The Person Who Destroyed the eBay Comics Board

[capt.steel]

Hi everybody.
I'm a bit lost over here as I haven't visited in a long time and am not quite familiar with all the categories and such, so please bear with me.

I'd like to ask if any discussions have taken place here already regarding "o.j." (a.k.a. oscarjoe) - the person who (I believe) single-handedly brought the eBay Comics Discussion board to it's current state.

Some may feel I'm being hard on the guy, but he's become a troll that won't leave and who has driven a vast amount of threads off-topic to the the point where they devolve into nasty flame wars and are ultimately deleted.
(Don't get me wrong, I'm all for heated debate - but pointless and sophomoric antagonism followed up by repetitive button-pushing is not intellectually stimulating and serves no purpose.)

Perhaps I'm jaded since the guy has decided to stalk me personally - I can't post there anymore without him following up my posts with one of his incoherent attacks (about 3 out of 5 of my posts are followed by an o.j. insult post that has nothing to do with the original topic or current topic being discussed.)

The guy started out his posting career on the Comics Board by deleting threads and getting people suspended, and although there's no way to know if he's been behind the epidemic of deleted posts & threads ever since, I do believe he set a trend of vindictive reporting & arbitrary censorship that has resulted in driving so many regulars off the board.

His animosity was always followed by a pattern of accusing others of the very trespasses he was admittedly guilty of committing!

I am partially to blame - for even responding to him (i.e. feeding the troll). At first I guess I thought I could engage him in some fun with some friendly swapping of humorous insults in a spirit of playful comaraderie (that only resulted in my posts getting reported).
Next I thought I'd appeal to his logic & common sense by debating him until I learned he doesn't have any of those faculties.
Next I thought I could win him over emotionally by trying to be his friend - he obviously doesn't want any, then I just decided to fight him (about the only thing I can give him credit for is his persistence in his never-ending desire to destroy the board.)

What I don't understand is why so many regular posters allowed this guy to go unopposed except by a few. I realize the answer might be the obvious futility, but we've driven true trolls and spammers off before through simple democratic peer pressure. I understand that some felt the best way to oppose this complete hypocrit was to ignore him. Although I agree that's probably the best method, it still hasn't worked. Could it be some were motivated to inaction by fear of a button pusher?
It's hard to believe such noble people either couldn't (or still can't) see this person for what he is or were intimidated by someone who gets his kicks out of ruining other people's enjoyment.

Unfortunately, the one way I couldn't fight him is by reporting his posts because then I'd be forfeiting my own beliefs, betraying my own code and lowering myself to his level of vandalism, cowardice & dishonor.

Guess I'm just looking for some other opinions or input. It's really sad though, I liked the Comics Board and the people there. I'm disappointed so many allowed themselves to be driven off (by a lot of cumulative factors I know, but it's sad that so many left without standing up to one, what appeared to me, very obvious factor; an insulting bully with no other intention but to disrupt & antagonize and who now seems able to dominate an entire eBay discussion board and yet who has absolutely no interest in the boards main topic - comics.)

Sorry for the length,
Capt.

[fulltimer56]

Your right in part, capt!

I also don't mind a bit of friendly one on one but I just got tied of putting up with the back stabbing, etc and I believe if I had any more of my posts reported I would had been suspended for a month. Does anyone know how many times it takes of being reported to not be able to post for awhile?

I'm not good with words and I know better than to get into a flame war with anyone. Plus I'm just too damn old to have to put up with folks that acted like they are still in high school or even middle school. So I'll just be lurking on the ebay comic board from now on and do all of my posting here at the Corral were folks acted like grown ups (most of the time anyway!)!

Welcome back to the corral, capt.

Linda

[mordo]

Hi Capt, Welcome Back!

I agree with your assessment of the O.J. situation. I find his posts very disruptive and counterproductive to what the message boards are all about. The guy isn't even a comics collector, fan, or reader, but he still likes to hang out and post his b.s.

The only thread I know about over here that discusses the eBay thread deletion situation is jaydeebee's. It's in the Totally Off Topic sub-forum (we are in it now), probably under this thread. Jay is fuming over this and I don't blame him. Fulltimer is not happy about it either.

Being that O.J. is stalking you personally, I would suggest taking time off from the eBay boards. Consider it a sabbatical. You know that will irritate him, and who knows, maybe he will leave and not come back. It'll probably be good for you to post in a different environment harrassment-free from this guy.

