Banned at AboveTopSecret, public execution style

One day after causing a firestorm over at AboveTopSecret.com by showing that the plane engine seen in the Shanksville crater was planted by a backhoe bucket, ATS bans me. But they didn't just ban me, they did a public banning of me (you'll have to copy/paste the URL in your browser because ATS redirected the link. Hmm.):

SkepticOverlord posted on 14-6-2007

A Public Banning Today...

A rare public banning today on ATS.

Normally we don't discuss bannings, but given recent events in our 9/11 Conspiracies forum, it seems appropriate to be open about this one.

After much consideration and discussion among our staff, it is with sincere regret that I announce the termination of ATS membership privileges for "killtown." This is unfortunate since, until recently, it has often been a benefit for our membership to have direct access to one of the early pioneers of vocal 9/11 conspiracy speculation.

Also, in what may be a first for us, off-ATS content and activity factored heavily in our decision to ban him. Many members may feel his on-ATS actions are cause for banning, but that's not where we focused our decision.

If you've been paying attention to this (9/11) forum, we appear to have become one of many "battle grounds" (as one member put it) in an escalating war of attention-seeking among competing "9/11 Truth" groups.

Killtown was exploiting the critical nature of ATS members by posting controversial theories here, participating minimally in responding to the critical discussion, then discussing his being "attacked" or "censored" on ATS via postings on other safe harbor websites. It appears as though we were being used as a means to build some kind of macho credibility that involved a series of false and insulting accusations directed toward ATS and our members that included "censorship," members as "shills," and everyone "aiding the perps."

Certainly, this is not the first nor the last bit of insulting criticism of ATS by conspiracy extremists. Typically, we've ignored it in favor of focusing on running ATS the way we feel is best for our members (must be working, we have lots of members & traffic). However, in this case, we saw the need to end what was becoming an escalation of abusive exploitation of fair and logical questions from our critical members.


-- IMPORTANT --

I want to add that this action in no way implies any desire to place limits of any kind on the topics that can be discussed in our 9/11 Conspiracies or other forums. Open and honest dialogue on any topic within the boundaries of our Terms & Conditions is what we have stood for, what we stand for now, and always will. Undoubtedly we'll see a cascade of off-site criticism and insulting rhetoric over this action... so be it. We stand by it as the proper choice in the best interests of our members and the flow of productive and civil discussion.

Hmm, I've never heard of ATS doing a public banning of a member and this public banning of me was supposedly a "rare" one, so I guess that means they've done this before (I'd be surprised if they actually did). Me thinks they purposely choose to hang me in front of everyone for political reasons.


Now I don't know about you, but doesn't publicly lynching a member at a conspiracy forum that's supposed to be about "finding the truth" like they just did to me and trying to "make an example out of him" (i.e. embarrass them) seem a tad unprofessional and ironic? I can't help but chuckle when I read ATS's mantra:

We are the Internet's largest and most popular community dedicated to the intelligent discussion and debate of "alternative topics" such as conspiracies, UFO's, paranormal, secret societies, and dozens of related topics.

With 111,936 members generating 3,169,838 posts of substance that cover 274,397 topics in 142 different discussion forums, you could say "the truth is in here."

The simple yet effective motto of our membership is "deny ignorance", which signifies an effort to apply the principals of critical thought and peer review to the provocative topics covered within.

And with a highly professional staff of 48 dedicated people, AboveTopSecret.com is renowned for enabling the discussion of nearly anything while insisting on polite civility and respectful decorum.

Back to the accusations against me, the first thing you'll notice is that "SkepticOverlord" failed to include any evidence to prove all his accusations against me. I guess you'll just have to take his word. The sad thing is, many ATS members have done just that (read the entire thread). Here's my favorite:

"I do not know the member that go banned and I already said that I was sure [it] was for a good reason." - marg6043

So since in America we are "innocent until proven guilty" (at least I hope we still are), I don't need to defend myself from SkepticOverlord's accusations against me. He needs to prove his allegations against me. Otherwise his accusations against me are nothing more than slander.


A couple members there voiced concern on that thread about my banning which I'm greatful for. I hope somebody there asks SkepticOverlord to prove his accusations against me though.


But if you want to see if I was the "bad guy" in all this, here is the main thread of mine that it is in my opinion called most of the ruckus against me:

Shanksville engine planted by a backhoe bucket? (theory)

You'll notice that I get attacked first and some members there try to derail the topic. Here's my favorite attack (and notice this member didn't get banned):

"You have posted fake imagery, used a misleading title, not provided any evidence, if you have or conspired in the hoax, you deserve not only banning, but arresting as well, it is treasonous and disrespectful and you have absolutely no evidence apart from fabricated images and hoplessly misinformed speculation of the saddest kind...
Do you like posting lies on here and posting about the reaction to it on other sites and Blogs to try and big yourself up? or trying to get yourself banned , so you look like you are getting somewhere, i see you have even been banned on Avery's site... wow, that must take something... you proudly wear that banning like a medal on your blog, do u want one from here as well, so you can show off your bannings of honour?.. your no planes BS will be the undoing of you, that is if there is anything??
You are discracefully using ATS to enhance your profile and that of your equally shady mates..
I hope you sell nothing of whatever you are thinking about releasing, or are you just a wannabee Killtown..
You seem to be pushing too far, you should be careful." - Fowl Play

You'll then notice that the thread was locked by the same mod who attacked me in that very thread. If you see posts by me that looked like I had attacked someone are was being rude to them, look at their post(s) that I was replying to and you can make up your own mind if I was justified with my responses.


I do admit I don't take being attacked well. If you punch me for no justifiable reason, I will punch you back and I might even kick you when you're on the ground to teach you a lesson for punching me in the first place without just reason. Also, I get attacked by posters all the time on forums and most of the forum admins don't do anything about these attackers, so I'm usually forced to retaliate and defend myself. Yeah yeah yeah, I should just "ignore them" if they are attacking me. Hey, I have my faults.


So the list of conspiracy forums that have banned me.


Remember:





If you're tired of conspiracy forums that censor people because of their theories, come join one of the few who won't:

www.911movement.org