As some of you know I was removed from the BlogCatalog community yesterday shortly after getting in a heated debate with Tony regarding their proposed terms of service.

Daniel lead program of blogcatalog states that their decision to remove me was not based on my suggestions of their terms of service, but primarily due to dozens of member complaints during the past two weeks.

One blogger in particular, states that my review of BlogCatalog is biased and it was crafted to create a negative publicity of BlogCatalog in relation to the treatment that I received over the past week.

Not true at all. In fact, I stuck around and made suggestions to BlogCatalog despite the treatment that I received over the past week from a few BlogCatalog members. I also never mentioned the treatment that I received until now. Though I did bring up Pointlessbanter’s remarks in another post.

Comments of

Pointlessbanter “I want to punch a baby in the neck when I see your 1983 glamor shot.”

An entire thread was started about me by some individuals who attempted to get me banned because they did not like the fact that I was starting multiple discussions or that I was a top neighbor and active participant in the community.

Tony requested that I come in and make peace with these people despite his previous comments about what was taking place.

The following message below was Tony’s accusations that were the result of my comparison to the similarities of BlogCatalog and MyBloglog. Despite his accusations, I stayed around and offered suggestions to the BlogCatalog team, which they have now added to their new proposed terms of service.

I also have an email where Tony states, “I am disturbed by the lack of empathy that some people show. The anonymous nature of the web enables people to act so much different than if they were to look into your eyes.”

He did not remove the thread that was started as an attack at me, instead he requested that I be the one to go in their and make peace with people who lashed out personal attacks at me.

Tony states, “I discussed it with the team and they over ruled me. The general thought is that if everyone involved cares about blogcatalog and wants it to continue to grow…then the thread can be a place for coming together. What’s happened today is really divisive for the entire community and there needs to be an end to it. By removing the thread I will inflame more people and this situation will get worse. Please think about this and go there and make peace/truce/friendship.”

Tony states, “All I want on the discussions is an environment of decency and peace. I believe people were insensitive to what you are going through in life. If I removed the thread it would have caused even more anger among everyone and this would have gone on for a long period of time. The fact is once you went in there and made amends the situation calmed down. Isnt that better than removing a thread and this childish behaviour to continue?”

I also have several emails from Blog Catalog members who can not believe the way I was treated by other BlogCatalog members.

Jonathan states “I really don’t get why Kevin (pointless banter) and Stoneman and others were acting that way… I wonder if Tony (siteproplus) got in contact with them, cause honestly, what Kevin wrote is unacceptable!! It ain’t funny at all. I will not write on those threads, as much as I want to and have a lot to say on the topic (the posts you mentionned and also that post on censorship), I prefer not to. I think BC is a great site and the community is great, but it got out of hands, which is sad, and I really hope Tony and the BC team will find a way to avoid those situations in the future. And I would like to see you stay and still be a part of the community.”

A second email from another BC member reads

Bob states “you started questions we can all learn from, as it stands right now the board is kind of impersonal and somewhat a little more intimitating for a newbee, you were a writer that wasnt an intellectual snob and offered to help. you dont see that very often, lately not at all.”

Despite some members attacks at me, I stuck around and offered suggestions to the team. Only to have Tony make accusations at me, attack my suggestions and then ban me shortly after.

I was not going to comment on this at all, however Daniel’s latest comment with regards to why I was removed leaves me with no choice.

How is that for a community that so prides themselves on trying to become a more useful and extraordinary online social community?

When all is said and done, I believe that BlogCatalog needed me more than I needed them.

Why the community might be creating a buzz my advice to you is watch that you don’t get stung.

A bee sting can be nasty.