SICK of CENSORSHIP on MAAST

[txmaverickmh]

I have bit my lip enough in having my posts deleted regarding any opinions that I give about vendors on MAAST. I would like a response from board members, moderators, CBianco and JustaHobby about why so much of what I say gets deleted.

Everyone knows my relationship and fondness of Gulf Coast Reef. Three of my best friends, Dr. Mark, James Davis and Brad Gimmell are partners at GC Reef, I was going to be a partner and invest in GCR until I LOST MY JOB! Do you know what it is like to be a single income family and lose your job? I found a ton of support and friendship from the guys at GCR during this difficult time, and now I have a new job, a better job, but I cannot invest in GCR because I am moving to Houston. Therefore, I am a customer, a loyal friend and an independent MAAST charter member like all of you.

I recently posted about visiting an incredible fish store in NYC, which created some debate about wide livestock selections, high prices, etc…why can’t I respond to members in saying that I have seen stock order lists at GCR and tell folks that they can order most anything they want from vendors like GCR and their prices cant be beat? Another post of mine that got deleted concerned bad customer service with an employee at Tropical Fish Haven, why can’t I agree with other members about the bad customer service, ask why would they serve customers like that, and then ask the person that had the bad customer service in Corpus Christi if they have visited GC Reef? TFH is not even a MAAST sponsor, why cant I talk freely about them?

Isn’t that what the Vendor and Product experiences is about? Plugging places that have given good deals, give good customer service, and refer this person to a place where they probably will be satisfied like GC Reef?

Most people who have been on here long enough know my bias towards my good friends at GC Reef, hence, my opinions are biased and should be taken so! Is this unlike all the folks that plug Gabes, Jeremy at Reefs2U, Jason at Aquarium Designs? I love all these stores too, have bought things from all them, plug them on occasion, why don’t those posts get deleted?

I am so disappointed in the way that my views are censored, why anytime I mention something about GCR other than on the GCR forums gets deleted and I get some crappy PM about my close relationship with GCR, don’t you people have better things to do than delete my posts that allow me to celebrate my positive experiences at GC Reef? Why aren’t all these reviews that other people post about their love for particular vendors, their referral of new people to certain fish stores, their criticisms about horrible experiences at certain fish stores deleted? What is the difference between them and me? I DON’T collect a paycheck, profit sharing, ANYTHING from GC Reef, I have a favorite fish store, great friends at GC Reef, and I should be allowed to sing their praises freely on this website!

Please don’t send me anymore nasty PMs, man up and post publicly, explain to me why I cannot talk freely on here, plug GC Reef, and have the benefits that other members possess on MAAST! I am fed up with this crap, this is just a hobby, we talk and share amongst our peers, we should be able to say whatever we want as long as it is not offending to people, and I should be able to talk GC Reef up until I am blue in the face.

I am getting really sick of people taking this stuff way too seriously!

Michael Hensley

[Neptune@gabesfish]

Well said Mike..

[txmaverickmh]

For the record, Gabe, I love your store, love your pricing and my Walking Dendro that I got from you is my favorite thing in my tank, your customer service and your committment to customers rocks! Lets see that get censored?

[txmaverickmh]

The funniest part about all of this is MY post was DELETED in MY THREAD, how do you censor MY REPLY IN MY THREAD?

[hobogato]

ok, let me give this a try.


I have bit my lip enough in having my posts deleted regarding any opinions that I give about vendors on MAAST. I would like a response from board members, moderators, CBianco and JustaHobby about why so much of what I say gets deleted.

your posts that blatently advertise for gcreef have been edited.

Everyone knows my relationship and fondness of Gulf Coast Reef. Three of my best friends, Dr. Mark, James Davis and Brad Gimmell are partners at GC Reef, I was going to be a partner and invest in GCR until I LOST MY JOB! Do you know what it is like to be a single income family and lose your job? I found a ton of support and friendship from the guys at GCR during this difficult time, and now I have a new job, a better job, but I cannot invest in GCR because I am moving to Houston. Therefore, I am a customer, a loyal friend and an independent MAAST charter member like all of you.

this is where much of the confusion arises. you have even called yourself the "gcreef mascot" and talked about working in the shop - whether or not they are paying you. this is a very close affiliation and makes it very difficult (impossible) to separate your posts as mike the charter member vs. mike the volunteer employee of gcreef

I recently posted about visiting an incredible fish store in NYC, which created some debate about wide livestock selections, high prices, etc…why can’t I respond to members in saying that I have seen stock order lists at GCR and tell folks that they can order most anything they want from vendors like GCR and their prices cant be beat? Another post of mine that got deleted concerned bad customer service with an employee at Tropical Fish Haven, why can’t I agree with other members about the bad customer service, ask why would they serve customers like that, and then ask the person that had the bad customer service in Corpus Christi if they have visited GC Reef? TFH is not even a MAAST sponsor, why cant I talk freely about them?

the problem with that post as well as others you make, are that while you often plug local sponsors (i very much agree with) you almost never mention any names of local sponsors besides gcreef. while they are a great store and bunch of guys, hopefully you can see why your posts seem very unbalanced.