[Hoss]

Hi capt.steel,

Sorry about the frustration you are having over the the ol' eBay boards. I pretty much gave up over there since the majority of my posts ended up reported. I still try and chime in with the occasional helpful post, but for the most part just lurk around. #lurk#

I can't imagine the anger/frustration you are feeling towards the mad reporter and hope that things settle down eventually.

In the meanwhile, you and any of the eBay bunch are welcome here, as always. I know it's not a replacement for your favorite hangout, but you guys can consider it a "home away from home" or a nice vacation spot. :)

[capt.steel]

Thanks for the warm welcom folks.

And Linda, I hope you're not taking my post personally. There are a lot of people who've left the board since o.j. arrived.

What amazes me are the people who are still active on the board and who engage him in a friendly way.
Hey, no one minds when someone posts some cartoons, but a couple cartoons don't erase all that has gone before, yet some people who've been there long enough to see what this guy posts act like he's okay, a part of the amicable eBay comic community.

Do people just forget that he's admitted to reporting any posts he doesn't agree with? He's threatened to go on reporting any posts that simply mention his name or ID in response to him. He's openly admitted he has no interest in comics and just comes on the board only to cause trouble and try to get people suspended. He's freely admitted to trying to drive threads he's not particularly interested "off the board". He's picked fights with people who were nothing but polite & friendly to him initially. He's spewed sheer hatred & racism toward people he feels are different from him. He's called for homosexuals to be imprisoned and punished like child molestors for being gay. He's flung some sort of abuse at almost all the regular posters on the board. He's insulted people, called them names & slandered them. He's accused regular posters of being in some sort of conspiracy. He's suggested that certain posters should go kill themselves or hoped they'd be killed or murdered (me included). He's tried to damage people's business reputations by slandering their selling practices, prices, shipping fees, etc. He's accused almost every one else of being abusive to him and of reporting threads (things he's proudly done himself) and accused people of a variety of other crimes for no reason.

Oh, but then he posts a humorous cartoon or two and everyone's his buddy again. I guess it's okay to sincerely wish death upon people as long as you then post a funny cartoon. To top it all off, some people on the board have even defended this mental case.

(I've been an advocate of everyone's freedom of speech on the board - even those with highly unpopular views, but that defense on my part ends for those who try to remove those very same freedoms from others.)

[mordo]

Yeah, I remember reading some of the stuff you are talking about. He really crosses the line with some of his statements.

[pasnat54]

For me, it's not a case of not being willing to oppose the guy. I simply ignore him, no matter what he says. It's as if his posts don't exist. After all, what a troll wants is attention, and if you engage him in any way, you play right into his hands. So if I see oscarjoe's name on a post, I don't read that post at all.

Besides, it was another poster, a fairly well respected regular whom I won't name, who killed my enthusiasm for the board. I still post there, but I've been more active on the Soapbox lately.

Let's see if totally ignoring oscarjoe's posts works. Refuse to respond to them, or even to reference them in our own posts. He doesn't exist.

[jaydeebee]

Oh captain, my captain...:cool:

I admit that O.J. is a big reason I have steered clear of the ePay board of late, that plus the fact that I really like the Corral (Hoss did give me a job here afterall!). I think we've all missed the obvious; O.J. is the original Snooty/Pickled/jicama/CGC-Spammer troll-guy. Or, if not the same guy, certainly the same type.

In the last message in which I responded directly to O.J., he told me something to the effect of "Just LEAVE ME ALONE"! In my response to that I said something like, "let's see if that's really what you want."

Since then I have made a conscious effort not the reply or respond to him, although he has responded to me several times. I refuse to acknowledge his presence on the board. Being ignored is the one thing that attention-craving trolls simply cannot abide. I like to think of it as my little way of sticking it to the man...no wait, that's not right. It's my little way of sticking it to the troll!#woohoo#

Anyway, what really ticks me off about the ePay board is how the so-called moderators are unaccountable, unreachable and possibly non-existent if the rumors are true. A discussion board where anyone with a grudge can use the report-button to disrupt the conversation, and there's no recourse, no reprieve and apparently no review? That just plain sucks!

Welcome back capt., don't mourn for that ePay board, it's spirit lives on here! All that remains of that place is a shell and some nuts.#exorcist#

[marvelguy]

Isn't Epay in dire straits? Maybe that's why they have robots instead of real, live, laboring mods?

[fulltimer56]

Oh I know you ain't talking about me, capt!! We have always been up front with each other. I have always tried to be nice to folks because I'm a big believer of "what goes around, comes around"!

