Portobello Matters - new forum

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 06 Dec 2004, 23:58

unwelcome callers could easily be defenestrated

Problem there is that I live on the ground floor

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 07 Dec 2004, 00:02

Marya wrote:
unwelcome callers could easily be defenestrated
Problem there is that I live on the ground floor

Yeah but you must have windows

At least you won't kill anyone!

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 07 Dec 2004, 00:09

It was meant to be a joke on how it's now ok to kill your burglars.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 07 Dec 2004, 00:11

Dada, I think you have hit on a great concept. We could use the postal code directory to grant specific posting rights. With graduated access powers. So for example if you own a property in say John Street or East Brighton Crescent you could post new topics in any forum (BP) but if you rent a propertyin the same street then your topic creation powers will be suitably curtailed. Bath Street people would have more rights than Kings Road people who would only be allowed on the 12 bus.

Brian McCrow · Post by **Brian McCrow** » 08 Dec 2004, 10:35

How's about using the poll mechanism. Whoever posts the topic can use the poll mechanism for people to vote on it being moved to Porty Matters and/or Bob can also add a poll to a topic, which he thinks is suitable for Porty Matters.

We all vote and it gets moved or not.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 08 Dec 2004, 14:07

Brian, when Bob started this thread he stated, amongst other things;

"I'm sure that we all want our community forum to be as inclusive as possible."

Where do you see polling, which by definition has losers, fitting in with this statement?

Post by **wangi** » 08 Dec 2004, 15:10

Bob/Mods, can you punt:

http://porty.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=918 (prom toilets, new title maybe)
http://porty.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=940 (milton rd bridge)
http://porty.org.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=26 (bottom of bath st)

into the serious forum, pretty please. All are active and of serious interest to the local community.

...

And in general I think it would be better to open up the other forum to general posting. You've got to trust that on the whole folks do the right thing, most of the time...

Brian McCrow · Post by **Brian McCrow** » 08 Dec 2004, 15:32

Porty

I only intended the polling as a mechanism for moving items on the Porty Matters. It's not intended to have winners and losers

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 08 Dec 2004, 17:47

Brian McCrow wrote:Porty, I only intended the polling as a mechanism for moving items on the Porty Matters. It's not intended to have winners and losers

Maybe you didn't intend your polling system to have winners and losers but I'm unaware of any form of polling that doesn't have them. I was trying to garner your view on how you felt polling sat with Bob's statement on inclusion?

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 08 Dec 2004, 17:51

Wangi, I think its completley out of order that you are having to make a special request on behalf of the members oif this Portobello Community to have their chosen subjects entered in a forum especially created for Portobello Matters.

The Portobello Matters forum should play a filing role, where Portobello subjects are kept neatly and an archive is built up. What the Mods seem to have in mind is more of a nightclub with Bouncers on the door deciding who is and who is not suitably attired.

Good luck with your request, here is a copy of the response you got the last time you asked:

"Obviously a huge issue but I didn't move it because I feel that it's a dead issue, since the important decisions have already been made and the building is now with us. That's not to say that there aren't lessons to be learned but I think that's a separate debate. "

Whether you succeed or fail, the fact you are asking is against the raison 'd tere (Sp) of Portobello On Line.

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 08 Dec 2004, 17:52

Porty

if you wanted to look on the bright side you could say that an open poll is the most inclusive way of deciding an issue - everyone gets an equal shout.

I think you should relax for a while and see how it goes - you prominant local business men have enough to worry about.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 08 Dec 2004, 18:31

mr magnolia wrote:Porty.....if you wanted to look on the bright side you could say that an open poll is the most inclusive way of deciding an issue - everyone gets an equal shout.

Do you honestly believe that allowing Portobello people to post a subject in a forum designed for discussion on Portobello issues is a subject we should be voting on here at the Portobello On-Line Community?

If so, can you please share the reason (s).

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 08 Dec 2004, 21:30

Porty wrote:
Do you honestly believe that allowing Portobello people to post a subject in a forum designed for discussion on Portobello issues is a subject we should be voting on here at the Portobello On-Line Community?

If so, can you please share the reason (s).

