Community Discussion: RaineAshford

[Stukov]

I've decided to have a public discussion with the OF community about the member RaineAshford. Since this is an open topic RaineAshford is able to see and participate, please remember to not personally attack other members, or put them down.

The reason I have decided to do this is I have (as well as other moderators, especially Nahemah) received a significant number of complaints about the posts RaineAshford makes. It isn't just the same people making the same complaint, it is various members, since RaineAshford has come here, over various threads and posts. The site staff have dealt with this numerous complaints many times, and we have discussed it both in the moderation subforum (the only forum that everyone can't see) and in private messages.

As admin I strive to be fair and transparent. It is my belief that the rules of the site are not only there for you to follow, but for me to follow and enforce as well. I have to follow the rules, including accurate and fair enforcement of these rules. I can't ban someone just because I don't like what they say or what they say is unpopular. Same goes for what you, the majority of the community, I can't use my power to take care of another member if they haven't broke the rules.

What this is like is much like law and society. For the most part, Free Speech protects someone from repercussions from the State (with obvious exceptions), someone can't be jailed or fined simply for unpopular speech. It doesn't however mean that the society as a whole has to put up with it and whether the popular opinion is a moral one, it doesn't change that an individual with unpopular opinion will face some backlash. Part of me sees this as an example of the proper distinction between the use of force of law, and the force of persuasion by the community.

It doesn't mean the individual with the unpopular opinion is dissuaded from this opinion, only that the community spoken it feels this opinion is a disruption and no longer wishes to be heard. It doesn't mean that this person can't have opinions or even speak, but that in this case no one wishes to hear what they feel is nonsense.

I was somewhat hesitant to bring this up in this way, as admin I don't wish to shame a member of the board, however I don't believe the current manner of addressing this issue (as limited by our rules and tools) is working to solve this problem. In so I am here to start a dialog between anyone willing to participate. I have received the complaints and seen the negative opinion of RaineAshford posts, but there may be those out there that feel differently and I wouldn't want their voice to go unheard. And we have tried discussing this with RaineAshford privately and the issues are still present.

As I mentioned before please remember to refrain from personal attacks, you can discuss how you feel, but try to do so in an objective respectful manner, or at least as much as possible. If RaineAshford decides to engage in dialog with the community here, it may be helpful for those who wish to address an issue with her about her posting include examples posts that cite the issue you have (or if you think something was done/said well as something constructive).

I will also add if you have any question about the site staffs enforcement or lack of enforcement of any site rule feel free to ask any time. I will look into it and give you the best explanation I can. We are not perfect individuals and mistakes can happen and I will do what I can do remedy them if they occur.

[RaineAshford]

I don't think you can single out members like this.

You're nutso Stukov.

[Stukov]

I don't think you can single out members like this.

As I said in the post, we have received a great deal of complaints against you. We have tried to address this issue with you and we are still receiving complaints. This is an issue between community members and yourself and the tools we have to address this matter as admin/mods would not benefit you.

You're nutso Stukov.

I'm sorry but was this unclear?

please remember to not personally attack other members

I understand this topic might make you feel uncomfortable, but it is an issue that needs to be addressed and all other avenues to address it have been exhausted and ineffective. If you have a solution, you are more than welcome to present it, but as I said, its the community making the complaints hence the dialog is meant to be focused there.

[RaineAshford]

Magic Plebs gonna hate. Just another Witch Hunt. False People always become witch hunters against Immortal Witches. Even online this ('Salem') Witchhunt is stereotypical.

[Caerdon]

Magic Plebs gonna hate. Just another Witch Hunt. False People always become witch hunters against Immortal Witches. Even online this ('Salem') Witchhunt is stereotypical.

This type of attitude isn't all too helpful Raine, and I don't believe this is a witch hunt. This is the administrators and moderators doing what they can in their power to rectify an issue that the community has in order to stop a situation from deteriorating.

