Epiphany!

[Brandybuck]

I think I've finally done it! I've found something that I feel could finally bring MX's nazis down! While it may not be a legal flaw, I've found a way that we could at least publicize the worsening situation on MX (I think that's our only shot.) I'm definitely not the first to ever call the Mods 'cyber-bullies,' but this claim has always been disregarded by responses like ModKaty's loving post 'we have the true information you don't.' However, if you actually find the agreed upon definition of bullying, the Moderators fit this category exactly. There are three requirements for a situation to be considered bullying, the first, of course, being that the victim's feelings are hurt, and the situation causes them psychological/emotional distress. There are multiple instances of the Mod's harassment causing depression upon many members on this site. Second, the harassment must be repeated, even after the victim has asked the bully to stop. We asked them to stop through the Moderation Petition, many confrontations in Genn's 'Violations,' and in other settings, yet the Mods repeatedly harassed certain members and repeatedly banned members for reasons we had already confronted them about. Finally, and most importantly, in a bullying situation a clear difference in balance of power must be apparent, the bully having more power, which we all know is true, as the Mods are practically untouchable and make the fact that they have more power evident through their instant perma-bans and posts such as Modkaty's previously stated attack. The Moderators are prime examples of the use of internet to harass others, they are the definition of cyber-bully. They banned us for 'harassing' other members, yet the other members have gotten away with insulting everything from our intelligence to out sexuality. When the Mods become part of the problem, and no longer part of the solution, higher authorities must be contacted. We should expose the Mods for what they are. If we can't got to their bosses and we can't go to law enforcement, I say we go to wherever else we can, from other websites to news sources, anything to get the word spread. It sounds like a stupid thing to do for some fandom site, but... dammit I want MX back!

[o0_flying high_0o]

I want MX back, too. Oh God, that would be beyond amazing. But, I can't help but think that this is probably not going to go anywhere. They're not going to get rid of mods. Sure maybe we could get this lot fired (and a new lot hired), and maybe get some of the bans lifted if we had a strong enough case. But most likely they'd see us as a bunch of immature, squabbling teenagers who would like to be able to get away with doing whatever it is we liked. They were given authority over us for a reason, because the site owner saw a whole bunch of profanity and innuendo pasted all over their lovely site for children. Clearly we were people who had no respect for the rules, and something had to be done to change that. I don't agree with that, but who do you really think the rest of the world is going to side with? To us MX might mean the world, but I don't think outsiders would understand that. And no matter what we do the site will never be the same as it was back in the glory days.

It's actually painful going on there, seeing how changed it is. And as much as I would like to believe that we could get our site back, I can think of nothing worse than letting myself believe that and have it all fall apart.

[Brandybuck]

Well, first off I apologize if the whole post seemed kind of... strange, sudden, and kind of stupid. It was 2 a.m. when I wrote it, and at the time I was acting kind of strange, sudden, and stupid myself. It probably is a long shot contacting any news source, let alone getting them to take our side, however I'm not ready to completely give the idea up. I feel that at least spreading the word to other fandom sites, who will surely understand as they've probably gone through what we're facing, and move upward from there. You posted 'They were given authority over us for a reason, because the site owner saw a whole bunch of profanity and innuendo pasted all over their lovely site for children.' I realize that at the time MX was full of profanity and arguing between members, however the site itself wasn't created for children, as the 'official' joining age was thirteen. Therefore, I feel we can convince people that we were banned for being immature, squabbling teenagers on a site created for immature squabbling teenagers. We simply squabbled and ranted for different reasons. At first, maybe the Mods were necessary, but like I said, they've become part of the problem as opposed to part of the solution. I think the rest of the world will see a few immature teens who had a passion for something they loved, only to have it taken away forever for stupid reasons.

[nathan_p]

Yeah... I'd like MX back, but I know deep in my heart that I'd just get hurt again. It's better, I think, for me to just be used to being cut out of my fandom in almost every way. It makes the few times I get to look inside it a little (on fanfiction.net or the NaNo forums, for instance) that much more special.

As to what MX used to be -- about a year ago it was absolutely lovely and I'd never seen its like. Cursing, hilarity, good arguments, and while MR UK had all those things -- MX was full of people from my country. Timezones didn't matter so much anymore. It was a pretty awesome place back then -- and yes, it was definitely targeted at older people. Under thirteen? Keep your mouth shut, don't whine about the cursing / squick / sexuality (well, not too much), and have fun with everyone else. And we all acknowledged that the books were, at least, imperfect.

