One bad comment does not spoil the whole thread
I have read threads where the writer of the thread was getting good positive feedback until the "One bad comment" entered into the equation. Then it festered and spread by other members agreeing and eventually turning the thread into a shouting match when all the writer was looking for was simple encouragement.
Another member on here today hit the nail on the head when they said that this is not our home... It's Jackie and Heath's home. I know that when I am visiting in someone elses home I am on my best behavior.
What I am saying is that everyone needs to be tactful in what they say. It's ok to give criticism if that is what the writer of the thread is wanting.
"Okay, I should seriously just let this drop, but for whatever reason I feel compelled to put in my 2 cents. I have read the posts on this. I didn't like or dislike RB, so I am fairly unbiased in this topic. I think some people are confusing Honesty with Brutality. One can be honest without being brutally honest. You don't have to be a "Paula Abdul" or a "Simon Cowel" You can be somewhere in between those two. If the "rules" of how to play nice bother you and you don't want to abide by them, then don't stay. If you want a rude, anything goes website, then No, this isn't going to be the place for you. It isn't about being policed or being treated like children, it is all about having a sense of decorum. If you were in the same room, face to face, with the person you are posting to, would you say those same words? Putting a "nice" face on things does not make them any less honest, it just makes you a nicer person.
For example someone posts a cake with smoothing issues and bulging sides asking for an honest critique of their cake. (most likely, they can already see the issues)
a honest person could say: Well, your cake is bulging and it is totally bumpy.
a brutally honest person could say: You have major issues, I don't know why you even posted this cake, not only is it bulging, but you didn't even get your icing smooth.
or an honest helpful person could say: i see you have some bulging issues, when I have had that I found the way to fix it is....yadda yadda yadda and to get a nice smooth cake I have found that blah blah blah works.
All of these are honest, but one is helpful and the others aren't. If you don't have the time or the desire or the ability to be honest as well as nice and helpful, then don't bother posting. It seems pretty simple to me. "
freddyfl, well said.
( and it is about her ).
This thread is about her but this site is not. It belongs to Jackie and Heath and having it plastered on the front page of their site is not helping them. If people want to express their feelings on the matter of RB getting booted then by all means go ahead. I just think it needs to be in the "Lobby" where it won't show up on the front page.
From the CakeCentral.com terms:
"We aim to keep CakeCentral.com a positive, safe, and friendly environment for all that come here. We do not have any tolerance for cruelty, or unconstructive/negative comments and posts. If you disagree with someone, or have had a negative experience we encourage you to share, but you must keep your comments respectful and constructive."
I think Heath and Jackie's house rules are self explanatory.
From the CakeCentral.com terms:
"We aim to keep CakeCentral.com a positive, safe, and friendly environment for all that come here. We do not have any tolerance for cruelty, or unconstructive/negative comments and posts. If you disagree with someone, or have had a negative experience we encourage you to share, but you must keep your comments respectful and constructive."
I think Heath and Jackie's house rules are self explanatory.
Amen!
newcakebaker:
Why am I NOT allowed my opinion now?
You absolutly are and I am happy to hear it - don't think you posted anything mean at all. I hope no one really feels they can't have/post their opinion.
Oh the drama of it all - yet I can't stop posting or watching the train-wreck 
Let it all out guys, stop watching the post if you are done, keep venting if you are not, I am one of those who'd rather air it all out instead of festering. Of course I do realize many people (my DH included LOL!) would rather just let it all drop. DH LOVES it when I follow him around the house pestering him to "finish the discussion and not walk away from it" 
Of course one I get it all out I move on and it does not bother me anymore. 
When the Gallery Support thing was first started I decided I'd help out with that. Then after I received a pm from the admin outlining what would be expected I decided I wouldn't do it. I didn't feel I couldn dedicate enough time on a regular basis to view and make comments on photos as I thought would be expected. Also, and I hesitate to say this, I didn't feel I could make sincere positive comments on every item I would be viewing.
I think this is what RB was getting at when she used the term "their jobs" on the subject of the Gallery Supporters. I didn't feel she was being rude about that in those comments. RB is a lot like my sis sometimes in her manner of expressing her position. As with my sis you have to take what's hepful and leave the rest. I'll miss her for her goodhearted humor, willingness to help and her positive contributions.
It wasn't ALL positive all the time, and when is it really, but YES I did see and appreciate those things in her.
I'm very sorry when it comes to this on a great site like cc.
Have a great day everyone!
( and it is about her ).
This thread is about her but this site is not. It belongs to Jackie and Heath and having it plastered on the front page of their site is not helping them. If people want to express their feelings on the matter of RB getting booted then by all means go ahead. I just think it needs to be in the "Lobby" where it won't show up on the front page.
