Posted by Peter H on October 23, 2005 at 12:31:29 from 86.130.120.116 user Peter_H.
Although if anyone else wishes to wade through the following, please do so. I am grateful to Jock for a supportive post yesterday (now cleared), which rather moved me. I also thank him for his 5 principles relating to his posts, which I read carefully (these have also been cleared away). Do feel free to comment on what follows, if you wish. As always, you are welcome to email.
I would like to reciprocate by setting out the principles which apply to my own posts, and I hope at the same time mend some fences if that is possible.
1) I do not seek to ‘censor’ Tarboard – that is technically impossible anyway, because once material is posted, it becomes ‘read only’ for all of us, except Ian.
2) For me, the most important rule of this Board is No. 3 ‘Personal attacks are right out. I interpret this broadly, to cover what I would call ‘friendly attacks’ as well as antagonism. For me (and I stress that this a personal reaction), a ‘friendly’ approach can be as aggressive and intrusive as an insult. I feel that invitations of a social nature (whether to go sailing or any other activity) do not belong on Tarboard, but should be issued by email between the persons concerned. That way, it is easier to say ‘no’ without giving offence. You may think this a ‘purist’ approach but these are the reasons for it: we only see on Tarboard a very tiny fraction of each other’s personality. We know next to nothing about each other’s upbringing, family, career, race, religion (if any), sexual orientation, disability, or idiosyncracies. All we do see, is each other’s posts. Therefore, in my personal view, it is impossible to say to a fellow-Tarboarder ‘I like you’ – it is meaningless. What is possible is to say ‘I like your posts’.
Please remember that if, for instance, you are a fun-loving extrovert talkative sailor, with beard, who likes to have a good session in the pub after a sail with sailing yarns and loud laughter etc, that doesn’t mean that I would enjoy that. In fact, I would hate it. This may make me look a dull fellow - I accept that. All the more reason not to issue invitations! I suspect that the people who have offered to take me out sailing would be bitterly regretting it after 10 minutes!
3) This board is about Arthur Ransome. I espouse the values shown in his books, which are crystal clear to me. I readily admit that I do fall short of those values, but I will try harder to keep to them. In this spirit, I issue a total apology to John and to anyone who has received what they perceive to be harsh treatment in any posting of mine. I would not wish for there to be any continuing ‘atmosphere’ or for Jock to be still ‘fuming’. I will try harder in future to see your point of view, but all I ask is that you read the above and try to understand mine.
4) Back to Arthur Ransome . . . .