Oh NO! Can he be UNBANNED? I hope so! I miss him too! DAMN!!
Pauline

Kate -- please let him know that some of us miss his droll sense of humor.

I didn't think that GardenWeb banned members forever, outside of spam advertising. I know a couple of people who were banned for a finite period of time, then reinstated.

I don't look at Hot Topics very often, but it can be a free-for-all.

I've never been to the Hot Topics forum but given how lenient Gardenweb has become (compared to Spike) it must have been REALLY bad.

Pity he got the boot but I won't loose any sleep over it.

Now I must check out Hot Topics. I sent Pete a personal
e-mail of a supremely hilarious nature and I didn't hear back from him.

I went over to the Hot Topics. WHEW!!! And I thought I was opinionated. Got to give them credit. Those threads M-O-V-E. I placed two posts, one on two different threads, and was surprised by all the responses. The Heath Leger thread is kind of sweet but the political threads (and there are lot of them) are downright vicious. Frankly, I think I'll stick to the rose forums. It is a whole lot calmer over here.

Just so's you know, Pete, you are sorely missed. Hope you can come back and hope your roses bloom bountifully.

Oh I'm sure you'll be hearing from him one way or another he's pretty a clever fellow and a Pete by any other name...well!

Maybe his old friend 'delbardi' will make an appearance.

I miss Pete!!! If he has been permanently banned his IP may be blocked. But that is easy to bypass!!

Just use one of the proxy-sites and it is possible to get back under a new username. There are many in the privax network that is so helpful, should they ever ban you from a forum!!! But of course why get back to a forum that bans you? Well to keep in touch with forum friends and foes of course!

http://www.hidemyass.com/

He is like a bad penny...always manages to turn up again, He is like the weather...

I think Pete should just adopt a new name. No one would ever recognize him by his writing style.

Truth is, I miss him. He make the Forum interesting.

yes-its always fun to try to figure out what the heck he means.

I miss him too-and where is the masked crusader?

He, the caped one, was over at Hot Topics, yesterday.

He was at another forum, too, not on GW.

He's perplexed by Pete's departure.
Maybe Pete could email a 'mutual' friend of
the 'caped one' and let them know what happened.

Please come back soon any way ya can!

Even if Pete were to come back as someone else, the minute he lets it be known that it is him, someone will snitch on him.
From what I've seen on these forums every one of them seems to have a goody two shoes to make it all right in THEIR world.

This is not a private forum, anymore, and as draconian as Spike was, was he really that bad? At least there weren't any ads and you knew where the lines were drawn.
Now, it is willy nilly as to who stays and who goes.
Some, it seems, seem to get away with more than others.

Now, watch me get bumped.

I did a bit of reading on Hot Topics...its not for conservatives....and yet I never saw Pete say enough to get him banned.
Cussed at, yes. Banned? No.

I miss ya Pete...get back ON!

There were ads in Spike's day, and some would say he was draconian. I don't know if that's true. You paid a small fee not to see the ads -- now I don't see ads as long as I log in. You can also use a Mozilla browswer with adverisement blocks.

Pete must have said something, I think.... otherwise I would have thought the mods would have just warned him. From what I have read the thread was deleted, or his post was deleted, one or the other -- which leaves people wondering what happened.

I think Pete was deleted.

Someone please post a link to this Hot Topic Place..I gotta check it out..LOL...Jeanne

It's just one of the forums on this site. It's in the first list of topics, maybe halfway down the column. They ARE very ....um, opinionated.

link

Here is a link that might be useful: Hot Topics

Not for the fainthearted. Also a bit of an Obama love fest.

REDSOX, you are right about it being an Obama club, over
there. Most people over there, at Hot Topics, really can't
handle an opinion that differs from theirs. They just like
to come up with very snobby remarks and name calling, like
the "troll" word they repeat over and over. I am not afraid
of their bully tactics though, but I know how Pete must have
felt. Some of the people over there, wrote about how they
got rid of Pete and wanted to get rid of me.

Devon, I've been watching your adventures over there and I fear for you. There seems to be an effort underweigh to bait you into saying something intemperate. Please think twice before clicking the 'send' button there, can't have you off vacationing with your Jedi father.

OK, gotta go there and see the blood fest.
They are a tough bunch I'm sure. I remember last year or earlier this year they poked fun at Pete for growing roses.

Carla

Devon,

Do be careful over there.

You know, once upon a time I believe a poster over there posted the position statements on healthcare from various candidates, taken directly from their websites, and recharacterized in negative language.

Not surprisingly, most of the posters over there didn't recognize their own candidate's positions, with some becoming apoplectic when confronted with the very ideas they "support."

