Something for Surfcrest

[firecat69]

Since Board owner Surfcrest is here every day, I thought I 'd give him something to think about.

 

On his Board he started a thread named  "The Flame Goes Out " referencing his banning me from his Board . Of course I was back on in 5 minutes but I have chosen not to post under my new name because it is his Board and he has a right to ban me from posting and I will not post. However it is a public Board and there are some really fun posters there that I quite enjoy. So I will continue to read it any time I want to. 

 

By the way I have never said anything negative about his Board although other members here certainly pointed out how ridiculous it was for him to maintain his Board had higher quality posts. Actually surprised he did not ban Bob also.

 

Now back to "The Flame Goes Out"  So he announces to his members that he has banned me . Why he feels the need to do this is beyond me but then he gets a rash of responses that he made a bad decision. At last count I think it was 11-2 against Surfcrest  and one of the Two was GB who rightly pointed out that it is his Board and he can do what he wants no matter what any of his members think.

 

His response is to cry about the abuse. So he starts the discussion and then does not like the responses?? " It boils down to this: I don't mind paying the bills to keep the forum alive and I don't mind the time required to keep the site maintained and the tinkering required to keep it working.

I did not sign up for this to take abuse. 

I'm not looking for any "thanks" for doing the job...but the abuse makes it completely not worth while. Sorry about that!
 

There was an additional comment that either firecat69 deleted or Gay Thailand deleted. It was inline with some of the other shit he's posted towards me in the past, many of which have been deleted (including whole threads - because that's the way Michael and his Dog work over there). I have no recourse on Gay Thailand, but I certainly do here. If I let him back here, I'm going to address all of that with him...and more. Can this be healthy for the board?"

 

He insults the Board , its owners and its member and still he shows up here every day.  Does he really think anyone is interested in what he says. He has been a member for 8 years and made 34 posts of little value. Let's see that is 1 post every 4 months .

 

Does he think anyone here has any interest in what he says . If he does he is as delusional as the creep he bought the Board from.

 

Anyone of any integrity would delete his membership before Board Owners ban him for his disgusting remarks on his own Board.

 

He might even understand that since he banned me for a normal back and forth on a Board he does not own.

[Guest naughtybutnice]

I fully agree.

 

Surfcrest is acting liked a small kid who can't get his own way has chucked his dummy out of the pram. He should man up and accept that not everybody agrees with his self opinionated views and the way he runs his board. It does little to encourage free discussion as it seems everyone is entitled to an opinion as long as it agrees with Surfcrest.

 

The board has some great posts and humour but with Surfcrest's latest rant, one in a long line of 'I own the board so you must agree with me' I certainly won't bother posting again until he seems sense and leaves the board to the members, it is the members that make the board and do not need Surfcrest to keep waving a bundle of dollar bills shouting "I pay the bills" and stamping his foot like a spoilt queen!

[vinapu]

you can feel vindicated by negative  responses Surfcrest received from his members but since being banned from board is very microscopic tragedy I'd say the same Indiana Jones's father said to him in the final scene of The Last Crusade -'Indiana , just let it go"

[Guest]

I don't usually agree with the principle of importing disputes from other boards here. 

Board owners also have the right to make any decision they like on their own board.

 

However, this case is an exception.

There is no justifiable reason for banning Firecat due to what was written on this board.

Had there been an attack, fair enough, I would support the decision.  However, there was none. 

I therefore consider the ban to be a severe misjudgement.  

Failing to reconsider and apologise is a continuation of that misjudgement.

[firecat69]

I am not holding my breath.  Frankly with his degrading comments about Michael and his Dogs (whoever they might be) in his mind , I think he should be banned from here .

 

His definition of working with other Board owners is to insult them and their site if they don't meet what he considers appropriate!

[TotallyOz]

I am not holding my breath.  Frankly with his degrading comments about Michael and his Dogs (whoever they might be) in his mind , I think he should be banned from here .

 

His definition of working with other Board owners is to insult them and their site if they don't meet what he considers appropriate!

 

I just read the thread over there and I am surprised by it.  First, I am surprised he admitted he banned Firecat. I thought he would lie about it or try to fix the mistake he made.  Instead, he owns up to it and says this is the way it is going to be.  And, he takes a dig at me? Why?  

 

I do not own this site or the message board.  I did own it several years ago and I think that is why many still think I do. But, I don't. And, I don't see why anyone would start problems where there are none. Unless he has an ulterior motive or is just an ass or he is a bit nutty.  Lets face it, it is really one of the three. 

