Thread: Conflicts on the forum

If Mike (a so called moderator) does not play by the rules, then what will this forum turn into? Mike has been starting arguments, and twisting words to make it seem as though he was never in the wrong. I would not expect this from a moderator, and personally think it gives this forum a bad name. Why is nothing done to stop him?

Well, here's your solution: I quit.

lol, don't hold back there Mike

It's not like you to care about крап like that though.

Well, mike has been putting up with alot behind the scenes too.
but this topic will most likely be deleted soon, so no point in making a convorsation out of it.

i just hope alot of people see it before alex does and deletes it !

Come on people, Mike's just making this forum a livelier place! I don't always agree with him, but I don't care. If you don't like the posts he makes, don't read them. But I must agree, he is the most volatile moderator I've seen in any forum...

Yes, sometimes what he says is too abrupt, but behind all this you can see that he is a very good person. And he is a wonderful moderator.
Mike, don't leave us, please!

The whole world is full of unintelligent dumb ass idiots who think there right no matter what. The problem since G.Bush got in to office has also been that if you don't agree with the masses of stupidity that you some how become wrong, and then pansy ass pussies who can't handle the truth get all "He offended me but I'm a little fucking angel"

There are too many of those dumb asses who you can't even pick your nose in front of with out them getting so fucking up set about it.

Dam, get a freeking life. There are people in the world dieing of hunger and disease and all sorts of other serious shit, with out you having to make a big deal about "Oh, he doesn't like god, there for he is all bad"

Get over it. Some times I think there should be two forums, one for the pansies ass pricks who get offended when you use the world dumb, and another for intelligent people, who can have an argument with out it generating into a play ground school fight.

Time and time again I see mike and other people trying to have a constructive argument with some idiot, and in the end that person when they lose because they are fighting an argument on emotional out bursts rather than facts they then start complaining about how unfair it all is.

Yeah, and it's fair that you fat ass yanks get to drive around your new cars, and stuff, while half the world is ran in to the ground making them for you.

A forum with out mike is a forum not worth visiting anymore anyway.

Originally Posted by z80

The whole world is full of unintelligent dumb ass idiots who think there right no matter what. The problem since G.Bush got in to office has also been that if you don't agree with the masses of stupidity that you some how become wrong, and then pansy ass pussies who can't handle the truth get all "He offended me but I'm a little @@@@ angel"

There are too many of those dumb asses who you can't even pick your nose in front of with out them getting so @@@@ up set about it.

Dam, get a freeking life. There are people in the world dieing of hunger and disease and all sorts of other serious @@@@, with out you having to make a big deal about "Oh, he doesn't like god, there for he is all bad"

Get over it. Some times I think there should be two forums, one for the pansies ass pricks who get offended when you use the world dumb, and another for intelligent people, who can have an argument with out it generating into a play ground school fight.

Time and time again I see mike and other people trying to have a constructive argument with some idiot, and in the end that person when they lose because they are fighting an argument on emotional out bursts rather than facts they then start complaining about how unfair it all is.

Yeah, and it's fair that you fat ass yanks get to drive around your new cars, and stuff, while half the world is ran in to the ground making them for you.

A forum with out mike is a forum not worth visiting anymore anyway.

I don't know who you are referring to in this post. I would not define a "constructive argument" as one laden with personal insults and ridicule(those things are usually found in a "play ground school fight.") If you would look at my "argument" with him, you'll note that I made some thoughtless(and admittedly off-topic) post. A few days later Mike comes along and writes something less like "Hey, this is off topic" and more along the lines of "Cmon, reply to me." I admit I am just as guilty for arguing with him but I never wanted a fight in the first place. As for "thinking they're right no matter what", I offered for Mike to explain his ideas about a new system. I might have agreed with him. It seems someone who thinks that everything he doesn't agree with is dumb would fall under that description a little better.

I won't comment on whatever the admin received. I do think Mike could have been doing a bit more to stop off-topic arguments instead of expanding them. But, none of us have ever been moderators.

Oh come on Mike! Your discussions are intelligent and highly entertaining. And it's even more fun when you bait the "goody-two-shoes". You are the "Shock Jock" of Russian Forums!

