Hello Everybody,

I have said it before. There are no moderators in Fidonet.
There are also no moderators in this echo. Never have been.
Never will be. Messages are posted directly, not screened
or pre-screened by anyone, in any echo in Fidonet.

As a participant of this echo, Mike Powell is free to write
anything he wants. Including making wild claims of being
"moderator" of this echo. Since there is no such thing as
a moderator in Fidonet, we all know Mike Powell is having
a fantasy. Kind of like defeated president Donald Trump
having a fantasy about having won the presidential election
against Joe Biden.

Of course, in a manner of speaking, all participants of
this echo are moderators. We all write our own rules, and
impose/enforce those rules upon ourselves. Those who like
it here, stay. Those who do not, leave.

That is how we vote. Participants vote with their feet.
Just like moderators. We stomp ourselves out if we do not
like what we see.

Such is the beauty of the <N>ext key.

--Lee

--
As good as it looks

--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se:4119 (2:203/2)

I have said it before. There are no moderators in Fidonet.
There are also no moderators in this echo. Never have been.

Being a Fidonet echo "moderator" is more like being a -curator- of the echo. If an echo didn't have a curator, then people wouldn't post anything in there. Then sysops wouldn't bother to subscribe to the echo.

Maybe Mike's bullying you behind the scenes? Sending you innapropriate text messages perhaps? lol Tell us what he's done to you! Don't let him moderate
you any longer!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
* Origin: CompuBBS | Ashburn VA | cfbbs.scinet-ftn.org (1:275/99)

Hello Aaron,

I have said it before. There are no moderators in Fidonet.
There are also no moderators in this echo. Never have been.

Being a Fidonet echo "moderator" is more like being a -curator- of the echo.

There is no official "elist" or "echolist" in Fidonet.
Nor should there be. If you want a list, create your own.

If an echo didn't have a curator, then people wouldn't post anything in there.

Sysops are curators of their own systems and are free to put on
whatever the heck they want. Even if it is their own scribble scratch
and nobody else's.

Nobody "owns" Fidonet echoes - except the participants themselves.
And participants vote with their feet. Their own feet, and of their
own accord. Those who like an echo stay. Those who do not, leave.

Then sysops wouldn't bother to subscribe to the echo.

Why would sysops want to bother subscribing to an empty echo?
Or to an echo that none of his base of supporters are interested
in?

We are a bunch of old farts sitting around having a conversation.
The area of the schoolyard we are at is called "politics" - for the
lack of any other appropriate name/tag.

Of course, we could always decide to call it "bullshit" or some
other name. But why go through all that trouble since we are already
here?

Maybe Mike's bullying you behind the scenes?

Mike is an active participant in this echo. If he has anything he
wants to say to me he can say it here in the open echo. Nobody is
stopping him. Not me or anybody I know, anyway.

Sending you innapropriate text messages perhaps? lol

Like I said, if Mike has anything he wants to say to me he can say
it here in the open echo.

Tell us what he's done to you!

There is much that Mike might want to do to me, but since I am
living rent-free inside his head he is unable to act out his wild
fantasies.

Don't let him moderate you any longer!

He can't, no matter how hard he tries.
I own him.
Lock, stock, and barrel.

--Lee

--
When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.
--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se:4119 (2:203/2)

Don't let him moderate you any longer!

He can't, no matter how hard he tries.

Posting the rules is moderating. Asking people to obey the rules is
moderating. So then, Mike is "moderating" this echo.

BBS softwares lack the technology to allow a Fidonet echo moderator to delete messages on individual BBSs, or to even block the flow of messages, unlike internet forum moderators. "Moderator" means less in the Fido world than it does in the internet world, but just try to take that all in moderation :)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
* Origin: CompuBBS | Ashburn VA | cfbbs.scinet-ftn.org (1:275/99)

BBS softwares lack the technology to allow a Fidonet echo moderator to delete messages on individual BBSs, or to even block the flow of messages,

Really? So you haven't heard of crashmail, that I've been using for two decades now:

Commands
--------
TWIT

Don't import the message. The message will be sent to downlinks as usual.

Example:

FILTER TYPE=ECHOMAIL and FROMNAME="Hubba Hopp"
TWIT



..
--- Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; sv-SE; rv:1.9.1.16) Gecko/20101125
* Origin: news://eljaco.se:4119 (2:203/2)

Hello Aaron,

Don't let him moderate you any longer!

He can't, no matter how hard he tries.

Posting the rules is moderating.

Rule #1: There are no rules.
Rule #2: See Rule #1.

Asking people to obey the rules is moderating.

Feel free to obey the rules. Or not.

So then, Mike is "moderating" this echo.

