An Apology From Neal

[Neal]

Guys, I'm not blind and deaf and I am aware that of late a few people have expressed dissatisfaction with some aspects of the boards moderation and maybe even my own decisions, guys, you know what i'm not perfect. I honestly do my best and all I want is a board where we can all come on, post our experiences, share information, keep in touch with all things Thailand and ultimately have some fun, it appears some of my / my moderators decisions have left some of you feeling a bit dejected of late and the fun may for some have been waning - for that I apologize as we're all just here to have a laugh and get on at the end of the day, so for my part as from today I have asked Scots to step down as a Moderator and my intention is to take a step back and within the bounds of the usual taboo subjects such as Royality matters etc allow the board to breathe in the hope that we can all relax, be polite and civil to each other ( as you all generally always are anyway) and not allow the nastiness and hate filled comments that we see on other boards creep in here, I value all (or most) of you as posters and I do look forward to sharing your posts in the months and years to come and am always open to suggestions how to make your board better, so, lets get back to the board as it should be eh and take it from there.

EDIT: And it was MY decision and my decision alone to ask Scottish-guy to be a moderator. I should have known that with the way he feels when attacked and critisized that it may not have been the best choice and I don't want anyone to look at him for making a choice that should have been planned out a bit better, so please let this matter drop for him and I do hope that he stays with the board as I do enjoy his wit and humour. I would rather just not appoint another mod so that I can make whatever is done on the board my sole responsibility.

Let's see where we go from here.

[dab69]

other aspects aside unrelated to him I have always enjoyed scottish's posts and a few others here,
and hope he continues posting

[GWMinUS]

Yes, moderating a board or web site is not an easy task.
So I thank both you and Scottish for your efforts.
I moderate a Yahoo Group, in fact two, and they can sometimes take more than I wish to give.
But as a member I do appreciate this forum!

HAHA, the Boss is on top of things and caught the ol' man's spelling error...

"But as a member I do appreciate this forum!"

Likewise for me, I always enjoy logging in and reading what's new and catching up on Thailand when stuck at home - but I gotta tell ya Neal - and I'm going to say it to your face unlike some others it seems - for god sake LEAVE THE BOARD ALONE, it's fine as it is, we don't need every other post moderated and checked and corrected, it's the very essence of difference between posts and opinions that makes the board interesting. We all have different opinions of what we like and dont like and whos's posts we prefer and dont ( yes I know lots go crazy at mine :-) but that's the whole point, we're a group of people who chose to come together, share stuff about our trips and our daily lives in Thailand and generally all things being equal manage to get along quite well and respect each other and each others opinions so that to me should be enough ( for you) as that to me is where the funs at so short of SERIOUS legal stuff and not all that he might get annoyed and sue us crap) the board doesn't need any heavy hand of moderation and can I think bumble along quite happily without too much tinkering from the owners ( i.e YOU !) - there, I said it ! :-) no offence and all that.

But I'm guessing from your post above that you'd finally worked all that out for yourself anyway and agreed that you had a problem and for that I'm very glad and I do look forward to things hopefully settling down and returning to how they were just a few weeks ago as I always enjoy the board and it's various posters.

And also as previously stated whilst I may not have agreed with the amount or the quality of some moderation decisions I do thank Scotty for his efforts anyway for what is of course a thankless task on any board no matter who takes it on and I also look forward to welcoming him back as one of us mere mortals again.

And thanks also Neal for the general apology - it takes a big man ( no joke intended there) to admit he may have been wrong and take action to correct and acknowledge his mistakes - we all make mistakes - it's spotting them and doing something about them that's half the battle, so well done for that if nothing else and bothering to post your apology and not stick your head in the sand (any longer) !

Isnt Butterfy4Ever a Mod too?

Im a bit like an elephant so I think there was an announcement when you first took over the bored was going to be so profitable you would be able to pay people to be Mods did that not happen?

Let me assure you all that it bothers me not ONE IOTA whether I moderate this forum or not.

I will be honest (as I always try to be) and express my disappointment that I was not even consulted about this. A message was sent informing me (not consulting me) during a period when I expressly said I would be away on business. Form your own opinions. If this what Neal believes to be a correct way to behave then that's fine.

If the owner of the board thinks for one minute that his actions will stop the carping and criticism on Bitchboard or it's successors ( most of which comes from SGF members) then he is in for a very rude awakening. I have not even looked there yet but I imagine they will be turning cartwheels.

But good luck to him and thanks to most of the members on here who have been very nice to me over the past 4 (or whatever) years.

Now the carpers can find another scapegoat, and I can get back to posting as I see fit.

:hello2:

[witchhunt]

If the owner of the board thinks for one minute that his actions will stop the carping and criticism on Bitchboard or it's successors ( most of which comes from SGF members) then he is in for a very rude awakening. I have not even looked there yet but I imagine they will be turning cartwheels.



