What happened to Kalin

[Roguey]

all ideas are bad and increase entropy. some are worse than others

Deterministic>RNG

 

[The_Mask]

Anyway... what I was, personally, more interested in was just a system where us, the users, can have a greater understanding of what restrictions a user is facing. Not necessarily why. I/We are not asking to know absolutely everything that happens behind the curtains. I'm sure most things are either boring or simply too complicated, but people on this forum do form friendships, rivalries, and so on. And so it would be very helpful, for the future, to avoid "shit storms" as Infinitron put it, if we know what a certain user is being punished with.

Meaning, things would have been a lot less spicy had some people known Kalin was out for a week.

Again, I don't give a shit about Kalin. I'm just using his name because the thread is about him.



Personally I cared about the Spider. He was(/is) funny to me. Although remarkably dim witted in harassing another user.



In any case, that's what I'm respectfully suggesting: a more transparent/visually appealing way of determining who's being punished and for how long, with the caveat, again, that a person straight-up banned from the Codex is an highly unusual punishment, and against the raison d'etre of your fine establishment.

 

[Outlander]

Talking about shops, ever heard of 'right of admission'? Customers come and go all the time, the flow is constant especially when you offer a niche product like RPG Codex. And every so often retarded customers walk in demanding 'rights' they're not entitled to and stirring up shit for no good reason, so they get thrown out and business keeps functioning as usual.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masterpiece_Cakeshop_v._Colorado_Civil_Rights_Commission

That example doesn't apply, at all. DU is not forbidding entry or right of usage to people from certain countries, religion beliefs, sexual orientations, IQ levels (as seen clearly ITT) or any other backgrounds, as whacky as they may be.

He just shows the door to certain elements that come into the shop to stirr shit up, when you're specifically told upon entry: 'ok go in, but don't stirr shit up'.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

There is also a danger that providers of these platforms will censor these discussions in anticipatory obedience.

Fortunately we are not here yet in the west.

But it's necessary for a healthy democratic society that its citizen can freely discuss on private platforms without fearing prosecution from the authorities.

And rpgcodex is such a platform.

Only insofar as the rules being lax. The temporary bans would be permabans that happened much earlier in any other shitty platform. (edit: I missed that fellow user Niggerino Person of Colorino already said this)

Besides, registration being free and the codex reputation in said platforms makes it logical to assume that every thread is being watched by a lurker trying to find something to use against the site or posters. So regardless of the staff's standing everyone needs to be careful either way unless they're really good at covering their tracks, which most people aren't as DU brought up earlier.

You wouldn't expect the Codex to go as far as autistic Swedes running a piracy website in protecting their users, but even companies like Apple, Facebook or Twatter consider such requests carefully before possibly responding, and in some cases and regarding specific countries do not comply more often than they do:
https://www.apple.com/legal/transparency/choose-country-region.html
https://transparency.twitter.com/en/reports/information-requests.html
https://transparency.fb.com/data/government-data-requests/country

No one is expecting to do illegal things or don't comply. Just comply with appropriate authorities like australian ones, and if iran, north korea, germany, poland or kazakhstan or other country want something, don't give them anything unless you are obliged to do so by law.
That's the whole crux, why people mull over this again and again and misunderstand the issue? Do people really had no idea how law between countries works before stumbling on this topic?

They have money, lawyer teams and the clout that allows them to negotiate with authorities, and they usually still lose or give up and bend when the request is serious.

 

[mindx2]

Glad this hysteria is winding down so I can actually get back to, you know, playing some games... this drama stuff is way too fun distracting.

 

[jackofshadows]

Meaning, things would have been a lot less spicy had some people known Kalin was out for a week.

Exactly.

 

[Ataraxia]

Just to sum up important and helpful things we've learned here:

The issue here is not access. The issue is use of information. Just because you have information doesn't mean you should use it. I fucked up when I referred to what's his face because he has a really memorable name (for reasons I won't go into). I see all the payment information that comes through and who it comes from. And it all goes to my accountant too, for tax purposes. (We actually need to figure out what country every donation is from, so we can pay the appropriate level of tax - though thankfully PayPal has a report for that now which makes it a bit easier - so Fun Fact™ If you've ever donated, I've had to figure out where you live for tax purposes).

