Dirty Deeds, Drama, & Deletion: A Digital Disappearing Act

[Warudo Ecksu]

Hello friends,

Some of you may have noticed that Spicyryan's FFXI subreddit, /ffxidrama, was recently banned. Even after an appeal, it wasn't reinstated. From what I understand, the ban may have been related to reports of harassment. Another attempt to revive the FFXI drama subreddit was made, but it was removed overnight. One user, posting under the name "Barry Uwuman," made satirical comments about Final Fantasy XI drama. After the original subreddit was taken down and new subreddit also removed, they created a parody subreddit full of humorous, mostly non-game-related posts. That subreddit—and the account behind it—were also banned for "harassment."

This week, Gweivyth created a forum at https://ffxidrama.freeflarum.com/ for players to discuss issues related to private servers. Unfortunately, that site was also taken down overnight following an apparent attack. If there were any additional sites/forums taken down, these are just the ones that I am aware of from reading various discords.

What’s going on here? On the original subreddit, concerns about Horizon’s staff and some incidents involving Catseye started to come to light—though, as often happens, those raising issues were targeted by additional, more severe harassment. It seems as though any attempt to publicize staff harassing community members is covered up. Players should be able to warn others what they are supporting when they choose one of these servers to install. That becomes difficult when a manic individual from within the PS community obsessively attacks any who might criticize their immoral internet behaviors.

[6souls]

Spicy had a subreddit?

[Spicyryan]

This reddit post goes into what is being mentioned.

Setsuko didn't include r/ffxitalk and r/jeunogutters. Each was made by a different person, and as far as I know completely independent of each other. They each felt there is no place players are allowed to speak publicly. The Barry Uwuman account was purely satire of being a flashy proHorizon TV lawyer, and well thought-out and funny satire at that. Saturday Night Live is harassment if Barry was. These things all happening within a couple weeks or so collectively.

It is pretty easy to see what happens here because Kipling or someone directly attached to him cyberstalks my increasingly dormant Reddit account. I went to a dead thread from a month ago in a very dead subreddit. Where someone had asked what happened to that drama subreddit. Where I copy pasted the link to the new site Gwei made to help him establish some space people could openly speak. I am more than happy to let anyone else carry that torch and stay out of it anymore.

Worth noting that my comment was reported shortly after. Gwei's site was then attacked and IP banned by Cloudflare within the same day. In fact, if I make any comment on Reddit, even just alluding to something or someone then it is reliably reported by him and Kyne in the hopes I get banned. They have weaponized false reporting and have been rewarded by being able to now have any new XI.

This is what Kipling does though, and wants no one to discuss misconduct or anything unflattering. If people say anything that he doesn't like then it is labeled "harassment". He then tries to reach out to anyone in charge to get posts removed. We know this because he did it on this website, and he did it on FFXIAH.com. This being proven because I directly posted the PMs of him trying to do it to Rooks and talked about how the idea of C&Ding FFXIAH.com was entertained internally.

I increasingly have less and less interest in being a part of this. The only reason I posted here was to provide some of the context these guys are actively erasing. Their obsession with now trying to stymie or stamp out anything they can. Motivates me where I otherwise would not be motivated anymore. I obviously did not go making threads or posts, and I am glad the subreddit is gone now, but I am disgusted with people in the community.

Sometimes I get a PM me asking what I will do now. I just tell them that I sometimes go sit outside with my cat and watch the day go by. The hell can I care anymore about these unhealthy and literally abusive people that no one will ever hold accountable?

[Salodin]

I've never had a positive interaction with Kipling, ngl. Everything described is believable imo, based on the brief discussions I had on horizons discord server at launch.

The admin team for that server are a bunch of thin-skinned bitches. Everyone is better off removing themselves from that orbit and pursuing other avenues to have fun or get their ffxi fix. You've been warned.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

[Sonomaa]

every time drama xi subreddits are brought up gta6 is delayed again

[Warudo Ecksu]

This reddit post goes into what is being mentioned.

Setsuko didn't include r/ffxitalk and r/jeunogutters.

