# Can Schwettylens come home?



## pixmedic (Jul 20, 2012)

don't know how to make a poll, so this post will have to suffice. 

I would like to personally appeal to the Moderators and Admins to allow Schwettylens to be safely returned to us, unharmed. 
I understand that he broke forum rules, but I do not believe that he did so out of spite or malice, but in a misguided attempt to make
a point in a humorous fashion. Schwetty has been a consistent and helpful forum member, and among a group of talented professionals
willing to take time out of their busy schedule to help other photographers improve their skills.

 I understand that I have not been on this forum long enough for my voice to carry much weight, But I hope it is understood that my wish for Schwettylens to return is sincere, and I strongly believe that his contributions to TPF and its members outweigh a moment of anger and frustration.  So please, I humble myself before the courts that they
might show leniency towards Schwettylens and reinstate him to our community knowing that his presence is a positive influence to us all. 

thank you for your consideration. 

-Jason


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## jwbryson1 (Jul 20, 2012)

I would like to second this motion.


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## PinkDoor (Jul 20, 2012)

I will third it. And also add another reason: His triplets are adorable!!


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## PhotoTish (Jul 20, 2012)

PinkDoor said:


> I will third it. And also add another reason: His triplets are adorable!!



Can I sign the petition too please and second PinkDoor's post.


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## cgipson1 (Jul 20, 2012)

Petition signed! I agree! Unless there was more behind the scenes, that caused this silly ban.. I feel Robin should be allowed to return. Especially since KMH was apparently the one who banned him, and I feel personal likes / dislikes may have been involved.


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## Jaemie (Jul 20, 2012)

#6

I my experience as an admin and moderator, a one week ban is more than sufficient punishment for what happened. Besides, I always found his posts interesting, helpful, and overall very positive. I miss his contributions.


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## kundalini (Jul 20, 2012)

I don't care one way or the other, BUT for the short timers.......

He could also cause derision, add unnecessary drama, carry on public vendettas towards other members and give ill-informed advice among other things.

I don't understand all the hullaballoo.  I didn't see the copyrighted photos posted, but I can almost guarantee that wasn't the crux of the decision for his banning, temporary or permanent.


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## Kerbouchard (Jul 20, 2012)

I don't even like Robin and I will sign on to this petition.  He should not have been banned.


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## cgipson1 (Jul 20, 2012)

kundalini said:


> I don't care one way or the other, BUT for the short timers.......
> 
> *He could also cause derision, add unnecessary drama, carry on public vendettas towards other members and give ill-informed advice among other things.*



As do many others... myself included.. and you also, Kundalini! As did / does KMH!   In other words.. we are all human....

Robin (Schwettylens) could also be very helpful and patient...


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## Big Mike (Jul 20, 2012)

Have any of you considered that the ban was temporary in the first place?


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## bentcountershaft (Jul 20, 2012)

Based on what I've read I don't see that big of a problem with a temp ban.  If it's a permanent ban then I have a problem.

Edit:  Big Mike's post clears it up for me.  We can now get on with our regularly scheduled lunacy.


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## unpopular (Jul 20, 2012)

Wait. Robin was suspended/banned before I was???


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## cgipson1 (Jul 20, 2012)

Big Mike said:


> Have any of you considered that the ban was temporary in the first place?



Yes... but the question is whether or not it was deserved.. or even just! I think that is what has many of us concerned. 

WAS there actual cause that you are aware of.. that we aren't? Or was it just out of spite? Was it justifiable? DO all the MODS agree that it was an appropriate action.. or was it overkill?


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## bentcountershaft (Jul 20, 2012)

unpopular said:


> Wait. Robin was suspended/banned before I was???



When did you get banned?  Am I the only one that hasn't been banned yet?  Dammit.


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## PinkDoor (Jul 20, 2012)

Big Mike said:


> Have any of you considered that the ban was temporary in the first place?



Maybe a "schwetty update" sticky would help


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## bentcountershaft (Jul 20, 2012)

Can I start referring to this situation as SchwettyGate yet?


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## pixmedic (Jul 20, 2012)

Big Mike said:


> Have any of you considered that the ban was temporary in the first place?



yes. yes I have. I was just considering worst case scenario since no mention of whether it was permanent or not has been made yet. 
are you confirming that the ban is NOT permanent?  
Im not trying to rally the troops against the system. Im not even saying Schwetty didn't know better.  im just trying to show support for someone I consider a valuable member of this forum.


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## Jaemie (Jul 20, 2012)

pixmedic said:


> Big Mike said:
> 
> 
> > Have any of you considered that the ban was temporary in the first place?
> ...