I never said this site was about her. What I did say was this thread was about her and I think it should be locked because she is not allowed to respond. I completely respect their decision to ask her to leave the community because it is theirs. In the same sense, I think we need to give RisqueBusiness the respect she deserves and not allow people to continue to say bad things about her without the ability for her to respond
I never said this site was about her.
Very true. My apologies 
Actually I just noticed that someone DID move it to the Lounge Thank you so much for doing that who ever you are...
Hello Everyone!
Let me clarify a few things:
1. Yes RisqueBusiness has been banned.
2. Yes veejaytx has been banned.
Jackie and I do not like to ban people, it is no fun. People do not get banned for one post.
When people are upseting the community we contact them and try to work with them to resolve the problem, and to ask them to try to consider their tone and message more carefully so as not to upset the masses. If a member accepts this critique, and chooses to work on it, then great, they generally get to stay. If, instead, we are met with denial, insults, etc, then the member is gone.
Much of a situation that leads to banishment occurs in private communications between the member and Jackie or I. Obviously the community is not privy to this part of the situation. Basically it is up to the community to TRUST that Jackie and I are working in the best interest of the CC community, and do not take any decision like this lightly.
So to sum up, any member that is banned, is banned for a combination of pattern of behavior and lack of willingness to work with Jackie and I to correct the situation. we hate banning people, but sometimes it is necessary.
Some things that can result in immediate banning:
1. Extremely racist statements (or any other statement that would be HIGHLY offensive to a particular group based on gender, handicap, etc..)
2. Serious disrespect toward Jackie and I and the work we do here. (If you think we suck, then go away, but I'm not going to listen to insults)
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Regarding the concept of RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH:
Guess what, you do have the right to say whatever you want, ON YOUR OWN SITE.
If you want to play here in the CC Sandbox, you have to be polite, you have to get along, or you have to go home.
Disagreement is ok, as long as it is presented politely.
If a poster asks for HONEST OPINIONS, it is ok to offer CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, just make sure you come across as trying to help and not as tearing someone down.
Cake Central is meant to be a stress free place, as escape from the worries of the outside world. We will moderate it in such a way to maintain that environment.
If that is not what someone is looking for, then CC is not the right place for them.
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Also, please DO NOT PM moderators about banned members, only Jackie and I make those decisions. PMing a moderator will not do any good.
If anyone ever wants a clarification on what is appropriate behavior at CC, feel free to ask me in a PM.
Heath, were you yelling at me? I didn't go on a rant about free speech. I said that it shouldn't be abused. 
Anyway, I am very glad that you showed up when you did and I do love this site. The work that you and Jackie do is great, and this is a great tool for all of us.
Thanks,
Judi 
I personally think this thread should be locked for the simple fact that RisqueBusiness has not been allowed to add her opinion ( and it is about her ).
I posted a reply that she asked me to post a couple of pages back.
Heath, were you yelling at me? I didn't go on a rant about free speech. I said that it shouldn't be abused.
Anyway, I am very glad that you showed up when you did and I do love this site. The work that you and Jackie do is great, and this is a great tool for all of us.
Thanks,
Judi
Nope, that statement was not directed at anyone in particular, just in response to statements I see from time to time about the topic.
Perception.
I believe this thread is a good example of "perception".
I see comments in this thread indicating that we are "yelling" or "arguing" over this issue but that confuses me because I haven't seen anything in this thread that I would interpret as either (except I think there was a comment or two about 'good riddance' and those who are 'glad to see her gone'). Even still, I read those as personal opinions and while I would disagree with then, they are not offensive to me and I welcome their opinion.
Yet some read these very same comments and classify them as "yelling" or "arguing". I don't get it.
Differing opinions are what make these discussion interesting. If we didn't have different opinions, then we'd all be either scratch bakers or box bakers. We'd all decorate our cakes in all fondant or all buttercream. We'd all use baking strips or we'd all use the push-down method.
An earlier comment in this thread indicated RB tried to share the idea that running a business is more than knowing how to bake. I've seen that moer than once .... some bakers think it's all the same thing, and it's not. She tried to share that info.
Perception.
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Edited to add: This post appears on page 7 and I've NO IDEA how it got duplicated on page 12. I don't want anyone to think I posted it twice for ego's sake or anything.
LOL...that's okay, I think it was a very good post and worth reading twice.
Angie
Well well... I go to work and come home and spend 45 minutes getting this far.... 
but I wanted to add one more thing...