I think I know who was the button-pusher for my post and if that is the way of it so be it!! But I will not be posting over there anymore other than the birthday list!

I like it here just fine thank you and I have NEVER been attacked here like I have been from time to time on the ebay board!

Welcome to OUR madness!!

Linda (the Mom of the Corral)

[jaydeebee]

I think I know who was the button-pusher for my post and if that is the way of it so be it!! But I will not be posting over there anymore other than the birthday list!



I'm sure I know who the button-pusher is and even though I've been avoiding the ePay board, I will continue to post there when I feel like it,...if for no other reason than to just cheese the little Report-Button Nazi off! :D

[jaydeebee]

This just posted by Oscarjoe2 on ePay...

oscarjoe2 (http://ads.auctionads.com/pagead/link_16ab40a37249e63306c1_ccd9e6a8c4079976fcc759fb 09b0475e_http://forums.ebay.com/db1/contactUser.jspa?requested=oscarjoe2)oscarjoe2 (http://ads.auctionads.com/pagead/link_16ab40a37249e63306c1_ccd9e6a8c4079976fcc759fb 09b0475e_http://myworld.ebay.com/oscarjoe2) (1886 (http://ads.auctionads.com/pagead/link_16ab40a37249e63306c1_ccd9e6a8c4079976fcc759fb 09b0475e_http://forums.ebay.com/db1/viewFeedback.jspa?userid=oscarjoe2) (1886 (http://ads.auctionads.com/pagead/link_16ab40a37249e63306c1_ccd9e6a8c4079976fcc759fb 09b0475e_http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=oscarjoe2) http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/icon/IconRedStar_25x25.gif
) http://pics.ebay.com/aw/pics/aboutme-small.gif
(http://ads.auctionads.com/pagead/link_16ab40a37249e63306c1_ccd9e6a8c4079976fcc759fb 09b0475e_http://members.ebay.com/aboutme/oscarjoe2) View Listings (http://ads.auctionads.com/pagead/link_16ab40a37249e63306c1_ccd9e6a8c4079976fcc759fb 09b0475e_http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&userid=oscarjoe2) | Report (http://ads.auctionads.com/pagead/link_16ab40a37249e63306c1_ccd9e6a8c4079976fcc759fb 09b0475e_http://forums.ebay.com/db1/advise.jspa?threadID=2000471261&messageID=1010981429) Nov-22-07 08:17 PST 26 of 26 That could be true razor, but it is of my opinion that
it is s g.r.o.u.p. of r.e.g.u.l.a.r.s. on these boards
purposely causing havok so everybody will
la-di-da over to the paradise corral.

Why don't they just g.o. and leave the rest of us idiots
to ourselves?
Because they need to feel important (like superheroes) around us infidels!!http://forums.ebay.com/db1/images/emoticons/wink.gif



I was wondering how long it would be before someone would draw this conclusion. I don't think it's the case, however the situation on ePay does make the Corral seem like a "paradise". Oscarthegrouch's little assertion also makes me more certain than ever of his identity, since that particular person has a grudge not only against the ePay board, but the Corral as well. #oldie#

[malaprop]

I'm another who rarely posts over there any more (as Nanapong) but increasingly do here. I'm in agreement with the idea of shunning, ala the CGC troll and the we-Americans-are -all-evil troll (Know Who i Mean?). But it's becoming less and less fun over there, as Pas points out, for not just the OJ reason. And why do I need to stand and fight? It's supposed to be a mildly entertaining diversion. When it gets nasty I'm out of there.

[The Charlton Guy]

As for the Feebay board, I think I'll stick to my annual Happy Thanksgiving post, Merry Christmas post, and April Fools prank.

I can't believe that this o.j. character hasn't been permanently suspended by now.

I agree with a couple of the posters there. There are no living breathing people moderating those boards anymore. It's all Mod-Bots.

It's a real shame and disgrace, particularly for those who have been there for some time and certainly a disgrace to the memory of Gary and the others who spearheaded getting a dedicated comic board in the first place.

[capt.steel]

As I said in my OP, I agree the best way to deal with the troll is to ignore him. I did that for a while. His response was to then follow almost all my posts (stalking) and placing his posts shortly afterwards.
In effect, I was becoming shunned by association - since almost everything I wrote was followed by an o.j. post (or sometimes several o.j. posts which would drive my posts upward or off the page), people didn't want to respond for fear of enticing the troll further or feel like they were responding to the troll himself. Or they'd see his posts and just move on to another thread.
So even in my practice of ignoring him, he was still effective in alienating me to an extent from the community.

