yashsingh1/xdaforums huggingface dataset:
[Off-topic] April 1:
I was shocked and saddened to learn that I got banned. I loved this forum. I had joined forum when it was just few days old and had worked with Lithium to shape it up and establish Rank and Rating system. But those are old memories and have no values when you get banned. I had not accepted offers from two other forums to act as mod as I wanted to concentrate just on this forum. My fault was that I was emotionally involved with the forum and thats why when I saw WF&S acting irrationally, I tried to advice them as a big brother that guys, you are wrong, the result was a ban and a complete ban.
[Off-topic] TooMuchToLearn:
I may be knew here and on the at&t forms, but I think I can see already were the trubble is and it's not with the banned ones. Ever since Jameson and that xda_is_losserveille guys got banned from here, everything is quiet. It's been a day and a have since anything was said here. At least I can add 2 and 2 and come up with the right anser. :p :D
[Off-topic] nightrider:
I tend to agree with you. The vistiors from there look like they are the ones who are creating the problems with their one sided view and not opening their mind, eyes and ears to hear the other side. A one way mind is not what life is all about.
[Off-topic] perasite:
What happened guys, did you all go back to the AT&T forum. I miss my daily dose of AT&T happenings!
[Off-topic] FoneJunkie:
No, we're still here. The at&t lackies and apologists have stopped coming in and trying to justify their position. BTW, some have been banned, the rest may have received marching orders from the mods-on-parade to stay away... or they are now hunkered down in their spider hole trying to strategize their next step.
[Off-topic] GWelker62:
I'm still around too....

I've been busy making new torches and sharpening my pitch fork. :D
[Off-topic] TheBlackKnight:
Those ATT forum loyalists

I would venture they have done nothing but really dig the grave deeper...I don't think they'll be seen here anymore.
[Off-topic] newbie2:
I'm still around, too -- just reading and looking over other parts of the forums and checking in here to see if anyone else has dared to venture out of the foxhole for an assault. :D

As far as I'm concerned, everything has been said that CAN be said -- unless there's some type of reconciliatory move by the AT&T forum management to rectify the situation -- and I don't see that happening, sorry to say. :o
[Off-topic] mdhensley5:
Perhaps they will be forced to after upper management has had time to review things. Or, perhaps there will be new forum management in the near future. One never knows, does one? ;)
[Off-topic] torquemada:
I'm still around, too. I'm plowing through a couple of hundred thousand personal profiles to see who else is both a moderator and posing as a customer like John_B/OptimusPrime/SideShowBob. I am really thankful that forum management has made determining who the moderator/customer shills are such a transparent process. It is gratifying to see that Sentry's belief in integrity is cascading through the forum.

For those who wondered whether this thread would have any effect they can see at least one result -- making that clown indicate in his profile that he is both a shill and a moderator after this travesty was exposed here.

A question for the ATT Mobility lawyers: Since John_B/OptimusPrime/SideShowBob writes as both a moderator and a customer impersonator does anything he says as customer shill John_B open the company up to liability should he make a serious error in his statement, particularly if a customer follows any bad advice he provides? Does everything he says represent company policy?
[Off-topic] donnana:
Here too

I've still been reading here and the hermes forum, kinda nosing around. Kinda wonder if there's the proverbial storm (after the calm) brewing. This could still get reallyreally good.
[Off-topic] nightrider:
Wow it is now in this thread: Post your comments in there
[Off-topic] FoneJunkie:
It appears that things are heating up on the at&t forum again, as is reported on HoFo...

here's the link:

http://www.howardforums.com/showthread.php?p=10353966#post10353966

Well, after reading that thread, it appears that it has disappeared. The mod that removed it left this note:

I'm sorry to inform you that your post, Is it true, has been removed because it disruptive and harassing which violated the AT&T user guidelines.

You can review all the guidelines here: http://forums.cingular.com/cng/board/message?board.id=announcements&message.id=1

Please keep your post relevant and courteous. Another violation of the guidelines can result in removal from the community so please be careful.
[Off-topic] torquemada:
Very interesting. A thread is begun on HoFo specifically to gather user views on the moderation of the ATT forums for the information of the ATT Mobility’s president. A member asks on the ATT forum if it is true that forum moderation is being reviewed and links to the HoFo thread.

