Got banned from a Website!!!

[Scooby4]

Hey ya!!! I am frustrated right now. Another website I visited and gave advice on, has banned me from the site!!! The moderator got mad and kicked me and other people off the site. The moderator then called me a "dictator" and then bragged on other post on her ability to "kick anyone off because she was a moderator"!!!
The reason for this temper-tantrum - is because I am a former president of a Homeowner's association!!! The website was designed for people who have problems living in their Home owner's associations. It is a way for people involved in living in a HOA, to share advice and ideas. There are VERY few board members who participate on the website due to it being very hostile to their own board members. However, I am one of the very few presidents of an HOA willing to give advice. I do it because many people don't understand what is all involved with being in and possibly running a HOA. I've always listened to these people and explained to them where to go find help or how to resolve the issue. Most of the time it is to describe who was responsible for what issues.
Yes, as you can imagine I would get many negative responses based on the fact that my post signature indicated my past connection of running a HOA. However, a majority of posters appreciated my advice and got to know me. They understood I was a former "bad guy" who was out to do good. I know I helped many homeowner's with "insider" advice so they could deal with their HOA's on a better level.
Recently, the webite had become increasingly negative and "mean" to other posters. The actual staff of the website had on several occassions sensored or modified my and other's postings. I had gotten contacted by several posters privately on this issue. The website got a new moderator. This moderator would often just post stuff and NO ONE would respond to it. It was completely weird legislative news or letters she had written her own HOA. (This website is a NATIONAL site). The information the moderator was posting was not at all logical or reasonable. Most of the "regulars" stayed away due to this. Her topic pages would just be full of only her speaking and No responses. There was no way to point out the inacuracies of what was posted.
I made the mistake of responding to a poster that the moderator had also responded to. My response was typical and nothing out of the ordinary. However, the moderator got mad because I had a signature that said I was a past president. I am NOT a board member/president anymore. Haven't been for years. I don't even live in my HOA anymore. My HOA was run very well when I was involved but now has nose-dived severly. It got to the point where I was asked by a minority of homeowners to possibly sue the new board for their bad behavior !
The moderator then started screaming I was a "dictator" and my views were anti-homeowner!!! The moderator even used the full spelled out BS word!!! Then kicked me off and gave me the message: Banned due to "Dictatorship". I later was able to get on to view she had bragged about the fact and that another poster had been banned as well! I wrote a letter to the staff of the website and they were nasty with me!!! They said my views were anti-homeowner as well.
However, I did inform the moderator and the staff of their liability issue they had going on with their website. The moderator and a few other irate posters had been posting pending lawsuits, letters to their HOA, and other personal information containing FULL name and addresses of everyone involved. I had also seen them post contact information of people without permission. I let them know this could be a "liable" or "slander" issue. If anyone named in the posting found out, they could be sued and the people on the website witnesses.
As you can guess, this last statement got me banned from even signing in!!! I am Mad!!! How can someone say I am a "dictator" based on the fact I was a board member? The moderator also attacked another poster for standing up for her participation in her board as well. Isn't the act of banning people an act of dictatorship? I find it completely ironic the person claiming "Dictatorship" is the FIRST person to act as one!!!
Thank you for listening to me. As you can tell I am frustrated. Does anyone have suggestion what I may be able to do next? I promise I am no "dictator" but may be related to the "_itch" family!!!

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Start your own site?

[Karen]

I agree that starting your won site would be the best bet - yu would then be in charge, could then still offer advice to folks, and no one could kick you off. Humans are funny creatures, and often behave unpredictably.

[Scooby4]

I found out that I wasn't the only person to be kicked off. There now are about 3 other people who were unfairly removed for their comments as well. They had commented supportively of their HOA. Just basically in the context of how much hard work it takes to be involved with one. Nothing in the way of offensive.
I managed to log on as a different user and have been reading the remaining posts. Alot of them have noticed the removal of many posters and are not happy about it. However, they also know if they say anything they are subject to ban themselves. I wrote a post that is sure to confuse the moderator. It is written in such a way that you can't tell if I am supporting the moderator or not. Of course I am not, but I am sure others will catch on to my message.
Here's the funny part. An OLD question I had posted to them month's ago miracously showed up on their main page!!! I had wanted to use their website as a possible reference to a book I was considering writing. The Website staff had added their own "Snarky" remarks to it. They put it up intentionally to get it "attacked". However, I posted a comment to it. They responded to my comment and said they wish more people were like me and had my attitude!!! How Ironic!!! They had NO clue it was me that had written the comment and the same person that had posted the original question!!!
I have been considering my own website for awhile. May do that instead of writing the book. I reckon this experience just put me over the edge to do something. I do feel for the other people who are getting banned. However, maybe something good will come from this in the future. My website!!!!

[jesse_3]

That is so dumb! Start your own sight!-I am sure that you will be much better off!

Not trying to get off subject, but, lol, What is HOA? I know dumb, but, I have wondered for a while!

Steph and Jes

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Originally posted by jesse_3
What is HOA? I know dumb, but, I have wondered for a while!

Home Owners Association perhaps?

[Scooby4]

HOA stands for Homeowner's association. I know a few people here may belong to one. There's always a pet issue going on in one of them .

[janelle]

Is Planetfeedback still around. I have belonged to a site that got very bad with some members and they went to Planetfeedback and complained but I think they also got people on Planetfeedback commenting that they were just bad attitude people.

Lots of people have started their own sites who have been members. The orginal site now has changed their nasty attitude a lot and are more lenient with people giving their views. Of course, they are strict on bad language and such but they were also testy on people with differing opinions and if they got people mad they would run to the mods and the mods would storm and yell at people. Just dumb cause lots of people will be offended with anything you say.

So many people starting their own sites and leaving the orginal site. I think that is the only way you can control the atmosphere.

I belong to a HOA. I guess we have been lucky and had no trouble at all.