I respect that you're sticking up for someone. I do the same when I feel it's right. One thing you've always been a champion of was fighting the 'multiple user names' battle and I have always very much agreed with that stance. If you have something to say, say it and own it. You do, I do, others do.
In this case, "CSI - Ozzy" and "manfromoz" fits your first example perfectly and that's ok. He changed his name and moved on as he was now representing something larger. Where he's getting into trouble is his Shoreboy account. He's not only posting from both accounts in this thread but pretending to be different people. Sure, he can always say it was his wife but couldn't we all make that claim if we were caught with multiple accounts? Honestly, I'm actually very surprised he was banned. The mods here go a bit easier on long time users and/or people in the industry.
Personally, I've known Ozzy a little over a year and met him shortly after he took his position at CSI. I tried to like him as my good friend JCIN told me he's a good guy and I respect his endorsement but Ozzy just made it really hard. At first I just thought he just had a horrible sense of humor and didn't think before he spoke but later realized that he is positive that he's the smartest person on earth and cannot have a conversation without being extremely condescending, inappropriate and downright offensive to anyone he feels he's above. And for the record, Ozzy was on my sht list long before Justin and CSI went separate ways... I don't just blindly dislike someone. I realize I also come off a certain way to people who don't know me but it usually doesn't take someone long after meeting me to find out I'm a pretty good person with a fun sense of humor.
Well-written post, Cleary. I do see where you're coming from in some respects for sure.
It is kind of ironic, me posting on this topic, I guess. There are a few on this forum who have outright accused me of posting as Keith. But I never have posted under Keith's user name without him standing right next to me. In this respect, though, we are both posting on this forum with the same IP address.
When I first joined RSB Google Group, that was my very first experience posting on the Internet in a forum, with the exception of Prodigy. I used to post in the court reporter forum of Prodigy, but the court reporters have a different personality than the pool people. Everybody was polite to each other.
On RSB, a pool buddy told me that some egg came on this thing called RSB and said he was Keith. I couldn't believe it. So I got Keith and we figured out how to post on the Google News Group. This was back in the days of dial-up modems. You'd post and have to wait a half day or a whole day for the post to appear. :grin-square:
Well, RSB was a new experience for me, and after I saw them interact with Keith, I decided I wanted to post on it. When I did, the computer gurus said that Keith and this poster named DILLIGAF (which was me) were posting from the same IP address.
I will vigorously go after anyboyd who goes after my Keith here, there, or anywhere. I don't really care what they write about me, but dont' go after my Keith just because you don't like me. :angry:
What I am saying -- and this is hypothetical -- who is to say that Ozzy's wife or relative or friend was posting under an AzBilliards account of Ozzy's? In a court of law, you're innocent until proven guilty, but on this forum, it seems like you're guilty until proven innocent.
Have you ever posted under another identity on this forum, Cleary? You don't have to answer if you don't want to, but sometimes people do things when they're in the heat of the battle, thinking with emotion instead of logic. I'm guilty of it. Heck, I imagine it happens to a lot of folks. After all, we are all members of God's human family.
I remember the Free Juice drama. This forum got an influx of brand-new members from Texas, interestingly enough. I kind of don't think they were brand-new members, either. I do believe they were wanting to stand up for their good friend, Juice. I understand loyality and friendship. You are to be commended for your loyalty to your friends. I actually have more respect for you than a lot of members here, even though we haven't seen eye to eye from time to time. There's something about you, though, that I like. You have class and a sense of values. I admire that.
I am just providing an instance of where multiple user accounts might have happened and it wasn't the same person posting under the multiple user accounts.