PhilForum check in

Thanks. I appreciate that information and update about where the ads went. I've been asking the question for awhile with no answer. I imagined that info was somewhere in a thread but I hadn't flushed it out.

Lighten up, Francis.

It's early yet.

Maybe melonkali just recognizes the some posters here aren't human.

Yes, it is hard to keep up with threads - a lot of the threads re the philo folk have had some information dropped in, and then there are two by Robert re the new changes (one not to be posted on, but looking for ratings on what changes are important, the other for feedback about that). Sometimes I know stuff, since I tend to read what Robert posts, but I immediately forget when and where I saw it, and sometimes, if I saw it.

Thanks, I had even PM-ed Robert, but he's either busy (certainly) or not prone to answering me for some reason. Such is life. At least I got the drift now.

We do not like to ban users and when we made our forum software that part of forum management philosophy is reflected: there is no way in the current software to permanently ban users and all are timed suspensions requiring that we enter a specific day to remove the suspension.

There's no particular significance to that number, it's just what is used when we do not yet know what to set it to. In these cases here we'd be perfectly willing to remove the suspensions if the recruiting and spam were to cease but given the scale I think we'd be wary of doing so for a while. Certainly not wary until 2020, of course, but given that some have come back with multiple other accounts and some have continued to send the messages we aren't going to make any decisions for at least a week or two.

Don't get worried. When you have questions like this, use the contact us link at the bottom.

i don't see it as spam. i was part of the old forum, i was thrilled to get an email about the new forum. i'm rather glad they let me know there is going to be a new philosophy forum, and i look forward to being part of it. banning them seems like an act of jealousy or fear that they are taking people away from a2k. sort of a jealous boyfriend who knows he only has a tenuous hold on his girlfriend, and knows she will leave first chance she sees something better. either way, i don't see them as spamming.

Then why did we initially offer to link to it ourselves if we are jealous of other forums on the internet (we know of these other forums but think the internet can handle more than one)? Dozens of philosophy forum links were posted above board (go check them out, I have no problem with that), the PM spam was something else entirely and did not just go to friends or even just former philforum users (which is how I found out about the messages, from recipients who found them unwelcome or suspicious).

A notice repeated in PMs more than 500 times is abuse of the website (and the owner's wallet) no matter how many thrills you might get from being the recipient of one of them.

I have not so far intervened. But since you are obviously a sensible and even-tempered person, I find it hard to understand why you pay attention to this nonsense. Those advocates of wanting to make a part of this forum in to a social club which is only peripherally philosophical, should be (in my view) left to form just such a club if that is what they like. It is not something I will join, not because I have anything much against it, but because it is not something I want to do. I have a number of friends, and I am not interested in any internet buddies. And, if I were, I would choose them. (The accusation of jealousy strikes me as somewhat pathological).

Robert, you are in some ways a made man. Don't get me wrong. It is good of you to try, but those who feel dejected will not change their minds; and when incited, they will always call for the Head.

Yes, I have been, Deb
But then, there was no reason not to be, as just about every exchange I've had with PF individuals has been friendly & polite ... so why not reciprocate?

But, leaving aside the (very understandable, I think) angst of PF members at the abruptness of their merger with A2K, mass spamming issues, the niceties or otherwise of "poaching" members from one forum to another, hacking concerns (which I think are serious concerns & fully appreciate), etc, etc, etc, etc ...

There's an aspect to all this that rather perplexes me, on a more personal level. (I just know you're all going to say I'm naive, that I take these things way too seriously, but anyway .. well too bad. )

All of my online interactions with the "spamming recruiters" (to the other philosophy site) have been positive ones. Not one unpleasant or unfriendly episode. I honestly believed that we were all settling down (finally) to a more amicable, post-merger relationship here. And I thought that was terrific. So it came as rather a shock to discover that the same folk who were wishing me a "fantastic day", or I'd just wished a "fond farewell" to were those involved in these activities. Which, as an A2Ker (forget management issues for the minute) kind of offended me. Actually it made me feel rather foolish, like I'd been sucked in, taken for a ride ....

Don't get me wrong. I have no problem at all with people here belonging to as many forums as they like. It's none of my business anyway. Nor do I think the managements of internet sites "own" their members. I have absolutely no problem with the PF members setting up another site, which better suits their purpose, either. I just wish they hadn't done it in this way, that's all. It seems .. well ... rather devious to me. And that wasn't how I viewed those people at all. How could their actions not affect people who (thought) they'd gotten know them & like them? How could one not feel a bit betrayed, even? Sucked in, msolga!
Duh.

msO, that effusively complimentary gentleman mr noble said straight up that the flock was getting ready to bolt.

I did not doubt him for a moment.

he reminded me of Jim Jones a little too much...

Oh OK, Rocky.

But (call me Ms Gullible ) I'd imagined things had changed a little. He was very active here & seemed pretty involved, so ....

Changed from what? How is this forum any different from any other philosophy forum, with the exception that there are no officious, silly, moderators who know little to nothing about philosophy, throwing their weight around? And that seems to me all to the good.

Just curious but how do I know for sure you did not read my PM? I know you say you have better things to do but that is a fairly common excuse. While spamming for another site should not be tolerated at all I find it uneasy now to trust this site.

I was talking about only about members of this forum, kennethamy. How people interact with one another.

I thought I made that pretty clear in my post.

I was saying that I thought Mark had settled in & had formed positive relationships with existing A2Kers, that's all ...

By proving a negative.