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Since a moderator has already come here, then the staff are aware I was going to post the email they sent me regarding my ban:
I asked why I was banned, here is the reason given:

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On Saturday, November 20, 2004, at 01:01  AM, Kirk Mueller wrote:

good point. here you go:

bedstuy wrote:

gradient wrote:

They are a drain on resources and do not offer increased genetic frequencies in the population.


Obviously they should be gassed.

... or at least run over with automobiles.
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So, I was banned for threatening homosexuals with violence. We see in fact that I did not threaten anyone with violence. Rather it was bedstuy who said it, albeit sarcastically:

Obviously they should be gassed.

... or at least run over with automobiles.

Then they banned me a second time for 'intolerance towards homosexuals'. Saying that the final straw was because I "suggested that homosexuals should leave the country." For asking a question related to the recent election someone asked immediately after my topic was removed.

Now, they had removed me from minithink, citing these two obviously bogus bannings and a handful of non-offensive posts in a forum where blatant flaming and insulting seems to be okay so long as it is directed towards conservatives.


Anyways, I've posted full proof of what the staff has done. The staff are free to try to counter it, but they won't, simply because they can't. I strongly suggest you let conservative posters know in advance that they aren't welcome on minithink. Thanks.

Last edited by gradient (2005-04-15 10:55 pm)

brendave wrote:

Maybe they just don't feel the need to argue their points.  I mean we are all here by choice and don't pay.

I'm not suggesting I have a right to be here. The problem is that they claim to be fair., which as I've shown, isn't true at all.

If they want to make it a liberal-moderate forum only, that's their business, although their customers will know that MacAddict has a policy against conservatives.

I would say that three bans in the same place would be a wakeup.

Wake up for whom? I hadn't done anything wrong. What's to wake up from what I'm banned for something someone else said? What's to wake up from what I'm banned for asking a question that someone else asked a few minutes after my topic was deleted? When I'm banned a third time for on the basis of this two past bannings and for some really inoffensive comments, what's to wake up to?

I haven't read all of your postings, but it's not as if every righty has been put into the big brother house.  Hell, look at ol' Campy.  He seems to be able to speak his mind without going over the line.

Of course, campy has also been banned, as have other conservative posters, some permanently. I can state my opinion without insulting people- but I wasn't banned for insulting people, I was banned for being conservative.

I just think that taking this argument into the "public eye" just makes you look worse than we know you are.  Humility, patience, and real communication would get you further.  Don't get me wrong, I love the drama of all of this.  Maybe drama doesn't solve all problems?

I don't think being put on the ban list, as if I were a troll does any good for me in the public eye as well.

I have no problem bringing this out because I know I have the truth on my side.

Didn't mean to offend you.  Sorry for that.  I know that you must be frustrated.  Campy might have gotten the two week thing, I'm just saying he ain't in Brother.  As I have said before, I have not read all of your threads, so I wouldn't say I am an  expert on this particular issue.  One would hope that a mod would say "hey.. you are going to far!", and not "it was because of his past actions."  It's only mini think man.  How many people do you really think you reach with mini?  My suggestion is to cool down and remember why you came to this sight.  Not to argue politics, but to learn more about Mac/ Apple.  I've been trying to avoid mini a little more as of late for these very reasons.

brendave wrote:

Didn't mean to offend you.  Sorry for that.

Oh, no worries, you didn't. I'm must trying to explain my position.

I know that you must be frustrated.  Campy might have gotten the two week thing, I'm just saying he ain't in Brother.  As I have said before, I have not read all of your threads, so I wouldn't say I am an  expert on this particular issue.  One would hope that a mod would say "hey.. you are going to far!", and not "it was because of his past actions."

Absolutely, but sadly that never happened. Like with this recent ban from minithink, none of the mods deny the fact they never told me I was on the edge of getting it. They basically saw a handful of recent posts and decided they could get rid of me based on that and my two earlier bannings. I wasn't told, "gradient, you have recently pushed the edge, particularly in this post... etc, if you continue to do this, you will be removed from minithink.

Same thing with my first ban- it wasn't based on anything except the fact they thought I threatened gays. When I tried to correct them, I was completely ignored. I'm not mad they banned me for thinking I made the comment, but when I gave them links and clearly showed I never made the comment, it was someone else, I was just ignored.. that's what bothered me.

With the second, no prior warning was given. It was because of my first banning they considered me 'already warned'.

It's only mini think man.  How many people do you really think you reach with mini?  My suggestion is to cool down and remember why you came to this sight.  Not to argue politics, but to learn more about Mac/ Apple.  I've been trying to avoid mini a little more as of late for these very reasons.

Well, I go to mini to get viewpoints and information I can't get anywhere else. I'm not out to change the world, just have a discussion with people with a different set of views.
What I don't like is that after 3 years of being here, all I get is my nick on a ban list as if I were a troll. I'm honestly not out to offend anyone. If ANY of my posts offend someone, even slightly, I'd hope they'd let me know so I could apologize if necessary or remove it.

That's all I asked of the staff, I'm honestly not a bad guy.

Last edited by gradient (2005-04-16 12:14 am)

This is just IMO, but I think permaBB"ing is a bit harsh, there should be some sort of parole system set up so that someone on BB can gain reentry into minithink. And I can see Grad's point, some people on mini have routinely called others smurfing nutjobs and smurf and nothing has been done to them, if that was a criteria for BB then there should be dozens of people in BB, not just 5. Anyway, the mods and admins on this board seem like good kinda people, I'm sure something will be worked out eventually

PS-I think paroling would work because the threat of permaBB"ing is pretty potent, I know I would be crawling the walls if I were permaBB'ed And yes, I know that means I have no real social life no need to rub it in.

Last edited by kamizuno (2005-04-16 7:02 am)

gradient wrote:

What I don't like is that after 3 years of being here, all I get is my nick on a ban list as if I were a troll.

You are one.  Any time you come into MiniThink to post, you stir up crap without contributing.  You incite trouble then pretend to be surprised when people respond negatively. 

Camp David has been mentioned here.  He's been banned several times for various reasons - and from all appearances he's learned his lesson and is not getting himself into trouble anymore.  Even when he was going over the line it was apparent that he was making posts with content in them.  VERY conservative content.  Content I can't disagree with more.  Content that he continues to post to this day, but without going over the line of threatening anyone or advocating violence. 

And he's only the most extreme example, because he tends to hold the most extreme views and because he's reformed his manner of expression of those views.  We've got conservatives on the forums who don't get themselves banned because they manage to be civil, and *gasp* they make posts with content 9 times out of 10 instead of the other way around.

But if you want it, you got it.

1) Don't be a jerk (DBAJ)
- The MacAddict forums-wide edition of

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