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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 725
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 725 |
Dear Fellows and Friends~
I have been a member of this board, on and off, for a couple years. I have been teased, cajoled, impressed, inspired, congratulated, deflated, annoyed and addicted. The majority of folks here are kind, witty and downright fun!
As a newbie, I felt welcomed and encouraged. There were a few stepped-upon toes, but hey...that's life in the big city. I'm a big girl and I quickly got over it.
My life, like Father Steve's, is bi-vocational. Sometimes I have time for AWADtalk, sometimes not. But I have always felt WELCOME.
Thanks, everyone. My pastor used to say "You can't keep the birds from flying overhead, but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair."
CB
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788 |
My pastor used to say "You can't keep the birds from flying overhead, but you can keep them from making a nest in your hair."
This sounds a bit more like a Zen koan than one of the aphorisms of Jesus. I think I'd like your pastor, Bean.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
veteran
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veteran
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529 |
These are the high and low points of my visits to the Awad Discussion Board... *** My initial posts were met with some reserve but not with unfriendly comments. Posters xxxxx and xxxxx welcomed me with enthusiasm. Awad was fun. Good and thoughtful people post here. NOTE: --> [ I have deleted this portion of this post because I've been asked to.
I've been accused of trying to start a flame war (you know, like children do)
and of misstating the facts (when what I said was a sanitation of a set of uglier truths)
and of being a troll (the electronic equivalent of a Salem Witch).
Womenfolk are funny creatures. ] <--
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,230 |
> Then one day a poster named Max called Keiva a "jew-baby" A correction is in order here. I called Keiva many things, all epithets I felt, and still feel, he deserved, based on his character as displayed here. I NEVER used racial slurs of any kind . The very idea is repugnant to me, as those who know me would attest. Think of me what you will, Milo, but please, at least do me the courtesy of getting your facts straight before vilifying me. And, thanks for making me smile with this surreal frippery: In reply to:
"if a clique of regular Awad posters still have a separate board where they continue to conspire to act collectively with regards to matters pertinent to Awad,"
The above sounds like something out of The Da Vinci code. Yes, some who made real friendships here "meet" elsewhere, to talk about all sorts of things: Shoes and ships and sealing wax, cabbages and kings, why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings. Fewer than 1% of all the posts there are about AWAD, and none are part of a conspiracy to act collectively here. Given the wide range of views expressed among those friends, and the forceful nature of the disagreements voiced, the very idea of a unified cabal is laughable. So, for publicly expressing such risible nonsense, I thank you. Yours civilly,
Juanita.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
keiva threatened to sue anu too, not just jackie--and to, in effect shut down AWAD. it was an unpleasant time.
as for the alternate BB, it did have an active word thread for a while.. mostly it was Jo's interest she was engaged looking for USvsUK terms (we've had a few thread about about stoves vs cooker, and biscuit vs cookie or scone vs biscuit.) but mostly its chatty.. i check it out once a week or so, and rarely find anything worth commentary.. its a social calender as much as it is anything.. birthdays, wedding, births, moves (and since its private, home addresses and telephone numbers)jobs, love lives (or the lack there of), but hardly a place a place where people conspire!
don't forget, too, Keiva went off and started his own word board too--and i've heard its somewhat successful. no doubt plutarch could do the same if so minded. there are some who post here and on keiva's board. this BB is not the only word board, and yes, there are a core of old timers like myself, there are also many newer members.. (and many lurkers.. (hi nancy!) )
--as to the start of ill feelings, as i recall, keiva was called an a**hole or some such insult, it wan't anything racial or religious, just a crude comment. but i could be faulty in my memory.. i do recall the offending comment was removed, but that didn't really satisfy keiva..
since he had been behaving like a bit of a boor before the comment was made, i didn't quite agree with his anger--yes, it was rude, but it was deleted..i sort of saw both sides, and thought fault lay with both those involved--but i honestly don't remember who started it!
Keiva's behavior, before (and shortly after he left) was disturbing.. by that, i mean i had real reason to physically fear him. (yes, he lived in chicago, but there are planes.. and he hopped on one on one occation!)
as for me, i found my self welcomed here.. and still feel welcome here (and nearly fell of my chair at comment faldage made this week,) i still enjoy coming here, and being cheered up, with back handed compliments!
i miss Mav, and others who's lives have changed and they no longer post here..
i know i am sometimes cool to new posters.. i got attached to some who posted, and now, they are gone, and i am slow now to warm up to new posters.. i guess sometimes i don't want to get to know them, and have them disappear (as you did for a while, milo!) after i have developed a small affection for them. (there its out--i like you and your quirky post, milo, and missed you when suddenly stopped posting!)
i don't think i am alone in this behavior. but i don't think i am rude or unkind to any posters here, except when i am sorely provoked by repeated nastiness.
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Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529
veteran
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veteran
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 1,529 |
Er...the problem with being forthright is that one must be sure of his facts and not impugn the innocent. I apologize XXXXX, for saying that you called XXXX a XXXXX. Maybe no one did. The archives have been purged of the unpleasantries of that time. As maybe they should be. But anyway, please forgive my brash mouth. And as for you of troy, please don't misunderstand. I think that you are a rare treasure of the Awad board. But to be honest I'd sooner stuff a wildcat in a tote sack than exchange quips with you when you are mad. Few mortals this side of unholy Hell have witnessed such wrath and can still close their mouth and eyes. Thank you for just being you.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 1,624 |
Waaaaaaaal, I thought about replying to this thread for some time before I decided to actually do so, and that is mainly to support Jackie, who, whether she's right or wrong, always tries to get it right!
