Nobody is going to take you seriously when you think Kanes post is acceptable. You're preaching to let hate seap through the walls. It's not tolerated here and however much you go on about this great "injustice" it won't change.

No, it isn't. Would you use that excuse for everything in the universe? It's a cop out answer and exactly why mods are ignoring you on this subject.

He was also implying it shouldn't be legal for gay people to have children. Since you obviously agree with that given your defense of him I have nothing more to say to you. Glad you will lose on this tho, keep posting away :)

That and it was also complete rubbish what he said not backed up with anything.

Smeags will only refer you to his previous post.  He spells it out pretty clearly there, you already have your insight...

Firstly, I was never frustrated in your ability to articulate yourself (nor will I ever). I found your expanding upon the rule in place great, and I did appreciate the work there. I was moreso frustrated with the fact that you thought that we weren't going to tackle this issue without someone outside of the Mod Team having our ear. Or that we would favor one group/ideaology over another. Or that "there goes our freedom to express ourselves on fundamental topics". I just want to make that clear that that is not the intention of these rules nor how (nor will it ever be while I'm here) the way things are.

I think that focusing only on the one "overt discrimination/hate" rule doesn't paint the entire picture. Here's the entire section for "Insults and Flaming":

1. Insults and flaming. Attacking other users for any reason is never acceptable.
   • You should avoid:
     • Insulting a person's religion, religious beliefs, race, sex, sexuality, nationality, political beliefs, gaming preferences, etc. Debate is encouraged, as is civil disagreement, but respect the beliefs and opinions of others.
     • Insulting any group without proper justification.
     • Using any racial or sexuality-based slurs, even if you are not using them maliciously.
     • Insulting other users, including calling them fanboys, trolls or any other name-calling.
     • Disparaging, insulting, or baiting comments about users who are not participating in the thread.
     • Making highly offensive comments about people outside the site (though greater leniency will be shown for comments about non-members).
     • Inciting abuse or harassment - of anyone. This includes attempting to discredit any user based on their preferences.
     • Similarly, avoid discussing the user who created the thread in a negative, insulting, or accusational fashion, rather than discussing the thread topic itself. If you feel a topic is baiting, trolling or rule-breaking, report it.
     • Taunting banned members (in threads or on their/other's wall).
   • All the previous rules apply to the forums as well as every other venue of this website. That includes User Walls, Personal Messages, Game Walls, and the like.
   • Moderators will look at overt discrimination very harshly. Blatant forms of racism, sexism, homophobia, or any other sort of hatred towards a group of people(s) will not be tolerated, and will be met with firm moderation.

I will say that one thing I agree with you is the word "homophobia". It has completely changed its meaning in the last decade. Going from somone who is irrationally afraid of homosexuality, to someone who discriminates/hates against homosexuals. But the word means what it means now, so for better or for worse it's what fits.

We've made it very clear that insulting one's religion or religious beliefs is a big no no, just as insulting one's race or sexuality is a big no no. You take some exception in how "general" we're wording this. But that's actually intentional. You can see that almost everywhere, no rule is completely black and white. There's a lot of "up to the discretion of the mod", "Generally", "The Mod May", etc. And this was very much intentional.

We know that we couldn't even possibly get to every instance that could be seen as breaking of the rules (which is why the last paragraph of the rules has always been: Note that this is not intended to be an exhaustive list of everything that a user can be punished for, merely as a guideline to the level of conduct we expect from forum users. Please also read the Terms of Use which governs general site conduct and legal obligations of both VGChartz Ltd and you as a user.) It allows the Mod Team to work within the grey areas that always come up, and to help them apply a human touch and common sense to every situation. Just as we are not strictly bound to the Progressive Moderating System (it is a guideline that serves as a foundation), we are not stricly bound to the exact words on the Forum Rules (but it is our foundation).

The discrimination/hate rule is used to crack down on posts like this:

That's beyond messed up. And I don't wanna hear some shit about "god meant me to be this" or "I'm X trapped in Y's body." No. You are what you are, not whatever freak show modern science/medicine can turn you into. If god/nature/etc had intended for you to be a man/woman, you would be that.

and this:

Never. Most trans people are severely fucked in the head.

This is exactly what the final rule tackles (it just so happens that the posts have to do with transsexuals). Anyone can disagree with the practice or the lifestyle, we're not going to ban anyone for that. But we do ask that you treat them with the dignity that every human deserves and that you back up what you say in a respectful and evidence backed manner. That's the big takeaway.

You say you trust us, and you know you can trust me. You can always talk to me just like everyone else can. You know I will always listen. So trust that what is put in place will not be used to (ironically) discriminate, but to make this forum a place where human decency towards one another is practiced.

Reading that, we're on the same page regarding basically everything. The issue lies with how the "greyness" and translation of the final point will show for each and every mod, as we all have different experiences and views. I get that concern, and it's a fair concern to have.

When it comes to that final rule, we already have a guideline set in place that the team needs to come together and make sure the post in question qualifies for the harsher ban. So far every ban under this new rule has been dealt with by Mod discussion. Because with us dishing out a harsher (than usual) ban, we need to be extra sure that we are issuing a right ban. So know that these sorts of bans will never be issued from only one person, and therefore only one viewpoint.

Also, we are very much capable at messing up or issuing a moderation that doesn't meet the "crime". It's why we have the Mod Thread and it's why we're open to hearing from anyone about a particular issue. We'll always listen if someone wants to talk to us in a civil manner (like now!).

I guess this is something we need to earn, and I understand that. I'll make sure that we don't abuse it or use it to stifle constructive discussion. Believe it!

You're a good man Phil. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.