Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Free Pork

Not an offer, alas, but a moral imperative.  Long-term readers who recall the Kafkaesque nature of my own banning from Political Betting last year will probably not be surprised to learn that the Smithson regime has gone a step further, and is now seeking to moderate people for what they have allegedly said on other websites.  It really is only a matter of time before the tiny remaining number of left-wing and/or pro-independence PB posters find themselves hauled before the OGH Committee on UnSmithsonian Activities (chair : Richard Dodd Esquire), and asked : "Are you now or have you ever been someone who makes insulting and inaccurate comments about Mike Smithson to your wife over the dinner table?"

Mind you, Smithson's cowardly Tory henchmen really ought to learn that "insulting" and "inaccurate" are not actually the same thing.

I'll largely let the following exchange from an earlier thread speak for itself, but just to set the scene, long-term pro-independence PB poster Mick Pork (who has been 'accidentally' banned by the moderators on literally dozens of previous occasions) found a few days ago that he was once again unable to post.  He left a message on this blog asking fellow poster TheUnionDivvie to put in a word, which he did, and the highly plausible explanation came back that this was yet another technical fault, and that once an unblocking was "requested" the problem would be resolved within a few hours.  On past form this wording was presumably chosen so that "PB Moderator", aka the serial fantasist, cheat and liar "The Screaming Eagles"/"TSE" could later pretend that no such request had ever been received.

Sure enough, several days later Mick was still unable to post, so TheUnionDivvie chased the matter up again.  Apparently the situation had changed out of all recognition in the interim - the moderators had received disturbing reports that Mick may have made "insulting and inaccurate" comments about the saintly Mr Smithson somewhere else on the internet.  This indeed would be a serious charge, because as every right-thinking person knows, the proprietor of Political Betting is beyond reasonable criticism (as curiously is Peter Kellner, even though Kellner amusingly banned Smithson from the YouGov panel for openly boasting he had lied in surveys to get more cash!).

So the moderators naturally took advantage of that astonishingly convenient 'accidental' banning of Mick, and simply left it in place as a punishment, pending further 'investigation'.  (I cannot confirm the rumours that this will involve Mick's neighbours being waterboarded.)  Well, how fortunate these moderators are - they don't even have to take positive action against the bastard SNP evildoers.  All they have to do is just passively "delay the resolving of a technical fault".  I don't know about you, but I can't see anything remotely fishy about that story.

By the way, when TheUnionDivvie first mentioned that Mick couldn't post, the hardcore anti-independence Tory troll "Carlotta Vance" was once again on hand to reinvent the story of my own banning, claiming that it only came about because I thought I was "bigger than Smithson's rules".  Well, let's just remind ourselves of the priceless response that Smithson came out with when ex-MP Nick Palmer pointed out that nobody actually has a sodding clue what these supposed "rules" are -

"The basic rules Nick are not to do anything that could put the site in jeopardy - libel etc - and not to piss me off. The latter is quite hard to define."

* * *

Mick Pork : Sorry to bother Theuniondivvie again but if he has time could he please point out on that I am still being completely blocked from posting on PoliticalBetting. I would have asked him myself through PB long ago but completely blocked from posting means exactly that. The ability to use PB's messaging system has been blocked for me too. It won't work.

TheUnionDivvie : Hi Mick,

pm-ed the PB moderator with your situation this am, but no reply so far. I'll post here if I hear anything.

Tud

Mick Pork : Thanks TheUnionDivvie.

To be perfectly frank I'll be surprised if you do get a reply as the only reason Richard Tyndall was allowed to post again was because it was pointed out on the site repeatedly that he had been 'mysteriously' prevented from posting so the same will almost certainly apply for me.

We all know the Tory PB moderators are spineless cowards so if they can get away with banning those who disagree with them secretly and with nobody noticing then they will.

Mick Pork : Just saw your post on PB TheUnionDivvie. Thank you very much for making it and standing up for me on there mate. It takes a bit of guts considering how nasty the moderators can be.

One thing though, I can log in to Vanilla, I am just prevented from doing anything on PB while I am there which includes posting or messaging. A rather telling "YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO DO THAT" comes up whenever I try to post anything which obviously points to it being the Moderators who have sneakily and cowardly changed my access parameters since self-evidently nobody else can do that on PB.

Mick Pork : Thanks again for having the guts to stick up for me TheUnionDivvie as I just saw your post as well as AlanBrooke making a complete t*at of himself trying to excuse the pathetic PB mods.

