Should 420 Magazine Offer A General Amnesty To Suspended Accounts?

[AspenCultivator]

I believe I was the second person to vote on this poll, and was glad to see the person who voted first voted No. Seeing where the poll is now, and reading all the replies, I feel the need to chime in.

I'm not known around these forums, so my opinion is just another drop in the bucket. But I want to mention that the "Elon poll" was instituted because journalists were being banned for sharing the location of his jet. Which is PUBLIC information, on a great number of flight tracking websites. There was enough public backlash and negative publicity he made the decision to make a poll. It wasn't about forgiveness, or righting a wrong.

As for this website is concerned, the rules were put in place for a reason. Someone before me already mentioned if you allow people to come back you're setting a precedent where people won't care that they're receiving a punishment because they know they'll be allowed to come back at some point.

If you want to run a moderated forums, again in my opinion, there should be concrete consequences in place. Perhaps if someone were to reach out to you after some time and express regret, remorse, they can be allowed back. Which is the case by case basis some are pointing out. A blanket "everyone can come back" should not happen.

 

[Hyena Merica]

looking at musk as an example of anything is a warning sign right there,,

folks have moved on,, and on

 

[013]

To err is human, to forgive is divine….

As a newbie I crossed the line a few times and got a warning by the mods. They kindly pointed to the plainly posted 420 Mag rules - so I feasted on crow, made my apologies and moved forward…

Truly forgiveness is an amazing thing, BUT there will always be some peeps to whom the rules do not apply…. or so they think!

bottom line, I voted yes. However I think it will be a lot of work for your crew & that results garnered will not make any appreciable difference, but we support your decisions.

edit to add: I’ve only been here couple of years and regardless of any recent diagnosis, I think your rules have been fair and evenly applied

 

[Rxrx]

wow i would have kicked her ass out too , for posting links and competing against you.. back stabber...

Mr Rob why would you want to let that back in?

Agree Deltadubie! I joined to learn - a few years ago, newbie I assume as I read and only once posted but in my 60’s here (business.internet active for years) I believe in 2nd chances but 3 strikes is 1 more. As suggested people can rejoin under a new name, and a case by case review is ok but taking steps identified by this individual is a very aggressive move to puff oneself up while destroying the hard work by founding and current members.

One has to be careful mixing ideology with reality, full freedom does not exist, actions one chooses for oneself will hurt someone, somewhere and “my truth” doesn’t make it ‘yours’. But to be on this site or any other- I agree with the guidelines and if warned - make choices.

 

[Carmen Ray]

Agree Deltadubie! I joined to learn - a few years ago, newbie I assume as I read and only once posted but in my 60’s here (business.internet active for years) I believe in 2nd chances but 3 strikes is 1 more. As suggested people can rejoin under a new name, and a case by case review is ok but taking steps identified by this individual is a very aggressive move to puff oneself up while destroying the hard work by founding and current members.

One has to be careful mixing ideology with reality, full freedom does not exist, actions one chooses for oneself will hurt someone, somewhere and “my truth” doesn’t make it ‘yours’. But to be on this site or any other- I agree with the guidelines and if warned - make choices.

We don't know the full story. The other party is not here to represent herself. There are always different perspectives in such matters. I think it is rough to bad mouth someone when they are not able to defend their position.

 

[Jonny5]

Let them back in,, if they want back in... Not to sound harsh or condescending but I don’t think their world was turned upside down because they cannot post on 420 ... all though it is a nice place to visit.

 

[Keffka]

Everyone will be expected to comply with the same guidelines and we won't just open the floodgates without speaking with each member to confirm they will comply with our guidelines moving forward.

If they violate the guidelines again, they can be shown the door again as well.

Yes, all members usually get three strikes before they're out. Unless it's REALLY bad.

If you all approve, amnesty will be given on a case by case basis, some just went too far.

We have multiple reasons for offering the amnesty, I'll name a few that come to mind now and more later.

Elon Musk started it by leading by example and showing us a perspective we had never considered.

We believe in forgiveness and letting bygones be bygones, leaving negative energy in the past.

We believe anyone can learn, change, adapt and evolve, just like ourselves.

For thirty years we've been bringing people together from all over the world, we don't want to separate them.

We’ve been trying to relax our guidelines over time and are presently a lot more tolerant. We lost people early for things that are allowed today. For example, back in the day any mention of using USPS for seeds was a banning offense. The government used to be quite uptight about this and penalties were harsh.

