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

Why is it that any organisation that is based on volunteers ends up with the most horrendous politics.

For all 3 of my years as an undergrad I was involved in the LINKS unit (St. John Ambulance) and for the first 2 years that was great but when I came back after my placement it seemed that there was so much mud slinging going on about who was or wasn't pulling their weight and how things were being handled.

At another club I am a member of the chairman decided to quit because they felt decisions were being made behind their backs.

Today I stumbled across a friendly name who has decided to leave hootoo not because of the researchers but because of the 'system' and having read a couple of threads it turns out that they felt that where cooling water should have been used some picked up the petrol can instead. (NB this is just my impression from reading a few posts, but even if I'm wrong about this case I know many of us have seen similar incidences)

What I really don't understand is why people can't all just get along and say thanks guys, I appreciate what you're doing regardless of how much more or less you do than anyone else. Volunteering is all about giving what time you can, for some this may be 7 nights a week for others only an evening out of each month. Voluntary organisations work by everybody doing what they can, not by spending all their time complaining that so-and-so isn't pulling their weight.

So please remember, when someone does something as a volunteer, if they don't do it 'Your Way,' don't complain, don't knock them down, if there weren't other volunteers doing it you might have to run the thing all by yourself and where's the fun in that?

so true.... hows tricks?

Not bad, am w*rking semi-hard to get my teeth into my PhD (uni of Surrey, Guildford) so haven't had a lot of time for hootoo, though have been enjoying the Science Explained forums recently.

Have just had financial dent caused by purchase of first yearly rail season ticket though it does mean that I come onto campus early now and finish at a more reasonable hour giving me more time when I get home to spend with Andy, it was beginning to feel like I was living on my own again since we hardly saw each other except for weekends!

As for the issues in the journal, I've severed ties with anything that causes more trouble than the joys it brings, thankfully this is only silly threads on hootoo and LINKS, the other uni club is sorting itself out, I think it's because it's a PG one rather than a UG one and the people are a little bit more mature, there's hope yet eh?!

How's you? Still in the Cambridge area?

yep I'm still in Cambridge, just off east road season ticket?! I had a quick* look at the season ticket prices a while ago for Cambridge to Kings X (when considering work in the City), and decided what with the hastle of traveling every day I didn't really want to pay out a hefty percentage of any likely income to the rail company boy they were expensive So any free time this weekend to attend a meet? I'm about to start relaly* trying to get stuck into my work, need to make some cash to pay for my eratic lifestyle

Did look at doing the meet, but I'd need to check with Andy to see if he's up for it first, it's been a while since we've been up to London so we might pop up and do a few other things before dropping in on you guys, you never know.

The season ticket from Petersfield to Guildford (approx 30 miles) was £2104! and because it's peak rate I can't get any discount on it However it does give me an incentive to get in early each morning!