I might not agree with Mike sometimes, well, a lot of times, but he has helped me a lot, and he is entittled to his opinion, too. If people don't like it, then they shouldn't read it. If I don't like something, I stay away from it, but I don't expect everybody else to change. People will be who they are, and we can't do anything to change them.

Don't leave, Mike. Please....

Mike already perma banned himself like 12 hours ago... it's too late people he's gone. look what you did to him.

Originally Posted by z80

A forum with out mike is a forum not worth visiting anymore anyway.

True that Z80, i think i'm gone too.

Hasn't Mike "quit" many times before this? I think he'll eventually come back. How can he forsake such popularity?

Hasn't Mike "quit" many times before this? I think he'll eventually come back. How can he forsake such popularity?

There might be some truth in that, but he seemed pretty upset in his post. But I could be wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time!

Originally Posted by Dogboy182

Mike already perma banned himself like 12 hours ago... it's too late people he's gone. look what you did to him.

Noone did anything to him and noone forced him to leave. If he can't take criticism that's his own problem. You are acting as if he is some wounded child.

I might not agree with Mike sometimes, well, a lot of times, but he has helped me a lot, and he is entittled to his opinion, too. If people don't like it, then they shouldn't read it. If I don't like something, I stay away from it, but I don't expect everybody else to change. People will be who they are, and we can't do anything to change them.

True. I think if he had kept his arguments free of various insults(and perhaps on topic) then a lot less people would be complaining about him. I didn't like or agree with what he had posted, but when someone directly insults you and challenges your opinion, it is natural to want to respond and defend yourself(by the way, how are you supposed to know if you're not going to like a post before you read it?). I don't think topics like "(forum user) is a stupid bitch" are appropriate or show a level of self-restraint becoming of a moderator.

Originally Posted by JB

Oh come on Mike! Your discussions are intelligent and highly entertaining. And it's even more fun when you bait the "goody-two-shoes". You are the "Shock Jock" of Russian Forums!

Of course it's perfectly alright when he's not arguing with you or insulting you or making topics with "(your name) is a stupid bitch." It's perfectly fun just to sit on the sidelines and watch and call people "whiners and idiots" and kiss Mike's ass with cheers and grins as long as he's not on your back at the moment. I admit myself it's fun watching someone else getting put down by Mike. I've chuckled and cheered him on several times myself when he's arguing with someone I don't like. But when it's you he goes after, it becomes damned unpleasant to visit the forum every time knowing the moderator's got some sarcastic insult in store for you. And what do you do? Give up, nod and grin and kiss Mike's ass, look the coward and give him just what he wants, another easily won ego-bolstering argument under his belt? Or try to defend yourself and be subjected to his insults and ridicule? I don't think any forum needs that kind of moderator, or user, period.

And if the only reason you want a moderator is because it's fun to watch him insult people other than yourself, then perhaps he isn't that great of a moderator or user otherwise. And if the only reason you come to this forum is to kiss his ass and watch him insult other people, perhaps you should reconsider even coming here. Last time I checked the forum was called "MasterRussian" and not "KissMikesAssAndWatchHimInsultPeople."

A forum with out mike is a forum not worth visiting anymore anyway.

True that Z80, i think i'm gone too.

Unless you enjoyed watching other people get put down that much, I don't think the forum will lose very much just because Mike is gone. You will still get your answers on Russian language and Russian opinions. You will still get help with things you write in Russian. The only thing you might miss is Mike having a ball with various off-topic arguments. The only thing people he was bothering might miss is getting insulted every time they came on the forum(and knowing Mike's band of worshippers are having a blast watching him ridicule you). You will simply miss out on a good resource to help you learn Russian, though I suspect many of the people who really will leave weren't that interested in learning Russian in the first place.

Whether Mike decides to leave or come back doesn't seem to have much of an effect on me. Before he left, I didn't really see him posting much other than in the posts he was arguing people in. If you just ignored the debate threads he might as well have not been there. If he comes back, it will probably be the same(I will just have to resume my "constructive argument" with him). I don't think any forum user should use this forum as a voicebox for his political opinions. And I certainly don't think moderators should rush over to start up off-topic fights(we were wrong in being off-topic, but that doesn't justify starting an argument under the pretext of "figuring out why you were being off topic").

