- Jan 25, 2023
- 93
- 3
What is your Steam name? Snowshoe
What is your type of punishment? Ban
What platform was the punishment on? Servers
What is your SteamID? [U:1:77478907]
Who applied the punishment? Web Ban (If you know who actually applied it, I would like to know)
When were you punished? Feb 19, 2025
Briefly summarize what led to you getting banned. Why should we unban you/shorten your ban length? The ban reason is "Historic pedo flag in bio." with no elaboration beyond that.
I have no interest in causing trouble here, only TF2 mapping. Liking cub art (which several of your members do) doesn't automatically make you a danger to anyone here, and I certainly am not.
The whole reason I had the flag to begin with was during Pride month two years ago, as paraphile/sexuality flags are typically used as part of avatars during that time of year. I stopped using that specific flag (and did not use it again next year) when I learned it was a troll flag created with the express purpose of entrapping people who have done nothing wrong, including people like myself who have no intention of harming minors at all. I have since adopted a different flag with purple stripes, one specifically for cub art so it is NOT confused with actual minors (which I do NOT support). I ask that you respect that change, which I have not reneged on since, and I ask that you understand the fact that I did not bring either such flags into your community at the time of the ban. I don't think people who abuse minors should have any place at all here or anywhere, and I reiterate that I have no intention to do such a thing.
I am assuming that the ban reason is alluding to TF2M staff using years-old profile pictures on Discord as evidence, when it was not posted on the site, servers or chat. This ban was enacted with no warning and frankly, is completely unrelated to any of my messages in the Discord or anywhere else. I simply rejoined the server (without the flag at all) for a TF2 update and was punished. At best the flag was on Discord's avatar CDN for the week or so I regrettably had it, during a time I was not posting with it on the TF2M Discord (you will see that no one there has ever commented on it). Maybe this behind the scenes record keeping of Discord profile edits, and saving them who knows where for who knows how long, is part of your policy, but I don't think it's fair in this case. I encourage anyone to find one piece of evidence that I've harmed or plan to harm any minor. Even an accusation. You will not. If I did something that heinous, a permaban would be deserved, but that did not happen. I'm an artist, not a rapist.
I am even willing to accept that I should leave if I am not wanted here, and I will if I am asked to. It is fully within the rights of the staff to expel anyone they want. However, I would prefer that the ban be lifted (or at least shortened from a ban for life), and/or the ban reason removed, because it is intentionally vague, misleading and the wording does not reflect my intentions, in the past or today. I was not banned because I attacked anyone on TF2M or because I preyed on some child, as the word "pedo" heavily implies (I'm sure you're aware of the power of malice behind this word, and other words like "nonce"). I was banned over a flag I stopped using way before this ban happened. I get why this system to scan profile history is in place, but I am not a bad actor or conspirator. I am simply a TF2 mapper and that is the only subject I care to bring here.
If none of this convinces you that this ban is needless and contrived, then I should at least bring to your attention Aar, a popular TF2 Youtuber and active TF2M contributor who has had his own involvement with cub art and sexual interest in canonically underaged fictional characters. To be fair, Aar can draw and comment on whatever kind of cub art they want, I'm just skeptical about the rules being applied here. If the rules should be applied to Aar as well, because of Aar's past (such as mine), or Aar's offsite behavior, then I think the punishment should be applied equally across members, not selectively, and not just because it's convenient for you to do at the time.