Now it's a very clean, sterile place. No cursing. Like the books or get the fuck out. Don't talk about banned members (even if they made some contribution to the fandom). The mods are your bitch queens, and for God's sake don't say a bad word to or about them.

(I do find it immensely funny that the mods found it somehow necessary to stalk us on this site. Stay classy, ladies. Reminds me of, say, if a jealous ex were stalking me and my new girlfriend. Except I can't really tell the mods to GTFO-or-I'll-take-legal-action.)

[Lamp Post]

I agree with Nathan.

Sure, you could try to bring law into this, however, that could be turned around. The only thing you'd really have going for you would be that most of the members are minors. Nearly everything you do online, with some wording and few exceptions, could be viewed as illegal.

Ning has already stated they won't get involved, some have went to JP's site and tried to contact people of more power that way, and honestly, not much will get done by thinking/hoping the law will save that site.

Having MX back would be nice, but. . . . we'd lose any case. We did have the option to go to another site, and many of us did sign up for the half dozen created to escape the new lay-out and the mods, but. . . . . we couldn't get anything to be the same, and members were to spread out/unwilling to move. Plus, if people got picky, they could turn the legal matter around, and anyone who made a secondary account could get nailed for stalking, harassing, etc, etc, etc.

As nice as it'd be to really have MX back. . . .it'd never be like it was back in Dec-Feb. We'd never be able to fully recover from the wreckage the mods did to the site.

[Omega]

MX as we knew it doesn't exist anymore. So, does it matter?

[Kayte]

It's so sad to see what defeated people we've become, but I have to agree. I called them cyber bullies and they banned me for it, no questions asked. We've been saying for a long time, even people like Tash (whose pro-mod now) have to admit that they were hurt by the mods. I can tell you I've shed more tears over things they've done to me than anyone else in a long time, and what they do isn't okay. And I don't doubt that we could take action and get them all fired at the least. But what's the point? Quite obviously Hatchet doesn't care about it's readers, and obviously they would rather drive us away than entice us to read their books, the things that have gone on there are horrible, to the point that when I mentioned them to my mother (in such a way as to downgrade the problem) she was ready to call the authorities. Sure we've done things that were wrong, but it was our site, and they slaughtered it. It's not worth going back just to see what they've done, I don't even want to fight my ban anymore because I've realized that as much as I miss MX, I don't miss MDW. I don't miss the mods, or the noobs, or the pain or the fighting. I miss the PMS running the show, I miss joking around about abortion, I miss having political debates with Hawk, and when his page said profanities in big letters at the top. I miss when the forums were plain white without graphics, I miss the Sexy club and when everything was in off topic, I miss yelling Repeat Thread Fail! and Anti Fans Unite! I miss Z, and Seth, and Kitty, and Killarny, and Poing, and Esaul, and Hawk, and Leni. I miss fighting with BobMarlyLover. I've realized that I didn't like MX for so long, that I don't even know why I was there anymore. I miss the MX of January, not the MX of November 09. They can have the shit hole they've created, because I'm happy right here, right now, with the best part of the fandom, and the only thing MX ever had gong for it. The people, the jokes, the profanity, and the freedom.

[Omega]

Nicely said, Kayte. We're not defeated, though. We're just... well - fandom changes, we adapt.

[Random Girl A.K.A. Nobody]

I didn't get on in the very beginning of the site and when I did I was a bit of an intelligent Squee but I saw you guys and even though I was a Fax fan with crushes on Fang and Iggy I respected ya'll opinions and liked all of you a lot. I miss the site when you all were there but I don't know if it will ever be the same. This idea sounds cool, but like most of you have said whats the point?

[Brandybuck]

When I posted the idea, I was... depressed. Not depressed because I missed MDW, but also strangely not because I missed MX. I was depressed because I didn't know MX, I was angry because I joined MDW in late July, and didn't even really enter the forums until August. And I thought it was amazing, it was the best single thing I'd discovered that year, and that was when the mods were already there. I was thinking how unfair it was that the mods had ruined MX before I could get there, and if I loved it in August, how great it would have been in 08/early 09. At the end of the post I said that I wanted MX back, but the truth is, I wanted to experience how amazing it was, and know the wonderful people I've already met back when they could open there mouths without being quickly and idiotically kicked off of there own site. I wanted the site you guys always talked about, not the prison I know today.