Thank you PN, I too appreciate reading your perspective.
I understand that, given how you apparently do not wish to discuss your statements publicly with anyone who disagrees with them, I will probably not receive an answer to the comments I'm about to make. That's your choice, and that's fine. But, like you, I feel the need to present some facts and clarify some situations here.
The first post I edited was to delete the quote of a PM from Yoshiki, in accordance with the rule of the board that disallows such quotes. I also stated the reason for the edit. As is is in accordance with the forum's rules. I did not and do not feel that I need to defend myself for that, as some people seem to assume I have to.
Two things I would like to point out here:
1. You edited more than one post on the same subject, and at least one post was outright deleted. Only one of these moderation actions came with a stated reason.
2. At the time of your edits and deletions of these posts, there was no stated rule on the forum that disallowed posting quotes from Yoshiki's PMs. Soon after these incidents Hypno added such a rule, presumably to retroactively justify your actions.
The second post I edited was one that contained a slanderous claim about JRR, that's legally actionable, which is completely different from speculating why someone might have done something. Since things like that hadn't happened here before there was no rule to cover that. However, law isn't suspended online and laws about slander and defamation are quite clear, regardless whether or not people believe that "no one cares online." Again, I stated the reason for my editing in the edited post. Again, I did not and do not feel that I need to defend myself for an action that is based on both law and common sense and was done to protect the board.
However, you yourself have made legally-actionable statements on this very board-- your death threat against Masaya, for example (more on this later), which you yourself know is legally actionable due to your post asking hyderix not to make similar death threats against Masaya for legal reasons-- and as many have stated, there is a hidden subforum on this board where users share copyrighted mp3s and videos. As I am not a member of this subforum, I don't know whether or not you yourself participate in this distribution of copyrighted material-- but you are an admin, and the sharing subforum is there.
To make a long story short, your application and enforcement of the law is extremely selective, and you do not apply the law equally to all posts/all users. Basically, one is left with the distinct impression that you apply the law only when it suits your own perspectives and opinions.
The one post I deleted was darkcat's post about the Taiwan live. I deleted that based on what turned out to be a bug in the phpbb forum software, which doesn't adjust for summertime and therefore for me (Japan doesn't change to summertime) showed the post as submitted before the news was officially released. While that isn't illegal to do, at the moment I saw that and in the situation I was in at that moment - which I won't go in now but I provide if someone would like me too, and asks in an appropriate way - it seemed the common sense thing to do. I also believe I had made a post to the moderators forum about that, but due to unfortunate circumstances at that time the post didn't make it. More unfortunate circumstances prevented me logging on here for a while, but after I did, I posted a clarification for my actions.
Three points on this one:
1. To clarify, that was not a single post, it was an entire thread which several users had already posted on by the time you deleted it.
2. Darkcat's post included a link to an official website where the news was presented. Even though clearly-marked rumors are allowed on this board, darkcat's post was not even a rumor post.
3. Please correct me if I'm wrong (and I mean that with all sincerity), but I assume that "the situation you were in at the moment" refers to your attending the concert in an "official capacity", as you mentioned on the thread you created in place of darkcat's. If attending concerts in an official capacity prevents you from allowing threads
which do not violate the rules of X Freaks to stand-- in other words, if you are deleting threads due solely to your official status-- then that is a massive conflict of interest which prevents you from appropriately administrating
this board. If you are concerned that properly administrating an unofficial X board could potentially cost you your job, perhaps you should reconsider whether an administration role on an unofficial board is right for you.
Also, can someone place explain to me why I, IF I edit and delete as it suits my fancy, haven't deleted uncontrol's "Panthere Noire" thread or any number of posts in this or that one?
As I've said before, this is not about what you
don't do, it's about what you
do do. Saying "but I didn't do this, it could be even worse!" does not make the actions you
have taken any more justified.
I PMed Hollywood about his post about Yoshiki's performance after several other board members contacted me privately, through IMs, because they found the way he expressed himself offensive, but didn't want to say so publicly. My impression was that was due to fear of hostile reactions.
Your PM mentioned nothing about other board members at all. In fact, you phrased the PM as if it was your own personal request: "And there are some things I don't want him to read in public comments".
