If, like me, you have lurked around reading the posts & threads you will get the impression that everyone is pessamistic - pretty much.

Yesterday, someone tried to put the opposite side of an agrgument on BTL (Buy to Let)

She was declared "A Troll" and from then on - unable to post.

She tried to post today as a different person - to ask why she was not allowed to post - that person was then banned.

The thread was then removed/relegated to the "Off Topic" thread.


If you do intend to post, which I stronlgly advise against, do not under any circumstances say anything other than - we are all doomed, prices will drop 95% - rents will fall to £5 per week.

These are (apparently) the only posts which are allowed.

Oh Yes, and abusive posts calling people names - you can do that - as long as you are a bear.

AND - be prepared for everyone to accuse you of lying, being someone else etc.

JUST Think - who benefits from this site? who receives the advertising revenue?

They can't rename it " House prices might not rise as quickly" now can they???


Oh - and I will most probably be banned for posting this.

You still here Apollo thought you woud be busy working through your stacks of property details preparing for the Christmas rush.

I had alook at the Troll thread for the first time a few days back. It's quite a surprise to see how out of the real world it is very easy for a bunch of people to take offence at what someone else says and then decide to delete them from existence. No need to allow any chance of explanation or appeal, just totally deleted.

Just glad I don't live in China. Maybe some of the posters who like to delete the trolls would prefer to take up residency there, must still be time to get in on the Shanghai buy to let market.

Why don't you start a 'Wallace & Gromit' thread and argue about whether the moon is really made of cheese?
Probably about your level!

Or you could just clear off!

I'd like to ask the webmaster - is this true? Are people banned from this site?

If so can you tell us what the banning guidelines are?

Also, why was the thread moved?

If 3 people declare someone "A Troll" they (HPC) change their status to Troll and theycan't post any more.

A Troll is suposed to be someone who gets a kick out of winding people up on the internet, but in reality it appears that it is anyone who disgrees with the general sentiment on this board.

If they (HPC) don't like a thread they move it to the "Off Topic" sub set

Very democratic.


EDIT _ WOW - LOOK how fast they moved it!

See why I'm paranoid?

Right I've read up on the trolling bit and understand why the thread has been moved.
However shouldn't it have been moved to the trolling thread bit?
Also has London Landlady been banned?

She must have been as she has not posted since - she tried to post as happy househunter & then that was deemed a troll.

I also posted a thread about site etiquette - asking bulls or trolls to be humerous or preferably factual and back up their claims.

This was also moved - Is this cencorship NO it was OFF TOPIC as in NOT contributing to the debate over house prices and was rightly moved. So has your thread - it's not been cencored just moved into the right area of the forum.

Also I was criticised by several HPC posters as they believe any one has the right to post and say what they want (even if it is the same old time wasting, aggresive drivel)

I would guess if someone is banned its for not sticking to the forum rules and posting under many different user names, not engaing in debate and just posting for the sake of being a wind-up merchant.

Exactly what you are doing.
How is your good wife and her friend.

ummm it IS off topic, the mods here do a damn fine job, ask a mod directly and im sure they will take the time to say why the person in question was banned. Mind you they also dont need to explain thier actions.

There are alot of forums on this internet thing and i personally think this board is mod'ed very well. Just think if they were really that "sneaky" (for want of a better word) then they could of just deleted your post, fact is though they havn't because its not broken any forum rules, apart from being off topic. So tbh i would not question any of thier integrity.

It is not the moving of threads I am objecting to specifically,its not allowing someone to post at all.

see:


I would guess if someone is banned its for not sticking to the forum rules and posting under many different user names, not engaing in debate and just posting for the sake of being a wind-up merchant.

Paranoid I am guessing you are also Apolo and Demo and probably Londo Landlady (how else do you know they tried to register with a different name?)

I am not, Apollo or Demo.

London Landlady said this morning she was posting as Happy Homebuyer because she couldn't post as LL.

I think its mod'ed very well also.
Need to be carefull with this trolling thing though; sticking to the rules as they were set out in the pinned thread on the main board. Even this needs caution, it doesn't take a lot to get three nominations.
Also if London Landlady is banned and it is for using multiple names it would be a benifit to make this clear.

