h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

 I played as handle 'chisel' on the Games Site www.uproar.co.uk/cc/
it is a trivia game cum chat room.
Soon, i fell foul of the self-appointed room custodians, not for abuse, for being too smart. They lured me into a trap, tricked me, and got me angry. I replied with vitriol and got banned. Since then, 6 months ago, i have been trying to be allowed to play again.
Now, my ISP has banned me from the site, i have to change ISP's or use friends' PCs'.,..which I do.
E-pub, the site owners have hired lawyers, threatening me with 2 years jail and a massive fine. My lawyers have told them to get lost, and we are fighting back.
(to be continued..)
 

Having been a regular at the UK cosmo site for 6 months or so, I believe I am in a fairly strong position to comment on this issue.

Cosmo/Trivia Free For All is supposed to be fun!!!!!

Extreme paranoia has set in and people who I am sure are normally perfectly sane have become obsessed with trying to identify "chisel" under his other handles. HMMMM....fun? I go there to chat and answer trivia questions! IT'S GETTING TEDIOUS PEOPLE!
If "chisel" was given his handle back, I am sure he would use it, therefore becoming easily identifiable! If you then have a problem with this man you can go to another room or squelch him just like you would any other player who was irritating you.I remind regulars of those who used to spout Portuguese politics while you were trying to have fun, need I say more.
The fact that "chisel" can still play at Uproar while banned surely proves that those intent on vanquishing him are completely wasting their time, or have too much time to waste.
For those who claim to have been upset by him, or somebody you thought was him, get on with your lives, move on, this is cyber space after all.....NOT REAL LIFE!!! and did God not teach us to forgive?? If in fact "chisel" needs forgiving. Is "Chisel" the only perpetrator of bad language. Do we not all need to look at how we conduct ourselves on the net, how many of you disregard the laws of your respective lands by looking at porn? be honest with yourselves.
I have seen middle aged people lowering themselves to playground antics over this whole issue. " I hate you", "i'm gonna kill you", " my Dad's bigger than your Dad" GROW UP!!!
The issue of handle changes has become so confusing to some that you're never sure who your talking to. Maybe its time for Uproar to change the rules, one handle only???? would this not remove some of the complications, i.e. the alleged handle theft that seems to be rife in the Uproar Community??? Technically this is all beyond me, maybe "chisel" could advise Uproar on how to stop handle changes and prevent theft, after all the general opinion is that he is better at this than anyone!!!!! who disagrees?
"chisel" was always perfectly polite to me and entertaining to most of the room whenever present. I am sure there is not a regular player who at some point has not had a rapport with "chisel". If you disagree why not say so here.
I have known him to be very helpful, not only with the answers!, but with technical issues relating to computer software. Again I challenge you to tell me you have not seen "chisel" being helpful(under any of his handles).
Now to the most irritating bit.
Who decided to give any kind of power to particular players to determine what is and isn't acceptable within Uproar. Is it because they're more intelligent than anyone else or that their head is more full of useless facts than anyone else. Or maybe they're more popular than anyone else,or maybe they have a very large ego. I don't know the answer, but as far as I'm concerned Uproar make the rules, let them deal with it.
In summing up I must say that trust must be earned in cyber space, and quite frankly I do not trust anyone after my experiences of the last 6 months, the petty bickering, the back stabbing, the fear of straying from the crowd and being guilty by association. How much information you give people will be your downfall, you open yourself upto abuse and being hurt. Use your intelligence people because I know you've got it. Let people be who they want to be and worry about what's important to you.
It may have gone too far to ever be resolved, which saddens me, I genuinely hope those involved can work it out.
As for me, this is a parting shot. The majority have driven me to my decision not to visit Uproar again, I'm bored of the childish behaviour!
My comments are not aimed at anyone in particular, before that paranoia sets in again, they are my thoughts, maybe some of you think the same way, maybe you completely disagree, I don't care!
I have never made an enemy at Uproar, only friends, and it is to those that I am sadly saying goodbye. I will not list who I considered a friend, only you will know if you considered me a friend.

Goodbye forever from
nobby_nobs
A friend to everyone.

