Please help! I can't connect!

Newbie Joined: May 11, 2004 Posts: 3 Location: USA

For the past two days I get the following message:

CONNECTION CLOSED

the second I click the connect button. I can't connect using any name on two different computers in the house. What do I have to do to fix this?

Newbie Joined: May 12, 2004 Posts: 3 Location: Australia

Waltrip It usually means that your Banned. Often it doesn't matter what you talk about in the lobby, You can generally be in a room where the conversation is political, and you might say something unrelated to it or only relatable on a thin line of depending on the Moderator. However in the past it has not been uncommon for some moderators to be very bias in their banning, it usually occurs if you say something anti USA or something but I note you are from there. Some guy can be abusign the hell out of the room to the point it is hard not to say anything at all just by ignoring them! but if you say the wrong thing at the wrong time, all it needs is a bias moderator to get you in the drink, and more or less there is not much recourse - as there is no mediator except for jiri himself, who has chosen the moderators for a reason.

Keep track of the date you tried installing hyperlobby on your other computer, do a system restore to the day before that point, use a different user name, and you will be in. And, complain to Jiri. All it needs is some tool of a mod, who is feeling cranky and a bit bias, and if he gets the cranks up about somethign you said no matter if it does obey the rules of uising the lobby or not and your banned. More than a few people have experienced it.

If you don't complain to Jiri, then the moderator cannot be spoken to, and or replaced, and the misguided banning will continue. That is assuming that 1. you didn't abuse anyone. 2. you didn't start up a political discussion about hitler or bush or something. 3. 'Anti social behaviour' - basically a broad ranging statement, which means that "if you annoy me because of something you say which may not fall into the above two categories, but because I don't like what your saying because my mind is feelign testy tonight then I will bann you statement" - Not everyone gets banned of course, infact many many people get away with a startly amount of abuse - it's just a bit *ahem* bias in extremity sometimes.

Hyper Postman Joined: Feb 06, 2003 Posts: 479 Location: AU

Thats why moderators should be visible so they are held accountable for their actions. Also it would make most of the trouble makers stop spurting off for fear of banning. Moderators should be only allowed to kick for 24 hrs and not ban.
The only person who should be able to ban is Jiri after the logs are checked for authenticity.
It is possible for *anonymous* moderators to tell their friends that they are so thus causing elite groups who think they are untouchable and abuse their power. Just like ... whoops political context... Smile

Postman Joined: Oct 15, 2003 Posts: 65 Location: USA

I believe jiri is the onlyone who bans, by sending him the dated chatlog.txt so he can check it with his to make sure its not editied.

I dont think telling users how to get past bans is a good idea here.

Postman Joined: Mar 16, 2003 Posts: 73 Location: USA

Meeting out un-even justice seems to be a potential problem.
I was the target of two fine gentelmen for an extended period
and no mod's got involved.

If one of them got involved early, the three of us would likely
not be banned......

As to the circumventing the banning by OS changes, that's kids stuff.
Most of us can do it easily.

Those of you with rotating IP#'s can not get around it any more
easily than those with static IP#'s.
You got an ID tag in your registry keys. (I will not reveal the correct keys).
New name, new IP, and your still banned.

I have chosen not to dodge the ban.
Since I have several dual boot computers it's a cake walk.

The way I figure it, if Jiri is more comfortable with me banned
I'll just use the "All seeing eye" or UBI.

Amethyst

Newbie Joined: May 12, 2004 Posts: 3 Location: Australia

Well, as far as things go I only said the obvious in regard to getting past the ban. But more to the point, the fact that it does happen here is only indicative that like others the guy can't get a responce.

Currently I'd rather use the poilte way than othered. As for taking down file logs, and sending them it's far too laborious, and quite frankly I don't care enough to go and do that.

More or less if the guy stops after awhile after being told to be quite that will do me. If it's just one in particular, it's ignore, if its more than one I just go fly. More or less hyperlobby has got some people with serious attitude problems at times. I've learnt to live with it. Like Amethyst if I had a disgruntlement against the wishes of the hyperlobby administrator i'd go ahead and give instructions on what to do. But I wouldn't out of respect for ease of moderation, I'd rather get out the polite way.