[The Charlton Guy]

I have noticed this. It must be very frustrating. He really is a piece of work.

I repeat, why hasn't he been suspended? Or has he been, only to return?

I read that a few people have contacted ebay via email.

Perhaps if a Silver Powerseller would step to bat and call a Feebay Rep it might help.

[jaydeebee]

I have noticed this. It must be very frustrating. He really is a piece of work.

I repeat, why hasn't he been suspended? Or has he been, only to return?

I read that a few people have contacted ebay via email.

Perhaps if a Silver Powerseller would step to bat and call a Feebay Rep it might help.


One reason he hasn't been suspended is because no one reports him. I certainly don't and doubt anyone else does either. The posts of his, such as the one I referenced, which do get deleted are no doubt self-reported. That way he can pretend to be persecuted and play the victim. Poor, sad little, little, little troll.

[capt.steel]

Interesting, I notice that when everyone starts completely ignoring O.J. he'll bump up a thread on the eBay board and revert to posting jokes.

It seems like he realizes he's been exposed so he puts on his "amiable mask" and waits for some unsuspecting victim to toddle along and respond to the jokes.
Jokes are posted like bait - they're funny, friendly, who doesn't like a nice joke? Only a nice, good-humored person would post jokes, right?
Like a spider he lays in wait - he may even humor the victim by responding nicely for a while until the fangs come out.

Ahh, I'm giving that ass too much credit - no one so ignorant, so completely void of inetellect as he's proven to be by the incoherent things he posts could be that devious.

Here's how his usual "debating" tactic breaks down:
Copy part of what the person you're stalking said, then say they meant the opposite of what they said, then tell them they're wrong (stupid, deserve to die, are mean, are gay, should be killed, should be locked up for being gay, etc.) for meaning what you said they mean without ever really taking notice of what they actually said.
Then push the report button when their response reveals how foolish you are.

Of all the nuts on the eBay board, I've never disliked one as much as this one. I guess that's natural if someone starts out disliking you from the beginning.
(I disliked that soda-pop spammer, but on the level of just being annoying, not on any personal level. It's obvious I dislike O.J. personally - not surprising since he's attacked me from the start and then began "stalking" me on the board.)

I miss the days when the board's mixed nuts were at least funny, wacky and / or outrageous. This one's just boring, tedious, nasty and annoying.

[jaydeebee]

Ignoring O.J. is a blast, because I know that it's the one thing that he can't stand and that he can't respond to, which really must drive him nuts...which is why I enjoy doing it so! :D

Even when/if he responds directly to me, or mentions me by name, I act as though I never saw the post, never responding to it or anything in it. :)

[fastballspecial]

Interesting, I notice that when everyone starts completely ignoring O.J. he'll bump up a thread on the eBay board and revert to posting jokes.

It seems like he realizes he's been exposed so he puts on his "amiable mask" and waits for some unsuspecting victim to toddle along and respond to the jokes.
Jokes are posted like bait - they're funny, friendly, who doesn't like a nice joke? Only a nice, good-humored person would post jokes, right?
Like a spider he lays in wait - he may even humor the victim by responding nicely for a while until the fangs come out.

Ahh, I'm giving that ass too much credit - no one so ignorant, so completely void of inetellect as he's proven to be by the incoherent things he posts could be that devious.

Here's how his usual "debating" tactic breaks down:
Copy part of what the person you're stalking said, then say they meant the opposite of what they said, then tell them they're wrong (stupid, deserve to die, are mean, are gay, should be killed, should be locked up for being gay, etc.) for meaning what you said they mean without ever really taking notice of what they actually said.
Then push the report button when their response reveals how foolish you are.

Of all the nuts on the eBay board, I've never disliked one as much as this one. I guess that's natural if someone starts out disliking you from the beginning.
(I disliked that soda-pop spammer, but on the level of just being annoying, not on any personal level. It's obvious I dislike O.J. personally - not surprising since he's attacked me from the start and then began "stalking" me on the board.)

I miss the days when the board's mixed nuts were at least funny, wacky and / or outrageous. This one's just boring, tedious, nasty and annoying.

I hold you personally responsible for it. I have told you over and over again not to argue or debate with those spam morons and you continued to do it. Every troll we ever had on Ebays boards you delighted in trying to have an intellectual conversation with them. Now you are here crying about it? Give me a break you brought it on yourself.