 

And, if I did own this board, I still would not ban him even though he insults me and this board. Why?  I am an adult.

 

Grow up Surfcrest. 

[kokopelli]

Being banned from a board by an owner is a badge of courage so wear it proudly. I have been banned from this board a couple of times and also from another by the same-same person. Shrug is off and keep on posting under a different name if you dare.

[Guest]

 Shrug is off and keep on posting under a different name if you dare.

 

There are three reasonably popular boards.  Why would anyone who has been banned from Sawatdee want to contribute to the board?

Much better to support the two remaining boards that you are a member of, therefore depriving Sawatdee of your input.   Rejoin after their next change of owner.

[NIrishGuy]

Being banned from a board by an owner is a badge of courage so wear it proudly. 

 

I guess that's a matter of opinion and depends very much on the reason the person was banned in the first place perhaps.

[Bob]

It's just my opinion (and worth what you're paying for it) but I don't think this message board ought to be used to either regurgitate disputes occurring on other message boards or to use GT to attack other message boards or their owners.  I don't think this has been necessarily a "rule" here but I think the policy (unwritten or otherwise) has served this board well in the past, i.e., we were spared some of the crazy infighting that occurred elsewhere (the whole Neal saga comes to mind).

 

So, while I understand how the one other thread devolved into a few comments about what other people were doing elsewhere, I respectfully object to this thread as it's simply using this board to take potshots at people and posts elsewhere. While it isn't fair to the targets who don't regularly post here and can't effectively respond, it's especially not fair to those people who hang out here mainly or partially to avoid getting involved in or even listening to the slagging matches elsewhere.

 

Just my view.

[KhorTose]

you can feel vindicated by negative  responses Surfcrest received from his members but since being banned from board is very microscopic tragedy I'd say the same Indiana Jones's father said to him in the final scene of The Last Crusade -'Indiana , just let it go"

Hello, Vinapu,

Yes, not being able to post on one of these boards definitely qualifies as a tempest in a teapot, but that is not really the issue here.

Surf lies to every person that signs up.  He tells them, follow these rules and you can post on this board.  What he should be doing is adding a rule that says, "If you do not kiss my ass, you are off the board."  Then I would agree he can do what he wants.  Kiss asses like Bon Ton see nothing wrong with him lying to posters.  Knowing the man I can understand why he thinks this way.  However, I believe when you make a contract with someone, you keep your word if you have any integrity at all.

   As far as being vindicated, most of the posters that complained about Firecat being kicked off, have backtracked and said something nice to surf like Smiles.  I do remember when he use to scream his head off at not following the rules, but I guess getting tossed by Neal DE-balled him..  I really have to laugh at most-but not all- of SGT posters..  For some of them that board is their whole life and the only way they  have to bolster their low self-esteem.  SAD

     Finally, Surf, AKA Neal II, is not really sane.  .Only in the crowd that inhabits SGT is this not obvious.  Everything he posted about Firecat's and his clash is wrong and misrepresented, as it was what he posted about me.  I asked to leave the board in a private message, I was not thrown off like he stated yesterday on SGT..  He posted my request (against his own rules on private messages), and then lied about the reason.  In both cases I really think he believes the misrepresentations and is not deliberately lying.  One Neal is enough for me, but I do feel sorry I did not give Neal more credit.  His insanity about others was misplaced, but not about surf.

[firecat69]

Sorry you feel that way Bob and I would not have posted anything except that Surfcrest had to announce to the world(Sawatdee) that he had banned me and then when he got no support he had to disparage this Board and its owners and members.

 

Not to respond seemed to me to allow him to publicly get away with his remarks.  Unlike him I have never said a bad word about Sawatdee. He however disparaged this Board both here and on his Board.

 

Call me crazy but I think Board Owners should try to work together rather then criticizing each other!

 

Hopefully this thread will end quietly and we can all go back to our favorite Boards, but here membership decides what happens (in most cases) and that is the way it should be.

[vinapu]

Hello, Vinapu,

Yes, not being able to post on one of these boards .........

not being able to post on one of boards leaves us more time to post on this one.

 

I read all three but as stated before decided to post only here.

 

All boards have advantages and disadvantages but here we have best trip reports and by behaving ourselves we avoided heavy hand of moderators 

[Guest]

There was a thread on another gay Thailand site (SGT) which has stated that this site shared personal Private Messages about a member, Fountainhall, with others. That is not the case. I have been in contact with both Michael and Firecat who were both mentioned in the post.  Both have shared their comments with me and the admins.  To understand the history of this, here are the details:

August 18, 2013
Fountainhall sent email to me to terminate membership and not to respond to him via PM or email.