If I'm understanding this correctly, people want this to drop, or the post to get locked, or even deleted, this thread has gone on long enough, but in the interest of you all, admin, and the moderators, this IS YOUR TIME to get it out and move on..... but I can almost guarantee it will be locked eventually. I need to ask, If you have already posted here, is it possible that you don't repost? Please.... you all are part of a great community can we please move on?
Thank you once again.
***edited to add "lock" info****
***edited to add my our request****[/b]
Well well... I go to work and come home and spend 45 minutes getting this far....
but I wanted to add one more thing...If I'm understanding this correctly, people want this to drop, or the post to get locked, or even deleted, this thread has gone on long enough, but in the interest of you all, admin, and the moderators, this IS YOUR TIME to get it out and move on..... but I can almost guarantee it will be locked eventually. If you have already posted here, is it possible that you don't repost? Please.... you all are part of a great community can we please move on?
Thank you once again.
Someone suggested earlier to possibly let this thread just play out instead of locking it. I'm wondering if that might be a good idea, especially since the thread seems to be losing some steam as the day goes on (and since Heath posted). Unless there is some huge reason to lock the thread, perhaps the moderators would just let it be. This has been quite the event at CC and it might help to have a way to (gently) let off some steam.
Thanks, Heath, for your explanation of the behind-the-scenes stuff. It helps to know that you put a lot of thought into your decision.
Tangent...I was just at the gym and Days of our Lives was on one of the TVs. It made me wonder, if this is our own little CC soap opera, does that mean we all get to be ridiculously good looking? I say, "yes!"
This is a sad day I will miss RB's expertise. Yes she was blunt but Idon't think she was rude. I don't agree that she should have been banned because I saw a group that would pounce on every post she made. She would then defend herself and get flamed even more. I would just skip their posts and get to the rest. It would be nice if those people were also banned but I don't own this site. Not sure how vocal I will be from now on as I will probably be pounced on because like RB. As for the comments on cakes I see a lot of "Great Job" on mediocre cakes. If they were mine I would appreciate some one telling me how to improve. Just my opinion here.
I'm not one who normally gets involved in controversial threads, so I'm just going to say this ...
I think that Jackie and Heath have a very difficult job. They have to try to maintain peace and harmony among all these thousands of people who are members here. No matter what they do, there will always be unhappy people ... that's the way life goes. Regardless of whether or not I agree with what has happened, I think they did what they felt was necessary, and I respect their decision. Aside from Jackie and Heath, no one here truly knows the whole story behind what has happened. I understand and respect the fact that there are a lot of hurt feelings and anger, and I just hope that we can all move past this and get back to enjoying and sharing our sweet hobby!
Someone mentioned personally attacking RB. Well she has personally attached me & bunches of other members on several occasions when she was PastryDiva & then after she came back as RB. Few of you remember when she was a member under that name. She made everyone miserable. A lot of members quit CC during that time. We lost several VERY, VERY good people. I have been on CC for over 2 years & there has only been 1 other person (it wasn't knoxcop, I can't remember her name) that caused as much problems as RB & she got banned too. So CC doesn't make it a habit of banning people. They have a long list of stuff against them by the time they get banned. Like someone said, "She made her own bed". I agree.
I am not going to cut anyone down for stating their opinions & I do not wish for someone to do me that way either. I just know my experience with RB & it wasn't pretty. So no one has the right to say that it didn't happen. She was ugly & hateful to me & therefore I did not like her. She knew that & I knew she didnt' like me. Life goes on.
I am always very kind in my posts, I am encouraging & positive in any posts, I think the posts I've made speak for themselves just like RB's did... So please don't call me a liar & say I was looking too much into things, don't say I was attacking her. If you knew the WHOLE story you would probably not defend her. I'm not mad I'm just finally speaking my peace with this whole deal.
Oh... I think it was an excellent thing to leave this open so everyone could speak so people speak!! (I'm not yelling) If you have something that is bottled up inside you speak but don't be cruel. 
Well stated TC! And thank you Doug for setting laying things out simply and fairly. I appreciate this site and all that you and Jackie do for us here.
I was wrong before when I suggested maybe this thread ought to be shut down. I see now that there are people here who need to speak up and get on with things that are interesting and fun. I left another cake site before coming here because I was attacked after something I said was twisted to fuel someone elses dirty agenda. I wouldn't stick around if it happened again. I love this site. Let's keep it fun and kind.
If you knew the WHOLE story you would probably not defend her.
This is ABSOLUTELY true. Believe TC, she is right.
I'm just sorry to see Janice (veejaytx) gone, CC was such a huge part of her life. I think most of her friends were people on here. 
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