We're volunteers, running a website for fun. If you want to be serious, I will put up the most draconian end user terms that make it clear that we will use anything and everything you post in whatever way we so deem fit. And I will make you click "agree" before you register. Smart cookies would realise we already do. Though I doubt any of you have actually read it, just like everything else you've ever clicked agree to.

For example, any Administrator on the website can access your profile. In that, we can see your email address. I can take that email address, google all or any part of it (which for most people is fairly unique) and find instagram accounts, twitter, old dating profiles, facebook, your employment, the list goes on. Most social media apps these days have a function that allows you to find users based on their email address.

We can go one further and cross reference with everything you've ever posted. You mentioned a favourite taco joint, or a school you went to, or your home town? We can check that against your time-zone (and let's be honest, most of you chose your local time zone didn't you? You'd be surprised at how easily that narrows your location down). Hell, there's even a field for date of birth on here.

Up next, we can pull your IP address, which is saved with every post you make, over the 10+ years some users have been posting here. Did you remember to use your VPN every time? I mean, every single time? Because I can download public lists of VPNs and TOR exit nodes, compare them to every IP you've posted from, pull out the ones that don't come up as public proxies, and check if there's a pattern. Maybe it's always the same exit node, maybe it's always a VPN from the same country, maybe you forgot just that one time and posted from your mobile device.

The Codex's Privacy and data retention policy is that they will collect any and all data you might knowingly or unknowingly provide, and will keep it for perpetuity to be used against you if and when deemed necessary by any of the respective staff. They will also use the gathered data to collect and collate more data about you at their discretion/within their autismal powers for said purpose.

As an example, Australian ISPs and telecommunication companies which DarkUnderlord is probably using are only legally obligated to retain such data for up to 2 years, and in a form "encrypted and protected from unauthorised interference and access": https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/abou...telecommunications/data-retention-obligations

Steam for instance only stores such data for the period required by law: https://store.steampowered.com/privacy_agreement/

We will only store your information as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which the information is collected and processed or — where the applicable law provides for longer storage and retention period — for the storage and retention period required by law. After that your Personal Data will be deleted, blocked or anonymized, as provided by applicable law.

I'm not fucking taking on your Government on your behalf, and at our expense. We're a fucking RPG website. You use the service at your own risk. If you're not comfortable with that risk: click here. And if you're genuinely concerned about what you've posted here because of that, then you really need to reconsider whether you should be posting here.

DarkUnderlord will sell you out, as a matter of policy, to whatever authoritarian government sends a data information request about you or anyone else without even thinking about fighting it or not complying, and will use the data gathered as explained above without ifs or buts. Think about that when you're posting jokes about Winnie-the-Pooh, make commentary about P00tin or Erdog00n while in a respective region or are gay-while-in-Iran (I think there was such a user).

You wouldn't expect the Codex to go as far as autistic Swedes running a piracy website in protecting their users, but even companies like Apple, Facebook or Twatter consider such requests carefully before possibly responding, and in some cases and regarding specific countries do not comply more often than they do:
https://www.apple.com/legal/transparency/choose-country-region.html
https://transparency.twitter.com/en/reports/information-requests.html
https://transparency.fb.com/data/government-data-requests/country

It's good to have some of these things cleared up, since they aren't outlined in either your "forum rules" or any prospective "Privacy policy" and people can modify their behavior and act better accordingly. Consider this when signing up, browsing or thinking about donating to any upcoming Codex Fundraising efforts.

yeah DU careful, you don't want to lose the respect of these fine specimen

The morphing of the Codex into a Respectful Gaming Journalism Outlet™ progresses apace, I see.

What about the official RPGCodex Discord?

How does the officially sanctioned Discord server fit in this whole shebang?

 

[InspectorRumpole]

The bile-spewing bot got banned? Good riddance.

Had him on ignore anyway, but still nice.

 

[Rean]

Had him on ignore anyway, but still nice.

 

[Twiglard]

There are also the Farms. They're actually not creepy or weird even if they get painted as such in the media.

This is one of the most bizarre statements I've read in my life. The Farms have to exist for a reason but if you actually like it there's something wrong. It's kinda like menstrual blood. There's a good reason for it existing but it's not really fun for anyone involved.

