JHV
<a href="http://www.casinomeister.com/meister_awar
- Joined
- Jun 2, 2005
- Location
- Perennial Traveler
It's up to members to police one another when it comes to "hey, I think you're shilling" or man, I wish there were more members like me. Feel free to recruit all your player buddies and tear apart the RNG of whatever software provider. No one is going to say no to that. In fact that's what makes this board resilient and powerful. People read and listen to what is said here. This is your forum - it's your sounding board - this is a tool for you to use.
As most of us are aware, Rusty has decided to leave CM. His stated reason for doing so struck a chord with me as I was, myself, drifting away for those same reasons.
Due to a steady increase in shill like posts, unchecked disinformation and general apathy on the subject of fair gaming I will no longer be posting on these boards as I do not want to add legitimacy to these people by responding to them directly.
As Bryan states above, it is up to us to make this forum a powerful one. A forum that strikes fear into the hearts of unethical and shady operators, and a forum that heavily rewards ethical operators with our custom.
I cannot see how anyone can disagree with Rusty's words above. When Bryan graciously allowed me back to post, I was determined to be a positive force and contribute in a positive manner - to call out unethical operators, to compliment those operators conducting themselves in an ethical manner, and contribute across a range of sub-forums in assisting new players with advice, etc.
After one day of posting, I was disillusioned and disheartened. The 'apathy' Rusty referred to was everywhere. thelawnet made a great post bringing attention to a shocking piece of malpractice by a large operator, and almost no one seemed to care all that much. Not only that, but I was baited and attacked instead by posters making posts COVERED with affiliate links of the very online casinos who were being shown to be acting unethically. I steadfastly refused to rise to their baiting, hoping against hope their attacks would be moderated like mine would instantly be. The attacks were allowed. And, disillusioned, I drifted away...with no plans to return.
Although I don't have Rusty's posting history, widespread respect or established trust yet; his departure has sparked me into giving it one final shot. What I will say will be controversial. It will make some people angry. I may get banned for it. I hope I'm not, because I feel my arguments are valid and will be beneficial to the future of this forum.
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1. Conflict-of-Interest - whether genuine or perceived, this is a serious issue. A huge number of posters here are online casino affiliates. I understand business, and respect the right of anyone to conduct business on a forum, ESPECIALLY if they are providing valuable advice to inexperienced players. However, when that conflict-of-interest reaches the point where those affiliates stay silent on blatant misconduct by their listed casinos - ALL OF US should speak out and hold them to account.
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2. Moderation - there is a severe disparity between how some posters are moderated as opposed to others. I can provide evidence of unprovoked attacks made on me which have received no attention whatsoever - whilst I have been banned for breaching forum rules for RESPONDING to those attacks. Key word there: RESPONDING.
The moderation issue has to be addressed and/or be more transparent otherwise posters like myself, who genuinely have no agenda (note the complete lack of affiliate links) will be silenced directly via being baited and responding in breach of forum rules - or simply grow disillusioned with the apparent (perhaps incorrectly perceived) 'protection' some posters receive from mods whilst others step one inch over the line and get pinned immediately.
I can provide evidence of these examples, obviously. If anyone wishes me to, I will do so. But I believe this forums' posters to be mostly intelligent enough to realise what I'm saying is valid.
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3. Apathy - it's everywhere. Rusty knew it, I know it, you know it. But what I can't understand is why?
Is it merely that we're all only interested in our specific interests and don't feel comfortable commenting on games we don't play or online casinos we haven't played at? I know that's the case with me, for sure.
But I think we shouldn't have to make a PAB for this forum to unite when one of us posts a thread outlining unethical behaviour by an online casino.
When one of us does so, in my idealistic world, the whole forum will unite in outrage and demand action - even if it's just a whole group of us demanding the listed Casino Rep merely respond!
And, in my opinion, when a listed Casino Rep goes out of their way to NOT RESPOND to allegations, we should unite and beg Bryan and Max to delist them for that failure to respond. This isn't a courtroom, they should not have the right to "plead the 5th" or pull the "no comment" nonsense! Please trust me (as someone who's lost over half a million, a large % of which was lost to shady operators) when I say that these casinos won't give you the same courtesy in your position.
We need to get behind each other and our volume united will be heard. Otherwise, the very power that this forum has been and has the potential to be is intrinsically weakened. If Casino reps are allowed to insult our intelligence (as the InterCasino rep did responding to thelawnet) or simply ignore us (as the InterCasino rep did when I requested he comment on my allegations) - and we allow them to get away with it - what's the point of having them here if they're just going to lie to our faces, claim "misunderstandings", "technical errors", "cashout complications" and other nonsense as justification for ripping off innocent players - what's the point if they are here merely for this purpose?
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I hope enough objective players who are here primarily because they're interested in fair gaming agree with me. And I brace myself for the inevitable attacks from those who are here to make money and have no interest in fair gaming.
And I thank Bryan for allowing me this opportunity to post topics I have stayed silent about due to their hugely controversial nature.