In case you hadn't noticed, I recently got suspended for over seven weeks. I received no warnings at all and no explanation after the fact. In case I get banned again, I have resorted to setting up a blog to keep people up to date:

http://ozpolitic.com/articles/care2-suspension.html

I can also be contacted via the forum:

http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl

I think it would be a good idea to add another co-host to this group in case I get banned permanetly, but only if someone is willing to be reasonably active in the role. Let me know if you are interested.

I still cannot view my groups page. My friends list has disappeared. The site is buggier than before (I was banned a few days after they released the new upgrade).

Care2 did not say why I was suspended, except for an email saying I had participated in a flagged thread and that I was flaming people. I was not flaming anyone. Care2 did not quote me or say which thread they are talking about, but did provide a rather lengthy description of flaming and how to deal with it. If only care2 had read it, they might have realised I wasn't flaming people. The email also said I would be banned permanently if I did not apologise and change my ways, but no explanation has been given as to what I have to apologise for and what I have to do differently.

I am a bit disturbed by reports that the spate of bannings are automatic and generated by the flagging system. I always thought the post flagging system was confined to the specific group and that profile flagging would not be acted upon without evidence. Apparently some others were banned over a 'fight' in the care2 news section, but I rarely use that. However I did notice that someone posted my article about why we should allow whaling to the news. It almost made the front page, and would have if I had been around to plug it. Please note this story and see if we can get it on the front page after all:

http://www.care2.com/news/member/257054012/573886

One interesting theory that has come up is that I was banned because of my posts to the homosexuals for hamas thread in the free palestine group. This theory is based on the fact that another participant in the thread was also banned. Dale Husband has been furiously promoting this theory via personal message, though he has been comparatively unwilling to do so publicly. Why he would choose this theory is difficult to explain as it appears he was trying to support the ban, not mock it.

The thread was about the rights of gay people in palestine and gay muslims in general. Several of the members got upset and tried to insist we shouldn't bring the topic up, on account of everyone being equal, etc. It didn't make much sense to me either. Anyway, my contribution was a link to this site:

In response to my defence of gay people, there were attempts to censor me. I got accused of being gay myself and of trolling. I guess the Americans have not progressed as far as they like to imagine from historical slurs like '%#&!*% lover'. Surely on Care2 of all places you can defend gay rights without people making you out to be some kind of arse monkey.

Several others have suggested that I was banned for criticising the US electoral system in a 'provocative' (term taken from one of Care2's many new 'rules') manner by posting links to this article on the flaws in America's democracy, mostly with reference to Ralph Nader and whether he should be blamed for the spoiler effect:

US 'democracy' is flawed

http://www.ozpolitic.com/electoral-reform/US-democracy-is-flawed.html

I personally doubt it was either of these. I think a new moderator took a disliking to me, or there was a flagfest to get rid of me, or they clicked the wrong button and banned me accidentally. The only public comment any of the Care2 admin have made is to suggest that it has been deemed that I was not flaming after all.

Many thanks to all the DMAers for creating a fuss and asking the admin difficult questions. Usually when I get banned from a website there is much self congratulation and celebration, combined with further attacks on me and attempts to justify the ban. I got the exact opposite from Care2 members, which felt great. So thanks.

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Good to see you around, fish guy! 

FWIW, between some of the jackals and psych cases dominating C2, and assinine policies and practices, I stopped checking in to C2 regularly.  The notion that it's a set of serious activist tools turned out to be a lie, when instead it's a time sink with the opposite effect, with one exception.  Organizations that have a need for marginal quality bodies, and not leadership tools, may find it useful for secondary manipulation of reactive followers. 

OTOH, maybe with venture capital, any trick to try to run up page views is the real intent here, and everything else no longer matters? 

Sort of sad, as there are a few people around who seem interesting and/or really well intentioned. 

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We all know Freediver was banned for criticizing the American Democracy System...

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I guess it's a good thing that we all live in countries where free speech exists, because we wouldn't want to question the government...


As for Terry's jaded view - you know, normally I'd like to think of myself as an optimist - but considering the "# of care2 members" we certainly do have a pathetic show of people when it comes to group discussions and daily click support. How many of these members are actually active? But why is this the case? In care2's support, however, they do try to support participation in groups. The community here is just not as cohesive as it could be.

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