Just leave the punk alone and he will eventually go away. Keep putting his name in threads and bumping the damn topics that you know will push his buttons you only feed him. He is almost gone now leave him alone and he will find a greener pasture. Keep crying, whining, and trying argue with him and he will come back with a vengenance. I serious doubt you will heed this advice because I have seen you do it over and over again. Especially that Comic/Terrrorism thread.

[fastballspecial]

OJ doesnt bother me because I dont feed him. I call him an idiot all the time so its not like he doesnt know what I think of him I just dont try to engage him in any conversation at all. He is just there to irritate. Ignore him and he will eventually go away just like all the others have. The Ebay boards are fine. Some just take the board way to seriously and try to make that board about more then just comics.

[jaydeebee]

I hold you personally responsible for it. I have told you over and over again not to argue or debate with those spam morons and you continued to do it. Every troll we ever had on Ebays boards you delighted in trying to have an intellectual conversation with them. Now you are here crying about it? Give me a break you brought it on yourself.

Just leave the punk alone and he will eventually go away. Keep putting his name in threads and bumping the damn topics that you know will push his buttons you only feed him. He is almost gone now leave him alone and he will find a greener pasture. Keep crying, whining, and trying argue with him and he will come back with a vengenance. I serious doubt you will heed this advice because I have seen you do it over and over again. Especially that Comic/Terrrorism thread.


Well, don't be too hard on the good captain, we've all had our own arch nemesises...nemenees, nemesii? Even here at the Corral "where everyone agrees with everyone all the time!" Just ask The Charlton Guy! :p

It's tough to ignore a troll, because they are so good at what they do. Constantly taunting and accusing, and probably reporting otherwise innocent posts just to wreak havoc.

As for this O.J. character, he ceased to amuse me back in the Spring. I tried, I really tried to create some kind of common ground with the guy, responding to him as I would any poster on the board, only to have it thrown back in my face time and again. The final straw was the use of the report-button, that just ain't right. :mad:

The only thing I can promise capt. steel, fastballspecial and the rest, is that O.J. will not pull that crap here. Hoss has told the mods to use their own judgment, so should he slither over to this board, O.J. will not find a report-button and a bank of mindless mod-bots to do his bidding. He'll mind his manners here or he'll find himself floating home. Not that I expect the coward to pop-up here, but just in case. ;)

[Hoss]

Well...

There is a report button.




It doesn't work too good though!

[jaydeebee]

Well...

There is a report button.




It doesn't work too good though!


Yes, the difference is that humans can use their own judgment, mod-bots are mere automatons. No kick-offs without warnings, no deleted posts, without cause. #woohoo#

[capt.steel]

fastball - I have to take issue with a couple items:

First, I disagree that the board must be limited to only talking about comics. You say people take the board too seriously and then say it should be restricted to a single topic - sounds like a contradiction in terms.
I agree with most of the people there who feel it is a community drawn together by a common interest, and within the context of a community that happens to share one aspect of our lives, we are free to talk about what we choose, just as everyone is free to ignore topics they are not interested in. (This argument's been debated there a million times and the consensus always bears out that it is an open forum for anyone to ask questions, express opinions, start topics, etc., and dictating that people MUST only talk about comics and nothing but comics in every single thread & in every single response is a form of censorship.)

Secondly, I'm not going to restrict the threads I post on or the threads I start or the threads I bump because of a troll (nor should I or anyone else have to!)
Yet that's what you're asking me to do. If I follow that logic then I should cease posting altogether because, at one point, anything & everything I posted attracted o.j. That's why I said I was being "stalked".

So, no, I will not stop bumping threads that push the troll's buttons if I have something to say or ask or have an update or would just like to hear some other people's opinions on the topic - that's what the board is there for!

My "Comics Take On Terrorism" thread is relevant to me, it means something to me, it contains things I feel strongly about. I realize it's not of interest to many, I realize it deals with uncomfortable subjects and is controversial - most people are content to just ignore it as they should if they're not interested or find the subject matter upsetting, but a few people do happen to share an interest in something so topical & current as terrorism and the effect it has had on comics and on the world.
I'm sorry that it also happens to be one of o.j.'s favorites also (or his favorite ground on which he likes to launch his personal attacks on me), but I'll be damned if I let it die for no other reason than to placate, appease or deprive the idiot who's driven so many other threads off the board or had them deleted!