I knew some nerd would cover the parts I didn't know about or left out, especially since I'm only one of many people who have been harassed by a private server staff member or two.

[BarryUwuman]

I stand here today on behalf of my client, Kipling, and the entire esteemed staff of Horizon, who have been unjustly accused of being “thin skinned.” THIN-SKINNED? Ha! My client doesn’t have thin skin he has a Kevlar ego, wrapped in the bulletproof confidence of knowing that every single criticism is, by default, harassment.

My client is not merely a staff member, he is the steadfast lighthouse keeping the peasants from drifting into the uncharted waters of “other avenues.”

Let’s be clear here

Someone says the server has bugs? Harassment.

Someone asks about the delayed rebase? Targeted harassment.

Someone breathes the name Kipling? Actionable harassment

Salodin dares to suggest people leave the server. You claim everyone’s better off leaving? And miss out on the rich tapestry of Horizon’s glorious CoP-locked utopia?

And Warudo? Claiming “harassment from a private server staff member”? OUTRAGEOUS. At Horizon, they pride themselves on upholding a strict policy of equal opportunity reporting where everyone gets banned eventually. So what if the married staff are trying to find love with women or in some cases a male Vtuber posing as a woman? It’s hard navigating the field and I’ll have you know that’s not harassment it’s called community standards.

In fact, the mere act of compiling these criticisms in one thread constitutes a Class 3 Defamation lawsuit. Expect a cease & desist delivered within the hour.

In closing Horizon Staff does not “lash out.” They merely exercise their God given, legally enshrined right to abuse the report button until your posts mysteriously vanish in a coordinated effort known as community outreach.

Thank you for your time.

[Warudo Ecksu]

Whoa whoa I didn't say any names here. I'm simply pointing out that every attempt to publicize shady shit involving staff members gets shut down. Allegedly, it is being done by a staff member of a private server. Whether that staff member is from Catseye or Horizon, I have no idea. But considering there are other private servers in the works, it should be a priority to vet any staff members and weed out any who have a history of manipulation, cheating, abuse of power, etc.

[Alexandrious]

What I find ironic, and seen all the time is, Horizon Shills who are either entirely ignorant, or dont know any better, claiming any new server being created, to being made by the "misfits" and "outcasts". They say this like its all the bad admins and players wanting a clear alternative to Horizon, not realizing at all whatsoever that the so called "misfits" and "outcasts" are actually the ones running their friggen beloved server.

Just, ridiculous.

Thankfully, one such a server is in the works, and the Shills have already been attacking it the last two months. Since its going to be doing most of the same things as Horizon, but better, and no super custom content b.s. I look forward to that server.

Now, Mr. Lawyer dude, can I get a funny quote?

[BarryUwuman]

The audacity in claiming the “misfits” and “outcasts” are creating a rival server but better? I’m sure they will! Just like every knockoff handbag from a suspicious street vendor is technically a bag that’s held together with dollar store hot glue.

Also I deny the idea that Horizon excludes people, Horizon embraces all, provided they swear fealty, defend the server frequently, and never question why a CoP locked server continues to announce “ToAU soon™” every quarter. Also these “misfits” launching a rival server? Just proving imitation is the sincerest form of envy driven desperation. How adorable they think they can replicate Horizon’s majestic stagnation without our patented blend of Vtube/staff romances and aggressive moderation! “Tickets only” role ring a bell?! Horizon perfected the use of that.

The Horizon dev team worked tirelessly to cultivate a community so inspiring, so revolutionary, that naturally it’s become the template for envy fueled rebellion! These copycats aren’t creating new servers. They’re emotionally roleplaying as Horizon, just with slightly different fonts and a less robust ban history.

“Better” content, you say? Nonsense! Horizon has ascended beyond the primitive need for actual new content. We’ve evolved into something far, far superior and that is community drama, flagging ALL criticism (misinformation) from Reddit, FFXIAH and other websites. We make sure no stone is left unturned, and we are aggressively policing imaginary crimes committed by fictional catgirls scamming staff out of untold thousands of dollars just because they’re a nice guy. Who needs new content when you have a 24-hour soap opera starring unpaid moderators desperately pretending their personal feuds constitute “community outreach”?