August 20, PM sent asking why his request was not handled immediately and ask to terminate and delete all info immediately and not respond to him.

I terminated his membership.  Instead of just deleting his name, I moved it to banned and listed Retired as the type of membership as I did have hopes that he would one day return under the same name.  If his name were deleted, anyone could then register it again and start posting immediately.  I did not know the name Retired was upsetting to him until today when I read his post on SGT.  

August 26 at 11:30 PM kokopelli makes post: Fountainhall Retires

August 27 Firecat posts that “Yes this seems to happen many times on forums. A member lets a disagreement with another member drive him from the Board.
 
I never quite understand that.  If someone disagrees with the Board management then certainly that is one of the roads he can take.
 
However when it is a disagreement with another member , I never quite understand why that influences their continued membership.
 
FH  will be missed certainly by me who especially enjoyed his photos.  But this Board certainly has many members who post things that we all enjoy.
 
Hopefully in the future members will remember not to let personal arguments influence their continued posting.”

Scooby: Posted 30 August 2013 - 09:30 AM
Fountainhall has requested that people not speculate about his decision to not post. He also asked me to post a Private Message that he sent to me:

From Fountainhall:

Sent 18 August 2013 - 01:39 AM
Scooby, I have decided to cease being a member of gaythailand. Please delete my membership at the earliest opportunity.

I send you all best wishes for the site and its further development. I have enjoyed being part of it for more than 7 years, but it is now time for me to devote more time to other activites.

Please do not respond. I will not log-in again. Thank you

In order to avoid causing other issues, this thread is now closed.


Today:
URL that started the disagreement:
http://www.gaythailand.com/forums/topic/9087-discussion-for-eat-me/

I do not know what details Firecat posted that has Fountainhall upset, but I could not find them in any research on the forum.

I know that Michael sent me a message around the same time that Fountainhall sent me a message stating that Fountainhall had decided to stop posting permanently on all gay Thailand boards effective immediately.  Michael was concerned with this, apologized to Fountainhall in the thread above and let us know the PM he had received.

How all this went from this situation to what Fountainhall describes on SGT is not something I understand. But as he requested, we did not attempt to contact him.

Michael did not own this site when he and Fountainhall got into that “spat.”  Michael is a member and as such, is afforded the same rights as other members.  

We believe in very light moderation as adults can moderate their own discussion 99 percent of the time.  In this case, we let the thread continue. We would do the same today. We do not ban members unnecessarily.  We do not close threads unnecessarily.  We want members to participate and as long as one in a respectful way, handle their own disputes.  Too many boards get involved in trying to moderate every discussion that does not flow with their own way of thinking.  We much prefer to sit back, moderate as little as possible and let the chips fall where they may.

We are often criticized with being under-moderated.  In the last 6 months, we have been asked to close or moderate members or threads or posts over 40 times.  We took no action on any of those requests as we did not feel they reached the level where we needed to get involved.

We have gotten messages today asking about the situation and again, we take the approach that you need to moderate yourselves.  If you feel that things get out of hand on a thread, let us know.  Most of the time we may disagree with you but if we agree, then the thread will be moderated or removed.

I do realize that Fountainhall is upset that he believes that Michael told Firecat the reason he was leaving was because of an argument in a thread. But anyone who read the thread and then knew that Fountainhall left would ascertain this was the reason.  Everyone that read the thread between Michael and Fountainhall were uncomfortable and knew there was bad blood.  We chose not to get involved and when Fountainhall decided to leave, we respected his decision and did not post anything about it but did change his title to Retired as opposed to Deleted as he requested.  That was my mistake.

Like others, he is always welcome here.  Like others, he may choose to leave.  Like others, when he gets into an argument with another member and then removes himself from the board, members will speculate.

If I missed anything then I do apologize.  If I misrepresented anything then I apologize.  If I still don’t seem to understand the situation, then again I apologize.  However, I will not apologize for trying to stay out of disputes that members have with each other on an open public discussion forum.
 

[KhorTose]

We believe in very light moderation as adults can moderate their own discussion 99 percent of the time.  In this case, we let the thread continue. We would do the same today. We do not ban members unnecessarily.  We do not close threads unnecessarily.  We want members to participate and as long as one in a respectful way, handle their own disputes.  Too many boards get involved in trying to moderate every discussion that does not flow with their own way of thinking.  We much prefer to sit back, moderate as little as possible and let the chips fall where they may.

 

 

The above is what I really took away from this long post. Exactly, the way I feel you should handle most disputes, and I do appreciate this policy.

