without taking a stand on this *specific* issue, i would argue that

a) being nice to someone because they don't attack <you> is pretty much the site standard (while ignoring it if this someone attacks someone you don't care about)

b) most kibitzers' "list" of nice/decent/good people include more than one kibitzer who treats or has treated *someone* (or several) on this site in questionable ways

c) most people here would do the site a favour by rethinking the use of dichotomies like psycho/decent, good/bad and so on

Such dichotomies are crude instruments at best, and almost useless when applied to complex entities like human beings. In most cases, what people object to (or admire) is some instance of or pattern of behavior, not a person. But their supposedly 'natural' response - file it with 'gut response', 'god-given right' and other comforting myths - is to attach a label to a person.

Labels are generally misleading, even in supermarkets. Used as a form of characterization, they're hopeless.

And yes, of course I'm sometimes guilty of such labelling. But I don't consider consistency a virtue.

I do genuinely regret what i said back then though, and as long as i know that......

'It' is just another of the misunderstandings to which this site seems given to these days. Dunno why.

There's a lot of over-reacting going on, is how it looks to me. Mind you, out here in 'real life', I suggested recently to a shouty person that he was over-reacting, and he replied that I was under-reacting.

Anyway, its all out now, site history, personal history, the lot.. I dont even think my <nemesistic> username is permanently banned, but im not too bothered now, im glad..

And yeh, the usernames lol.. Well iv'e explained all that in my bio, so everyone knows..

BTW.. Because of the lack of communication im having, id like you to just have a look at my post at the Colonel's forum, because someone just blew the whistle on me for it, and i *genuinely* cant see what i said that was wrong!!

<But I almost pity any institution that might even *try* to institutionalize me, as I know how to subvert them from within.>

But I'll keep my theories to myself for the moment. Partly because they're convoluted and complicated - which has become sufficient cause for unintelligent persons to single out phrases, construe them as personal attacks, and respond with buckets of brainless ordure. And partly because my analysis would entail 'tweezering' certain individuals, and training strong microscopes on their little brains.

It's not all about stupidity. Some very bright people have been caught up in it. And I've been known to make occasional mistakes about which side of the stupidity fence somebody belongs on.

I can do without the hassle. Which is not quite the same thing as being turned into a Swede, or even a turnip.

My only advice would be (1) go easy on the personal confessions for a while -- they're fine by me, and I know where you're coming from. But some don't, and they might try to use it against you -- and if you got pissed off with them, you're the one that would end up banned.

And (2) -- stay away from the Chessgames.com 'advice' forum for a bit. Completely away. They've obviously decided to clean it up and stop people using it for arguments, or even for explanations about why the argument happened. I should maybe take the same advice myself.

As for the 'Oirish' angle -- back when we were deadly enemies, I wondered why you didn't throw that one at me. After all, you were throwing damn near everything else, and I was being high-handed and contemptuous to provoke you. Silly, on both sides. But I did wonder about it ...

Then it hit me that you're probably as 'Oirish' as I am. It's not the worst heritage to have, if you have to have a heritage. Though I prefer being a kind of rootless cosmopolitan with vague 'connections' to England, Denmark, and a few places in Ireland.

I used to tell people that I was a Russian Rasta. They'd go "whaaaat?". I'd explain that a real Rasta was a Jamaican (usually) who felt his spiritual home was Africa ... and I was a British/Irish person with a 'spiritual' home in the chess-playing, vodka-drinking, Slavic lands to the east.

Then loads of *real* Russians arrived, and everyone could see how pretentious I was being. So I stopped.

Yes, the site has become unrecognizable. Maybe what's needed is a good international chess event, even a dubious WC match would do. Something to take people's minds off infighting.

Better to blow off steam on something inherently meaningless, though nevertheless beautiful and so never entirely meaningless, like chess.

I haven't got round to writing down everything I think about the CG situation(s), and the world can probably live without the (convoluted) essay that might result. The sort of thing editors used to throw back at me, saying "Yes, the ideas are good - but please put them in order, with a start and finish, and in terms that people might understand..."

As for the, erm, substantive matter of despotism, the core point for me is taking a site-related grievance to a different forum, one that might actually harm CG's business. Of course AJ has a *right* to do that, though I think it's a nasty thing to do.

I didn't say he should be automatically ejected. Just that, having done what he did with that complaint, I think he should walk away with whatever dignity is left. Others may disagree.

It just gets sillier and sillier. He is apparently outraged for being put on probation along with a selection of 'troop' members, as though - how absurd - he was *anything* like them.