I had a look at Bitch board and by following the date and timings of posts ,it was like back on gaybuttonthai.

Look at the way the posts immediately follow each other, as like on GB's board, the posters were sitting in the same room.

I refer to undaunted and heygay,[LMTU] in earlier and later times.

Either one poster is connected with two connections under different names, or they log out and sign in again
Where there is smoke there is fire.

If you are going to waste your time, look at the posting dates and how close they are, and the gaps in between.

Of course - there was never any more than a handful of posters all posting to themselves.

I see the board now appears to be closed - what a co-incidence.

Cryptically the Admin has posted " Well I would like to thank everyone who has joined this board and posted here.
I hope we are not celebrating prematurely but it looks like we may
have won our protest"

Does that give you all some clue as to what the agenda was?

[cdnmatt]

Just an observation, and I'm not trying to be a dick (although Neal I'm sure will take it that way). Moderating decisions here seem to be based on emotional whims without any logical consistency, which can tend to make things confusing. Posting here these days is somewhat of a crap-shoot. You don't know if the post will stay up, be deleted, edited, your posting privileges revoked, maybe Neal will send you a nasty PM, then a couple days later follow it up with an 800 word PM looking for sympathy and understanding. You just never know.

[witchhunt]

Scotty just checked their board, it is still functioning.

It will be interesting how quickly our members take to sort out who is doing 99% of all posts.

BTW this is not new. Years ago when Hedda had her blog, an anon [ obviously LMTU] bombarded insults about the sawatdee forum, with up to 25 posts every day. all anon or in different names of course.

Childish drivel repeating himself.

Neal if youve got someone lined up to take over the bored as youve said isnt now maybe the time to hand it over to him?

[a447]

dab69 wrote:
I have always enjoyed scottish's posts and a few others here,and hope he continues posting

Here, here! S-G has provided me with heaps of laughs over the years and I, for one, really appreciate his being a member of the board. He can be caustic in his comments when he wants to be, but he certainly has the ability to lighten up the board with his quick wit.

I'm glad Neal has finally come to his senses. I PM'd him a number of times when he took over the board and complained about his heavy-handed deletion/editing of member's posts - including some of my own. I considered leaving the board after a particularly virulent round of deletions. But I could see where he was coming from. As I have posted before, I have always found Neal to be a genuine Mr Nice Guy with a big heart and boundless generosity. However, I have always thought he was a bit naive when it comes to people's interactions with each other. I know he wants everyone to get along, but as I asked him a number of times, in real life that just doesn't happen so why expect it to happen on SGF? People have disagreements all the time, but we don't go around "moderating" them unless they go really over the top. It is especially difficult on an anonymous board like this. But he loved to repeat his mantra - "Why can't you all just get along??"

So sit back and relax, Neal. There will always be a small number of members who let their bitterness/disillusionment with their lives cause them to make meaningless, nasty, snide comments. There will always be fakes infesting the board to vicariously live out their fantasies. But you know that the vast majority of us just want to be able to exchange up-to-date, detailed info on gay life in LOS - be it bar/restaurant reviews, opinions on the bar boys, gay events, etc. etc and share our experiences with others.

Hi Witchhunt - yes it's still functioning as in it still exists - but the non-bitch section has been deleted and a "Closed Down" notice has been posted (as I quoted) in the Bitch section by the Admin. I assume if the Admin says it's finished, it must be :dontknow:

How curious that the closure should immediately follow their final topic "Scotty is sacked" :sign5: What a co-incidence.

I wish somebody would find out who was behind - not the board itself - but the venom directed at SGF - I have my own suspicions but they are no more than that. Don't blame LMTU, he was merely invited to the board to help stir it up.

PS Thanks to those who have posted good wishes or PM'd them :love4:

[kittyboy]

I would like to thank neal and sg for their efforts at keeping sg running.
I do not post that often but check the board daily for gossip helpful information and the funny bitch fests.

Someone will always complain. Fuck em

[ikarus]

Neal,
I think you worry too much about falling the activity of the board. It is frankly on all Thailand boards and there is a very simple reason for that: prolonged World crisis started taking a tall on sheer number of people who can afford travel or stay in Thailand (especially from the West). Take, for example US. Zero interest policy, Federal reserve manipulated stock market, falling Dollar make it very difficult for most of the people living on fixed income to undertake such travel. Younger people either unemployed or live on various government handouts: one can survive but hardly thrive. Only those who have government employment or government pensions continue to enjoy Obama paradise. Of course, there are always wealthy individuals but their number is small. The future is bleak: more and more will depend on government and Obama handouts. And as long as America in recession, the world economy will continue to stagnate. Thus, relax and take it easy.
p.s. Under new management none of my posts were censored or whatever...

