ban.

I got a perma-ban after being a member of 2+ years. I got an "infraction" for calling out a user by calling him a "jack-wagon" since that's exactly what he was being...they deleted my post.

I posted that someone must have cried to the moderators....Instant PERMA-BAN, ZERO recourse. I hadn't had an infraction or even a post removed at any other time since I joined.

They went so far as to ban my entire IP range so I couldn't even make a new account to plead my case.

That's how PETTY they are...so now I just lurk while running an Ad-Blocker. I refuse to allow them to make a single cent on my "eyes" because of how they reacted.

That sucks. It's annoying when you get no explanation either. I've been IP banned from a site once so I just used a VPN and kept making new accounts. I always used an adblocker on watchuseek though [emoji23]

[seaboogers]

At least you only got a 30 day ban.

I got a perma-ban after being a member of 2+ years. I got an "infraction" for calling out a user by calling him a "jack-wagon" since that's exactly what he was being...they deleted my post.

I posted that someone must have cried to the moderators....Instant PERMA-BAN, ZERO recourse. I hadn't had an infraction or even a post removed at any other time since I joined.

They went so far as to ban my entire IP range so I couldn't even make a new account to plead my case.

That's how PETTY they are...so now I just lurk while running an Ad-Blocker. I refuse to allow them to make a single cent on my "eyes" because of how they reacted.

That sucks. It's annoying when you get no explanation either. I've been IP banned from a site once so I just used a VPN and kept making new accounts. I always used an adblocker on watchuseek though [emoji23]

I looked up the registrars they use and submitted to have my IP range removed from the black lists. My reason: Totally over zealous power mad admins.

I haven't looked in a while to see if it's taken effect though.

[tjcdas]

Had a nice post on the WUS almost nonexsistent deals page--didn't ban me, the post got some likes until it was deleted.


Heads Up He's dead Jim

[MoT]

At least you only got a 30 day ban.

I got a perma-ban after being a member of 2+ years. I got an "infraction" for calling out a user by calling him a "jack-wagon" since that's exactly what he was being...they deleted my post.

I posted that someone must have cried to the moderators....Instant PERMA-BAN, ZERO recourse. I hadn't had an infraction or even a post removed at any other time since I joined.

They went so far as to ban my entire IP range so I couldn't even make a new account to plead my case.

That's how PETTY they are...so now I just lurk while running an Ad-Blocker. I refuse to allow them to make a single cent on my "eyes" because of how they reacted.

That sucks. It's annoying when you get no explanation either. I've been IP banned from a site once so I just used a VPN and kept making new accounts. I always used an adblocker on watchuseek though [emoji23]

I looked up the registrars they use and submitted to have my IP range removed from the black lists. My reason: Totally over zealous power mad admins.

I haven't looked in a while to see if it's taken effect though.

No warning, no explanation, just "Bam!" What a crock.

As for contacting their registrar, blocking the ip range is done at the software level, not domain. The registrar can ask them to reverse it, but they can refuse and all the registrar can do is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

We would block ip ranges on other message boards I admin'd in the past, but only to prevent bots and spam accounts.

[ffeingol]

While I understand banning IP ranges, it's really silly (and I somewhat doubt they actually did it). Banning any decent sized network is going to block a lot more people that just you. Unless you are paying for a static IP if you reboot your providers network device a few times you'll (more than likely) get a new DCHP address and it may be from a totally different block. You can easily access the site via a free proxy or TOR.

I totally agree with MOT. Complaining to the registrar or the hosting company is useless. WUS is more than likely on a dedicated server (or cluster of servers) and they are more than likely not even banning within the forum software (prob. at a firewall). They did not break their registrars TOS, so the registrar won't care. The hosting company really does not care who they do or do not allow to access their site.

Bottom line (not that I agree with the way that they are handling things) but it's their sandbox and they make the rules. The activity in F71 (affordable) has dropped off a lot from what I've seen. I have to assume that is going to eventually bite them and they will loose advertising revenue. Until that starts to happen, I doubt you'll see much change.

My 2 cents

[Robotaz]

I was just noticing some content removed and replaced with quotes of the rules over there. I don’t mind that at all. What I mind are the sheep that upvote the moderation without even knowing what happened. Suck ups.