Bletch, tell us (all) off if you think that’s the fairest way of handling it. But I will say (and I’m sure this is already obvious to you) - that thread has come about as a direct consequence of a growing discontent about Pap’s aggressive and often unreasonable behaviour in debates on this forum. Pap does it because he thinks trolling is a positive thing to get more debate on a forum, plus he’s more sensitive/defensive than he’ll ever admit. But there’s a growing group of people who have experienced it, and it’s not a very nice experience.
You guys have decided that free speech, people power, low moderation style is the way to go for handling these things. Well that’s what you got yesterday. The people turned on the King. And I think it was done in a fair and lighthearted way, with a bit of thought behind the banter. But until you resolve the central conflict of this site, you can’t really complain at people for reacting that way. That we do all still come back shows we all care about the site.
I actually think Tokyo handled himself very well on the thread yesterday. (Can you believe I’ve stood up for Tokyo?) I’m glad people stuck up for TCK. That people have voted forTokyo on the Soviet, to me says we’re looking for another answer.
I mean no offense to you personally Pap - I just think you’ve got massive blinkers on this forum.
And Bletch, I’m glad the whole meeting up thing isn’t so important to you for Soviet membership, because when I first suggested people meet up back in the day, the last thing I wanted was for it to come across as a bit of a clique. If any internet forum can’t respect the fact that some people want to stay anon, then it aint much of an internet forum.
I really like this place, though things seem to be going a bit sour, for no real reason other that people can’t agree to disagree / can’t see the ridiculousness of what they are saying
Just a view, probably not to dissimilar to most who maybe visit the site but hold back from posting.
Maybe it’s also putting of potential new members when they stumble on to the site?
I certainly swerve other sites when I see similar to some of the recent threads…
The pap way - make some accusations (unfounded), some more indirect stuff so he can say later “I didn’t say that” (think beavis is a fake poster), twist cut and paste my words and then never back down or apologise.
I still have no idea why my intentions are being questioned, or why I have to be interviewed but without my questions being answered?
But… I’ll make a deal with you. I’m speaking directly with bletch. He can interview me, ask me anything he likes and I will answer him off line in an honest way. Your part of the deal is you stop moving the goalposts, stop making accusations and pipe down for a bit while I speak with bletch. Deal?
Pap - I’ve always been massively in awe at the enormous amount of effort you’ve put into this site - and I’ve said it more than once.
I’ve also been supportive about the Soviet thing, and I think the splitting of responsibilities sounds a very positive direction. It’s also cool to hear about all the exciting behind the scenes stuff you’re planning.
I would suggest to you - until this is properly set up and properly communicated, (not the current dribs and drabs approach) - I would just lay off the confrontational posting style. You keep telling us your not the Landord anymore - but we’re not experiencing that yet. Act like you’re not the Landord and we might believe you. It won’t happen over night because people by nature are cynical - give it time for the site to transition.
Whether you think I’m out of order or not is kind of by-the-by. These are just my feelings, and I’m communicating them to you. It’s completely down to you whether or not you want to listen.
Here’s my final suggestion on the whole thing as its boring the balls off me now…
Lay out the job description, including whether meetings are part of it. Ask who wants to stand for the Soviet, don’t just randomly pick people who haven’t consented. Take a vote and put a named timescale on duration. Abide by decisions made. You may want to put a minimum number of votes needed in so that someone with two votes (and therefore not representative) doesn’t get elected.
I’m thinking maybe there is a lot of sexual tension on the forum… stands to reason that if you spend ages on interwebthung it’s because you ain’t getting enough ’ lovin’. - been married 21 years… maybe we need more virtual forum love to lighten the respective load so to speak? Sort Bletch style 70s party… at first I thought that what the meet ups are all about…
I’m a dream maker, not a dream crusher. I have a dream that little pap’s and Blethches will be able to join hands with little Tokyo’s and Bears as sisters and brothers.
Candidly, Lou - I’m disinclined to. First, you haven’t listened to me on the pub landlord thing. It’s getting very tiring now. Is this a one-way street? Advice or implorations only to be taken in one direction?
Even if that were not the case, I’m 42 years old, and perfectly capable of managing my own content or style - and taking the consequences, good or bad.
I know it’s only advice and all that, but it’s fairly patronising all the same.
Thanks, and FWIW, @tokyo-saint would be a good fit for a lot of the things we have in mind. We know forums. We’re embarrassingly prolific contributors, and we’ve had the petri dish of Sotonians to try out new things.
We aim to expand and subvert many of the things we’ve learned, but some of that stuff comes with huge cultural implications that need to be discussed. We’ve seen what happens when things change without notification (mentions, design), and we’ve seen what happens when I suggest things upfront (swear filter, showing downvotes).
This is, if you like, A Third Way - you’ll probably be all over it
You are on a need to know basis bear. The council have already had one meeting in your absence and decided to move in a non-bear direction. You will now be in charge of a special word game section where you and supermikey will just say random words to each other for all of eternity. It will be very much like the muppet show before I arrived.
pap has pm me a list of the special frm features he thinks tokyos is “fit for”. Some of them is positively medieval! I have told him to order parts & begin contruction of these awful devices tho. As pap said “you can only go so many times round the mulberry bush. Sooner or later you have to pop the weasel”