I'm pretty certain that's the case or Big Mike wouldn't have posted that comment. At least, that's the message I got.


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## jwbryson1 (Jul 20, 2012)

If it's temporary, I think that's okay.  I was not involved and it's none of my business, but I did think he added to the forum for the most part.


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## tirediron (Jul 20, 2012)

bentcountershaft said:


> unpopular said:
> 
> 
> > Wait. Robin was suspended/banned before I was???
> ...



That's easily remedied...


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## tirediron (Jul 20, 2012)

*To clarify:  Schwetty's ban was NOT permanent.  However whether he chooses to come back after the ban-period expires is entirely up to him. 
*


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## slackercruster (Jul 20, 2012)

Man , what the hell is wrong with Schwettylens?

Anyway, Schwetty, if you read this, go over to the Pentaxians. They welcome anything except a pix of a penis pretty much.

I don't know about jokes. Pix taking is serious biz to me. I don't like BS on forums, just the truthful facts.You want to be a comedian, go be on the comedy channel.

In any case, this is a good tog forum and thanks to the people that run it for offering this service to togs worldwide.


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## tmjjk (Jul 20, 2012)

I would like schwetty to be allowed back as well.  He is been kind and helpful to me as well.  I may not know all the details other than the "sinking ship".  But if that is all it's in regards too, I sure hope the ban was temporary.


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## Desi (Jul 20, 2012)

Schwetty, come home.  You bring some damn fine pictures to this forum and some enjoyable turbulence as well.


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## jowensphoto (Jul 20, 2012)

Spoke with Robin on another forum, the ban is only for one week


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## jowensphoto (Jul 20, 2012)

... and he WILL be back!


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## bentcountershaft (Jul 20, 2012)

Is he writing a book called _Schwetty's Kampf?_


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## RichardsTPF (Jul 20, 2012)

What happened? Why did he get banned?
Any way, I want him back.


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## jowensphoto (Jul 20, 2012)

bentcountershaft said:


> Is he writing a book called _Schwetty's Kampf?_



LMAO. Not that I'm aware... he doesn't seem to bitter, just confused (aren't we all?).


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## Nod (Jul 20, 2012)

I think being banned is a badge of honor !  :thumbup:   up to Robin.


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## manaheim (Jul 20, 2012)

Here's the thread:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/photographic-discussions/291518-zomg-first-engagement-shoot.html

Ummmmmmmmm...

Ok, so let me first say that I get the job the moderators have and the things they need to do.  I respect them for the time they invest (though I'm not sure if this is voluntary or 'for pay'), and I understand they have to make judgement calls and stick by them.  I also appreciate the life the new crew has breathed into the forum here, and I have generally appreciated their firm but reasonable hand.

HOWEVER...

I gotta say, this one seems a little bit much.

I get that there's a fine line between a copyrighted image from a photographer and an internet meme showing Jean Luc Picard doing a facepalm, but there IS a line there.  That line may well be right at Kate whatsername and blondie boy on the titanic there... maybe it's not an outright meme, but it basically is.  That line gets crossed probably dozens of times a week on this forum and probably hundreds of thousands of times a year everywhere else... it's kind of expected and accepted, and I highly doubt CBS is either going to charge in here and sue the owners of the forum, or even be SLIGHTLY phased by yet another posting of Picard smashing his own face.  

Does TPF want to strengthen that rule?  Mmm, ok, sure.  They could do that, and it would be very well known in short order that posting even images of people snipped from various TV shows and whatnot are unacceptable, but this really has NOT been the practice I have seen up to this point.  It therefore seems unreasonable to ban someone for responding somewhat snarkily to one of the mods telling them that the practice is against the rules.

Oh and it doesn't even get into the whole point Traveller was making (which I can now only assume came from this whole thing) about acceptable use, as I'm pretty sure all those memes fall under acceptable use.  Yeah, I know house rules... whatever, and that's fine... but I do think this is going a bit far.

You could certainly say that Schwetty deliberately pushed it and kinda asked for what he got... but I think he was pushing it to make a point, and I have to say I agree with him.  I think the original posture with Schwetty was heavy-handed and pretty much out of left field.  I honestly would have done the same thing in response.  (big shock, I know) 

And yeah, I get that he can be a bit divisive.  Some of the best contributors around here can be from time to time.  Some of them very frequently.  I don't think it should be weighed into anyone's equations at all.

Anyway, yeah... for my money, I think it was a bit much.

