Events of the Past 48 Hours

[EMTbravo 312]

All,

The EMTBravo staff tries to be objective and fair and the site administrators have counseled the staff to moderate fairly and impartially. The staff enjoys the way this site enables a variety of people to engage in thought provoking discussions, share ideas or experiences, and promote doing our jobs the right way. We believe in equal application of the rules to all members and enforce them only as necessary.

We have reviewed the situation involving an active member of this site and based upon our findings, the member did violate forum rules and after what became a heated exchange with members of the staff, he was banned. This member has since acknowledged that he did in fact violate forum rules and has apologized. It is not in dispute that these issues existed and that this member is responsible for them.

1. The member had and used multiple screen names.

2. The member was approached by a staff member regarding this and denied it.

3. Later confronted with e-mail and IP addresses and other evidence that this was in fact all the same person, the member conceded that it was him.

4. While using these alternate screen names other forum rules concerning agency bashing were violated.

5. After all this came to light, the member posted personal attacks and extremely derogatory comments directed at the staff of this site, another violation of EMTBravo policy.

As a result of the foregoing, this member was banned. Several other members carried the proverbial torch and violated forum rules and were also banned.

It is this member’s right to complain about EMTBravo to friends and peers and to vent his frustration with the staff however it serves no purpose when these friends or colleagues log in and under the guise of supporting him, violate forum rules themselves.

Some of these “brothers” are now engaging in what can only be described as harassment via e-mail and other means. This is unwarranted and inappropriate and should cease immediately. There is no reason to respond with open hostility and/or veiled threats to any member or staff.

If anyone has a question or concern about this situation, please address it via PM or e-mail. We will respond to any reasonable inquiry but will not engage in a debate about the merits of this case or the actions that have already been taken. It must be noted that the member in question has himself requested that this behavior be discontinued.

As a matter of policy, we do not discuss member issues publicly or engage in debates about moderation actions. However, the staff is also sensitive to the fact that this is a personal and emotionally charged issue and that is why a public response is being posted.

This is a membership based forum and it is impossible to please everyone or prevent people's feelings from being hurt when opposing points of view or opinions are exchanged. We must not take it personally or respond defensively when someone posts a differing point of view. Be open-minded, listen to your fellow members' opinions, and respond calmly and defend your position with facts and not rhetoric. This will eliminate the need for the staff to intervene and allow the debate to evolve productively.

Thank you for your support of and involvement with EMTBravo.

Respectfully,

The EMTBravo Staff

[Alpinerunner 61]

That is too bad. I'm an admin on another board (for cars) and it's funny how many people create multiple SNs and don't think it can be traced.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

That is too bad. I'm an admin on another board (for cars) and it's funny how many people create multiple SNs and don't think it can be traced.

I by no means have two different names but I do know that is not very complicated to do so and have it go unnoticed. It is a shame that it is happening on this site. But, in the end. this site is still full of grea tresources and information.

Lets all just get along and stay focused on our common goal.

Edited February 28, 2011 by PFDRes47cue

[PFDRes47cue 653]

I know that I do not know the details of what has happened and this might not be my place to chime in but...I was thinking about what I do know about the issue and this site and an idea popped into my head. Perhaps since this site is run but both, the hardworking staff and the people who contribute knowledge and insight, everyone should have a say in the removal the people. Perhaps a poll or vote??? I mean, what makes this site great is the knowledge that is passed around from member to member in the threads. People also gain a lot from the I/A's. If members have learned more good from the banned member than damage was done, they should be able to vote and say so. I understand that site policies were violated, but are the policies in question really worth the loss of knowledge? Maybe...either way i think se should vote, say like a jury.

[INIT915 1,119]

I know that I do not know the details of what has happened and this might not be my place to chime in but...I was thinking about what I do know about the issue and this site and an idea popped into my head. Perhaps since this site is run but both, the hardworking staff and the people who contribute knowledge and insight, everyone should have a say in the removal the people. Perhaps a poll or vote??? I mean, what makes this site great is the knowledge that is passed around from member to member in the threads. People also gain a lot from the I/A's. If members have learned more good from the banned member than damage was done, they should be able to vote and say so. I understand that site policies were violated, but are the policies in question really worth the loss of knowledge? Maybe...either way i think se should vote, say like a jury.

While I also don't know the details of what transpired, nor do I care, I think everyone forgets one thing. This is a private board. Participation by any and all members is at the sole discretion of the board’s owner/operator/staff. The have the absolute right to ban/censor/limit any discussions/topics/etc.

While I not always agreed with the actions taken on particular topics in the past, I am conscious of the fact that we use this board with the consent of the operators.

The concepts that a private board is censored dosen’t hold much water. As with any private organization, if you don't like the rules, you essentially have two options. Find another board or start your own. I can only imagine a significant amount of work went into developing this board, and I'm sure you'll find out exactly how much if you try and start your own.

[PFDRes47cue 653]

While I also don't know the details of what transpired, nor do I care, I think everyone forgets one thing. This is a private board. Participation by any and all members is at the sole discretion of the board's owner/operator/staff. The have the absolute right to ban/censor/limit any discussions/topics/etc.

While I not always agreed with the actions taken on particular topics in the past, I am conscious of the fact that we use this board with the consent of the operators.

The concepts that a private board is censored dosen't hold much water. As with any private organization, if you don't like the rules, you essentially have two options. Find another board or start your own. I can only imagine a significant amount of work went into developing this board, and I'm sure you'll find out exactly how much if you try and start your own.

Yup. I am aware of the fact that this is a private board. But I also am aware that the Moderators probably want people with a lot of knowledge that can be shared to be members. I'm not going to go further into this as it is not my place...

[helicopper 1,050]

I know that I do not know the details of what has happened and this might not be my place to chime in but...I was thinking about what I do know about the issue and this site and an idea popped into my head. Perhaps since this site is run but both, the hardworking staff and the people who contribute knowledge and insight, everyone should have a say in the removal the people. Perhaps a poll or vote??? I mean, what makes this site great is the knowledge that is passed around from member to member in the threads. People also gain a lot from the I/A's. If members have learned more good from the banned member than damage was done, they should be able to vote and say so. I understand that site policies were violated, but are the policies in question really worth the loss of knowledge? Maybe...either way i think se should vote, say like a jury.

PFD, while an interesting idea it is not practical.. It would also mean that popular members could get away with violating the rules and lesser known or unpopular members would get the boot. The rules are the rules and the staff is here to enforce them when necessary. It is not about popularity.

Rest assured that the staff takes such action very seriously and decisions to remove a member are not taken lightly.

[Guest maximbull]

i too do not know the details but this is my 2 cents , i think the board did the right thing

[JohnnyOV 2]

PFD, while an interesting idea it is not practical.. It would also mean that popular members could get away with violating the rules and lesser known or unpopular members would get the boot.

Sounds like any volunteer officer election to me... should fit in seamlessly with the board then