But the contrary the very thread opens up an issue that have annoyed quite a few, is the integrity in the way it can work is less desirable. Certainly a week banning is enough to get the message through for awhile, and re-occuring offences well... speaks for itself. Banning someone due to maybe not much more than spite as if often the case given the complex nature of interpreting online conversation can be draconian to say the least. One would like to say that 'It's a free service, if you've got a problem with the terms of use, then go elsewhere' but it certainly isn't as simple as that. All it needs is someone to be in a bad mood, and try and link you as a cause for something they don't like and your gone. Regardless if your talking about how pretty the flowers are in the morning that can be linked in some physco's head to flower power, the 60's, then the anti vietnam etc etc. The liklyhood for recourse is minimal (what do you expect it is a free service so why should the admin have to give all spare time to reviewing what people have to say) and all the potential tool has to do is provide a commentated chatlog or leave out the beggining or any part of the full text - which sometimes can be enourmous given the many different conversations going in the lobby at once thus putting it out of context - no offence to you of course. "who gets the first word in" seems to apply even in the lobby, and the result is that someone, anyone could be banned, forever if they play by the rules, somewhat equivelant to yelling 'your guilty' and off to be hung immediately only if your lucky will the DPP review your case so to speak if they have nothing to do.

This isn't to say leadsplitter, that you havn't actually done it without second thought in the past, or that you have read someones mind set wrong, but perfectly likeable people in the community have been banned (and come back under different aliases) I don't doubt that you'd like to beleive your integrity is quite good, or that some people are downright jerks, but recently I'm somewhat disgruntled as i've received a 'connection closed' message due to a complete misunderstanding and whats more, the nature of the lobby that night was completely mad, and lets say that a few guys, including one that was very angry at one of these guys, that was causing upset after grabbing hold of something i had said about what was making me depressed (the conversation topic was depression) and used it for his wagon for a good time, cannot for the life of him understand why on earth it should why I copped it. However, naturally personal cases are not for discussion in the forums. so I won't.
(You will notice my number of postings in the lobby is only recent to reflect the banning making me come here and get a user name.)

Now of course I wouldn't discuss specifically how to get pass the system as Amethyst ( A guy I do not know ), it does however point out the obvious that it is irritating, and I'm sure the lobby could do without a bunch of Galen Thurbers running about. And could eventually make it harder to administer if it rubs people up the wrong way that basically did barely if anything wrong at all, and they get significantly disgruntled enough to post how to get around it so the guys keep on comming back and make the lobby worse and worse.

Regards,

Chunder

Hyper Postman Joined: Feb 06, 2003 Posts: 479 Location: AU

Oh! I am surprised you are banned Chunder. Never seen you do anything wrong over the years.
I do know its possible to have the mods name highlighted because I have seen Jiri with a red Hyper callsign in the past.
It might be an option to consider as it would stop people mouthing off at each other publicly. In game its the hosts responsibility to moderate but at the lobby it can be a big furball.
The advantages of having visible mods are.

The advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
People are entitled to a warning because they know no better.
Of coarse blatant disregard for those warnings would result in banning recommendation.
Another idea is the inactive kick feature be disabled for moderators so they can just sit there like those speed cameras with no camera in the box. Wink

Newbie Joined: May 12, 2004 Posts: 3 Location: Australia

I have been known to be sometimes roudy on hyperlobby, and in game a few times having a jibe or two, but generally the exception not the norm. Lead and I got a warning from RS - GT server keeping up 'trans pacific relationships' nothing out of the norm. I don't pretend to be innocent, but I don't cross the line or go overboard, if I feel that I have bordered on it, or it could be constrewed as such i will publically tell myself to shut up, as has been seen.

Anyrate I'm going to stop posting on this thread. Before it gets hijacked or something by some nutters. And like you say, cut down on the whine factor

Regards

Chunder

Newbie Joined: May 08, 2003 Posts: 2 Location: UK

guys , i have been a member of the CFS2 and 1 since it came out... and i think HL has it spot on, its better for the HL staff that have the ablility to ban to remain unmarked , as in cfs when a members PLUS comes into a room there tends to be alot of abuse ,or name dropping or crawling!!

its better NOT to know or see.... no need to be naughty on main chat... just learning to keeeep coool.. he he

and banning Mac addresses is a very good deterant! although i refuse to swear on main chat ,i WOULD think twice about it if i did swear..

you dont know WHOS watching

how to get back on when banned?

send cheque or money to krusty Very Happy

....

Posted: Mon May 24, 2004 12:34 pm

http://hyperfighter.jinak.cz/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=147