As for a quote, I don’t do humor I only speak in truths:

“In the courtroom of public opinion, Horizon isn’t guilty of wrongdoing it’s guilty of being ahead of its time. The ban hammer was merely the gavel of justice, and every deleted post is an act of love. Criticism against Horizon is much like saying retail is better than “classic” which is technically legal but morally indefensible, culturally offensive, and swiftly punishable by eternal exile.”

[Karbuncle]

Dog it’s just a FFXI community hosted bootleg server. You’re an adult. It’s okay to simply move on

[Alexandrious]

The audacity in claiming the “misfits” and “outcasts” are creating a rival server but better? I’m sure they will! Just like every knockoff handbag from a suspicious street vendor is technically a bag that’s held together with dollar store hot glue.

Also I deny the idea that Horizon excludes people, Horizon embraces all, provided they swear fealty, defend the server frequently, and never question why a CoP locked server continues to announce “ToAU soon™” every quarter. Also these “misfits” launching a rival server? Just proving imitation is the sincerest form of envy driven desperation. How adorable they think they can replicate Horizon’s majestic stagnation without our patented blend of Vtube/staff romances and aggressive moderation! “Tickets only” role ring a bell?! Horizon perfected the use of that.

The Horizon dev team worked tirelessly to cultivate a community so inspiring, so revolutionary, that naturally it’s become the template for envy fueled rebellion! These copycats aren’t creating new servers. They’re emotionally roleplaying as Horizon, just with slightly different fonts and a less robust ban history.

“Better” content, you say? Nonsense! Horizon has ascended beyond the primitive need for actual new content. We’ve evolved into something far, far superior and that is community drama, flagging ALL criticism (misinformation) from Reddit, FFXIAH and other websites. We make sure no stone is left unturned, and we are aggressively policing imaginary crimes committed by fictional catgirls scamming staff out of untold thousands of dollars just because they’re a nice guy. Who needs new content when you have a 24-hour soap opera starring unpaid moderators desperately pretending their personal feuds constitute “community outreach”?

As for a quote, I don’t do humor I only speak in truths:

“In the courtroom of public opinion, Horizon isn’t guilty of wrongdoing it’s guilty of being ahead of its time. The ban hammer was merely the gavel of justice, and every deleted post is an act of love. Criticism against Horizon is much like saying retail is better than “classic” which is technically legal but morally indefensible, culturally offensive, and swiftly punishable by eternal exile.”

Their we go, thats the fun stuff.

[Salodin]

When you smoke something you haven't smoked in awhile and it hits good but still doesn't feel the same...

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

[amyleon]

Yeah, it is been a mess lately. It really seems like any space that discuss FFXI drama or server issues gets taken down fast. The moderation and harassment situation around Horizon and similar servers definitely needs more transparancy, people should be able to talk about these things without getting silenced.

[Salodin]

I tried warning folks about that server from the get-go. I gave them a couple weeks but it's clear the management is inept.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

[Nyanoko]

What I find ironic, and seen all the time is, Horizon Shills who are either entirely ignorant, or dont know any better, claiming any new server being created, to being made by the "misfits" and "outcasts". They say this like its all the bad admins and players wanting a clear alternative to Horizon, not realizing at all whatsoever that the so called "misfits" and "outcasts" are actually the ones running their friggen beloved server.

Just, ridiculous.

Thankfully, one such a server is in the works, and the Shills have already been attacking it the last two months. Since its going to be doing most of the same things as Horizon, but better, and no super custom content b.s. I look forward to that server.

Now, Mr. Lawyer dude, can I get a funny quote?

Apologies for the necro. Having spent enough time in Horizon to actually feel the siren song of addiction set in again, I spent the morning catching up on all the XI private server tea, or rather what's survived in the last year after some heavy-handed Reddit memory-holing.

Assuming that "one such server" is the highly anticipated and soon-to-release Phoenix, it appears a certain alleged married e-girl chaser has left Horizon and is actively involved in that server's dev team as well. I suppose time will tell whether dev/mod abuse shenanigans will continue on yet another pserver

Spoiler: show

they will

.