Given that we are opening things up now, I would appreciate if those "several other board members" would come forward and state their objections to the phrase "multiorgasmic death-sex".
If they do not step forward, I am highly inclined to believe that they do not actually exist, given that so far there has not been one single person posting on this thread who found the phrase "multiorgasmic death-sex" offensive or inappropriate on an X board.
If you will pardon my moment of amusement, I personally find it highly ironic that anyone who is a fan of the "Sexy Scandal X Love Violence" band who brought us Orgasm, Standing Sex, Stab Me in the Back, Sadistic Desire, "oh, what's going on? fuck the blood!", and that charming Vanishing Vision album cover could possibly be offended by "multiorgasmic death-sex". Yoshiki himself has written similar and worse.
I approached him in a professional way and I didn't edit the post after he declined to do so. I don't consider that bullying behaviour. I believe it's my right not to engage in a public discussion on a comment that I find tasteless, in particular since I originally said I would prefer not to have it public.
As you say yourself, you approached me in a "professional" capacity-- i.e., not as simply one user to another, as Hypno has claimed, but as a mod.
I do consider it bullying, because it was essentially a threat: "Yoshiki will read your comment and be upset". Such a notion-- nonsensical as it is-- could be upsetting to a young, impressionable fan. Simply because I don't fall for stuff like that and didn't respond as planned doesn't mean that the scare tactics weren't there.
Incidentally, while I'm very glad that you ultimately chose to allow the PMs to be posted, that was your own decision. If you had preferred for them to remain private, you could have chosen for them remain so.
On both topics, the things that certain people now seem to find most offensive I made at a particular time, under particular circumstances, for particular reasons, and quoting those without knowing the context and background just to find a reason to complain I find ridiculous. In particular, to drag out the same comment a dozen times.
This is a public forum-- not a chatroom, but a place where previous posts, even old ones, are visible for all to see. Now, let me use the same logic about Masaya as you use about Yoshiki: if Masaya visited this board and saw death threats against him, do you think he would care how old they were or under what context they were made?
Remember, this is the internet. I would advise you to not type things in public forums that you aren't comfortable having the public read and re-read months or even years down the road.
For the record, I didn't engage in "continual" - continuos? - "defamation of Masaya" nor did I make "death threats against Masaya." I used a colloquial expression to voice my feelings in a particular situation, which should be obvious from the context. Pardon me if I am not very inclined to talk to someone who twists that into "death threats."
You have made numerous posts alleging Masaya to be a cult leader, to be manipulating Toshi, to be participating in illegal activities, etc. etc. If that does not constitute "continuous defamation of Masaya", I'm not sure what does. Whether or not you feel that you have "evidence" is immaterial. As I said, MiscastDice felt that he had evidence of JRR's activities, so this is again a double-standard.
As for your "colloquial expression", let me remind you of this (thank you to friday for finding this one):
http://www.x-freaks.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=314&highlight=killIncidentally, hyderix, threatening to kill a person, even if you do it with a quote, is a crime. I could trace your connection and report you to your local police for that. Please mind your words from now on.
It's illegal for hyderix to say this:
You'd better listen to Xjapan song:
I'LL KILL YOU
...but not for you to say this?
As Dian said before, I, too, if it were legal - or even if it were still illegal but I could get away with it without being caught - would kill masaya and his creeps if I could.
Double-standard much? Frankly, your death threat against Masaya reads as much more serious than hyderix's death threat against you.
As for my "demeaning attitude," I would like a list of all the times I have supposedly shown that.
Many, many of these episodes have already been pointed out on the other thread. Here's the problem: when we point them out, we are ignored; when we point them out again, we are accused of repeating ourselves. So which would you like? Yet another repetition of your "demeaning attitude" incidents, or for us to not repeat ourselves?
I just don't like the direction this board has taken lately. At first I just didn't really like how "official" we've become, and it includes all the censoring, strictness about rumours etc. and now they have lead to this "war" against one person and threatening people with bans, which maybe bugs me the most, because I can't remember anyone being banned ever. And threatening with banning is certainly not the right choice for a situation like this.
I agree 100% with this part I quoted. Very, VERY well said.
EDITED to correct a spelling error: "death thread" --> "death threat".