Raise up, ye heroes!

[TheIrishRover]

but now it's like a fucking logbook

Must've missed that one.

Do you take yourself so seriously in real life or just on here? *shuffles off to find threads about listening to vegemite and eating Depot Blues by Charlie Lincoln..........

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I'm very snobby, arrogant, egotistical and often partake in petty classism and other forms of elitism. In fact, I think I'm more toned down here on the board than in real life.

That's one take on it. In my experience a lot of the people I enjoy spending time with here have gone elsewhere citing a lack of Pogues content, an abusive environment, and arguments that never end. People that I enjoy spending time with have left because I HAVEN'T cracked down harder on all this rubbish. People that have been members here for years have left due to harassment that HASN'T been immediately dealt with out of a desire to give everyone an opportunity to be treated fairly. People I like no longer come here because I've been too liberal in how I handle warnings and banning.

Yes - I may not be one of those who you enjoy to spend time with, but at this stage, I´m pretty close to leaving too. In means of active members, sometimes I feel like "Track no.8 from Crock of gold" syndrome. I´m glad I met so many good people here, but many of them are gone.

What's Track Number Eight from Crock of Gold syndrome?

[Clash Cadillac]

What's Track Number Eight from Crock of Gold syndrome?

More Pricks Than Kicks

[Irishbookish]

I interpreted Theirishrover’s ‘serious discussion' comment as meaning ‘intent’ discussion. Just shows how individual perceptions shed different light on a subject. When English isn’t the first language of some of our Medusans they’re doing well conversing here at all. For some people life is so intense that the ‘log’ type threads are like having a coffee with a friend. We all come here for different reasons – this should be respected. Also, just because a person’s posts only show up in certain threads doesn’t mean they’re not browsing around and reading a whole lot of other stuff – they just might not feel the need or perhaps feel confident enough to post on every thread they read.

I wouldn’t think DzM wants to be herding around a whole lot of dull sheep – we all have colourful opinions and some of us are passionate about things we believe in and when a discussion gets intense we will not always agree. That’s normal. It’s when people won’t accept that people’s perceptions and opinions differ and try to change a person – or when folk start getting personal, abusive, rude or resort to name-calling that things shift into the uncomfortable.

About the ‘afraid to speak up’ thing – I think I understand this point. When discussion about off-topic subjects (like the dreaded Vegemite vs Marmite thread issue) came up recently. To me there didn’t seem to be a reason for it’s merge but there was such intense feelings from some that I then felt uncomfortable bringing it out into the open and would definitely think twice about doing so again. We should be able to feel comfortable doing this and others should respect our right to do so as long as we're being reasonable ourselves. It’s important that people feel comfortable enough here to air their feelings or thoughts. We need to be rational and constructive rather than just whingeing (this is not directed at anyone). I would rather a person tell me something important, than let it go on and on and then months later say, “Oh yeah...you’ve been doing this for months/years.” If a person wants to mention something of this nature, it’s important that other members/Mods don’t sound too judgemental.

Some people have been here longer, or are older, younger, wiser – whatever, but each person here loves Pogues. I don’t want to see ANYONE leave Medusa – even those people I find difficult to get along with – because we’re not all going to get along all of the time. I think there are still some cool people left here or the rest of us would have jumped long ago. These are just my thoughts. Please have a nice day ALL Medusans.

[philipchevron]

That's one take on it. In my experience a lot of the people I enjoy spending time with here have gone elsewhere citing a lack of Pogues content, an abusive environment, and arguments that never end. People that I enjoy spending time with have left because I HAVEN'T cracked down harder on all this rubbish. People that have been members here for years have left due to harassment that HASN'T been immediately dealt with out of a desire to give everyone an opportunity to be treated fairly. People I like no longer come here because I've been too liberal in how I handle warnings and banning..

That may be the saddest thing I've read here in weeks. I'm surely not the only one who has noticed how low our numbers have lately become and now DZM has confirmed the reason why. I believe that everyone who contributes to these Forums has some sort of responsibility not to impose themselves and their agenda (if they have one) to such an extent that it alienates other people we consider friends, soulmates, kindred spirits, whatever. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any way to "police" that responsibility that does not come with its own consequences. Responsibility, fragile though it is, has to come from the contributor him or her self. Otherwise we all pay the price with a less vibrant Forum/Fora and truncated friendships with people we like quite a lot. Wise up, folks. Your own definition of Free Speech is not the only thing Medusa is here to serve. Be a bit more generous to others.

[Niall]

That's one take on it. In my experience a lot of the people I enjoy spending time with here have gone elsewhere citing a lack of Pogues content, an abusive environment, and arguments that never end. People that I enjoy spending time with have left because I HAVEN'T cracked down harder on all this rubbish. People that have been members here for years have left due to harassment that HASN'T been immediately dealt with out of a desire to give everyone an opportunity to be treated fairly. People I like no longer come here because I've been too liberal in how I handle warnings and banning..

That may be the saddest thing I've read here in weeks. I'm surely not the only one who has noticed how low our numbers have lately become and now DZM has confirmed the reason why. I believe that everyone who contributes to these Forums has some sort of responsibility not to impose themselves and their agenda (if they have one) to such an extent that it alienates other people we consider friends, soulmates, kindred spirits, whatever. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any way to "police" that responsibility that does not come with its own consequences. Responsibility, fragile though it is, has to come from the contributor him or her self. Otherwise we all pay the price with a less vibrant Forum/Fora and truncated friendships with people we like quite a lot. Wise up, folks. Your own definition of Free Speech is not the only thing Medusa is here to serve. Be a bit more generous to others.

couldnt agree more, and what the bloody hell have i missed by the way?

