I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

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Richard Kaufman
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I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 16th, 2014, 8:33 pm

The peckerhead moderators over at the Magic Cafe have banned me for writing the truth. I join a distinguished club.
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Bill Mullins
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Bill Mullins » April 16th, 2014, 10:33 pm

You sound kind of pleased about it. What particular truth was it that set them off?

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Rick Ruhl
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Rick Ruhl » April 16th, 2014, 11:35 pm

It would seem silly if Steve didn't lift the ban and ream a new one to the mod.

You don't ban a magazine publisher from a silly web site.

This is as silly as the black pool stuff.

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby merenkov2 » April 17th, 2014, 12:25 am

Every single owner of an internet message board I've encountered eventually becomes drunk with their own “power”, every single one of them…

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Jeffrey Korst » April 17th, 2014, 12:29 am

Silly in the extreme, but so is most all of the banning that goes on there.

And what happens to the Genii section of the Cafe if the Head Genii is banned?

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Rick Ruhl » April 17th, 2014, 2:18 am

I think this is over the comments on Jeff Busby over there.

Many think it's speculation, but my friends, the late Tabby Crabb wrote about Jeff in his book tabman magic .....

It verifies what RK said, which us that have been around magic for so long always knew.

Tabby said :
Jeff was such a controversial figure by this time that I was having trouble with some of the magicians that I deemed to be respectful because they didn’t like Jeff and the way he did business. There were some issues with Jeff taking orders and then not delivering printed content he was promising in subscription form.

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby mrgoat » April 17th, 2014, 4:45 am

Congrats!

I've been banned there over 20 times now :)

Steve Brooks
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Steve Brooks » April 17th, 2014, 4:53 am

Gentlemen,

As I am currently out of the country I do not know all the particulars concerning Richard's banning but will investigate when I return home sometime after Easter.

Whichever mod did the ban left the following explanation: Explicit profanity and constant derogatory remarks.

Again, since I am not the person who made the temporary ban I don't yet know all the details.
I have personally banned very few people in thirteen years, I simply don't have the time to stare at a computer screen and contemplate who I should ban each day.

Jeffrey Korst said: Silly in the extreme, but so is most all of the banning that goes on there.

That's quite a statement since you have nothing to do with any bans on my website nor do you know all the details. If Richard was using profanity it certainly could get him a temporary ban since this is a violation of our policies. Hardly silly since each member agrees to follow our rules.

merenkov2 said: Every single owner of an internet message board I've encountered eventually becomes drunk with their own “power”, every single one of them…

I'm confident this does not apply to Richard and I. We both have more important things to do than play God.

Rick Ruhl said: You don't ban a magazine publisher from a silly web site.

The rules must apply to everyone or not at all. What does a persons vocation have to do with anything? I'm sure Richard has had to ban a member from time to time. As for a website being silly, that is of course very subjective.

Richard Kaufman said: The peckerhead moderators over at the Magic Cafe have banned me for writing the truth.

Again, I do not know the whole story. In my own experience its not always what a person say's but how they say it that often gets them in trouble. If a post is full of profanity (as the explanation I read suggests) then there may be merit to a ban. However, I would also think a warning would be in order first. Once again, I will investigate when I'm home and have the time and internet to do so.

---

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Bob Farmer » April 17th, 2014, 8:24 am

I haven't been banned, however, I've been censored.

A guy once posted a suggestion that readers could make their own "Bammo Card Walloper" deck (my marketed trick) by getting a copy of the instructions and buying the materials to make their own. He also posted his picture.

I suggested in reply that he obviously did a a lot of DIY, judging by his picture: bad haircut and ill-fitting suit coat. I also suggested that it might be better to allow the inventor of the trick some recompense for his work.

All that got deleted--apparently there is a rule that you can't insult posters (but it's okay to suggest theft).

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Kent Gunn » April 17th, 2014, 9:08 am

Richard,

Welcome to the club. You join an august and storied crew. I'm surprised it took this long.

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby steve henderson » April 17th, 2014, 10:37 am

Don't worry about it Richard,the magic café is an absolute joke anyhow and so is SB

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Bill Marquardt
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Bill Marquardt » April 17th, 2014, 11:10 am

Temporarily banning Richard based on the Busby thread, if that is the case, is a remarkably inappropriate action. I say this as a message board administrator myself. While RK did call Busby a crook, he backed up his statements and he used no profanity, not a single improper word. However, there were two or three persons who objected to RK or anyone else speaking ill of the dead even if the accusations are true.

It is not easy running a board. On mine, we had to ban all political discussion because of the idiocy that resulted. On a single day, I was accused by different people of favoring both the Democrats and the Republicans. It is impossible to make everyone happy.

In this case, however, I would hope Mr. Brooks agrees that his moderator made an unwise decision. Yes, this is only an opinion made without access to all the facts.

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Brad Henderson » April 17th, 2014, 12:08 pm

brooks shook my hand one afternoon in Vegas, explaining that people couldn't understand or appreciate people like he and I - people with strong informed opinions.