Apparently it's my computer's fault the mods and Smithson are so pointedly ignoring you and this is a "consistent" 'fault' despite it never happening before and me posting for months without any such trouble.

Bit much to expect any of the right-wing cowards on PB to care about posters being blocked for no reason and with nothing even close to a plausible excuse.

The herd also don't seem to have noticed that BobaFette is also strangely absent from posting of late as well as compouter. Though that might just be because PB is such a far-right zoo at the mo to be fair.

Can you imagine the volume of the shrieking if it was one of the PB Tories being prevented from posting on PB?

Exactly.

I also don't see the mockney sex tourist SeanT being prevented from posting despite his death threats on PB and posting of Tim's family's personal details, tellingly enough.

TheUnionDivvie : Mick, I finally got a response from the mods last night. Apparently some kind soul has been trawling the internet looking for comments from you re. PB & OGH, and has scampered back to PB to grass you up (I'm sure we could both make a list of likely candidates):

'We haven't fixed Mick's problem yet, it was brought to our attention Mick's been saying some inaccurate and insulting comments about Mike Smithson elsewhere.
So we're looking into that before we restore his posting privileges.'

Still, it indicates that the PB Tories are monitoring James's site on a regular basis, if there was any doubt!

Mick Pork : Sorry?? So the tory moderators on PB are now SERIOUSLY claiming that they are in charge of moderating OTHER internet sites to see if the comments there meet with their approval as well?? That's absolutely f***ing incredible!!

I notice this supposed mod didn't even have the balls to say what comments and on where lest they look even more ridiculous.

If I actually wanted to spread stuff about Smithson or the PB moderators elsewhere then I could do it on the biggest Scottish political sites like Newsnet or Wings but I could go wall to wall on the Telegraph, Mail and plenty of other media outlets. For that matter I could do it on ANY of those websites and change my name or go anonymously just as I could easily have gone anonymously on James' site.

The reason I didn't is not only that I couldn't care less about the fragile ego of PB's mods and I wouldn't waste my f***ing time, but that only a deranged power mad lunatic would think they can police the ENTIRE internet for comments from everyone as they moderate one particular site as this mod on PB jaw-droppingly thinks.

What's to stop someone posting under the name of anyone else on PB and using that as cover while they smear other posters elsewhere? Didn't that occur to the mod who you were talking to?

Are you certain it was a mod posting to you TheUnionDivvie? As what you've told us sounds about as reasonable and sane as SeanT posting on PB when he's pissed.

You've not only had it confirmed that you and the site were lied to with "the few hours to fix the problem" bulls**t but you've also had it confirmed that somebody posting to you as a moderator on PB now wants to police the entire internet just in case someone who posts on PB also posts something they don't like on any other site.

And they ACTUALLY GENUINELY want those who post on PB to know that is their new moderating stance and that mod told you that?? Whoever wrote that to you has flipped their lid TUD. It's the only possible explanation.

If they keep trying to ban me for no reason (because this new insanity isn't even f***ing CLOSE to being one) then by all means feel free to point that staggering fact out. Even the herd and the PB Tories would be hard pushed to justify that lunacy considering how many of them post elsewhere and with even less inhibition than they do on PB.

The fact is I was prevented from posting on PB long BEFORE this moderator started to desperately look for other (frankly crazy) reasons to justify it. You know it, I know it and he knows it.

Mick Pork - or is AlanBrooke or Carlotta in disguise? LOL : It gets even better!

So you DID point out that was the reason this supposed mod gave you and the PB Tories apparently couldn't care less that anything they say on another site can be taken down and used against them by this eccentric mod.

Even Shadsy joined in with the hilarity.

LOL

Do the mods even realise how utterly insane this new moderating policy makes them look??

You now have the PERFECT comeback to any PB Tory by simply asking if they have said anything more unpleasant on another site and whether that meets with PB's mods approval.

You can even turn up the laughter by positing if Carlotta (or anyone else) was posting as someone on Paul Staines (or any other) site and whether that meets with PoliticalBetting's new moderating rules.

Imagine the fun as everyone starts to look for aliases for everyone else on other sites and whether what is said elsewhere meets with this mods approval. Pure Comedy Gold.

It's not even as if this mod has left any wiggle room as he has told you I'm not allowed to post, not because not because of what *I* said, but because of what someone ELSE has told him I supposedly said on another site. Completely and utterly bonkers.

Thank god the mod didn't just allow me back on like he did with Richard Tyndall or PoliticalBetting and TSE could have ended up a complete laughing stock by now.

Hugh : Mick,

Interesting to read of your PB experiences. A similar thing happened to me.

