Hi moders… 🙂
Wombosi just stumbled across the “Dear Sir Tainley” thread and would like to say a few things in regards to a certain series of developments, how they played out, and who benefited.
It all started – at least as far as Wombosi is aware – a while ago with Smiley’s baby avatar being hijacked by another post, who gave the little tyke a MAGA hat. Smiley complained, but it was ruled that that was OK – the RW user still today uses that avatar.
“Modding avatars OK” –> 1:0 RW (er, HH)
Then Smiley and a few others began to modify and use the ground bovine assistant’s avatar with a rainbow flag. After some bitching it was first established that it is a trade mark, but not HH’s, so not its right to bitch, then that it needed to be modified beyond the added flag (i.e. left-to-right mirrors, etc.) and finally that it could not be used at all anymore, if the original avatar user registered a complaint.
“Moddying avatars insulting and bad, if complaint” –> 2:0 RW (er, HH)
About two to three months, Wombosi came across another resurgence, asked the moders, and was told that using a modified version once per thread was the new rule. For a brief period he got busy and produced some fairly funny HHMAs himself.
No, presumably based on more bitching from the worst bigot on the board, we are back to calling artistic expression – mostly humorous – in defense of the dark and seedy underbelly of the board “personal attack”.
“Modding avatars personal attack” 3:0 RW (er, HH)
From his point of view: This charade needs to end. Changing the rules is OK. Changing the rules often can be a sign of evolution, but mostly is a sign of loss of direction or cohesion. But changing the rules back and forth is just silly. Coming down repeatedly on the side of “whatever you do, don’t offend the worst bigot with funny mods of its avatar” that is just [insert favorite insinuation of mental health issues here].
Frankly, at this point in time Wombosi does not care either way on the avatar issue, but PLEASE stop making a mockery of your own rule-making and at least try to not look like you are caving to HH each time it whines about being “insulted”.
NOTE: A personal insult is either saying “you are an [insult]” or “so and so is an [insult]”. Nowhere outside Communist countries, small Monarchies or Theocracies is making caricatures considered a “personal insult”. It actually is precisely the most used way to avoid the actual personal insults.
Thanks for your time,
Tata