Ladies and Gentlemen,
This site has never been the most endearing to the club or even parts of our own fanbase. A common piece of feedback I receive privately is that some find it too negative or drama-filled, which is why many choose to stay away. At times we clash hard and put each other down, the club, the players, and even Super, who pays for this site out of his own pocket. Some of this could understandably offend players’ families. In conversations I’ve had with people within the club’s hierarchy, the club takes a fairly open-minded view and accepts that it can’t control what others say or think. That’s a mature approach.
That said, I believe the majority of us are good eggs, mean well, even if some are rough around the edges and a small minority hold more extreme views. Over the past decade, I’ve met many wonderful people through this site, some of whom I now count as close friends and have learned a great deal from. You’re a big reason I’m still here and why I care about this community.
If you’re willing, I’d appreciate your thoughts on the direction the site should take. Ultimately, Super will decide, but it’s helpful to understand how people feel, here or privately, on:
- Current affairs and political blogs: Even if personally enjoy them, these often become the most feral and attract extremist views, especially in challenging times. They can flood the site and turn off many who simply want to talk footy, the one thing we all share. Life has enough dramas.
- Moving these blogs to The Cave: Making them members-only allows discussions without overwhelming those who’d want to avoid it. Could it be a win-win?
- Any other ideas for improving the site.
Please don’t comment on political, religious or current affairs issues in this blog. This is about improving the site, not saving the world from an apocalypse.
Replies
Bob, Randy's comments were inappropriate.
So were yours: Hoping for "Civil War" & Lefties "Carted off" to "Work Camps".
Stop playing Victim. Blame Shifting. Own it. If you don't see that hopes for mass-scale violence, pause. Reflect.
I'm also not interested in what poor excuses you meant by "work camps".In a civil-war context, that language carries an unavoidable historical and moral weight. When applied to political opponents, it signals mass detention and coercion, regardless of how it is later qualified and justified. That’s why this wording was unacceptable.
Randy suggested violence, but that doesn't excuse you. Randy at least is prepared to co-operate with the mods. I doubt Randy actually wants to or would harm anyone, despite the rhetoric or shooting his mouth off like many do reactively. If we believed he did, Super would need to take immediate action.
You on the other hand, as someone who claims they carefully choose their words as an experienced academic, may have meant what you said in relation to mass-scales. That concerns me far more if true. If so, that's a huge red flag, and I'm not sure this place is a good fit for you. Or did you also shoot your mouth off in a rare moment you lost it, too, like most do occsasionally, for a fleeting moment? I hope so.
Because for me, that is the number one question outside of your conduct from here on.
Could you both have been suspended for breaching the COC? Yep. Perhaps, it was a mistake and naive to allow those Kirk blogs a fair degree of freedom before closing them. Should we have suspended people and Super deleted more comments? Maybe. If we suspended people for every breach of conduct, we'd probably suspend over half the posters at some point. Perhaps we need to get tougher on people who don't get the hint, remain belligerent and unapologetic. It's Super's call.
PS: Bob Smith replied to Wizardssleeves official receipts's discussion RIP Charlie Kirk."Hopefully civil war emerges out of this, and lefties are carted off to work camps. " (Bob Smith, Sept, 2025).
"You [Lefties] never learn, never self-control, never reflect - just hate. This is why work camps are needed." (Bob Smith, Sept, 2025).
Good job bob, I apologise for a few of those comments.
Thank the gods there hasn't been a blog about the podcasters wifes behaviour since his death. I'd be doomed.
I'm calling B.S. on Bob Smith's attempt to rewrite what he said. My Bob attempts to say the reference to a civil war was just about what is likely. No, Bob "hoped" for it. Next, Bob attempts to rewrite 'work camps' as about labour, not extermination. But he wanted to 'cart' off all political opponents ('lefties') so we have both coercion and political targeting, both of which were inherent features of concentration camps. Moreover, Bob linked this coercive political targeting to eradicating a viewpoint.
If My Bob is going to lie he deserves every ounce of ban he gets.
Bob Smith, Moving on from the Kirk blogs, the primary concern is your conduct from here on.
Sure, yes, we didn't suspend you or Randy, although we could have. And gave those Kirk blogs lots of leeway. Perhaps too much. Unlike you, Randy has owned it, apologized, not justified it or blame shifted & appears to self-correct.
I would also remind you, part of proper conduct is to refrain from harassing others regardless. Continuously calling me a liar is harrassment even if you feel it's true or justified from whatever righteousness. You've now done it 3-4 times, maybe more. If it were once or twice, I'd let it slide. Hopefully, you self-correct. But if not, and you continue to harrass any member or continue to breach the COC, action could be taken without further notice.
I'm not sure when this site started but I've been on here from the early days and while I don't comment or post much I always check in to read everyone's opinions if they are good or bad. In all my time I've been here HOE I can say I enjoyed reading your articles and opinions the most. 👍
GoldEel, that's one of the kindest things I've heard in a long time. Thanks, mate. Not sure how some of my blogs don't put you to sleep. They can cure insomnia.
I read a few eels forums and there is always lots of infighting. Seperating the politics is a good idea as it is toxic and devisive. I actually think think the quality of this site has improved somewhat in the last year or so.
Perpetual, I agree, mate. I think they probably need to end up in the Cave, separate from the mainstream site, to not flood everyone with it. They invariably end up going feral and just a slanging match.
While I try to avoid it occasionally Ill see a comment in the side bar that is so ridiculous that I will get sucked in. I have strong opinions but I dont come here for political opinion. If its not showing in the right hand side bar its easier to not get dragged into it. There are countless places you can go to argue about politics but this is a footy site.
It's a footy forum, and that should be it. We've lost quite a few good posters the last few years, I don't know whether it's because of politics, religion, racism, language or we have lost them because of the lack of success the club has had for many years. Stick to footy and the site will thrive.
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