Isn’t that what the Vendor and Product experiences is about? Plugging places that have given good deals, give good customer service, and refer this person to a place where they probably will be satisfied like GC Reef?

most definitely, that is what that forum is for. the problem is, you turn nearly every post you make there into an advertisement for gcreef.

Most people who have been on here long enough know my bias towards my good friends at GC Reef, hence, my opinions are biased and should be taken so! Is this unlike all the folks that plug Gabes, Jeremy at Reefs2U, Jason at Aquarium Designs? I love all these stores too, have bought things from all them, plug them on occasion, why don’t those posts get deleted?

if an employee (volunteer or paid) of one of those stores was constantly posting about them in a forum other than theirs, they would be dealt with in the same way. feel free to post all you want about gcreef in their forum. also feel free go post about your experiences with them as a customer in the vendor forum. this is different than talking about what you saw on the order list and what great things "we" at gcreef are getting - those types of statements scream employee, not independent charter member. also, combining those positive experiences at gcreef with negative comments about other retailers (sponsors or not) doesnt seem very impartial if done constantly.

I am so disappointed in the way that my views are censored, why anytime I mention something about GCR other than on the GCR forums gets deleted and I get some crappy PM about my close relationship with GCR, don’t you people have better things to do than delete my posts that allow me to celebrate my positive experiences at GC Reef?

please dont insinuate that we are targeting you. when posts are reported, the mods discuss a coarse of action and take it. nothing more. they/we would rather the site ran itself, but that just isnt the case.

Why aren’t all these reviews that other people post about their love for particular vendors, their referral of new people to certain fish stores, their criticisms about horrible experiences at certain fish stores deleted? What is the difference between them and me? I DON’T collect a paycheck, profit sharing, ANYTHING from GC Reef, I have a favorite fish store, great friends at GC Reef, and I should be allowed to sing their praises freely on this website!

as a customer/independent charter member, yes. when you post about what "we" are ordering or what "we" at gcreef can order or how great "our" prices are, you are blurring that line.

Please don’t send me anymore nasty PMs,

i beg to differ. the moderators send very professional, matter of fact messages. if that is not the case, then it needs to be reported immediately.

man up and post publicly, explain to me why I cannot talk freely on here, plug GC Reef, and have the benefits that other members possess on MAAST! I am fed up with this crap, this is just a hobby, we talk and share amongst our peers, we should be able to say whatever we want as long as it is not offending to people,

that is the problem, the situation is offending people. we act on reports from members.

and I should be able to talk GC Reef up until I am blue in the face.

as a customer - yes. as an employee (paid, volunteer or mascot) yes, but only in their forum.

I am getting really sick of people taking this stuff way too seriously!

Michael Hensley

i hope you can understand our position and problem in dealing with this situation. in the perfect world, we wouldnt have to. the fact of the matter is, some members/sponsors dont approve and it is up to the mods and bod to interpret the rules as well as we can.

[txmaverickmh]

1. "GC Reef Mascot" was a freaking joke, the fact that I spend alot of time with my best friend, Dr. Mark, at the store, which is less than mile from my house, the fact that when I lost my job and had nothing to do outside of looking for new opportunities that I helped out at the store, and the fact that I love plugging them for all the good they have done me, and the positive experiences I have seen others as well as myself enjoy.

2. I am sorry I dont plug "local" sponsors because I dont shop anywhere else in Corpus Christi, and I havent had any "super" experiences anywhere else in Corpus...I shop plenty in San Antonio and Houston, and I have posted my positive experiences with those vendors, sorry I dont get out of town enough to make this fair and balanced.

3. Every post I make turns into an ad for GC Reef? Who cares? Whats wrong with that? If I see someone in need, if I see an opportunity to talk them up, they are very important to me, who cares? SO I should not expect anyone that shops frequently somewhere to plug any of their favorite fish stores??? My opinions are biased, is that a secret, is that a problem?