ATT forum moderator response: Edit the post to remove the link to HoFo, then lock the post, then delete the post and finally threaten the poster with banning for being disruptive.

If the president is looking for examples of high-handed moderation on the ATT Forum this certainly fits the bill. Sentry should change his name to Frag.
[Off-topic] mdhensley5:
Response from letter to President

I got a second response from the office of the president. Although they could not reinstate my user name on the AT&T forum (which I could really care less about since I've rejoined under a different name), they offered me a $50 credit on my current phone bill for my trouble.

OK, everyone write to the president to get your $50 credit. So sorry about all of the help and contributions you've made on the AT&T forum. Perhaps we can pay you a token amount to shut up and take it.

I hope upper management is really reviewing this thread and the HoFo thread.
[Off-topic] FoneJunkie:
So are you saying that the corporate wonks at at&t are trying to make this whold black-eye, tarnished image thing go away at $50 a pop? No thanks. My integrity is worth far more than that.
[Off-topic] April 1:
Payment of $50 is a fuel to fire, such practise should be curtailed immediately else it might burn the whole space.
[Off-topic] torquemada:
What a pathetic response. It certainly gives an insight into this company and puts the prez's statements about customer satisfaction in pretty bold relief.

One good thing about this thread and the one at HoFo is that they show what good moderation is.

Thank you and the other Banned Ones for what you attempted. Too bad your integrity couldn't be matched by ATT.
[Off-topic] mdhensley5:
pcardoza has shown his butt...err face at the HoFo thread. :cool:
[Off-topic] FoneJunkie:
Is it possible to tell the difference? :confused:
[Off-topic] mdhensley5:
Have you ever seen him? Perhaps this is what he looks like.
[Off-topic] torquemada:
Just before he found out he was banned here Jameson (aka pcardoza) asked his pals in the super-secret Community Leaders Forum "Is anybody having as much fun as I am today?" Looks like he is getting set to "enjoy" himself again on HoFo.

Those who haven't seen an ATT Forums "Community Leader" in action before might want to get some popcorn and check his rants over there. Who knows, he might even have a book or two to recommend.
[Off-topic] TooMuchToLearn:
A real CL in action

From what I've seen, he sure is rude to people on the AT&T forms. How can be be a Community Leader and treat people that way? How did he get to be a Leader, anyway? Did people on the form vote for him? Or did AT&T pick him? I sure hope not. That would tell me he's treating customers the way AT&T wants them to be treated. Is that so? Does AT&T want people to be treated bad by their form leaders?
[Off-topic] FoneJunkie:
Have you seen how Sentry and Wireless Foreman treat people? He's the perfect 'community leader' for their team.

He got nominated by the mods and was asked to serve...
[Off-topic] TooMuchToLearn:
That figures. :mad:
[Off-topic] PDQcomputer:
Try another emial address

subcribe to the forum as the new you.

Use initials and a yahoo or other free address.

You can get banned as often you you want:D
[Off-topic] mdhensley5:
Yeah, I've been banned about 6 times already. Some deserved, some not.
[Off-topic] sneakyp86:
So tell me something if I go and get banned from the AT&T forum can I join the club? :confused: Do yall have a secret handshake or anything? :) Ewwwww how about a SUPER SECRET DECODER RING? :D I always wanted one of those when I was a kid :p .........just kidding..........HOPE EVERYONE HAD A VERY HAPPY & SAFE NEW YEAR.
[Off-topic] mdhensley5:
Yes, Sneakyp86. If you get banned you can join the club and get this nifty decoder ring. :) Remember to drink more Ovaltine! :p
[Off-topic] sneakyp86:
So mdhensley5 would it help if I mentioned your name? And tell me this does the 5 mean there are 4 more at home like you? Which leads to another question is would that be a good thing or not??:p
[Off-topic] mdhensley5:
Yes, being associated with my name would further your cause if you were trying to get banned. :D I have wreaked havoc on the At&T forum , here, and the office of the president of AT&T. Sentry curses at the very mention of my name. :p

Ah, the number 5. There are only 2 people in my house. There are 4 lines on my family plan. The number 5 is the blessed day of my birth. :D
[Off-topic] cheshirepus:
So like, can I please get a decoder ring too?

