Hi,

This isn't exactly a debate, so I will offer some opinions to make it fit into the Opinions & Debate area.

There has been a bit of confusion, speculation, and questions from members of WWP, and I know some members here are also active posters there. People have wondered about the odd behavior of sue, who is the admin there. In an effort to relieve some of the recent drama, I will gladly address questions about WWP here.

Having just been banned yesterday (Miranda and James Spader quit in solidarity), I have no ties to the site anymore, so expect honest and clear answers.

Mark Cabian aka Tangerine

Why does WWP allow anonymous postings? Aren't made up names like "Mark Cabian" good enough?
Why does WWP have a "thunderdome"? Isn't that just an excuse to hide posts from google searches?
Why are homophobic rants tolerated there?
Why are OSA-bots like Herro lauded while active protesters such as myself, Smuf, AnonOrange, Radio Paul, Tory Magoo, MonaMia and more were banned?
Why has WWP's audience declined so dramatically? There are never more than fifty members logged on most of the time.

1) Anonymous posting is a feature that people like. It does set it apart from places like here or ESMB, but it is a vague reflection of anonymous image boards where Chanology began - and ironically, that was the way Marblecake (mods) cheated people into thinking that the Project Chanology idea was unanimously supported.

2) The Thunderdome was a feature added when Enturb was going. When it essentially became WWP, that feature was kept on. There are a good amount of threads that do not deserve the light of day, and it could be abused by mods or sue as well. I briefly had my thread domed by a mod because he's "edgy" - but another Global Mod brought it back. That was my resignation thread or a couple weeks ago.

3) Gays are openly appreciated there. I haven't seen any dislike or hate of gays.

4) Herro is not OSA, unless someone can prove he is, I am content to believe he's just a character. I don't know the specifics of all of those you asked about being banned, but as far as Smurf, sue didn't like how much he was doxing, and to the extent of it, so banned him. Tory was the target of an attack, as you know, by Daywatch and Megaphone Bitch, which became known as the "Tory Drama", and the troll was designed to cause a rift - or drive a wedge between anons and OG. I thought she chose to not return, but I never asked her what happened.

5) WWP has about 60 people on at any given time, and around 200 others viewing. I think this number is pretty steady.

I'm here too and can answer questions if necessary. I love WWP very much and will miss the community there. However, recently administrative decisions and actions caused me to feel I needed to take a stand out of conscience. I hate not being a mod there, mostly because there were people depending on me and now I can't help them or even respond. Hope they will contact me one way or another.

It's interesting that on an Internet board where the mantra "dox or STFU" is the norm, and where I was continually being asked for dox, in pm's & open forum, that Sue would ban me for doing what was asked of me. Not once did Sue or any mod pm a warning, or a complaint that I was doxing inappropriately, though there were some anonymous posts challenging me on this. I never took anonymous challenges serious given the level of trolls that were posted in that manner.

Then I was viciously attacked in a thread with Sue's blessing. Anons were not the only ones privy to that thread. I received phone calls & emails from journalists, including one writing a book on the cult, and attorneys, that expressed their disgust for the thread & said it only made Scientology look like the good guys when they are attacking Anonymous.

It's sad.

Welcome, Miranda.

Hi, Smurf -

Last night in the mod forum we were discussing a guideline for doxing, which we could place in the New Members Area. Some good ideas were formed, and although discretion calls would have to be made on an individual basis, it would at least be something to point to as a known rule in the matter of doxing. During this group conversation, sue arrived and said: there will be no doxing, period. I asked what we're supposed to do when someone drops dox, and sue said remove it, and if it continues, ban the member. Then I posted a link to David Love's thread, and asked so do you want this removed? Then I blinked and I was de-modded. I had just enough time to post publicly before I had my IP banned.

So, it really wasn't a matter of what you did, Smurf. Sue is a dictator there, and even when all the mods are coming to a very reasonable approach to address doxing guidelines, sue doesn't care. It's his way or the highway.

I am sorry you were the target of his abuse. This is why James Spader and Miranda quit after I was instantly banned for continuing a conversation about doxing. It is the irrational behavior of one person.

Obviously, this is dox issue is a huge deal for sue, and when I resigned not long ago, it was because sue attacked me in a mod discussion - again, about doxing. I felt he was very abusive and demeaning, so I resigned in the mod forum, right then and there. I posted a public resignation right afterward, but instantly, he de-modded my Tangerine account.

Smurf - look at the pattern: sue returns after a long break. He changes servers, and has a new look for WWP. He's the only admin. Germany gets banned, you get banned, I resign due to direct abuse, agreed to return as a mod, got banned for discussing dox, now 3 mods are gone, and doxing is verboten. And this is just the beginning, I would bet.

Don't take the ban personally. I wouldn't.

Do you anon's truly think it is healthy to post anonymously? Within my industry most of the boards require the use on your real name and not a made up one. This allows for far better and intelligent discussion. Moderation then becomes a far easier and enjoyable experience. I never feared scientology knowing who I am. Much if any paranoia was driven by those that posted anonymously. That in turn spread unfounded fear within the critic community.

Yes there have been examples of scientology giving those critical of the organization a hard time ,but that tactic preceded long before many of us came along as critic's. The people that have had the most public impact on scientology are those that have always been very up front about who they are. Its the way life is. Anonymous as an entity has always championed the free flow of information on the internet. Why does anonymous not practice what it preaches?

People like the option of posting some things anonymously. One example would be posting in regard to a specific action against the cult, and one might feel that there is no advantage in letting them know it's Mark Cabian, that protester they have a file on. And as I said, it can also be used to give a false impression of consensus, or initiating a "hivemind" impression of any given situation. When reading an anonymous post, it should be looked upon with that in mind.

I think that in most cases, Anonymous does practice what it preaches, as far as individuals remaining anonymous.

Hi Miranda - good to see you here. You were IP banned like me, right? I miss moderating; it was a great way to help members there, and if anyone from there sees this - I cannot access any of my accounts at WWP with an IP ban. If you have sent me a message, I cannot read it. You'll have to contact me through this forum from now on.

Mark Cabian/Tangerine/etc.

I sincerely appreciate the time you took to respond to this, MC. I wasn't so upset with the ban as I was with the heightened level of hate-mongering & nastiness on the "Banned Smurf" thread. An anon informed me that Miranda told him she had no issue with my being banned, and wanted to stay out of the nastiness, but Miranda "liked" alot of the nasty posts and was part of the problem, and not the solution.

Then, there were the posts using the very same dox that the cult has used to dead-agent me. It make some outside WWP, who saw the thread, and there was alot of backlot chatter about it on the boards & Facebook... who WWP viewed as the enemy - Smurf or Scientology?

I'm glad I'm no longer part of that diseased environment. It's sad because there are a number of anons & mods that post there who's hearts & minds are in the right place.

Thank you, whitesand

See this is what I am talking about. This fear of a FILE on you by scientology? You must admit that is rather laughable. If you abide by the laws within your area/country you have nothing to worry about. That mindset sounds like "Cold war era" paranoia. Fueling that paranoia on our part gives the cult an upper hand in silencing the critic.

Oh! Sorry so many questions. Sorry to see the end of something that back in early 2008 had a chance to make a real long term impact around the world. I too once championed anonymous until I started thinking for myself as opposed to a hive mentality. Very cult like me thinks. Also glad you two are here and sharing!

Hi Mark and Miranda!

i r Clamosaurus over thar

*points to WWP*


I knew I'd seen you before, Miranda




P.S.
No questions about WWP from moi