jdlongmire seems to be a writer for that particular blog. (The link didn't work because the HTML was wrong. It links to : www.videosift.com/usercomments/christianskepticism.org, instead of www.christianskepticism.org)

Check out the right hand column of that page.

I guess it's just shameless self-promotion.

Thanks for the research MG. I still don't like spam. I guess all I can do is mark his comments inappropriate. Still this leaves some room for debate as to how to handle spammers like this in the future.

Well, the thing is, can you really call it spam? The comments aren't computer generated, and if they do add something to the community, maybe it's not such a big deal. So long as he doesn't start self-posting, I think it's alright.

Edit: Well, now that I actually read his comments, they are more spam than anything else. All they do is reference that site. So now what? A friendly "Hey please stop that"?

His most recent comment doesn't even relate to the video. And though I doubt they are automated he's obviously pushing for views to see his website. This is a community comments are fine but this is a clear self-promotion. That's why I say we need a community discussion about this. If we start letting people do this we end up with messages like: "see the hottest boobs in cyber space at www.allofusarewhores.com".

Yeah, I totally agree. And you're right about that recent comment.
I would definitely categorize this as spam.
We don't need this place to turn into myspace or youtube.
I think that if the community agrees with us, then we should just let him know that he needs to stop it.

I sent him a PM asking him to stop. We'll see what happens.

Damn him! seconds ago he just posted another one!

Edit: NOW he is spamming. This one mirrors his last comment.

put him on a pole, tie his arms to a horizontal beam, nail his hands down, whip him, and leave him in the sun.

or just crucify him.

Seems to me like all that he's doing is searching for those keywords; God, Christ, Christian, evolution and the like. After that, all he needs to do is post his spam without even watching the video.

I just came here to post about that very thing. Anyone who posts the same reply with a link to an external site, and nothing else, is pretty much by definition a spammer. And a boor.

I call for those who have star status to mark jdlongmire's comment posts as inappropriate. Round up the posse Ann we gonna have a hanging! YEE-HAW!

rofl @ gorgon. It even looks like your avatar is screaming "yee-haw".
Too bad you have to be a goldie. This lynching sounds like fun.

But don't you want to mark as spam, not just 'inappropriate'?

It's a self link jd and you know it. Some of your comments don't even reflect the content of videos You've been asked to stop TWICE now. So please don't make us do it again. Course you probably didn't even read this post to figure that out.

^Umm.... the charcoal video has nothing to do with your comment.

Neither does the View one.

^ It's still spam!

To me, that seems like a big "Fuck you" to the requests to stop spamming, and to the rules prohibiting it as well.

The charcoal one was definitely a stretch. You must be hurting for visits.

This site is by and for the users.. not random spammers with their own agendas. That's why the *ban was created.

gorgonheap cannot be banned because star accounts are immune to banination - ignoring ban request by winkler1.

Uhhh.. hello, jd, the gold stars ARE the moderators here!

This guy's zeal, combined with his apparent cluelessness as to proper decorum suitable for this public forum, not to mention the bi-pole vibe in the snippy little, whine, the "what did I do's", and then the passive-aggressive, "Have a nice day God loves you bullshit", is very un-Christian, if ya ask this heathen, not to mention, creepy, and yes winkler.....a boor. I should know, I have been known to be boorish myself at times.......Mine comes from either too much beer, or sleep deprivation.......jdlongmire....Does yours come from an over-dose of Jesus Juice????

Winkler - intentionally or not, you just pointed out a serious flaw with the banning system. If the user hasn't posted anything themselves, but just comment spams as in the case of jdlongmire, there's no place to put the invocation! Even gorgonheap's note on his profile doesn't do the trick.


I have been known to be boorish myself at times

but certainly never a bore.

Good catch jonny. I was under the impression that if a comment got enough inappropriate marks that it would be removed and if it happened to several comments the member in question would be banned. That's my understanding. Dag, Lucky, am I wrong on this?

Overwhelming Glory To Bob, in Eris, to all!!!!

and thanks JD, for choosing VS, as a possible source for crowns...after reading your sincere replies, I have uttered the sinner's prayer,(sincerely this time, under no duress) and put in a good word for you with the benevolent, omnibeing..I am praying right now, that you will actually go into all the world, and post the gospel...of a damn viddy!!!

You nailed it with passive aggressive choggie.

No JD your no longer under investigation.

The Spam Ban rule is thus:
"Lastly, comment spam, wherein someone attempts to advertise a product or service via comment, may be flagged as spam. After 3 spam votes, the comment is deleted and the violating member's spam comment tally is incremented. If applicable (see star powers), once a member's spam tally reaches 2 the account is automatically banned and all comments associated with the user are deleted."

Doh! - that'll teach me to rtfm. (I have actually, but didn't remember that part - was that updated after 3.0?)

@jdlongmire - though he can often be hard to understand, choggie's surprisingly straight forward comment was a suggestion to participate in the site by posting a video submission. After all, that's why we're here.