Well, I was just trying to get you to look on the bright side - what with all this property market crash and general Christmas gloom, I'm worried about you!

More pertinently, I think that if you accept that the forum has moderators then you have to put up with that fact. I think that the issue would be better handled in the longer term if people were able to choose to post new threads on any forum and the mods could move them if they felt it necessary. But for a new forum (really the first new one, discounting the how do I one) it doesn't seem unreasonable to edit with a heavy hand at the start. Once the theme gathers pace I'm sure the management will evolve.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 08 Dec 2004, 22:17

When I sit down with a cup of Cuban coffee I like nothing more than to study man's inhumanity to man (please read "person" if you like) - whether it's the comedic tyranny of Gilliam's Brazil ("here is your receipt for your husband, and this is my receipt for your receipt"), the imagined Hell inhabited by the likes of Orwell's Winston Smith or Kafka's "K", or individual accounts of totalitarianism suffered during the regimes of Stalin or Nixon.

It is therefore with interest that I watch the virtual prison which is being constructed here. It fits the criteria for the following reasons :

1. Excessive bureacracy
2. Constantly changing rules
3. Seemingly arbitrary control exerted by a faceless power
4. A general feeling of hopelessness by the residents of the domain
5. An individual (Porty) trapped in, and struggling against the entrenched power.

I shouldn't have to add that I'm rooting for the little man. Go Porty.

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 08 Dec 2004, 22:47

I think its all in the mind.

But I can see that my amiable shrug in the face of weblife's vicissitudes just doesn't cut the mustard at the minute. So I'll let my agreement with Porty rest as recorded but still hope that neither he nor dada burst a blood vessel at this festive time, when so many A&E staff are already feeling moody about the duff off-duty they've been handed.

Be careful out there, guys!

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 08 Dec 2004, 22:59

mr magnolia wrote:I think its all in the mind.

But I can see that my amiable shrug in the face of weblife's vicissitudes just doesn't cut the mustard at the minute. So I'll let my agreement with Porty rest as recorded but still hope that neither he nor dada burst a blood vessel at this festive time, when so many A&E staff are already feeling moody about the duff off-duty they've been handed.

Be careful out there, guys!

6. collaborators !!

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 09 Dec 2004, 13:16

One man's collaborator is another man's peacemaker...

Post by **wangi** » 09 Dec 2004, 13:37

I'm just frustrated that requests to get threads moved across result in... well, nothing! Three threads which are serious, are important (well to me and others on them anyway) and relevant.

I think a more serious forum is a good idea, but it needs to be thought through, and it needs to be inclusive. There's no point at all in spamming an email to all subscibers to welcome them to the new forum if they cannot then participate and create fresh threads. Everyone's focus is different, my important is probably not yours. Welcome to this serious forum, this is what you will discuss.

"Phoenix House" has been proclaimed as important... But the lack of recent participation in the thread would seem to sugest otherwise!

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 09 Dec 2004, 17:34

wangi wrote: "Phoenix House" has been proclaimed as important... But the lack of recent participation in the thread would seem to sugest otherwise!

It looks to me like the Phoenix House issue is there for 2 reasons;

1) Bob decided that it was important for us.

2) It created an opportunity to post on behalf of Maureen Child in a more serious environment than the more trivial forum that her quotes are normally copied for her.

There is a perfectly functional mechanisim in place to determine what the POL community wishes to discuss. If no-one wants to discuss, few wish to discuss or rather run of things to say then the Topic slides into the archives. We do not need anyone to tell us what's important or not.

wangi wrote:I'm just frustrated that requests to get threads moved across result in... well, nothing! Three threads which are serious, are important (well to me and others on them anyway) and relevant. !

Bob did say he was prepared to listen to other peoples opinions, maybe he is holding off until he hears from someone who supports the decision to restrict POL members?

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 09 Dec 2004, 19:53

Porty wrote: Bob did say he was prepared to listen to other peoples opinions, maybe he is holding off until he hears from someone who supports the decision to restrict POL members?

I think he'll be waiting for a long time in that case!

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 09 Dec 2004, 19:58

I resign.

Bob

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 09 Dec 2004, 20:04

Anonymous wrote:I resign.