And yeah, maybe he'll come back... or maybe he'll say "screw you, TPF" and we lose a decent contributor.  And maybe TPF cares and maybe they don't.  People come and people go and we've heard concerns like this and seen threads like this plenty of times since I've been here, but this one seems to stand out in my mind as the worst example of it... and we're talking about 9 years of threads.  Nine years, guys.


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## snowbear (Jul 20, 2012)

Wow! I take some time off and we have shots fired!


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## mjhoward (Jul 20, 2012)

I am 100% sure that posting 1 low res frame out of nearly 280,000 in the complete work on a message board would constitute "Fair Use".  Someone that is so quick to post copyright laws left and right should probably know that.

http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html


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## unpopular (Jul 20, 2012)

I absolutely believe that the captain Picard face palm meme is fair use. It's repurposed, which I believe makes it transformative, it has minimal financial damages to the creator, and oly a portion of the whole was used...


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## jake337 (Jul 20, 2012)

Schwettyballs will be just fine!


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## unpopular (Jul 20, 2012)

^^LMAO! I always, always, always think about that when I see his name.


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## MSnowy (Jul 20, 2012)

jowensphoto said:


> ... and he WILL be back!



Oh I would say he never left. I sure he's the #1 guest on the forum


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## gsgary (Jul 20, 2012)

i cant believe he has been banned i should have been banned ages ago


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## The_Traveler (Jul 20, 2012)

gsgary said:


> i cant believe he has been banned i should have been banned ages ago



finally, something we can all agree with.


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## unpopular (Jul 20, 2012)

I ban Lew for having a signature which was too big.


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## The_Traveler (Jul 20, 2012)

The process has a small flaw.
The big *BANNED* thing on someone's name, especially someone who isn't that big a PITA will draw attention.
The smarter, IMO, thing would have been for the MODS just to give him a week vacation by changing his PW and sending him an email.
It would have happened, the mods would have made their point and nobody would be sharening pichforks and gathering up torches.


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## cgipson1 (Jul 20, 2012)

unpopular said:


> I ban Lew for having a signature which was too big.



I ban Unpopular for having a realistic and accurate avatar!!


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## cgipson1 (Jul 20, 2012)

The_Traveler said:


> The process has a small flaw.
> The big *BANNED* thing on someone's name, especially someone who isn't that big a PITA will draw attention.
> The smarter, IMO, thing would have been for the MODS just to give him a week vacation by changing his PW and sending him an email.
> It would have happened, the mods would have made their point and nobody would be sharening pichforks and gathering up torches.



But that would not MAKE THE POINT to the rest of the masses..  be nice, eat your pablum, or else!


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## unpopular (Jul 20, 2012)

I can think of a number of people, self included, who deserved to be suspended before Schwetty.

Personally, I believe this has more to do with him being a smartarse than being a copyright violator...


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## Crollo (Jul 20, 2012)

He got a little snarky with his second post but seriously, that's just extremely anal. 
Especially to straight up ban him, regardless of how long the ban is.


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## usayit (Jul 20, 2012)

Big Mike said:
			
		

> Have any of you considered that the ban was temporary in the first place?



right....  I have rarely seen a permanent ban in the history of the TPF


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## Jaemie (Jul 20, 2012)

usayit said:


> Big Mike said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I think there was one about 2 weeks ago. Blairg.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Jul 20, 2012)

usayit said:


> right....  I have rarely seen a permanent ban in the history of the TPF



I have seen quite a few.


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## unpopular (Jul 21, 2012)

I think that's just how Australian teenagers are, my brother is the same way.

Oh wait...


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## JoshuaSimPhotography (Jul 25, 2012)

unpopular said:


> I think that's just how Australian teenagers are, my brother is the same way.
> 
> Oh wait...


*ahem*, anyway, just saw an old thread by schwettylens, and it looks like he isn't banned anymore!


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## Overread (Jul 25, 2012)

*was not around for this event and was not involved*

Just to update people - but the site currently uses the same user notation under their name for a ban as well as time limited ban. I'm attempted to see if the site admin can change it so that the site will use a term such as suspended when we set a time limit to bans (ie when a person is simply getting a firm wrist slap in the form on a suspension instead of a full ban from the site).


Typically speaking we are very reluctant to use a permanent ban and even suspensions are rarer. They do happen, but we do our best to try and keep them to the most minimal number we can. (unless you're a spam/ad bot - we kill those without remorse )


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## Compaq (Jul 25, 2012)

jake337 said:


> Schwettyballs will be just fine!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82kURwQU4hU&feature=player_detailpage#t=303s


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