You say I've delighted in conversing with every troll who ever wondered on the board. Not true overall, but yes, I do enjoy debating people I don't agree with. I wouldn't classify them ALL as "trolls" either, but maybe people with different or sometimes extreme views about things. Some who appeared as "trolls" or some sort of wack jobs initially were soon taken in by the good humor and warmth of the board and eventually became long standing regulars, but with some others we had to learn the hard way.

Like jbd, I tried to create openings for o.j. (especially when it seemed he was not going to go away or when others seemed to get on well with him). I offered the hand of friendship, I offered the challange of debate, I asked him about comics, traded jokes & "zingers", etc. which are forms of communication (often not even comic-related!) still enjoyed by most of the people there.

I will agree with you that I brought most of it on myself (not the stalking, mind you - that is the result of the aberrant personality.)
I will agree with you that your advice to ignore him completely was probably the best tactic, but I tried the course of friendship, comraderie, boisterous swapping of insults, tit for tat, debate or whatever I thought might appeal to the nature of such a being first, to no avail.
I've already admitted that my way didn't work with this one as it has with others.

So yeah, I agree with you about that stuff, but I vehemently disagree that I have to censor myself or censor my posts or put limits on what I'd like to discuss (or that the board should be restricted to one single topic) because I became the chosen target of one particular jerk off.

[jaydeebee]

Besides all that, everyone knows that the Comics/Terrorism thread was posted to irk KWM, not O.J.!

The captain is correct, posters on the eBay Comics board and here at the Corral should be free to discuss whatever they choose without fear of reprisal or reprimand, at least within the limits of the rules of the forums.

Oscarjoe stalked my threads and posts on eBay until I started ignoring him, by stalking, I mean that he responded with angry, hateful or otherwise rude comments to whatever I posted. For example, if I posted, "Good Morning, it's a good day to be alive", O.J. might have responded, "Why don't you D.I.E. so the rest of us will have a G.O.O.D. D.A.Y.?" Also during this time my threads and posts were getting reported and pulled at such a rate that I was sure I was going to get banned from that particular board at any time. For the record, a lot of my threads still get pulled and I believe that O.J. is the button-pushing culprit. (some completely innocent on-topic non-controversial threads pulled for no reason other than someone pushed a button to make trouble)


And he stalked capt. steel, even to the point of bidding on an item steel was selling in order to get his contact info, remember that?

That was when I decided it was time to tune out O.J. and just let him swing in the breeze. Just like with kwm, I realized that conversing with Oscarjoe was like talking to the proverbial brick wall, an ill-mannered borderline sociopath brick-wall, but a brick wall none the less. #blahblah#

[malaprop]

Pretty much my sentiments too, JDB. But as Pas pointed out, there are other problems with that particular board, so I've been taking an extended hiatus, a couple of months at least. At least one poster on there I consider to be potentially dangerous. There's no overriding principle worth fighting for there, I am happy to go elsewhere.

[jaydeebee]

At least one poster on there I consider to be potentially dangerous.

Yeah, I think I know who you mean, but I think he's mostly dangerous to himself. :confused:

[Capitalrecoveryman]

If you're talking about who I think you are, (and I'm not too bright so I may be thinking about the wrong guy) I'm blown away by the fact that the dude posts under an ID that has almost 1,500 transactions, mostly as a seller. It just seems odd to me that someone can list coherent auctions, manage to transact with customers, albeit via the internet, and manage to complete those transactions to everyone's satisfaction.

Then, he makes posts talking about living on his last dollar in a shelter, and that the real world needs heroes and he might not be here next week, etc. etc. Pretty strange stuff.

[SatansProdigy]

Wow. Guess I should read the ebay boards more often....

[malaprop]

That's him. He once asked me for my phone number, just so he could hear my voice.

[jaydeebee]

That's him. He once asked me for my phone number, just so he could hear my voice.


Okay...that's creepy.:?

[fastballspecial]

fastball - I have to take issue with a couple items:

First, I disagree that the board must be limited to only talking about comics. You say people take the board too seriously and then say it should be restricted to a single topic - sounds like a contradiction in terms.
I agree with most of the people there who feel it is a community drawn together by a common interest, and within the context of a community that happens to share one aspect of our lives, we are free to talk about what we choose, just as everyone is free to ignore topics they are not interested in. (This argument's been debated there a million times and the consensus always bears out that it is an open forum for anyone to ask questions, express opinions, start topics, etc., and dictating that people MUST only talk about comics and nothing but comics in every single thread & in every single response is a form of censorship.)