That being said, your attitude and how you go about presenting the content of your posts is the main issue I would say that needs to be addressed by you. Your claims on being "immortal" and a "god"... it does not present you in a generous light, let alone when you present your claims with nothing to support them. If you notice, myself and other when debating against what you say, or pointing out the flaws of your posts, all use facts and reasoning and other supported points presented in a logical manner.
You don't seem to debate or defend your position back, you don't offer any proof of your claims. I find you more ignore the bulk of what is said and just place forwards some more wild claims and do so in a manner that dictates you are looking down on the community as a whole, that you don't accept other people's views or concerns.
I feel you view the community as neophytes and don't acknowledge their talents and experience, and that you ignore the concern shown towards you by other members.
I find that you expect everyone should take what you say as gospel and get offended when people don't, despite it being a public forum for people to come together to discuss, share and debate with one another.

I do enjoy the topics you bring up, they are interesting and have alot of potential for good debate and conversation. But.. how they progress with you... it just ruins what it could be due to the reasons I listed above.

I'm sorry if you view this as in an attacking manner, I really don't mean it to sound like that, I want it to come across as an honest assessment of how I feel.

[Stukov]

Thank you Caerdon.

[Neko-phyte]

I feel you view the community as neophytes and don't acknowledge their talents and experience, and that you ignore the concern shown towards you by other members.

Just my 2 cents because I am actually a neophyte: I (and people like me) need contributions of quality so we can grow in the directions we need to without being led astray. Needing to sift is necessary, but I see potential for it to be an easier task.

I find that you expect everyone should take what you say as gospel and get offended when people don't, despite it being a public forum for people to come together to discuss, share and debate with one another.

I do enjoy the topics you bring up, they are interesting and have alot of potential for good debate and conversation. But.. how they progress with you... it just ruins what it could be due to the reasons I listed above.

I'm sorry if you view this as in an attacking manner, I really don't mean it to sound like that, I want it to come across as an honest assessment of how I feel.

and pretty much anything else I could say is summed up by this.

I know I haven't been around here for very long at all, but it didn't take very long to spot this. Sorry.

[RoseRed]

Stukov, don't you know you're just nuts? Or an asshole or a neophyte or a magical pleb even. At least she didn't call us primordial alligators.

You can't help people that don't want it.

And this is what happens when you mix drugs, spirit work and get hooked on delusions of grandeur. At some point the line between occult practitioner and full blown crazy gets blurred.

I'm not trying to be an asshole but RA, have you ever had psych diagnosis? That makes these things much more difficult.

Or she's a troll.

Quite frankly, I don't care. I call this place a library. What are you gonna do? Place a warning on the top of every thread she posts?

How many times can you tell someone they need to seek medical help? I choose not to interact with her often. Some of the advice given in threads is downright dangerous. Other claims are ludicrous. It's a fucking mockery of what we hold dear. I'm sick of the whole thing. I find myself avoiding these threads and the forum in general.

But, you know, it's the rest of us because we're so not worthy of her godhood. Can I vomit now?

[Shinichi]

The administration of every group like this must ultimately decide what type of group they wish to administer. Most of us should know enough politics to understand the relationship between freedom and safety, free will and regulation. There is a reason society has law.

As the administration, you have to think very carefully about what type of website you want this to be, what kind of community you want this to be. What kind of standards you want to set, or set aside. And when you make that decision, you have to act on it.

'Tis that simple. Not necessarily easy, but simple.



~:Shin:~

[Hadit]

I think that you can easily ignore even the most obnoxious individuals online, and that if someone is posting crazy stuff in one of my "home" forums, at least I'm there to help discredit it.

[Rin]

I think that you can easily ignore even the most obnoxious individuals online, and that if someone is posting crazy stuff in one of my "home" forums, at least I'm there to help discredit it.

The flip side of that is that it does drag down the overall image of the board, putting off people who could otherwise benefit from and/or contribute to the community. It also has a tendency to derail conversations and, occasionally, mislead people who take her seriously.

And perhaps this is just a flimsy justification, but it could be argued that by allowing her to continue posting we're tacitly enabling her poor mental health.

