A Public Apology to the Depot Community

[KG Erwin]

I was banned from the SPWaW Depot forums for some really nasty and stupid things I said many months ago. I was wrong, and I sincerely apologize for any damage I may have done to the Depot's credibility.

I make no excuses -- my comments were unwarranted, and my accusations were unfounded.

It is obvious that the Depot's members are only focused upon enhancing the game and contributing to its legacy, that and nothing more.

That is also my intention on this forum, and why I remain an active contributor.

Many of my closest friends are members of both forums.

I throw myself at the mercy of the Depot's administrators, and request that I be reinstated as a forum member.

[Wild Bill]

I wish you the best of luck with this. Differences of opinion and sometimes words said in haste can leave a sour taste in one's mind. I hope as has been said, "Time heals all wounds."

The Depot guys are great people. Many of them were an immense help in the making of Mega Campaign Screaming Eagles. Some go much further back than that.

We come to wargaming as something of a fantasy, a place to step away from the real world, with all its bickering violence and injustice. I hope we can maintain that spirit with one another always.

Peacemakers, so it is said, are called "The Children of God."

Wild Bill

[Alby]

FWIW...

I wasnt involved in any of what happened back then...so me commenting on any of that would be pointless.
But I do see you trying to help out the new guys here and I am sure it is appreciated....[:)]
I will continue to do the same.

but...you're a Rolling Stones fan!!
Hmmm......I dont know......[:-]
Just kidding ya!!! [;)]
hang tuff...keep rockin.

[Goblin]

For the record, the Depot's administration staff is discussing the issue. The lack of response on this thread was not intended to indicate we were ignoring it, my apologies.



Goblin

[Bernie]

As Goblin said, the matter is now under review by the board of directors of the SP:WAW Depot Association, Inc. (parent organization of the SP:WaW Depot website). We will announce our decision, publicly both here and at the Depot, within 14 days.

B.W. Behling

President - SP:WAW Depot Association, Inc.

[RockinHarry]

Just FYI, partly reason for my leave from the Depot last year was the banning of Glenn![;)] Everybody can give and take a second chance![:)]

[KG Erwin]

ORIGINAL: RockinHarry

Just FYI, partly reason for my leave from the Depot last year was the banning of Glenn![;)] Everybody can give and take a second chance![:)]

Harry, thanks for your support. That means a lot to me. [:)]

[Goblin]

Glenn was given a couple of second chances, to set the record straight. The decision will be based on what is best for the Depot as a whole, and is still being discussed at this time.



Goblin

[KG Erwin]

ORIGINAL: Goblin

Glenn was given a couple of second chances, to set the record straight. The decision will be based on what is best for the Depot as a whole, and is still being discussed at this time.



Goblin

Stop right there, Goblin---if you guys regard "what's best for the Depot " as above "what's best for the game", then forget it.

I hope I can talk to Bernie directly. He and I parted ways, and I deeply regret it. The only way it can be repaired is if we two can talk.

[Goblin]

ORIGINAL: Goblin

The decision will be based on what is best for the Depot as a whole

ORIGINAL: KG Erwin

Stop right there, Goblin---if you guys regard "what's best for the Depot " as above "what's best for the game",
then forget it.

Please read my wording, thank you. Sincewe are Depot staff members, what is best for The Depot is our primary concern. My statement meant nothing more and nothing less, which is why I typed it as such. The extra wording is yours. That doesn't comfort me, since it was statements like this that caused the ban in the first place. As stated, we are discussing the issue.



Goblin

[tracer]

Glenn, do me a favor: don't make more work for me. [8|][:D]

[RockinHarry]

I don´t tell names here, but there´s surely a handful of people (or shall I say loudmouths?[:-]) that weren´t good for the Depot and SPWAW either! Particular statements of these people were never rejected from the Depot staff members, so I assumed a "silent" agreement. I don´t have any problem with any of the "respected" Depot (staff) members though.[;)]

[m10bob]

I may be considered an impartial witness here as I have "friends" on both sides of this issue,and was a witness to the events in question.
As my memory serves me,the conversations actually began with a heated,slanderous vein and went south from there.
I truly feel Glenn was not himself that day,and seemed to be under the influence of something.
Several folks who consider themselves both his friends,and fans of his work, tried to calm Glenn at the time, but to no avail.
This issue has saddened me, because I am an acquaintance/friend of all parties involved, and I remember the events accurately, and painfully, for the same reasons.
The actual victim of (what I felt to be slander) Bernie , stayed remote from the keyboard entirely, and was for all intense purposes a gentleman, (IMHO). My temper and past life experiences might have put me in somebodies driveway,under similar circumstances.
I am an old, ex-police officer, and years ago, began a passionate dislike for people who are afraid to get involved, and I only relate this now because I AM impartial, but I am honest, and I am involved..
Glenn is a good guy with problems, and I feel he has been very big in publicly addressing his problems and request of forgiveness.
Indeed, this is very big..
The past is the past........
Suggest we move on with a clean slate on all sides.

[RockinHarry]

As said, just trying to figure out criteria when certain people get banned...or not![;)] Time to leave that old crap behind IMHO.

[Alby]

[:D]

[Goblin]

ORIGINAL: RockinHarry

As said, just trying to figure out criteria when certain people get banned...or not![;)] Time to leave that old crap behind IMHO.

A permanent ban occurs only after several warnings about rules violations, then a temporary ban due to rules violations, followed by additional rules violations. Typical violations would be spamming (we've been spared thus far, knock on wood!), personal attacks on members, posting XXX images, etc. As stated, repeated violations would result in a permanent ban.

As for my own personal (unofficial) view, I dislike the word 'permanent' in most cases, which is why I participate in any reviews of permanent bans. Things and people change, so a review process is valuable. Again, this is my personal view.



Goblin

[Bernie]

The Board of Directors of the SP:WaW Depot Association, Inc., after extensive debate, have voted in favor of modifying the current ban. The matter has now been passed on to the staff members of the Depot website for their comments and review, with the recommendation from the board being that the ban be lifted no later than Oct. 1st, and that, as a condition of reinstatement, a probationary period not to extend past January 1st, 2006 be imposed. If, during the probationary period, any further infraction of the rules of the website should occur then the original ban shall be placed back into full force and the ban shall never again be rescinded or reduced.

Furthermore, a proposed change to the bylaws of the association has been submitted to the Board that would modify how future lifetime bans are to be handled. The change is as follows:

Any lifetime ban of a member from the association website may be reviewed by the Board of Directors no more than once per year for the life of the ban, and, if the Board, by majority vote, elects to modify or rescind the ban in the course of such a review, any subsequent ban against that member will be for life, with no further review or modification possible.

[KG Erwin]

Thank you, Bernie. The efforts that were made on my behalf are greatly appeciated. [:)]

[Bernie]

Banning is always left as our last resort at the Depot. I think it speaks well for us that, in almost two years of operation, with more than sixty thousand messages posted, and with more than one thousand members, only five bans have ever been made, and only two of those have been lifetime bans. Also, during that same period, aside from two spamming posts, less than ten threads have ever been locked down, none has ever been deleted (not even the one that sparked this incident), and only two threads have ever been permanently locked.

[Wild Bill]

You are doing a great job at the Depot, Bernie, and your presence here is always appreciated. I miss those MC-SE days. Those were some grand times. I thank you again for your invaluable contributions to that effort.

Wild Bill