Censorship, Two

Leaving a place is hard. Over time, it grows on you, or for the short period you spend there, it dazzles you.  Sometimes it's the location itself, sometimes it's the experience, sometimes it's the people.  Leaving SK (every time) was hard because I genuinely liked the members there. Even though the forum would grate me enough to turn me off, I'd regret all the missed conversation, and wonder back to see how they were doing. Invariably, I'd end up leaving again.

This last time, I quietly drifted away for SK (familiar readers know why), but thanks to my associate in deviancy H.C.Bee's insistent curiosity, I made an effort to occasionally check up on some of the friends (yes, friends) I missed. Although, I lost interest the rulers (I have no time for tyrants) a long time ago, the turmoil on that forum was easy to see.  Mass bannings appeared to be commonplace.

The track in which the soldiers are to march is thinner than their steps.

The criteria for banning were relative and subjective. One would say the wrong thing and be immediately kicked off - something like mentioning Paul Gray, Slipknot's junkie bassist that died of a drug overdose (disappointingly). Truth, on SK is schlecht, something one would prefer to do away with in our imaginary world where we are inept - but fair. Somehow.

Just days ago, as I decided to say hi to these friends, they were banned, and my reason for returning is gone with them. Once again, I feel like my time is wasted and regret joining SK, seeing what it has turned into; a mockery, sham. A joke.  I am one with the newspaper editor that see his paper thrown into flames as a fire-starter, watching the ash break off and flutter up with the smoke. All that effort for this? What a shame. Too bad, Lady.

Perhaps this situation is salvageable. We may abandon the ship and find refuge on a new boat. I don't know. We'll see.

Anyway, the following was posted and, predictably, quickly erased from the record (like every other challenge). I quickly saved it, and now present it here because I feel like it should be heard. I may or may not agree with these words, but I most certainly do not agree with the fact that it was quickly taken down before it good be read, and it, at the very least, should be read.
As dictators slide into their inevitable dissolution, challenges to their grasp of the staff of power are dispatched with greater efficiency. They are afraid. They are wary. They are paranoid. They are suspicious. They are neurotic.  They are doomed.

JoJo,

You, and you alone have ruined a place I love. It's a shame that me, amongst other people can never come back here. I just wanted to leave my final goodbyes to this place. I'm going to fucking miss it, thanks for driving this place down the fucking drain. At least I can keep in contact with all the wonderful people, and all the people I've made friends with on this board. Thanks for banning me, you do realize because of that, all you regulars have left the forum.

Now, listen to me JoJo, listen carefully

WE ARE NOT COMING BACK HERE.
Because all you do is continue to infuriate us all by filling the board with your annoying big yellow writing, telling people off when they haven't done anything wrong and using words you don't know the fucking meaning of, and why? Don't say you don't see yourself as superior, because you do. Why can't you just post, and have a laugh with us, like all members of the forum? Why are you determined that you're always right and every single other person on here is definetley wrong? "The customer is always right!"

Another thing: Why do you feel the need to tell us that you know about our group? At first yes, we were discussing how we were glad to get away from you, why the fuck were you bothering to read it anyway, and tell us all how you knew about it? Then bombard me with a long-ass message lecturing me about I don't know fucking what. Then telling US we have to much time on our hands. Late at night what the fuck else would we be doing? We can at least find better things to do than you did. By the way the "I know more than you think" bullcrap, no. Somebody obviously told you or one of us accidently dropped some evidence. Eitherway it doesn't matter, you can't do anything. You don't care of it's existence. So why tell us all you know about it. We left the forum to get away from you, so why didn't you leave us alone?

By the way, it is your fault that this did happen. You could of given Knotism/Dewhatevertheotherusernameis/Pinael Gland/Narcolepsy a warning before you banend [sic] him in the first place. He might not of seen the rule that he wasn't allowed to mention Paul Gray. Infact, he didn't. We are pretty good friends and he has told me that. It would of been a lot better and more civil to simply PM him and tell him not to do it.

and you call yourself lenient?

Pretty soon you will realize that you have driven this forum down the drain. The only people that post now are you, the mods, spambots. Maybe one or two regulars still might? But they're going to leave as soon as they realize how dead it is.

You have fucked up a forum and made every member leave, but not only that, a forum for a band as big as Slipknot.

You haven't found any sutable mods?

Skewered From Ear to Eye? Alphasic?

People like them who never get involved in fights.

Do Slipknot and the Managment ask you to be a complete dick on the forums?

Didn't think so.

Anyway, I really wanted to make a final post.

Farewell SK1. I will miss you!

Goodbye...

Some quick notes: the writer of this post created an account just to post this, the name was some generic title like "maggot666" or something like that, I have no idea who it is (possibly Knotism) but it's evidently someone that had been a member for a while; the original version had a picture and "FUCK YOU!" in giant letters below, this was removed soon after by the writer, I've done the same; yes, that garish red was his/her colour.

Agree with this or not, one should still give it a chance to be judged. SK has proven itself to be incapable of dealing with criticism, and this is but one of the many posts that have been censored out of fear that the disease of protest will spread (it's Vietnam all over again!), or senior management will see it and stop to go, "Hey..." Unfortunately, it's the only one I managed to copy and paste before it was deleted. And possibly the last. Because, without the people, this place has lost its shine, and leaving isn't quite so hard anymore.