I think the board would be better off without her. Whether she would be better off without the board is a question only her psychiatrist can answer.

[Hadit]

I think that you can easily ignore even the most obnoxious individuals online, and that if someone is posting crazy stuff in one of my "home" forums, at least I'm there to help discredit it.

The flip side of that is that it does drag down the overall image of the board, putting off people who could otherwise benefit from and/or contribute to the community. It also has a tendency to derail conversations and, occasionally, mislead people who take her seriously.

And perhaps this is just a flimsy justification, but it could be argued that by allowing her to continue posting we're tacitly enabling her poor mental health.

I think the board would be better off without her. Whether she would be better off without the board is a question only her psychiatrist can answer.

If people don't visit a board because of one individual, why would we want them on an occult forum?

[Rin]

First impressions count for a lot, especially for people who are just foundering their way through the shallows of the metaphysical world for the first time. If they come onto a forum and the first thing they see is incomprehensible ranting from mentally ill individuals, they're pretty likely to leave the board, which deprives them of the chance to be part of this site, to gain advice, to meet people, to take part in discussions which help them learn and grow and find their way - in short, all the things this board exists for.

[RaineAshford]

I keep being called insane but none of you provide any proof. Maybe I'm just incomprehendable because of complexity with my experiences when compared to your mundane experiences in the supernatural.


I've had a succubus stroke my dick, I've seen sprites on a mountaintop, I've had fairies appear before me, I've been possessed by entities, I've seen a Borg Cube decloak, I've seen saucers on multiple occasions and I have saucers guarding me, I've seen Grey's appear before me, I've seen a couple demons, I've seen a white rift open up in my home, I have miracles every day, I can flip to any page in a book and it will be relevent, My tarot readings are accurate and I can announce a subject and have a relevent card drawn, I've cast a fire spell which returned a spark, I can cast omnipresently, I've seen the four horsemen of the apocalypse as a hologram on my wall, I've seen a blue girl walk through my walls, I've been teleported from one city to another, I've seen Shades in a graveyard

[RockDemon]

Here is my opinion.
She brings interesting topics (even though they may be controversial) to consider, read and entertain thoughts and imagination, however not to discuss. I read her topics time to time but I never post in them because from the way she replies to the other members I know I can't discuss anything there. So I agree with Caerdon that the problem is her attitude. If she can change her attitude everything will be ok in my opinion , otherwise this is not a personal website or blog this is a community and more specifically an open forum thus to be able to discuss and debate is a first-hand matter.

[RaineAshford]

Here is my opinion.
She brings interesting topics (even though they may be controversial) to consider, read and entertain thoughts and imagination, however not to discuss. I read her topics time to time but I never post in them because from the way she replies to the other members I know I can't discuss anything there. So I agree with Caerdon that the problem is her attitude. If she can change her attitude everything will be ok in my opinion , otherwise this is not a personal website or blog this is a community and more specifically an open forum thus to be able to discuss and debate is a first-hand matter.

I'm learning how to elaborate on replies. Usually the bulk of my knowledge is in my posts though. However I've had interesting conversations with friends I've made.

[Desecrated]

I've had a succubus stroke my dick, I've seen sprites on a mountaintop, I've had fairies appear before me, I've been possessed by entities, I've seen a Borg Cube decloak, I've seen saucers on multiple occasions and I have saucers guarding me, I've seen Grey's appear before me, I've seen a couple demons, I've seen a white rift open up in my home, I have miracles every day, I can flip to any page in a book and it will be relevent, My tarot readings are accurate and I can announce a subject and have a relevent card drawn, I've cast a fire spell which returned a spark, I can cast omnipresently, I've seen the four horsemen of the apocalypse as a hologram on my wall, I've seen a blue girl walk through my walls, I've been teleported from one city to another, I've seen Shades in a graveyard

Shit like this is so batshit insane that it actually sucks away energy to read. It disturbs the flow of the forum and I see no point to it what so ever.

