This is the Message Centre for Felonious Monk - h2g2s very own Bogeyman

Panicking?

Post 1

Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am...

I prefer to call it having sensible and well-reasoned discussions about what we as a community can do to save something we care about. As opposed to bitching about how things don't match our vision for How It Should Be and telling everyone that they've only got themselves to blame.

You, sir, are a pillock.


Panicking?

Post 2

Felonious Monk - h2g2s very own Bogeyman

You sir, should go to hell. You should also get out more often. h2g2 has had its day and virtually everything that it does has been done better for some time now by other sites. This moment has been coming for quite some time now, and I have warned about this for ages.

In fact, I welcome the demise of h2g2. If only because I don't have to listen to any more pious cant about 'communities' from people like yourself who seem to do or say very little of any consequence whatsoever.


Panicking?

Post 3

Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am...

Wow, you've really got the measure of me. smiley - rolleyes I spend all my time online and do nothing of any merit. Amazing that you've got all that just by reading my posts here. Well done.


Panicking?

Post 4

Felonious Monk - h2g2s very own Bogeyman

I'll tell you what I do/have done, shall I? I work in *real* communities. I set up an organisation in Nottingham to stop violent men from beating up their wives and partners. I and a few other like-minded blokes volunteered much of our time for several years to get this off the ground and it ran successfully and possibly even saved a few lives and relationships. I still do community-based work now, I just don't bang a drum about it. Currently I'm helping campaign to stop our library from being closed.

So don't even *presume* to lecture me about communities, because I've been there and seen the best and worst of them. If h2g2 really matters *that* much to you then it's a very sad indictment of your sense of what's important, and what isn't. Don't expect everyone -especially not me - to share it.


Panicking?

Post 5

Felonious Monk - h2g2s very own Bogeyman

Oh yeah, and while we're at it, I also act a community outreach worker for my company in local schools.


Panicking?

Post 6

Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am...

Right, and that's all very laudible and I applaud you for it. But that's not even remotely relevant to this site or what's happening to it. You're the one who brought real world merit into this conversation so don't lecture me about doing so.

h2g2 is important to me because I've made some very good friends here and it's the only place that's ever inspired me to not only start writing but finish it, there are many RL things which are more important which is why I've not written a lot of Edited Entries, but I won't just sit back and let the place die. I can't say that about Facebook for example or Wikipedia, I'd drop them tomorrow if they were under threat. And I'm not lecturing you on communities (I apologise if it came across that way, it really was not my intention), nor *expecting* you to share my views, merely asking that you respect them instead of posting unconstructive vitriol all over the place whilst demanding that people share your views.


Panicking?

Post 7

Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am...

And just so you're aware the implication that I'm a worthless human being with no real priorities is hurtful and actually quite upsetting.


Panicking?

Post 8

Felonious Monk - h2g2s very own Bogeyman

"demanding that people share your views"

Rubbish: I'm doing no such thing. I'm just making *my* view - trenchant and unpopular though it may be - perfectly plain. This place has been in trouble for years and I have said so quite plainly. Nobody can accuse me of 20-20 hindsight: read F52677?thread=6497437 if you don't believe me. The time for being constructive was way back in the past. The moment has gone, and now it's simply a question how best to move on.

One thing you don't seem to grasp about communities: they always have their malcontents like me, and it's people like me who actually can act as a force for change. Most, however, were perfectly content to let h2g2 drift without any particular direction or even a sense of critical self-awareness: as soon as I posted the blog entry I mentioned above, the 'h2g2 in the Blogosphere' link DISAPPEARED from the Front Page.

Well, forgive me for being a Cassandra or even a Jeremiah, but I'll happily take that over Chicken Little any bloody day.


Panicking?

Post 9

Felonious Monk - h2g2s very own Bogeyman

Good. Now you know what it feels like being called a 'pillock' by a total stranger.


Panicking?

Post 10

Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am...

I'm well aware that all communities have malcontents. I've been one myself in several places. The reason why I am against you and with people like Natalie and Vip is that instead of saying the "the EG is everything, the community is rubbish" they're saying things like "the EG should get more focus but that's no reason to kill the community", you put your case very eloquently but you do it like something carved into a granite slab: once it's written there's no possibilty of revision. For any malcontent to become a real force for change they need learn how to listen as well as talk.

I am sorry that my calling you a pillock caused you so much offence, but petty name calling is not the same as calling someone's worth as a human being into question. Not. Even. Remotely.


Panicking?

Post 11

Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am...

For what it's worth I also apologise for coming in here so aggressively. Saying you were bitching about things was an unnecessarily confrontational way of putting it, but your postings on the subject were starting to annoy me and being the human being that I am (and therefore flawed and emotional) I allowed that annoyance to influence my words.

I truly have no personal issues with you at all, I just don't like your attitude towards the h2g2 community.


Panicking?

Post 12

The Monks Ghost

Well, we'll see how the 'community' evolves, shall we? I'm heartened by Robbie Stamp's announcement that it will have a remit to encourage writing and literacy, and there will be outreach work in schools. My attitude, for what it's worth, is one of despair at seeing a group of people becoming far to pleased with itself losing touch with what is really important. Nobody *outside* h2g2 was really concerned at its fate, once the announcement was made. What does that tell us? Now it's NOT going to be propped up by the BBC, and this is a GOOD THING because it's going to have to pay its own way, which implies that it's going to have to showcase material that people - who have never heard of Adams - will WANT TO READ.

I accept your apology. Just try to abide by the dictum 'engage brain before operating mouth' in future. Especially with people who have a well-established reputation for not suffering fools.


Panicking?

Post 13

Mr. Dreadful - But really I'm not actually your friend, but I am...

smiley - shrug


Panicking?

Post 14

The Monks Ghost

Shrug all you like: you're not Atlas. Even by h2g2's standards. This enterprise has done very well out of the likes of me and several other prolific and capable writers, in fact far better than it's done out of the likes of you.
When members of the former group start voicing their disenchantment, then I'd be inclined to listen to them. They've earned their clout because they've been actively involved from the beginning. It's just a pity that some of them feel that they have to resort to coded messages, such as F20690490?thread=8116524, to voice their misgivings.


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