[Khor tose]

How curious that the closure should immediately follow their final topic "Scotty is sacked" :sign5: What a co-incidence.

I wish somebody would find out who was behind - not the board itself - but the venom directed at SGF

Venom or honest criticism. Come on Scotty all your references to the board made me look at it. The Venom was directed at Neal, Gaybutton, You, Irish guy and rarely Joe. The overriding theme was excessive moderation, with frequent mention to your shitty remarks and stupid put downs. I guess none of this is true----at least according to you. How introspective you are.

[cdnmatt]

For those of us in the dark, anyone care to share the URL to this board?

No, Khor Tose - when people are referred to as "Boss Hog", "SoFatty", " DaBooze", "Haggis", "Shamrock" etc etc etc - and when it is asserted that they are mentally ill, physically sick, and will be dead soon - that is not valid criticism, that is venom.

On the other hand, I'm not surprised you support it

[witchhunt]

here is the URL includes the over 18 question

http://pattayabitchboard.socialparody.c ... com%2Fmain (http://pattayabitchboard.socialparody.com/warning?ref=http%3A%2F%2Fpattayabitchboard.socialp arody.com%2Fmain)

[Khor tose]

No I don't support it, nor have I ever used those terms, but I do and will,always support freedom of speech. When people are treated unfairly or even think they are and have no other way to express their anger they will and do use words like these. Secondly, I very much do support the idea that this board became over moderated with a click very similar to Gay button's Balmy army. It is not what this board used to be, it is not what it should be. If nothing else the popularity of the bitch board proves that. Please, don't give me that stupid crap that it was only four or five people who were all of those personalities. That is so patently stupid that I can't believe that you or anyone else signs on to it. As to the place being pedophiles, I did start to look at those pictures and did what most people would do, and stopped reading. I am sure it was Mr. Hightower just testing the board, or someone from outside trying to decredit it and drive people away. Other then that crap, I saw less pedo talk then it normally on all the boards, especially gaybuttons.

"Popularity"?

They had a grand total of 58 members (including hydras) - you're going on like it was hundreds or thousands.

Off the top of my head I can't recall who posted the underage pic links - but it wasn't from outside it was one of the regs.

[Khor tose]

I just read it the other day it was Mr. Hightower who posted that and other nonsense and then disappears. Yes, 58 and I doubt more then two or three hydras, Yes, tell me how many messages did you have in the last couple of days from different posters. I am not going on like there was thousands, but I am going on like there was 58. Of course you are probably well used to having a hell of a lot more enemies then that, but I find it unusual and indicative of a problem.

[lonelywombat]

Khortose yours is typical of those posts we are getting to hate,

Quite frankly why don't you put a plug in it.

getting very monotonous.


BTW the porno movies that were down one side of pattayabitchboard are now gone.

[Khor tose]

Because I think it is far more important then some of those announcements you like to make. I like this board and truly think the inability to speak your mind is one of the main problems with it. I feel like doing a Neal here and ask who is WE. Is we the clic that the posters are complaining about on the bitch board. I have to ask and I do hope I am not interrupting your latest news about some event in Pattaya land that most of us---even in Chiang mai--already know about. Not trying to be catty, but a boring board is only the home to the boring.

[Rolling Stone]

I have to voice out my support to SG. Sometimes I almost look forward to what he has to say :)
I don't quite follow the developing story ... but am glad it looks like SG is going to continue post.
Frankly speaking I don't necessarily come to this board to seek guidance; good laughs could be had. If one day people are getting along too well, ie no arguments, nor disagreements on issues, the board would probably become boring:)

Thanks, RS

[MiniMee]

Now the carpers can find another scapegoat, and I can get back to posting as I see fit.


And perhaps others can get back to posting as they see fit too. Which is more to the point, I think.

And how were you personally prevented from doing that, Mini Mee?

[Liamog]

@scottish-guy I value your contribution to the board, hope you keep it up. Don't feed the trolls who are baiting you at the moment.

@DaBoss I agree with others that the board was being way too over-moderated. It's a good board though and a valuable resource for visitors and expat residents of Thailand. Thanks for that. Let it breath. Don't intervene unless there is a clear breach of the board rules or the law. And as I say to scottish-guy DON'T FEED THE TROLLS.

a boring board is only the home to the boring.Thats why I always refer in my posts to "the bored" when posting about the Board.

of course thats just your own subjective view(s) as to what's boring as personally I find the constant negativity and permanent moaning and bitching by some most boring but like everything on a public forum you take the rough with the smooth and so I tend to ignore what I dislike reading and embrace what I enjoy reading as sure if we all liked the same things then for sure it would become VERY boring indeed perhaps.

Oh no a bitchfest can be very entertaining but maybe a separate sub-forum called "Bitch Fights" would meet your needs? It would require the Mods if any are left these days to split threads off once one got going.