I was banned without warning or explanation. Needless to say, attempts to find out what the heck happened have met with silence, so I remain genuinely mystified as to what exactly my "offence" was.

This happened during a period when TSE was "guest editing" in Mike Smithson's absence.

I know for a fact similar has happened to many other non-Rightwing posters. Bannings and moderation for minor breaches of the (increasingly bizarre) "Site rules". Or in my case no breach of any rule.

Meanwhile, Rightwing posters get away with serious and repeated breaches of those same rules. I have even seen clear libels go unmoderated and unpunished.

I don't know if Mike Smithson is aware of what some of his Moderators are up to. Or whether it's deliberate on the part of mods, or they're simply unable to put their political biases to one side.

Either way, it's clear that PB's Rightwing moderators are discouraging or (in my case) actively preventing left of centre / non-Tory posters.

As a result PB is now nothing more than a sterile Rightwing talking shop.

15 comments:

  1. Eloquently put James and thank you. Since I realise my posts are somewhat verbose allow me to point out the insanity in two short and simple posts (by me keep in mind) below.

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  2. Smithson and TSE are poopheads.

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  3. I have spotted AlanBrooke spreading vile rumours about PB on another site so I shall inform the PB moderators forthwith and embellish the tale by claiming Smithson hates cats and dogs too!

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  4. AlanBrooke, I have been informed you may be saying unpleasant things about PB on another site on the internet. Since I accept the word of PB tory with no proof whatsoever and I am now in charge of moderating what may have been said elsewhere on the internet, you are no longer allowed to post on politicalbetting for the moment.

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  5. Okay it was three. :D

    Does any of that sound reasonable? Seriously? For that matter does any of that sound remotely sane more to the point?

    I'm still staggered by this as it easily tops some of the most bizarre and OTT things I've ever seen on a supposedly serious political website.

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  6. PB's mother makes rancid cheese and it's father's mule is lame.

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  7. Apologies for off topic but thought you might be interested in a YouGov poll I did:

    First question was voting intentions if there was a General Election tomorrow then I was asked the following:

    "In the upcoming Scotland Independence Referendum on 18th September 2014, how, if at all, do you intend to vote?"

    Yes (for independence)
    No (against independence)
    Don’t know
    I don’t intend to vote

    I know you're interested in how polls put the independence question to people so thought I'd share.

    There were a few questions on how much you trust certain sources of information then a load of questions about Sun+ and Times subscriptions. Possibly a clue as to whole the poll was for.

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  8. Vile internet abuse alert! *shriek*

    You may not even be scottish_skier, you could be Morris_Dancer or some other PB poster in disguise and must be reported to the PB comedy mods immediately for banning.

    ROFL

    BTW Vastly amusing to see the PB tory twits have spent most of the day shrieking about kipper candidate Roger Helmer.

    Perhaps they could remind everyone who it was that first highlighted the possibilty of Helmer being the kipper candidate mere hours after the by-election was confirmed.

    Here's a clue. It certainly wasn't the PB tories, it wasn't even the kippers on PB, nor was it Smithson or TSE.

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  9. Obviously wind up the Nats & Lefties is the default PB setting, but I wasn't quite aware how much that extended to behind the scenes. I don't mind that on an open forum since I tend to prefer to kick against the pricks rather than look for affirmation, but it's pisspoor when it informs the moderating policy. PB has always had a tendency towards homogeneity of opinion, but they seems intent on showing the whip hand to anyone outside the narrow bandwidth of right wing debate that they feel comfortable with (UKIP, UKIP, UKIP, marginals, marginals, marginals, LD switchers, the French are awful etc).

    Mick, if you want a copy of the various pms exchanged with the mods drop me an e-mail address, or I can forward them via James.

    Hiya to our PB readers btw.

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  10. Thanks theuniondivvie. Do it through James as I'm sure he would also like a laugh and it is certain to be the usual slightly unhinged hilarity.

    Be careful though as your 'transgression' against the herd on PB could result in some of those 'technical' issues that keep hitting those who disagree with the mods and Smithson. Whatever you do don't laugh too openly at TSE or any other PB tory from now on as we know just how badly they take that. Do it subtly. We'll know precisely when you are mocking them. ;)

    To be fair James and I have said for the longest time that at least one of the mods is bordering on the certifiable with his fixation on deleting posts and continually trying to ban those who disagree with him. Not to mention his blatant lies and frankly lunatic excuses. It is however very gratifying that he has exposed himself so completely for all to see. Even the PB tories and far-right fruitcakes can hardly excuse this latest madness with a straight face.

