Stalinism

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 24 Mar 2007, 23:41

All this talk of Gordon Brown being a Stalinist has got me thinking - is the new forum regime Stalinist?

They've imposed a new board style on us from on high without a whiff of consultation, save for some "the inner sanctum loved it" stylings.

Plus I've been edited multiple times, with no explanation, for breaking who knows what rules -

is "pus" a banned word?

is "boke" a banned word?

who decides which words are banned or not?

I'm allowed an opinion on this new "petit dejeuner de chien" board style - where does it say you can't put something from a post in the topic title?

Plus I just had an entire post culled which detailed a bit of POL history.

What gives guys? And who is it doing all this anyway? You know who I am.

Post by **wangi** » 24 Mar 2007, 23:51

Give it a rest. Step back and consider the time that people spend on this site, just so you have the opportunity to have a go at them.

Constructive criticism is very much welcome.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 25 Mar 2007, 00:03

Matthew you are obviously having a bad day for whatever reason. If you don't like it here then go. If you want to stay then stop taking hurtful pot shots.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to take part in one of your games tonight.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 07:20

wangi wrote:Give it a rest. Step back and consider the time that people spend on this site, just so you have the opportunity to have a go at them.

Constructive criticism is very much welcome.

Whoah there cowboy. I'd be very happy to give constructive criticism in a constructive environment.

That would be one where reasons are given for things being done, and user groups consulted before changes are made.

You should consider the time people spend on the site before having a go at experimenting on them!

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 07:27

Marya wrote:Matthew you are obviously having a bad day for whatever reason. If you don't like it here then go. If you want to stay then stop taking hurtful pot shots.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to take part in one of your games tonight.

Calm down dear, it's only a website.

I'm sorry if you think that my criticism of the new board style constitutes a pot-shot. If my criticism is a pot-shot, the new board style is a blunderbuss.

It's because I like it here that I bothered to comment.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 25 Mar 2007, 09:44

Dadaist wrote:
Calm down dear, it's only a website.

Not me who went off on one Dadaist.

I'm sorry if you think that my criticism of the new board style constitutes a pot-shot.

Hmmm.Think that in your apology you forgot your pot shot at the backroom folk who oil the wheels and keep this thing running.

It's because I like it here that I bothered to comment.

Well, get back to the discussion on the new format and try to be more constructive. Feedback is appreciated so long as it is helpful and measured.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 09:45

I didn't go off on one. You did, however, by stooping to personal insults.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 09:49

Marya wrote:
I'm sorry if you think that my criticism of the new board style constitutes a pot-shot.
Hmmm.Think that in your apology you forgot your pot shot at the backroom folk who oil the wheels and keep this thing running.

It wasn't your classic apology apology. It was more that I felt sorry for you that you thought that my criticism was a personal attack as opposed to what it was, which was what it said on the day-glo coloured tin.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 09:51

Marya wrote: get back to the discussion on the new format and try to be more constructive.

Forums with distinct threads/topics allow us to do both. I'll participate in that one and also await answers here.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 09:54

Marya wrote:Feedback is appreciated so long as it is helpful and measured.

You'd be surprised who mailed me saying they didn't like the new style.

Maria · Post by **Maria** » 25 Mar 2007, 11:13

Dadaist wrote:You'd be surprised who mailed me saying they didn't like the new style.

Frankly I'm more surprised anyone still emails you Dadaist knowing your penchant for alluding to the contents of private correspondence on a public forum.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 11:32

Marya wrote:
Dadaist wrote:You'd be surprised who mailed me saying they didn't like the new style.
Frankly I'm more surprised anyone still emails you Dadaist knowing your penchant for alluding to the contents of private correspondence on a public forum.

Well, you've decided to stoop to personal insults so I guess anything goes.

It's not my fault if there are people too scared to come out and say the new style sucks, nor am I revealing any personal information by stating that someone mailed me and said that.

Sandra · Post by **Sandra** » 25 Mar 2007, 11:48

The new style forum is growing on me.

I must say I was surprised the new style just appeared without any explanation/post about it. Yesterday morning I posted as normal and then logged out to the new board. But change is good.

Bob Jefferson · Post by **Bob Jefferson** » 25 Mar 2007, 11:49

Does anyone else have a problem displaying the new logo? Sometimes it seems fine but often it displays like this, with colour bleeding and other visual interference. I'm viewing on a Dell laptop.

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 25 Mar 2007, 11:49

I certainly have more important things to concern me than whether a style change has occurred on an online forum and I would suggest the majority of board members may feel the same, hence their silence on the issue.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 13:46

Jamesie wrote:I certainly have more important things to concern me than whether a style change has occurred on an online forum and I would suggest the majority of board members may feel the same, hence their silence on the issue.

Spokespeople for the silent majority have to work on Sundays?