I was banned within 4 hours.

Steve is in the pocket of the advertisers. he lets them lie outright to their customers, his members, and even allows documented historical records to be deleted when they prove said lies. Heck, look how he handled the WMS nonsense. Any one not paying him money would be long gone. No wonder they call it the green monster.

is it true the cafe is no longer accepting new members?

have they achieved the ideal level of ignorance to bliss?

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby brody » April 17th, 2014, 12:34 pm

Heck, I got a lifetime ban. How special am I?

Peckerhead mods indeed!

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Jim Riser » April 17th, 2014, 12:40 pm

Brad Henderson wrote:SNIP-

Steve is in the pocket of the advertisers. he lets them lie outright to their customers, his members, and even allows documented historical records to be deleted when they prove said lies. Heck, look how he handled the WMS nonsense. Any one not paying him money would be long gone. No wonder they call it the green monster.
SNIP


So TRUE! If you are not an advertiser on the green cesspool, good luck defending yourself against the lies. The phrase "product for protection" seems to apply concerning SB.

Being banned is a blessing.
Jim

Roger M.
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Roger M. » April 17th, 2014, 12:44 pm

The Magic Cafe was, is, and always will be a cesspool.

It will never lift itself beyond being that cesspool because of the reduced IQ levels of the moderators (see any post by Scribner for an example), and the overt hubris and unrelenting self-importance of its owner.

Brooks is indeed in the pockets of a diverse array of manufacturers, sellers, advertisers, authors, friends, and general hangers-on.

As is noted repeatedly, there is no rhyme or reason for who is favored and who is banned.
It appears to be exactly what it is.....utterly random abuse of power by Magic Cafe administrators.

A forum becomes a mirror reflection of its owner, and the Magic Cafe is most definitely a reflection of a man who is fundamentally disingenuous every time he sits down and types at a computer keyboard - Steve Brooks.

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Jonathan Townsend » April 17th, 2014, 12:50 pm

Just so you can see what level of dialog they permit there...

http://www.themagiccafe.com/forums/view ... 5&start=30

Tempting as it is to address the street as if it were only tar covered concrete littered with plastic and paper - seems useful to suggest folks step into the library and visit the museum on occasion.
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Ted M » April 17th, 2014, 12:54 pm

I was banned for pointing out that someone was selling photocopies of magic books, and that instead of deleting the listing, the Cafe mods were violating their own policy by leaving it intact and deleting posts from multiple users pointing out that violation.
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby GlennWest » April 17th, 2014, 12:55 pm

Steve Brooks wrote:Gentlemen,

As I am currently out of the country I do not know all the particulars concerning Richard's banning but will investigate when I return home sometime after Easter.


It's too bad you're out of the country and don't have a way to communicate with your moderators. I wish some really smart people would invent a way to send text or voice or video messages to people in other countries, and maybe even a way to get information back from them. That would be really cool.

If only we lived in a world where that was possible.

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Kent Gunn » April 17th, 2014, 1:08 pm

Glenn,

Having recently spent some time in a third-world country, I can tell you all those things you speak of actually exist! Kids on the street corners in Equatorial Guinea had web-enabled cell phones.

It's too bad Steve is stranded somewhere that has less infrastructure. Or . . .

Maybe he just doesn't give a [censored], or is incapable of dealing with this inane crap.

I don't know which it is. I'm going with . . . doesn't give a [censored].

[censored] . . . all my dirty words will be excised, via software, won't they?

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Roger M. » April 17th, 2014, 1:14 pm

Brooks doesn't "get" sarcasm.

So one has to be up front with him, like this:

"Brooks, we don't for a single second believe that you're in any place "out of country" where there is no internet, where you don't have 5 minutes to instruct Scribner (or whoever) to reinstate Richard immediately, and where you can't (with a single email or text message) determine exactly what transpired. Please state honestly that you're not dealing with this situation because you don't want to, don't have to, don't think it's important, and you want to parade your "management" title for a while before you (obviously) play the hero and reinstate Richard as a member".

....Something like that.

Even then, Brooks will respond with his typical hubris and self-important rhetoric.

That's how the man rolls (if you will).

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 17th, 2014, 1:18 pm

Steve is a friend. However it is impossible to use any profanity on the Cafe, as it is here, because of the automatic filter.
Did I insult someone? You bet. A lying cockroach who insults me regularly on his site from which I am banned.
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GlennWest
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby GlennWest » April 17th, 2014, 1:22 pm

Roger M. wrote:That's how the man rolls (if you will).


Is that a fat joke?

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Jim Riser » April 17th, 2014, 1:24 pm

Roger M. wrote:Brooks doesn't "get" sarcasm.

So one has to be up front with him, like this:

[i]"Brooks, -SNIP- Please state honestly -SNIP-


Roger, Roger, Roger ...."honestly"???