P.S. remember my opening statement, "Cosmo/Trivia Free For All is supposed to be fun"

wow nobby! enough said...

A-ha, as I thought, some clarification is needed.

1. I am not Chisel, my name is Nigel and I live in London.

2. I do not condone abusive behaviour within uproar, from anyone!

3. I have not taken sides, nobby has no enemies.

4. ALL parties involved in this dispute must take responsibility for their actions.

5. ALL parties should accept their share of the blame.

6. My advice to any other Uproar players is don't get involved.

7. This could go on forever unless all parties can act in a mature way to sort out their differences.

8. I have no wish to have any further involvement in this dispute, I have said what I think and I know some people will resent my comments.

9. I am under no illusion that what I have said will provide any solutions, I have merely stated an opinion.

10. HAVE FUN!!!!

nobby_nobs

Well Nigel, you are right and write a lucid and meaningful piece. But dont leave, by doing that you are giving in to Uproar, and letting down the friends you have made. You may not see it that way, but taking the easy option (i.e. quitting) sucks. Change your handle, re-register under a different name, get together with people in a private room, and ENJOY the game! You cant deny it's the most fun on the NET, (unless ICQ cyber-sex is your cup-of-tea).

The Main Subject:
Well, I have witnessed EVERYTHING over the last 6 months or so, and without getting involved, I know exactly what has gone on from both sides of the fence. Yes, there was vitriol in the beginning, yes people complained, and yes some small amount of action was taken, (banning a handle just increases the players ire and desire to "beat the system"). But should it ever have gone this far? This would be Headline news in America. "Ordinary Man Fights Multinational Company Over Internet Game". In all fairness to Terry, despite his occasional rantings, (which can be very entertaining for any bystander, but maybe not for his intended target?) the general concensus of opinion is that he is a fine person, helpful, polite, (most of the time), (but who doesnt lose their rag once in a while?) and a great friend to those who care to talk to him and discover the real person under the cyber-facade. The Chisel-Bashing wont stop, not for a long time, there are too many people in the game who hold a grudge, and a select few, who have nothing to do with the arguement, but have jumped on the bandwagon, just to stir, slander and abuse him. I accept that everybody who plays has a modicom of intelligence, but despite this they feel it neccessary to throw punches. Maybe they are the ones who live tortured lives and need to vent their frustration over this medium. I am sure a lesser man than Terry would have moved to Puzzle-A-Go-Go a long time ago, but he has the strength to come back to the place which has made his name into a household name.(well.....) and continue to answer "FUN" trivia questions, amass POD scores, and chat to unassuming people, everyday folk like you and me, incognito. Keep making me smile Terry, respect is due.

thanks again Nobby, obviously the way forward, is for poetry to withdraw his nasty allegations, this i see as the only way to avoid heavy legal costs, for himself. I do not have such problems.
I am disgusted by the continued non-action from Uproar's side. or is it that they are happy to continue their 'experiment'...
in which case, why is chisel not allowed to be there, officially?
he plays every day, until spotted and kicked. who ever had a problem with any of the terrys, or bluebirdT ,or, indeed, any of his handles.
However, he is prepared to go the course. and will not be the first to blink.

well, to avoid any confusion, i changed my handle... wouldnt want anyone to think that i was suffering from any sort of personailty disorder.
I remain happily hiipy in ajmsterdam... and have free accommodation for friends.. lol...Terry Stapleton..

wow, thankyou for that comment, that was something special. and, of course, i agree with it all. especially about the 'rants' i have ranted, i have apologised.... and the 'rantees' have accepted my
apologies.
but the crap carries on, it is from juliet*, who makes rooms like 'terry is a tosser' and worse, and from poetry and the nasty slime that is Tokai...
i will not give in, nor go away.
and thankyou for your contribution. it was good, i dont want sloppy slimy 'he's a great guy' comments. i want the truth, i can be as big an arsehole as the next man, or woman. but i restrain myself.

To researcher 50016
Quitting, the easy option?
Are you joking?
I am going to need therapy for my addiction!!

