Thursday, March 19, 2009

I was banned from ravelry!

Yes, humble little me got caught up in Casey Forbe's dragnet. It seems strange. I mean, all I did was join the McCain/Palin group the day after the election. I was upset. My candidate lost! And I felt kinda bad that I didn't join his ravelry group sooner. Instead, I was all caught up in the Palin adoration and had joined a couple of ravelry Palin groups. So, yeah, I joined the McCain/Palin group the day after the election to make myself feel a little better.

Feel a little better, I did! Man! What a great group of ladies! They are conservative AND they knit/crochet/etc. We had so much to talk about, but mainly, our conversation in the days after the election was about how we felt about the new President and the expected changes (HELL, the promised changes, since Obama made such a big deal about being all about change). We laughed. We cried. We analyzed change.gov together. I will never forget those special times we shared together, as we started to realize how scary the Obama presidency was going to be.

See, I can say Obama is "scary" because I am a conservative, and liberal political agendas are scary. And what makes Obama's agendas even more scary is how far reaching and invasive they are. But that's besides the point.

The point is that we had something special there. Now, I don't know about whether there were some members causing trouble. I'm not omniscient. Maybe Obama is, because he seems to have a zillion people who think he is a god. But I am not aware of everything that is taking place around me in the whole wide world web. But I will tell you this. I never saw outrageous, abusive things taking place. What I did see happening every single day was this: overly zealous Obama supporters took it upon themselves to "visit" our group (which had been renamed, from McCain/Palin to "the bunker", as a safe place for conservatives to gather) and educate and argue with us about how we are wrong about Obama and he really is the next best thing to sliced bread. Then they visited us in droves and clicked "funny" on our serious posts and "disagree" on nearly everything we wrote. They would click "funny" to be hurtful, when the context made it clear it was an insult for there was nothing to laugh about (when someone died, for example).

We were harrassed quite a lot! And Casey Forbes knew it. But he wants to insist that his ravelry forums must remain complete open because that's his vision of the community, or whatever. He doesn't want to get rid of politics on ravelry. He just wanted to get rid of us, I guess! It was the only conservative group on ravelry that was really vibrant and popular. So that had to die a hideous death in the name of "fairness". (I won't go in to the bit about all the other groups on ravelry that do all the things we were accused of. You can read about that elsewhere!)

I just wanted to explain that the bunker was a cool thing because it was a rare experience. Most of the time, when I join a crafting website, it's predominantly liberal and there is no sense of "Hey, I'm a conservative crafter". The bunker stood out for that very reason. I really hope the bunkerites pull it together and continue on in that spirit.

You might be asking yourself how I know that the people on the crafting sites are predominantly liberal. Well, it's because they wear ugly horn-rimmed glasses and have boy haircuts.
That's how! Just kidding.

Actually, you know it mainly because of the obnoxious political icons and the way they are so free to express their liberal opinions all the time. The very fact that nobody bats an eye or argues with them tells you that the vast majority of people are liberal too.

Unfortunately, right now it's not very fun because everyone is in shock at getting banned for no good reason.

And I'm also sad that the bunker archives are wiped (or they are in the process of deleting them?) There were some great theads there, many of them started by me! (I love my own jokes the best!)

For instance, I really enjoyed the "You are invited to the bunker ball" thread where I said, "You are invited, but please, no barf green, matronly frocks or dresses that make you look like a mummy wrapped in toilet paper". Then many people posted pictures of ball gowns made of toilet paper and other assorted garbage. It was so great!!!

Those were the days! Now it's going to be much more boring and repressed on ravelry. People are going to think twice before posting stuff like that! Censorship is alive and well on ravelry!!!

32 comments:

Tammy said...

Awww... your post made me feel so sad. We did have a lot of fun. It was great to have a place to not only talk politics but laugh as well. ;)

We certainly learned that not only are some people poor losers, but they're even worse winners... and that's too bad.

Bonnie said...

The good news is that we still have each other and the laughter continues. This is the part they hated the most. They were not part of our group and didn't understand how anyone would ever have the guts to reject them because like you said it had never been done before. They spout their hate unopposed.

I thank God everyday that we all found each other. We will continue on.... no doubt in my mind!

The Unkind Mind said...