Secondly, I'm not going to restrict the threads I post on or the threads I start or the threads I bump because of a troll (nor should I or anyone else have to!)
Yet that's what you're asking me to do. If I follow that logic then I should cease posting altogether because, at one point, anything & everything I posted attracted o.j. That's why I said I was being "stalked".

So, no, I will not stop bumping threads that push the troll's buttons if I have something to say or ask or have an update or would just like to hear some other people's opinions on the topic - that's what the board is there for!

My "Comics Take On Terrorism" thread is relevant to me, it means something to me, it contains things I feel strongly about. I realize it's not of interest to many, I realize it deals with uncomfortable subjects and is controversial - most people are content to just ignore it as they should if they're not interested or find the subject matter upsetting, but a few people do happen to share an interest in something so topical & current as terrorism and the effect it has had on comics and on the world.
I'm sorry that it also happens to be one of o.j.'s favorites also (or his favorite ground on which he likes to launch his personal attacks on me), but I'll be damned if I let it die for no other reason than to placate, appease or deprive the idiot who's driven so many other threads off the board or had them deleted!

You say I've delighted in conversing with every troll who ever wondered on the board. Not true overall, but yes, I do enjoy debating people I don't agree with. I wouldn't classify them ALL as "trolls" either, but maybe people with different or sometimes extreme views about things. Some who appeared as "trolls" or some sort of wack jobs initially were soon taken in by the good humor and warmth of the board and eventually became long standing regulars, but with some others we had to learn the hard way.

Like jbd, I tried to create openings for o.j. (especially when it seemed he was not going to go away or when others seemed to get on well with him). I offered the hand of friendship, I offered the challange of debate, I asked him about comics, traded jokes & "zingers", etc. which are forms of communication (often not even comic-related!) still enjoyed by most of the people there.

I will agree with you that I brought most of it on myself (not the stalking, mind you - that is the result of the aberrant personality.)
I will agree with you that your advice to ignore him completely was probably the best tactic, but I tried the course of friendship, comraderie, boisterous swapping of insults, tit for tat, debate or whatever I thought might appeal to the nature of such a being first, to no avail.
I've already admitted that my way didn't work with this one as it has with others.

So yeah, I agree with you about that stuff, but I vehemently disagree that I have to censor myself or censor my posts or put limits on what I'd like to discuss (or that the board should be restricted to one single topic) because I became the chosen target of one particular jerk off.


Alright I get it I apologize for being a little overzealous there. I just couldnt believe you were over here crying about the same thing I have warned you about for the past several months. Baiting and tempting those idiots only results in my headaches for the rest of us. My case in point is this.

Those spammers would like nothing better then to get your threads pulled. So it pisses me off when I have to see some troll doing everything they can to get a thread pulled especially ones that are very valuable to us sellers and buyers. So its frustrating for me for other long time posters to be baiting these guys into continuing to post on the threads. Its like a kid playing with matches. Its only a matter of time.

I realize this comes off very heavy handed and I dont intentionally mean for it too, but you brought this onto yourself after countless warnings. How many threads do you want to see get pulled that you like? Your terrorism thread is one of your few left that hasnt been pulled yet.

Nonconcerning off topic Comic related threads. Personally if it was me I wouldnt have them, but hey its a free country so post away. I just dont have time to deal with them or read the rants that sometimes are posted on there, by people with an agenda and no facts.

[fastballspecial]

Besides all that, everyone knows that the Comics/Terrorism thread was posted to irk KWM, not O.J.!

The captain is correct, posters on the eBay Comics board and here at the Corral should be free to discuss whatever they choose without fear of reprisal or reprimand, at least within the limits of the rules of the forums.

Oscarjoe stalked my threads and posts on eBay until I started ignoring him, by stalking, I mean that he responded with angry, hateful or otherwise rude comments to whatever I posted. For example, if I posted, "Good Morning, it's a good day to be alive", O.J. might have responded, "Why don't you D.I.E. so the rest of us will have a G.O.O.D. D.A.Y.?" Also during this time my threads and posts were getting reported and pulled at such a rate that I was sure I was going to get banned from that particular board at any time. For the record, a lot of my threads still get pulled and I believe that O.J. is the button-pushing culprit. (some completely innocent on-topic non-controversial threads pulled for no reason other than someone pushed a button to make trouble)


And he stalked capt. steel, even to the point of bidding on an item steel was selling in order to get his contact info, remember that?