We're sorry, but you have been banned from using this site.

I think I might actually be permanently banned from ATT's forums. Funny though, I created another account with a false email and didn't have to verify it to access member privileges.
[Off-topic] cheshirepus:
Wow, I must have really pissed them off. They actually banned my IP. Looks like no one in my building can even access the forums now.

Are they really THAT afraid of dissent? Seems like any respectable company would be more interested in fixing their internal problems to keep their customers happy instead of shutting us up and pretending we don't exist... thus, making the problems even worse since they never get fixed.

This is really sad.
[Off-topic] rallaster:
Wow, just wow

I've been a long time of att and never knew they has online forums until today when I read this thread. I'm in the process of skimming the HOFO thread, and... wow.... thats all i can say. I'm glad I never knew about it cuz now I can avoid it. That is definately one of the more enlightening CS threads I've ever read.

Glad to know that 611 still works and my XP (experience) with actually talking to CS on the voice line has been exempliary(sp?)... I've even had many off topic convs. with tech support :eek: ... overall great XP with att is great. Although I greatful that I found XDA when I did.. b-cuz I've learned more in roughly 2 weeks of reading here than I have in 7+ years of trying to piece bits and pieces of info....
[Off-topic] -PiLoT-:
i might wind them up a bit by asking noob things

like i moving to usa soon was thinking of joining at&t, but ive heard the customer service is a heap

will i get banned
[Off-topic] hurrycaine3000:
If they would just take some cues from some of the great chef's at xda. They would stand to make there phones that much better. I just got done watching a horrible review for the HTC Fuze on G4's website, and almost every issue they had with the phone has been fixed by NATF's ROM I installed, and a few tweaks. At&T has millions of research dollars, and resources and can not get it right, but give the phone to a couple of guys at XDA and they have it working right in no time. Oh and did I mention for free, or if you can spare it, a small donation. This site Rocks. At&t can you know what.

oh ya I almost forgot, another thing with At&t. What's with all the crap they put on your phone that you can't delete, like games. really games? games I cant' delete. I mean come on. I just have to thank all of the chef's and developer's here at xda for doing what they do. because without you's I'd still be stuck with all that crap, and I probably would have brought my phone back and traded it for an iphone. Thanks to you guys, I wouldn't trade this phone for any phone that AT&t carries. Now that I've learned how to SIM unlock, Flash Roms, and basically use any phone I like with whatever network I choose. ( thanks for the freedom guys) I'll have some serious thinking to do for my next phone. and once again I'm sure the smart guys here can give me a hand with that too.

Eat that AT&T
[Off-topic] mwrsa:
Hey, I just read the first few pages of this thread, and it reminded me of Orwell's 1984 even before someone mentioned it.

Just out of curiosity: Are things over at TT&A- forums same as described in the beginning of this thread? I thought about signing up just to ask some polite yet uncomfortable questions and waiting how long it takes to get banned...

Horrible vision, I'm glad I'm living out of their reach.
[Off-topic] kyphur:
Things have changed, you no longer get banned for even the slightest of hits and they are tolerating mention of cooked roms (the local mods to make sure to slap a disclaimer in the threads).

I've even admitted to being a Mod at XDA-Devs and not been attacked!
[Off-topic] mwrsa:
Allright, maybe there've been too many complaints to ignore, and to many people banned. Sounds WAY better!

Anyway, thank you for answering and NOT tellig me "Read the thread". Whohoo, it 70(!!!) screen pages. I'm reading on page seven now... still a few to go.

Greetings over the Big Pond from Good Ol' Germany. Have a great 2009!
[Off-topic] GWelker62:
Whoa! That is some change, that is hard to believe. One thing is for sure NOT to change, and that is the mods reinstating my user name, along with fonejunkie and a couple others.
[Off-topic] mwrsa:
Well, when reading this thread I thought about signing in over there just to have some fun and kill some time, but I stood back from it because I don't want to have to call an ambulance. You know, head falling off from shaking it too often or banging it too hard against the screen... I really read up to page 30 this very first night and only skipped the few very long postings... better than the movies, harder than life itself and, sorry, I'm lacking words (even in German) to express what I think.

