[Off-topic] newbie2:
Just to add my $0.02 worth to this --

I can verify everything GWelker has stated about the "secret" forum that we were invited into -- supposedly for our helpfullness in the open forums.

However, things in there quickly deterioriated with the announcement of the Spanish forum. I'm the one GWelker is referring to as being banned from the VCM simply because I agreed with his position that we are all of the Human Race -- not xxx-American -- and that pulling the "race card" or "ethnic card" to choose to be offended by general remarks that weren't meant to be offensive was purely self-serving.

Only after we were banned, we were also being "stalked" in the open forums by the Twin Turds. We had bantered back and forth in the open forums in NUMEROUS threads for over a year and a half. But, after we were banned from the VCM, it was no longer allowed and the one incident of the bantering was edited by Caretaker and we were admonished to "keep it on topic, according to the Guidelines".

Then, there was the thread that GWelker started in the Lounge congratulating me on my rankup. I only caught a glimpse of it before leaving for work that morning. He said "At least the automated computer ranking system appreciates your efforts." That's all -- nothing more. I laughed about it because it was an "inside joke" between us about some PM's we had exchanged about some of the noobs on the board feeling they had to challenge anything I said and any advice I gave them. When I went back at lunch to respond to it -- it was gone!!! I then found out on another forum that GWelker had been banned completely because the Twin Turds felt his statemet "attacked" them personally.

GWelker has already filled you in on the story as to what transpired in the VCM after we were kicked off the playground. One of those members posted in the congratulatory thread to me a congratulations note in Spanish. He had already been banned from the VCM for HIS input on the Spanish forums announcement and the Twin Turds then banned him completely from the forums.

What we have here is a case of AT&T mods who are out of control and using their position for a personal vendetta against anyone who even "looks" at them the wrong way, and it's got to stop.

Oh -- and shills -- I can tell you EXACTLY who the shills are from being in the VCM. The two biggest ones are Wilcre and Jameson. Watch out for John_B, too. He poses as a customer under that username, but he's also a part-time mod going by "Optimus Prime". I've loooong thought that was bad business and he should not be allowed to post as a customer being on Lithium's payroll, as anything he says could be construed as an official stance by Lithium.

What more would you like on the state of affairs in there?? I can verify that the VCM is indeed coming down. I'm assuming in anticipation of their fear of it being exposed by everyone they kicked out so they can archive -- er, shred -- the evidence that it ever existed. But they're too late. There's already been multiple threads, PM's, etc. saved to html docs and txt docs to prove that it existed when the time comes.

I, too, will probably be completely banned over there once they find out I've posted this over here. But, I really don't care. The way those forums are going, they won't be around long.