Ostracised, but that’s alright…
Well in recent news, I’ve been banned from the TenerifeForum.com, again. And basically, I could see it coming. Hence the recent posts concerning social outcasts. I talk about the breakdown of modern society; have we lost that all important ability to interact and communicate with others? Either face to face or even on the telephone. The internet seems to have stolen that from us.
The first time, all it took was to say «I think I’ll head over to www.sun4free.com … adios!» in a private message to one of the moderators, and they took that as a form of self-exile. «Self ban» it’s called, athough I never specifically requested that. I put it down to lack of communication. I simply intended to login less & not post as much. But given the chance, that one person jumped at the opportunity to expunge me from their growing community. Now I can’t even login to find & quote some of my former posts -a pity- because I think some of them were quite profound, especially in the context of society & culture.
The second time, a week later, the excuse given was for petty minor signature violations and spamming via PM. I changed the signature, removed my commercial link (which wasn’t allowed as it contained a link to my Spanish cycling forum with less than 10 members)Â and left the link to this blog. What happened next? Once again without warning, they notified me that the required font size is two not three. Except they bannished me before I had any chance to change it. Well done!
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Let’s cut to the chase – Why the discrimination of all of a sudden?
For some time, I could see the forum was undergoing mitosis. Splitting, if you will. Forming its own self-sustaining british expatriate sub-culture. There are those expatriates who integrate with the local culture, speak spanish, and live like a local, and then there is the whole British expatriate community who live in Los Christianos & Las Americas. Yes, of course there are also many shades of grey in between. But in General, this is a perfect example of an «immiscible culture».
I believe that I’ve been evicted unfairly, because I stick up for local Canarian Culture & Society. I live with a Canarian family on this island and I interact with local people. For some reason, they see that as some kind of a threat. Now it appears I’m the troll and I’ve been lumped with the stigma of being banned from a forum twice in as many weeks.
They’ll probably be threatening legal action the next thing you know for this reference… In complete honesty, I can no longer be bothered participating in a forum moderated by such closed-minded people. After the way I have been treated, I have no wish to return. To Zarion, the administrator, I pose this question: are you afraid to talk with me on the humble telephone? You know where to find me if you woud ever like to chat or meet in person. But I will say this: I think you’ve forgotten the definition of the very word «forum» - a public place for open discussion. You only seem to wish to preserve current clique group. Far from helping expatriates to truly integrate into this country, you’ve actually spawned your own «immiscible culture»; a place that discourages true integration, and protects its own, at all costs.
I believe at least I made some worthwhile discusions & contributed some sort of philosophically awareness of real Tenerife Culture. Life from an outsider’s perspective… new thoughts on which people could dwell, perchance to open and expand their world beyond what they currently see. And call me paranoid if you will, but I reckon it’s probably not such a bad thing that I live in the time of freedom of speech, or I’d have been persecuted long ago.
«Ostracised, but that’s alright. I was thinkin’ about something myself.» – Guns ‘N’ Roses
I’ll tell you a story, which actually inspired the «immisicible cultures» post:
You may or may not be aware, but I was banned from the forum recently, on totally stupid grounds, and this I think is one of the reasons (because they know I’m not a Brit; I’m an Aussie & I live with a Canarian family), and I’m not afraid to voice my opinions about Canarian culture & defend them (otherwise I feel they’re not represented).
They suddenly began to attack me instead of the troll who signed up with the name «Hitler» when he made a controversial post (they’d rather defend him than me, saying «we should give him the benefit of the doubt»). Eventually, I said to one of the moderators «I think I’ll head over to http://www.Sun4Free.com forums if this is the way things are going to pan out, Adios!» and kirsty didn’t hesitate to give me an instant & permanent «self ban», without warning, even though I never actually requested that…. Meanwhile, they removed the signature links to my blog + website & I had to crawl up Zarion’s arse to get re-instated. But I’ll be making FAR FAR fewer posts from now on. Then a week after the ban was lifted, zarion is on my case again for having two signature links (strangely enough they were always permitted before), then two minutes later for spamming via PM which is total BS.
