The tags have gone missing from the ebay scam question.

January 9, 2006 4:08 PM

Tag conveniently gone missing?. Like many others, I've been following the askme thread originally posted by airnxtz where he is found to be a scammer and where hopefully we will soon have word about the consequences of his scamming. Normally I search for this thread by looking at the "all posts tagged ebay", but the question is no longer listed on that page. In fact once I found the question, I see that it no longer has the ebay tag or any other tag. I assume that though airnxtz has lost his posting privileges, he still has the privilege to edit his own tags and has done so. Otherwise, what happened to the tag and can we get it back?
posted by duck to MetaFilter-Related at 4:08 PM (39 comments total)

I'm amazed the thread is still open. Is #1 keeping it alive until we know what's going to happen?
posted by moonbird at 4:18 PM on January 9, 2006

Ask me threads now last a year before closing.
posted by delmoi at 4:20 PM on January 9, 2006

He probably removed them. I'll add them back.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 4:27 PM on January 9, 2006

Anyone care to summarize what is happening in that thread? I read it for a few weeks after the question was posted but had no idea it was still going...
posted by fire&wings at 4:50 PM on January 9, 2006

Wow, thanks for directing me to that thread. I'd forgotten all about it. Looks like the Mighty Hammer of Justice may be on its way!
posted by languagehat at 5:09 PM on January 9, 2006

oh my GOD, how on earth did I originally miss that thread? That was the most entertaining hour of reading I've done in a long time. I especially like the moment where we veer into Russian mafia intrigue. Excellent work, Encyclopedia Brown MeFites! Hope it all turns out right in the end.
posted by scody at 5:21 PM on January 9, 2006

I forgot all about that too, but it certainly helped to pass the last 20 minutes at work...

Thanks!
posted by booknerd at 5:28 PM on January 9, 2006

His questions on the eBay forums are particularly wonderful. Thanks! I had forgotten all about that thread.

While I'm here, I'd like to get some advice. I sold someone a $500 gift card, and they say they received a cedar chest full of dead hamsters. Any thoughts?
posted by brundlefly at 6:30 PM on January 9, 2006

*tackles brundlefty* I GOT HIM!! I GOT HIM!
posted by wheelieman at 8:52 PM on January 9, 2006

Oh, it.. was satire.....excuse me *runs out of the thread*
posted by wheelieman at 8:53 PM on January 9, 2006

Heh, I almost re-posted the airnxtz thread to MeCha or MeTa last night, as there had been some recent additions tracking his half-assed nefariousness.
posted by loquacious at 9:07 PM on January 9, 2006

If I was a scammer I would kick azz at scamming.
posted by uncanny hengeman at 10:08 PM on January 9, 2006

Holy shit.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:21 PM on January 9, 2006

I'd love some sort of resolution, otherwise I won't know what I can get away with when I'm scamming someone.
posted by OmieWise at 5:09 AM on January 10, 2006

Some people need to get shot more often.
posted by substrate at 6:17 AM on January 10, 2006

Or with better aim.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 7:23 AM on January 10, 2006

Omnie: It would help not to keep posting questions about it using variations of your real name. :P
posted by delmoi at 7:29 AM on January 10, 2006

Man, I had checked out before Buzz and Springload began their apologia.
"OH NOEZ, what if the scammer gets beats upped?"
posted by klangklangston at 7:53 AM on January 10, 2006

If only the scammers did get beats upped, there might be a helluva lot less scamming.

An unfortunate truth is that some people respond only to physical threats to their well-being. Mere social pressure does not suffice.

Indeed, we have a few trollish users on MeFi who demonstrate this truth.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:43 AM on January 10, 2006

An unfortunate truth is that some people respond only to physical threats to their well-being. Mere social pressure does not suffice.

Indeed, we have a few trollish users on MeFi who demonstrate this truth.

Yeah, but...

Surely you aren't serious, FFF? We do still believe in the rule of law, right? That's uncomfortably close to mob rule, what you're suggesting. Anyone ripped off has the law, and their own common sense to protect them. When it comes to trolls on Mefi, remember it is only a website. We all need to walk away sometimes - the answer on the web is to step away from the keyboard. /lecture

Look, I know that you probably didn't mean your words literally. But your words on my screen, with no sarcasm or tone indicator, is all I have. A 'j/k' or emoticon (dread concept) is helpful here.
posted by dash_slot- at 10:33 AM on January 10, 2006

"Anyone ripped off has the law........"