 

As for Fountainhall, you have given me way to much information.   In his defense I will say that  many people including Surf think Michael is still running this board, and you are not real.  Rules about PM and such really don't seem to bother Fountainhall, but what is important to him is how he is treated on a board.   Fountainhall is now one of Surf's friends so he is safe and protected and that is what is important to him.  Until he finds out that Surf is really Beachlover ,   I think he will be happy on that board.

[williewillie]

We are entering a new dimension. Surf = beach just absurd. More believe able, scooby not a 'beard' .

Difficult to get thru his first major posting and it will be work to maintain the rambling style if just an imaginary

friend. Very wordy for such a silent owner. Silly to speculate, one believes or disbelieves.

Internet forums a refuge for compulsive liars, pretenders, those who live in deep denial, and some who like to

jerk around with balderdash.

Surf just another farang but one who survived the endless onslaught of the most vicious and dangerous farang

in gaythailand forums history. He's a survivor and while stubborn and control freak (sole monitorship) has

improved SGT enormously.

Firecat must have pushed pretty hard to get banned but we will never known the whole story.

Fountainhall was given the shaft no matter what anyone says and for a long time it felt like Fountainhall's forum,

which must have rankled someone. Again believe what you will, but remember the truth is rare on forums and

bullshit de rigueur.

[firecat69]

You have made some ridiculous statements in the past but saying FH was given the shaft takes the cake.

 

He left the Forum of his own accord , how is that being given the shaft.  He and Michael got in a vey public argument mostly caused by FH constantly trying to ban someone when Michael was the owner (gaythailand).

 

Things were said and both sides , true or not I don't care. FH elected to take his football and go home. For some strange reason he considered himself omniscient that Micahel was still the owner .

 

This continued with him telling Michael to delete his membership something only the owner could do and then got upset when it didn't happen.  He should have tried addressing the owner if he wanted action on his membership. 

 

Plus the things he asked for were just ridiculous. 

 

Now as to Surfcrest again you have no idea what you are talking about.  All posts between Surfcrest and me are on full display. There have never been any PM"s from me or him on this Board. So for you to state that I must have pushed hard is just fantasy by you and please try to prove me wrong.

 

 

I was actually stunned when he banned me because he had no reason to take that action. 

I think I may have gotten one pm from him on Sawatdee which we settled.

 

He made derogatory posts about this Board on this Board which first of all shows a total lack of Class from a Board Owner.

 

The ideal is for the Boards to work together not criticize especially when that owner has contributed nothing to this Board in 8 years.

 

Just for a comparison I have pushed the Iron Fist GB a thousand times harder and to my knowledge he has never considered banning me.  

 

If someone wants these Boards to be honey and sweet , they have no idea how a Living Board should function.

 

I find it funny that Sawatdee has some nasty exchanges between individuals over there and I don't see anyone getting banned . Which is as it should be.  But I guess that doesn't hold true if there is any disagreement with the Board Owner??

[Bob]

Fountainhill was a valuable poster here, did nothing whatsoever to merit being included in wild and erroneous speculation (banned or shafted....indeed!), and it'd be nice if you all would quit using his name as a basis to support this or that erroneous conspiracy theory.

 

He's publicly posted on another board the following: "In my case, I had for some time planned to give up posting on gaythailand largely because a lot of new work had come in. Not only was I posting frequently (too frequently for some!), I had rewritten and updated much of the lengthy Thailand and City Guide descriptions on that site, many of which still include the photos I willingly supplied." And, right or wrong (in my opinion, nobody - especially a board owner - ought to publicly post a private message absent the consent of the writer), you now have what Fountainhill wrote to this board's owner immediately preceding his departure.

 

There you have it - his words - and that is all you can possibly know about why Fountainhill decided on his own to stop posting here.  So please quit attempting to use his departure to fit some other agenda or fantasy you might be attempting to make.

 

P.S.  Yes, some, such as myself, consider FH to be a friend and had private discussions with him about his decision to stop posting.  The key word there is "private" (a word that has substantial meaning to me). 

[williewillie]

See Fountainhall post on SGT this morning.

I'll always listen when it's from the horses mouth and not an apologist or revisionist.

Amazingly that the dust on this brouhaha is stirring again after so long.

So many lies and misdirections.

Read Fountainhall, it's so simple

[TotallyOz]

Fountainhill was a valuable poster here, did nothing whatsoever to merit being included in wild and erroneous speculation (banned or shafted....indeed!), and it'd be nice if you all would quit using his name as a basis to support this or that erroneous conspiracy theory.

