The Jailhouse

[Bird of Prey]

Fred,

Let me weigh in on Joe's side here.

1. To be honest you aren't really giving him much to work with. You've even asked that he avoid being confrontational. One thing I am certain of is that both Matt and Bob (and a great many IHubbers) would be very upset if they were called on the carpet for confronting a tout or a basher with hard facts and serious questions. Something that Joe has shown he is very capable of in the past. Confrontation is the heart and soul of lively discussion. It is how we learn and grow. Confrontation in and of itself is not a bad thing. And you want this part of Joe eliminated? perhaps you also favor the use of electric shock "therapy" and removal of the frontal lobe on alleged mental patients as reliable "treatments".
2. I disagree strongly with the assertion that Joe MUST radically change his personality in order to be freed from Jail. He is young, brash, and occasionally rude. Very few in his age group aren't. He is also intelligent and engaging when he wants to be. Granted he does display a penchant for getting involved in "flame wars", a trait some find distasteful, yet I (someone also known as having a tendency to get involved in "flame wars") can't recall any instances between Joemoney and myself that weren't polite and respectful, and we have and do disagree on a number of issues. Perhaps Joe's real difficulty is one of respect. His age group is not particularly well known for having a lot of respect for a lot of things. Especially when other people act in a manner that seems to disrespect them. I can certainly understand why he might have some disrespect for certain IH users and IH management.
I have watched from the sidelines and the lack of respect shown in Matt's posts was best exemplified by the recent "offer" and it's "withdrawal". regardless of the "legal" status of the contract, Matt certainly "dissed" Joe big time.
Your actions are even worse. From the beginning you have played a game on Joe and used your position to either try and humiliate him into conforming to YOUR ideal of what a poster should be or bait him into exploding thus giving Matt the final excuse to send him away forever. Thank God we aren't all like you or IH would be a very boring place indeed.
For a time this Summer, with Matt's blessing, Joe posted under another alias. TMK, no one knew that it was Joe posting. He displayed all of his best traits and none of his bad ones. No "flame wars" ensued. I suggested that he drop the Joemoney moniker and begin building a new reputation under a new alias, perhaps even the one he was using. Joe politely rejected that suggestion, because he wishes to (understandably) build the "joemoney" brand.
I understand Matt's dilemma, how to prevent a board from being disrupted while still allowing Joe to contribute to the site. I've already suggested the proper tool and last understood that Bob was "working on it" perhaps one day Matt will have it at his disposal.
Until them however, the actions of Management and those acting on their behalf concern me greatly. If it is your intention to perform a frontal lobotomy on Joemoney to "calm him down" and have him fit better into your idea of what this community should be... who is next on your list?
I for one share the desire to see an IH where all disagreements do not end up in "flame wars". But, like Joe, there are times when one must step into the ring and deliver the best uppercut one has. It would be nice if everyone could "just get along", but this world (just like the real one) is populated by real people, each with their own ideas of right and wrong. And when they disagree sometimes things get ugly.
IMNSHO, you would make a very poor Admin. Matt would be making a terrible mistake to install you in such a position. It would be to IH's detriment should you ever be Admin here. I fear you would top Bob in the Bad Admin department.

FREE JOEMONEY NOW! FREE JOEMONEY NOW! FREE JOEMONEY NOW!

The Bird of Prey
#board-381