WebSleuthsReviews 106

I asked websleuths to close down an account then opened a new one with a new email which I was using for a few Months. They suddenly banned me for having multiple accounts with no warnings or explanation. So if someone changes their email provider and sets up a new account they are basically banned from websleuths.

This website is not really about sleuthing it is about controlling a tight narrative that is shaped by the owners and moderators political and social bias. It prides itself on being "tightly moderated" but the moderation results in outright censorship especially when you see reasons for moderators deleting posts only apply when the wrong opinion is given seeing as how the "right" opinions are never censored meeting the very same criteria. If you disagree with their narrative you will be censored as "bickering." Don't come here if you expect an open forum about missing people and crime or you will be severely disappointed. Somebody needs to create a new equitable crime discussion website that does not censor the members.

Websleuth's is not a freedom of speech website. Moderators delete, and ban anyone who's opinion differs from theirs.
A true waste of time.

I was a member for 12 years and they banned me. I went off in a forum on the newbies and how they kept posting stupid comparisons and why didn't Websleuths monitor them, etc. Got put on time out and that just set me off more so, Silly Billy-the one who wrote me and said that I should know better-i went off on him and WS policies and they banned me.

Guess what WS? With the exception of Carbuff, dotr, and maybe a handful of others, you're members are ignorant and 2 eggs shy of a dozen.

I'm going to start my own site soon-no lie-and you have to have an IQ of over 50 to be a member. So guess none of you will become members.

Eat it, WS. I'll have more solves than you and your whole community soon. You suck.

A lot of the members are rude and snarky or want a single minded mentality when discussing what happened. They also spread misinformation, repeat the same rumors or start to act like they're facts despite having no proof and get mad if anyone tries to prove it's not true. I got attacked for pointing out one that wasn't true despite having proof. They also obsessively stalk the subject's social media accounts or don't even fully research all the facts and the threads sometimes go in circles. Someone also disappeared from my area few months back and I shared info about the site conditions in the area they disappeared from and got rude responses from people who aren't even from the area and have NEVER been there during the conditions described. The mods remove important information as well that would be helpful in discussing the case or leading to more clues, even info from social media replies from people who know the missing person get removed in threads. I don't think I'm going to bother posting anymore and might just stick to other sites that don't censor important info.

Logged on today for the last time. Intelligent members are being kicked out left and right, traffic is plummeting, opinions are stifled by the moderators, and the owner is only concerned with her YouTube channel. In my (close to) 6 years as a member, I have seen it all. Many members I've talked to agree that things have never been this bad. There is a climate of fear thanks to the Nazi like moderation of Silly Billy. I regret to admit that I have donated money in the past, but definitely never will again. Time for a new owner who actually cares about her members, and not lining her pockets with donations. This site could be great with a little effort and a lot of house cleaning. Good riddance.

Just using the word "politics" or "political"
The mods will ban you. Hahaa! I mean seriously has anyone seen such a terrible display of power and control?
The mods ban you because some old time user reported you because they are inherently weak inside and anything that goes against their narrative must be wrong and reported. Again Ha!
What it comes down to now is, myself and well over a dozen other people have been smart enough to screenshot every post that gets removed and also film the entire action and how quickly they block your account and in a PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE MANNER, do NOT allow you the ability to contact them in any way or form.
Time to bring this generic site down. It is unhealthy and also all speculation and opinion from low level intelligence people who don't use the library, don't read books, just post the latest ABC news link

I've been a member for 9 years, but have barely posted anything on the main forum for months because I'm afraid of being kicked out. I used to love posting there but things have gotten really strict. Most of my friends don't even bother posting anymore either. I think the head moderator called silly billy is now in charge of the site. He/she is truly awful. Reddit is better.

I joined Websleuths some time ago for the discussions. It looked like a tight ship being run, only verified media links were allowed so I felt this was a good place for accurate information.
Boy oh boy what a shock I got. The first time I posted, several members attacked my post and were seriously rude to me. I posted a possibility in one missing person's case and suddenly several of them were posting nonsense about taxis and how they didn't think my idea was likely. Ganging up on me like a pack of schoolyard bullies. They think they are the only ones who's thoughts on the matter count. Rude personal remarks were frequently made by a few particular members. This behaviour is against the mighty TOS as moderators remind people frequently. However, these people were allowed to carry on and their posts were not deleted.
I am not the only one to be treated in this manner. I have heard there is quite a nasty clique on there who are exempt from the rules as they donate or are friends with the owner/moderators and are therefore exempt from the TOS.
Most of the moderators must not have ever had any site moderation experience. Sillybilly (what an appropriate name) is the worst of them all. I think he is on a serious power trip and likes to throw his weight around. Moderators do not like being called out on their bad behaviour, people have been given bans just for challenging them.
Right now, the owner is begging members to give her money to give to the moderators, instead of giving them a Christmas bonus herself. Her usual excuse when she's begging for money is that Websleuths is about to collapse because she can't pay the bills. Her vulgarity is unbelievable, she has posted her begging in the middle of missing and murdered people threads with no thought for how their families might feel.
Basically, if you like being bullied, having a pack of mean girls gang up on you in a thread and berated for standing up for yourself when you are abused, then by all means join. Otherwise avoid Websleuths like the plague.
Review is based on my experience as a member and all IMO JMO and MOO

Mods are censoring posts for the most stupid reasons. Seriously, after some time on boards you get scared to post anything because you never know what will be classified by the mods as rude or TOS breaking. Then bigger absurdity is deleting your account... oh my. I got fed up with being treated as a troll, despite of not doing anything particularly wrong, so I asked the mods to delete my account (you can't do this on your own there). They didn't, just replied that my account will be deleted if I'll keep breaking TOS. I asked for the second time - the silence was deafening. OK, so I did as they suggested, broke as many rules at once as possible and got a lifetime ban (yay!) but guess what, got called an attention seeker in a vitriolic goodbye message from mods. Insanity.

