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Gaia online's owners are still acting like it's being run out of a garage, nothing works ... new things are added and stop working ... things that you pay for mess other things up. Gaia is pulling in a lot of money with the cash shop items. The owners are making mega bucks for poor service.

On 10/30/07, my GaiaOnline account Wishbone Redemption was banned, without e-mail notification or prior infractions. I can only assume that I was banned for operating two discussion threads on pedophilia in the Extended Discussion- this was before the censorship rule came into effect. There were two threads, the first and longest titled 'Pedophilia Explained'- it was deleted nearly a week before Clause #9 of the ToS was released, and I was given no explanation. The second was titled 'Paraphilias Explained- Why Deviancy is Not a Disorder', and mentioned pedophilia only briefly and in a clinical context. I had it deleted myself after Clause #9 was released. I deleted all content that may have been interpreted as breaking the rule, and I never advocated child abuse, illegal activities, or posted anything resembling child erotica.

At the time of my primary account's banning, my second account, Wishing Bone, was simultaneously banned, along with my sister's unaffiliated account, lime_whirlpool. I believe she was banned because of our shared IP address, although I'm uncertain.

Two days after this (11/02/07), I created another account (Wishbone Returns) and identified myself as the former Wishbone Redemption. I was banned within two days. This time, however, I received an e-mail notifying me that I had 'provided material harmful to Gaian users'. I sent several inquiries, but got no response.

I believe I was banned for posting discussion threads relating to pedophilia, for stating my support for law-abiding pedophiles, and for being a member of the thrice-banned guild The Sexual Acceptance Guild, or TSAG. While GaiaOnline can certainly ban any user for any reason, I never broke policy #9, or any other, to my knowledge. I respectfully request some closure relating to this issue.

The user Mendori has posted on his banning in another topic on GetSatisfaction, where it was revealed by a site moderator that anyone who self-identifies as a pedophile will be banned from GaiaOnline, seemingly without support from the ToS. While I understand how the staff of GaiaOnline may perceive identified pedophiles as a threat the the community, I would like my case addressed. I would also like to see the following, if at all possible:

1. Please explain the policy surrounding the pedophilia controversy. Is there a definite course of action for administrators to follow when faced with a self-identified pedophile who has broken no rules, or does banning occur at the individual admin's discretion? Why was I banned, when the worst I have done is discuss pedophilia in a clinical context, and advocate acceptance for law-abiding persons?

2. Please make this policy explicitly available in the Terms of Service.

3. Please explain GaiaOnline's reasoning for this descision: it has been repeatedly stated that it is for the safety of the users, but, because Gaia's users are pubescent or postpubescent as defined by the ToS, and because none of the parties banned during the pedophilia controversy have been accused of soliciting Gaian users, minors (which would be a felony in my country) or otherwise, I suspect that it has to do with the prompting of an outside organization. I would very much appreciate a disclosure of that organization, if, indeed, there is one.

4. Please explain why my account of two years, Wishbone Redemption, was banned. I believe I was within the Terms of Service at all times. I have never identified myself as a pedophile, I removed all material relating to pedophilia the day the rule came out, and I had never had any other infractions that would justify a banning, according to the ToS. If anything, I advocated greater awareness of molester characteristics, in order to keep Gaia users safe and informed.

Thank you.