I get the impression that they feel threatened by my Life in Tenerife blog (The real society & Culture)… and further, from what I see, they’re actually trying to make it difficult for members to access real local culture. When I posted up 5 links to spanish forums, yet another moderator Janet was offended. So far from making it easier for people to integrate & speak spanish, that forum is creating it’s own sub-culture by promoting british-only culture + businesses owned by brits. The way I feel about the way it is run now, I’m in self exile… and I sware I’m not the only one.
Hello Kirsty,
What’s the problem? No I don’t have a problem with you Kirsty.
They won’t permit my «Life from an Outsider’s Perspective» Blog Link. I put it in font size 1 (in Times new Roman to make it even smaller).
Last time, I was banned for 1 month before I even had a chance to change it!
I contribute some good posts to the Tenerife forum, mostly concerning Tenerife Culture, and I’m not permitted to have even the most microscopic backlink. I don’t make a single cent from any of my sites apart from bike hire. It’s utterly ridiculous. Yes I have my own «cycling Tenerife» forum and the default language is spanish. There are 2 active members (myself and potdog), and we are both members of the tenerife forum. How that intereferes with anything is beyond my comprehension.
So after being so fed up with the bureacracy of the tenerife forum, after being treated like scum, I actually asked to be wiped clean off the tenerife forum database, not banned, but expunged, and someone still gets it wrong.
It’s pretty simple: If I can’t have even the smallest link to one of my sites, I don’t want ANY of my posts to show.
Thanks,
Sincerely, Les aka synchronicity
That was rather a bitter and scathing post.
I vaguely remember some of your posts, and they weren’t all bad.
Why this nasty post, though?
I’ve read the rules and the terms on the forum, and most of what you were «in trouble» over is clearly written there.
«Why this nasty post?»
Primarily I feel better getting things off my chest.
But it’s also nice for people to know the truth about the forum management/moderators.
Well Synchronicity!
You did write some really good posts and have so much to contribute because you live with a Canarian family in one of the most beautiful and cultural towns in Tenerife. Although not a cyclist it was good to read about yours and Potdog’s energetic exploits and to see photos of the rides from a cyclists viewpoint.
I do hope that no-one on the Forum has shown a lack of enthusiasm for participating in Spanish Culture; time is probably the biggest problem at the moment as people are struggling to make a living and every nationality and ‘body’ is being berated for something as it is an outlet for the daily frustrations caused by the current financial climate. There is so much offered that is canarian: recipes,language, calendar and reviews for fiestas, Canarian restaurants, religious services etc
I remember that once you were quite depressed and returned to Australia for a holiday. Many of us offered verbal sympathy through the Forum. I think you find it difficult to express yourself warmly sometimes.
‘It’s not what you say, it’s the way you say ‘em!’
My personal ,secret nickname for you has long been ‘Cynical Synchronicity’ because, despite the detailed and interesting information you have given, you have often come across as an ‘Angry Young Man’.
When you return to the Forum, and I really hope you do, bring a few smiley emoticons, a few winks and a little fun and enjoyment into your posts to balance the serious stuff.
Just a thought!
Point taken on getting things off ones chest. We all vent things in different ways, and venting in most ways is better than bottling things up.
However, the «truth» is never as clear as we wish it were. I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with members on the forum, but I’ve always found the management and owner very polite, obliging and helpful.
I’ve had posts removed or moved to the off topic section, and I’ve not fully agreed each time, but at the end of the day, it’s THEIR site, and they run it as they see fit.
Just as this is YOUR site, and you can run it as you see fit. If somebody were to behave in a way that you felt inappropriate here, surely you’d deal with it?
If I had come on here and started cursing / swearing and insulting you personally, or digging below the belt, you’d probably ban me or at least remove my content.
BTW, I’m not saying that YOU did that on the TF, not at all, I’m merely saying that if you deemed my conduct here inappropriate, you’d deal with the problem as best you saw fit, no?