Explanation

This is my take of the events of last Sunday, yes I had had a few drinks but I was not drunk and to be fair I did not think that the content of my posts would cause as much upset as they evidently did. If the truth be known I am not a Nazi,I am normally a centre(ish) voter, now that’s been cleared up maybe I can talk about a few other things.
In retrospect, I believe this situation resulted from over a period of time in the run up to the Swindon game there had been a pro-longed hate campaign against De Canio mostly on Pasoti, however a few of our own posters with strong links to Pasoti decided to bring this campaign over to ATD,not because of him as a manager or a person but purely because of his political views (which in itself was out of order imho).
While this was by no means an excuse for some of my behaviour last week, I stick to my guns when I say that there seems to be a “clique” of former Pasoti posters developing on this website (they know who they are), and they seem to be hell-bent on the “Pasotification” of ATD, as one of the original PAFC Talk crew and as just one of many who have helped (financially) the upkeep of this site in its various guises over the years I feel it is my right to defend myself ,something I never had a chance to last week by the way, while amongst other things someone else laughingly and rather melodramatically accused me of “ bringing the site into disrepute” (their words) .
Back on topic ,there were 2 posters (again no names mentioned) demonising De Canio, who I might add is a talented and gifted manager and one that I would take over CF any day, I guess I got pissed off and overreacted when I was basically chastised for defending PDC.
Go back to the relevant thread (the Argyle v Swindon..the match day one) ,have a look and see who brought politics into the match thread in the first place and it sure as hell wasn’t me !
Again, I am sorry for what happened, like I said some of the content of my responses was admittedly out of order, but I believe I was wound up by some the clique of the recently joined Pasoti pc brigade… who now seem to be aided and abated in their attempts to sterilise this website by one of ATD,s more seasoned posters ,who also didn’t waste any time in sticking the boot in once I was suspended I see, cheers mucker. I am not going to name any names,ive served my ban and the matter is done and dusted as far as im concerned.
To those who wish to maintain ATD,S true purpose of freedom of speech and providing opposition to Pasoti and the mainstream ,sorry if I caused any upset and you will be getting my vote in the forthcoming MOD elections whenever they happen. But, to those who wish to turn this site into Pasoti mark 2…….!!!.

So in a nutshell PD, you posted Nazi comments that you now regret posting and you’re concerned that because you received a suspension for posting those comments that ATD has become pasotified?

Note for others:

1) For the record and for the sake of any confusion following Punchdrunk's comments, Punchdrunk does not contribute financially to the running of ATD and never has. There have been I believe three financial contributions of less than £10.00 each and these were paid out by myself and two other moderators for the removal of advertising.

2) The only association ATD has with any past Argyle Talk site is the dozen or so members that moved to ATD following the collapse and closure of the old Argyle Talk site. Considering the membership is now approaching the 300 mark I think it's fair to say that association is now so watered down that it's not a consideration.


I'll add to that by saying that being an original user of ATD or being a user of the old Argyle Talk site does not qualify anyone for 'special' treatment and, by also informing everyone that users ATD and has the ability to vote in the Moderator election, that I was one of those that voiced an opinion that Punchdrunk should have received the ban and that if the same situation occurred tomorrow I would voice exactly the same opinion.

Forgive me for electioneering but I believe that will be a vote winner among the vast majority of the users of ATD, barring one or two.

I know exactly what Punchie is getting at.

Not everyone will.

This forum will evolve in the way the majority wish it to, through the elections, both this year and in the future.

That's the way it should be in any democracy.

Punchy
As an ex-PASOTITE now posting on here,if you are refering to me then please say so.
You know who you are, you say.Well I'm afraid I don't know if I am.

Welcome back Punchie.

Yes very pleased to see him back, although he can be a bit volatile on occaisions.

Glad you're back Punchy. I didn't like what you linked last week and told you so, but I do enjoy your posts.

Don't worry about this place ever becoming too much like over the road, it won't happen.

Welcome back Punch.

Tring is right, this site will evolve in the way the majority want it to, though it should always be remembered how, why, and under what circumstances the necessity for this site came about.

I wasn't one of the 'originals', but I have a healthy respect for those (though small in number) who got it all off the ground and persevered with it, to give us all the desperately needed 'Pasoti alternative', we have today.

Off to the Seco Lounge now for half a dozen of their finest Stowford Press so I can cope with the 90 minutes of footballing mundanity.

I didn't know there was an in-house style I had to conform to. The law of the land and common decency -yes. But some kind of acceptable ATD-ism I wasn't aware of.

As for the "pasotification" of ATD by certain posters who know who they are - I'm not even sure what that means.

I actually posted that I hadn't agreed with your suspension - though was happy to support the mods in their action. To be fair, I also hadn't actually seen all that you posted or the warnings that were given.