4. This goes against everything I have ever learned about a business providing good customer service and creating raving fans...WHen any business provides great service, great product, I feel that I owe them the review, I owe it to them to sing their praises loudly, but people who are loud about their experiences if they are given too much are censored, I guess everything that I see and witness at GC Reef is hereby censored, I cannot share anything about prices, livestock, when people are looking at things I cant tell them that GC Reef has ordered some, I just have to be quiet since I am too happy with GC Reef, the fact that my close friends who have mentored me and become great friends, our relationship is just too close so I have to keep my mouth shut, MAAST moderators now have the ability to rate and gauge relationships between members and vendors, and if they choose, they can censor their views and prevent them from talking about certain vendors.

What are the reports? DO people actually say, "Oh that Michael, here he is talking about GCR, it is offending me?"

This is just rediculous, this has ruined my day! Moving forward, I, Michael Hensley, promise not to make any further comments about Gulf Coast Reef, its partners, its livestock, its prices or anything else related to Gulf Coast Reef, therefore regaining my independance as a MAAST member, and not offending anyone anymore about my great experiences at any fish store.

Good luck!

Michael

[JTrott]

From reading the response, maybe I should be careful on how much I praise the service and animals available at Gabe's since I am a FORMER employee. From reading the post, sounds like I can only do that in Gabe's area.

Jason

[subsailor]

I have not been on here in a long long while, been busy pursuing stuff, but I had to say wow! since this is the first time I have been on here in Months it looks like no matter who is "over everything" the nitpicking BS remains. As much as I thought the day would never come I have to find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with gabe and jtrott.....

[Neptune@gabesfish]

Welcome back Sub..From both of us!!

[subsailor]

lol

[Europhyllia]

Oh wow. I didn't realize we could only talk about the fish stores in their own forums. I figured me saying nice things about stuff I get from everywhere is a perk they get with their sponsorship. :p

[hobogato]

no, you are all misunderstanding. i will come back and respond, but it is my mother's birthday and we are having dinner for her right now, so please be patient until later this evening.

[cbianco]

Michael,

Ace and I are on the same page as far as why your posts/thread were edited, this time. See his post for answers.

I did not send you a nasty PM, nor would I in the future. I don't believe any other moderator is sending you nasty PMs either.

Keep GCReef plugs in the GCReef forum.

Thank you,

Christopher

P.S. - Unfortunately, you can't please everyone, all the time.

[txmaverickmh]

HERE ARE MY STATS SINCE MID DECEMBER, please explain this to me:

Of about 150 posts since mid December, in FORUMS OUTSIDE of GC REEF (of which Ace has given me free reign to be as giggly and lovey as much as I want about GCR)...

I have posted FOUR TIMES about GC Reef about cool Anthias that I got from GCR to Karin, talking about the cool frag saw at GCR to Karin, talked about Dr. Mark's Red Sea Max that he was selling (I was just making a comment about the product), and talked about James' acrylic making abilities (promoting James not necessarily GCR)...

BUT, I spoke about Gabe's FIVE TIMES about beer drinking, walking dendros, about how I got a great deal on a refractometer, chemipure elite, sleeper goby, and how much fun I had there...THE SECRET IS OUT, I AM BIASED TOWARDS GABE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FOr the record, I spoke about Aquarium Designs TWICE (much more last year when I HAD A JOB THAT TOOK ME TO SAN ANTONIO SO I COULD SPEND MORE TIME OUT OF TOWN);

And I have spoken about Houston fish stores TWICE, and Seahorsesource TWICE AS WELL.

Of course, GCR posts would be three higher if posts were not censored and deleted.

Michael Hensley

[txmaverickmh]

And Chris I am not trying to please anyone, any of the time, I am trying to help people out, share deals, places that have products and good customer service, help new people go to stores where they wont get screwed, and trying to be a good steward of the hobby. I love EVERY single person on MAAST that I get the opportunity to meet and do business with dearly, I cherish the relationships that I have with people on here, the fun I have meeting folks, hanging at fish stores all over the place.

From my interpretation of my stats, I DO MIND THE RULES keeping the majority of my posts about GC Reef WHERE YOU GUYS ORDER THEM, IN THE GC REEF FORUMS, outside of that since Dec. 17th, I have posted 4 posts about GCR, 5 posts about Gabe's, and several about Aquarium Designs, Seahorse source and Houston fish stores.

So, therefore, I think you guys need to go back and do your own research and provide an apology. And no, I didnt go back any further than Dec. 17th because I am about to leave to go eat dinner....humor me if you dig deeper and find others.