I agree 100% with you Nobby ! However do not leave us ! That is just what the few mindless morons want. I am convinced that the abuse I have seen dished out is not the work of one person. These people are hell bent on ruining the best games room on the net.
One way to eliminate this is to issue a one handle policy, even guests should be made to register. However I just can't see uproar going for it. Would it however be to much to ask, to re-instate Chisel and to have an Uproar host if not permanently in the room then at least available on icq ? Anyone else noticed they are like #9 busses ? (They come in twos and are often late!)
That way we would maybe at least see it was not Chisel causing grief! As it stands now the moment any new handle turns up and says anything slightly close to the edge then we see the cry of "oh it must be Terry". To close I'd like to say that this place is perfect to air views on all subjects concerning cosmo trivia. I hope more people will add ideas and solutions here.
Lets have peace and lets have fun!
Red11

yay Red, well said, but please expect some idiot to accuse you of being chisel, next time you play. all most of us want is to have fun. that is why we play in uk cosmo, not in the community of communities.
i got a reply from david becker, the Uproar chairman, he said.'please remove me from your discussion group' oh well.

ROTFL nobby, and uproar! do warn that one question is enough to get you addicted.. heehee, yet they still cannot understand why i refuse to leave.. heehee.. i spent all my life learning this stuff....
i want to be a Pod Hog...

Well, well. All this talk and frustration... Let's look at the big picture first,ok? Or no let me introduce myself first: I am known as aal at the uproar community and have played a lot at times, not at all at others. I met a few people there (uproar uk) who live in counties close to the country I was born in and one of them was actually interesting enough to hand my e-mail to; Yes, chisel. We have been mailing and chatting at uproar for a while and I have never ever seen him do anything nasty or mean. Like all chatters he has joked, defended himself when attacked and attacked some people who were lame enough to post an opinion, yet too frightened to accept comment or criticism. In short: the same story as any chat on the web can provide you with.
My problems in this case:
1-Uproar decided to ban someone for abusive conduct. For that all hail to uproar. Very few sites have the nerve. Unfortunately banning a handle or indeed ISP, has to follow extensive research into the perons activities. All chat is saved for a certain amount of time, so site owners can verify complaints. Therefore I am sure that you, Terry, have used foul language and have said mean things. However, why did you say them? That verification process also shows the abuse by the people that got you mad enough to use such language and therefore banning you MUST coincide with banning them! BIIIIGGGG mistake uproar!
2-The internet is a freely accessible place to anybody. Therefore banning an ISP from anywhere is illegal. Banning a handle at a site is not, that's the site's prerogative. BIIIIGGGG mistake uproar!
3-Abuse in chat is a major problem all over the globe. The problem is being addressed by several organisations and has not yet been solved. One thing is clear though. Removing abusive subjects will lead to an empty site, if done consistently, and is therefore no solution. The chat community at WBS has been secured with software that automatically blocks out swearwords and abusive terminology. It helps, but not to the full extent. 'ass' just becomes 'a$$' and more ingenious finds like that. Still it is less abusive that way.

I have to leave for a few hours now, but will continue when I get back. For now, good luck chisel!

Dieter

Ok, back.
4-As for your ISP banning you from the site, change NOW! Sue them too, it's illegal!
5-To the abusive lurers and tricksters, as well as the plain abusive, please don't stop. I firmly believe that at least 90% of the planet's population is so insecure that they need abuse to defend themselves from their own personalities. If that would change I'd have to review my entire outlook on humanity and I don't feel like doing that for now. On top of that abuse shows a sincere lack of verbal and linguistical knowledge, for there are tons of ways to react visciously and violently to a persons opinions and remarks without using what is generally accepted as abuse. Call a disabled person a limp, and you're abusive, call him a one armed bandid and you're cleverly abusive. Call him a rollercoaster and you have defense. That could mean he's a limp as well as he's a blast to be around, who will say?