Bob

Eh???????

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 09 Dec 2004, 20:22

Bob,

You can't be serious.
If you have resigned, which indeed you seemed to have done (your name has disappeared from sight/site) please, please tell us it's for reasons other than this issue concerning the new forum.
All some people ask is for discussion and consultation on issues and decisions that affect us all as the community that is POL. Surely you want it to be as democratic and inclusive as possible??
You got this whole thing off the ground and cajoled, persuaded and pushed it to where it is now and the introduction of the new forum is proving a big success in making some members more involved and bringing important issues to all of our attention.
Speaking as one of the more generally silly and superficial posters, I appreciate that others deal with issues that I am less informed on and less able to post eloquently on. That's part of the beauty of it all. I learn so much.
Please explain your reasons to us.
If you're experiencing some kind of toy flinging tantrum just now then that's cool and I'd be more than happy to come round and slap you if that would help.
Seriously, Bob, please reconsider this.

I need a drink now - I haven't typed this much ever!

mr magnolia · Post by **mr magnolia** » 09 Dec 2004, 21:11

I feel as though I'm waiting to go into a wake...

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 09 Dec 2004, 21:22

My mailbox is going nuts

Back shortly guys..........

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 09 Dec 2004, 21:49

Well, he's not returning my calls guys, so I guess we'll just muddle along here in the meantime.
Fortunately, the administrator is still registered so he can move topics to the new board and leave Bellybabe and myself in splendid isolation to cope with the rigours of this board. Maybe we'll eventually persuade our leader out of his self-imposed exile (a large G+T may work as bait)....it would be rather shocking if our next POL 'social' was at a wake Mr Magnolia, though at least we'd know what music to play I guess.
Does anyone out there have a Revillos' CD?

Beach Babe · Post by **Beach Babe** » 09 Dec 2004, 22:56

so this is what happens when Dada and I go off-line for 24hours

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 09 Dec 2004, 23:03

Oh dear. I was only gone for a few hours and look what happens.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 09 Dec 2004, 23:05

ecm wrote:If you're experiencing some kind of toy flinging tantrum just now then that's cool and I'd be more than happy to come round and slap you if that would help.
Seriously, Bob, please reconsider this.

ECM my sentiments exactly.

Epykat · Post by **Epykat** » 09 Dec 2004, 23:26

This is better than Eastenders

! Bob can't resign - he's sort of like the Queen - born to Administrate. And I hope Porty feels suitably rotten since you/he has gone on and on and on.......

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 09 Dec 2004, 23:26

Anonymous wrote:I resign.

Bob

Can we move this topic to the serious forum? If this is not a serious Portobello Matter then I don't know what is? We cannot afford to lose this guy.

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 09 Dec 2004, 23:29

Porty wrote: Can we move this topic to the serious forum?

Sorry but I've not had time to learn how to do that yet.

ecm · Post by **ecm** » 09 Dec 2004, 23:31

Sorry Epykat, but I think Porty was right to go on and on and on and Bob should come back and discuss this and take on board the views which were expressed, views expressed not just by Porty by the way.

But, you are right, it is very melodramatic.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 09 Dec 2004, 23:38

Sorry Porty, won't move the thread as I'm not willing to decide when a topic is or is not "worthy" of the new forum. (Yes, I was one of Bob's persecutors as well).
We still have our administrator though, who is, of course, welcome to move any posts that he judges suitable.
I agree wholeheartedly that Bob is fundamental to the site - it is his baby afterall - and will be astonished, not to say saddened, if he is willing to abandon it, letting it fall into decline.

foxy · Post by **foxy** » 09 Dec 2004, 23:41

ecm wrote:Sorry Epykat, but I think Porty was right to go on and on and on and Bob should come back and discuss this and take on board the views which were expressed, views expressed not just by Porty by the way.

I agree ecm, there were quite a few people questioning the rationale behind the new forum's restrictions.

Even the other MODs did not seem to be offering any visible support, unless I've missed something

BTW where have all the vociferous men gone now

conspicuous by their absence

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

Portobello Matters - new forum

Move some threads across...

Re: Move some threads across...