Michael

[Jarob]

Did someone really complain about michael?! Ive raved about GCR WELL more than 4 times im sure of since dec 17th!!

[allan]

Michael,

I think you've missed a crucial point in the conversation between Ace and you. Someone placed a concern to the moderation group. It was discussed between the Moderators and the BOD. The decision, albeit an unpopular one, was made and action taken.

Chris is right, we can't please everyone all the time. Either we irritate you or through inactivity we irritate another. I realize on the surface it seems what the moderators do is amazingly easy. But truth be told it simply isn't.

As Ace mentioned earlier I think there is a gross misunderstanding over posting experiences in the LFS (to imply, but not limited, to the entire region and not stipulating just SA or CC) as we have all done it in a variety of locations, myself included.

Trust me when I say this, when I read your posts concerning GCRs, I really want to visit GCRs. And when you sniped ( :) ) the walking dendros from Gabes I wished I had been there before you got them.

That being said, and being the new guy here, until recently I had thought you were working for GCRs. No assumptions (or perhaps the very definition of an assumption) and no one telling me otherwise, just thought that you worked there.

Give Ace an opportunity to respond. And pay attention to what he says while understanding, if you will, the position that we are in. I think MAAST is heading in the right direction and would hate to see the efforts of so many derailed because of this.

Allan

[subsailor]

Michael,

Ace and I are on the same page as far as why your posts/thread were edited, this time. See his post for answers.

I did not send you a nasty PM, nor would I in the future. I don't believe any other moderator is sending you nasty PMs either.

Keep GCReef plugs in the GCReef forum.

Thank you,

Christopher

P.S. - Unfortunately, you can't please everyone, all the time.


not to contradict but posted here

http://maast.org/forums/showthread.php?t=58269

Is this not a plug for reefgeeks by you, in the same forum you are telling him to keep plugs out of???....

[txmaverickmh]

AgainSgain, for the record, I sell oncology medicine for Bristol Myers Squibb to help patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer and Chronic Myloid Leukemia, I am solely responsible for the largest cancer institution in the world, M.D. Anderson in Houston, Tx. This is my first passion, my career, my responsibility to myself and my family.

Saltwater Aquariums are a hobby you guys, our source of passion and escape, sorry if my dedication and passion along with my love for GCR and my friends has offended anyone, let's get our priorities in order.

4 posts outside GCR forums out of 150 total posts, get real!

[captexas]

I don't surf MAAST as much as I used to, partially due to the over advertising and push to please sponsors. I find it sad that over half the total forums on this site are sponsor forums and at times the home page is littered with sponsor ads/threads in the recent post section.

While I think it is fine for any regular member to give a thumbs up or thumbs down about products and services of various vendors and sponsors, I am very turned off by certain people's blatant and over the top cheerleading for certain sponsor(s) over the past several months. Even with the constant stance that those persons are not officially a part of those sponsors, they have totally blurred the line between a happy customer and spammer posting on behalf of that sponsor. And I think if that person can't realize the obvious on their own after it being discuss already in the past, then sure, let the mods and BOD act on it.

Again, not "offended" by it, just turned off by it. Also turned off by the fact that this thread has been allowed to continue in the General Reef Keeping forum when it has nothing to do with that subject. There is a Questions/Comments forum for a reason.

Just my 2 cents.

[txmaverickmh]

Sorry Chris, I have no idea how to move this to a new forum...

[aggman]

moved.

~alex

[txmaverickmh]

buried?

[BIGBIRD123]

Moving the thread here keeps the thread out of the public eye and not on the list of current threads on the home page...yes, buried.

[txmaverickmh]

wow, thats impressive, oh well, I didnt mean for this to get so carried away, I just got sick of my posts getting deleted, and then I got fired up because I felt it was unfair...I guess now that it has landed here, it is over and done

[aggman]

don't start that buried stuff. this is an issue that belongs in this thread, i didn't make the rules. if you don't like it report it and it will be reviewed.

~alex

[Bill S]

Michael, let me jump in with my opinion. As noted in my signature, it's mine, and mine only - not that of the Board.

My personal feeling is that you "work" at GCR. When I call the store, and you answer the phone - you work there. When you tell me that you will meet me at the store on Sunday afternoon to pick up Rob's clownfish, you work there. When you make a post that says "we just got in...", you work there. If you have keys to the story, you work there (I'm only assuming this one...).

Michael, you may not be getting paid, but by your actions and posts, you are at least an unpaid employee.

The above is my opinion - I'm not speaking for the Board, or as a Board member. But, this is why folks THINK you work there - it's the perception that you do.

