SUMMARY=====================
In this email, the same user who wrote HuffPost on July 7, 2009 to complain about "HumeSkeptic's" egregious violations of its policies, provided additional, detailed information regarding:
- The fact that he had publicly disclosed the content of HuffPost's 7/17/09 email to him, in which it "asked" him to stop claiming that he "pisses on Reagan's grave," and urging others to do the same
- "HumeSkeptic's" promise to HuffPost that he would not do this anymore
- The fact that despite his promise, "HumeSkeptic" continued his pathological violations in this regard --- and all others
- "HumeSkeptic's" claim that HuffPost management actually "asked" him for suggestions "on how to improve the site." (Note: This bolsters other evidence we've received that HuffPost management has spoken directly with "HumeSkeptic," to further query him for ideas on "how to improve the site.")
From: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Abusive Posting and Betrayal of Trust
To: katie@huffingtonpost.com
Date: Thursday, August 27, 2009, 1:40 AM
Dear Katie,
I can’t begin to tell you how upset I am with what I have found and as much as it pains me to tell you this, your trust has been betrayed in one of the worst ways possible.
(Please bear with me to the end of this as I’ll try to make my point brief and succinct.)
Not long ago you and I wrote to each other over a matter of someone wishing to “piss” on Ronald Reagan’s grave and the effect it had by leading and directing the behavior of others on the targeted threads. You assured me then that it is clearly not within the Huffington Post policy to permit such things and that you would deal with the offending poster directly.
Well, not only has that person repeatedly violated the stated policy since then, but he even went so far as to publish your email to him on another website that is meant to serve as a direct counter to the Huffington Post over disagreements he and others share with you, the Huffington Post moderators, and the stated policies therein.
Katie, regardless of what you think of me and my posts, I hold the utmost respect for you and the tremendous amount of hard work and obvious dedication you have shown the Huffington Post as its Community Manager. I can only imagine the unique stresses you endure in fielding complaints while offering reasoned solutions to problems that surely would test the will and determination of any intelligent person. With that being said, I find it appalling that someone would be so brazen as to publish your remarks in an attempt to mock you and the generosity you’ve shown them in not banning them outright after repeatedly and openly attacking you, your moderators, and others with reckless and abusive comments.
On September 19th, this post was submitted and approved for display:
HumeSkeptic I'm a Fan of HumeSkeptic I'm a fan of this user 1219 fans permalink(It was quickly followed by a stream of people who not only agreed with the initial sentiment but took the idea to its ultimate illogical conclusion:)
We all need to go out and have beer. Then go visit St Ronnie's grave.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:24 PM on 08/19/2009
Heavy I'm a Fan of Heavy I'm a fan of this user 225 fans permalink
Don't forget some taco bell too.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:25 PM on 08/19/2009
ladynaga I'm a Fan of ladynaga I'm a fan of this user 239 fans permalink
Hershey squirt could be messy in public
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:25 PM on 08/19/2009
anastasiabeaverhousen I'm a Fan of anastasiabeaverhousen I'm a fan of this user 99 fans permalink
I'll save up some recycled beer to honor his memory
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:26 PM on 08/19/2009
Tom Joad I'm a Fan of Tom Joad I'm a fan of this user 133 fans permalink
...too far for me to travel. can I just go out back and pee?
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 09:27 PM on 08/19/2009
(Then again on 20 September, this post was submitted, approved, and allowed to stand:)
HumeSkeptic I'm a Fan of HumeSkeptic I'm a fan of this user 1226 fans permalink
Wouldn't it be great if the worst fears of Righties came true and the Government took over our healthcare system. I would buy beer for everyone here and then we all would go down and vist St Ronnie's grave. Together. .
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:12 PM on 08/20/2009
(Just as before and as in the past, it was quickly followed up with additional abusive posts by others who understood exactly what the intention was:)
graceland9 I'm a Fan of graceland9 I'm a fan of this user 80 fans permalinkKatie, as much as I can understand and even sympathize with the political disagreements some had with Ronald Reagan, in setting politics aside, I find it more than repulsive that anyone could so brazenly speak of “pissing”, “spitting”, and doing other obvious insinuations on anyone’s grave. I don’t know what the legal implications of all this are but I can’t imagine how this serves the will of the Huffington Post. Can you?
It's a little tough for us females, but I'm willing to give it a "go."
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:13 PM on 08/20/2009
HumeSkeptic I'm a Fan of HumeSkeptic I'm a fan of this user 1226 fans permalink
I'll be happy to have an extra cold one for you.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:14 PM on 08/20/2009
Strega I'm a Fan of Strega I'm a fan of this user 148 fans permalink
lol - ok, i'll try too if u.will
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:17 PM on 08/20/2009
OneTop I'm a Fan of OneTop I'm a fan of this user 26 fans permalink
St Ronnie's grave .... I would just send the pigeons.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:14 PM on 08/20/2009
parrotkisser I'm a Fan of parrotkisser I'm a fan of this user 67 fans permalink
I'm in. : )
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:14 PM on 08/20/2009
Weirdwriter I'm a Fan of Weirdwriter I'm a fan of this user 171 fans permalink
Make mine absinthe, and I'll sign up.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:14 PM on 08/20/2009
peacekitten I'm a Fan of peacekitten I'm a fan of this user 418 fans permalink
well, okay. but i'm not really a beer kinda gal. maybe a glass or two of Bollinger?