[LittleCupcakes]

That's one take on it. In my experience a lot of the people I enjoy spending time with here have gone elsewhere citing a lack of Pogues content, an abusive environment, and arguments that never end. People that I enjoy spending time with have left because I HAVEN'T cracked down harder on all this rubbish. People that have been members here for years have left due to harassment that HASN'T been immediately dealt with out of a desire to give everyone an opportunity to be treated fairly. People I like no longer come here because I've been too liberal in how I handle warnings and banning..

That may be the saddest thing I've read here in weeks. I'm surely not the only one who has noticed how low our numbers have lately become and now DZM has confirmed the reason why. I believe that everyone who contributes to these Forums has some sort of responsibility not to impose themselves and their agenda (if they have one) to such an extent that it alienates other people we consider friends, soulmates, kindred spirits, whatever. Unfortunately, I don't think there's any way to "police" that responsibility that does not come with its own consequences. Responsibility, fragile though it is, has to come from the contributor him or her self. Otherwise we all pay the price with a less vibrant Forum/Fora and truncated friendships with people we like quite a lot. Wise up, folks. Your own definition of Free Speech is not the only thing Medusa is here to serve. Be a bit more generous to others.

Amen, brother.

It really isn't that difficult to state one's position without being unneccessarily adversarial and personal, is it?

I happen to have met both DzM and Zuzana. Those of you who feel there is some sort of personal agenda in how these fora are moderated need to listen up! These folks only want a good ship and work hard to make it so. That is ALL they care about! I can't vouch for MacRua however .

[dawson]

Nial, a couple of posts got moved from one thread to another, and all hell broke loose.

[IrishRover]

oits rarely that what oi wroite or quoite ois woithoiut a symboiloic meanoing;
Goids vs. cloids stoiry laughs boig toime at hypoicroitoical "soicoiety oirder & categoiroies"; do we need Goids & cloids foir the soicoiety oin any of oits segments to "throive"? oir ois oit the Goids who need the cloids? just the fact of soimeoine beeoin' the lucky oiwner of whatever "poiwer" oit may be(moiney, poisoition, manageroial or oither rank, boirth certoifoicate..) hardly makes hem a Goid, no, noit by a loing shoit ! noir doies the lack of the same makes anyoine else to be a cloid; woiuld the "soicoiety of Goids" agree woith me? no, but oi hoipe oi explaoined me point, at least a boit of the essence

[soulfinger]

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I'm very snobby, arrogant, egotistical and often partake in petty classism and other forms of elitism. In fact, I think I'm more toned down here on the board than in real life.

Go you!

[soulfinger]

couldnt agree more, and what the bloody hell have i missed by the way?

It's been a train wreck mate. You should've stuck to chasing the kids for their coursework for a bit longer.

[SluggerOToole]

"I didn't know we 'ad a king! I thought we were an autonomous collective."

As Philip has stated above, it is deeply sad to see the forum in such a state of discord. Reading the posts above I have become extremely concerned for its future to such an extent that I have abandoned my lurker's cloak to express my support for all the work that DzM and the other mods do for our benefit.

I generally read through the forums every few days and dip in and out of several diverse topics. Until now I hadn't taken the next step of registering and making my own contribution but for the sake of the forum it seems like an opportune time to do so.

Every contributor here is entitled to hold and express their own opinions but a basic level of respect for our fellow members should be a basic requirement. That doesn't preclude anyone from engaging in heated discussion, vigorous debate or, heaven forbid, actually agreeing to disagree with each other. This isn't imposing a set of Stalinist rules or dictats - it's basic human decency.

[TheIrishRover]

This isn't imposing a set of Stalinist rules or dictats - it's basic human decency.

You're right; it's not a set of Stalinist rules or dictates. There are no rules. THAT is the very problem with the moderation. It's all "I don't like this, so I'll delete it." The mods have carte blanche to do as they please. Oh, to be a Stalinist dictatorship with rules and dictates!!

[DzM]

This isn't imposing a set of Stalinist rules or dictats - it's basic human decency.

You're right; it's not a set of Stalinist rules or dictates. There are no rules. THAT is the very problem with the moderation. It's all "I don't like this, so I'll delete it." The mods have carte blanche to do as they please. Oh, to be a Stalinist dictatorship with rules and dictates!!

I honestly have absolutely nothing to reply to this with. If you really think this arrangement is worse than a Stalinist regime ... well ... there's absolutely nothing I can say to such a blatantly absurd claim.

[TheIrishRover]

And there were no bread lines either, were there?

[Sandyfromvancouver]

This isn't imposing a set of Stalinist rules or dictats - it's basic human decency.

You're right; it's not a set of Stalinist rules or dictates. There are no rules. THAT is the very problem with the moderation. It's all "I don't like this, so I'll delete it." The mods have carte blanche to do as they please. Oh, to be a Stalinist dictatorship with rules and dictates!!

I honestly have absolutely nothing to reply to this with. If you really think this arrangement is worse than a Stalinist regime ... well ... there's absolutely nothing I can say to such a blatantly absurd claim.

Thought provoking stuff. I've never found Medusa dreadfully authoritarian or anarchic. As someone who has had their (probably idiotic) contributions divided into various threads, I have to say I didn't mind. I figured I'd been out of line, and if I groused, I was doing it with a smile. The splits added to the fun.

Personally I hate it when there's too much discord. Makes me second guess everything I start to write and feel sheepish over what I've written. People, if you don't like something someone does or writes, tell them if you want, but don't be abusive. Unfun to read.

Maybe we shouldn't be taking ourselves so fucking seriously. Why not look at what the Pogues have been through for inspiration. . . .starting with the interview with Noel Hill, perhaps?