I'm not sure how many times you've asked the law to help you after being ripped off. But you seem to be wildly naive about how much help it might be. Let me just say that the eBay fraud department, which is pretty damn worthless, is certainly more effective than the cops for this sort of thing. The scammer in question knows this.

Now if he knew that sooner or later one of his victims was going to come over and give him $3000 worth of beating, he'd have found some other way to entertain himself.

But...... When it comes to trolls on MeFi, even I am willing to admit that's a little over the top. In fact if we developed a reputation for being a community which occasionally beat up forum trolls, I think that would make discourse around here worse rather than better.

Still, if a strong majority of MeFi users think a specific member needs to be beaten up, I suppose I would support such a thing. Five fresh fish- Who are you suggesting we beat up? No need for vague hints. Let's have the issue out in the open. You would beat up who?
posted by y6y6y6 at 11:18 AM on January 10, 2006

I've been good, I swear! It was only two or three img tags. Please don't hurt me . . .
posted by JeffK at 11:31 AM on January 10, 2006

I like the misreading of Omiewise's name as Omniewise. Omniscient, dude!
posted by matildaben at 11:37 AM on January 10, 2006

y6y6y6 - I would totally watch MeFi cage matches. Instead of meetups we should arrange a league of violence. I can't wait to see special finishing moves such as "The Cheeto's Grip" and the fan-favourite "Bloated Bachelor Belly Blast".

I look forward to representing England in the "way too much alcohol, tobacco and eating meat products" category against jonmc in the international events.
posted by longbaugh at 12:16 PM on January 10, 2006

I look forward to representing England in the "way too much alcohol, tobacco and eating meat products" category against jonmc in the international events.

Note to self: must obtain front-row seat.
posted by scody at 12:32 PM on January 10, 2006

You'll want to sit a wee bit further back than that unless you have one of those waterproof ponchos they hand out at SeaWorld.
posted by longbaugh at 12:36 PM on January 10, 2006

Scody: I hear they're even gonna do the fight Turkish Wrestlin' style.
posted by klangklangston at 12:40 PM on January 10, 2006

I've been feeding my tapeworm up 'specially klang.
posted by longbaugh at 12:41 PM on January 10, 2006

Hey, where were all you wrestlin' fans when me and freebird were having our bout? My manager said the gate was so lousy I'd have to pay him. I coulda been a contendah!
posted by languagehat at 12:49 PM on January 10, 2006

Can ThePinkSuperhero and I throw down for the right to have The Only unwieldily Username With Intercaps and the Word "Pink" In It?
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 1:10 PM on January 10, 2006

Dude, she's a superhero...
posted by blue_beetle at 1:18 PM on January 10, 2006

And I'm a super villain.
(Just remember InterCaps when you spell the man name...)
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 1:24 PM on January 10, 2006

Looks like I'll be debuting my new persona, Earnest: Minister for Stating The Obvious. Watch out for my classic catchphrases "ooh, careful now" and "Shake. That's better, isn't it."
posted by dash_slot- at 1:48 PM on January 10, 2006

No change there, then.
posted by dash_slot- at 1:49 PM on January 10, 2006

"Who are you suggesting we beat up? No need for vague hints. Let's have the issue out in the open. You would beat up who?"

I can think of a few members I'd like to spank, but they already know about it.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 2:07 PM on January 10, 2006

dash_slot: No, I'm serious. You know full well that there are disruptive and destructive members here who will never change their behaviour, because being an asshole is what they value above all else. No amount of words, no amount of social pressure, no amount of inconsequential sysop action will ever change them.

In real-life society we have a solution: fines, jail, and -- because of the kind of company such people typically keep -- the inevitable karmic retribution that ends up with them being assaulted by gang members, overdosing, or being shot by a home-owner.

In on-line society we have a solution: bannination. It's the TCP/IP equivalent of a drive-by shooting.

The world would truly be a groovy place if everyone acted in a manner that demonstrated good consideration for others'. We have laws and consequences only because some (many?) people don't behave well.
posted by five fresh fish at 2:36 PM on January 10, 2006

Are there ever meet-ups in Bakersfield?
posted by R. Mutt at 3:58 PM on January 10, 2006

yes but they never end well.
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 4:08 PM on January 10, 2006

Someone always ends up getting ripped off.
posted by Mid at 10:23 AM on January 11, 2006 [1 favorite]