Libera.chat ops harass people online

Somehow Libera.chat maintains the idea of living in a parallel universe where no law or manners apply to them. After reporting I was harassed, the libera.chat admin "k-lined" me. In simple words: after I was harassed on libera and asked help, they kicked me out for "harassing".

They don't care

The libera.chat community seems to think they live outside any law. That you can run this public server and let harassment "slide". Most repeat the premise that "its a private space" or some such excuse. In reality, what I've seen are immature people pleasuring themselves with net-bullying of their peers. Trampling upon basic human dignity and laughing at it.

Mind you, some channels and ops on Libera.chat are fine. Just ordinary devs. They have taught me and shown me character.

But then there are the Problems. Pretending they live in a year 2001 Matrix-movie. Out of touch with reality. It is childish, it is wrong, and it normalizes harassment and hating online.

You can't say I didn't try to change the fact

I've pleaded for reason. I've iterated why its not quite so that you can stomp on other people using server-software, if they only have a client-software or no operator privilege.

I've argued against personal attacks and suggested that channel ops (moderators) do their duty: basic housekeeping. That ad hominems would be a simple standard, where the line between talk and bullying has been crossed. Ad hominems as in insults or attacks at a person, not incorrect argumentation as per rhetorics.

But its not about that at all. Its not some random oversight, it seems to me. This happens over, and over. And it happened over in Freenode - where the same community used to be.

These people are there to abuse other people, and they know they can get away with abusing other people.

So why was I at chemistry channel on Libera.chat?

I keep studying the things I feel I am weak at. This year, months ago, I decided to study chemistry. Maybe aerogel-research has some new innovation I could use? I have read both basic chemistry, biochemistry and aerogel patents and publications.

And then I happened to find a chemistry-channel on Libera.chat. I was running a channel for my Open Source game-project Mutonex on Libera.chat. There I was on ##chemistry, both trying to learn and answer questions.

Whats my fault? How did it start?

Starting from a disagreement over surface treatment of cast iron. And as I always do, I have the scientific sources, its one of the things I can do. You can't just leave cast iron without hydrophobic treatment as it will absorb moisture from air and rust.

So, thats when the personal attacks started. They attempted to frame me as some foil-hat. They dug out the old logs for things I had written earlier, and then attempted to misrepresent me. Also, just plain ad hominems, disrespect.

Was I the hundredth person harassed on the channel?

Because then the channel op joined in - instead of attempting to stop the ad hominem -attack directed at me, to get back to topic of chemistry.

My fault? I simply stated that these misrepresentations are not correct, and re-stated my original questions. Seeing they would not have chemistry talk, I left.

And I had asked them to stop the attacks. And asked the channel op to act. They didn't.

Then denial: What Libera.chat does with reports of harassment

So, I asked for help on the #libera channel. I wrote I have been harassed and asked for advice. I did get some advice, from an unknown admin under the nick "kline".

I also crashed onto a wall of denial.

The head op @She (afaics) basically told me "it isn't so" - that I wasn't harassed. They told me "but it isn't really harassment". They denied it happened. They don't want to deal with it. Seems to me they want to hide this reality that they help to uphold and maintain: hating, harassment, trolling.

As if chemistry-channels are about me? It was all off-topic. The channel op was there all this time, pretending its normal. Perhaps it is normal to them.

The victims get kicked out

But then it gets really weird. Truly a parallel universe. I can only guess at the train of thought here.

Today Libera.chat admins kicked me for talking about harassment

I wanted to think about this. Is there a way to change things? What could you do to stop people from mobbing others on Libera? And other questions. Who do I talk to? The libera community. Or so I thought one should do in a situation like this. I mean, given these are smart nerdy geeks with all the programming and sci-stuff from years before, right? I wrote a couple of comments, and included a link as the background. Nothing long, just 2-3 lines.

But its over for me. The community boss wants me to shut up.

I have been silenced. The Libera.chat community doesn't want me as a person. I am only a victim to be laughed at and kicked out after the fun, and this is what they want to keep doing. Its not a community, but a whipping square.

Aalto University has funded this?

No. Aalto University Departments of Communications and Networking has not sponsored Libera.chat, according to department professors.

Neither has Aalto Department of Computer Science.

According to department professors the deps do not sponsor anyone, and mentioned that the use of Aalto University -logo on Libera.chat/sponsors page may be slightly questionable, while Aalto Uni isn't that strict about the use of their trademarks.

Yet Libera.chat has Aalto University -logo on their Libera.chat/sponsors page. A pattern of dishonesty begins to emerge.

Linode has donated server-space?

Fun with Linodes servers? Lets slander this Casimir-dude online for half-an-hour, call him a domineering chimpanzee, and misrepresent him? Sure, the channel op wants in, too!

Its not a joke to me. These ops hate people, at whim. That is not right.

I can live with the fact that someone slanders me on irc. Calls me a chimp. What ever.

A group of people attacking someone online is harassment

But the fact that several people including Libera.chat channel ops attack me, posture like I am second-class citizen, I don't like. I don't want this. I have done nothing to deserve this hate. Its your hate, take it elsewhere!

Server admins and Libera.chat ops attacking someone online is serious case of harassment

And the fact that server admins silence people who ask help with abuse, is serious. I don't even know what to do. But this is totally wrong. You can't irc-hate on people like this, with or without Aalto University funding.

Except thats what Libera.chat community did.

On Libera.chat I have no value as a person. I am just someone to be trolled, hated and then kicked out.