That will not happen (based upon previous behaviors).
Jim

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Jonathan Townsend » April 17th, 2014, 1:29 pm

This came to mind: http://www.ep.tc/realist/15/03.html

after being amused by this: http://boingboing.net/2014/04/17/john-w ... bruce.html

never mind the delightful commentary at the cafe about how nonconstructive (or unhelpful?) yours truly may seem for pointing out prior art and context in our literature.
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Bob Farmer » April 17th, 2014, 4:06 pm

This all suggests a t-shirt: "I was banned from The Magic Cafe and all I got was this lousy t-shirt."

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Brad Henderson » April 17th, 2014, 4:07 pm

I had to fight tooth and nail to insure several people received credit for a popular 'new' card effect - that dates back to the first decade of the 1900's. The seller even then went on to lie that the person from whom the sold version was stolen from was "ok" with it.

I spoke to that person.

he was anything but ok with it.

but magicians need their fix. Damn anyone who might stand in their way.

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Brad Henderson » April 17th, 2014, 4:08 pm

perhaps all the banned people should contribute to a book and sell it only to those willing to revoke their membership from the place.

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Steve Brooks » April 17th, 2014, 4:16 pm

This is my last post on the matter:

I am out of the country, my mother is on life support and has but a few hours to live.

Strange as it may seem I do have a personal life and right now there are more important issues at hand than arguing with magicians about what is right or wrong in the internet magic world.

So have fun at my expense since you obviously have nothing better to do at the moment.

Richard is a friend and I will deal with this when I can.

---

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Brad Henderson » April 17th, 2014, 4:26 pm

friends and those who pay him get special treatment. Isn't that exactly what was said a few posts ago? at least we have now heard it from the horses mouth.

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby brody » April 17th, 2014, 4:52 pm

Everyone:

I think we can cut Mr. Brooks some slack considering. We can table this for a bit, as gentlemen and women, can't we?

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby GlennWest » April 17th, 2014, 5:52 pm


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Gordon Meyer
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Gordon Meyer » April 17th, 2014, 6:17 pm

Wow. Q.E.D.

Brad Henderson
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Brad Henderson » April 17th, 2014, 7:28 pm

brody wrote:Everyone:

I think we can cut Mr. Brooks some slack considering. We can table this for a bit, as gentlemen and women, can't we?


Has he been dealing with a tragedy every day he and his idiot minions have been banning people or protecting those who would sh1t all over magic for their own gain?

people who do bad and or stupid thing should not be given a free pass just because they have to deal with the same issues we all must face. Dying did not make Busby a saint. Steve's alleged family problems do not change any of his actions, nor will they undo any of the harm he has allowed to be done by unethical persons who pay for protection on his site.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Richard Kaufman » April 17th, 2014, 10:02 pm

Brad, that's just cold. Have some respect for his mother.

And I forgot to mention that the banning has nothing to do with the Jeff Busby thread.

I was writing about a pathetic Tenyo collector who has been banned from both the Genii Forum and Magic Cafe, who then went off and started his own Forum for Tenyo collectors, where he regularly refers to me as D I C K HURTZ--a joke we all stopped thinking was funny in second or third grade.

Perhaps the fact that I wrote "D*ck Hurtz" in referring to myself is what got me banned. This Tenyo collector, name of John Mazza (though I call him "John Matzoh" on the Magic Cafe), is the type of person who ruins an area of collecting. He convinces a small group of other collectors that he's got the biggest collection, or knows the most, about a subject, neither of which is true.

He has continually bullied collectors he doesn't like, including Davy, known as Stereo, who has done a huge job with the Tenyo Blogspot website. For some reason the site has vanished, and it's likely that Davy has been repeatedly discouraged by Mazza's bullying. I have a thick skin, and as far as I'm concerned Mazza is just a slug who plays with slot cars and Tenyo because he can't get a job. Mazza also used to sell reproductions of Tenyo's copyrighted Plus One tricks and I have the email he sent me when we first met to prove it.

Now stop making nasty remarks about the Magic Cafe. They have their clientele and we have ours. Some of you think they're dummies, and some of them think we're snobs. And so the world turns.
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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Pete McCabe » April 18th, 2014, 2:16 am

It was surprising to see the Vancouver Ring website seems to indicate that the lecture is(was) still on for tonight. Steve, did you leave your mother's deathbed to go do a lecture?

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby JordanB » April 18th, 2014, 3:12 am

I guess you and I read that differently Pete. I took it that he was distressed that he was out of the country and couldn't be with his mother. As far as I know Steve and his family are all California natives.

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Jonathan Pendragon » April 18th, 2014, 4:23 am

I refuse to belong to any forum that would have me as a member.

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby Rick Ruhl » April 18th, 2014, 8:45 am

Jonathan Pendragon wrote:I refuse to belong to any forum that would have me as a member.


"Groucho" Pendragon ;)

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Re: I Join Those Banned from The Magic Cafe

Postby MaxNY » April 18th, 2014, 10:54 pm

I never found the Cafe as interesting as this Forum. I never joined, and only visited it a dozen times.


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