Sometimes a member can passive aggressively troll someone to the point of snapping, then the snapper gets banned. Meanwhile the other member runs off into the corner chuckling victory while playing the victim. We're not social workers, psychologists or parents, we are cannabis activists running a legitimate business and mission to change international laws. So although we've tried our best to do the right thing everywhere we can, it's just isn't always possible, with the budget, tools, resources and experience we have.

The embarrassing truth inspiring a lot of this for me personally, stems from the fact that I recently got diagnosed with OCD, ADHD & Asperger's. This has been extremely eye opening, humbling and life changing for me, evolving my perspectives and bringing to surface numerous revelations that have me reassessing everything.

Looking back, I feel my mental disorders got in the way of handling some of the situations with much less patience than I would have liked and feel just terrible that it got so out of hand. The stress on all of us was immeasurable. I've learned that when someone verbally attacks a person with autism, it can cause a "meltdown" from stress and "sensory overload", and the natural response is to push those people away. Being in a position of power, that was easy for me to do.

I was bullied as a kid, so I guess I developed a protective nature to avoid that happening to our members. Being plagued with broken social skills, made it even more challenging to analyze and resolve some situations properly.

I'm not saying being autistic is an excuse for my behaviour, I'm just saying that autism is what contributed to it. I feel if I was not plagued with this curse/gift, and had thicker skin, I could have handled some of these situations a lot better. The experience has been traumatic for many of us and I'd really like to make amends where possible and clear any stagnant energy from the past. I know some people are incapable of forgiveness and will tell us to get lost, however I also know there are some who miss being with their friends here, as well as members here missing some who flew the coop.

We just want to do the right thing and resolve any situations where we could have done better.

As an autistic person myself this really hit me in the feelsbadman bone and changed my opinion.. I too could never understand why I would allow others to have such control over my emotions until I learned I was autistic. It was like a gear fell into place and all of a sudden everything started working and made sense. It wasn’t them controlling my emotions, it was me being unable to handle sensory overload. I have made some regrettable mistakes, and have acted in less than honorable ways that still haunt me today.

With that being said, I think a general amnesty is a dangerous game. If you have a few guardrails in place such as no one who has threatened others qualifies for this, and you are going to have a conversation with each qualifying member I think it could be beneficial. Some times we need to put some time and space behind us to realize we need to change.

Redemption is powerful. Those seeking to redeem themselves could easily become exemplary members. Those seeking negativity will quickly be weeded out again.

I understand the hesitance of others, especially those who’ve been here for a long time, no one wants to open the floodgates of negativity. Not to mention the massive amount of work individuals have put in and don’t want to see it disrespected. However, this isn’t your average social media platform or forum. I don’t think we have the same type of users waiting to be let back in. If someone has been banned for a while and hasn’t bothered to sneak their way back in and is open to the requirements, I think it’s fair to give them a chance.

 

[JoetheChro]

“If you ever get a second chance in life for something, you’ve got to go all the way.” — Lance Armstro..

My apologies, terrible example but maybe an omen

 

[JoetheChro]

420 isn’t Twitter and the reason for the polls were completely different as outlined by a previous poster

It’s all well and good being forgiving and wanting to give people second chances but this isn’t RL. It’s the internet. People are savage.

Anyone that could have come back would have had a message from one of the team and been back already or reached out and apologised and be back here also.

Anyone else will be a rabble rousing trouble maker more aggro than it’s worth.

I commend what you’ve done 420. I have nearly the same diagnosis as you so know what your mind goes through.

Kindness will always be seen as a weakness in regards to events like this. I promise you no good will come of it. No one would think any less if we just cracked on and forgot them got a really solid bunch of people here

 

[Trala]

Interesting thread. Some excellent points. Lots of sides to this issue.

If there’s anyone who pushed the limits, intentionally or otherwise, about as far as they can be without getting booted (right Rob? Lmao), it’s me.

This decision comes down to this for me:

Who are we, and who do we want to be?

Do we want to be the kind of people who reflect the qualities of forgiveness, giving second chances, and believing in our fellow man’s ability to learn, and adapt, and improve?

Or do we want to be the kind of folks who say “you screwed up and you will always be a screwup, because you are incapable of learning.

If I were to believe in the second I suspect I’d still be in jail.