Gby MWRSA
[Off-topic] g8keeper-ralph:
I'm Back! G8Kepper Ralph Is Here!!!!!!

Wow! I am reviving this ancient threat to say the least... hopefully it will trigger an email to all the VCM team!!! I am very thankful on what was said here! I'm back Gigi ;o) Hello My House (moderator)... I wish that I could turn things around for the so called Orange ATT boards.. Yes they did go a bit under, perhaps them reading this (if they have a good mod), they may offer me an outside moderation position and get the people, the REAL team back in place and help customers - and so they need some help! Thanks for the kudos everyone - really do appreciate this G8k... :o
[Off-topic] Doom Tints:
I know that AT&T isn't treating people fairly over there, but did anyone ever actually expect anything different?
[Off-topic] whozethere:
taking the walk on the dark side

Hello to all! I grew impatient with all the WM5 problems I was having and wanted to know if WM6 would improve things so ta-da! I am here as well. Joined some time ago to learn things, especially after at&t's last update would never install according to their instructions. I never read as much on this list since I was so new to WM period--once being very loyal to the Palm OS. So I have seen the light on two occasions!

Long story short: the constant soft reset need is gone. The battery life seems to be better. I have better phone connections than ever and everyone has noticed the improvements when we talk. They tell me that my phone no longer works like a walkie talkie. I have the phone I want and I am a more satisfied customer. :p

Don't you think it is odd that at&t sells basically, a mini-computer phone and then dictates what you will and will not use on the phone? It would make sense if they had insurance on the phone--but basically most damage is out of warranty any way. Would you really purchase a laptop and be told what version of Windows/MAC you had to use? If the phone was cheap then it could potentially make sense--but at the price of the phone and service, it is a dictatorship to threaten someone for enhancing their phone and asking them to be miserable with a partially functioning phone.

Of course, I do believe they probably monitor the dark side as well. Interesting to see if anything comes from their monitoring since it sounds like some were booted over little to nothing.:rolleyes:
[Off-topic] GWelker62:
Dark Side??

Interesting people refer to this site as the "dark side". That couldn't be further from the truth. XDA is a forum of ENLIGHTENMENT, and the at&t forum is one of censorship, spies, and gestapo tactics. To me the at&t forum is the darks side, evil empire, ruled by the Darth **** (aka Sentry).
[Off-topic] whozethere:
the dark side

It is a reference to how the "censorship powers that be" would look at this site . . . the unofficial/unapproved.
[Off-topic] GWelker62:
Last day for their "secret chamber"

If my information is correct, this is the last day for the at&t secret VCM forum. There are some over there that blame us banned ones. Little do they know they had to close it because of the overzealous actions of a couple of power tripping mods.

I think someone higher up than Sentry and Wireless Foreman realized.... When you kick that many people out of a "secret place", then completely ban some of those, and most of the ones left are not posting anymore...... well it's time to put it out of its misery.
[Off-topic] newbie2:
What it's time for is a change of AT&T moderators who actually CARE about customers' opinions and input -- instead of banning those who would dare voice an opinion. And the ones that were left that aren't posting anymore -- well, can you blame them?? They've already seen that if you step on the wrong toes, you're going to be banned.
[Off-topic] whozethere:
at&t secret VCM forum?

It must have really been a secret. I didn't know it existed. :eek:
[Off-topic] newbie2:
You weren't supposed to. We were all sworn to secrecy regarding letting anyone know of it's existence.

Now that AT&T's moderating staff has corrupted it to the point of it no longer being salvageable and the fact that they're closing it down completely -- well, there's no reason to keep the "secret" anymore.

In the length of time that I had been invited to join, I never saw much usefulness in it, anyway -- just a "glorified" Lounge, IMO. It was originally started for the more tenured forum members to share ideas with the AT&T staff, but recent events showed that our input was neither valued nor accepted. And any opinions given by the VCM'ers was met with resistance and banishment by the AT&T mods.