Steve: Whatever. Most folks browse MAAST using the "New" button at the top of the screen - so everything new since you last visited, shows up. There was no intent by anyone to "bury" this - just to take it out of the wrong forum.

[txmaverickmh]

For the record again, I don't work there, I have a career in pharmaceuticals...when I didn't have a job I helped out friends, found my "guy" time...

I guess you guys need to consult with the gents at GC Reef and make me a Free Sponsor instead of an unpaid employee, happy customer, GC Reef Mascot, ambassador, jaded charter member with not-normal charter member rights due to my overly expressive positive experiences and rediculously high "hanging out at a fish store" time.

Michael

[Salty]

Noise was made, people paid attention, but in the end, this thread will only create more resentment and change nothing. I empathize with you man, I really do; I plug Gabe's like I owned stock. Hell, Clone called me out on it here recently in Gabe's forum. It's all good, I took his point and have decided to chill down on it. If it's annoying to him in less than my 100 posts, I don't find it so unthinkable that someone might be annoyed by your GCR praises. The mods and BOD have made their positions and directives clear, but even more importantly, they've acted consistantly and haven't reversed themselves. Fighting in the face of that unified front begins to sound less like a call for justice and more like a tantrum. You acknowledge you plug GCR alot and that you do so consciously, so consciously do it less. If I can, so can you. Now let's all play nice and be friends please. Just my take on things...

[BIGBIRD123]

All one would have to do is call the OWNERS of GCReef to find out he doesn't work there. Perception....."People only see what people are prepared to see..." Ralph Waldo Emerson. Getting the right information trumps perception. Hopefully if he does work there he doesn't get fired for giving props to other stores...

[hobogato]

wow. michael, i apologize for not addressing your concerns first, but let me get to all of the other concerned members who have jumped to your defense.

jason - feel free to post about the service and goods you can get as a customer of gabes in the vendor forum - that is what it is for. however, if you should decide to help gabe out some day, please dont post about the specials or things coming in on an order anywhere but in gabe's sponsorship forum - that is what it is for. to me, it seems like a fairly easy dichotomy.

drew - nice of you to take an interest in this, one of the most important issues facing maast in the last 6 months :wink_smile: no "nitpicking bs" going on here, just trying to keep things organized and follow the rules - but you know how difficult that can be eh?

karin, you and all other members are free to post positive things as well as constructive criticism in the vendor forumss. again, that is what it is for.

jarob - yes, all posts by michael that have been moderated were addressed because they were reported by member(s) who are not on the moderation team or on the bod.

chris - i agree, that is why we are trying to sort this stuff out.

steve - i have talked with michael and dr mark about this before. i know he is not a paid employee, but his volunteer work at the shop changes the situation a little bit now doesnt it.

michael, please understand, we do not want you to stop posting. if you are posting about the great deal you got as a customer or the great service you get as a customer, feel free to post in the vendor forums - that is what they are for.

however, if you are posting anything that can be construed as employee information (ie who the store orders from, what you can order thru the store for someone, etc.) please post it in the gcreef forum.

[kkiel02]

I personally am suprised that people complain about Michael's enthusiasm. I have heard/seen him plug many great stores even recently a New Jersey store. Volunteering for the Events Commitee has shown me how much hard work it actually takes to get eveything rolling with this group, so I am sure that there will be much answered on these posts when Ace posts again.

I just find it weird that someone complained about him talking about his experiences with a sponsor as sooo many people do it myself included. Like I said above Im sure there was some reasoning that will be explained.

I also dont think it is buried down here as, at least I, always scroll down and look for the blue emblems. And isnt this what this forum is for to address these issues? Yes it is at the bottom of the page but all forums I have ever been apart of have had this here.

Well Ace beat me to it...

[aggman]

Perception....."People only see what people are prepared to see..." Ralph Waldo Emerson. Getting the right information trumps perception.

i know i am not the only one who finds this post ironic. steve, really, whats that about the pots and kettles...lol.

~alex

[justahobby]

[QUOTE=txmaverickmh;748094]HERE ARE MY STATS SINCE MID DECEMBER, please explain this to me:

Of about 150 posts since mid December, in FORUMS OUTSIDE of GC REEF (of which Ace has given me free reign to be as giggly and lovey as much as I want about GCR)...

I have posted FOUR TIMES about GC Reef about cool Anthias that I got from GCR to Karin, talking about the cool frag saw at GCR to Karin, talked about Dr. Mark's Red Sea Max that he was selling (I was just making a comment about the product), and talked about James' acrylic making abilities (promoting James not necessarily GCR)...