A sysop is lord and master of his own system.
Not on anything others do, or not do.

Mike is free to post whatever rules he wants.
Mike is free to obey the rules he posts. Or not.

Other than that, his "powers" are non-existent.

BBS softwares lack the technology to allow a Fidonet echo moderator to delete
messages on individual BBSs, or to even block the flow of messages, unlike internet forum moderators. "Moderator" means less in the Fido world than it
does in the internet world, but just try to take that all in moderation :)

Every participant (and non-participant) has a <N>ext key.
Those who are unable or unwilling to learn how to use it is
their own problem.

--Lee

--
In solidarity - RIP George Floyd - Black Lives Matter
--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se:4119 (2:203/2)

BBS softwares lack the technology to allow a Fidonet echo moderator to delete messages on individual BBSs, or to even block the flow of messages,

Not true. If you got your feed for this echo from me, for example, you
would be receiving a version that lacks a couple of users who cannot participate in an adult manner, instead resorting to profanity or sexist remarks. Their posts don't show up here, and do not flow to downlinks.

The caveat is that their posts get scrubbed from any echo I have available.
I weighed that fact and realized I would not be missing anything. Their
posts are not scrubbed from passthru echoes.


* SLMR 2.1a * "Did you open the Microwave door before the 'ding'"?
--- SBBSecho 3.12-Linux
* Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)

This (censorship) is a clear violation of P4, which calls for
automatic excommunication from Fidonet. Mike Powell is welcome to
continue participating in this echo, as well as everyone, as this
echo is open to ALL.

The participants of this echo own this echo. NO INDIVIDUAL HAS
RIGHT TO CENSOR MESSAGES OR KEEP OTHERS FROM SENDING/RECEIVING
MESSAGES. Not in this echo, or anywhere else in Fidonet.

Here is what Mike Powell wrote, in his own words, in this echo -

... If you got your feed for this echo from me, for example, you
would be receiving a version that lacks a couple of users who cannot participate in an adult manner, instead resorting to profanity or sexist remarks. Their posts don't show up here, and do not flow to downlinks.

The caveat is that their posts get scrubbed from any echo I have available.
I weighed that fact and realized I would not be missing anything. Their posts are not scrubbed from passthru echoes.

IOW, Mike Powell has created his own private network inside of
Fidonet, and appointed himself not only "moderator" if this echo,
but of ALL of Fidonet. And nobody can question his actions.

That's right. Mike Powell is answerable to nobody except himself.
No authority rules over the Supreme Dictator. Not even P4 has any
hold on his actions.

Mike Powell's "Rules" for this echo are a joke. Especially given
the fact that he routinely ignores them himself.

Let's take a look-see of some of Mike Powell's own words, uttered
in this very echo -

"Your English is passable for someone for whom English is a third (or
more) language. Lee's English is not always so great, like maybe it
is not his first (or second) language, either, especially when he
seems excited about something." 1/30/2022

"Persons with multiple personality disorders can display skills and
traits in one personality that other personalities may not be good at,
or may not even be aware of." 1/30/2022

"By the way, weren't you banned from here several years ago by the
moderator at the time, an event that gave birth to your Cajun Swedish
Meatball alter-ego sock-puppet Lee Lofaso?" 1/29/2022

"Alan cannot remember that far. Someone will get on you for not
quoting Alan's original email, but Alan would just read that and
claim he never said whatever it was you quoted so in his case what
is the point?" 1/24/2022

I can go on, showing many more quotes by "Mr Moderator". But I do
not have the time (as I have only gone back one week), having better
things to do, as time itself is the most precious commodity we have.

So please. Enjoy the show. And don't let the bedbugs bite.

--Lee

--
In solidarity - RIP George Floyd - Black Lives Matter
--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se:4119 (2:203/2)

Hello Everybody,

Congrats to Mike Powell, who has become the first person in Fidonet
to have made the Hall of Shame, due to his acts of censorship. We all
know what the First Amendment and the US Constitution means to him.

"The Congress shall make no law" - as Mike Powell has become the law.

Mike Powell - The Soviet Commissar of Fidonet.

... If you got your feed for this echo from me, for example, you
would be receiving a version that lacks a couple of users who cannot participate in an adult manner, instead resorting to profanity or sexist remarks. Their posts don't show up here, and do not flow to downlinks.

The caveat is that their posts get scrubbed from any echo I have available.
I weighed that fact and realized I would not be missing anything. Their posts are not scrubbed from passthru echoes.

We have all read the insults and personal attacks Mike Powell has
made, in public, in this very echo. He is now telling the world that
he is The Decider (just like GWB) and nobody who uses his system will
have the freedom to fully participate in this echo, or in any echo
in Fidonet.

