Just want Swords to know that if he goes missing without backing up his allegations against me, I'll be asking my co-mods to have a look at the final warning he received months ago (with loads of blighs in between) in the context of the OP on this thread.
I'll leave the decision to them to avoid further allegations of tyranny but would simply ask this.
Does free speech apply when you call someone a **** just because you feel like it?
FYI. Not given to loose words or broken promises and having heard Swords apology and confirmation that he was 'playing to the gallery' (unfortunately at MY expense), I will now be putting this case to my co-mods for
their decision on Swords future as a character on here.
In view of their being new to the mod role, I shall ask NUTS to join them as an experienced (former) mod to make a more comfortable and better informed panel of three. As I say, (beyond putting my case to them) I won't interfere in their deliberations or judgement and will respect and abide by their decision come what may.
The context of my case is this. Whilst Swords is a serial offender against our rules who's been banned a few times now, the truth is he's also had untold 'squeezes' ('words of advice' and warnings with no action taken) over the past couple of years - and even more 'blind eyes' turned to his deliberately skulduggerous antics. All this in the hope we could retain someone who's not only been part and parcel from the outset, but more importantly one who, on a good day, ranks among the very best contributors I've seen on this site.
Pains me now to have to acknowledge that our exhaustive and exhausting efforts to this end (including rules, guidelines, polls, reviews, fine tuning etc.) have all been in vain. For all our (nauseating) transparency, Swords either learned nothing about the expressed will of the majority on our board, or simply had/has no respect for it.
With the benefit of hindsight it would have probably been easier all round if I'd heeded the advice / pleas from users (some his targets, others observers) to get him gone. (I hasten to add this was no 'complainants clique' as speculation would have it, but rather open posters for the most part - and hardly suggests, as has been alleged, our deference as mods in succumbing to such pressure, much less confirming it.)
Fact is, I thought I knew better - and in this am disappointed to admit that despite his own best interests, Swords effectively managed to prove me wrong and hang himself in the process. Weird world. However, for my arrogance, I must shoulder some of the blame. In so doing I firstly repeat the apology made earlier on this thread, to those who suffered Swords' provocations and audacity for longer than they or I would've wished. Clearly another case of the best laid schemes of mice and men inevitably turning to ****!
However, as with Swords, I'm conscious of the likelihood my apology may not be enough to placate some of Swords apologists and/or detractors; people who quietly believe my actions / inactions to have caused unnecessary agg. to the extent it has damaged this board of ours.
Whilst I now have to leave it to my peers to decide Swords' fate on here, my final word on the matter is to leave you with what Swords was in effect calling for in his OP: the opportunity to bring this 'power lusting Sultan' to book.
If over the next couple of weeks, QPR999 AND QPR Matt inform me that they have received just
15 or more PMs quoting the words 'Brixton out' or something similar, my term as mod will be brought to an immediate close. There is no need to explain your decision in that PM. Furthermore, I guarantee my co-mods will keep the identities of those opting for this course of action strictly confidential; and in any and every case there will be no regrets / umbrage from me.
We've worked hard structuring this board to make it what it is and the last thing I want is for anyone, especially me, to compromise that effort.
Cheers all.