The Simkin Spectacle

[David Guyatt]

David

John alone would never. QED he is not the Mickey the Dope he would have us believe.

It's just that over the years, it's teeth-gnashingly apparent.

I like your Prof's rumpled rags and the wisdom that goes with them.

In case you're wondering, I don't have it in for teachers. One of my daughter's in law is one, a damned good one too, and she's really great.

But English head masters of John's age were of a far different calibre than those of today. Autocratic would have been common-place, I think.

No, he's not a dope. But he is incredibly stubborn, I think - often to his own detriment.

You might remember he brought in a rule that all member's had to have an accurate, seeable avatars, when a great many members didn't use them, or purposely eclipsed their faces - or, for various reasons, used what I shall describe as foto de plume's. A small number of members were either expelled or suspended for declining this diktat, as I recall. Others, I suppose, might just have quietly left. I myself had previously told John that I wasn't going to use an accurate avatar (I downloaded and used one from the internet) as I had recently suffered two very menacing death threats - that saw, for example, a police sergeant scrambling around beneath my car and it's bonnet and then sweating profusely after he got in, pumped the accelerator several times and turned the key. That was one very brave cop.

Anyway, even some years after that rule was brought in, Len Colby's picture was still that of some simmering black dude.

One rule for them. Double standards, etc.

But I think we all now understand the difficulties involved in managing a forum. It's not easy graft. There are periods of quietude and then periods of intense activity - sometimes when you least need it to happen. There is also always a search for choosing the right thing and trying to balance the irreconcilable opposites. Sometimes, perhaps too often, errors of judgement happen, frustrations arise, emotions burn etc. It's just the great diversity of human nature at play.

[Peter Lemkin]

David

John alone would never. QED he is not the Mickey the Dope he would have us believe.

It's just that over the years, it's teeth-gnashingly apparent.

I like your Prof's rumpled rags and the wisdom that goes with them.

In case you're wondering, I don't have it in for teachers. One of my daughter's in law is one, a damned good one too, and she's really great.

But English head masters of John's age were of a far different calibre than those of today. Autocratic would have been common-place, I think.

No, he's not a dope. But he is incredibly stubborn, I think - often to his own detriment.

You might remember he brought in a rule that all member's had to have an accurate, seeable avatars, when a great many members didn't use them, or purposely eclipsed their faces - or, for various reasons, used what I shall describe as foto de plume's. A small number of members were either expelled or suspended for declining this diktat, as I recall. Others, I suppose, might just have quietly left. I myself had previously told John that I wasn't going to use an accurate avatar (I downloaded and used one from the internet) as I had recently suffered two very menacing death threats - that saw, for example, a police sergeant scrambling around beneath my car and it's bonnet and then sweating profusely after he got in, pumped the accelerator several times and turned the key. That was one very brave cop.

Anyway, even some years after that rule was brought in, Len Colby's picture was still that of some simmering black dude.

One rule for them. Double standards, etc.

But I think we all now understand the difficulties involved in managing a forum. It's not easy graft. There are periods of quietude and then periods of intense activity - sometimes when you least need it to happen. There is also always a search for choosing the right thing and trying to balance the irreconcilable opposites. Sometimes, perhaps too often, errors of judgement happen, frustrations arise, emotions burn etc. It's just the great diversity of human nature at play.

As I was a moderator [until summarily removed - even as a pleb], I can assure you that although not mentioned much, it was official policy, that anyone who presented reasonable evidence that a 'realistic/true' photo of themselves might endanger themselves in some way, would be allowed to have something other. Many more than Colby were given 'leeway'....I could easily list 15 or more who were given carte blanche to put up whatever they wanted for an avatar. However, even-handedness was not followed - those on JS's 'good' list were allowed to do this; those on his 'shit' list could never have a photo that fit the 'bill'. While moderators had little to no input or information on this [it was JS's decisions 99.9%], I could clearly see that some who had NO legit reason to hide their faces or obscure them, were allowed to. Others who had valid reasons were given a hard time or denied......and removed eventually. Anyone who posted about the apparent unequal treatment was dealt with very harshly by JS, who abides NO criticism of his god-like abilities to be 'fair'. Oh, and a very very few were allowed to use 'pen names' rather than their own real ones - on the same basis of their personal security. Not aware that was abused - but have no information on which to determine.

[Jim DiEugenio]

Am I the only one getting an unavailable message from the EF?

Its not a bandwidth signal I don't think.

BTW, did everyone see Gary Loughran's wonderful and defiant comments to Simkin about setting up a forum for those under 60? Gary is irish and boy did it show in those two posts. Always liked that guy and thought that, next to Scully, he was the best moderator there.

[Phil Dragoo]

The Education Forum is currently unavailable

The Education Forum is currently offline



Please check back later.

Thank you!

[Magda Hassan]

Could just be doing some sort of maintenance. Depending on what needs to be done some times this is required. Eg forum software upgrades.

[David Guyatt]

It never used to be an uncommon event, late in the month usually, for EF bandwidth to be exceeded. I think JS then paid an extra amount to proceed.

[Magda Hassan]

Not really the end of the month though? More like the middle.

[David Guyatt]

Not really the end of the month though? More like the middle.

Yep, I know.

[Magda Hassan]

Not really the end of the month though? More like the middle.

Yep, I know.

Maybe his bandwidth has been eaten up with all the latest boohaha?

[David Guyatt]

Oops.

Simkin is closing the JFK forum down. See [URL="http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=20284"]HERE
[/URL]

John Simkin

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Posted Today, 07:09 AM
On 9th June I started a thread on the Future of the JFK Forum. I explained the reasons why I established the JFK Forum in March, 2003 and why I was so concerned about the way it had deteriorated into a Forum of bullying and personal abuse. I said I would make one last effort to make it work.

http://educationforu...showtopic=20259

However, it soon became clear that I did not have the full support of my moderators. One of them, Gary Loughran, actually used the thread to carry out an attack on me.

In real life, I have surrounded myself with kind and supportive friends. They know who I am and act accordingly. My life is good and it is virtually without conflict. Yet on the Forum I have to take this abuse. I can no longer endure the stress this creates. Nor do I have the time or energy to try to keep people under control.

My original vision of JFK researchers coming together to share information in a collaborative and friendly way does not appear to be favoured by enough members to make it work. I have therefore decided to close it down and let members form the kind of Forum that is more to their liking.