Mike Powell is a stain on the entire Fidonet community. If he was
an honorable man he would pack up his board and leave. But he won't
do that.

Mike Powell is not an honorable man.

--Lee

--
What beer drinkers drink when they're not drinking beer
--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se:4119 (2:203/2)

BBS softwares lack the technology to allow a Fidonet echo moderator t delete messages on individual BBSs, or to even block the flow of mess

Really? So you haven't heard of crashmail, that I've been using for
two decades now:

Commands
--------
TWIT

Don't import the message. The message will be sent to downlinks as
usual.

Example:

FILTER TYPE=ECHOMAIL and FROMNAME="Hubba Hopp"
TWIT

I heard of crashmail before but I had no idea what it was all about. Thanks
for this clarification.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
* Origin: CompuBBS | Ashburn VA | cfbbs.scinet-ftn.org (1:275/99)

Mike is free to post whatever rules he wants.
Mike is free to obey the rules he posts. Or not.

Other than that, his "powers" are non-existent.

I'll just keep obeying the rules just in case. You never know. He could be a cop. What's gonna happen if he pulls me over? "Aaron Thomas eh? You're the guy who keeps on posting false falacies on my fido echo!"

Every participant (and non-participant) has a <N>ext key.

Some sysops are tyrants, and they restrict access to that command. They force users to read stuff they don't want to read (Maxine Waters would say "it's
just like slavery.")

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
* Origin: CompuBBS | Ashburn VA | cfbbs.scinet-ftn.org (1:275/99)

BBS softwares lack the technology to allow a Fidonet echo moderator to delete messages on individual BBSs, or to even block the flow of messa

Not true. If you got your feed for this echo from me, for example, you would be receiving a version that lacks a couple of users who cannot participate in an adult manner, instead resorting to profanity or sexist remarks. Their posts don't show up here, and do not flow to downlinks.

It's probably just kids. I harrassed the Fido people when I was a kid ;)

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
* Origin: CompuBBS | Ashburn VA | cfbbs.scinet-ftn.org (1:275/99)

Hello Aaron,

Mike is free to post whatever rules he wants.
Mike is free to obey the rules he posts. Or not.

Other than that, his "powers" are non-existent.

I'll just keep obeying the rules just in case.

Rules? There aren't any rules.

You never know.

I always know.

He could be a cop.

He could also be a robber.

What's gonna happen if he pulls me over?

I hear he always takes a knee ...

"Aaron Thomas eh? You're the guy who keeps on posting false falacies on my fido echo!"

And leave you speechless in the process.

Every participant (and non-participant) has a <N>ext key.

Some sysops are tyrants, and they restrict access to that command.

Mike is free to do whatever the fuck he wants on his own system.
But censoring the content, and restricting what participants who
have their messages uploaded and downloaded, is a clear violation
of P4, which mandates automatic excommunication for sysops who
do this.

They force users to read stuff they don't want to read (Maxine Waters would
say "it's just like slavery.")

If you need a babysitter to read messages on a BBS I truly
feel sorry for you. As well as for the idiot who provides you
such a babysitting "service".

Most of us in this forum are grown adults and are able to
make our own decisions.

--Lee

--
Be Stupid
--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se:4119 (2:203/2)

Hello Aaron,

BBS softwares lack the technology to allow a Fidonet echo

moderator to

delete messages on individual BBSs, or to even block the flow of

messa

Not true. If you got your feed for this echo from me, for example,

you

would be receiving a version that lacks a couple of users who cannot
participate in an adult manner, instead resorting to profanity or

sexist

remarks. Their posts don't show up here, and do not flow to

downlinks.

It's probably just kids. I harrassed the Fido people when I was a kid ;)

Mike is on an ego trip. Kind of like Ross Cassell, the former
self-declared King of Fido. Got himself all upset when I started
posting messages in his favorite echo. So upset that he left
Fidonet entirely, never to return.

--Lee

--
Show me what democracy looks like! / This is what demcracy looks like!
--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se:4119 (2:203/2)

Aaron Thomas wrote to Lee Lofaso <=-

Some sysops are tyrants, and they restrict access to that command. They force users to read stuff they don't want to read (Maxine Waters would
say "it's just like slavery.")

Of course, you can use the same argument that the Lefties used when confronted by the blatent censorship on platforms like Facebook:

They are privately owned companies and don't have to obey the First Amendment.

I wonder if BBSs are covered under Section 230.


... I have but three enemies: fear, anger, ignorance.
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/09/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (1:120/616)

Of course, you can use the same argument that the Lefties used when confronted by the blatent censorship on platforms like Facebook:

They are privately owned companies and don't have to obey the First Amendment.