    "Hiya to our PB readers btw."

    LOL

    *waves*

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  11. Had to pinch myself to make sure I hadn't drifted off and was dreaming, although I'm pretty certain that Mike Smithson wouldn't be high on my list of dream topics!

    Ooops. I suspect that I have probably already been banned in absentia for that.

    I know little about them (only what I've read here) but St Smithson sounds like a total jerk. You have to wonder what it is that he has to keeps his lieutenants so faithful.

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  12. Some people are a bit sensitive, poor lambs!

    On a related topic I get adverts for an Iphone related thingummy called, and I'm not making this up, Stormfront! Google really is evil.

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  13. Mick : I've sent you the correspondence from TheUnionDivvie.

    TheeForsakenOne : Thanks - that looks very much like another poll that will never see the light of day. It could be a YouGov testing poll (to check on the effect of asking the question in a different way), or it could be a No campaign internal.

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  14. Thank you very much James and Theuniondivvie.

    AS expected it's embarrassing to watch the mod (almost certainly TSE) have to wriggle and squirm and shift from lie to lie every time Theuniondivvie calmly points out the bullshit.

    Even more hilarious is the sudden shift to this now supposedly being about comments supposedly made months ago.

    So for those PB tories reading this *waves* - I've been banned from posting on PB for the moment - not because of anything I've said on PB, but because (as this mod has had to admit in utter desperation) because of something someone else has has claimed to this Mod that I said on another site on the internet months or even years ago. All of which with no proof whatsoever.

    Feeling proud are you PB tories?

    No wonder so many of them are spineless cowards if they are willing to put up with that incredible lunacy.

    I always have to laugh every time TSE bumptiously boasts about being the guest editor. As if anyone in their right mind would allow him to do so if he wasn't doing it for free. Smithson get's someone to look after his site and he doesn't have to pay a penny. And it's a surprise he then turns a blind eye to the jaw-dropping incompetence and inept harrassment of anyone who isn't a tory? Nope. Certainly not at that price.

    You almost feel sorry for the PB tories having to suck up to TSE so pitifully. Every single time he posts there (as himself or in his Moderator 'guise') this is what I always think of, as James pointed out so long ago.

    "Before he was inexplicably appointed as a moderator (although perhaps it's not so inexplicable, given that sycophancy is the only qualification for the job), he left Smithson in the lurch by offering to host a PB get-together in the north of England, and then going AWOL at a very late stage. At roughly the same time, he failed to settle bets with the site's aforementioned leading left-wing poster for over six months, using a series of increasingly bizarre excuses to buy himself time. This is a serious matter in PB-world, because welching on a recorded bet is considered a banning offence (it's almost as heinous a crime as...er, whatever it was that was the excuse for my own lifetime banning). The saga culminated in TSE fabricating two terrible and contradictory stories about his family to excuse what had happened - firstly that his wife had lost a baby (one of twins), and secondly that he'd been forced to consent to the termination of a pregnancy to save her life, and that she hadn't forgiven him. The deceit went so far that "PB Queen" Plato actually collected condolence messages. When the truth came out, TSE's Tory friends briefly turned against him - but he somehow turned the situation to his advantage by hinting that he'd been maliciously lied about by the left-wing poster, and that he had never in fact used the stories about his family as a delaying tactic. Unfortunately, I've seen the full set of emails that prove beyond a shadow of doubt that he did."

    http://scotgoespop.blogspot.co.uk/2014/02/political-betting-moderator-screaming.html

    How anyone could have the self-respect to keep posting (never mind being a moderator on a BETTING site) after that, god only knows.

    So when it comes to weighing up the evidence on who it is that keeps lying, with ever more pathetic excuses, it's pretty damn obvious why we keep getting proved correct since that is the type of person we are dealing with.

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  15. Since we know the PB tories can't resist looking at this thread and I have no right to reply to the spineless jellyfish having a go at me on PB while this utterly ridiculous banning/'technical fault' is in place..

    I do indeed take great pleasure in being unpleasant to cowardly racists like yourself Socrates. (He's a far-right NeoCon chickenhawk on PB for those who don't know him here.)

    Someone who obsessively looks for and highlights crimes and child abuse stories involving coloured people and ethnic minorities, while ranting about muslims, is precisely the sort of repulsive Nick Griffin clone I will always go out of my way to be unpleasant to.

    Since PoliticalBetting is now mired in amusing kipper tory handbags at dawn, I'm only surprised none of the tories has pointed out the incredible hypocrisy of someone who was foaming at the mouth over Ukraine supporting Farage now.

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