"You might be asking yourself how I know that the people on the crafting sites are predominantly liberal. Well, it's because they wear ugly horn-rimmed glasses and have boy haircuts.
That's how! Just kidding."

that's one of the most ridiculous comments i've ever read. are you just upset because you're too fat to pull off either? do i sense a little jealousy? silly conservatives.

Becky G said...

OH look! A troll already! Wow, That was fast. I'm impressed.

I'm just wondering why it's ok for him (her? you just can't ever tell these days) to make hurtful comments about someone's weight when he is so obviously "offended" by comments about ugly glasses and haircuts. Hmmm, pot, meet kettle.

The Unkind Mind said...

i wasn't offended, i just think that it's stupid to assume that because someone has horn-rimmed glasses and a short haircut, they are automatically liberal. that's like saying that all people from texas are stupid, or that all people with blonde hair are conservative. wtf?

Unknown said...

WTF ... was that the best you could come up with there, Gus Bus??

Suzann said...

I noticed your posts were gone from Crochet Bouquet Alongs, so looked you up here.

I had no idea about the Ravelry thing until I read your post. This is the first time I've been so disappointed in Ravelry. I hope I can get Casey to replace your posts in our group.

We miss you at Crochet BOuquet Alongs. We'll just have to talk at the Yahoo group.

Keep crocheting! It'll make you feel better--it always helps me.

Suzann

Susan K. in California said...

Ladies, your kind words are much appreciated.

Suzann: I was thinking that one group I would miss on ravelry would be yours. You are an amazingly creative lady. I will definitely keep in touch.

Ryan: May you be blessed.

Trish said...

HI Susan-the whole thing stinks. I'm gradually deleting everything from Ravelry and leaving. It has just sunk too low-the discrimination against conservatives, poking fun at people for religious reasons, the vulgarity, the porn, etc. I see you have bookmarked me (and I've bookmarked you), so let's stay in touch!

Trish

Susan K. in California said...

You got it, Trish! Thanks for your kind comment on my blog. I will definitely keep in touch. I'm so glad to know you!

Anonymous said...

I can't really comment on the Ravelry banning as I have very little information on what actually happened, but I just wanted to say that I don't understand why people can't just "live and let live." If I were a liberal, I would just completely abstain from any conservative groups because I would have no business being there, and vice versa. It makes no sense to visit a board where you know you will read things that will upset you, and I am truly sorry if you and the other members of your group were victims of obnoxious people invading your space and causing trouble.

You claim that you know most members of crafting sites are liberals, and maybe they are. You first start off with a liberal-bashing joke. You can't condemn a group of people for behavior you consider reprehensible, and then turn around and engage in the same behavior yourself. You then go on to claim that you know they're all liberal because no one is arguing against their displayed political views. Could it be that the conservatives on the craft sites are just considerate individuals who know that there are people in the word with differing viewpoints from their own? Ya know, that whole "live and let live" thing I was talking about? Can't it be that they're choosing to live in peace, coming together to discuss their common love of knitting, crocheting, 'insert craft here' instead of getting caught up in snarky political and/or religious battles?

It is a sad reality that in most cases, when there is a community allowed to discuss any topic they choose, there will be arguments and the kind of disgusting behavior I've been reading about in regards to the Ravelry banning. Again, I'm sorry for you and anyone who was a victim on either side. But I do hope that you will choose to be part of the solution and not part of the problem (to be cliche), and learn to have the respect for others that you wish others to have for you. You have definitely not shown any respect in this blog entry for anyone that does not share in your conservative views. I hope you will learn to be a little more tolerant and a *lot* less judgemental.

Susan K. in California said...

It's funny how hypocrisy is. When we complain about people doing X, Y, and Z. Yet we do exactly the same thing! Think about it, Nickery. You start out by saying how you don't understand how people can't just stay away from places where they know they will be upset and disagree. Yet you go on to lecture me about what I wrote on my PERSONAL blog. The whole point of having a blog is to say what you think. So you disagree or find fault with something I wrote? Big deal. Why make a big deal about it? You are in essence doing exactly the same thing you say that is wrong in others.

Susan K. in California said...
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Susan K. in California said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Susan K. in California said...

nickery: I was going to answer you but I see that you deleted your journal. I can't believe you created a blog just to make this comment to me.