I'm not sure where you got your stats from, but I counted 9 threads started for GF Reef since December. I didn't dare try reading

all your posts to find every mention of GC Reef.. I'm not that bored. And as stated by so many others, when you say things like "We

haven't decided on a price yet...." You will indeed be treated as a speaker/ representative for GC Reef and viewed as having

monetary gain, which excludes you from being able to speak negatively about our other Sponsors.

For the other members, I encourage anyone to post the vendor and product experiences in the appropriate forum. We are here for each other and a shout out on great prices or poor service is greatly appreciated.

[hobogato]

btw, i posted three posts up - just took me so long to type it, three other people posted afterwards :)

[Mr Cob]

For the record, this thread is not "buried". It has been placed in the correct forum. Ace did say he would respond again and you ALL know he does as he says....so not sure why any of you would act as though the issue is "dead".

I agree with Bill's comments and I also support Ace's comments which pretty much addressed the entire issue. Not sure why there is further need for conversation, but Ace did say he would respond again but he needed some time.

I also support the action that the mods have already taken. Michael, unfortunately you are in a unique position that is not like any other person that might "plug" a store for the reasons Bill posted.

In the end...someone is going to be frustrated with the outcome....thus the need for this thread. I'm sorry Michael for your frustrations and I know you mean well. I hope this does not turn you off from being an active member on the forums and with the club.


***EDIT***i took too long to type...and "as promised", Ace responded. LOL!

[hobogato]

bottom line - the vendor forum is for posting about what experiences you (a customer) has with retailers - sponsors or not.

any posts as an employee (paid or volunteer) about what a retailer can do need to be in the respective sponsor forum.

[corkyGramma]

Michael, When I first became a member (i lurked a yr before posting), I got critisized for voicing my experience at a lfs. It was hard to hear but it was true that my comments could sound to someone else "reading," like slander....Anyone that knows me personally would know, that was not my intention. This action was due to me being close to the buisness side of reefkeeping, and i was used to saying what was on my mind to the public in front of me. I dont believe anyone on the mod or bod was singling me out, although one can feel misunderstood sometimes.
Over the years, I've read and heard positive/neg things about each and every lfs in the area, and in the end no one lfs is perfect. If you post something great about one, five people will post the contrary. Being conscience of this now, I find it impossible and pointless to praise or defend one buisness over another. It may be hard to hear but I think what everyone is trying to say is that you tend to post too biasedly. No one even has any idea who my friends are or who I used to work with in the fish buisness for example, not that I won't express a great deal i found somewhere.
~By the way I found this thread before and after it was moved :)

Best, Yvonne.

[txmaverickmh]

Screw all of this, I am so sick of you guys turning everything into such an overdone big deal, if you wouldnt have deleted my stupid little post, none of this would have gotten carried away, and probably a handful of people would have seen it and taken no offense and gotten over it.

PLEASE RESIGN MY CHARTER MEMBERSHIP EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, I WILL TAKE MY PASSION AND ENTHUSIASM ELSEWHERE INSTEAD OF HAVE YOU GUYS SLANDER ME AND MY OPINIONS AS THEY ARE NOT WORTHY AND MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A PIECE OF CRAP!

ACE, PLEASE CONFIRM TO ME THAT YOU WILL RESIGN MY CHARTER MEMBERSHIP EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, I AM SAD ABOUT ALL OF YOU AND YOUR FALSE SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT!

[hobogato]

i am calling you right now. please answer.

[corkyGramma]

Well, for everyone else who is following this thread and not posting...There are some that understand that to get respect you need to give it. These people (mods and bods) are taking a responsibility because they want to help.

[hobogato]

Screw all of this, I am so sick of you guys turning everything into such an overdone big deal, if you wouldnt have deleted my stupid little post, none of this would have gotten carried away, and probably a handful of people would have seen it and taken no offense and gotten over it.

we did not do anything until after it was reported by someone else.

PLEASE RESIGN MY CHARTER MEMBERSHIP EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, I WILL TAKE MY PASSION AND ENTHUSIASM ELSEWHERE INSTEAD OF HAVE YOU GUYS SLANDER ME AND MY OPINIONS AS THEY ARE NOT WORTHY AND MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A PIECE OF CRAP!

please point out where you have been slandered. we appreciate your enthusiasm and passion and would prefer you stay.

ACE, PLEASE CONFIRM TO ME THAT YOU WILL RESIGN MY CHARTER MEMBERSHIP EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, I AM SAD ABOUT ALL OF YOU AND YOUR FALSE SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT!


empowerment? i am sorry you feel that way. please return my call. i would really like to try to work out a logical solution here.