There's lots of area on the site that's GG/SocJus shit, discussion of politics and events, and threads on people who are outright pests and predators. You can go all creepy following some random loser who couldn't protect his privacy, or discuss degeneracy in a pretty indepth fashion, compared to the Codex:

https://kiwifarms.net/threads/tranny-news-megathread.49301
https://kiwifarms.net/threads/general-transgender-discussion-thread.63637

None of these person-threads are actually creepy:

https://kiwifarms.net/threads/glinner-graham-linehan.21338
https://kiwifarms.net/threads/zoe-q...e-crashoverride-hat-box-old-uncle-anime.14263
https://kiwifarms.net/threads/jys-tweets-and-other-social-media.58834

What's nice is that Grahan Linehan (TV writer who quit and gained a singular focus on exposing abusive trannies) actually name-dropped KF for a scoop on another freak trying to claim victimhood. Trannies so nicely epitomize everything that's wrong with modern society.

 

[BING XI LAO]

.....
FREE KALIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Feargus Jewhart]

As an example, NZ police sent a request to Null (Kiwi Farms admin) as to provide user data following people sharing the Christchurch massacre video. Null is an American, not subject to NZ laws. He responded in a pretty distasteful and immature manner that nevertheless constituted flat-out refusal.

I'm talking about some idiotic EU laws like Polish charages of insult, insult of head of state, insult of religious feelings. This doesn't even enter the territory of people discussing gassing the kikes.

Null also got his servers accessed for that, which he fails to tell people because of how embarrassed he is of that... And got him put on several no fly lists... But you know what, you do you.

 

[Kruno]

he's basically calling me retarded

Are you one of us now?

 

[Ataraxia]

There are also the Farms. They're actually not creepy or weird even if they get painted as such in the media.

This is one of the most bizarre statements I've read in my life. The Farms have to exist for a reason but if you actually like it there's something wrong. It's kinda like menstrual blood. There's a good reason for it existing but it's not really fun for anyone involved.

There's lots of area on the site that's GG/SocJus shit, discussion of politics and events, and threads on people who are outright pests and predators. You can go all creepy following some random loser who couldn't protect his privacy, or discuss degeneracy in a pretty indepth fashion, compared to the Codex:

https://kiwifarms.net/threads/tranny-news-megathread.49301
https://kiwifarms.net/threads/general-transgender-discussion-thread.63637

None of these person-threads are actually creepy:

https://kiwifarms.net/threads/glinner-graham-linehan.21338
https://kiwifarms.net/threads/zoe-q...e-crashoverride-hat-box-old-uncle-anime.14263
https://kiwifarms.net/threads/jys-tweets-and-other-social-media.58834

What's nice is that Grahan Linehan (TV writer who quit and gained a singular focus on exposing abusive trannies) actually name-dropped KF for a scoop on another freak trying to claim victimhood. Trannies so nicely epitomize everything that's wrong with modern society.

Hmm…

Back in 2019, it seems like someone over there failed in trying to gain support for a formation of a ‘lolcow’ thread for rpgcodex (by being passive aggressive): https://kiwifarms.net/threads/why-is-this-place-so-much-better-than-other-sites-like-it.55086/page-5

Apparently Cleveland Mark Blakemore already has a thread over there?

 

[Ataraxia]

Maybe they should’ve put more effort by first consulting this site’s resident stalker for ‘lolcow’ material.

I am pretty sure he already possess quite a hefty batch of dossiers, I reckon he has quite the ‘juicy’ and salacious collection for a lolcow ‘exhibition’ eh?

 

[Heroic Liberator]

Maybe they should’ve put more effort by first consulting this site’s resident stalker for ‘lolcow’ material.

Roguey's retired.

 

[SumDrunkGuy]

DU is my favorite dictator. I pledge allegiance to the DU.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Back in 2019, it seems like someone over there failed in trying to gain support for a formation of a ‘lolcow’ thread for rpgcodex (by being passive aggressive): https://kiwifarms.net/threads/why-is-this-place-so-much-better-than-other-sites-like-it.55086/page-5

He probably posts here. You don't get like this without someone taking a dump on your favorite game:

Also they're like a cult with that INCLINE shit.

RPG Codex is a garbage website full of 2edgy middle aged idiots wearing rose tinted goggles about the games they played as kids. I suggest you import this entire post into your thread crying about my bad opinions.