"I've seen a Borg Cube decloak"

That's fucking star trek. A fictional tv-series. If you can't tell the difference between reality and a tv show you need professional help.

[Desecrated]

I've decided to have a public discussion with the OF community about the member RaineAshford. Since this is an open topic RaineAshford is able to see and participate, please remember to not personally attack other members, or put them down.

This is just fucking horrible. You can't drag a member out in front of the forum and just hang them there.

[EternalReturn]

I keep being called insane but none of you provide any proof. Maybe I'm just incomprehendable because of complexity with my experiences when compared to your mundane experiences in the supernatural.

Think about other option for a while and see what is the truth.

[RaineAshford]

I've had a succubus stroke my dick, I've seen sprites on a mountaintop, I've had fairies appear before me, I've been possessed by entities, I've seen a Borg Cube decloak, I've seen saucers on multiple occasions and I have saucers guarding me, I've seen Grey's appear before me, I've seen a couple demons, I've seen a white rift open up in my home, I have miracles every day, I can flip to any page in a book and it will be relevent, My tarot readings are accurate and I can announce a subject and have a relevent card drawn, I've cast a fire spell which returned a spark, I can cast omnipresently, I've seen the four horsemen of the apocalypse as a hologram on my wall, I've seen a blue girl walk through my walls, I've been teleported from one city to another, I've seen Shades in a graveyard

Shit like this is so batshit insane that it actually sucks away energy to read. It disturbs the flow of the forum and I see no point to it what so ever.

"I've seen a Borg Cube decloak"

That's fucking star trek. A fictional tv-series. If you can't tell the difference between reality and a tv show you need professional help.

If UFO sightings make me crazy, maybe you shouldn't be on an occultforum. It looked like a Borg Tactical Cube and I'm not lying. It was about 2 blocks away from me and low to the ground.

[EternalReturn]

Do you really believe that was true or just your mind trying to make sense of it using symbols, forms and colors that you acquired through your life?

[RaineAshford]

Do you really believe that was true or just your mind trying to make sense of it using symbols, forms and colors that you acquired through your life?

Oh a dimensionalship that appears only to thought. That's possible.

[Maya The Generator]

Rin & Caerdon said most of my thoughts in topic.

---

When I was younger my main problem in occult communities was to determine whether something is disinformation or real experience/knowledge. Now I know but it was Path of takin a risk and trying to experience whether it was true or not. I had many dumb ideas myself coz of it but I never tried to spread them, politly ask people what they think about it - I have no problem with somebody saying in my face why it is not good idea, what mistakes I made. I will accept them and work with them, not blindly tell everyone their telling me lies.

If she can not be mature enough to accept that most of the forum have problem with her attitude and brush off all that with:

Magic Plebs gonna hate. Just another Witch Hunt. False People always become witch hunters against Immortal Witches. Even online this ('Salem') Witchhunt is stereotypical.

If the Humans are so correct like you elude to in most of your posts, why is Chakra magick so limited, why are we so primitive not to even have civilian spacestations and spaceships? Wake up we're on a slave planet!

MEAT IS DISGUSTING TO EAT, They're trying to turn us into cannibals with chimeras. Soylent Green was a movie they were using to see who would figure it out so they'd move them to containment. Magick Users are vanishing. But they can't get me because I'm God.

Desecrated wrote:
It sounds like you've been watching 'supernatural' a little bit to much. The things that you are writing has more to do with that show then any existing theology.
You should probably call sam and dean.

The sheep is sleeping. Baa.

How naive you are. "Lucifer has revealed himself to plenty of people". This is simply untrue, THEY were the random entities filling THOSE Humans heads with nonsense.

Honestly they told them I was a lowly demon and that I'm Satan and that I'm chaos and evil. This is simply untrue, I am Pure. And I am not Satan, Satan is an African Trickster God playing a trick on the Humans.

You're just a misguided mortal. An ape taking swings at God.