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 25 Mar 2007, 13:52

Dadaist wrote: Spokespeople for the silent majority have to work on Sundays?

Eh?

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 25 Mar 2007, 14:31

Dadaist wrote:is the new forum regime Stalinist?

They've imposed a new board style on us from on high without a whiff of consultation, save for some "the inner sanctum loved it" stylings.

Dadaist wrote:a constructive environment.

That would be one where reasons are given for things being done, and user groups consulted before changes are made.

You should consider the time people spend on the site before having a go at experimenting on them

Dadaist wrote:Calm down dear, it's only a website.

I'm sorry if you think that my criticism of the new board style constitutes a pot-shot. If my criticism is a pot-shot, the new board style is a blunderbuss.

Dadaist wrote:I didn't go off on one. You did, however, by stooping to personal insults.

Dadaist wrote:Well, you've decided to stoop to personal insults so I guess anything goes.

It's not my fault if there are people too scared to come out and say the new style sucks

Dadaist wrote:Spokespeople for the silent majority have to work on Sundays?

Fantastic bit of work, Dadaist. You insult lots of people and then accuse Marya of "stooping to personal insults" - classic. Let's see:

- you hint that Marya, Lee, myself, and possibly Poppy and Bearcub are Stalinists
- you complain about lack of consultation
- you imply we are not considerate towards our members, in fact that we are simply using them as guinea pigs, stating we should consider the time they spend on here before we "experiment on them"
- you say the new style is a "blunderbuss" in the same post as saying Marya should calm down as it's only a website...which begs the question, what are you getting so rattled about a style for, and calling us Stalinists for, if it's "only a website"?
- you tell us what a "constructive environment" is according to your criteria, thus saying that this is not a constructive environment.
- you tell us people are "too scared" to say what they feel, and in the same sentence tell us that those anonymous people think the style "sucks". I suppose that's not you stooping to insults since you're only repeating what these anonymous people all think, of course. What a champion you are, giving voice to the voiceless who are too scared to say what they think, even though..."it's only a website". In fact, what you seem to be doing there is...setting yourself up as "spokesperson for the silent majority", aren't you? And right here working on a Sunday. How very noble.

You do all of that and yet you manage to accuse Marya twice of stooping to personal insults. If she's stooping, it seems to me you're on all fours.

Now I know you'll come right back at me with your own style of insults disguised as rhetoric, but the thing is, you should calm down, dear - it's only a website.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 15:51

Verbiage!

SoupDragon · Post by **SoupDragon** » 25 Mar 2007, 16:49

Oh dear , Dadaist.
You feeling ok?
Had a run of the Trotskys?

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 17:00

SoupDragon wrote:Oh dear , Dadaist.
You feeling ok?
Had a run of the Trotskys?

Not right now, but any time is a good time for chilli. In fact a visit to Kebab Mahal (especially if you dare have the Madras) isn't really complete until the next morning. Ouch!

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 17:28

bellybabe wrote: - you hint that Marya, Lee, myself, and possibly Poppy and Bearcub are Stalinists

No, I asked if the regime was.

- you say the new style is a "blunderbuss" in the same post as saying Marya should calm down as it's only a website...which begs the question, what are you getting so rattled about a style for, and calling us Stalinists for, if it's "only a website"?

Because by getting personal it would appear that Marya is the one who needs to calm down. I wasn't rattled when I made my initial post but it would appear Marya was when she got personal.

you tell us what a "constructive environment" is according to your criteria, thus saying that this is not a constructive environment.

What I meant was that I'd be happy to match like with like. If youse had asked us what we thought first, or even asked us if we thought we wanted a change of style, I'd probably have been more polite.

- you tell us people are "too scared" to say what they feel, and in the same sentence tell us that those anonymous people think the style "sucks". I suppose that's not you stooping to insults since you're only repeating what these anonymous people all think, of course.

Not to personal ones, no. I'm happy to insult the new style though, especially given how it was implemented.

What a champion you are, giving voice to the voiceless who are too scared to say what they think, even though..."it's only a website".

Not really. I've given my opinion, and reported that somebody mailed me who hated it too.

In fact, what you seem to be doing there is...setting yourself up as "spokesperson for the silent majority", aren't you? And right here working on a Sunday. How very noble.

You may think that. I've not made anything like Jamesie's claim to know what the "majority of board members" feel. The only way you'd know that would be with a poll which the majority of board members voted in. I've stated my opinion and reported that someone who thought the style is bogging mailed me.

You do all of that and yet you manage to accuse Marya twice of stooping to personal insults. If she's stooping, it seems to me you're on all fours.

Woof. I'll accuse her thrice if you want.

Now I know you'll come right back at me with your own style of insults disguised as rhetoric, but the thing is, you should calm down, dear - it's only a website.