This blog is my personal blog where I say what I really think. Yes, there are many flaws in my thinking and my behavior. If you look at what you wrote, I hope that you will see the hypocrisy in your statement that people should stay away from places where they know they will disagree, and your visit to my blog just to argue about my personal viewpoints (which I am writing on my personal blog). I hope you can see that. It's a funny thing about pointing the finger, it often points right back at you.

SweaterFreak said...

Wow, I am surprised and at the same time not. I had a lengthy discussion on Ravelry (on Big Issues Debate group) about negative effects of feminism and disappearing family values in USA, and boy was thrown a lot of rotten tomatoes at! Apparently, liberal minds can't handle when someone disagrees with them! Oh the irony!!! Anyone whose opinion is vastly different that theirs is labeled crazy or banned. It's extremely ironic that the group of people who call themselves liberals or democrats are simply unable to have a polite argument w/o insulting their opponent whose views happen to be different than theirs.


Needless to say, I stopped going to Big Issues Debate. That group is such a joke too - they call it big issues debate, but anytime I bring up something worth debating over, they all shut down and will argue to death even when you are right, they mock you mecilessly. Essentially, it's a group of people who share the same opinion and re-iterate their beliefs, I guess no one explained the definition of "debate" to them.

PS: I am neither a conservative or a democrat - I am an observationalist:)

Unknown said...

hi, i am also a conservative crafter. i found ravelry after this whole mess you are describing happened. i probably would have been a member of the bunker myself if i had joined around election season.
i have also noticed the level of obnoxiousness that comes from the mouths and keyboards of liberals.

so, is the country a better place 2 years after?
i think we can agree on the answer and the libs can just continue to swim in denial as the world circles the drain.

LauraAC said...

None of the bannings had anything to do with politics. They had everything to do with group members breaking community guidelines. So quit whining.

Becky G said...

Only when you can explain exactly which community guidelines we violated and PROVIDE EVIDENCE of those violations. Casey never could. Therefore, we do not accept that premise. So go stick your head back up his ass. I'm sure you're right at home there.

Unknown said...

I'm not sure how I found this blog while searching for crochet patterns, but I did.

It bothers me that people become so engrossed with one side or the other, that they lose sight of the things that brought them together. I don't know about the boards on Ravelry. I just found the site the other day while looking for project ideas, but I do know with this past election I found myself disgusted with Republicans and Democrats, conservatives and liberals. All parties did their fair share of tearing each other apart. My FaceBook and the Mommy website I am on were battlefields. I saw friends and family become enemies. I'm sorry, but how is that productive? We allow ourselves to become so galvanized we forget our audience, and we forget that a lot of our audience is made up of people we care about. And these people may have differing opinions and beliefs than ours. There is nothing wrong with that. We can respectfully agree to disagree.

Until our political leaders find better ways to address issues and call out their constituents for acting like petulant children towards each other I see nothing productive being done.

I see this will be posted a few years after the fact, but it's the same with every election. It's disgusting and disheartening.

Cathie said...

Looking for your e-mail to ask you a few questions and banter about your "fabulous" post.
Can you send me your e-mail? Would love to chat
and get your advice about Ravelry.

hcb2019 said...

I visit Ravelry rarely. I just happened upon these postings when I was looking for Cestari Yarn on Google. How that led me here, I'm not sure. ;-)

I'm sad to hear that anybody on Ravelry was discriminated against for any reason. I'm on Knitter's Paradise, and political and religious discussions used to appear in the "Chit Chat" section, until people got too nasty to each other. Then the Moderator created "The Attic," where controversial topics could be discussed to one's heart's content.

I had no idea how to get into The Attic, and really, I didn't want to. I was on KP to discuss knitting. But a friend gave me a link to The Attic, and I went there once. It was all personal attacks and nastiness. No thanks! I've never gone there again. There's enough aggravation in day-to-day life, so why get involved in even more than necessary?

Facebook gives me enough aggravation! I take frequent vacations from it, because, of course, politics is really in the forefront at the moment. No one ever convinces anyone of anything.

I wish that our political "season" here in the US weren't anywhere near as long as it is. I wish it were over NOW. But we'll get through it. We always do.

Judi said...

It's easy enough to get back on Ravelry if you've been banned. Let some time pass, then create a whole new you. New screen name, different email address, change details that were on your old account, even open your new account on a different computer so he can't compare ISP numbers. I've done it twice!

ichiwife2 said...

ehhhhhhh, someone's just too white and privileged to know how dangerous Palin & Trump are. not what I Googled, so...moving on...