 

[Ataraxia]

Maybe they should’ve put more effort by first consulting this site’s resident stalker for ‘lolcow’ material.

Roguey's retired.

Retired but not toothless.

Especially after being promoted to a higher position.

 

[Ataraxia]

Please keep in mind that I am not trying to cast a negative light unto Roguey.

I just find all of this ‘discussion’ and ‘drama’ entertaining.

A pure, unadulterated entertainment.

 

[Outlander]

Rpgcodex is a private forum with DU as a benevolent dictator.

DU pays the bills and can do what he wants in his little kingdom.

precisely. do you not see, from this premise, why then bitching about "free speech" is retarded? Even if the local benevolent dictator is fine with X and Y, doesn't mean it's "free speech". It's "free speech within the limits the benevolent dictator allows". Which is not free speech.

Specifically what subject do you think is not allowed to discuss here? Besides pedo shit and the real lives and identities of the users here?

Just one example will do.

 

[Ataraxia]

Saying that, I do feel bad on what they’re going to do to this forum.

But at the same time, it’s too funny, and sad.

 

[Ataraxia]

Oh, uh…

I might’ve told too much to you guys.

Oh well, whatever.

 

[Kalarion]

I can't believe you won't guard our posting data with your life DU!

It's perfectly reasonable that he'd be minded to obey lawful authority and that none of us is a hill he'd want to die on. No one should have expected otherwise. DU is not the leader of some movement, he's not an ideologue trying to create said movement, and even if he were he doesn't (so far as we know) have fuck you money and the support to do it. He's not an Elite. That's what it would take in today's world for him to be able to commit to the total sanctity of our data (refer to Ed123's post in the politics forum split proposal thread). So far as I can tell, DU appears to be a serious-minded libertarian who truly believes in the concept of freedom of speech and wants it supported on his site insofar as he's able. Expecting more is asking for heartache.

On a tangent, posters expecting him to have consistently Right-leaning sympathies are fooling themselves (or being fooled, by the massive Leftward shift of the Overton window). He dislikes authoritarian powers and governance, and currently the Left has authoritarian power and governs with it in the developed world. If the shoe were on the other foot I guarantee he'd be railing against the Right just as vociferously (as wrong as he'd be in that scenario :D).

Infinitron threatened us!

No he didn't. All he's said, in Shoutbox or elsewhere, is that we should understand going in that he has access to some of our personal data as a routine matter of being a site Admin. DU already laid out the specifics earlier. We do, in fact, have to be willing to trust that Infinitron won't abuse access to that data. The only other options are to mount a campaign to get him de-Admin'd (most likely at our own peril), or quit interacting with the site or forums outside of reading them.

I agree the way Infinitron said it could be interpreted ominously though. Honestly I think in that regard Crispy has always been by far the worst offender. See earlier in this thread "your behavior is being discussed in the Admin forums", and other examples. To me that was far more threatening in tone, and more retarded to blurt, given what DU later had to say regarding Crispy's actual power and/or influence on the site.

We should have a strictly defined privacy policy.

Hard disagree. The more rules we have on the forum, and the more strictly codified they are, the more members can use rules-lawyering and legalism to become nuisances and break the community of the site. We have two rules, with a clear expectation that their implementation and adjudication is left up to DU and his chosen deputies, with DU as the final authority. Yet even with that simple system we STILL have a bunch of people stirring shit and attempting to use their interpretation of the rules to drive their campaigns. More strictly defined site policies would only make that worse. I for one am not interested in a forum with constantly warring Pharisees and Sadducees, poring over every rule with a microscope and attempting to prosecute all and sundry for failure to adhere to some jot or tittle.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Specifically what subject do you think is not allowed to discuss here? Besides pedo shit and the real lives and identities of the users here?

Just one example will do.

He means the legal definition of free speech that means you don't depend on anyone *allowing* to talk about something because you're legally protected (so it doesn't apply to a privately owned site like this where the owner can ban people at will), but Scruffy is too much of a himself to say it clearly instead of saying "imagine missing the point " 10 times in a row leading to a multi-page argument

edit: like mentioned in the kiwifarms thread linked above

We're not really a free speech website in the sense that we exist as a less strict alternative of an existing service. We have a draw and then don't interfere with what people want to say.