[justahobby]

Screw all of this, I am so sick of you guys turning everything into such an overdone big deal, if you wouldnt have deleted my stupid little post, none of this would have gotten carried away, and probably a handful of people would have seen it and taken no offense and gotten over it.

PLEASE RESIGN MY CHARTER MEMBERSHIP EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, I WILL TAKE MY PASSION AND ENTHUSIASM ELSEWHERE INSTEAD OF HAVE YOU GUYS SLANDER ME AND MY OPINIONS AS THEY ARE NOT WORTHY AND MAKE ME FEEL LIKE A PIECE OF CRAP!

ACE, PLEASE CONFIRM TO ME THAT YOU WILL RESIGN MY CHARTER MEMBERSHIP EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, I AM SAD ABOUT ALL OF YOU AND YOUR FALSE SENSE OF EMPOWERMENT!


Mike, Everyone is bound to be moderated at some point and time for intentional or unintentional actions.... the key is not taking it personal and if you need to, you may always contact us and ask questions about our moderation. In the first year I was a member, I had a post edited because I spoke in the wrong forum about vendor experiences. I didn't leave, instead I asked what it was about and tried to see the bigger picture. I hope this is something you can grow to do as well. Good luck with your new job in a new city.

[hobogato]

...
I have posted FOUR TIMES about GC Reef about cool Anthias that I got from GCR to Karin, talking about the cool frag saw at GCR to Karin, talked about Dr. Mark's Red Sea Max that he was selling (I was just making a comment about the product), and talked about James' acrylic making abilities (promoting James not necessarily GCR)...

...Of course, GCR posts would be three higher if posts were not censored and deleted.

Michael Hensley

sorry i missed this earlier. this is exactly the point of the moderation team. not all of your posts about gcreef have been edited, only the ones that should be posted in their sponsor forum because they include employee type information. we are not persecuting you, if we were, dont you think we would have removed any post you made about gcreef?

[DrMark]

I just saw all this stuff for the first time, my thoughts.
This is all so sad and such a waste of everyones time.
Michael is a friend of MAAST and GCReef, or, at least, the latter at this point.
He has a lot of energy and enthusiasm for the hobby first, GCReef second.
I can guarantee he has spent more money at LFS in San Antonio and Houston than he has at GCR. Yes, he has got some good deals from us and, yes, he has helped us a great deal at numerous times....and will continue to.
It wont be a loss for GCReef for him to not be a member of MAAST, but it will be a loss to MAAST. He will continue to be around the store and be a friend.
I suggest you change his title to "sponsor", we can put him on the payroll, I dont care.
I have seen him plug Aq Designs and Gabe's, which is fantastic, they are great guys with great stores. I have seen him comment negatively about stores that should be commented negatively about.
It is a public forum with many differing opinions. At the end of the day people should form their own opinions.......we welcome that at GCReef.
I am disappointed in all that has transpired today. Myself, james, Brad have NEVER asked or expected Michael to post about GCReef in any forum. If he does stick around.......which I doubt as he is stubborn....I am sure he will keep posts in the GCReef forum. So, again, change his title to sponsor. You guys will be happy, he wont be a charter member, and all this rhetoric can go away.

Mark

[BIGBIRD123]

Well said Mark...

[cbianco]

I just saw all this stuff for the first time, my thoughts.
This is all so sad and such a waste of everyones time.

I Agree.

Michael is a friend of MAAST and GCReef, or, at least, the latter at this point.
He has a lot of energy and enthusiasm for the hobby first, GCReef second.

We all know his enthusiasm. It is my opinion that his enthusiasm falls opposite of what you posted. His post history would show that. Regardless, he is an asset to the MAAST forums.

I can guarantee he has spent more money at LFS in San Antonio and Houston than he has at GCR. Yes, he has got some good deals from us and, yes, he has helped us a great deal at numerous times....and will continue to.
It wont be a loss for GCReef for him to not be a member of MAAST, but it will be a loss to MAAST. He will continue to be around the store and be a friend.
I suggest you change his title to "sponsor", we can put him on the payroll, I dont care.

Even if we changed his title to sponsor, Michael will not have full run of the forums. Postings must remain in the correct forum and be on topic, regardless of the person posting.