I actually agree with the gist of what you posted about di Canio as a manager. He has been a manager for only a very short time but so far seems to be doing a pretty good job of it in the basement division. His politics are a different matter. Again, I didn't know there was a ban on politics on here. Sounds strange to me. If an Argyle manager ever came onto the pitch, for example, wearing a swastika or gave interviews where he supported the massacre at Srebinica I would make comment, PC brigade member that I am.

Greenjock wrote:

Glad you're back Punchy. I didn't like what you linked last week and told you so, but I do enjoy your posts.

Don't worry about this place ever becoming too much like over the road, it won't happen.

Yes it will and the speed of it happening will get ever faster will as ATD continues to get busier. We have seen the second wave of instances of it happening this week and the first came with Dane Bunney's nonsense. Pasoti has become what it is as a result of a series of tiny increments almost forced upon it by a series of unrelated events provoked often deliberately by a series of posters. I don't suppose any of the mods over there actually want to rule over a sanitised corner of the internet but they get pushed into a certain position which they then have to maintain in order to escape the accusation that they are unfair. ATD has always proudly proclaimed that nobody ever gets banned. Well now it has banned someone again and quite rightly too. People like this Thommo character leave no other choice on the table. Does anybody really want to see this site or any other used as a platform for the issuing of threats? Dane Bunney is another case in point. He has left no alternative. Show all the leeway you want and it will be deliberately rammed up your jacksy without so much as a second thought by people like them as they have proven themselves. And now there is the Punchy case. He was bang out of order. No doubt about it. He deserved what happened to him. The question now is will he repeat offend? Time will tell. There is much to be considered in his complaint of Pasotification though. It is well known that isolated civilisations will eventually come up with the same discovery because they have to solve the same problems. In terms of civilisations that means something like discovering aspirin, inventing the wheel or developing subsistence farming. In the case of ATD it means dealing fairly and consistently with Bunney, Thommo and Punchdrunk. The absolute right to free speech is a fine ideal but it is ultimately untenable just as any fundamentalist position is. Including this one.

Sir Francis Drake wrote:

Greenjock wrote:

Glad you're back Punchy. I didn't like what you linked last week and told you so, but I do enjoy your posts.

Don't worry about this place ever becoming too much like over the road, it won't happen.

Yes it will and the speed of it happening will get ever faster will as ATD continues to get busier. We have seen the second wave of instances of it happening this week and the first came with Dane Bunney's nonsense. Pasoti has become what it is as a result of a series of tiny increments almost forced upon it by a series of unrelated events provoked often deliberately by a series of posters. I don't suppose any of the mods over there actually want to rule over a sanitised corner of the internet but they get pushed into a certain position which they then have to maintain in order to escape the accusation that they are unfair. ATD has always proudly proclaimed that nobody ever gets banned. Well now it has banned someone again and quite rightly too. People like this Thommo character leave no other choice on the table. Does anybody really want to see this site or any other used as a platform for the issuing of threats? Dane Bunney is another case in point. He has left no alternative. Show all the leeway you want and it will be deliberately rammed up your jacksy without so much as a second thought by people like them as they have proven themselves. And now there is the Punchy case. He was bang out of order. No doubt about it. He deserved what happened to him. The question now is will he repeat offend? Time will tell. There is much to be considered in his complaint of Pasotification though. It is well known that isolated civilisations will eventually come up with the same discovery because they have to solve the same problems. In terms of civilisations that means something like discovering aspirin, inventing the wheel or developing subsistence farming. In the case of ATD it means dealing fairly and consistently with Bunney, Thommo and Punchdrunk. The absolute right to free speech is a fine ideal but it is ultimately untenable just as any fundamentalist position is. Including this one.

Excellent, spot on Franny!

Whilst the ideals of the site are I believe the correct ideals I am not sure that if over time it is possible to retain them. I hope that it's possible to retain the spirit of the site by holding annual elections and introducing fresh ideas and fresh view points but I recognise that there is nothing to stop the same things from occurring on ATD that have happened on pasoti, remember, Ian Newell was actually elected, it was the last election that pasoti ever had! - However, should ATD take the same path as pasoti then Plan B will kick in and a new site will evolve to take the place of ATD and so on.

There will always be the anarchist or bigot that is unable or unwilling to accept the view of the majority and will desire turmoil to gain his objectives even if that means creating the dictatorship that he so pretentiously and venomously fights against. There will always be the characters that are slightly unhinged that have so much unhappiness in their lives that they gain contentment by dragging others to his own level of insecurity. - These are the problems that moderators have to deal with and it's not easy because they both play a sly game of innuendo, context distortion. and subtle personal abuse. However, I believe that the vast majority are able to understand their agendas and are accepting of the rules, they are after all society's rules of law and, common decency.

SFD is right when he indicates that it is no longer the boast of ATD that nobody is banned. Maybe that unofficial slogan should be changed to "Nobody is banned from ATD for commenting within the law and social acceptability"?

Glad to see you back punchie, as one of nools persecuted refugees from the farm, the last thing i want is more of the same farmyard shite.