So -- you see -- there was really wasn't much difference lately between it and the open forums. Even the "valued" members of the forums were being banned. :confused: :mad: And until the "Twin Turds" go, nothing is going to change.
[Off-topic] FoneJunkie:
The really amazing thing is that I had taken some time off over the years - a week here, a month there, etc... and I found that I really missed that place - and could not wait to get back... but now I find that I don't miss it at all. Sort of like the feeling you get when you stop poking yourself in the eye with a sharp stick. Good riddance, at&t forums... sleep with the fishes.
[Off-topic] Haighter:
BG aka Brian and I are not the best of friends over there. He is a little sensitive about being called a shill. He may not be, but the guy is a serious corporate tool. Sentry is all over protecting him from evil Haighters.
[Off-topic] g35driver:
lol great forum
[Off-topic] hf1khal:
Well I am not banned from there. I have been a long time member and I would say, 99% of the time one can tell who is a rep and who is not. Many of the new comers always ask questions and then get hooked after they end up helping others (that was my case and all that are here from the AT&T Forums) while the ones that do come in and start responding to questions, then one can most likely be able to tell that this person works (directly or indirectly) for AT&T. Another way to tell who is not a rep is when one gives details of how to instead of sending one to the device reference material in the AT&T support site..

Now I can say, I have joined the WM group while retaining my Blackberry service and thanks to this site and the help of 2 people in here from the AT&T forums, I started learning the WM tweaks and the hacking. Hopefully one Day, I would be very comfortable up to the level that i did with modding other cell phones (not much to mod on a BB).
[Off-topic] FoneJunkie:
Banned but not forgotten...

There are several of us - some long time members there who got the boot. Read the previous posts in this thread for an update on the heavy-handiness of some of the AT&T mods... sounds like you've dealt with your share of their crap, too... welcome outta there :)
[Off-topic] DIE_HARD:
Another one bites the dust!

Well just got banned on another account this morning for absolutely no reason. This one wasn't even linked to my account.

Guess I forgot to not post in my own topics!

There has to be something that can be done about the abuse of power going on over on those forums!

EDIT:

WOW the bastards banned my entire IP. I can't even view the forums without logging in!

This is a very uncalled for abuse of power!!! What can be done? I have tried emailing support about being banned from the forums and telling them the bans where unjust but they don't help at all.
[Off-topic] Haighter:
Another Locked WM6 Thread

The mods at at&t have a hair trigger, it seems. Thread #3 got locked last night. They said they'd open it up again this morning, but I'm not holding my breath.
[Off-topic] DIE_HARD:
My threads aren't being locked (but they have nothing to do with WM6 or XDA) but they keep banning me.

So frustrating! Especially when they are giving me this msg before I can even log in to http://forums.wireless.att.com/ !!! AHHHHHHHHHH :mad: :mad: :mad:

Where did I do such a thing? When? HOW?

What does that have to do with the new accounts I made?
[Off-topic] hf1khal:
I think it all goes back to the first account. So basicaly your first Ban carries over to any new account name once they match the IP of a prior Ban. If it goes to be excessive then it looks like they can Ban the whole IP. But for you right now, it seems that they banned the new user name and not the IP.
[Off-topic] DIE_HARD:
Naa they never banned my usernames really. They just banned my usernames from this IP.

I can still log in at home fine with my username. (I hope) EDIT: Nope, those dicks banned my login at home now too. At least they didn't ban my home IP.

But today they all out banned my Work IP. Cleaning the cookies, changing browsers, changing computers, all result in the "You are not allowed to access this site" page. I have to use a different gateway to view the forums at all.

The annoying thing is I never linked to XDA on ANY account.
[Off-topic] Haighter:
R.I.P. WM6 Threads

They have officially killed off, permanently, threads discussing the WM6 release in the HTC, Samsung, and Palm forums. And they are swinging a heavy Ban Hammer.
[Off-topic] MoJoMoGo:
AT&T Ban And Fumblings

Not only did the moderator mod.moose close the WM6 thread, AT&T also re-edited the page where they directed customers to download the WM6 upgrade (I hope people followed my recommendations and took screenshots of that page). Now that page only speaks of the firmware upgrade.

I also suggest you take a screenshot of this site, to have a paper trail when complaining to both HTC and AT&T if they don't deliver as promised:

http://www.america.htc.com/products/8525/default.html

Here is the language in the site:

"Look for another upgrade for the AT&T 8525. In Fall 2007, HTC will offer a Windows Mobile 6 upgrade, free to all existing customers."