More Skulduggery from the artiste formally known as the ETYM Forum.

The ETYM forum now known as diabetes support forum.org have taken thread locking, members post deletion and under handedness to a new level. Last night at the request from some of the forum members, I returned to the forum. I didn’t know my recent banning had ended, until I received an email from a forum friend. Against my better judgement I went back, head first into a shit storm. One thing is for sure, I am persona non grata at the forum. The attack dog forum owners went straight on the offensive, locked two threads and started a rubbish Eddie campaign. Well, they went for the jugular and so did I. I had known for some time, in fact right from the start of the forum, the PM system was less than 100% secure, hotly denied by the owners. I posted this post this evening, it was deleted in less than five minutes.

The $64000 question is why do they fear to discuss the issues with me, why are mine and other members posts deleted, and why is the truth not wanted at the forum ? They accuse me of bullying, while acting like Stalinist dictators. They can say what they like, but delete any replies that shine the spotlight on lies and skulduggery. This one is going to run, stay tuned for more on the forum of fantasy !

My deleted post tonight.


Putting the record straight.

If you don’t like a post delete it, if you don’t like a post, get the last word in and lock the thread. If that fails ban him, if that fails try a smear campaign, and tell lies about him. How gutless is that. As you can imagine I will have a lot to say over the coming week re how this forum operates. The comment by Grazer was a particularly sinister touch.

“If he starts emailing members with sexual innuendos or is deliberately rude to people, particularly those who may be vulnerable, he'll be banned again. Simple.”

That would imply to any thinking person I had been banned for accosting members via emails or bullying vulnerable members of the forum. Nothing could be further from the truth. I was banned for stating what I thought was wrong with the forum (especially the forum name) and agreeing with Blinkered’s post regarding the forum looking like an index of personal blogs. Blinkered got a hard time from some members and some board members. How ironic that within days, the forum name was changed and Blinkered’s recommendations were followed.

So, an explanation regarding Grazer’s twisting of the truth. When the forum was starting up, a huge amount of emails was being generated, I was copied in on them all. I am not exaggerating when I say more than twenty emails were coming in some hours. I hardly had time to read them, and requested I be taken off the email copying list, it was a joke. Much of the emails concerned petty squabbling over this and that. Who would have this or that authority, who would have this or that power. Most of it was dross, but this one had me complaining bitterly. It was one of several emails for what I cynically called who would have the key to the box of secrets or the like.

Sent:
Wed, 28 Nov 2012 15:30:46 -0000
Subject:
RE: Proposal
Stephen that all seems good to me.

I would just like to add / clarify the following as I know there were a couple of outstanding questions on my forum post last time I checked.

1. Subject to Scott's confirmation that a) we (the board) can access PMs in extenuating circumstances and b) the boards agreement to utilise a PM system; all day-to-day communication between individuals moderators / board members and the member-base will be via in forum PM.

The final outcome was that board members had to get the agreement of all board members to check members PM’s, and read members PMs. Evidently there was some back office log facility that could track who had looked in the box of secrets. If a board member looked in the box of secrets, without the necessary authority, they would be banned.

Is that your idea of a secure PM facility ? Who ended up with the key to the box of secrets ? Who had access to the tracking logs ?

Defren implied recently I jumped before I was pushed, regarding my resignation as a board member, again not true. In fact I had to threaten to expose the situation on our blog, if the members were  not informed within three days I had resigned.. No explanation or official comment was made regarding Dillinger resigning until I mentioned it. Same re Borofergie.

So, what about this gruesomely offensive joke I sent to all the board members. Remember, I was being bombarded with emails around the clock ! Well, from memory the most busy emailer had been Defren, I was genuinely amazed at her capacity and energy for work. So I sent an email copied to all board members, saying I would like Defren in bed with me and my wife, nothing kinky,  I just wanted to attach some jump leads to her for some extra energy. I had mistakenly thought Defren was one of the guys so to speak, I was very wrong. So much wailing went up you would have thought I had caused world war three. I apologised, end of, not on your life. Like I said, if you can’t delete posts, lock threads and ban, start a smear campaign. How brave of you Grazer, what a class act you turned out to be. While we on the subject of Eddie the bad boy, think on this. If I was such a trouble maker and bully on this forum, how come my thank you ratio to posts made, exceeds the five named people in the stats. 2.1 posts per thank you. Bear in mind I have not posted much in months and others have made posts in the thousands.

To conclude I am out of here, as more than one board member said yesterday “You flatter yourself; we don't need you.” and “I echo what Grazer has said Eddie” It’s true the forum does not need me, it appears the forum needs no one, other than a bunch of feuding owners, and an ethos more reminiscent of diabetes.co.uk in the Cugila era. So many good and knowledgeable long term diabetics checked out months ago. The forum will not be saved by trying to cash in, on another almost identical well established forums name, or some minor cosmetic changes. The forum needs a complete re-think and a lot more transparency and honesty, otherwise it is doomed. Sure you can struggle on for years, but as a good diabetes forum, I don’t think so.

Click on screen shots to enlarge.

Eddie