Some people seem to have a hard time understanding the difference between the US Constitution and the Terms of Service they agreed upon when signing up for said *privately* offered services.

Like most constitutions, the US ditto is rules about what the *government* is *allowed* to do, and does *not* cover every private enterprise in the world.



..
--- Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; sv-SE; rv:1.9.1.16) Gecko/20101125
* Origin: news://eljaco.se:4119 (2:203/2)

Some sysops are tyrants, and they restrict access to that command. Th force users to read stuff they don't want to read (Maxine Waters woul say "it's just like slavery.")

Of course, you can use the same argument that the Lefties used when confronted by the blatent censorship on platforms like Facebook:

They are privately owned companies and don't have to obey the First Amendment.

It's only a matter of time before a leftist tries to sue a BBS sysop for human rights violations. A ex-friend of mine, who I had known for like 30 years, suddenly got hurt feelings because he thought I restricted his access on my BBS, and now he won't talk to me anymore. Good thing he's a conservative!
--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
* Origin: CompuBBS | Ashburn VA | cfbbs.scinet-ftn.org (1:275/99)

Aaron Thomas wrote to Dr. What <=-

It's only a matter of time before a leftist tries to sue a BBS sysop
for human rights violations.

Sadly, too true. But if that happens, it could be used for suing Facebook for the same thing.

A ex-friend of mine, who I had known for
like 30 years, suddenly got hurt feelings because he thought I
restricted his access on my BBS, and now he won't talk to me anymore.
Good thing he's a conservative!

I have to deal with a bunch of out-laws who are like that.

Person 1 perceives Person 2 slighted them.
Person 1 don't ask Person 2 to clear things up, but rather assumes the worst. Person 1 then treats Person 2 as though Person 1's fantasy is reality.
Lots of drama ensues because Person 1 won't admit that they made a mistake.

(BTW: My wife has officially labeled her parent's house "Crazy Town".)


... I think my learning curve has turned into a circle.
___ MultiMail/Linux v0.52

--- Mystic BBS/QWK v1.12 A47 2021/09/29 (Linux/64)
* Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (1:120/616)

On 04 Feb 2022, Ron L. said the following...

It's only a matter of time before a leftist tries to sue a BBS sysop for human rights violations.

Sadly, too true. But if that happens, it could be used for suing
Facebook for the same thing.

So, bringing this all together, what you're saying is that it's only a matter of time before a conservative tries to sue Facebook for human rights violations, but that doing so requires a "leftist" to set precedent by suing a BBS sysop for the same thing. Did the hypocrisy of this prediction escape you?

Jeff.
--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Cold War Computing BBS (1:387/26)

Hello Jeff,

It's only a matter of time before a leftist tries to sue a BBS

sysop

for human rights violations.

Sadly, too true. But if that happens, it could be used for suing
Facebook for the same thing.

So, bringing this all together, what you're saying is that it's only a matter
of time before a conservative tries to sue Facebook for human rights violations, but that doing so requires a "leftist" to set precedent by suing
a BBS sysop for the same thing. Did the hypocrisy of this prediction escape
you?

Facebook's stock value dropped $250 billion yesterday. The largest
value loss in a single day by any company in history. Another day or
two should finish Facebook (Meta) off forever.

--Lee

--
It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken
--- MesNews/1.08.05.00-gb
* Origin: news://eljaco.se:4119 (2:203/2)

On 04 Feb 2022, Lee Lofaso said the following...

So, bringing this all together, what you're saying is that it's only matter
of time before a conservative tries to sue Facebook for human rights violations, but that doing so requires a "leftist" to set precedent b suing
a BBS sysop for the same thing. Did the hypocrisy of this prediction escape
you?

Facebook's stock value dropped $250 billion yesterday. The largest
value loss in a single day by any company in history. Another day or
two should finish Facebook (Meta) off forever.

Prediction noted.

Jeff.
--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Raspberry Pi/32)
* Origin: Cold War Computing BBS (1:387/26)

Person 1 perceives Person 2 slighted them.
Person 1 don't ask Person 2 to clear things up, but rather assumes the worst. Person 1 then treats Person 2 as though Person 1's fantasy is reality. Lots of drama ensues because Person 1 won't admit that they
made a mistake.

Some people can handle insults way better than others (or perceived insults.) Another friend of mine ordered a fish sandwich, and the deli clerk said "We don't take foodstamps for fish sandwiches," and he STILL bought it.

An insult like that would have made me no longer want food from that deli, but I wouldn't come back weeks later, wasted on liquor, complaining about technicalities of the manager's job title.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A46 2020/08/26 (Linux/64)
* Origin: CompuBBS | Ashburn VA | cfbbs.scinet-ftn.org (1:275/99)