That was when I decided it was time to tune out O.J. and just let him swing in the breeze. Just like with kwm, I realized that conversing with Oscarjoe was like talking to the proverbial brick wall, an ill-mannered borderline sociopath brick-wall, but a brick wall none the less. #blahblah#

This is why every troll on our board gets immediately put on my bidder block list.

[jaydeebee]

This is why every troll on our board gets immediately put on my bidder block list.

Ditto. #nunchuck#

[capt.steel]

Thanks fastball. I know where you're coming from.

It took me a while to FULLY understand what o.j. was about & what he was capable of. I guess I give people the benefit of the doubt because, as I said earlier, some of the posters who appeared as "trolls" in their initial visits to the board ended up becoming some of my best board friends.

Like 4zack - he and I started off in a very similar way to the way it began with o.j. He and I had some pretty serious arguments and traded lots of insults, but it became good natured fun after a while. (Then there was even 4z's famous "Thanksgiving Day SPAM" - where he bumped a spit load of threads for no reason, completely overwhelming the structure of the board. He caught hell from many of us - me included. He apologized, learned a lesson and has been a fun member of the board and a good guy to talk with.)

I do admit I like a good debate and most of the people I get the best arguments from are intelligent and good humored - they can get hot, but still know & understand common forum etiquette. Our arguments often provide a lot of insight, information and entertainment for people visiting the board. So if someone wants to argue, I welcome it, it's not a bad thing. I don't see it as "baiting" to start some controversial discussions. They are usually a lot of fun until you accidently come upon an aberrant personality like o.j. who you initially thought just wanted to debate like everybody else until you find out he's a psycho-troll.

As for Off-Topic threads... hey, jbd and I make jokes about how the best way for a thread to fall off the Comics Board is to have it be about comics! Most of the threads that stay on top are not comic related - and that's just something that happens through democracy - people vote for what they want to talk about with their posts and it seems most enjoy talking about a variety of stuff that's not necessarily comic related.

[capt.steel]

I'd just like to add...
Now that almost everyone seems to be ignoring o.j., (I know, I know, it took me a while to catch on!) he's resorting to trying to make semi-serious posts actually discussing comics (movies & related items).
The posts, for the most part, are still illogical and somewhat incoherent, but they sound like he's trying to make them less abrasive now that he's been exposed and is reaping the "benefits" of his animosity.

Man, I can almost hear him twisting in the wind! :p

[jaydeebee]

Capt. maybe O.J. is just like the Winter Warlock and just needs someone to give him a choo-choo train!

Capt. Claus VS. The Winter O.J.! :p

YouTube - Winter Warlock song (put one foot in front of the other)

[capt.steel]

Nope, jdb. My trying to get o.j. to "put one foot in front of the other" over and over again is what got "fastball" so upset with me! :D

[malaprop]

Meanwhile, that other nutjob we were talking about has really screwed the pooch this time. He started ripping on a woman poster on the Soapbox whose daughter was tragically kidnapped three years ago. The husband is involved now, and is talking about lawsuits and the police. This guy has definitely earned a lifetime of being shunned.

[disneyteddies]

Just ignore them, everyone is tough on a computer.

[SILLYSHIP--pirate eye--]

If anyone remembers my interaction with Jarod Bryan, they will understand how I feel about this. Attack. Destroy. Let go. Admit defeat. Admit a higher consciousness and learn to avoid or lean how the internet is serious business and make fun of yourself. dramacyclopedia.

[SILLYSHIP--pirate eye--]

The difference between you and troll is the same as what used to be the quote "Young people think they will live forever." They think they can tempt fate and feelings and health forever by loosing themselves in the fault of taking oneself too seriously. Without engaging in discoarse with those different than themselves they are postponing their death by remaining mentally stagnant. The internet can become life and life is time travel. The internet is only a tool to bring about whatever you want to be. Be it, be what you want.

[SILLYSHIP--pirate eye--]

DT's got it right "Just ignore them, everyone is tough on a computer." I'm 350 pounds of 6'6'' manly muscle on the internet.

[rmsmithsantacruz]

Capt., posters like O.J. are what make the ebay forum unwelcoming. I feel for you man. He has become your Green Goblin. Always poping in at the wrong time with hatred and malice.
-Richard

[SILLYSHIP--pirate eye--]

Hatred and malice should be the easiest of things to avoid on the internet.