Am I being ostracized?

[Sam Slater]

I've noticed over the last few weeks how David Johnson has repeatedly tried to bring up other disagreements and squabbles I've had with other posters when I speak to them. One one occasion he even did it in a thread where I was encouraging an old, friendly poster to post more often.

His latest one was here>

As you can see, it was a short exchange between Robches and I and Johnson comes in to remind Robches and me of our previous spat from a few weeks ago. Why? What is David's motive here if it isn't to drive a wedge between other forumites because he gets some perverse satisfaction from it?

Except, he doesn't seem to do it with others so much, just me. Here he is again, on the same day, bringing up past disagreements I have had with Arg and Max:



There are a few more like the one above that I can't be bothered to search for, but this strategy of creating divisions between me and other forumites is not a one off.

The one that really upset me in any meaningful way was when I was just greeting and old friend, alicia_fan_uk, who'd not posted in about 2 years and I'd rather politely requested for them to post more often. A harmless, friendly exchange between two forumites to which David Johnson had to chime in with a reminder about a very old (maybe over 2 years old?) exchange between me and Max. Again, for only one fathomable reason and that is to create divisions between me and other forumites.

Here is the post: I called Max a 'thick cunt'. I have apologised to Max twice since then and twice Max has accepted the apology.

This one was the one that got under my skin because I was trying to encourage another poster to contribute to the forums and David was more interested in point-scoring with a poster who rarely has a bad word to say about anybody (from memory) and seemed a rather nice chap. I thought bringing up the mine and David's ongoing jibes at one another into an innocent exchange with alicia_fan_uk was a little rude and disrespectful to alicia_fan_uk. It was petty, opportunistic and I doubt alicia_fan_uk wanted to be drawn into it all.

So...here I am, someone that will, on occasion, call you a cunt. I will, to be fair to myself, apologise if I feel I've been out of order. And, unlike some, it will be a proper, straight-down-the-line-no-messing-about-apology. I won't play games saying weasley things like 'I have no problem apologising to you' without actually apologising. I'm not that arrogant.

On the other hand, you have a man that refuses to apologise (properly) and is currently participating in a systematic strategy of ostracization towards another forumite because they disagree on certain issues. This behaviour is beyond name-calling, sarcastic jibes and even character assassination. It's pre-planned instances of attempting to exclude an individual from the group. It's an attempt to get the group to shun somebody for no reason but their own gratification. It's probably the lowest thing one can do outside direct threats of violence on an internet forum.

It's all got unnecessarily nasty.

[David Johnson]

I apologise Goldilocks. I hope you do go to the ball.

Of course Goldilocks never called Max a thick cunt, Argie a cunt, Robches oversensitive on purpose to avoid answering Slater's points, myself a disingenuous, deceitful, slimy, weasely liar, refused to reply to my points, instead preferring to vilify me rather than have the courtesy to reply and then complained about being victimised and ostracised.

Take your own advice Sam. It is part of being on a forum. If you can't take it, don't slag off one and all.

Unbelievable. Ever the victim. Have a good weekend.

[Sam Slater]

As you can see, David talks like I haven't admitted to my calling Max a 'thick cunt' or had any arguments with any other forumites ever. And then he goes on to justify his repeated attempts at the ostracization of another forumite as, "part of being on a forum."

Well, isn't that nice. Isn't it convenient that when someone says something out of order on here, they're pulled up for it, but when David becomes a bit of a cunt it's just 'part of being on a forum' and not really a problem. It's just a bit of banter. How convenient for him. And how it's 'tough titty' for everyone else.

And, me daring to complain about this ostracization makes me 'ever the victim', despite me pointing out and admitting where I've made mistakes. It's not so much me being 'ever the victim' and more David 'never being in the wrong'.

It's not hard to spot a bully.

[David Johnson]

I give up. I am completely fucking bored as any other person on this forum must be with this shite.

[max_tranmere]

This is quite funny!

[David Johnson]

"This is quite funny!"

Yeah, in a Jeremy Kyle kind of way.

In next week's episode, Sam complains about being wound up by next door's OAP who keeps putting his bins out on the wrong day just to annoy him.

Meanwhile David publishes his encyclopaedic "Why the Iraq War was illegal" book to absolutely no interest whatsoever. And Sam responds immediately with his pamphlet quoting inaccurately from Chris Hitchens as to why the Iraq War is just like the case of that kiddie fiddler charge against the bloke on Coronation Street. This too is met with terminal boredom.

[Sam Slater]

I'm glad you think it's funny, Max. You got a straight apology from me when I called you a cunt. I'm on then end of a systematic campaign of ostracization and just get excuses. In fact, I'm pilloried for daring to complain.

Bullies don't like it when people fight back.

[max_tranmere]

When I said I thought it was quite funny I was just referring to yours and David's exchanges on this thread. It was amusing to read. I was not aware you were hacked off about it. I'm not being critical here, I get hacked off about things in life like anyone does, you seem particularly annoyed by the butting of heads going on between you and David. I apologise if my flippant comment of how I found it amusing was annoying.

Like I said I didn't know you were that bothered. I think that because a lot of forumites have left during recent months there is a bit more intensity between some of those left - a thread on here ages ago may have had 10 or 15 people debating. Now it can be 5 or even 3. Hopefully new people will hear about this forum as time goes on and join up. Then they'll be more people exchanging views.

[Sam Slater]

I'm not annoyed with you, Max. It is funny....but wouldn't be if he employed these tactics ton a more timid poster or somebody new to the forum.

While annoyed, I'm not intimidated by his tactics. I do want others to recognise what he's doing, though, because types of bullying like ostracization can often go unrecognised.

What's worse is his reaction. Trying to pass it off as 'part of being on a forum'. Reminds me of Richard Keys and Andy Gray passing off their workplace sexual harassment as 'just a bit of banter'. Again, the victim (me) takes the blame and is accused of playing the victim. It's MY fault he's repeatedly trying to get others to shun me. He's unable to take responsibility for his actions.

I don't bring it up for attention, sympathy or pity, I bring it up so others recognise what he's doing as well as give him a chance to hold his hands up and admit he's out of order; it's giving him the opportunity to say he's sorry.

I'm actually doing him a favour because I'm a nice guy. I'm an Aquarius after all.

[chilliman]

He is just a sad and probably disabled person that spends all his time at home hence why he has all the time in the world to look aback over previous comments any poster has made. His efforts in this is quite pathetic and shows him up as the pedantic arse that he is.
This forum as mentioned used to have many posters but one by one they get picked off by him, no wonder this place is like a ghost town, thing is the idiot can't even see it's his behavior that's driven away so many people.

Oh i can't wait for the reply as another thing the prick can't do is let someone say anything about him without trying to 'defend' his actions.