I'm still waiting for you to get back to me on a post from last October. It's difficult to come right back at you when you're as tardy as this!

bellybabe · Post by **bellybabe** » 25 Mar 2007, 21:27

Dadaist wrote:
bellybabe wrote: - you hint that Marya, Lee, myself, and possibly Poppy and Bearcub are Stalinists
No, I asked if the regime was.

Ah...can't be arsed getting back to every single point here as my point is made and ably backed up by your oh so predictable response generally, but with regard to this particular bit... So you're not making personal insults and calling us Stalinists, because you're only talking about the general, non-specific "regime"? Ah, I see now. So it's ok to insult a generic group of people without personal responsibility, because after all, it's not personal. So that's like if someone were to say for example, teachers are shite, or teenagers are bad, or ...doctors are crap. That's fine then.

Oh yes, and...

Dadaist wrote:I'm still waiting for you to get back to me on a post from last October.

Nice to know my words mean so much to you dear, that you'll wait so long. Enjoy the wait...it might be some time yet. I'm not very good at dancing to anyone else's tune.

Jamesie · Post by **Jamesie** » 25 Mar 2007, 21:43

Dadaist wrote: You may think that. I've not made anything like Jamesie's claim to know what the "majority of board members" feel. The only way you'd know that would be with a poll which the majority of board members voted in. I've stated my opinion and reported that someone who thought the style is bogging mailed me.

I'd like to retract any claim attributed to me and apparently made on behalf of board members.

I'd rather suggest in my opinion most members don't give two hoots.

What I would however put a large sum of money on would be that if I printed this thread and showed it to five random individuals on the streets of Portobello tomorrow morning they'd each be puzzled as to what on earth this forum is all about.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 25 Mar 2007, 22:12

Jamesie is probaby correct. I quite like the new style and I'm not bothered that we were not consulted. I wasn't consulted about the old style. I'm quite happy for the good people who volunteer to run this place have autonomy particularly if its used reasonably.

Not so sure about the edits that Dadaist refers to he surely deserves some explanation.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 22:12

Jamesie wrote:
Dadaist wrote: You may think that. I've not made anything like Jamesie's claim to know what the "majority of board members" feel. The only way you'd know that would be with a poll which the majority of board members voted in. I've stated my opinion and reported that someone who thought the style is bogging mailed me.
I'd like to retract any claim attributed to me and apparently made on behalf of board members.

I'd rather suggest in my opinion most members don't give two hoots.

What I would however put a large sum of money on would be that if I printed this thread and showed it to five random individuals on the streets of Portobello tomorrow morning they'd each be puzzled as to what on earth this forum is all about.

Waaah! So you've now changed your mind on what you think the silent majority thinks. Curse their silence!

I'm glad someone with important things to concern them has time to print out threads and wave them at people in the street.

You should take a camera and voice recorder with you though - you might become one of those YouTube microcelebrities once you upload the results.

Or you could print out the ensuing video frame by frame and wave that at people on the street like one of those flicker book animation thingies, etc.

The possibilities are endless here. Let's take TP out onto the streets!

Never knew you were a Luddite. Kudos.

Dadaist · Post by **Dadaist** » 25 Mar 2007, 22:34

bellybabe wrote:
Dadaist wrote:
bellybabe wrote: - you hint that Marya, Lee, myself, and possibly Poppy and Bearcub are Stalinists
No, I asked if the regime was.
Ah...can't be *** getting back to every single point here as my point is made and ably backed up by your oh so predictable response generally, but with regard to this particular bit... So you're not making personal insults and calling us Stalinists, because you're only talking about the general, non-specific "regime"? Ah, I see now. So it's ok to insult a generic group of people without personal responsibility, because after all, it's not personal. So that's like if someone were to say for example, teachers are shite, or teenagers are bad, or ...doctors are crap. That's fine then.

Oh yes, and...
Dadaist wrote:I'm still waiting for you to get back to me on a post from last October.
Nice to know my words mean so much to you dear, that you'll wait so long. Enjoy the wait...it might be some time yet. I'm not very good at dancing to anyone else's tune.

Marya's comments were aimed at me. My comments were aimed at a group of individuals' actions in a defined role.

You're not comparing apples with apples. Saying teenagers were bad would be the same thing as saying moderators were bad. My asking if the regime were Stalinist would be the same as asking if a distinct group of teenagers, who all knew each other and operated as a unit, were bad.

They may well be - but their actions wouldn't define those of all teenagers.

Porty · Post by **Porty** » 01 Apr 2007, 03:34

Dadaist would you kindly evidence the post from October on which you await an answer? Is an uprising likely?

Talk Porty ~ Portobello

Stalinism

Stalinism

Re: Stalinism

Re: Stalinism

Re: Stalinism

Re: Stalinism

Re: Stalinism

Re: Stalinism