I don’t think it’s a matter of character as much as it is a misunderstanding of what WEB 2.0 is and isn’t. I have written a post this morning over at RCG explaining my view of what has happened these last few days.

Many will interpret WEB 2.0 differently, and there will be camps for each intepretation. I am in Dustin’s camp in that sense, as he is my blog guru.

That doesn’t make him more right than Greg, just more right for me.

Well, what kind of reading skills did you expect from a mentally retarded Roman?

I am only writing now in support of the quality blog and quality people here at sellsius. Ardell has also made a lasting impression of respectfulness and thoroughness from her origins at Rain City Guide. I’m not taking sides, just making an observation of character. I give good people the benefit of the doubt.

It’s true, I don’t have as good of an understanding for Greg’s character. As a sideline observer, I do see him making more people upset than happy. I think everyone has value to add the RE.net and we should take things with a grain of salt. I don’t know of any subgroup of people in the world that doesn’t have an element of discontent. It’s only natural that the RE.net have them as well.

Here’s what I said:

“I wrote this post a week ago. A single post. Dustin wrote a single post. But BHB has written 9. So who would you say is fanning the flames?

You know I cannot comment on BHB, so I have to respond here. Hence 2 more posts that would have been in the form of comments there. I hope you understand.”

See the word “hence” in the second paragraph?

I wanted to go home, but the guy wants to have another drink.

You can still call me if you like 646-714-2720

Must be New York math.

And even if Greg did do nine to your three (New York Math: one), what point is the fact that he’s a more prolific flame baiter than you intended to make? That one man has a gun and another only has a knife tells me nothing about whether the second is a thug — all I know is that he’s relatively broke.

You “have to” respond here? Well, in our metaphor, Greg may be the one with a gun, but I don’t see him holding it to your head.

You’re a big boy, Joe. If you want to read a bully and reap comments and links in the secondary bully market like a sort of Bluto Freddie Mac, that’s your choice. By the same token, I don’t blame you that time after time after time I get sucked into it like some mentally retarded Roman buying a ticket to the colliseum show. “DUHHHH do you think we’ll see them kill the rhinos today, George?”

I blame me for participating here, and I look to me for the solution.

Here’s the backstory, to the best of my recollection.

I was banned sometime after Weeniegate, where Greg attacked, excuse me satirized, TB by calling her (and me) “evil”. (We asked for a debate: Weenie v Cheez Whiz. TB agreed, he refused.) As you recall, her weenie blog had absolutely no content (the first preemptive blog war). Somewhere along the line, I emailed Greg and voiced my objection. He agreed to let me post comments again. But what he would do is hold the comments in moderation until the post went off the front page and no one would likely read it. Quite clever I thought. Eventually, he would not post them at all. So it was a gradual ban. Now, in Rudy’s case, he rarely commented, yet he was also banned. Ban by association.

I had exchanged many emails with Greg before the ban. I had even asked if any comments were offending him (he was pro Zillow, I anti) and he said no, he “cut his teeth on Usenet” (I don’t even know what that is).

I do recall him writing me at one point telling me not to comment on his posts BUT that I could comment on others (he never held to that). The reason he gave was: I was “one-upping” him. (his word). He never said I was making personal attacks. I have screenshots of many of my banned comments should the occasion ever arise to prove that he bans people not comments. Moderation is one thing, blacklisting a whole nother pile of poop.

I think the exchange was allowed to unfold due to the controversy. Many more comments seemed to get through the Gregfilter than might have otherwise, if not for this exchange. Joe has been banned from commenting on BHB for a long time, as was Rudy I think. Sellsius generally. Though I have no idea why that was.

Before we end this totally, can you tell us what the issue was that created the banning in the first place, if you remember?