Percival

[barracuda]

I think I love you.

[Jeff]

Just got this from Ninakat. I replied that I wouldn't make a public announcement but I'd need to share it with you.

Hi Jeff,

Percival is Masonic Plot. Perhaps you already had a hunch about that, but if not, I feel it's time I speak up.

I know this because he and I used to communicate in private messages here years ago -- stuff that was relatively benign (i.e. since his name was Masonic Plot, I assumed he knew something about the Masons and since I have a friend who was considering joining up, I wanted more info -- but, funny thing was, Masonic Plot knew nothing about the Masons but pointed me toward some friend of his who supposedly did -- red flag #1).

I had missed the thread where you banned him (as Masonic Plot), so asked him via e-mail what happened, and he said he'd explain but then never followed up. We didn't have any communication after that until he rejoined the forum as Percival (and he dropped me a private message stating so).

When he was Masonic Plot, he told me his name was Michael and that he was deaf and lived in Arizona. Perhaps he did/does, but yet he's now claiming in the Flotilla thread that he speaks Hebrew and lived in Gaza, etc. I think Alice smelled something rather disingenuous about Percival and called him on it, but I really have no idea -- I barely know the guy, and only had a few private messages with him.

But I DID give him my real name and frankly, after reading some of his postings of late, don't know if he's literally a dangerous person or not, and am a little concerned about possible vindictiveness on his part (he didn't ask me to keep his new identity a secret, but I assumed he wanted it that way when he introduced himself in a thread without giving anyone even a clue as to his former persona here). I believe I'm probably the only person he said hello to in a private message when he rejoined as Percival. He used fake or anonymous IP addresses to mask his location. He probably still does. You can probably verify that since I assume you're privvy to that information behind the scenes. For example, he might have a different IP each time he visits RI (and it probably won't be from an IP in Arizona, even though he might actually live there.... or not).

So if I'm the only person who knows Percival = Masonic Plot, he'll know I was the one who ratted on him, should you confront him directly or even indirectly about his true on-line identity. But I don't like game players and he's becoming very disruptive on the board (in my opinion), and I told myself way back that if he ever caused trouble again, I'd let you know. If you do decide to confront him, can you figure out a discrete way to do it so that he won't know I was the one who spoke up? I don't want to be too paranoid here, but he does know my real name and I'm seriously unsure of whether or not he's a dangerous person in real life, or simply a game player on-line.

At any rate, I hope you know me well enough to trust what I'm saying. I probably should have spoken up right away, since you'd banned him before, but like I said, I was really just letting it sit because he didn't seem to be causing any trouble (until now, in my opinion, unless I missed another controversy -- I haven't been keeping up).

And perhaps none of this really matters -- but I think you need to be the judge of that, and not in the dark about his identity, especially given his history here.

Thank you for this discussion board and all the work you put into it.

Regards,

[barracuda]

That is so royally fucked. I mean, I'm glad he told you that, but considering the terms of Masonic Plot's ban here, I would think anyone who was a good faith actor on the forum would understand exactly why the presence of that person on the board is pure trouble and evil, and basically encouraging an ARG. Ninakat is the last person, almost, I would have expected this information from. Maybe not the last, but almost. I'm not sure why now, but I always had a certain amount of respect for him and his seriousness as a poster.

I have to assume at this point that Percy's defense of Israel and his stories about his background there are lies to create a situation. As Willow pointed out, it would not be the first time the username of Percival had invented a background in order to assume a false moral high ground in a discussion around here.

Well, I'm a bit stunned, but only out of hurt pride that I got got played, and because of the carnage to the memberlist caused by 17breezes. I still have no idea what compromise can be realised as far as 17's naked lust to accusse any and all of antisemitism goes. I don't know if you saw my reply to Willow, bt I looked back and noticed that 17's very first post was an attack on chump. So I find it hard to spot a righteous reason, still, for expelling him from the board. To do so would be to admit defeat and give succor to the fucking jew haters.

I still don't understand, myself, why people take his comments so hard. Maybe they are closer to the truth than they wish to credit.

The whole situation also makes me wonder pretty hard about my own abilities in this job; if there's anything I should have done differently, or any way yu and I could have better handled it. So far, I don't really see it. What do you think?

[Jeff]

I don't think we could have done anything other than what we did. Mac and Nordic took themselves out (though I intend to write them, and Username, to test their current temper.) And I think Percival may have given us a teaching moment, maybe, regarding disruption.

This morning after Ninakat's message I thought I was justified to peek into Percy's pms, and yesterday he sent breezes an ingratiating "Dude I'm glad you're here" message which included "Alice is the worst of all antisemites and they all worship her fucking smelly arabic ass." Breezes didn't rise to that bait.

We were played, but it's not like we were blindsided. We had our suspicions about Percival, we just didn't know how justified they were.

I've also asked Ninakat to alert me about any further contact from MP/Percival. We should probably assume he's here already, under a sleeper username.

"Let the games resume!" That was it, right?

[barracuda]

Breezes didn't rise to that bait.

I'm glad to hear that.

[barracuda]

I still can't see why Username felt she had to bail.

[Jeff]

Well, no need to ask Username how she's feeling.

viewtopic.php?p=341668#p341668

[barracuda]

Maybe we need to suspend her account, unfortunately, after the pm to Jack Riddler.

[Jeff]

Done. Unfortunately.

[barracuda]

Did you ever figure out what got her so goddam angry? That last post almost read as if it was a response to something said in a pm. Cryptic.

[Jeff]

Christ I'm thick. Looking through old emails, Percy wrote to me a few months ago from the address stonemasonry@aol.com.

[barracuda]

That's hardly a dot I'd expect to connect in the midst of this morass, even for a web-weaving spider like you. Stop kicking yourself and pull it together, man. 17breezes promised to be back on the flotilla thread at five o'clock.

[Jeff]

I posted on the moderation question thread a couple of pages ago:

I hope this board appeals to people with many interests, not all of them deadly serious. People who want to be a part of the community should hitch up their nag and visit our stable of hobby horses.

Breezes can't keep being Tevye One Note. Let's give him a warning that single interest posters are given the side-eye here.

[Peregrine]

Christ I'm thick. Looking through old emails, Percy wrote to me a few months ago from the address stonemasonry@aol.com.

Well crap, had I known all this about Percival, I wouldn't be exchanging with him. Bantered back & forth with him about other stuff on that email addy he gave you, Jeff. Hopefully I don't get any further contact, jeebus.

btw, had no idea this little mod section was here until 10 mins ago. Shows my savviness with the computer.

[Jeff]

btw, had no idea this little mod section was here until 10 mins ago. Shows my savviness with the computer.

You're showing initiative, recruit. I like that! (And I'm proving my slothfulness. Liking that not as much.)

And don't feel bad about Percival. We didn't know until last week. And what we know isn't that much.