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:16 PM on 08/20/2009
PocketWatch I'm a Fan of PocketWatch I'm a fan of this user 47 fans permalink
I'd find a way to get rid of some used beer.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:18 PM on 08/20/2009
helenwheels I'm a Fan of helenwheels I'm a fan of this user 332 fans permalink
I'd save up a week's worth of p!ss for that.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:19 PM on 08/20/2009
SocialistDistortion I'm a Fan of SocialistDistortion I'm a fan of this user 36 fans permalink
I'm up for the brews, but I won't go to saint ronnie's grave...I'd be too tempted to spit on it.
Reply Favorite Flag as abusive Posted 10:19 PM on 08/20/2009
However, what has me most upset is how your trust in this person has been violated by posting the contents of your email to the source of those comments to the competitive political news website FreeRangeTalk.com. On or shortly after the evening that we wrote to each other, HumeSkeptic posted your email to him in-total to the threads of FreeRangeTalk.com:
http://freerangetalk.com/?p=16373&cpage=1#comment-129606
http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ab8ac922675863a6b3a567798fd8246d?s=48&d=monsterid&r=R HumeSkeptic says:
July 17, 2009 at 9:53 am
(Report comment)
Usually I don’t do this, but this is just too precious not to share:
Emailed note to me from HP:
——————–
> I’ve noticed, and have received complaints about you posting comments about “p!ssing” on Ronald Reagan’s grave. > > I know that this isn’t the only inappropriate content on the entire site, but comments that make light of the idea of desecrating someone’s grave definitely isn’t within our guidelines. Please don’t post that anymore. > > Best, > > (name)
——————————-
My response:
From now on, I plan to not admit to that particular activity on HP.
To me, a grave is a wasted piece of land and, not being religious, I do not accept that anything can be desecrated.
How about the U.S.flag?
See where you are headed with “thought policing”? Perhaps not.
But, since yours is a private web site, I cannot invoke the right of freedom of speech.
Therefore, I shall comply.
Respectfully yours.
—————
Please feel free to share this with others. :-)
Katie, it is evident to me that HumeSkeptic does not and has not taken your admonishment seriously, especially in light of his most recent repeats (recall 19 and 20 August, above) of the very violations you warned him not to do, wherein he agreed he would comply.
However, his sharing of your admonishment with others and to then repeat the very violations you warned him not to do is in anyone’s view nothing short of an “in your face” act of contempt and a total disregard for your warning. Moreover, it is clear that they are also sharing other correspondence to and from the Huffington Post management amongst themselves and others.
Shortly after the post above was made, we find this comment:
http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/d30726f6ae357e86e8958c8bfdbfefa1?s=48&d=monsterid&r=Rladybastet
July 17th, 2009 at 10:04 am
http://freerangetalk.com/up_arrow_blue.gifhttp://freerangetalk.com/down_arrow_blue.gif
I’ve sent you all my correspondence with said web site. There was some email you sent me though I’d like to know what became of it. I hope you know the one to which I refer.
http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ab8ac922675863a6b3a567798fd8246d?s=48&d=monsterid&r=RHumeSkeptic
July 17th, 2009 at 10:23 am
http://freerangetalk.com/up_arrow_blue.gifhttp://freerangetalk.com/down_arrow_blue.gif
(Report comment)
Yes. I got a nice and very long response. Very polite. Asking for suggestions on how to improve things. (OK. I don’t know how to post that little thingy showing eyes rolled up)
Katie, it is not for me to tell you how to feel about having your private communications made public on another website that is intended to serve as a direct alternative to the Huffington Post. However, it is clear that they do not take you or your admonishments seriously.
I asked you once before what hold HumeSkeptic holds over the Huffington Post that he is not banned for repeatedly violating every policy in print. If the last comments above are true as printed, and I believe them to be accurate . . . then I think I may finally have my answer. If you are truly interested in learning how to improve the Huffington Post, you might do well to ask the few of us who have been there from the start, having weathered everything thrown at us from all sides, and still maintained both our composure and our original logins. In the meantime, it is evident to me that you have serious matters to attend to. If these kinds of comments generate this kind of gleeful response from regulars, can you imagine what would happen if similar comments were directed toward Sen. Edward Kennedy?
Please keep in mind that there are still many of us who only wish to hold a meaningful dialog with our thoughtful political opposites. If you would like to see more egregious violations from the above, you only have to ask . . . the supply seems to be endless.
With warmest regards,
XXXXXXXXXXX
================
The complainer received no response from HuffPost.
Yet as before, HuffPost not only took no action against "HumeSkeptic," it:
(a) Apologized to him in September 2009 for a technical glitch that prevented comments of his, which it claimed it "approved," from being published (source confidential --- for now)
(b) Entertained his request to fully reinstate one of the most pathological violators of its comment policies, "kevenseven," whom it had repeatedly banned (then reinstated), even after it knew that he had been interviewed in his home by the U.S. Secret Service for his threats and urgings of violence against its protectees, his obsessive stalking of other users, etc.
It was only after "HumeSkeptic" posted a comment in October 2009 on how delicious human babies taste, when cooked correctly, that HuffPost finally banned him (again) --- but only for a few days, after which it (again) fully reinstated him.
Yet during this period and for years prior, HuffPost has routinely censored and banned non-violating users who stand up to users like "HumeSkeptic," denounce his comments, or voice dissenting opinions.
Return to full documentation on HumeSkeptic here.
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Posts
Whaa! WHAAAAA!
ReplyDeleteI thought you righties hated "political correctness"?
Crybaby.