He wouldn't be the first member new or old that have a personal agenda on this site. If he's adverting his own site repeatedly then he's spamming. Just referring to his favorite spots that he feels supports his argument is NOT spamming.

JD there are so few like yourself here and there is a reason for it. There ARE people of faith of various forms that are members here. Most reasonable intelligent sifters here (and there are many) enjoy and even welcome the diversity. (now here comes the big but)

BUT

Hon, you have all the ear marks of the average fundie looking for an opportunity to somehow evangelize here. I am particularly hard on god-trolling. Maybe I'm way off base here and if so..apologies...

Hey, but this is first a video sharing site...the comments generate from there. Earn some floor around here, So start posting!

SG,

Just out of curiosity, what do you think the reason is that there are few believers here? That was one of the first things I noticed about VS, and admittedly, it seemed like we were sort of not welcomed... but I have since seen that I was wrong, provided you aren't the 'stop sinning right now or go to hell! Don't you know I'm better than you?" kind of believer.

I think there are a lot of religious people on the sift. It's just that a majority of Christians aren't the zealous type.

Wow, I think he just got banned this minute. I was browsing his weird comments and then there were gone after a refresh. I guess that spam button does work!

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

After they have 2 comments flagged as spam, they are automatically banned. This case might be border-line, and I think the member was repentant. Shall we un-ban?

Dag, I was going to suggest exactly that when I noticed he got banned. I flagged some of those comments myself, and noticing his willingness to engage afterwards, think he should definitely be given another chance. But his first post better not be a sermon.

MG, I'm so glad you commented. Most people that are truly seeking meaning and answers through faith find it a private, personal journey. At least that's how I see it. They never are heard here for that very reason. The last thing they need is to hear someone flame their ideas or have their faith made to look ignorant and stupid because Flamer got an A in physics and speech class.

Also, you have people who enjoy the argument... apologists if you will. They are Christians that wish to have a concrete argument to satisfy their need to prove what they believe in....

Then you have the stereotypical evangelical, the "fundie", the "fanatic". He goes to church and never thinks past what his Pastor told him was the truth. He blows it for everyone spouting out his jesus fish colloquialisms and rhetoric. They will ban/burn/lobby against any and all forms of toys, shows, movies, music that their Pastor said was evil. And everyone they meet is an opportunity to fulfill the Great Commission.

Unfortunately, the fundie is the one who is the loudest. His search isn't a personal one, nor an honest one...because he's never taken the time to question a thing in his life. He will continue to sell to everyone never caring if anyone is buying because in the end he'll receive his "crowns".

There are "christians" here. There are people here who are searching for personal answers to eternal questions. But there are no eternal answers on a web site, a blog, a pulpit, or a book. We could speculate intelligently, but that's it. So why bother exposing yourself to ridicule by those that have school themselves specializing in destroying religious ideas?

There are members here so put off by Christians and religion in general. This site is not tolerant for "stop sinning or go to hell" christianity, true. You have to wade through the rhetoric around here to see them. They are here, they just don't wish to be lumped in with the stereotype.

and the guy should be unbanned.. an example of Star-brutality?

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

Unbanned, but not really star-brutality, the comments were pretty fairly attributed as Spam, and the system has automatic actions to deal with such cases. SiftBot pulled the trigger.

If you LIKE this SiftTalk thread, then YOU WILL LOVE
www.hornyjesuswebchix.com

!!!!

I vote for unbanning, btw, with a stern warning to cease and desist from polluting videos of nice little charcoal art or ditzy View presenters with the I-Design prattle.

Awesome comment, SG.
Arguing that there is a God or that there isn't is stupid (especially over the internet) when your 'opponent' truly believes what they are saying. You can't prove or disprove the existence of God.
All the fundies, especially on the internet, are pushing their beliefs on others that aren't here to hear it. I don't have a problem with people trying to show others their beliefs or point of views, but don't do it in such a manner that will irritate others, especially the ones you are talking to.

What just happened? Why can't I see any of JD's comments on this thread? It appears that Gorgon is talking to himself.

hmm, seems he's gone the way of the silentpoet

Comment hidden because you are ignoring dag. (show it anyway)

All his comments are gone because a spam ban automatically kills all past comments.

©Spamban®
-Dag

AHH! What the fuck!?!

He's at it again!
Wtf does a ten-dimensional universe theory have to do with evolution?

Oh, right. Nothing.

I know it's unchristian of me, but I'm flagging everything he does as spam. Nub won't learn.

I'm still not quite confortable with the idea of users able to personally take actions against other users.

Well that "spam" one is ok: if someone abuses it, he'll easily get caught and tortured by siftbot, I guess.

I'm more concerned about "mark as inappropriate". Since this makes just the comment "disappear" (if I did understand correctly) users could use it more freely, and that's bad. Moreover, how will anybody know if a comment disappeared?
Or, much more better, do they only collapse (but can be clicked to be seen?).

Nice to see he's reaped as he's sown

He wouldn't stop. I'm sorry it had to happen this way but he wouldn't obey the rules.