IOW, there seem to be a lot of intellectual "brown outs" over there.

Otherwise, if you insist on becoming a habitue over there then please refine your "cut and paste" skills, not that it will ultimately matter.

:)

MichaelAT

...and so where is Devon? There is no reply to his Birthday post. Is he in Disney with Pete??

Rumor has it that Devon has joined Pete based on his Hot Topics performance.

There is a woman over there that I swear has B****.
Yep, Devon has mickey ears for now.

Carla

I saw that Devon had posted over there and was digging himself a deep hole. It is too bad. I will miss both of their posts here.

Bummer!

Do they still send warnings first? I know Pete and I were warned several years ago after we went to town on eachother!.

Yes, Joe and you learned from that experience...

I still don't know what Devon did that was so bad. He started off in a very controversial manner. I couldn't believe it was our Devon. He made a lot of enemies and was labeled a troll.

Harry, I only read one thread but that certainly couldn't have done him in. Whiny people just didn't like him, bottom line.
They can be like wolves and will eat you up. LOL

Carla

Hey folks, I post on Hot Topics a lot, so feel the need to defend it a bit. It is not a place for thin-skinned posters, but it can be very interesting watching all the different opinions and attitudes--and even following some of the fighting. And if you like politics during this very political year, it's a great place for following the nuances of political thought and loyalties.

If you do not like to argue or to follow other arguments, don't go there. However, it can be quite stimulating if you enjoy that kind of "entertainment."

Words of advice:

Don't walk in with a chip on your shoulder. They will take you down fast if you do.

Don't try to impress them with inflammatory posts that you believe will throw them into confusion and chaos and thereby convince them that you are mr/ms superior being. They will cut you down to size quickly.

Don't flaunt yourself just for the sake of getting attention. They won't like you.

Be prepared to defend your position by discussing it and by citing legitimate sources. They hate drive-by shooters.

I'm not pointing a finger at any particular poster--just generalizing about a variety of posters I've seen get in trouble on Hot Topics. Posters can get banned over there for using certain taboo words and for personal insults. Other than that, I'm not aware of anyone getting kicked off for having an unpopular viewpoint--or about half the regular posters over there would be banned!

Oh yes, I should mention that politically, Hot Topics posters tend to be Democrats or Independents--but there are lots of dissenting viewpoints even within those parameters. Conservative viewpoints are relatively rare over there, but no one objects per se to conservatives posting unless the conservatives are doing it just to harass non-conservatives.

If you want to try it out, I suggest you spend at least several weeks just reading posts--until you get the feel for the place. Then enter in the spirit of the place--and you can have some "vigorous" fun also.

Kate

Well I think this whole thing stinks. Not only have we lost two of our friends through going there and being banned, we also have lost a lot of other friends who do not frequent here any more. Kate you said yourself that you spend a lot of time over there now. Well, I for one have missed you very much here, also hardly seen Foghorn or Mat and it seems more and more of our rosey friends are frequenting there. This is all because we were having that stupid debate on Climate Change and Global Warning, when it was suggested that Pete go over to Hot Topics. It was fun at first when he hit that forum a couple of times and reported back. Unfortnately now, too many of you seem to be more stimulated on that Forum and we are missing all of you. It is not the same over here now. I feel we have personally been punished too for the loss of Pete and Devon. Why could they just not have got a warning. Us in the sidelines really do not know too much about it. Why is this a permanent thing, or should I say, why is this not TEMPORARY! Actually, I know Devon Was well and truly warned from some of his friends here. I am so sorry that he did not take heed.

I just feel a big loss to this forum not just with the two banned but our other friends who have been caught up in it!
:sniff :SNIFF
Pauline - Vancouver Island

From what I have seen, getting banned just takes a few viewpoints from a conservative side combined with an spirited way of posting it. As an independent I could post something that would get both the liberals and conservatives riled in ten seconds, not that I would do that.

After wondering where Devon is and reading this post, I went to the hot topics forum to try to see what the fuss was about. I read the post he started about a woman being president. It really appeared he was just politely trying to get a dialogue going. He in no way said anything offensive, unless you count his little tongue-in-cheek remark about women needing to stop at every shoe sale. Which was followed by a "lol", and when one of those cranks took offense, he apologized profusely.

Was there something else, another thread? Am I missing something? He was kicked out because of joking about women and shoe store sales? There is no way that sort of benign banter would come under the radar of the GW staff. It must be one or more of the regulars to that hot topics column claiming false offense; I would think they would have to make up some lies in order for GW to justify banning him.