 

He's publicly posted on another board the following: "In my case, I had for some time planned to give up posting on gaythailand largely because a lot of new work had come in. Not only was I posting frequently (too frequently for some!), I had rewritten and updated much of the lengthy Thailand and City Guide descriptions on that site, many of which still include the photos I willingly supplied." And, right or wrong (in my opinion, nobody - especially a board owner - ought to publicly post a private message absent the consent of the writer), you now have what Fountainhill wrote to this board's owner immediately preceding his departure.

 

There you have it - his words - and that is all you can possibly know about why Fountainhill decided on his own to stop posting here.  So please quit attempting to use his departure to fit some other agenda or fantasy you might be attempting to make.

 

P.S.  Yes, some, such as myself, consider FH to be a friend and had private discussions with him about his decision to stop posting.  The key word there is "private" (a word that has substantial meaning to me). 

 

 

Bob, FH decided to join the circus when he decided to post that his privacy was violated. No one here started that discussion.  He did. I realize it would probably be preferable to just let him keep posting whatever he wishes without challenge but that is also not fair to others. 

 

Willy, saying that Michael is Scooby, which is something that I know you must believe, is about as silly as saying FH is Surfcrest.    I realize that you and your group may believe this to be true, but even you don't believe half the things you say as you just say them to get a reaction.  Your constant suggestion that I still own the board on both sites is an example of your own attempt to be a "revisionist."  You must believe if you say it long enough and wish it hard enough, it will be true. Come on Dorothy.   The best example that I can give of this is that in the many years of running the board in the past, I only personally decided to permanently ban one member. And, that was you.  When you came back under this reincarnated Willy, if I did own the board, I'd of banned your ass immediately.   And, I did even tell the owners that. But, they did not take the action i wanted. Sometimes in life you win some and you loose some.  However, should I have had the ability to ban you, I would have as I have that must distaste for you and your style of gossip and shit stirring.  The fact that you are still here should be enough to tell you I don't own the board. 

 

FH was a valuable contributor on this board.  He left on his own accord.  He had no private messages posted here that that were not requested to be published (see above for the one he asked to be posted and then the thread was closed).  If he has a beef with me that is part of life and nothing I can do about it.  His reasons for leaving are known only to him and as Bob said those he spoke to privately. 

[vinapu]

I'm glad to see so many members have a good time recently.

[firecat69]

I guess it must be for the simple minded. FH wants it both ways that it was his decision to leave the Board and that he was essentially driven off the Board by Michael who he thinks was the Owner posted by some of his admirers.

 

Anyone back then read the incessant exchanges between FH and Michael.  Started out with Hey Gay and extended to Michael accusing FH of making fun of contributors speech. FH challenged Michael to provide supporting documents and the bet would be dinner. Childish, you bet and the only losers were the members who had to read this ridiculous argument. 

 

Nobody gave a damn except the combatants .  

 

Any past meaningful discussion about PM's was about whether Board management had a right to read or make public PM's.

 

Whether members have a right to make public PM"s to others is a totally different argument and between members. I f you send  a PM to another member then it is up to the member whether he divulges it. Exactly the same as an email. Management was not involved .

 

If FH wants to continue this fight then come here and do so because this is where it started and ended and taking pot shots from another Board diminishes him.

[Bob]

Bob, FH decided to join the circus when he decided to post that his privacy was violated. No one here started that discussion.  He did. I realize it would probably be preferable to just let him keep posting whatever he wishes without challenge but that is also not fair to others. 

 

Just because FH complained about somebody turning a private message into a public message without his consent (an act which is simply inexcusable to me) hardly means he joined any "circus."  

[williewillie]

Michael has had a hate-on for williewillie for a long time. I recall feeling very unwelcome for a long time and then it stopped.

I have no group. No one I know is interested in you or your business. Delusions of grandeur perhaps.

I have tried to be a constructive member here and have hundreds of 'likes', which attest to my generally positive upbeat postings.

I bear no ill will but recognize hatred when I see. It's sad this thread turned so ugly but fellow members, don't be distracted

and do read Fountainhalls own words on SGT for the truth.

[firecat69]

Typical of your comments. Who made you the arbiter of truth. Have you given FH a lie detector test. Just because FH might honestly believe something does not make it the truth.

 

You are free to consider what FH writes as the truth but you are not entitled to label it as the TRUTH. Because you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

 

FH and Michael see this in their own eyes and apparently both believe they are truthful. 

 

And by the way this whole mess has been dredged up because of comments made by FH on Sawatdee about GT. 

 

So he has nobody to blame but himself.