So if you only come here to watch him argue with people I suppose this forum has lost its worth for you. If you like watching him insult people so much perhaps he should make himself a weblog where he criticizes various things he doesn't agree with and posts logs of his arguments with people. It can be called "MasterMike.com." You can all subcribe to it for 5 bucks a month and leave MasterRussian. What a surprise it would be if there were almost no more off-topic or politcally related posts after such a migration! The forum might be a bit more "boring" in the sense that "Wow, now all you can do is learn Russian." But I believe that was the original purpose of a forum called "MasterRussian." If politics interest you so much you can make yourselves a new forum "MasterRussianExPats" where you have week long arguments with hundreds of quotes within quotes within quotes. Not to mention the cynicism and sarcasm that'll fly! Sounds a lot more fun than "MasterRussian" already.

Hmm. I heard the good news from Pravit. Is this the end of oppression?

(Although I wouldn't be surprised if Mike came back just for me.)

Why don't you guys just put it out.

"A good fighter does not get angry. The best way to conquer an enemy is not to engage him." ---Tao Te Ching

... or not to engage her -- MasterAdmin

Pravit, take a deep breath, have a smoke, then go back and check out every one else's postings and you will see that most of us have gone at it with Mike. Unfortunately my almost week long debate on Russian Orthodox Religion got so heated it was deleted. But I certainly had fun playing verbal chess with Mike and am no way threatened or offended by his personal attacks and insults. If I see something I don't agree with I only answer it if I have time to play the debate game. If I'm busy or too tired to make the fight fun I JUST IGNORE IT. IT's the internet Pravit. You won't have to see these people at Christmas dinner. Anything that is said on here may not be real or true. The people who post here may not be what they say they are. So why would you take their insults personally?

Originally Posted by JB

Pravit, take a deep breath, have a smoke, then go back and check out every one else's postings and you will see that most of us have gone at it with Mike. Unfortunately my almost week long debate on Russian Orthodox Religion got so heated it was deleted. But I certainly had fun playing verbal chess with Mike and am no way threatened or offended by his personal attacks and insults. If I see something I don't agree with I only answer it if I have time to play the debate game. If I'm busy or too tired to make the fight fun I JUST IGNORE IT. IT's the internet Pravit. You won't have to see these people at Christmas dinner. Anything that is said on here may not be real or true. The people who post here may not be what they say they are. So why would you take their insults personally?

It is very nice that you are being civil about this. But this does not address the point of my post, that is, that apparently the greatest thing about these forums is watching Mike argue with people since his departure causes it to 'lose its worth'. And that Mike did less to stop off-topic discussions than he did to add to them. I also thought it was strange that one of the greatest qualities of Mike as moderator is "watching him bait 'goody-two-shoes'(what would that be, people using the forum for its original purpose?)." Regardless if you don't take offense to various insults being thrown at you, they offend other people, and are not only off-topic but also have no place on an internet forum(especially one devoted to the study of the Russian language) and especially not coming from the moderator(who should be an example for other users). The only thing his absence might do is get the forum back on track(and get rid of the people who come here for reasons besides learning Russian). I honestly think that with the departure of this moderator(and possibly some of his followers), this forum will become more on-topic. I can only imagine how many off-topic arguments will have never started because of this. Many are of the opinion that had Mike been a regular user, he would have been banned long ago by a stricter moderator.

Anyhow, I don't want to start up another argument(albeit with a much more civil opponent), so let's just forget about this. Goodbye Mike and good luck with your dream of libertarian socialism for all.

The reason I log onto this forum is that it is a fun way to improve my Russian language skills. If the posts are interesting I get out my dictionary and texts and look up all the new phrases I don't know or understand. If the arguments are in Russian or about Russian culture I find them both interesting and helpful. But I agree that pointless debates in English about non-Russian subjects is a waste of time for me and I would rather the powers that be delete them.
But I also hope that the forum continues to be diverse and have some lively discussions. As for "Mike", I have seriously questioned all along whether or not he was a real person or just an internet actor who played "shock jock" just to get the forum heated up. Because as you all have mentioned he was never censored by the administrator when he went way out in left field.

I see that some people hate Mike and others are OK. So I'll just close this thread and leave it here for constructive thinking about conflicts on the forum.