Edited for spelling.

LL was banned for being a troll - that was alll

The multiple personality thing was afterwards to find out why she was not allowed to post.

She SAID she was Happy Home buyer

Three hits are not automatic for a troll label.

The moderators make the final decision.

in reply to #1: sock puppet.

Maybe you should register as "schizophrenic" instead of "paranoid" - it would suit your "multiple personalities"

Thanks Charlie. In my opinion there is nothing wrong with that.
All the evidence suggests that London Landlady was posting under several names which I feel is justafiably bannable.

Censorship is a very contentious, all such situations would benifit from as much clarity as possible.

She did not post under different names UNTILL she was banned.

The mods know if someone is using an alias and LL was accused of being all sorts of people before she was banned- the mods could have said "that is unlikely as that poster posted from a different IP address!

Oh for heavens sake give up this charade. You are posting from the same IP address as LL & HH and your email address is very similar to that of LL.

Why will you not explain why you stop someone designated a Troll from ever posting?

That is censorshop.

You know perfectly well that I had NEVER posted before yesterday.

If I was your office boss, I'd say listen up people ....WE ARE NOT GOING TO SELL ANY PROPERTIES TO THOSE MUPPETS ON HPC.......SO GET OFF THE WEB GET OFF YOUR @RSE'S AND GET OUT THERE TALKING TO OUR CLIENTS ABOUT REDUCING PRICES

As you are posting the same rubbish on certain threads, I have put you on moderator approval.
No, you are not banned but yours posts will not be put up unless the repeating of silly statements stops.

[ Edit: when webmaster investigates and fixes the problem allowing trolls to post ]

i agree that bulls should not be banned for debating. even if its a crazy explination.
though i get sick of the mindless goading. thats not a debate.

Just read a thread about someone called Apolo who was asked to leave for insulting a moderator.

Also noticed that someone called Crashisontheway is NOT banned for insulting other posters

Well well you posted yesterday under two IDs.
The sign of a true troll with identical input.
You did promise not to do that again.

Yes you are completely right.

But I've got in a complete mess with the 2 pc's.

When you come out of AOL - it doesn't log you out of web sites - so I keep getting logged in under the stupid aliases. I don't want to be "paranoid the troll! or "happy homebuyer" the troll - I just wannabe LL - and be able to post, participate in polls and edit my threads.

I ONLY started the other 2 identities as I was trying to find out why I couldn't post at all

And I did highlight that you had a system problem- which you very kindly fixed & I did say thank you.

I rally am NOT any of those other people (as you know) but I really would like to be re-classed as a non- troll & given another chance.

Can you delete the other 2? Paranoid & HH?

& untroll me?

Please



[Just an edit to change rally to really]


And also, just in case you wondered why I got ion a mess yetsterday/Saturday or whenever it was

I use a desktop & a laptop during the week - at the w/e someone else uses the desktop - so I went on the laptop & that was logged in as Paranoid or HH and when I posted they didn't appear as posts - so I tried using both and nothing came up - which wasn't the point really.

That sounds like Vikki Pollard - I am trying my best not to be a troll but my IT expertise is not particularly good.

Apologies again.







Final ramble from me on the subject -

Is there any way you can change all my alias posts (I mean mine - the Happy homeowner & paranoid) to me, LL?

That way noo-one woule be duped into thinking it was 3 people?


Or change this User id to London Landlady AKA Happy homeowner AKA Paranoid?? I don't know how to do that - but I'm sure you could.

I've been hovering on this site for about 10 months now and in that time, two things i've observed are

1) The mockery of the censorship of bulls sites i.e. C4
2) Mimicking this censorship through the back door. Moving anything bullish or critical to the off topic section.

Never mind a debate about the future of the police. We need a pinned thread in the main forum to discuss what sort of HPC site we really want.

The arguements for multi forums to make organisation and navigation easier are undermimed by the admins pinning of (an increasing) amount of off topic threads in the main forum. The troll thread, whats your education etc, These are theoreticly out of the remit of the main forum but they are deemed worthy by the admin clique. I'll probably be deemed a Troll or banned now, but never mind, I've said my peace.

