A Community Statement

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Sorry. The community statement is not a campaign, and I support both its sentiments and the language in which it was couched. Close to the end of an exhausting and reluctant post I got sloppy and drifted away from the community statement onto other ground. At that point I was thinking of certain comments made both on the Downs and elsewhere that were unrelated to the community statement, but which touched on the same issues. Those comments call into question the competence, integrity and fairness of the moderators here, and as such seem calculated to undermine their authority. I should have made it clear that I was trying to address those reactions as well as the community statement, which is in itself a laudable and well-conceived reaction.

Some of the other reactions have been less constructive and can be interpreted as a campaign, although they might easily be nothing more than angry responses to a perceived injustice.

Yes, I know I said I wouldn't make any more public statements about this, but I thought I'd make an exception in this case.

[Lalwendë]

Yes, this was not a 'campaign', just a lot of people who ended up finding each other's blogs, e-mail addresses and whatnot and there was the idea to put up a statement - partly to stop people bombarding mods with PMs it must be said. There was nothing 'sinister' going on, just a lot of emotions ranging from confusion, through regret to simple anger, and this statement covered all sorts of people, some of whom remember are quite young and might be upset to think they have been naughty - and its just mean to accuse them of that kind of thing.

As for anything else, its just a lot of people who felt frustrated and angry mouthing off and moaning to one another. As people do. 'Campaign' is more than a bit too strong a word for what are just rants from lots of different people.

Now back to your posts!