Just to be clear, I don't have any kind of "grudge" against ECF. When I tell my tales about how I was been treated there, I'm just accurately depicting what happened. The best thing that happened to me was getting the lifetime ban because it encouraged me to find an alternative place and I found this place and now I don't have to walk on eggshells or carefully white wash everything I say. My main gripe against ECF is that my ban came so suddenly and without warning or explanation, and I couldn't even access my private messages to have a final word with all the people I had been hanging out with for a year. That was just a crappy thing to do to me since I was such an active member and had helped so many people out there when they needed it.
I've seen this situation--valuable members, members they should easily be able to recognize as assets to the community--banned again and again. The concept of community is totally beyond them. They say they do when it is convenient for them and because it sounds good, but their actions belie the truth: they simply don't value it. What are their values? I don't know... it reminds me of "supervisor syndrome" in the office place. Give some loser a little bit of power and it's all over. It's enough to make me misanthropic. It's almost enough to drive me to drink. It's so fucking hypocritical and annoying.