I choose forgiveness and second chances. I’ve been given a million in my life, many of which were not deserved.

Just give the comeback kids a short leash Rob.

My two cents.

I loved this response (except for the short leash part lol) and I totally identify with it.

I think life is about reflecting and second chances.

This is such a fabulous community and for me it has become a huge part of my life. If it was me who had been banned, I would love the option of a second chance.

I also like the thought of a second chance without restrictions or short leashes, mainly because I think it’s unnecessary. I think they should be welcomed and treated like everyone else. Teddy and the other mods are watching and keeps us in check.

So it’s a huge yes! YES! YES!!!! from me.

My two cents. Xo

 

[Trala]

420 isn’t Twitter and the reason for the polls were completely different as outlined by a previous poster

It’s all well and good being forgiving and wanting to give people second chances but this isn’t RL. It’s the internet. People are savage.

Anyone that could have come back would have had a message from one of the team and been back already or reached out and apologised and be back here also.

Anyone else will be a rabble rousing trouble maker more aggro than it’s worth.

I commend what you’ve done 420. I have nearly the same diagnosis as you so know what your mind goes through.

Kindness will always be seen as a weakness in regards to events like this. I promise you no good will come of it. No one would think any less if we just cracked on and forgot them got a really solid bunch of people here

I have read a number of your firm no responses Joe, and I’m both surprised and saddened by them.

Kindness is never a weakness, well I don’t think it is. You can’t promise that no good will come of it because you don’t know how someone else will respond. You don’t know what grounds some of these bans were based on. You are taking a black and what approach and not seeing the shades of grey, which surprises me given being one of these banned members could be you had your recent banning been permanent.

 

[JoetheChro]

I have read a number of your firm no responses Joe, and I’m both surprised and saddened by them.

Kindness is never a weakness, well I don’t think it is. You can’t promise that no good will come of it because you don’t know how someone else will respond. You don’t know what grounds some of these bans were based on. You are taking a black and what approach and not seeing the shades of grey, which surprises me given being one of these banned members could be you had your banning been permanent.

Trala whilst I sympathise with your sentiments, I have seen the previous dicks here that would ruin your lovely garden and thread with their attitude and conduct and it wouldn’t be the 420 you have enjoyed.

Whilst there are some challenges, I believe my previous post outlines the criteria for exception and they’d be back already much like myself

I stood up for comedy. Not arseholes. And I also asked for my ban. It wasn’t given. @420 will back me up on that. I’m just that crazy

By all means let them back.

But I think everyone needs to stop this Bob Marley Redemption Song and namaste stuff on this topic.

It’s ok to be a bastard sometimes.

 

[Trala]

But I think everyone needs to stop this Bob Marley Redemption Song and namaste stuff on this topic.

It’s ok to be a bastard sometimes.

And I think life is one big redemption song.

And it’s never okay to be a bastard. Like ever. I think the secret to happiness is being able to identify when you’ve been a bastard, apologise for being a bastard, and move on doing your best not to be a bastard.

 

[JoetheChro]

And I think life is one big redemption song.

And it’s never okay to be a bastard. Like ever. I think the secret to happiness is being able to identify when you’ve been a bastard, apologise for being a bastard, and move on doing your best not to be a bastard.

I will take that on board Tra, I’m always open to new thinking.

However. I think it’s slight Instagram quote loveliness.

We haven’t got to deal with the fall out. The mods and staff have so I’m happy to sit back and watch what happens.

Hope I’m wrong

Love to all.

When is this fucking poll over please lock it up

 

[Mudballs]

There are things that should not be forgiven or forgotten. Kindness can be weakness, there's worse lessons out there too.

 

[beez0404]

Happy Holidays to one and all. May the end of the year be filled with love, laughter, family and friends. Have lots of fun and please be safe.

 

[Jonny5]

And to you and yours Bee z

 

[JoetheChro]

Happy Holidays to one and all. May the end of the year be filled with love, laughter, family and friends. Have lots of fun and please be safe.

Same here beez, true spirit of this time of year (but fuck the undesirables still )

 

[JoetheChro]

Right I’m off from this thread anyway people.

Good luck with whatever transpires. I sincerely hope it goes well either ways. Just remember, when ye ask the devil to dance, don’t complain when the tune don’t suit

 

[Jonny5]

Your a hard man Amos Greentree ,,