Lets not slip into herdish groupthink, which i think we may be begining too!

FH

You can't post that - they will think you're a troll!

Oops - you have made less than the required 300,000,000 posts required to reach uber member status - exterminate exterminate...................

(sorry but it has now got to me!)

Forums are not democratic entities which we have a "right" to use. As an example, I was thrown off the Ex-pats site after one post. I don't agree with their moderating policies but it is, after all, THEIR forum. It is not a public resource like a library, it is a private undertaking, financed privately. If you want a "democratic" forum, use your own money to set up your own forum (unmoderated of course, must be democratic).

I'd give it a week before it decended into trollish anarchy.

http://www.slashdot.com

There are Forums and there are Forums, some sleepy, and others controversial.

bless...

Ah, censorship before posting.

Anyone who thinks themselves hard done by at HPC.co.uk is perfectly free to set up a rival forum, run exactly the way they want it.

Let us know if it's going to be unmoderated, I fancy a right free for all with name calling, posting under multiple user names and the starting of umpteen threads, all covering the same subject.

(Judging by the trolls on this forum, that is the accepted way to carry on, is it not?)


Well spotted Charlie.

I think a troll is someone who spouts the massmedia mindless information of propaganda.

I guess this is the same as a 'wind up merchant'.

As the mass media are my trolls, their misinformation makes my blood boil.

Can we ban them as well.

p.s. my parents told me it was bad to lie and they're right.

Trolls, liars, propagandi and the mass media, dig a hole and shove 'em in and spin a nice story about the tale. Maybe the can build real estate and markets in there.

I hear Ch.4 have banned open views by the educated bears. Have a word with them and let me know the outcome please.

Thanks.

House Price Crash in my opinion is a great marketing tool/ and perfect information source...

Im sure most of the people on here use it as a reference source, i know i do, I made a decision over 2 years ago, that the time was not right to buy, i also find personal references very interesting including personal experiences.

In difficult times, people, stick together, all speak up... bring on HPC, or bring back affordable housing!

Also, on moderating, no one has a god given right to be here. I appreciated the opportunity HPC give me, and others to view without having to register. I am now registered and VOCAL.

I am a moderator on another forum, you need to ban TROLLS, or trouble makers, their prime ambition in life is to use a little computer to wind people up, and 100% of the time, their attitude always changes in person and becomes less agressive!...

Look forward to meeting you all soon

marky,
welcome to HPC. glad to have you posting. Trolls are usefull part of the food chain. When we discover them we shoot them down and feed off them to provide us with moral sustenance and intestinal fortitude.

Which is why when I spy a troll in my sights I say

[size=7]Grayson! Fetch my shotgun, I fancy some sport!

Test

Hmm - it seems this is the only part if the forum I am allowed to post in from today.

I'm really not sure what I have done to upset the applecart this time - but whatever it was -

i really am very sorry.

Have a really nice Christmas everyone (or seasonal break) and I hope 2006 brings you everything you could possibly wish for.

Adieu.

What a strange statement, on Friday you posted on the Main Forum the following posts.
Your last post was made 4 minutes before this post at 5:02pm. Since then although browsing on the 17th you made no attempt to post.

London Landlady are you telling porkies AGAIN ....naughty naughty

I run a forum. It's not nearly as busy as this one, but even on a smaller scale they're a fair amount of work; IMO the HPC crew do a good job.

well said that man

I'm not sure what the problem is - but I made 10 posts and none of them seemed to come up.

That's why I made 2 very similar ones. about the engineering thing.

Could you possibly confirm whether I can or cannot post in the main forum?

PS I have stopped posting because it seems pointless if you only put half of my posts up and I have no idea whether a post will appear or not.

I really don't mind - it's your site - I wuld have liked to join in the discussion but you have actually made it almost impossible for me.

Was it my tongue in cheek signature which you took a dislike to? not sure.

As I said before, I wish you all a very Happy Christmas break and that 2006 brings everything you could all possibly wish for.

My prediction for 2006 (for what it's worth) is a rise of 4-6% (round here!)

And your point of just posting a qoute and making no comment is?