I wouldn't punish you because I don't blame you. All are innocent because none can escape predestiny and their lack of free will, you simply play a role.
What that role is has yet to be guessed by me though, if I had to guess I'd say a skeptic because of your lack of comprehension of things outside the grasp of mortal comprehension things meant for only the eyes of the immortal. You'd learn from Agnosticism, but I fear to tell you that Agnosticism is the path to immortality.

If it is not offensive for people around here, then maybe I am retarded but I find it offensive on many planes.

[pray]

[Maya The Generator]

I've had a succubus stroke my dick, I've seen sprites on a mountaintop, I've had fairies appear before me, I've been possessed by entities, I've seen a Borg Cube decloak, I've seen saucers on multiple occasions and I have saucers guarding me, I've seen Grey's appear before me, I've seen a couple demons, I've seen a white rift open up in my home, I have miracles every day, I can flip to any page in a book and it will be relevent, My tarot readings are accurate and I can announce a subject and have a relevent card drawn, I've cast a fire spell which returned a spark, I can cast omnipresently, I've seen the four horsemen of the apocalypse as a hologram on my wall, I've seen a blue girl walk through my walls, I've been teleported from one city to another, I've seen Shades in a graveyard

Shit like this is so batshit insane that it actually sucks away energy to read. It disturbs the flow of the forum and I see no point to it what so ever.

"I've seen a Borg Cube decloak"

That's fucking star trek. A fictional tv-series. If you can't tell the difference between reality and a tv show you need professional help.

It actually sucks away energy to read - Yep

[RockDemon]

Here is my opinion.
She brings interesting topics (even though they may be controversial) to consider, read and entertain thoughts and imagination, however not to discuss. I read her topics time to time but I never post in them because from the way she replies to the other members I know I can't discuss anything there. So I agree with Caerdon that the problem is her attitude. If she can change her attitude everything will be ok in my opinion , otherwise this is not a personal website or blog this is a community and more specifically an open forum thus to be able to discuss and debate is a first-hand matter.

I'm learning how to elaborate on replies. Usually the bulk of my knowledge is in my posts though. However I've had interesting conversations with friends I've made.

Just a little bit more elaboration of my opinion regarding the issue. I hope this makes sense and helps you and the other members to resolve things if not then please just ignore this. I see 2 major points in this problem. First it is the conflict of the new and the old, and second is misinterpretation of the ways of communication/terminology.
First it is the conflict of the new (or young) and the old. By young and old I don't necessarily imply only the physical age but also the experience in the occult and maybe even just a mental state. When we experience something and interpret it in someway then it repeats and proofs itself over a period of time it becomes imprinted in us. Then if something happens or someone comes and tells something intense different from that experience people usually tend to have negative attitude towards it or that person. Despite that person could've been telling the truth indeed in a more global scale and in the long run.
2nd, we communicate within ourselves and with other people with the help of symbols. But the same symbol may not always be interpreted the same way by different individuals. Sometimes it just happens that people talk about the same thing and agree on the same thing but they argue with each other because of the misinterpretation of the symbols or because they use different symbols to describe the same thing.
To sum it all up. I usually see the following pattern the threads of yours. You present something interesting in a differentiating terminology and your own interpreted symbols. Then the other members ask you something about that. Sometimes they are asking rudely because you are using different symbols and make it look like it is the absolute truth that there is. Then because of some reasons and probably because of the rudeness you feel somewhat threatened and go on more telling people that it is the only truth out there, without explaining in details. But sometimes you can be wrong and there is nothing wrong about being wrong. Especially when you accept it. When I write something (for example this post) I accept that my opinions here may be correct , may make sense to some and to some not and maybe even it is a complete bullshit and maybe you are wasting your time just reading this. However even let's assume someone here maybe you is a superior god and is above all and holds the ultimate truth. And we are just some stupid mortals. Do you think that telling us how stupid we are and how superior you are is going to make the mortals to be enlightened and accept the absolute truth you hold without explaining it to us in a way that we can understand ?
This is all that I can say for now. Thanks for reading.