Websleuths is a true crime forum that has every Unsolved missing persons or murder case in America (and beyond) and if it isn't there you can ask to add it. If it is legit they want it respectfully discussed. Websleuths is moderated by amazing volunteers that selflessly give their time to do research and simplify (ie. Maps, time lines, grids) the facts of unsolved cases for purposes of spreading awareness, while being sensitive to family members or loved ones.
Sleuthing is the discussion involved inspiring eachother to use critical thinking and personal experience as a group reference for seeking the questions needed to ask in order to get the answers, one debunking or added fact at a time.
I have a lot of respect for them.

At first I thought websleuths was a great place to be and I really felt like I was making a difference but the longer I stay the more I see the real truth. The inconsistent rules, the favoritism and flat out bullying that is allowed to go on by certain members is terrible. I logged many hours researching, tracing down potential leads, helping to try to identify the unidentified and make something out of the cases that have very little to go on. What do I get in return? Mods deleting my posts for violations of rules that aren't even listed as rules in the first place, then I see other people posting the same thing I just got swatted for posting and they are being praised for "the good idea" Like seriously I haven't done anything to deserve to be forced out but that is how I feel.

FIRST OF ALL, we cant ALL be wrong on here, this site is AWFUL - clearly by the all negative reviews on here alone. The mods are beyond biased, they are all on a power trip, especially SILLY BILLY, but to be honest they are all the same, she/he is just the WORST of a bad bunch. She spends her time (and thats the full 24 hours a day) deleting your posts, closing threads down, banning people left right and centre for just stating their opinion - GET A REAL JOB EH? They will also beg for money for nothing in return, TRICIA will pretend she has no money to keep this site afloat, that shes massively in debt trying to keep this website going for you all, that shes up to her eyeballs in loans just so we can all log on to this amateur dated site... d'aaawwww how nice is she? Hahahahaha, it takes 30 seconds to know this is a fabricated lie (the advertising alone on this site makes sh*t loads of revenue, not to mention the live podcasts and youtube crap she does) she basically just wants some of YOUR money to buy herself a new purse or some more FOOD the fat *****
The favoritism is a joke, they treat you like school kids, you will get put on a time out or even permanently banned for stating an opinion that they disgaree with, THEY ARE A JOKE. How do they get away with it?

I was ban from the group for a month with threats of reporting me to management for allegedly posting false information. Everything I have researched in the Darlie Routier case is based on court documents, interviews by both myself and others and facts that can be found throughout the internet. I was judged and ban from that group without ever having the chance to defend myself. I was clear that the person who is running that groups only allows opinions and statements that go right along with his or her own beliefs in a case. I have tried to contact the admin of that group but have I haven't had any success. I very hurt by their actions and would no longer like to be a member of that fraudulent group or web page. I can not even remove myself from the group because I can not access my account.

Websleuths has a rule that makes absolutely no sense. You will be removed and banned if you speak about race or politics. I understand keeping religion out of the discussion which is another rule. But race and politics are intertwined
I was removed discussing racial profiling in regards to various police departments and the politics surrounding it. These are legit questions when discussing crime. The moderators are bullies. Jerseygrilll and SILLYBILLY are really awful in their treatment to others who disagree with them. If you do not agree with them or the old dinosaur members who were there from day one, you will be treated terrbly and eventually removed without anyway to contact websleuths. They NEVER rerspond to emails. I have screenshots of over 23 emails they never responded to regarding my account. My roommates have the same issue. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME.

Site is supposed to be anti victim blaming... unless the victim is black. The same members will post 10 times in the span of a day about how a black victim deserved what they got. They don't say it flat out, instead they think they are being cute with their subtle jabs. The hate some black victims exceeds the hate some of the killers get. Then there's a thread about the Royal Family and it's literally the same 10 members trashing Megan Markle endlessly. Again the hate directed at baby killers doesn't even come close to the hate she gets. But if you dare call anyone out on their BS you'll get banned for making a personal attack. I decided I just couldn't take anymore. Too many crazies and generally nasty people.

Moderator Sillybilly is one of the worst moderators I've ever experienced. S/he censors people's posts based on individuals she's targeting at any given time. She all day, every day, inserting herself into a high number of comments. Sarcasm isn't allowed on WS, nor any hint of what they think it might be. You have to keep your comments to thoughts & prayers, unicorns, praying hands, and kissing the $#*! of any mod. If you don't write IMO or MOO 10 times they can't figure out you're writing your opinion and will delete a comment. $#*! for brains. This site should be avoided by anyone who wants an actual discussion. Every single post is monitored and once Sillybilly gets a bug up her $#*! she will look for reasons to give timeouts.