I'm a Carpal Tunnel and Bar - some 5,000 posts in total - spread over two noms-de-guerre and I've been around since 2000. The reason I changed my moniker was to do with personal circumstances rather than any attempt to deceive or disguise myself.
Boards such as this are two-edged swords. When they work well, they provide a refuge from everyday stresses and problems. For two years, this board served both as a discussion forum about words - without taking itself too seriously - and as a kind of social club. Quite a few of us, old and new (and I was one of the "new") became off-board correspondents and quite a few of us have met personally and will continue to do so as circumstances permit. The other edge is the angst caused when one member "goes off the rails" and becomes abusive or takes on the characteristics of a troll. We have had, in the past two years, one abuser and one troll. The abuser actually eventually took our advice and left to form his own forum, where he became, and continuse to be, be king, judge, jury and executioner without let or hindrance from us. The troll is just that - a small-minded little man without the sense to realise that he's unwanted, not because there's an organised conspiracy against him, but simply because he's unequal to the intellectual challenge of sharing without needing constant affirmation of his innate superiority.
The fact that both of these individuals were what appear to be failed lawyers is neither here nor there. Or is it? I dunno, there may be a moral in there somewhere.
AWADTalk has actually been lucky, in that there have only been two such individuals in the past five years. Some forums that I frequent from time to time have an ongoing problem with the bullshit brigade and I typically take Father Steve's approach under such circumstances. I withdraw until the climate improves.
I PERSONALLY find accusations such as that baseless charge of racism levelled above at sjmaxq utterly reprehensible, and belated retractions do not improve my view of the accuser at all. It shows an appalling lack of judgement on the part of the poster. But there is nothing I can do - or any number of us can do - to censure such an individual beyond ignoring anything and everything s/he posts.
Talk of a conspiracy of "old-timers" aka Carpal Tunnels is just so much rubbish. Yes, several of us have discussed the situation, but the consensus is clearly that we actually cannot control people's activities on this forum - that is the bailiwick of Anu Garg, who chooses not to exercise his jurisdiction as bailiff - so we have shrugged and moved on. And, yes, we have another board where we discuss lots of things which are totally inappropriate for this board. That rarely includes the negative activities which sometimes mar this board. There are so many more interesting things to discuss, as friends typically do.
But the fact is that most of us still post here. We haven't quite given up on this forum. Some of the newcomers are very interesting; all are welcome. At least, they are until they prove themselves unworthy of that welcome, but that would have applied to no more than three or four newbies over the past four years. Any suggestion of a blanket "panning" of newbies is, again, just so much rubbish. People come along, dip their toes in the water, and either stay for a while and leave - and often come back - or they just stay. Not every forum suits everyone. Personally, the really serious language boards give me the heebie-jeebies.
Tact, patience and some small level of scholarship are all are required from anyone who posts here. The rest matters not at all.
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 5,400 |
keiva's wife informs me, that what i took as threat wasn't one, and she claims keiva never deleted his posts, and anyone can look and see i am wrong.
however, as i recall, keiva often went back and edited posts.. even if he didn't delete them. so while there might not exist any threat on record, it doesn't mean comments weren't edited to make them less threatening.
and we must remember, keiva is a lawyer, and no doubt he know how to strongly word something so that it technically isn't a threat, (even it sounds like one to a non lawyer)
so maybe he didn't threaten, he just implied (and i inferred the wrong intention.)
of course, he did actively stalk members of AWAD. and his intentions might have been totally harmless, but i was frightened none the less.
ewein comments to me
Helen,
I cannot believe your post. Show me the facts. Keiva, unlike many here (including myself), left a record of what he said. He deleted no posts. Find the threats, and give me the link. If you can't, well, that my dear lady is heresay. Emotions were high then. If Anu and Jackie perceived a threat, that was in their minds. Ken clearly did not threaten anyone on AWAD with a lawsuit.1--emphisis added by me, 2--so i guess i wasn't the only one who thought there was a threat, even ewein admits that.
I have asked Jackie to delete the comments about Keiva. If she doesn't, I surely will have to comment, and I expect Ken will too.
it clear, just mentioning his name is the beginning of a flame war.
notice she didn't ask me to delete the comment, she wrote jackie.. and note her comments about hearsay--and about how she will have to comment.
(as if i wasn't here and as if i didn't read comments i took to be threats, but i am just repeating something someone else said about him) how wonderful a tone. of course i don't (and never did) maintain a data base of every word posted by every person every day --and I am sure she is perfectly correct there is no clearly stated threat in any of the post that are open. but since many posts were edited, and since several threads have been closed, i can only repeat I FELT THREATENED by him, and i pereived (perhaps erroniously), that he threated legal action against anu and jackie.
the comments posted on every page of AWAD
Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.
started at the time of NON threat. i am sure the timing was just a random event.
i will make no further comments on this issue, as its just going to feed the trolls.
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Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508
addict
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addict
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 508 |
I've been around this board for more than 3 1/2 years, including through the unpleasantness mentioned above. I'm not a frequent poster, but I've always felt every bit as welcome and part of the board as others who've posted in the thousands. Jackie said at the beginning of this thread My hoped-for outcome is that feelings will become unruffled and that the number of complaints/allusions will drop. I'm appalled that some of you have used it instead to dredge up the specifics of a time we'd all prefer had never happened. What good is served by rehashing the details - whether accurately or inaccurately remembered? I don't want to speak for Jackie, but I'm fairly certain that was never her intention. Give it a rest, people. Ignore whomever you have to ignore in order to keep enjoying AWAD. If that's beyond your abilities, vent via PM, not in public. 
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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OP
Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613 |
Thank you very much, nancy--you have kept me from posting something that I might have regretted later. Postponed but not forgotten...
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