h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

....on the eternal thread at http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/classic/F48874?thread=473327&post=6476234#p6476234 Must have taken some calm patience But then looking at your page, I guess that kind of think comes naturally....

Thank you, Skankyrich.

Post 128? Well, I feel a bit sorry for Kevin, who comes across as being a bit immature. He sees the comments as criticism of himself rather than being attempts to improve his entry. I thought that by suggesting something practical and achievable in small steps that it might help him. Sadly, he's chosen to take his ball home. They do say that we see the world not as it is, but as we are.

It's a really fine line to keep sounding friendly while insisting that some stuff really needs to get done, and I thought the way you reacted was a good lesson for a wannabe Scout like me. On the 'Demonology' thread, he was saying that eveything had been done when he hadn't done anything at all to it; you only had to read the last posting to see that. I wonder personally if he's used to being very defensive and protective about his beliefs, and his reaction to us was just a reflection of that. Or maybe we are all griping little moaners, or whatever he said

Yes, it is sometimes difficult to know where that line must be drawn. I don't always get it right. Having seen the other comments, and how Kevin reacted, I thought he might respond better to an achievable suggestion without further finger-pointing. I was wrong; it had occurred to me that he wouldn't be willing to do the work whatever anyone said.

'Or maybe we are all griping little moaners, or whatever he said.' No - I think it was projection - when people see their own faults in others and can't admit to their own failings.

It's a shame really, because he was obviously keen to write entries but just wouldn't put the work in to get it up to scratch (he had an entry he'd obviously worked on as it got into the EG). When you see some of the stuff that gets put into PR, it's a bit disappointing to get a reaction like that - on another entry, a scout and I got a really bad few posts in reply to our gentle pointing out that entries should be factually based! All of a sudden we were humourless people who didn't have a clue how the site should run, etc; ho hum. Still, can't win em all, eh?

Yes, some people interpret criticism of their entries as personal criticism - and sometimes, people *do* make personal attacks, it's true and it can be frustrating when people promise to do things and don't. Often this is not behaviour in isolation - people who don't follow through in PR probably don't follow through in their private lives. PR can be a really valuable learning opportunity for those who are open to it.