To those who wonder why I care: It's not just chisel's predicament. I met my wife online and we went through a lot of abuse and hardship before we were even married. Still lot's of people feel the need to be abusive to us, even though they never met us or have no cause. To us the chat communities on the web represent the place where we met, fell in love, heard our first song. Remember those places readers? Would you stand by while frustrates break them down and risk having them demolished? I won't!
Reality online is no myth, it is time that message was spread! Virtuality is as real as a slap in the face, so keep it clean and maybe we'll have a spot on this planet where peace really does exist!

Thank you for spending your time on my philosphies.
Dieter

here hereGama, point (5) rings loud bells. i know this isnt real life we are talking about, but that comment was as true as it gets, and shows exactly what is wrong with the world, (i am sorry to side track from the C.B. debate). People are afraid of "different people" scared of offending....... trust me, say what you feel, you get a whole lot more respect that way. Hide behind the truth, and you are weak! People who know me, know i speak my mind, and it feels great.
One armed bandit?

Point 5, yeah, sad but true. I live by the standard that happiness is found in truth, not to all mankind in necessity, but mainly to one's self. Being truthfull to yourself is admitting to your mistakes as you make them and telling yourself you are wrong. This is easily said, wicked hard to do. It does get easier as you go along, especially with someone by your side to point out the mistakes you haven't admitted to yourself yet, but it remains the center of all problems of man. The war of man, as Neil Young calls it, is with himself, individually, and no fight will ever resolve that.I don't pretend to be the wise man, I'm not at peace yet either. I'm just glad to have found a way to get there and am proud of the distance I've travelled.
By the way, my towel is in a plastic bag by the backdoor. Froopy huh?

thanks dieter, be sure that i will be passing that valuable info on.
i am feeling a bit silly, having just won at the US cosmo site, first time i visited that community of communities in a while. but room 'older folks' is always nice. at the risk of losing the handle, i play there as Starfish! - oops thats torn it....
(quickly changes the subject)
I got an e-mail from [email protected] the uproar prez....
he tells me that neither himself, nor his Steve's wish to talk to me,or hear anything that i have to say...
we will see about that dear becker and steve's..
ok, back to the merry-g-round... thanks again Aal and Joonie..
Love to you both.... Nil Carborundum Desperandum....

well said 50016... we only have to look at serbia,kosova...
and of course... who was so different at Littleton?
These people forget that pain can be inflicted from many directions,
oops that sounded threatening... dum di dum..

Wow, I don't know what happened over at the UK site, but here is my opinion. First, I have always felt that European countries were a lot less prudish than us Yanks. (Yes, I have lived in Europe so this is just not an opinion from American TV. lol) I am surprised at all the backstabbing and witch hunting. I thought that was a mainstay of the media. But then again who is funding the media? But that is a subject for another day. Secondly, I am a Vietnam War Orpan (so the Pentagon says). I hold the Constitution and The Bill of Rights above any other document as sacred. This includes "Free Speech". "Free Speech" does not just apply to what I believe or feel. It applys to all human beings whether I or you like it or not. I am not easily offended, but I am sure someone could find a way if they truly wanted to. Third, there is a reason for squelch. Just like TV, turn off what you don't like. Don't buy magazines that bother you. Laws are the minimum requirement for those who have no basis to live by. Hold yourself above it all and respect each other. All humans have come down a different life path to get where they are today. That is what makes life so wonderful and alive. To met different people with different views. If we were all the same how boring would that be?

P.S. I have been to Amsterdam. I think Dam Square can come very close to offending me. LOL

Thanks 50809, Yes it is supposed to be about freedom, and i suppose that includes the freedom to offend. Personally, i AM offended when they hold certain festivals in Amsterdam...but then, i offend people by insisting that what i do is acceptable.
I cycle on the pavement sometimes, ride though red lights.
but i am mostly pleasant and do my bit to make Amsterdam a nicer place to live in.
I do not believe that i have deserved any of this hatred,
i know that i have only suffered from verbal abuse, but, for some it has been much worse. That is one reason why i carry on. I get off on helping people, and making their lives happier.
In 'real' life there are shelters and hostels for the battered and abused. but for the cybernaut, there is no such shelter. only the risk of compounding the problem, by meeting another risky contact.
I suggest a cyber truth test....dont ask me to write it.....
mmm... lots about me in here...maybe i am a control freak.