Those people are rabid. I don't mind discussing politics but there are many more sites out there where you don't have to fear being ousted just because you have a different point of view than the liberals. The hot topics forum and its regulars are certainly not worthy of our loss of Devon and Pete.

Pauline,
Don't get too upset. Its a seasonal thing. Right now the election is hot and our roses are not! You will hear more from your favorite posters as the season unfolds. And, according to the widely-used calendar of Harry, March 1st is the first day of Spring. That's tomorrow. Coincidently, the opening of Rose Season is the same day!

Gentlemen, start your pruners.

AND, although Devon is not here to inspire us and Pete is not here to annoy us, they are both happily gardening in warm places.

I don't know that Devon was permanently banned. All I know is that posters on Hot Topics and on the Rose Forums started noting that he wasn't posting anymore. Maybe he just went on vacation--like he did one other time when this forum was wondering where he disappeared to. At any rate, unless he has been receiving lots of warnings and ignoring them, I doubt if he was permanently banned. So he may be back in a week or two.

I hope Harry is correct about the seasonal thing. I get a break from work in 3 weeks, so rose season for me begins then--unless I miscalculated and some bare roots arrive earlier (oh--oh--holes not dug yet!)

By the way, if some of you want to say "Hi" to Richard (I know he is missed), he posts fairly often over on Hot Topics also. But he is very serious over there--not the funnyman we knew here.

Kate

Richard (tobr) might seem serious over there, but I see his role as a sneaky instigator. He recently started a thread about Mensa wanting to recruit the Hot Topics Forum. It is a classic which I highly recommend for winter reading material.

I was able to send Devon an e-mail just now, so he can't have been banned.

Devon told me in a private e-mail that he had been banned.

Carla

If he's banned, the e-mail link on his My Page shouldn't work. I hope it's a mistake, or at least not forever. He has contributed a lot in his short time here and his love of roses really shows.

Harry thanks for being so sweet and positive. OK, we will be in full (just about) running as Spring approaches and you start showing us pictures of those pretty Japanese Beetles again - Just kidding! I sincerely hope you do not have any to show off this year.

...........and of course any topic on the presidential campaign right now, must be very exhilerating for you all. I have been very intersted in watching the debates on TV also.

Kate, if you are anything like me when I was just about to retire. It was a very exciting time and I counted the days, hours and minutes. I am sure you will love retirement. It takes a wee while though before it becomes a reality. Most of us retire younger now, even if the right official age, we are just so much younger than past generations and we know how to have fun...ENJOY!

Pauline - Vancuver Island

So did devon make it back? I had a question>

Where is Devon? Maybe he will be back?

Carla--

Can you email Devon and see if its a permanent ban? I guess this might also let us know if Pete will ever be back.

I think Hot Topics has so many liberal points of view because those who oppose get banned. Although Pete stirred the pot I never saw him say anything that was worth banning. Devons post about a woman president was not bad....certainly not 'enough' in my opinion to require a ban. Its a shame.

"I think Hot Topics has so many liberal points of view because those who oppose get banned"
it's not liberal, its a subset of liberal, the Obama is a messiah group.

Devon's posts were liberal.

Main Entry: lib·er·al
Pronunciation: \Ëli-b(É-)rÉl\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin liberalis suitable for a freeman, generous, from liber free; perhaps akin to Old English lçodan to grow, Greek eleutheros free
Date: 14th century
1 a: of, relating to, or based on the liberal arts archaic : of or befitting a man of free birth
2 a: marked by generosity : openhanded b: given or provided in a generous and openhanded way c: ample, full
3 obsolete : lacking moral restraint : licentious
4: not literal or strict : loose
5: broad-minded; especially : not bound by authoritarianism, orthodoxy, or traditional forms
6 a: of, favoring, or based upon the principles of liberalism : of or constituting a political party advocating or associated with the principles of political liberalism; especially : of or constituting a political party in the United Kingdom associated with ideals of individual especially economic freedom, greater individual participation in government, and constitutional, political, and administrative reforms designed to secure these objectives
 lib·er·al·ly \-b(É-)rÉ-lç\ adverb
 lib·er·al·ness noun
synonyms liberal, generous, bountiful, munificent mean giving or given freely and unstintingly. liberal suggests openhandedness in the giver and largeness in the thing or amount given . generous stresses warmhearted readiness to give more than size or importance of the gift . bountiful suggests lavish, unremitting giving or providing . munificent suggests a scale of giving appropriate to lords or princes

I am going to try and keep out of there. It is not good for my blood pressure.

Beside you all know me and my big fat mouth.

Like Tommy Franks said-----.

F.L.