I have seen him plug Aq Designs and Gabe's, which is fantastic, they are great guys with great stores. I have seen him comment negatively about stores that should be commented negatively about.
It is a public forum with many differing opinions. At the end of the day people should form their own opinions.......we welcome that at GCReef.
I am disappointed in all that has transpired today. Myself, james, Brad have NEVER asked or expected Michael to post about GCReef in any forum. If he does stick around.......which I doubt as he is stubborn....I am sure he will keep posts in the GCReef forum. So, again, change his title to sponsor. You guys will be happy, he wont be a charter member, and all this rhetoric can go away.

Mark

Please keep in mind that all this "rhetoric" was Michael's doing, not MAAST's. We kept it private, he made it public.

I am sorry to see this situation blow up as it did. It was unnecessary and only hurts us ALL in the end. My heart ached tonight just a bit but with that said, I stand on my moderating actions. :(

I would be willing to talk to him on the phone (at a convenient time) regarding this situation if he would like. I am a fair person and my intentions are not to single people out, only do my best to be fair.

Christopher

[CoryDude]

Like the sand through the hourglass....so are the days of our lives.

[BIGBIRD123]

I believe that some members would like to see a copy of the "rules" that he has been accused of breaking.

[bjgf15]

Whoa! I'm just seeing all this for the first time as well...

I really don’t understand how things like this can snowball out of control so needlessly. It really is sad and a distraction to what this site is all about.

I think I can speak for anyone who has ever met Michael that he is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet and yes, he has no shortage of enthusiasm! I’m also very glad to hear that people are taking steps to try and rectify the situation… however:

We all know his enthusiasm. It is my opinion that his enthusiasm falls opposite of what you posted. His post history would show that. Regardless, he is an asset to the MAAST forums.

Please keep in mind that all this "rhetoric" was Michael's doing, not MAAST's. We kept it private, he made it public.

How can anyone expect to resolve ANY situation in this world when those attempting to resolve the very situation, place ‘all’ the blame as “Michael’s doing”??? This seems quite contrary to working towards a solution. Also, how can anyone have more enthusiasm for a store than the very hobby it supports? Again, making these sorts of claims which are only “opinions” seems contrary to the goal of finding a diplomatic solution.

Making Michael a sponsor (not that he’s likely to remain at MAAST anyway) may not allow him to post about things happening around GCReef in other forums but it sure would take a lot of ambiguity out of certain things.

I just really hope that BOTH sides can work together to find a solution as this whole thing is really of no benefit to ANYONE…

GCReef is not your typical store as and as a result has a lot of things about us that makes us unique. This is obviously concerning and threatening to some people when they see it on posts because Michael’s posts get reported while other, very similar posts about other stores do not. Therefore, I apologize for any concern we have caused to those that feel threatened/offended by these posts.

[LittleReef]

I know this isn't my place to say, but aren't opinions and experiences what keep this hobby thriving?

I hope this can get worked out! :)

[SoLiD]

:cry_smile: Um... I started reading earlier when there was just 3 posts. I guess I shouldn't have hit the refresh button..... :ph34r::confused:

[hobogato]

ok, one more clarification. brad, mark, and michael:

the issue is where you post things about gcreef and what is in those posts.

michael, if you post in any forum outside of the gcreef forum, your post must be from the perspective of a customer. you may post about the deals and or service you received there as a customer.

if you want to post anything business related, like what you are ordering, or your prices for other people, etc, it needs to be done in the gcreef forum.

that is the whole reason the sponsors are given their own forums.

[roscozman]

WOW... This is a surprise.

Let me say this, moderating is a Thank-less job. These MOD "volunteers" don't get the respect they deserve. Of course there have been situations that could have been handled better, but for the most part these people do a great job. The fact is when someone reports a post, they have to address it. There is a yellow caution sign on every post and some people choose to use it.

Michael - At one point I thought you worked there also. One time Eve and I were in GCR, you were checking prices for us on the computer. Then we recently spent a couple days down in Corpus and had a long conversation with you and realized you did not "work" there. You were just great friends with everyone and wanted to help out. I can see how some may misinterpret your relationship with GCR since they do not talk with you personally.

Also, it amazes me how some people relish in the negativity. They feed off it and just try to make the situation worse and then come out and say they are trying to help. Some of these people were former moderators and board members. They know the rules and how they get handled, then to play ignorant is just appalling.

Hope there is a positive solution to all this in the end.

[BigKGlen]

Take it ALL to PM!! The Members of the Administration have urged this for the past year(s). Be the bigger person, and don't reply by posting in ANY open forum. This just drags the WHOLE club down, and we all know that is a VERY bumpy road to travel.

I'd request that this thread be closed. It's no longer productive, and has certainly run it's course.

Respectfully,

[txav8r]

This thread has run its course and is now closed.