*signed, cool hair, cool glasses, liberal, and unimpressed

ichiwife2 said...

ehhhhhhh, someone's just too white and privileged to know how dangerous Palin & Trump are. not what I Googled, so...moving on...

*signed, cool hair, cool glasses, liberal, and unimpressed

ichiwife2 said...

possibly because a lot of conservatives are racist and white supremacists.

ichiwife2 said...

well, you come across as a white supremacist, which is why your freedom of speech needs monitoring and possibly editing.

ichiwife2 said...

white supremacy has no place in the world, so...maybe try thinking like a liberal.

ichiwife2 said...

white supremacy has no place in the world, so...maybe try thinking like a liberal.

Melsey said...

Sad that people have to resort to name calling. I found your blog as I was trying to find another knitting pattern site now that ravelry has banned trump supporters. I'm not American - but if a large group of people can be banned based on who they vote for who knows if I'm in the next group to be banned so best to find a new crafting group now. I'm sorry you had this experience. And sad to read some of the hatefull name calling comments.

Jean said...

So many times when people scream loudly about the sin of others, they end up doing the same thing - like this 'tolerance' thing. The Left is becoming increasingly intolerant and rude, and now, even irrational - I mean, calling Dennis Prager and Ben Shapiro anti-semites, and Candace Owen a white supremicist. I listen to Trump's speeches and then check out for laughs what CNN has to say, but it is getting scary too when you consider Europe in the 30s.

What we can do is to just keep on and have our own forums where free speech is welcome, but with strict rules against name-calling. They don't know how to talk about ideas, or listen to what other people have to say. If they manage to get us off the web, there is the dark web about which I know very little, and there is ham radio. And, not least of all, there is the spirit of God. That is how many people in China know when it is time to get together in their underground churches... Ultimately, we have nothing to fear. We are in this together and the Lord is on our side.

Unknown said...

Ahhh... censorship.

I still remember when censorship was considered a bad thing, a cowardly tool of evil, the equivalent of covering your ears while SCREAMING "SHUT UP" at whomever was trying to talk some sense that you weren't ready to hear...

Oh, and also censorship is one of the heavy handed tools employed by fascist dictators.

Decades ago I was a liberal and even a card-carrying member of the ACLU.

Way back then the ACLU was anti-censorship, regardless of who was saying what.

There seems to no principles left on the left - just 'sides' now. Try to find a leftist who REALLY endorses freedom of speech and REALLY opposes censorship... They're becoming extremely rare (partly because as soon as they reveal that they endorse those principals vs siding with their 'side' they get screamed at, attacked, and falsely accused... by their own 'tolerant' side.

I love crochet.
My mother and one of my grandmothers taught me how to crochet.
I had only visited ravelry a few times to look for crochet patterns and was not aware that they even had political discussion groups.

I would have no problem with them banning all political discussions, or maybe even banning all knitting or crochet designs that were political (such as the 'pussy' hat 'resist' lunacy).

But to single out only conservatives while allowing 'liberals' (a misnomer for certain) is so blatantly biased, cowardly, and frankly LAME.

Back to principles:
It uses to be that people actually stood for something with some level of logic and consistency. For example, one would either be for or against something regardless of who was doing it. Now a lot of people can't even answer the question of whether or not they think something is right or wrong without first knowing who is doing it.
It's ok for their 'side' to commit.

Ask somebody whether they think adultery, censorship, violence, name-calling, trolling, not accepting the results of an election... whatever action (fill in the blank) is wrong and the growing consensus seems to be their 'side' is justified alone in committing such things.

Ironically, 'liberals' seem to think that conservatives are somehow superior and therefore are capable of, and therefore must be expected (no excuses allowed), to behave much more civilly than the left.

What a weird way to try to promote 'tolerance' and 'progressiveness' LOL (by basically excusing their own childish tantrums while insisting that conservatives must always 100% stick to behaving like the adults).

Yeah... that seems like a well thought out plan for being taken seriously (NOT).

Ravelry has unraveled because they apparently aren't bright enough to comprehend ACTUAL tolerance.

I won't bother to look for any crocheting projects there anymore.

I am quite skilled at creating my own projects and have oodles of crochet magazines going back for decades anyway.

I'm glad I never became a member or offered to sell any of my designs there.